Would you take Ilya Kovalchuk if Lidstrom retires?

[Miller Brew 0]

ATL doesn't have a whole lot of depth and they're a solid team.

I think the Wings would be fine with losing Filppula & Ericsson plus picks for him.

He's an UFA in July. No trade necessary if he makes free agency. From what I've read Atlanta and Kovy negotiations aren't going so well, in fact Alanta's GM is talking about trading him before deadline. I'm hoping for a Hossa scenario, trade to any team that can't afford him next year (like Hossa was to the Pens) then during FA Holland snags him to a 10-year deal.

There were talks that Boston and Atlanta were negotiation a trade yesterday (I can't find the link). Today there's talks of Kovy going to the Flyers for Carter

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/313870-...chuk-for-carter

Edited December 24, 2009 by Miller Brew

[robb himself 143]

I wouldnt trade for him...The only way we will get our fingers on him is if he hits free agency, and we crunch the numbers enough to fit him in...but it will be difficult without retaining some depth

[Miller Brew 0]

apparently he wants 10 years at 10 mill per year. Don't have a link and too lazy to check for it.

An article came out today that Kovalchuk is looking to cash in for the max allowed for an individual player $11.36 million per.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Steve...262836-qmi.html

Whoever is willing to pay that salary will destroy their hockey club.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Miller Brew

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

Yes, lets replace our best defenseman with a forward.

You aren't going to find a defenseman like Lidstrom on the market, so why not make up for his absence with an offensive machine?

And if Kovi is actually asking for the max contract he can go f*** himself as far as I'm concerned. He isn't worth more than the big three, let alone that much more.

[eva unit zero 271]

An article came out today that Kovalchuk is looking to cash in for the max allowed for an individual player $11.36 million per.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Steve...262836-qmi.html

Whoever is willing to pay that salary will destroy their hockey club.

So a columnist on a website says Kovalchuk wants the max, and that makes it truth? Nowhere in that article does it actually have anything involving Kovy or his agent. It's just speculation stated as a fact.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Probably.

To the Thrashers he's their franchise player; to us he's a compliment to Dats/Hank/Mule, and would have to accept roughly the same amount of $$$ that was paid to Lidstrom these past few seasons.

I wouldn't say you can put Franzen in the same category with those two as a franchise player.

[Miller Brew 0]

So a columnist on a website says Kovalchuk wants the max, and that makes it truth? Nowhere in that article does it actually have anything involving Kovy or his agent. It's just speculation stated as a fact.

Don't kill the messenger. Obviously, I know as much as you about the Kovalchuk / Atlanta negotiations, which is little to nothing.

[HenryMalredo 2]

Kovalchuk will never hit free agency, and he certainly won't be coming to the Red Wings.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Kovalchuk will never hit free agency, and he certainly won't be coming to the Red Wings.

Well it's good that we all know it now. No need to continue this discussion then. Thank you.

[Shady Ultima 40]

An article came out today that Kovalchuk is looking to cash in for the max allowed for an individual player $11.36 million per.

Whoever is willing to pay that salary will destroy their hockey club.

So he's going to Chicago? They love to over pay...

[sherwood40 16]

It would be nice to see a sweet sniper skating with datsyuk, but I don't think Kovie would be a good 2-way player the wings like. I would like to see Frolov with datsyuk instead we could change him into the 2-way player, plus he can score and cheaper then kovie.

[Carman 387]

It would be nice to see a sweet sniper skating with datsyuk, but I don't think Kovie would be a good 2-way player the wings like. I would like to see Frolov with datsyuk instead we could change him into the 2-way player, plus he can score and cheaper then kovie.

You don't watch much Kovalchuk.

[Rick Zombos Ghost 82]

um. DUH! and i would gladly say bye to filp for him too.

[BeeRYCE 2]

I would take Kovalchuk at around $7-8M... But considering there's a possibility of him signing in Atlanta at a $100M contract for a 10 year period, making it a $10M per year cap hit... I'll say no.

But... Maybe I'd take him at a $9M cap hit max, considering he'd be able to snipe a good 60 playing with Datsyuk.

Edited December 24, 2009 by BeeRYCE

[BeeRYCE 2]

You don't watch much Kovalchuk.

I know a lot of these guys don't think highly of you, but I do agree with your opinions about Kovalchuk being amazing, and Crosby one of the NHL's best and better than Ovie.

[Carman 387]

I know a lot of these guys don't think highly of you, but I do agree with your opinions about Kovalchuk being amazing, and Crosby one of the NHL's best and better than Ovie.

Sometimes I actually don't post like a sarcastic ******* haha. I just have a habit to start posting like the people I reply to

[brett 1,029]

atlanta is in playoff position. kovy is not moving ever

[jollymania 162]

if it did it woudl be hard to keep ahold of datsyuk

[Guest Crymson]

You don't watch much Kovalchuk.

Kovalchuk is jelly in the defensive zone. Who are you watching?

Sadly, so is Frolov, and he's just flat out lazy as well. It irks me to see someone paid millions to play hockey end up being so unmotivated.

[Finnish Wing 110]

Kovalchuk is jelly in the defensive zone. Who are you watching?

Sadly, so is Frolov, and he's just flat out lazy as well. It irks me to see someone paid millions to play hockey end up being so unmotivated.

But that's the point. This team doesn't need more defensive forwards. We already have plenty of good ones. We need a pure goal scorer instead. A goal scorer can be defensively good as well, but that usually means that the cap hit is also higher.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

If Lidstrom Retires, that cap space is going towards a defensemen. If Lidstrom stays, but at a largely discounted rate, I can see him being signed, but if Lidstrom is gone entirely, we need to shore up the Defenese. However if Lidstrom does retire, I could potentially trading for him.

The Tharshers are going to want return, and Filppula will absouloutly have to be going the other way, he is our only current young forward that makes sense for us to give up and that the Thrashers would be interested in. Also his 3 mill off the books is HUGE.

Filppula+Kindl+1st (2010)+ 2nd (2011)

Filppulla + Leino + Kindl + 1st

Fippulla + Ericcsson + 3rd

Cleary(NTC waived somehow)+ Filppula + 2nd

All these packages are based on the assumption we are able to sign him to a sub 5.5-6.5 millon LONG term contract. I personally think that each of these packages would make the Thrashers consider the deal seriously, as well as sacrificing a decent chunk of salary. If the Wing's somehow do manage to pull off one of the trades listed, and sign Kovy for 5.5-6.5 million, the Wings still have a decent amount of Cap Space, and if Lidstrom retires fully, would be able to possibly pursue a top defensemen and offer slightly over 6 million. Chara and Kovy for Cleary, Filpulla, and Lidstrom? I'd do it.

Kovalchuk-(6.5) Datsyuk (6.7) Holmstrom (1.5)

Franzen (3.95)- Zetterberg (6.083) - Bertuzzi (2.00)

Draper (1.5) - Helm (.800) - Eaves (800)

Leino (800) - Abs (800)- Miller (.500)

-Meech (.483)/May (.500)

Defensemen

Chara (6.5) Rafalski (6.00)

Kronwall (3.00) Stuart (3.75)

Kindl (900) Ericcsson (900)

-Janik/Meech

FORWARDS

Pavel Datsyuk — $6,700,000

* Kovalchuk — $6,500,000

Henrik Zetterberg — $6,083,333

Johan Franzen — $3,954,545

* Todd Bertuzzi — $2,000,000

Kris Draper — $1,583,333

* Tomas Holmstrom — $1,500,000

* Justin Abdelkader — $850,000

* Darren Helm — $800,000

* Eaves — $800,000

Ville Leino — $800,000

* Drew Miller — $525,000

DEFENSEMEN

* Chara — $6,500,000

Brian Rafalski — $6,000,000

Brad Stuart — $3,750,000

Niklas Kronwall — $3,000,000

Jonathan Ericsson — $900,000

Jakub Kindl — $883,333

* Doug Janik — $500,000

* Derek Meech — $483,000

GOALTENDERS

Chris Osgood — $1,416,666

Jimmy Howard — $716,666

ROSTER SIZE 22

SALARY CAP $56,800,000

PAYROLL $56,245,876

BONUSES $0

CAP SPACE $554,124

Or if Lidstrom wants to play and Holland is generous and offers a 4 million dollar deal, we can either 1) dump Williams and Bertuzzi, make Holmstrom and contracts and still pursue an elite 6+ million defensemen, or 2) Resign Miller, Eaves, and Holmstrom to a bit better contracts retain Bertuzzi and accquire a nice stay at home like Volchenkov or Hjmarlsson?

Just Imagine (yes I know lack of forward depth, but our Defense would be stacked... and this is Lidstrom recieves 4.00 Million, which personally think is the absoloute max he will ask for. If you get him 3 million and resign bertuzzi for the same exact amount we have more room for call ups/a legit 13th forward.

Fowards

Kovalchuk-(6.5) Datsyuk (6.7) Holmstrom (1.5)

Franzen (3.95)- Zetterberg (6.083) - Bertuzzi (2.00)

Draper (1.5) - Helm (.800) - Eaves (800)

Leino (800) - Abs (800)- Miller (.500)

-Meech (.483)/May (.500)

Defensemen

Lids (4.00) Rafalski (6.00)

Kronwall (3.00) Stuart (3.75)

Volchenkov (3.00) Ericcsson (900)

-Kindl/Meech

Forwards

Pavel Datsyuk — $6,700,000

* Kovalchuk — $6,500,000

Henrik Zetterberg — $6,083,333

Johan Franzen — $3,954,545

* Todd Bertuzzi — $2,000,000

Kris Draper — $1,583,333

* Tomas Holmstrom — $1,500,000

* Justin Abdelkader — $850,000

* Darren Helm — $800,000

Eaves — $800,000

Ville Leino — $800,000

* Drew Miller — $525,000

*Brad May - $500,000

Defensemen

Brian Rafalski — $6,000,000

* Nicklas Lidstrom — $4,000,000

Brad Stuart — $3,750,000

* Volchenkov — $3,000,000

Niklas Kronwall — $3,000,000

Jonathan Ericsson — $900,000

Jakub Kindl — $883,333

* Derek Meech — $483,000

Chris Osgood — $1,416,666

Jimmy Howard — $716,666

ROSTER SIZE 23

SALARY CAP $56,800,000

PAYROLL $56,745,876

BONUSES $0

CAP SPACE $54,124

I've probably said this a number of times before already, but doesn't this look much better and even much more realistic:

Cleary-Datsyuk-Frolov

Franzen-Filppula-Zetterberg

Abdelkader-Helm-Eaves

Miller-Draper-"May"

+ "Maltby", "Leino"

Lidstrom-Rafalski(?)

Kronwall-Stuart

Kindl-Ericsson

+ "Meech"

Osgood(?)

Howard

Those guys with quote marks mean that guys similiar to those. Osgood could retire and Rafalski could be traded.

Tbh not at all. You haven't watched much of Frolov if you think that he would be a game breaker worth losing Bertuzzi and Holmstrom for, especially on this team. That forward Crop is weaker than what we have when healthy this year.

Also, we would be able to afford at least another quality (2.5-4 mill player) assuming Lidstrom took a paycut to 5 mill. Also the notion of trading Rafalski is ridiculous, every possible faccet of the trade does not make sense. Rafalski signed here to retire, and has a NTC. He is overpaid. When healthy we area contender. No other team but maybe a contender would want him, and even that the wings will not trade him to another one. It makes sense on no level other then the fact he is overpaid.

ATL doesn't have a whole lot of depth and they're a solid team.

I think the Wings would be fine with losing Filppula & Ericsson plus picks for him.

Untrue, right now Atlanta quite possibly has the best forward crop in the league in terms of overall scoring. Kovalchuk would hit 57 golas if were to play 82 games as of the pace he is on now, they have Antropov and Afiongenov (remember, the guy I suggested signing and was flamed for?) both are on pace for 70+ points, Peverly (find of the past 3 years btw) could very well hit 75, Kane and Little are two young STUDS and both on pace for around 35-40 points each, as well as Defensive center Todd White. Armstrong and Kozlov also prodivde great secondary scoring, as well as a bit more toughness.

An article came out today that Kovalchuk is looking to cash in for the max allowed for an individual player $11.36 million per.

http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Columnists/Steve...262836-qmi.html

Whoever is willing to pay that salary will destroy their hockey club.

It's called negotations. Teams will always lowball demands, so of course he wants to set the bar high. Do you ever hear Mcdonalds admitting Burger King has better burgers? He wants Atlanta to recgonize that he is a top forward in the league. If some dumbass team offers it, so be it, however I would not be suprised at all to see him sign for 7-8 million to a contender.

[Finnish Wing 110]

We don't need "a game breaker", just a normal pure goal scorer, who can score on Datsyuk's wing. This team already has two superstar forwards. We don't need any more.

Edited December 24, 2009 by Finnish Wing

[themule93 1]

i think alot of s*** would get solved if we got rafalski and his wopping 6 million dollar contract outta here to be honest. Dont you think there are younger,better and cheaper defensemen than him

[stuck in socal 56]

Kovalchuck in a Wings Uniform would be amazing. I would be willing to lose Lidstrom for him.

[Guest EZBAKETHAGANGSTA]

i think alot of s*** would get solved if we got rafalski and his wopping 6 million dollar contract outta here to be honest. Dont you think there are younger,better and cheaper defensemen than him

WOW WHAT VALUABLE INSIGHT! Please explain how you plan to get rid of the contract captain obvious.