I think it's possible to sign Kovalchuck this off-season

[Guest blueadams]

From what I've noticed on other team's forums, everybody is thinking they can sign Kovalchuk. I really doubt that he'd sign with the Wings even though I'd love that. Although I thought the same thing about Hossa. The only thing is not many people expected Hossa to sign here. A lot of people seem to think that we can get Kovalchuk, therefor it won't happen

everyone expected hossa to sign that one year deal here!? really?

[Blood On The Ice 15]

Cap wise it might be possible. Realistically is it going to happen? Not in a million years. Move on to some one else.

[mmamolo 287]

It's the same story as always Depth vs. One Superstar.

It's unfair for everyone to be judging the Red Wings offence based on this season to date. With all of the injuries and the below average offensive numbers for Datsyuk and Zetterberg (our primary point producers) it's not fair to assume all of these trends will continue.

For me, when healthy we still have a very solid offence and I dont think we NEED to add a superstar. That being said, it would be nice to do it.

As I mentioned in my earlier post I would rather a tier 2 top six guy like a Frolov (or whoever) to sign and then we'd be able to retain any of Bertuzzi, Holmstrom and co.

I would much rather see something like:

Frolov - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Franzen - Zetterberg - Cleary

Bertuzzi - Filppula - Miller/Abdelkader

Draper - Helm - Eaves

or whatever combinations suits you better

[seeinred 1,488]

everyone expected hossa to sign that one year deal here!? really?

That's, like, the opposite of what he said.

This Yahoo Sports article seems to think he's going to Toronto at the deadline. Not that I put a lot of stock in what Yahoo Sports says.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

lovin this thread

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

Let's try and get rid of the NTC waste of money named Rafalski. Send his ***** ass back to New Jersey.

amen.this guy's a joke.Definitely not anywhere near as good as we've witnessed in the past.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

No thanks ... Fedorov part duece .. there really isnt any great players I'd pick up .. maybe Torres .. the FA pool for 2010 is s*** .. besides Lidstrom and Kovalchuck

Fedorov part deuce? so, 3 cups, an mvp, 2 selkes, and 900+ points in a Wings uni?... Sounds like a crap deal to me too!

[Guest blueadams]

That's, like, the opposite of what he said.

This Yahoo Sports article seems to think he's going to Toronto at the deadline. Not that I put a lot of stock in what Yahoo Sports says.

indeed it is.

oops, lol

[Guest Lidstromboli]

guys, i think the ilexyanda frovalchuk thing is a done deal. we'll get the cup next season

7 years, 80 mil

Edited January 21, 2010 by Lidstromboli

[mmamolo 287]

Fedorov part deuce? so, 3 cups, an mvp, 2 selkes, and 900+ points in a Wings uni?... Sounds like a crap deal to me too!

Agreed. In his prime he was worth the drama.

Besides, everyone keeps saying how Kovalchuk wants term on this contract. Once the deal is signed you're set. Even if he wants out, you can get value in return. Even if Kovalchuk turned completely sour and refused to play another game in detroit after signing a deal he is so good that a bidding war would start and you'd get value.

Players like this can only cause trouble when contracts aren't signed....well, for the most part.

[Guest blueadams]

To start there's no way the Red Wings can afford to pay Kovalchuk $11 to $12 million - isn't there the "current cap max" of around $10 million set by the CBA anyway?...Even so the Red Wings cannot afford $10 million...

I think that you misinterpreted my response.

Here's a clearer summary of what I think we'll do. #1) Re-sign all of our restricted free agents. #2) Identify just how low Lidstrom will go. #3) Offer all the cap-space that we're going to have to Kovalchuck in a long-term deal (like pav, hank, mule's etc...but more per yr).

There's not going to be anything left for Homer or Bert.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

I think that you misinterpreted my response.

Here's a clearer summary of what I think we'll do. #1) Re-sign all of our restricted free agents. #2) Identify just how low Lidstrom will go. #3) Offer all the cap-space that we're going to have to Kovalchuck in a long-term deal (like pav, hank, mule's etc...but more per yr).

There's not going to be anything left for Homer or Bert.

True.If we can get Kovalchuk,there wont be much space for anyone else.Pretty much the only way we're gonna be able to pull this off is by getting Rafalski to waive his NTC to free up much needed cap space.

[Guest blueadams]

guys, i think the ilexyanda frovalchuk thing is a done deal. we'll get the cup next season

7 years, 80 mil

...idk...7 yrs, 50-55 mil from the red wings would be hard for anyone to turn down.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

True - however will Holland sign all the RFA's which would include Miller, and Meech?

What if Holland lowballs both Bert, and Homer?...Would either leave to go elsewhere?...Would Homer retire?

For what those 2 have to offer - there just might be better players out there via UFA...Then again for the $$$ both Bert, and Homer aren't too shabby either.

I really dont wanna see Meech here next year.Let Lebda,Lilja,Meech,and Maltby go.assume Holmstrom retires,as well as Lidstrom Trade Rafalski.And i wouldn't mind seeing this:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Kovalchuk

Zetterberg-Filppula-Bertuzzi

Abdelkader-Helm-Cleary

May-Draper-Torres

Miller

Seabrook-Ericsson

Kronwall-Stuart

Sutton-Mitchell

Janik

[RedArmy 4]

ughmmm if Kovalchuk was looking for a short term deal, maybe I can see him sign with the wings, but longer term no way... Even if the Wings could afford him, you are asking one of the most desired RUSSIAN players to play in a city like Detroit. Unless you are drafted or a good player, but not the most desired one, you might stay away from Detroit long term wise... Datsyuk was drafted and "developed" in Detroit, so don't use him as an example. The reason I say this, if you have to sign long term and you want to have a decent lifestyle as a Russian speaking player, you would probably sign in a market where you could be around some Russian culture... New York area is an obvious spot and North East in general and then maybe Chicago, LA, Miami (Florida).

Edited January 22, 2010 by RedArmy

[AtomicPunk 296]

Yeah, we've never had much luck with Russian players in Detroit.

[TheOwl 77]

Add Kovalchuk to the roster and the Wings will be scoring in bunches, but defensively we would have to expect a very, very significant decline. Remember-- defense wins championships.

Defense wins championships? Maybe, but Detroit spent twice as much on it's D-men last season then Pittsburgh, and we all know how that ended up.

The Wings don't need to spend 1/3 of it's cap on six D-men. Especially now when we have a solid goalie, and a few potentially solid goalies ready to play in a few seasons.

I think everyone here is underestimating how good Kovy is. He's a better sniper then Hossa, in fact, he's probably one of the top 3 goal scorers (skill wise) in the league. If Kovy got signed, the Wings WOULD win the Cup next season. Guaranteed. He's a beast.

Oh and who were our top 6 D-men last year? And how was Detroit defensively? Terrible. We basically have the same 6 guys now, and the defense is magically all better? Nope. Howard is why our defensive record is so good, and Hasek/Osgood was the reason in 2007.

You don't need to spend nearly 20 million/season on defenseman. Money is not the solution.

[zettie85 106]

If Lidstrom doesn't return and Holmstrom doesn't return we can give all of our remaing free agents a slight raise. Most notably would be Bertuzzi, Helm and Eaves. You let Williams and May walk. Store Leino under the stairs somewhere and sign Kovalchuk to a front end Heavy contract, long term. The way I looked at it we can give him league max for about 4 years until his salary begins to drop. Finally ending somewhere around 2 mil but only if we ink him for like 12 years. We can get his cap hit to be round the same as Lidstroms.

Defence has Rafalski, Stuart Kronwall, Ericsson, Janik, Meech/Lebda/Lilja.

Edited January 22, 2010 by zettie85

[Jesusberg 1,256]

I did it on NHL 10... therefore it must be true.

[AtomicPunk 296]

I love that no one thinks about the other 28 teams, most of them with a lot more cap space, who would all be trying to sign him too.

[zettie85 106]

I love that no one thinks about the other 28 teams, most of them with a lot more cap space, who would all be trying to sign him too.

Ya but what does that matter we will be able to pay him lots as long as Lidstrom is gone. He will be able to play with great players and have a chance of winning and a great tradition. Something a lot of those other 28 teams don't have.

[Echolalia 2,961]

I don't think there's a Cup competitor out there that can afford a 10M player. I don't think there ever will be. If Kovy is serious about winning a Stanley Cup in his lifetime, he's going to have to drop at least 2M from that dream.

[Guest Crymson]

True.If we can get Kovalchuk,there wont be much space for anyone else.Pretty much the only way we're gonna be able to pull this off is by getting Rafalski to waive his NTC to free up much needed cap space.

And then what? Another team will want to take a very overpriced defenseman off our hands? ROFL. Some of you guys really are hilarious.

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

And then what? Another team will want to take a very overpriced defenseman off our hands? ROFL. Some of you guys really are hilarious.

At the very least the Leafs or Rangers would. They're dumb enough to take any contract.

[Theophany 110]

First of all, Hudler won't be coming back, not for less than half the money he is making MINUS taxes as well. Lidstrom needs to hang em up. The RFA's will get a modest raise, since none of them are really tearing it up, yet they desever a raise because of all the work they've done this season. We will need to sign a couple of D to replace Lids, Lebda, Meech & Lilja. Willie Mitchell is a UFA and so is Derek Morris & Aaron Ward. With that, I am not sure if we can afford a Kovalchuk, he is rumored to wanting the max, and Detroit is no longer the discount warehouse it used to be, it will take some money to get some folks here. I would still love to steal Andrew Ladd and or Hjalmarsson out of Chicago. Rafi Torres is a UFA so is Fernando Pisani, those could be some cheaper talent to try to get. Kovi is definately the cream of the crop UFA this offseason, there are plenty of teams that will be able to throw the max at him. I just hope he doesn't go to Pitts, they have $15M available next season, although they only have 2 defensemen signed next season though. I can't wait to start hearing all the Mike Grier talk around here again! BARF!

edit: When it comes down to it Stuart needs to be your number 1 priority to keep around. Rafi should retire in three years, his contract is up the same time Stuart's is. If you can swing Mitchell for a few years that'll give you a top 4 of Rafi, Stuart, Kronner, Mitchell, with Ericsson #5.

edit: If Lidstrom retires (using the OP's modest rasise to RFA's) we should be able to get Bertuzzi at the same or less than now and throw a big contract at Kovi. But that pretty much removes Mitchell from my plans (unless he takes less money, but I am not gonna start going in that direction.) I gave Abdelkader $1M, Bertuzzi $1M, Helm $850,000, Miller $525,000 & Eaves $500,000. I then gave Kovalchuk $8.9M (Crosby cash since like it or not, he should be the benchmark) which leaves $3.3M to sign two or three defense, since only 4 guys remain signed into next season...

Bolded the parts that made me laugh hysterically.

Hudler can easily come back; I'd imagine at the very least at the end of his two-year deal in the KHL he'll be back in the winged wheel.

Lidstrom needs to hang them up? Do you seriously watch the games that we play, and specifically watch Lidstrom? Even if he's not the superstar he once was, he's still easily one of the top defenders in the league, and easily top-pair material. I don't expect 80 points out of him, but he should be able to hit 50 points and log tons of ice time. $4-5m to keep him around would be amazing.

Stuart as our #1 defenseman moving forward? Uh, no. It'll be Kronwall, Ericsson, or Kindl. Stuart is 30; he's not going to improve much, if at all at this point, and he still makes plays that are downright retarded. Kronwall is much better both defensively and offensively, and Ericsson and Kindl both have real potential and are fairly young.