Next Season's Team?

[Guest blueadams]

Source: http://www.capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=15

Back Next Season:

UFA's:

1) Lidstrom (7.5 mil) - He should be back as our captain at a much lower price, 1-2 yr deal.

2) Holmstrom (2.2 mil) - He should be back at a slightly lower price, 1 yr deal.

3) Lebda (0.7 mil) - I think he should be back as our sixth or seventh defenseman.

RFA's:

1) Abdelkader (0.8 mil) - He's definitely back, slight raise.

2) Helm (0.6 mil) - He's definitely back, slight raise.

3) Miller (0.5 mil) - He should be brought back, slight raise.

4) Eaves (0.5 mil) - He should be brought back, slight raise.

Not Back Next Season:

UFA's:

1) Bertuzzi (1.5 mil) - He just doesn't fit in with our style of play on the top two lines. He's out of shape. He's lazy. He's always tired. He's bad with the puck. And I am sick of watching him ruin things for Pav, Hank, Val, Mule, etc. Need a better defensive player (and someone that hits) on our 3rd and 4th lines.

2) Williams (1.5 mil) - He has no place on our team with Huds back.

3) Lilja (1.2 mil) - Kindl is going to be up next season, at least as our 7th defenseman. Babs seems to prefer both Ericsson and Lebda to Lilja as our 5th and 6th defensemen. I just don't see him coming back.

4) Maltby (0.9 mil) - Good time for him to retire. Miller does everything he does and better.

5) Janik (0.5 mil) - Maybe back in GR.

6) May (0.5 mil) - Maybe back in GR.

RFA's:

1) Tollefsen (0.6 mil) - Maybe back in GR.

2) Ritola (0.5 mil) - Back in GR.

3) Meech (0.5 mil) - Should be back in GR, maybe makes the big club if we carry 21 skaters.

Lines Next Season:

Filppula-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Hudler-Zetterberg-Franzen

Cleary-Abdelkader-???...someone that hits hard and plays defense!!! Suggestions?

Miller-Helm-Eaves

Draper

Lidstrom-Kronwall

Stuart-Rafalski

Lebda-Ericsson

Kindl

Howard

Osgood

[Guest Lidstromboli]

3) Lilja (1.2 mil) - Kindl is going to be up next season, at least as our 7th defenseman. Babs seems to prefer both Ericsson and Lebda to Lilja as our 5th and 6th defensemen. I just don't see him coming back.

Yeah.. that's why Lebda barely played after Lilja came back.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

Our off-season will obviously hinge on Lidstroms decision. If he comes back, great. I think everyone will be ok with it if he comes back. If not, I dont think itll be that much of a problem. Our defense has been sub par this year. A change is needed. Even though Lidstrom is our best defenseman, if we add a stay at home defenseman in his place it may be a good thing. It may send a message to guys like Rafalski, Kronwall, and Ericcson to step their game up. It also would allow us to spend some money on a forward for much needed depth.

In terms of our RFA's, Helm, Abdelkader, Eaves are obviously welcomed back to be apart of our fourth line. Ritola is out of options, so in my mind, he gets a chance to play with the big club next year. Kris Draper will be back to round out the bottom five forwards. As far as Drew Miller goes, I was happy with the way he played, but we have too many guys like him. We will have some flexibility this off-season so we wont be pidgeon holed into having two fourth lines again.

UFA's - Ill be happy to send Jason Williams and Brett Lebda off to wherever they can latch on, if they can latch on somewhere else. Todd Bertuzzi, I was a fan of his this year, however I think we can find someone younger and more physical to replace him. Andreas Lilja is good PKer, shot blocker, but we might not have room if Lidstrom comes back because we have to make room for Kindl. Im also cool with Holmstrom coming back as long as he takes a slight pay cut.

If Lidstrom goes... #1 priority is to target a stay at home defenseman. My personal favorite is Anton Volchenkov. He would be a much needed stay at home defenseman that isnt afraid to lay the would. We would have Rafalski, Kronwall, and Kindl, who are more than capable of contributing enough offense from the point. With that, we would have Volchenkov, Stuart, and Ericcson as our stay at home guys. I actually think it would be a pretty solid core, and might even be better than this years core, given that Rafalski, Kronwall, and Ericcson step up their games with Nick being gone.. Add Janik or a veteran minimum guy to be your 7th defenseman.

As far as our forwards go, I think we really miss not having a third line that can score. As mentioned, we've had two fourth lines this entire year. We should have some flexibility to change that. Getting Hudler back obviously helps. Hes better than both Bertuzzi and Williams. I think we will be able to find another forward to fit thats better than Bertuzzi and Williams as well.

FORWARDS

Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m)/ Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / * Tomas Holmstrom ($1.500m)

* Slava Kozlov ($1.000m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Johan Franzen ($3.955m)

Jiri Hudler ($2.875m) / * Darren Helm ($0.750m) / * Colby Armstrong ($2.000m)

Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / * Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) / * Patrick Eaves ($0.600m)

Kris Draper ($1.583m) / * Mattias Ritola ($0.511m)

DEFENSEMEN

Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / * Anton Volchenkov ($4.500m)

Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)

Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

* Doug Janik ($0.500m)

GOALTENDERS

Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

ROSTER: 23; PAYROLL: $56.374m; CAP ROOM: $0.926m BONUSES: $0.000m

[Aussie_Wing 354]

Ritola is one of 2 places next season:

1. In Detroit

2. On another NHL team

It had better be #1.

[Zeowingsfan 16]

It's a blueadams line combo thread, drink up. :beerbuddy:

[Guest mjtm77]

Get rid of the "big" E

[rick zombo 3,739]

The third line NEEDS to get better.

From cap geeks:

FORWARDS

Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m)/ Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Tomas Holmstrom ($1.750m)

Johan Franzen ($3.955m)/ Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)

Matt Cullen ($2.500m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m)

Kris Draper ($1.583m)/ Darren Helm ($0.850m) / Patrick Eaves ($0.700m)

Mattias Ritola ($0.600m)

DEFENSEMEN

Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($5.000m)

Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)

Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

Shane Hnidy ($0.600m)

GOALTENDERS

Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

ROSTER: 22; PAYROLL: $56.513m; CAP ROOM: $0.287m BONUSES: $0.000m

[wingsownnhl43 14]

Another thing we could possibly do is sign Andrew Ladd to an offer sheet, maybe in the 2.25-2.5 range. We'd have to give up a 2nd round pick, however Ladd is 24 years old and has scored 49 and 38 points in consecutive seasons. It'd be tough for the Hawks to match given their salary troubles, and we'd get some revenge on them for the Hossa signing.

[shoe 165]

Keep reading Bertuzzi wants to keep playing here wish he never left but I would like to see the wings go another direction I know he is just one guy but I dont think he is a winner. I like the guy I just dont think he is a winner.

[Rockitman 11]

Get rid of the "big" E

Get something back in a trade for this guy... But I agree, even if you replace him with a Lebda or Meech get this guy out of our defense...

The third line NEEDS to get better.

From cap geeks:

FORWARDS

Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m)/ Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Tomas Holmstrom ($1.750m)

Johan Franzen ($3.955m)/ Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)

Matt Cullen ($2.500m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m)

Kris Draper ($1.583m)/ Darren Helm ($0.850m) / Patrick Eaves ($0.700m)

Mattias Ritola ($0.600m)

DEFENSEMEN

Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($5.000m)

Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)

Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

Shane Hnidy ($0.600m)

GOALTENDERS

Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS

ROSTER: 22; PAYROLL: $56.513m; CAP ROOM: $0.287m BONUSES: $0.000m

Matt Cullen would be a great pickup! Always liked him as a player... good pickup after losing Samuelsson last season...