If this is Nick's last season

[wingsownnhl43 14]

If Nick comes to the conclusion that he wants to play one more season and Nick and Kenny agree to him returning for $5 million dollar salary, would any of you be willing to sign him to a 2-3 year deal knowing that he will retire after one year, and being that his contract was signed over the age of 35, we would have to eat the remainder of the contract???

It may sound foolish, but lets think for a second. It would be Nicks last season. It would also be our last season with one of the top five defenseman in the NHL. Why not make one last serious push to win another cup for Nick? Nick would still get the 5 million he desires, however over 3 years the cap hit would be $1.66....

The benefit is having a top 5 defenseman for only $1.66 and be able to add 1-3 significant pieces. the drawback is we'd have to eat two years of $1.66.

[SwedeLundin77 460]

Yes, I think Lids will return for one, maybe two more seasons. But I'm a little confused as to where you're getting this 1.66 cap hit? If he signs for 5 mil the first season and say 1 mil the second season, the cap hit would be 3 million, correct?

Beyond the cap questions, the reason I believe he'll return is because he still has a daughter in high school here in Michigan.. I think she's 16 or something like that. She would have a year or two left in high school and I can't imagine Nic pulling his kid out of a school that she's so close to graduating and pulling her away from all her friends. Ultimately family is going to be a big decision point, and this seems like a pretty logical argument for staying. Besides, the guy wants to go out on top, and still has plenty of fuel in the tank.

Bring him back for a 1year contract at 3 million. Possibly invest a couple million you're saving there on a TOUGH d-man who will knock some bodies around. This d-man would serve as a replacement for Lilja, if it makes sense to do so. Then you have said d-man and Ericsson/Kindl.

[Grim 5]

if he's back, it will be for one-year deals from henceforth out. the cap hit is collosal.

[toby91_ca 620]

Yes, I think Lids will return for one, maybe two more seasons. But I'm a little confused as to where you're getting this 1.66 cap hit? If he signs for 5 mil the first season and say 1 mil the second season, the cap hit would be 3 million, correct?

I think his assumption is that Lids wants $5 million, but rather than sign him to a one year, $5M contract, spread the cap hit over 3 years, assuming he'll retire after the 1st year. So, its a 3 year deal for $1.67M per year.

However, the big problem is that if Lids retires after the first year, he doesn't get his $5 million, he only gets paid for the year he played.....but the cap remains.

I'm sure you could play around to work something out to pay him well next year and get the cap hit down, but I'm all for not having cap hits for guys that are no longer playing and I'm sure they wouldn't do something like that.

If he is played his last game, I'm a little disappointed that it wasn't well known, then he could have gotten a proper send off from the fans. Pretty sure he'll be coming back though.

[egroen 384]

If Nick comes to the conclusion that he wants to play one more season and Nick and Kenny agree to him returning for $5 million dollar salary, would any of you be willing to sign him to a 2-3 year deal knowing that he will retire after one year, and being that his contract was signed over the age of 35, we would have to eat the remainder of the contract???

It may sound foolish, but lets think for a second. It would be Nicks last season. It would also be our last season with one of the top five defenseman in the NHL. Why not make one last serious push to win another cup for Nick? Nick would still get the 5 million he desires, however over 3 years the cap hit would be $1.66....

The benefit is having a top 5 defenseman for only $1.66 and be able to add 1-3 significant pieces. the drawback is we'd have to eat two years of $1.66.

I think the NHL would be all over that and rightfully so -- absurd and clear circumvention of the cap.

The NHLPA would also raise red flags, as they do not like seeing players being paid far less than what they are worth.

But to answer your question - Yes, I would do that in a second (if it was even remotely possible)

Edited May 12, 2010 by egroen

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

assuming lids returns, it's not for the money. he's made over 100 mil in his career. he just wants to get one more crack at going out on top with the cup. watch him pull an yzerman and sign for 1 mil. if the wings won the cup this year, lids most likely would have retired.

honestly, with huds coming back and getting rid of williams, lebda, meech, maltby...wouldn't you come back for 1 mil if you were lidstrom?? then the team can sign 1 more really good player defence or forward, doesn't matter (but preferably fwd) and you got some pretty nasty cup potential.

Z - dats - homer

huds - flip - franzen

ritola - helm - abdelkader

cleary - miller - eaves/bertuzzi (whoever they sign)

draper (should retire and sign bert and eaves)

lids - rafalski

stuart - kronwall

kindl - ericsson

lilja (if he returns)

who would you guys even want to sign of who will be available? it would only make sense to sign/trade for someone is if lids hangs em' up...which most of us believe he will lace em' up for 1 more year.

honestly, without even any signings i like that line-up.

[eva unit zero 271]

How about this deal?

2010-11: $3m

2011-12: $1.5m

Total value $4.5m, cap hit $2.25m

Remember these two important things, though:

The 100/50 rule: A player's salary may not increase by more than the lower of the amount of the first two years from one year to the next, and it may not decrease by more than half of that amount from one year to the next.

So a three year, $8.5m contract such as:

1: $5m

2: $2.5m

3: $1m

This would be invalid because of the decrease from year 1 to year 2. The same $8.5m/3 year deal would be valid if spread out thusly:

1: $4m

2: $3m

3: $1.5m

Just make minor adjustments to the deal to make it valid. Also, don't suggest silly deals like this:

1: $4

2: $3

3: $1.5

4: $1.5

5: $525k

6: $525k

7: $525k

8: $525k

Sure, it's a cap hit of $1,512,500 that the Wings would only be looking at for a year or two...but the NHL would NEVER approve that deal. That's like suggesting Filppula, Kindl, and Howard for Ovechkin in a trade thread. Although I think something close has come up IIRC.

[Red Wings 2010 9]

on the wings site, I thought it said lids WILL BE returning?

[king_malice 17]

May 14, 2010 // 10:09am ET

Lidstrom expected to return

TheFourthPeriod.com

Nicklas Lidstrom is a sure-to-be-Hall-of-Famer, but he won't be writing his acceptance speech any time soon. At least that's what his teammates and coaches believe.

According to The Detroit News, because of what the Red Wings plan to bring back on the ice for the 2010-11 season, Lidstrom will forget about retirement options.

"I think he'll be back," head coach Mike Babcock said.

"I'm not in the least bit concerned about that. He's got too much good hockey left in him. And I believe if he did not think that we had a good chance to win he might be different."

Lidstrom, 40, appeared in every game this past season, registering nine goals and 40 assists in the process.

Meanwhile, changes are expected to be made to the Wings' roster this summer, but the News suggests Babcock and management plan to look within when thinking about roster tweaks.

"A message has been sent to myself as a coach and management that we have to improve our team. So how do you improve your team?" Babcock said.

"You improve your team by [Valtteri] Filppula taking a big step. He’s at that point in his career where he has to take a step. You improve your team by {Johan Franzen] being healthy. By [Jonathan ] Ericsson taking a big step. By [Jimmy] Howard being in his second year. There are a number of things just internally that we can do and then we’ll make some changes to help ourselves get better."

One change the Red Wings already made was bringing back a familiar face in Jiri Hudler, who spent last season in the KHL.

[Stockholm-wing 0]

Yes, I think Lids will return for one, maybe two more seasons. But I'm a little confused as to where you're getting this 1.66 cap hit? If he signs for 5 mil the first season and say 1 mil the second season, the cap hit would be 3 million, correct?

Beyond the cap questions, the reason I believe he'll return is because he still has a daughter in high school here in Michigan.. I think she's 16 or something like that. She would have a year or two left in high school and I can't imagine Nic pulling his kid out of a school that she's so close to graduating and pulling her away from all her friends. Ultimately family is going to be a big decision point, and this seems like a pretty logical argument for staying. Besides, the guy wants to go out on top, and still has plenty of fuel in the tank.

Bring him back for a 1year contract at 3 million. Possibly invest a couple million you're saving there on a TOUGH d-man who will knock some bodies around. This d-man would serve as a replacement for Lilja, if it makes sense to do so. Then you have said d-man and Ericsson/Kindl.

Nick has 4 sons: Kevin, Adam, Samuel and Lukas but no daughter.

His oldest son is enlisted to go to school in Västerås this fall. It's 10-12:th grade (hockeygymnasium), it's highschool with alot of extra hockey. I don't know if this means that the whole family will move back or only the son or maybe they just applied IF they decide to move back.