Early numbers: Cap could rise by $2 million

[Shaman 713]

If we are to judge Fil as a second line center don't we have to compare him to other 2nd line centers and their salaries in the league?

No, I look at output, hes on pace for around 43 points this season. Hes either an overachieving third line center or an underachieving second line center. Personally him being in a defensive role and over achieving offensively on the third line is preferable to him being a subpar second line center who overachieves defensively. I am not the GM but I think he the team is better served with him as the third line center and investing some of their money into a better second line center, someone who can feed Franzen and Bert better.

[Konnan511 1,736]

The wings need a better second line center, sorry but Filppula isn't going to cut it, hes has no where near the offensive upside needed to keep the team balanced scoring. As I said he has not proved himself to be a top 6 player. I see the offseason brining the wings a third line winger, and a second line center.

PS with Big E playing better I vote give Kindl a chance as the 6th D-man.

I don't think the problem is Filppula. I think I might think we need a less lethargic wingers for him. Like a Hudler, who isn't a giant dildo.

Plus, the last three games he could have had 2 or 3 points in each of those if Franzen wasn't sucking at shooting and likewise for Bert. Filppula is setting them up perfectly, it's not his fault his wingers aren't finishing off perfect set-ups.

Edited December 17, 2010 by Konnan511

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR

FORWARDS

Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)

Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)

Dick Axelsson ($0.850m) / Brooks Laich ($2.066m) / Patrick Eaves ($1.250m)

Jan Mursak ($0.646m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m)

Cory Emmerton ($0.821m) / Ilari Filppula ($0.600m)

DEFENSEMEN

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

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

Jonathan Ericsson ($1.500m) / Sean O'Donnell ($1.300m)

Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

GOALTENDERS

Jimmy Howard ($3.516m) / Daniel Larsson ($0.700m)

SALARY CAP: $61,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $60,059,820; BONUSES: $0

CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $2,340,180

Laich would be an excellent signing. I wouldn't mind O'Donnell, but he's aged, maybe a younger guy, like Shane O'Brien?

[titanium2 867]

[P. Marlowe 748]

Awesome. Now we can have Lidström and Doughty both. Imagine that.

[titanium2 867]

Awesome. Now we can have Lidström and Doughty both. Imagine that.

Haha. It would fix the need for a second right handed point man on the PP.

[Shaman 713]

Sorry but this is the third year every flip slappy have predicted 'this is going to be a break out season and he scores 60+'. There's an old saying where I come from: "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." Seems like Flip is going to be a career 40-50 point player... So why is it wrong to believe hes a third line center? Its not a bad thing, it just is what it is. The evidence seems to be pointing to the fact hes just not cutting it as a Second line center, so why not want the wings to invest in a guy who can put up points and help keep to the wings philosophy of balanced scoring throughout the line up?

[newfy 695]

Depending on how Smith does in the minors this year and where his game is we could see him up to replace Salei. I dont think we have Modano, Hudler, Miller, Ozzie, and Salei depends on how Smith looks. He may get another one year deal.

Hudler is replaced by Mursak

Modano by Emmerton

Miller may be replaced by Owens or another guy. I just dont see him here anymore

Ozzie retiring leaves that spot up for grabs, who knows if they give larson a shot or what.

If Lidstrom retires then first priority isnt going to be reaplcing by committee, Holland is going to go after a stud back there. I dont know who but he isn't just going to hope Kindl and Ericcson up their games to relpace him by committee

[Konnan511 1,736]

Depending on how Smith does in the minors this year and where his game is we could see him up to replace Salei. I dont think we have Modano, Hudler, Miller, Ozzie, and Salei depends on how Smith looks. He may get another one year deal.

Hudler is replaced by Mursak

Modano by Emmerton

Miller may be replaced by Owens or another guy. I just dont see him here anymore

Ozzie retiring leaves that spot up for grabs, who knows if they give larson a shot or what.

If Lidstrom retires then first priority isnt going to be reaplcing by committee, Holland is going to go after a stud back there. I dont know who but he isn't just going to hope Kindl and Ericcson up their games to relpace him by committee

How would you feel about Seabrook? or Weber?

[T-Ruff 47]

Ewww no thanks. No way he should make as much as Datsyuk. Richards is a pure offensive player, no thanks. I know he's sexy from an offensive stand of point (75-90 points any given year), but he sucks defensively.

He's no Z or Datsyuk, but he's also no slouch and would easily slide into Detroit's mentality. (not that I think it's realistic at all)

[BlakKy 58]

How would you feel about Seabrook? or Weber?

Weber would be nice.

The more I look at even the best possible replacements for Lids (Doughty for instance) it becomes more and more clear that he will be missed beyond imagination. I can even imagine Mickey and Ken pining for the Lidstrom days when our new #1 is beat cleanly in a one on one.

[Guest blueadams]

terrific news for us.

[Konnan511 1,736]

He's no Z or Datsyuk, but he's also no slouch and would easily slide into Detroit's mentality. (not that I think it's realistic at all)

Even being on top lines and some highly explosive lines, he has a huge negative +/-.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

I really can see the Wings sitting on $10 million in cap space. I'm not exactly doing back flips over the available players next offseason, and I dont see/dont want the Wings brass handing out irresponsible contracts.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

I'd love, love, love to steal Max Talbot from the Pens. In my ideal world, I'd move Abdelkader up to the third line with Flip and Bertuzzi, and then pair Talbot with Helm and Eaves to make up our fourth line.

[Buppy 1,720]

...Seems like Flip is going to be a career 40-50 point player... So why is it wrong to believe hes a third line center? Its not a bad thing, it just is what it is. The evidence seems to be pointing to the fact hes just not cutting it as a Second line center, so why not want the wings to invest in a guy who can put up points and help keep to the wings philosophy of balanced scoring throughout the line up?

40-50 points IS a 2nd line center. Maybe not for a typical cup contender, but league wide it is.

But even if you move Flip to the third line, bringing in a center, especially a playmaking center like Richards, is dumb. We have Pav and Hank if we don't want Flip centering the 2nd line. What we lack is a pure sniper, as even Mule isn't doing that job all that well. Richards is scoring pretty well so far this year, but he's a career 20-25 goal guy. We need a 35-40 guy.

But with 10 forwards already signed, Eaves and Miller cheap and well-liked by coaches, and guys like Mursak, Tatar, I.Flip, and Emmerton doing well in GR I really doubt we see anything significant in our forwards.

Though I wouldn't mind us doing something crazy like moving Flip and Happy in favor of someone like Semin, Parise, or Nash.

...If Lidstrom retires then first priority isnt going to be reaplcing by committee, Holland is going to go after a stud back there. I dont know who but he isn't just going to hope Kindl and Ericcson up their games to relpace him by committee

Might not have a choice, very few studs available. Weber and Doughty are pipe dreams, and other RFAs like Seabrook, Yandle, etc are extremely unlikely. Kaberle, Pitkanen, McCabe, Markov, and Jovanovski (maybe Ehrhoff) would be possible options, but it's still a thin crop, and very few really capable of really taking over Nick's role, much less at near the same level.

If Nick retires, no matter who we sign, our second and third pairs are going to have to take up a lot of the slack. I wouldn't be too surprised if we let Kindl and/or Smith take the offensive role, and brought in someone like Gill to play a shutdown role.