71 replies to this topic

[VM1138]

This off-season won't be about UFA's. There simply aren't enough good ones anymore. Holland will have to dip into trading. The first rule to trading is you find a team that needs something you have (perhaps someone needs a competent winger to play with their superstar (Hudler) or a playmaker (Flip), or both, and happens to have a solid Top 3 offensive D-man to spare. That's how deals are done.

Hudler and Flip will probably have to be packaged, but they've proven they are not essential to this team.

Which means you're probably looking at a weak team in the East as a trading partner.

Edited by VM1138, 15 May 2011 - 06:30 PM.

[Nevermind]

Trading Hudler for Leino's rights at the draft isn't even future considerations. It's ONE WEEK of time to negotiate with Leino before other teams can. One week.

Who do you want in charge of the Wings, Ken Holland or Brian Burke?

Why do you think I want Leino back? I don't. Not one bit. I'd rather keep Hudler.

What I meant by 'future considerations' was we can trade him to another team for nothing in return as a $2.9M salary dump. Isn't 'future considerations' just a saying when a team trades a player for nothing. I should have said 'bag of pucks' to make my point more clear.

In all honesty though, I'd trade him for draft picks/prospects or part of a package deal for something better. Hudler's not consistently good enough to be in the top six and he's not a grinder either.

I'm curious, is Hudler your favorite player on the Wings right now?

[blueadams]

Put Hudler next to Pav for an entire regular season and he'll put up more points than Mule ever has, imo. He's been terrific for us in a top six role time and time again. Isn't it time to give him a chance there for a whole season?

[eva unit zero]

Put Hudler next to Pav for an entire regular season and he'll put up more points than Mule ever has, imo. He's been terrific for us in a top six role time and time again. Isn't it time to give him a chance there for a whole season?

He's clearly too small or too slow, which is why the Hudler/Datsyuk/Cleary line had such trouble scoring.

[hockeychik25]

isn't larsson gone? or a I thinking someone else

[InKennyWeTrust]

What happens if the Wings release Rafalski, Bertuzzi, and Holmstrom? Do they have to pay their full salaries and count them against the cap hit?

I'm pretty sure that in a buyout, the cap hit is half the player's remaining salary over twice the length remaining on the contract, but I could be completely off base.

EDIT: And I was wrong...

For players under the age of 26, a buyout costs the team one-third of remaining contract value.
For players 26 or older, a buyout costs two-thirds of remaining contract value.
On a buyout, the team takes a cap hit for a percentage of the buyout value (according to a very complex formula) spread over twice the length of the remaining contract years.

Edited by InKennyWeTrust, 16 May 2011 - 12:28 AM.

[MGreenberg]

Here is another one I threw together.


FORWARDS
Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m)
Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Radim Vrbata ($3.500m)
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Brooks Laich ($2.200m) / Jussi Jokinen ($1.700m)
Jan Mursak ($0.550m)

DEFENSEMEN
Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) / Kevin Bieksa ($4.500m)
Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($5.000m)
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / Joey MacDonald ($0.550m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $61,933,711; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $566,289

[xtrememachine1]

Here is another one I threw together.


FORWARDS
Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m)
Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Radim Vrbata ($3.500m)
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Brooks Laich ($2.200m) / Jussi Jokinen ($1.700m)
Jan Mursak ($0.550m)

DEFENSEMEN
Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) / Kevin Bieksa ($4.500m)
Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($5.000m)
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / Joey MacDonald ($0.550m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $61,933,711; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $566,289

No Radim Vrbata, but I like Laich and Jokinen (it would be nice to win a shootout once in awhile). Bieska or Ehrhoff. I could live with those lines.

[blueadams]

OFF-SEASON:

#1) Modano(1.8m, *FA*)...+1.8m...+1.8m total salary cap space.
#2) Draper(1.6m, *FA*)...+1.6m...+3.4m total salary cap space.
#3) Eaves(0.8m, *FA*)...+0.8m...+4.2m total salary cap space.
#4) Miller(0.7m, *FA*)...+0.7m...+4.9m total salary cap space.
#5) Lidstrom(6.2m, *FA*)...+6.2m...+11.1m total salary cap space.
#6) Salei(1.1m, *FA*)...+1.1m...+12.2m total salary cap space.
#7) Ericsson(0.9m, *FA*)...+0.9m...+13.1m total salary cap space.
#8) Osgood(1.4m, *FA*)...+1.4m...+14.5m total salary cap space.
#9) MacDonald(0.6m, *FA*)...+0.6m...+15.1m total salary cap space.

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)...His raise kicks in...-1.6m...13.5m total salary cap space.
#2) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.6m...12.9m total salary cap space.
#3) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.5m...12.4m total salary cap space.
#4) Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)...He's probably going to be brought back, at around the same price...-6.2m...6.2m total salary cap space.
#5) Backup goalie?(0.5m-ish, ?)...I don't know who the backup goalie's going to be (Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson), but he should be making around league minimum...-0.5m-ish...5.7m total salary cap space.

...This is where things get interesting, and where the speculation begins: There's going to be about 5.7m available in salary cap space (maybe 5-6m more if the salary cap increase rumors are true), and three players left to sign (two forwards and a defenseman).

It all starts with Ericsson. It sounds like we want him back at about 2m/season. If he takes that, great. That'd leave us with about 3.7m to spend on our last two forwards. If he doesn't - and this is what I'd prefer - I think we should stretch out and sign someone like Bieksa to about a 4m/season contract. That'd still leave us with about 1.7m to spend on our last two forwards (..should be enough to keep Eaves and Miller).

*If the cap goes up, then we can start talking about adding a top-six forward..

2011/2012 Detroit Red Wings:

FORWARDS:

#1) Datsyuk(6.7m, 3yrs)
#2) Zetterberg(6.1m, 10yrs)
#3) Franzen(4.0m, 9yrs)
#4) Filppula(3.0m, 2yrs)
#5) Hudler(2.9m, 1yr)
#6) Cleary(2.8m, 2yrs)
#7) Bertuzzi(1.9m, 1yr)
#8) Holmstrom(1.9m, 1yr)
#9) Helm(0.9m, 1yr-RFA)
#10) Abdelkader(0.8m, 1yr-RFA)
#11) *Eaves/*?*(0.8m-ish, ?)
#12) *Miller/*?*(0.7m-ish, ?)
#13) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)

Filppula-Datsyuk-Franzen
Hudler-Zetterberg-Cleary
Miller/*?*-Helm-Eaves/*?*
Mursak-Abdelkader-Holmstrom
Bertuzzi

DEFENSEMEN:

#1) *Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)
#2) Rafalski(6.0m, 1yr)
#3) *Bieksa(4.0m, ?)/Ericsson(2.0m, ?)
#4) Stuart(3.8m, 1yr)
#5) Kronwall(3.0m, 1yr)
#6) Kindl(0.9m, 2yrs)
#7) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)

Kronwall-*Bieksa/*?*
Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kindl-Stuart
Janik

GOALIES:

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)
#2) *Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson/*?*(0.5m, ?)

Howard
Larsson/*?*

i edited the original post...forgot to include howard's significant raise before.

and for the record, i still think that this is - by far - the most informative off-season thread on the board.

[blueadams]

OFF-SEASON:

#1) Modano(1.8m, *FA*)...+1.8m...+1.8m total salary cap space.
#2) Draper(1.6m, *FA*)...+1.6m...+3.4m total salary cap space.
#3) Eaves(0.8m, *FA*)...+0.8m...+4.2m total salary cap space.
#4) Miller(0.7m, *FA*)...+0.7m...+4.9m total salary cap space.
#5) Lidstrom(6.2m, *FA*)...+6.2m...+11.1m total salary cap space.
#6) Salei(1.1m, *FA*)...+1.1m...+12.2m total salary cap space.
#7) Ericsson(0.9m, *FA*)...+0.9m...+13.1m total salary cap space.
#8) Osgood(1.4m, *FA*)...+1.4m...+14.5m total salary cap space.
#9) MacDonald(0.6m, *FA*)...+0.6m...+15.1m total salary cap space.

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)...His raise kicks in...-1.6m...13.5m total salary cap space.
#2) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.6m...12.9m total salary cap space.
#3) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.5m...12.4m total salary cap space.
#4) Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)...He's probably going to be brought back, at around the same price...-6.2m...6.2m total salary cap space.
#5) Backup goalie?(0.5m-ish, ?)...I don't know who the backup goalie's going to be (Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson), but he should be making around league minimum...-0.5m-ish...5.7m total salary cap space.

*It sounds like the salary cap is going to increase 1.1 to 4.1m (I'll air on the side of caution, for now)...+1.1m...6.8m total salary.

...This is where things get interesting, and where the speculation begins: There's going to be about 6.8m available in salary cap space, and three players left to sign (two forwards and a defenseman).

It all starts with Ericsson. It sounds like we want him back at about 2m/season. If he takes that, great (it'd leave us with about 4.8m to spend on our last two forwards). If he doesn't - and this is what I'd prefer - I think we should stretch out and replace him with someone like Kevin Bieksa to about a 4m/season contract. Even then, we'd still have about 2.8m to spend on our last two forwards (more than enough to keep Eaves and Miller).

*If the cap goes up 4.1m, then we can start talking about adding a top-six forward..

2011/2012 Detroit Red Wings:

FORWARDS:

#1) Datsyuk(6.7m, 3yrs)
#2) Zetterberg(6.1m, 10yrs)
#3) Franzen(4.0m, 9yrs)
#4) Filppula(3.0m, 2yrs)
#5) Hudler(2.9m, 1yr)
#6) Cleary(2.8m, 2yrs)
#7) Bertuzzi(1.9m, 1yr)
#8) Holmstrom(1.9m, 1yr)
#9) Helm(0.9m, 1yr-RFA)
#10) Abdelkader(0.8m, 1yr-RFA)
#11) *Eaves/*?*(0.8m-ish, ?)
#12) *Miller/*?*(0.7m-ish, ?)
#13) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)

Filppula-Datsyuk-Franzen
Hudler-Zetterberg-Cleary
Miller/*?*-Helm-Eaves/*?*
Mursak-Abdelkader-Holmstrom
Bertuzzi

DEFENSEMEN:

#1) *Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)
#2) Rafalski(6.0m, 1yr)
#3) *Bieksa(4.0m, ?)/Ericsson(2.0m, ?)
#4) Stuart(3.8m, 1yr)
#5) Kronwall(3.0m, 1yr)
#6) Kindl(0.9m, 2yrs)
#7) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)

Kronwall-*Bieksa/*?*
Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kindl-Stuart
Janik

GOALIES:

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)
#2) *Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson/*?*(0.5m, ?)

Howard
Larsson/*?*

...i edited the OP once again, in response to the new salary cap news.

[blueadams]

OFF-SEASON:

#1) Modano(1.8m, *FA*)...+1.8m...+1.8m total salary cap space.
#2) Draper(1.6m, *FA*)...+1.6m...+3.4m total salary cap space.
#3) Eaves(0.8m, *FA*)...+0.8m...+4.2m total salary cap space.
#4) Miller(0.7m, *FA*)...+0.7m...+4.9m total salary cap space.
#5) Lidstrom(6.2m, *FA*)...+6.2m...+11.1m total salary cap space.
#6) Salei(1.1m, *FA*)...+1.1m...+12.2m total salary cap space.
#7) Ericsson(0.9m, *FA*)...+0.9m...+13.1m total salary cap space.
#8) Osgood(1.4m, *FA*)...+1.4m...+14.5m total salary cap space.
#9) MacDonald(0.6m, *FA*)...+0.6m...+15.1m total salary cap space.

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)...His raise kicks in...-1.6m...13.5m total salary cap space.
#2) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.6m...12.9m total salary cap space.
#3) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.5m...12.4m total salary cap space.
#4) Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)...He's probably going to be brought back, at around the same price...-6.2m...6.2m total salary cap space.
#5) Backup goalie?(0.5m-ish, ?)...I don't know who the backup goalie's going to be (Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson), but he should be making around league minimum...-0.5m-ish...5.7m total salary cap space.

*It sounds like the salary cap is going to increase 1.1 to 4.1m (I'll air on the side of caution, for now)...+1.1m...6.8m total salary.

This is where things get interesting, and where the speculation begins: There's going to be about 6.8m available in salary cap space (maybe as much as 9.8m), and three players left to sign - two forwards and a defenseman.

It all starts with Ericsson. It sounds like we want him back at about 2m/season, but he thinks he might be able to get more elsewhere. If he accepts something in the 2mil/season range here, great; it'll leave us with about 4.8m (or more) to spend on our last two forwards. If he doesn't, we can replace him with Brendan Smith or a new FA acquisition. If we go with Smith, he makes 0.9m/season, and it'll leave us with about 5.9m (or more) to sign our last two forwards.

Here's my prediction: 1) I think that Ericsson gets something in the 3-4mil/season range (from a stupid team), and leaves; 2) I think that he'll be replaced by Smith; 3) I think that we'll spend the remaining 5.9m (or more) on upgrades for Eaves and Miller's spots.

2011/2012 Detroit Red Wings:

FORWARDS:

#1) Datsyuk(6.7m, 3yrs)
#2) Zetterberg(6.1m, 10yrs)
#3) Franzen(4.0m, 9yrs)
#4) Filppula(3.0m, 2yrs)
#5) Hudler(2.9m, 1yr)
#6) Cleary(2.8m, 2yrs)
#7) Bertuzzi(1.9m, 1yr)
#8) Holmstrom(1.9m, 1yr)
#9) Helm(0.9m, 1yr-RFA)
#10) Abdelkader(0.8m, 1yr-RFA)
#11) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)
#12) *Eaves/*?*(0.8m-ish, ?)
#13) *Miller/*?*(0.7m-ish, ?)

Filppula-Datsyuk-Franzen
Hudler-Zetterberg-Cleary
Miller/*?*-Helm-Eaves/*?*
Mursak-Abdelkader-Holmstrom
Bertuzzi

DEFENSEMEN:

#1) Rafalski(6.0m, 1yr)
#2) Stuart(3.8m, 1yr)
#3) Kronwall(3.0m, 1yr)
#4) Kindl(0.9m, 2yrs)
#5) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)
#6) *Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)
#7) *Smith(0.9m, 2yrs)/Ericsson(2.0m, ?)/*?*

Kronwall-Stuart
Lidstrom-Rafalski
Smith/*?*-Kindl
Janik

GOALIES:

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)
#2) *Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson/*?*(0.5m, ?)

Howard
Larsson/*?*
McCollum

i updated the OP again. after listening to holland's interview, i think we're going to replace Ericsson with Smith (giving us 7 defensemen under contract), and i think we're going to spend the surplus cap space on upgrades for eaves and miller.

[blueadams]

OFF-SEASON:

*It sounds like the salary cap is going to increase 1.1 to 4.1m (I'll air on the side of caution, for now)...+1.1m...+1.1m total salary cap space.

#1) Modano(1.8m, *FA*)...+1.8m...+2.9m total salary cap space.
#2) Draper(1.6m, *FA*)...+1.6m...+4.5m total salary cap space.
#3) Eaves(0.8m, *FA*)...+0.8m...+5.3m total salary cap space.
#4) Miller(0.7m, *FA*)...+0.7m...+6.0m total salary cap space.
#5) Lidstrom(6.2m, *FA*)...+6.2m...+12.2m total salary cap space.
#6) Rafalski(6.0m, 1yr)...+6.0m...+18.2m total salary cap space.
#7) Salei(1.1m, *FA*)...+1.1m...+19.3m total salary cap space.
#8) Ericsson(0.9m, *FA*)...+0.9m...+20.2m total salary cap space.
#9) Osgood(1.4m, *FA*)...+1.4m...+21.6m total salary cap space.
#10) MacDonald(0.6m, *FA*)...+0.6m...+22.2m total salary cap space.

#1) Howard(2.3m, 2yrs)...His raise kicks in...-1.6m...20.6m total salary cap space.
#2) Mursak(0.6m, 2yrs)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.6m...20.0m total salary cap space.
#3) Janik(0.5m, 1yr)...He's going to be added to the roster...-0.5m...19.5m total salary cap space.
#4) Lidstrom(6.2m-ish, ?)...He's probably going to be brought back at around the same price (maybe less now that Rafalski's gone?)...-6.2m...13.3m total salary cap space.
#5) Backup goalie?(0.5m-ish, ?)...I don't know who the backup goalie's going to be (Osgood/MacDonald/Larsson), but he should be making around league minimum...-0.5m-ish...12.8m total salary cap space.

...So, there's going to be about 12.8m available in salary cap space (maybe as much as 15.8m if the cap goes up 4.1m), and four players left to sign - two forwards and two defensemen. This is where things get interesting, and where the speculation begins:

FWIW, here's my prediction: #1) I think that Ericsson gets 3-4m/season from a stupid team, leaves, and is replaced by a high-profile free agent (like Bieksa?). #2) I think that Brendan Smith makes the team. #3/#4) I think that the remaining cap space - about 8m - is spent on upgrades for Eaves and Miller.

edited the OP in response to rafalski's retirement.