528 replies to this topic

[xtrememachine1]

we have about as much of a chance at Weber as a fat pig farmer has to take home the prom queen. not happening preds will match any think we can offer for him he is there future he's young and restrictdon'tont even get your hope up.

I'm not so sure about that. The fact that an extension has not yet been signed already leads me to believe that Weber is asking for more than Nashville is offering. I could be wrong, maybe they didn't want to talk contracts during the season, but I refuse to believe that Nashville hasn't already tried to sign him to an extension. I mean, he is the freaking franchise. Maybe Weber and the Preds can meet halfway and get it worked out. Or maybe a team with a lot of cap space, a need for a defenseman and a legitimate shot at a championship can swoop in and give him what he wants.

Even if the Wings don't get Weber, this is a good chance to break the backs of a division rival. If he signs, Nashville loses their captain and best player. If he doesn't sign, Nashville might be spending more on one player than they want to and would be right up against their self imposed cap. Plus, there's a couple guys named Suter and Rinne that are UFA's after next season.

BTW, love your avatar

[HankthaTank]

Offense:
- Tim Connolly (30)
- Michael Ryder (31)
- Joel Ward (30)

Defense:
- Kevin Bieksa (29)
- Anton Babchuk

Of that list, these are the only ones that really jump out at me. I cannot see us making a move for a forward but with the amount of space we are going to have, the possibilities are much higher as to what we can really do. I still think a Kronwall-Bieksa pairing would be quite solid.

Plus I believe that Frolov is going back to the KHL but could be wrong. Thought I read that somewhere... found it.

Frolov to KHL

[paulwoodsfan]

whoever we decide to go after if the news is true, it better be a right handed shot. We have all of one right hander now? There were so many chances last season where the puck bounced off the goalie for a nice juicy rebound with a half empty net and our players couldnt burry it because they had to catch the puck with their back hand and then transfer it to their forehand. Or when we have a 2 on 1 going and we cant set up a decent one timer because both are lefties and the Dman takes away the only passing lane for two lefties. Plus the past couple of cup winning teams have all had a hard right handed shot from the point in common. Im not saying that we need righties to win, but i do think that having an assorment of righties and lefties would help us out.

Agree 100%. The lack of right-hand shots is one of the main reasons (maybe the only reason) the lamentable Jason Williams stuck around as long as he did -- to play the right point on the second PP. It's bizarre how heavily skewed hockey in general (not just the Wings) is to left-hand shooters.

[Shaman464]

Joni Pitkanen and Kevin Bieksa... neither alone would replace Rafi, but together they both add pieces to the team they need (youth, scoring, grit, etc) and make up Rafi's points,.

[HankthaTank]

Agree 100%. The lack of right-hand shots is one of the main reasons (maybe the only reason) the lamentable Jason Williams stuck around as long as he did -- to play the right point on the second PP. It's bizarre how heavily skewed hockey in general (not just the Wings) is to left-hand shooters.

Pretty interesting write-up on this topic:
link

• Of 1071 NHL players and prospects, 65% shoot left.
• Among forwards only, 61% shoot left.
• Among defencemen, 72% shoot left.

Avid Canucks fans will recall that for a while, the team has had only one right-shooting defenceman. This season it looks like they’ll probably have two.


This appears to be a largely North American phenomenon. I just checked the handedness of some prominent European scorers, and they mostly shot right. Regardless, another of life's tiny mysteries put to rest.
.

Edited by HankthaTank, 24 May 2011 - 10:41 AM.

[greenrebellion]

You don't want Ian White, that's for sure. Huge liability defensively and was truly horrific in the Wings/Sharks series.

[egroen]

If Weber is unsigned I would have no qualms with the Wings sending him a front-loaded 7 year offer (near league max for the first couple years) averaging a $7.5 - $8m cap hit.

The cap has gone up so much now that that is fair market value for a Norris-caliber Dman, but being front-loaded it will make it difficult to match for Nashville *and* sign Suter the next year, whom frankly deserves as much as Weber - would love to have either one on the Wings, and given the Wings situation, a little bad blood over sending an offer sheet is negligible (it's only Nashville). The draft picks would be worth losing as well (two 1st, a 2nd and a 3rd).

Edited by egroen, 24 May 2011 - 11:31 AM.

[HankthaTank]

Yeah, I agree with above. Make some necessary role player type moves for cheap and make the splash for Suter next year.

[egroen]

For decades, players in N. America have been taught to place their dominant hand at the top of the stick (better control when playing with one hand), so the vast majority of right-handed players actually shoot left.

[Jesusberg]

From the official Red Wings page on Facebook:

"The Red Wings have scheduled a press conference for 11:00 AM on Wednesday with Ken Holland and Brian Rafalski expected to attend. Fans will be able to watch the proceedings LIVE on DetroitRedWings.com."

[robat]

I was taught to play left handed and my right hand is my dominant hand.

[LeftWinger]

if he wanted to play for the red wings,than he would have kept his mouth closed and would not have guarantied that he would return to nashville

Sorry to inform you PredsFanTheBayou, but he is not gonna come out and say he DOESN'T want to be in Nashville, how would that sound? He isn't even gonna say he wants to see what happens come July 1st. He is be PC and so he doesn't lose faith from fans or his teammates, but in a business, anything can and will AND HAS happened. We've experiencede both sides of that puck:

1. Chris Chelios hates Detroit so much that he would accept a trade there...oops, March 1999, Chelios waives his No-Trade Clause and is traded to Detroit.

2. Marion Hossa tells everyone in the free world that Detroit is where he is gonna end his career, he is gonna a Red Wing and he is going to take less money to stay here. He says it's not even a question, we are just working on the details...oops, July 2009, Marion Hossa signs a "lifetime" contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, chooses to leave Detroit...

I am not saying it will happen, I am not saying it won't happen, it may not even be Detroit where he goes, but prepare yourself because it COULD happen, and if it does, you guys will turn on him just as fast as a Louisiana.....well you understand....

Oh, let me give you another example that needs no explanation, just one word.....Fedorov....

[HankthaTank]

Sorry to inform you PredsFanTheBayou, but he is not gonna come out and say he DOESN'T want to be in Nashville, how would that sound? He isn't even gonna say he wants to see what happens come July 1st. He is be PC and so he doesn't lose faith from fans or his teammates, but in a business, anything can and will AND HAS happened. We've experiencede both sides of that puck:

1. Chris Chelios hates Detroit so much that he would accept a trade there...oops, March 1999, Chelios waives his No-Trade Clause and is traded to Detroit.

2. Marion Hossa tells everyone in the free world that Detroit is where he is gonna end his career, he is gonna a Red Wing and he is going to take less money to stay here. He says it's not even a question, we are just working on the details...oops, July 2009, Marion Hossa signs a "lifetime" contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, chooses to leave Detroit...

I am not saying it will happen, I am not saying it won't happen, it may not even be Detroit where he goes, but prepare yourself because it COULD happen, and if it does, you guys will turn on him just as fast as a Louisiana.....well you understand....

Oh, let me give you another example that needs no explanation, just one word.....Fedorov....

All fantastic points and exactly why you just can't trust most of these players. Well, aside from Stevie and Nick

[LeftWinger]

FORWARDS
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)
Scottie Upshall ($3.000m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m)
Patrick Eaves ($1.000m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Drew Miller($0.750m)
Jan Mursak ($0.550m)

DEFENSEMEN
Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) / Brad Stuart ($3.750m)
Jonathan Ericsson ($2.25m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($6.20m)
Christian Ehroff ($5.00m) / James Wisniewski ($4.25m)
Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / ($0.800m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $40,808,711; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (14-man roster): $816,289,000

OR

FORWARDS
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)
Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Brad Richards ($6.700m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m)
Patrick Eaves ($1.000m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Drew Miller($0.750m)
Jan Mursak ($0.550m)

DEFENSEMEN
Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) / Brad Stuart ($3.750m)
Jonathan Ericsson ($2.25m) / Nicklas Lidstrom ($6.20m)
Christian Ehroff ($5.00m) / Ruslan Salei ($0.750m) (Or equivalent right handed shot)..
Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / ($0.800m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $62,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $40,808,711; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (14-man roster): $616,289,000

Hope I got the math right...

Sounds good, but Richards makes nearly $8M now, why on Earth do you think that you would sign here for $6.7M? Or anywhere for that matter for $6.7M? Not unless you are looking at a "Cap Hit Ken Holland Special" that averages $6.7M but pays him $9M for 6 years and $1M for 6 years or some weird math equivilant that works out to be a lot more...

[Echolalia]

This is not the year to retire, based on the FA talent pool. There just isn't a lot out there, and unfortunately those few players that are available will be high in demand and be subject to a bidding war that will drive up the cost to acquire them.
I wonder if there are any stud defensemen in the draft this year that Holland could trade up to grab.

[king_malice]

FORWARDS
Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m)
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Tomas Fleischmann ($2.900m)
Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Jan Mursak ($0.550m)
Cory Emmerton ($0.533m)

DEFENSEMEN
Nick Lidstrom ($5.900m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Christian Ehrhoff ($4.355m)
Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) / Anton Babchuk ($1.850m)
Brendan Smith ($0.875m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / Ty Conklin ($1.475m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $59,247,044; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $152,956

[HankthaTank]

Ty Conklin ($1.475m)

Seen this a couple times now, why are people so willing to shell out near 1.5 for just a backup?

[LeftWinger]

FORWARDS
Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m)
Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Tomas Fleischmann ($2.900m)
Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m) / Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Jan Mursak ($0.550m)
Cory Emmerton ($0.533m)

DEFENSEMEN
Nick Lidstrom ($5.900m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Christian Ehrhoff ($4.355m)
Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) / Anton Babchuk ($1.850m)
Brendan Smith ($0.875m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / Ty Conklin ($1.475m)

CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $59,400,000; CAP PAYROLL: $59,247,044; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $152,956

Ya, I think you posted this twice. No thank you on Fleischmann, especially at $2.9M, we already have a small, soft overpaid, underskilled forward for that price... and our back up goalie will be under a million...

Edited by LeftWinger, 24 May 2011 - 12:43 PM.

[haroldsnepsts]

Seen this a couple times now, why are people so willing to shell out near 1.5 for just a backup?

Because few players get more love here at LGW than backup goalies. They play well for a few games and it's time to make 'em the starter!

[SwedeLundin77]

Ya, I think you posted this twice. No thank you on Fleischmann, especially at $2.9M, we already have a small, soft overpaid, underskilled forward for that price... and our back up goalie will under a million...

Yeah, the only way I would want Fleischmann is if we trade Hudler. Then it's an upgrade situation, but to have them both.. No thank you.