After the 12/13 Season

[Dimaline312000 51]

I know this is a long ways off and maybe we shouldn't worry about it right now but I was looking on capgeek.com and I saw that after the 12/13 Season the Wings have no goalies signed as Howard and MacDonald are both UFA's and McCollum and Pearce are both RFA's after that season and of course Conks is only signed for this coming season. So what does that mean or what do you think that means? Will the Wings re-sign Howard and go with one of our guys in GR or do we maybe see Howard leave the Wings and the Wings sing maybe McCollum as our starter if he's ready as our number one goalie and bring in someone to be his back up. What do you think will happen and what would you like to see happen? Me personally I would LOVE to see Howard be our starter and McCollum be our back-up and maybe just have both of them split the games if they are up to in and not really have a starter or back-up but have both Goalies play an equal share of the season unless of course one is better than the other. Anyone else care to weigh in?

[55fan 5,133]

It gives them something to play for. Winner gets the contract. Good, healthy competition.

[hooon 1,089]

Goalie is way too fickle a position to have lengthy contracts. Look at Luongo and how Vancouver is stuck with him for the next decade, or DiPietro in NY.

Things can change so quickly with goaltenders, it makes sense keep their contracts pretty short.

[P. Marlowe 748]

Whoa, that's two years from now. I can see Howard getting an extension early way before he becomes a free agent. I can see him staying with Wings for many years and becoming much like Osgood was: reliable, rather cheap and good enough. If McCollum improvers a lot he might be the back-up in 2013-14, but if not I can see Wings continue hiring reliable veterans for the job.

[germanwing 154]

Don´t worry!

http://www.2012supplies.com/countdown.html

But seriously...i think/hope Howard will remain our top goalie.

[stevkrause 1,247]

It gives them something to play for. Winner gets the contract. Good, healthy competition.

Exactly. This is why you don't sign goalies to long term contracts, too inconsistent of a position... for our sake, we should REALLY hope that Howard is the clear starter and in line for a raise, because it will mean he had earned it, as for the backup, these next 2 years will be Pearce or McCollum's chance to prove they are NHL ready to be a backup, otherwise, one or both of them will probably have ties cut and the other will most likely have played out as a career AHL'er

[Dimaline312000 51]

Well so far I have to say I agree with all of you. Let's keep the contracts short for goalies on this team. Make our goalies earn their spot on the roster. I think Howard as long as he continues to play this way and improve he will be our goalie of the future and have a long career here in Detroit. I'd love to see McCollum be up if he can improve and continue to develop his game. Let's not forget he was a Round 1 Draft pick in 08, granted it was the 30th and last pick in the 1st round but he was still drafted in the 1st round and I think in time he will deserve a shot in the NHL with the Wings as long as he can improve his game a grow into the type of goalie we are going to need. My next question is should the Wings start looking at drafting another goalie here in the next draft or so? Maybe not necessarily a Round 1 goalie but a goalie that the Wings can spend a long time bringing up but able to come in when needed. Sure I don't mind seeing the Wings sign Reliable veteran goalies from other teams come in a be our back-up but I'd really love to see this team bring players up instead of bringing players in. The Wings are going to have plenty of bringing players in from other teams with our forwards and defensemen in the coming years as we see a sort of changing of the gaurds in our skaters. I'd rather see the Wings be able to build from with-in when it comes to their goalies, if of course that is what's best for the team.

[eva unit zero 271]

Howard gets a big head in 12-13 and starts asking for a crazy contract that ensures, among other things, that there are whipped cream fights in the locker room. The Wings will go out and sign Kari Lehtonen to tandem with Howard if he returns, or to start if Howard jumps ship or is committed to an insane asylum.

[Konnan511 1,736]

I'm 65% sure we'll have a goalie after the 12/13 season.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

[55fan 5,133]

I'm 65% sure we'll have a goalie after the 12/13 season.

And I'm 65% sure that if we don't that Cloutier will still be available. Or maybe Turco.

Either way, we'll find someone.

[Guest Crymson]

PANIC!!!!

[eva unit zero 271]

I'm 65% sure we'll have a goalie after the 12/13 season.

Could always just go for the six-man, empty net game. Run it like a soccer game, with three "levels" of positions. Run it as a 1-3-2 system. Guys like Hudler, Bertuzzi, and Holmstrom would fill the front spot, as their games are more offense-oriented and they aren't the skaters that much of the rest of the team is.

[Konnan511 1,736]

Could always just go for the six-man, empty net game. Run it like a soccer game, with three "levels" of positions. Run it as a 1-3-2 system. Guys like Hudler, Bertuzzi, and Holmstrom would fill the front spot, as their games are more offense-oriented and they aren't the skaters that much of the rest of the team is.

I dunno, I'd throw Holmstrom in net, his hand-eye coordination is second to none on the team.

[hooon 1,089]

I dunno, I'd throw Holmstrom in net, his hand-eye coordination is second to none on the team.

Lets just pile Hudler and Ericsson in the goal crease.

They can't be much worse at goalie than their normal positions.

[Buppy 1,720]

You're talking about the future man... I assume we'll have some sort of laser-based defense grid guarding the nets by then. Howard and McCollum will probably be converted to defense drone pilots.

[VM1138 1,921]

Goalie is way too fickle a position to have lengthy contracts. Look at Luongo and how Vancouver is stuck with him for the next decade, or DiPietro in NY.

Things can change so quickly with goaltenders, it makes sense keep their contracts pretty short.

Exactly. I think 3, four years max is "long term" for a goalie. I'd rather overpay once in a while by having to renegotiate during a goalie's prime than to overpay for a decade for a goalie to ride the pine.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

I know this is a long ways off and maybe we shouldn't worry about it right now but I was looking on capgeek.com and I saw that after the 12/13 Season the Wings have no goalies signed as Howard and MacDonald are both UFA's and McCollum and Pearce are both RFA's after that season and of course Conks is only signed for this coming season. So what does that mean or what do you think that means? Will the Wings re-sign Howard and go with one of our guys in GR or do we maybe see Howard leave the Wings and the Wings sing maybe McCollum as our starter if he's ready as our number one goalie and bring in someone to be his back up. What do you think will happen and what would you like to see happen? Me personally I would LOVE to see Howard be our starter and McCollum be our back-up and maybe just have both of them split the games if they are up to in and not really have a starter or back-up but have both Goalies play an equal share of the season unless of course one is better than the other. Anyone else care to weigh in?

[Dimaline312000 51]

I'm not saying I'm really all that worried about this. I know the Wings will work this out way before the time comes I just threw this topic out for something to discuss.

[egroen 384]

You're talking about the future man... I assume we'll have some sort of laser-based defense grid guarding the nets by then. Howard and McCollum will probably be converted to defense drone pilots.

I can see it - concussion concerns lead to the NHL employing remote-controlled robots. Davey "Zip" Roberts smashes Wayne Gretzky's records by the age of 13.

Edited July 29, 2011 by egroen

[ricky0034 89]

just something I feel the need to point out:

it was exactly the same this year

[eva unit zero 271]

just something I feel the need to point out:

it was exactly the same this year

Wrong. Thomas McCollum was already signed for this season.

[Travis 576]

I can see it - concussion concerns lead to the NHL employing remote-controlled robots. Davey "Zip" Roberts smashes Wayne Gretzky's records by the age of 13.

I found imagery of a prototype:

Edited July 30, 2011 by Travis

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

I expect no problem re-signing Howard in two years.

[Dimaline312000 51]

I expect no problem re-signing Howard in two years.

I agree I don't see any problem with Howard re-signing in Two Years. It's just something I was looking at one day and thought it would be an interesting topic to discuss. Didn't mean for it to turn into a big Joke. I know it's quite a ways off but I just felt it was interesting enough to bring here. I know the Wings will be fine and sign the necessary goalies to get the job done.