Let me try my hand at it...
FORWARDS
Zach Parise ($7.250m) / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Gustav Nyquist ($0.875m)
Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Jiri Hudler ($3.000m)
Johan Franzen ($3.955m) / Darren Helm ($1.750m) / Todd Bertuzzi ($2.075m)
Danny Cleary ($2.800m) / Zenon Konopka ($0.700m) / Patrick Eaves ($1.200m)
Drew Miller ($0.838m) /
DEFENSEMEN
Nicklas Lidstrom ($4.250m) / Ryan Suter ($7.500m)
Niklas Kronwall ($4.750m) / Jonathan Ericsson ($3.250m)
Ian White ($2.875m) / Brendan Smith ($0.875m)
Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) /
GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m)
Joey MacDonald ($0.550m)
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CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $68,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $67,408,712; BONUSES: $37,500
CAP SPACE (22-man roster): $891,288
Nyquist and Franzen can switch places depending on whether Franzen is playing with an ounce of effort (so I'm assuming they'll play 50/50 on each line).
Initial Assumptions:
The cap goes up by 4 million (less than Jimmy D thinks it will go up by but still quite a bit)
The NHL and NHLPA sign a new CBA that's essentially an extension of the current one with few changes in terms of the salary cap ceiling (a possible amnesty rule would make things very interesting). Assuming there will be a significant change in the cap mechanics makes all of these fantasy threads pointless.
Signings:
1) Lidstrom comes back at 4.25million. It's a discount to be sure but he just had a brutal offensive year compared to his past numbers. I think that's a fair number for him to take in light of the next two signings (he'd obviously be taking the number specifically so the Wings can make this splash.
2) Sutter for 5 years at $7.5 million cap hit. This is pretty pricey given the term and how little we know about just how his pairing with Weber influences his numbers. I imagine he might want more term but he'd have to give a better discount.
3) Parise for 5 years at $7.25 million cap hit. Not cheap. I can imagine the hit coming under 7 mil if they offer him 7 to 8 years term.
4) Hudler for 3 years at $3 million cap hit. Again, a discount, but Hudler recently learned that the grass isn't greener on the other side (see: KHL exodus and painful NHL return). The numbers he puts up make this deal good for the Wings because they know he can produce in less than 16mins a game. Hudler might cost a bit more. If he does there's always other options out there.
5) Helm for 5 years at $1.75 million cap hit. He doesn't get a ton of money but it's a fair value and comes with very attractive term.
6) Let Abdelkader walk and sign Konopka to a contract that's near identical to his current one. Konopka has one of the best face-off percentages in the entire league (6th best among centres who played at least 50 games). He's big, tough and a great lockerroom guy by all reports. Why make this signing? Well Abdelkader doesn't provide much in the way of offense or even defense. He can skate/hit, yes, but he's certainly expendable. I can imagine the Wings dropping Miller or Eaves to keep Abs in this situation if only for his value on the forecheck. Still, Konopka's FO% is so damn good (and consistently good over the years) that he would be of great use. It doesn't hurt that he can throw some fists, either. His elite face-off numbers continued into the playoffs this year: 3rd in the league at 70.7% while playing 11mins a game and maintaining a +2 (2nd best among his team's forwards).
Edited by Drake_Marcus, 03 May 2012 - 06:32 PM.
