I'd like to talk about this off-season/next season

[Dabura 12,206]

To be clear, I'm not saying I have any reason to believe that Thomas Vanek wants to be a Detroit Red Wing. I just think it'd be a good fit, for both sides. For us, again, he's a big-bodied, right-handed natural goal-scoring winger who might be able to pot 40+ playing on Datsyuk's wing. And, at 30 years old, he's still pretty young. (And he's Euro-born!) That's about as close to ideal as it's gonna get for us in our never-ending search for that Big Scoring Winger - and he wouldn't even cost any assets, just a lot of coin and a lot of term. So, I imagine Kenny will pursue him pretty fiercely, provided there's anything to pursue (i.e. provided he doesn't say, "Thanks, but I know where I'm going, and it's Minnesota. Yes, I'm absolutely sure. No, I won't reconsider. Please let go of my arm, you're cutting off my circulation.")

From Vanek's perspective, well, let's be honest: we don't really know what he wants. All we really know is that he doesn't want to be part of a full-on rebuild of one of the worst teams in the salary cap era. That doesn't necessarily mean he wants to be a Penguin (though my gut says that's were he'll end up, somehow, some way). And, true enough, it doesn't necessarily mean he has any interest in joining the best-run organization in hockey, maybe in all of sports (that's the Wings, ftr).

So: Why, then, did I say the Wings would be a good fit for him? Because it's true. He's a supremely gifted goal-scorer, we're loaded with supremely gifted playmakers. (He could play on any of our top three lines and he'd have at least one linemate who could get him to 35 goals.) He's supremely skilled with the puck, we play - or would like to play - a rare and proven brand of skill-driven, possession-centric (or skill-centric, possession-driven) hockey. He wants to play on a contender, we're about a Vanek and a solid defenseman away from cutthroat Cup contention, bolstered by one of the better prospect pools in the league.

We have arguably the best head coach in the league; arguably the best GM in the league, arguably the best ownership in the league, arguably the best scouting and player development guys in the league; and even one of the best medical/training teams in the league. And it's a great hockey market without being a fishbowl. And it's a storied O6 franchise. And we're getting a new arena.

(I realize what I've just done is kinda sleazy and shameless. I wrote a big long novel in the Next Season thread about why we're semi-doomed, and now I'm turning around and making essentially the opposite argument. AND I REGRET NOTHING!)

But I think maybe most of all it's his personality/attitude/character/demeanor. I actually met him once, and I've a friend who's met him a few times. It's easy for a Wingnut to say this, but, really: he strikes me as the classic Red Wing. Polite, unassuming, even-keeled, yet...clearly very special.

Pipe dream? Yeah. But not the utterly impossible kind. And even the utterly impossible is sometimes possible. (See: Alfredsson, Daniel.)

So, Vanek is My Guy this summer (assuming Dan Girardi decides to be a bum and re-sign). Do we need a Dan Boyle more than we need a Thomas Vanek? Yes, and I've even argued as much. But, like I said, I don't see any of the top free agent options changing teams. I mean, maybe one or two, but that's it. So, the thinking would be: sign Vanek and decisively address the need for a right-handed first-line winger while leaving the D issue up in the air, or solve neither problem.

tl;dr vanick is going to the wild gtfo dabura

Edited January 30, 2014 by Dabura

[Dabura 12,206]

Also: there's the school of thought that says an elite scorer could be a stone that kills two birds for us. Basically, if we're scoring more goals, that takes some pressure off the D. In theory.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

I change my mind about these things every week, so that roster is now in the trash! Not sure why I wanted Almqvist up over Ouellet.

I posted this in the other next season thread:

Henrik Zetterberg Pavel Datsyuk Tomas Jurco

Johan Franzen Stephen Weiss Gustav Nyquist

Tomas Tatar Darren Helm Daniel Alfredsson

Drew Miller Riley Sheahan Justin Abdelkader

Niklas Kronwall Danny DeKeyser

Brendan Smith Jonathan Ericsson

Xavier Ouellet Brian Lashoff

Jimmy Howard

Jonas Gustavsson

I think that's about as good as we can do with zero new outside acquisitions. Like I said in the other thread, it's far from ideal. But I guess it's nice knowing that we should have a pretty good team, even if we can't add an all-star.

If we do add a big name in the offseason, my guess is it would be Moulson. He has no real allegiance, and I get the sense that he's sort of waiting for someone to come along and say they believe in him and they're willing to show it and give him a real hockey home. I think Kenny could knock that kind of pitch out of the park, so to speak.

I think Gaborik will change teams, but I don't see Kenny being able to justify a 7.5-ish cap hit, given that Gaborik seems to be made of glass and we're injury-prone enough as it is. I can actually kind of see Vanek coming here, and I have no idea why that is. Maybe it's just his personality and the kind of player he is. I feel like he'd be a really good fit on a classy, Euro-heavy "skill team." But I'm not getting my hopes up.

I'm not sure Alfredsson will be back next season. He's been injured this season and is slowing down considerably. If we could get Moulson or Vanek in the offseason to take his spot, I'd say work on that. Either that or try to get Callahan should he not sign with the Rangers. I used to want Gaborik, but we have enough injury problems. I'm with you, I think that we should try to get one of them. The only thing I don't want to have happen is Holland just sign whoever he can when/if the others get signed already. Let the kids come up and send them back down and sign a tweener for 1 year if they need more seasoning.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Don't get me wrong, I would like to get Vanek and thanks for your great post but I'm trying to be realistic here. This is a very well run original 6 franchise, with almost endless pockets thanks to the best owner in all of sports but the truth is, we can't use that stuff to our advantage

I think Vaneks agent is going to look around the league very closely and especially contenders, who are loading up at the t rade deadline might be of interest for him. Do I think he would listen to a very good Wings offer (don't underpay him Kenny match everything..), absolutely. Pittsburgh doesn't have the capspace to sign him if he ends up there and on Crosbys Wing oh my this would just add more firepower, although they need defense and goaltending more than anything.

The thing with Minnesotta is:

- his best friend Pominville is playing there

- he started his NA career in Minnesotta

- his girlfriend is from the area

- they are (sadly) and up and coming team putting more and more pieces together

Anyway, it's just speculation maybe I'm super wrong and he ends up with the Rangers or someone else.

[jimmyemeryhunter 2,747]

I keep heating how impressed vanek is with the isles and that even if he got traded at the deadline (which they say will happen if he doesnt sign before)he would still strongly consider coming back and signing with them.

It sounds like he has his mind somewhat made up but wants to test free agency, even of its just to start a bidding war if he happens to convince the islanders to keep him past the deadline with no extension in place.

Edited January 29, 2014 by jimmyemeryhunter

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I keep heating how impressed vanek is with the isles and that even if he got traded at the deadline (which they say will happen if he doesnt sign before)he would still strongly consider coming back and signing with them.

It sounds like he has his mind somewhat made up but wants to test free agency, even of its just to start a bidding war if he happens to convince the islanders to keep him past the deadline with no extension in place.

Vanek isn't stupid he and his agent know exactly how to play this, saying all the right polite things and when the time comes it will be

"I really loved NY but I want to test FA they are free to make me an offer"

Vanek would be stupid to say anything else or to not take his UFA chance. The Islanders would be a great team but their problem is Wang he will never spent to the cap and therefore this team won't contend for the cup although having a lot ofp romising players.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

With the comments the Wild owner made after signing Suter and Parise I can't see him oking another big contract.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

With the comments the Wild owner made after signing Suter and Parise I can't see him oking another big contract.

That was before the league went through a major financial shift.

Plus they've got Heatley's 7.5 mil contract coming off the books at season's end.

I have no doubt Minnesota will be a cap team and a contender as that's the promise they made to Suter and Parise.