Next Seasons Needs/Team Future

[Guest DeGraa55]

People are surprised? This will be the same story again this year as last.

[e_prime 1,936]

People are surprised? This will be the same story again this year as last.

Why so negative, bro?

[wings4thecup06 504]

I don't think it will be though. Cleary was awful last season, and if he's really that bad, he won't make the team out of camp and if they do sign him to the 2 way deal, he'll go down to GR. I don't see how he'll make the roster at all this year with the development of the kids and how they've come on, and the logjam we currently have, with or without Alfie.

That said, if KH signs him to a 1 year, NHL deal without a 2 way element, I will not be happy, and I think it'll cloud every other move KH makes this summer on this board for sure.

[krsmith17 7,191]

Cleary on a one year, two-way contract definitely isn't a bad thing in my opinion. Added depth is never bad, as long as he doesn't push out any of the better, youth. Having young guys down in Grand Rapids seeing the heart and determination of Cleary, and watching him go about his daily routine on and off the ice definitely can't hurt. Like the guy or not, he is a warrior. He could definitely help the development of some of the kids. Personally, I would love to see Cleary get a job with the training staff helping out Pete Renzetti with the strength and conditioning of our players but another year, helping out the kids down in Grand Rapids doesn't seem like such a bad idea either.

[kipwinger 8,502]

Didn't they offer Maltby a two way contract in his final year as well? It was basically, make the team or retire? I could be wrong.

[number9 3,297]

Didn't they offer Maltby a two way contract in his final year as well? It was basically, make the team or retire? I could be wrong.

Yup, and he signed it.... Pretty much knowing he was going to GR to work with the kids. Cleary is round 2

[kipwinger 8,502]

Is it starting to become clear to anyone else that with the exception of some lame ass acquisition like Dan Boyle or Tom Gilbert we're going to have the EXACT same team as last year?

All the resources in the world won't make a difference if there's no will to use them. Puke.

Expect D and Z to be hurt again, expect the kids to have good but not great seasons, expect Alfie to be re-signed and then be hurt/run out of gas, and expect our defense to be poor again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

[number9 3,297]

Is it starting to become clear to anyone else that with the exception of some lame ass acquisition like Dan Boyle or Tom Gilbert we're going to have the EXACT same team as last year?

All the resources in the world won't make a difference if there's no will to use them. Puke.

Expect D and Z to be hurt again, expect the kids to have good but not great seasons, expect Alfie to be re-signed and then be hurt/run out of gas, and expect our defense to be poor again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

If you're looking for FA acquisitions, yes, you'll be sorely disappointed. The kids will be another year better and our vets will indeed have injuries, although I don't think those can get any worse than last year.

We are shedding Bertuzzi, Sammy, possibly Q, and likely sending Cleary to the minors. That should bring smiles to everyone around here.

[Guest DeGraa55]

Why so negative, bro?

Well toucan call it negative I whatever. But I said the same thing last off season. Said we would finish in the 6th through 10th range and look what happened.

Now were doing the same s*** again just now they're all a year older lol.

[kipwinger 8,502]

If you're looking for FA acquisitions, yes, you'll be sorely disappointed. The kids will be another year better and our vets will indeed have injuries, although I don't think those can get any worse than last year.

We are shedding Bertuzzi, Sammy, possibly Q, and likely sending Cleary to the minors. That should bring smiles to everyone around here.

Not really, those guys didn't play for huge chunks of the season last year. The only way they hurt us was by taking up roster and cap space that could be used better elsewhere. But it's clear that the roster and cap space aren't going to be used better elsewhere so what difference does it make.

You can blame Sammy, Bert, and Cleary until you're blue in the face, but they weren't the ones getting dominated by the Bruins. It was our defense who is either too dumb, unskilled, or weak to advance the puck, and a forward corps which both A) too small and one dimensional and B) either not mature enough, or too old, to play against guys in their prime. I don't see how bringing Alfie back and picking up some mediocre puck mover is going to help that. Christ, we've had two mediocre puckmovers in the last 3 years. Why not just hang on to White or Colaiacovo if you want a 2.5 million dollar, smallish, puckmover?

[WingedWheel91 271]

What should happen:

-Compliance Buyout TooToo (guaranteed)

-Re Sign RFA's (guaranteed)

-Re Sign Alfie (as being reported - see Detroit Free press )

-Trade Jurco, Andersson and 1st to VAN for Kesler (as being reported - http://hometownhockey.ca/hockey/HH0548.php )

-Trade Tatar, Kindl, Oulette and 2015 1st to Van for Myers (no reports here, but its June 17th why the hell not?)

-Evaluate Weiss status and if ineligible for LTIR - use a normal buyout on him. (only if #2 Center is acquired)

ZETTERBERG - DATSYUK - ALFIE

FRANZEN - KESLER - MANTHA

NYQUIST - SHEAHAN - PULKINNEN

ABDELKADER - HELM - MILLER

KRONWALL - ERICSSON

DEKEYSER - MYERS

SMITH - MARCHENKO

HOWARD

MRAZEK

21 - GLENDENNING

22 - LASHOFF

23 - CALLAHAN

I know everyone is going to laugh but I feel that everything (with exception to the Myers trade) has substance to it. I know this is a dream scenario, but our team retains its BEST young players in Nyquist, Dekeyser and Mantha and gives us a RH handed shot on almost every line.

That trade for Myers might be an overpayment but remember that Defenseman (especially his size) take a lot longer to develop into superstars than forwards do. See Chara, Pietrangelo, and even Chris Pronger didn't have 40 points until his 6th NHL season. I would even add Abdelkader or Anthanasiou to that trade.

[number9 3,297]

Not really, those guys didn't play for huge chunks of the season last year. The only way they hurt us was by taking up roster and cap space that could be used better elsewhere. But it's clear that the roster and cap space aren't going to be used better elsewhere so what difference does it make.

You can blame Sammy, Bert, and Cleary until you're blue in the face, but they weren't the ones getting dominated by the Bruins. It was our defense who is either too dumb, unskilled, or weak to advance the puck, and a forward corps which both A) too small and one dimensional and B) either not mature enough, or too old, to play against guys in their prime. I don't see how bringing Alfie back and picking up some mediocre puck mover is going to help that. Christ, we've had two mediocre puckmovers in the last 3 years. Why not just hang on to White or Colaiacovo if you want a 2.5 million dollar, smallish, puckmover?

If we are talking about Niskanen and Boyle here, like I assume, IMO both are far ahead in puck movement ability than White or Colo ever were. White had a good slapper but couldn't play D without Lids. Colo couldn't stay healthy. I think Boyle or Niskanen would immediately play top pairing minutes and would greatly improve our defensive depth from the get go. On top of that we have numerous young kids all on the cusp of breakout seasons. Even one breaking out could help us immensely

[xtrememachine1 795]

Is it starting to become clear to anyone else that with the exception of some lame ass acquisition like Dan Boyle or Tom Gilbert we're going to have the EXACT same team as last year?

All the resources in the world won't make a difference if there's no will to use them. Puke.

Expect D and Z to be hurt again, expect the kids to have good but not great seasons, expect Alfie to be re-signed and then be hurt/run out of gas, and expect our defense to be poor again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

It might feel like the same team, but it won't be. The kids will be better. Maybe still just good and not great, but they're heading in the right direction. The defense... its a work in project. Most teams in the NHL are having a tough time with defensemen, which is why they get so much in free agency these days. Zetterberg and Datsyuk probably will get hurt again, but it can't be as bad as it was this year. Rebuilding is a slow process, but at least we can say we're going in the right direction. We could be watching Z and D get older with a bunch of UFA bands aid filling out the other lines because we don't have anything in the minors worth promoting.

[kipwinger 8,502]

If we are talking about Niskanen and Boyle here, like I assume, IMO both are far ahead in puck movement ability than White or Colo ever were. White had a good slapper but couldn't play D without Lids. Colo couldn't stay healthy. I think Boyle or Niskanen would immediately play top pairing minutes and would greatly improve our defensive depth from the get go. On top of that we have numerous young kids all on the cusp of breakout seasons. Even one breaking out could help us immensely

I'll agree about Niskanen, but not about Boyle. Boyle put up 36 pts. on a team which was second in the league in goals per game. San Jose is WAY more offensively capable than we are. There's no way he duplicates those numbers. The guy's washed up and his highly skilled offense pulled him along. He'd put up terrible numbers for Detroit, and our defense would remain small and slow, and after getting manhandled in the playoffs next season we'd all be wondering "what happened?". What happened was we were cheap and took a flier on a guy who anybody could see was done.

[number9 3,297]

I'll agree about Niskanen, but not about Boyle. Boyle put up 36 pts. on a team which was second in the league in goals per game. San Jose is WAY more offensively capable than we are. There's no way he duplicates those numbers. The guy's washed up and his highly skilled offense pulled him along. He'd put up terrible numbers for Detroit, and our defense would remain small and slow, and after getting manhandled in the playoffs next season we'd all be wondering "what happened?". What happened was we were cheap and took a flier on a guy who anybody could see was done.

You're right, I just think Niskanen might price himself out of Detroit, and if that happens id be willing to chance it on Boyle. We need a defensive puck mover unless a kid steps up.

[Dabura 12,206]

Rumor has it the Habs are open to moving 24-year-old Swedish defenseman Magnus Nygren. (Link)

What Hockey's Future has to say about Nygren:

Nygren is a right handed shooter for the power play with an excellent shot that gets through traffic and hits the net a large percentage of the time. He has good mobility and offensive skills but has become more than just a power play specialist with his improved defensive positioning and the reduction of high risk plays in his end of the rink. He still needs to work on not over pursuing the puck carrier and his net front coverage to play at the NHL level.

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/magnus_nygren/

Color me interested. Would they be interested in...Jordin Tootoo?

[number9 3,297]

Rumor has it the Habs are open to moving 24-year-old Swedish defenseman Magnus Nygren. (Link)

What Hockey's Future has to say about Nygren:

http://www.hockeysfuture.com/prospects/magnus_nygren/

Color me interested. Would they be interested in...Jordin Tootoo?

Not even Nashville wants Tootoo

[Ekmanc 586]

Nygren is lame, very low compete level.

[Jesusberg 1,256]

The issue is, this team should have been last year's opening roster. A starting, healthy forwards corps on this team is very respectable:

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Alfie
Mule-Weiss-Nyquist
Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco

Miller-Helm-Andelkader

Scratches:

Andersson

Glendening

It's when you throw in those past-their-prime vets, and incur an insane number of injuries that things go south. I really think the forwards on this team are solid. That healthy line-up, along with a boost on the back-end would fare well, IMO.

Edited June 17, 2014 by Jesusberg

[e_prime 1,936]

Is it starting to become clear to anyone else that with the exception of some lame ass acquisition like Dan Boyle or Tom Gilbert we're going to have the EXACT same team as last year?

All the resources in the world won't make a difference if there's no will to use them. Puke.

Expect D and Z to be hurt again, expect the kids to have good but not great seasons, expect Alfie to be re-signed and then be hurt/run out of gas, and expect our defense to be poor again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Did someone hack your account today? This is the most negative post I've seen from you this off-season.

I'm worried. Please let me know if you're okay.

[kipwinger 8,502]

Did someone hack your account today? This is the most negative post I've seen from you this off-season.

I'm worried. Please let me know if you're okay.

It's nice of you to care lol. I was already having a bad morning and the thoughts of bringing back Cleary, Alfie, and Gustavsson (who I'm actually fine with) temporarily overwhelmed the better angels of my nature. I'm still (cautiously) hoping for something substantial. We'll find out in a couple of weeks.

[Richdg 267]

J, sorry mate but that is not a very good F corp. maybe 5 years ago it was, but not today. between Z, dat, frazen, Weiss, Alfie and helm, we will be lucky if they average 65 games played. Miller and Abby are not offensive players, and the other 4 will all be sophm. and there will be some slumps. There is still no toughness, grit, or any real size. The last official study I saw was from 2009/10. That year the average size of a NHL player was 6-1 1/4 tall and 208 pounds. Only franzen is over thatsize with Sheahan and Abby being that size. All the rest or BELOW that size.

[hooon 1,089]

J, sorry mate but that is not a very good F corp. maybe 5 years ago it was, but not today. between Z, dat, frazen, Weiss, Alfie and helm, we will be lucky if they average 65 games played. Miller and Abby are not offensive players, and the other 4 will all be sophm. and there will be some slumps. There is still no toughness, grit, or any real size. The last official study I saw was from 2009/10. That year the average size of a NHL player was 6-1 1/4 tall and 208 pounds. Only franzen is over thatsize with Sheahan and Abby being that size. All the rest or BELOW that size.

How big were the Wings that year? Cause they had just been to the Cup finals two years in a row...

[Richdg 267]

Yes and we had just at F: Bert 6-3/230, Cleary 6-0/210, Homer 6-0/215, May 6-0/220, Abby and franzen. So yes in fact the 09/10 Red Wings were much bigger up front. All of those guys were still producing at a good level. Not to mention we had Nicky and Stewy on the BL. One is the best ever and the other was a good stay at home physical Dman.

[number9 3,297]

J, sorry mate but that is not a very good F corp. maybe 5 years ago it was, but not today. between Z, dat, frazen, Weiss, Alfie and helm, we will be lucky if they average 65 games played. Miller and Abby are not offensive players, and the other 4 will all be sophm. and there will be some slumps. There is still no toughness, grit, or any real size. The last official study I saw was from 2009/10. That year the average size of a NHL player was 6-1 1/4 tall and 208 pounds. Only franzen is over thatsize with Sheahan and Abby being that size. All the rest or BELOW that size.

Produce a link and I'll believe that "Study"