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Richdg

Wings to have face to face with Matt Niskanen

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It's interesting, every time i read quotes from Holland I sink deeper and deeper into a state of depression.

I really don't see this as an issue. All you folks who want KH to just make a move for the sake of it, then you're not going to get it. At the end of the day he's right, there are several of those guys who are being asked for in trades that will become the core of our team, and they'll be even more important to this teams future success when D/Z retire etc. So why get rid of most of them just for 1 or 2 better players who might give you 2 good years and then leave via free agency, when we could add pieces like them down the line when our kids are the leaders of this team?

Everyone wants to win now, sure, but if we wait a little longer we'll be a much much stronger team, without having to give up all those assets in the first place.

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I really don't see this as an issue. All you folks who want KH to just make a move for the sake of it, then you're not going to get it. At the end of the day he's right, there are several of those guys who are being asked for in trades that will become the core of our team, and they'll be even more important to this teams future success when D/Z retire etc. So why get rid of most of them just for 1 or 2 better players who might give you 2 good years and then leave via free agency, when we could add pieces like them down the line when our kids are the leaders of this team?

Everyone wants to win now, sure, but if we wait a little longer we'll be a much much stronger team, without having to give up all those assets in the first place.

I'm ok with him not trading our core. I'm not ok with him making an lazy effort to sign top free agents that are available. I know he has met with some free agents but we will never know how aggressively he is going for them. Edited by Datsyukian-Deke

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PM, my question has nothing to do with the pens and their cap issues. it has to do with how our fans would be acting if Niskanen was ours and he was leaving. Would everyone be ok with that? No. So why are many thinking picking him up would be a bad idea?

I guess that's what I was saying is my reaction and I suppose that of other fans depends on circumstances. If we have 25 million in cap space and desperately need a defenseman and we let him go, not happy. If we're pretty well set on the blueline and we're at the top of our cap room and we have to let him go in order to keep other players, I'm more understanding of it.

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I'm ok with him not trading our core. I'm not ok with him making an lazy effort to sign top free agents that are available. I know he has met with some free agents but we will never know how aggressively he is going for them.

Who says he's been lazy? I think we will never be able to gauge the 'level of interest', but the fact that there's been rumours and buzz about it should be enough to say that he's definitely making an effort to upgrade the team without trying to mortgage the future.

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It's interesting, every time i read quotes from Holland I sink deeper and deeper into a state of depression.

Yup. Holland should start ripping his shirt like Hulk Hogan, and roaring like the Incredible Hulk about how he's going to punch Franzen in the nuts and then trade for all the awesome players.

Or he could say something about how he wants the team to improve, go deeper in the playoffs, and how he'd like a top 4 right handed D man. But he already said that.

Except people hear what he says, and they think, for some inexplicable reason, that this mean that he doesn't care about the team improving, he just wants to make the playoffs and keep polishing his "streak" trophy and doesn't give a s*** all of a sudden about losing in the first round, and is out golfing instead of trying to acquire that much needed defensemen.

FML

Edited by rick zombo

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Yup. Holland should start ripping his shirt like Hulk Hogan, and roaring like the Incredible Hulk about how he's going to punch Franzen in the nuts and then trade for all the awesome players.

Or he could say something about how he wants the team to improve, go deeper in the playoffs, and how he'd like a top 4 right handed D man. But he already said that.

Except people hear what he says, and they think, for some inexplicable reason, that this mean that he doesn't care about the team improving, he just wants to make the playoffs and keep polishing his "streak" trophy and doesn't give a s*** all of a sudden about losing in the first round, and is out golfing instead of trying to acquire that much needed defensemen.

FML

I will give Holland this....he has got to be one hell of a poker player. He never shows his hand and is prolly the most coy GM out there.

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When I see Matt Niskanen, I have to wonder if he can produce for more than 1 season like he did. I think he is a great player, but there is part of me that is a little nervous about paying a guy who had one good season $6-$7 million a season. Anyone remember Ville Leino? The guy had a great season, and then cashed in and was never heard from again.

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When I see Matt Niskanen, I have to wonder if he can produce for more than 1 season like he did. I think he is a great player, but there is part of me that is a little nervous about paying a guy who had one good season $6-$7 million a season. Anyone remember Ville Leino? The guy had a great season, and then cashed in and was never heard from again.

True, but Niskanen has a pedigree (former 1st round pick) and has visible tools (extremely athletic, tremendous shot, right handed).

Leino was just a lanky sloth with decent hands that wasn't bad at ragging the puck.

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True, but Niskanen has a pedigree (former 1st round pick) and has visible tools (extremely athletic, tremendous shot, right handed).

Leino was just a lanky sloth with decent hands that wasn't bad at ragging the puck.

Agree, but the question remains. Can he produce like a $6-$7 million dollar player? Callahan just signed for $6 million a season. Niskanen wants that kind of money for one season of solid production. You know that some club is going to offer him a big contract and he will sign with them. I would be very nervous about signing him for $6 million, much the less the $7 million he is going to get from someone.

Edited by Nightfall

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When I see Matt Niskanen, I have to wonder if he can produce for more than 1 season like he did. I think he is a great player, but there is part of me that is a little nervous about paying a guy who had one good season $6-$7 million a season. Anyone remember Ville Leino? The guy had a great season, and then cashed in and was never heard from again.

If he produced for many years, he'd be a superstar and would probably be commanding a much higher salary and Pittsburgh would be keeping him. There are no sure things when it comes to trades or signing UFAs. I don't think this of him as a guy who came out of no where and had a spectacular year, but more of a decent player who had a breakout year, which I wouldn't say is unheard of for a guy of his age.

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Agree, but the question remains. Can he produce like a $6-$7 million dollar player? Callahan just signed for $6 million a season. Niskanen wants that kind of money for one season of solid production. You know that some club is going to offer him a big contract and he will sign with them. I would be very nervous about signing him for $6 million, much the less the $7 million he is going to get from someone.

A team will never improve if they don't take a risk from time to time.

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A team will never improve if they don't take a risk from time to time.

Very good point. The fans will not be very happy though if Kenny signs this kid for $6.5 million a season and he tanks. Look at Weiss. Everyone celebrated this signing, and it was a risk, and he gets dogged over this move over signing Flip.

I am on the fence over this. I think he has a greater upside for sure.

Edited by Nightfall

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Very good point. The fans will not be very happy though if Kenny signs this kid for $6.5 million a season and he tanks. Look at Weiss. Everyone celebrated this signing, and it was a risk, and he gets dogged over this move over signing Flip.

I am on the fence over this. I think he has a greater upside for sure.

I think I'd be ok with it as long as the cap hit was around $5m, even if he gets 6 years. Anything over that creates an elephant that is really difficult to move.

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Very good point. The fans will not be very happy though if Kenny signs this kid for $6.5 million a season and he tanks. Look at Weiss. Everyone celebrated this signing, and it was a risk, and he gets dogged over this move over signing Flip.

I am on the fence over this. I think he has a greater upside for sure.

The thing is, the Weiss signing still hasn't been proven to be a bad one. The guy was hurt. Very unfortunate, but he has done nothing to hurt the team. Even when he was playing while hurt, he was never a liability. He was being hindered by his injury and couldn't produce the way he is capable of. I am 100% convinced he will shut a lot of people up this coming season.

As for Niskanen, people keep on preaching one good year, but he was a very good player before this past season to. He kept improving each and every year, and will likely continue to do so. His style is exactly what this team needs. Like Rafalski was in 2007, Niskanen would be the perfect fit for this team and would make the Wings that much better.

Looking at the East, the likes of Boston and Pittsburgh are gonna lose a couple players. They will still be strong teams, but it is looking like they may not be as strong as last season (which could change of course). Both teams are having cap issues. This is the Wings chance to get better and get closer to their level. Sign Niskanen and see what the team got. With continued improvement of the kids, address further needs at the deadline if no moves make sense this summer.

I think I'd be ok with it as long as the cap hit was around $5m, even if he gets 6 years. Anything over that creates an elephant that is really difficult to move.

False. With the cap increasing, even 6 million per year becomes a very nice contract for a player of his caliber in 2-3 years.

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The thing is, the Weiss signing still hasn't been proven to be a bad one. The guy was hurt. Very unfortunate, but he has done nothing to hurt the team. Even when he was playing while hurt, he was never a liability. He was being hindered by his injury and couldn't produce the way he is capable of. I am 100% convinced he will shut a lot of people up this coming season.

As for Niskanen, people keep on preaching one good year, but he was a very good player before this past season to. He kept improving each and every year, and will likely continue to do so. His style is exactly what this team needs. Like Rafalski was in 2007, Niskanen would be the perfect fit for this team and would make the Wings that much better.

Looking at the East, the likes of Boston and Pittsburgh are gonna lose a couple players. They will still be strong teams, but it is looking like they may not be as strong as last season (which could change of course). Both teams are having cap issues. This is the Wings chance to get better and get closer to their level. Sign Niskanen and see what the team got. With continued improvement of the kids, address further needs at the deadline if no moves make sense this summer.

False. With the cap increasing, even 6 million per year becomes a very nice contract for a player of his caliber in 2-3 years.

I agree on Weiss, I think he'll be chomping at the bit to get after everyone after he signed that contract last summer.

What would you sign Niskanen to? 6 years too long? He's a good defensemen, but what has me on the fence is whether or not he's worth that kind of value, or whether he's been inflated by the fact that he's the best FA D man this year, and he was playing in a system where he was feeding pucks to 2 of the best players in the game today.

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I agree on Weiss, I think he'll be chomping at the bit to get after everyone after he signed that contract last summer.

What would you sign Niskanen to? 6 years too long? He's a good defensemen, but what has me on the fence is whether or not he's worth that kind of value, or whether he's been inflated by the fact that he's the best FA D man this year, and he was playing in a system where he was feeding pucks to 2 of the best players in the game today.

As far as contract goes, I think 6 million per year at whatever term it takes to get him is fair. Even if it has to go a little beyond that, I think Holland should do it. Sounds crazy, yes. But the cap will rise, and that contract gets better and better. He is a player who would become a part of the core of this team for many years. He is only entering his prime. With his age and skill, money can't be what makes him go elsewhere.

Detroit's biggest problem last season was not enough puck moving dmen. Another huge issue was not having enough dmen who can get a point shot through. Niskanen solves both of those issues, and is a righty to boot. Clarkson, Clowe. Those are UFA's you do not overpay for. Niskanen is one of those that you do. Much like Suter was a couple years back. If the overpayment is within reason, throw what he is looking for at him. At his age he still wouldn't be regressing at the end of a max term contract.

Edit: He'd still get to play with great players in Detroit as well. He'd also be a top pairing guy instead of a #4 guy. People always wonder why he'd choose Detroit over Pittsburgh. That right there is a big reason why. A bigger role is very appealing to a lot of players. They wanna be THE go to guy. Kronwall and Niskanen manning the point together on a PP. Just thinking about it makes me hope Holland can get him here.

Edited by marcaractac

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I understand the concern to a point, but Niskanen wasn't a Cheechoo. He was a very good defenseman for years, who has been improving each year, and had a breakout season. It's not like he came out of nowhere. He is the age where defensemen usually break out. If there was any player and age to take a risk, it's Niskanen.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

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Reluctant as I am to defend anything Canucks related, in Kesler they had a disgruntled player with a full NTC. Their bargaining position was pretty weak.

Given those circumstances I think they did ok.

I agree.

Bonino isn't a chump player. He had 49 points in 77 games for the Ducks last season. He is also only 26 years old and coming into his prime years. I think the Canucks will find Bonino will produce very well for them.

Edited by Nightfall

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