2018 UFA Talk

[Dabura 12,207]

Slow news day. So let's talk (potential) 2018 UFAs.

Here's a piece on some of those players:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/top-nhl-unrestricted-free-agents-of-2018-rumours-john-tavares-nash-van-riemsdyk-kane-carlson-chara-sedins-bozak/

Here's a complete list:

http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/2018/ufa/

Dreger's saying it seems likely that the Sens will trade Turris:

http://www.tsn.ca/dreger-seems-likely-sens-will-trade-turris-1.877386

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

Oooo Philadelphia assistant captain Valterri Filppula is as good as ours

[joesuffP 1,746]

If we can dump Ericsson I would sign Chara for a one or two year deal

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

7 minutes ago, joesuffP said:

If we can dump Ericsson I would sign Chara for a one or two year deal

So we can ship that lousy giraffe back to Czech Republic?

[Jacksoni 418]

I'm pretty sure the Sedin's will be heading back to Sweden. They most likely won't shift clubs in NHL and Vancouver needs a fresh start, as in not resigning them. Not a guarantee but the most likely outcome.

[ChristopherReevesLegs 7,022]

38 minutes ago, Jacksoni said:

I'm pretty sure the Sedin's will be heading back to Sweden. They most likely won't shift clubs in NHL and Vancouver needs a fresh start, as in not resigning them. Not a guarantee but the most likely outcome.

I could see that happening. It will depend on the type of season their young forwards have this year. If the young guns do well and need to get paid I can see them jetting to Sweden. However I think it's more likely they both re-sign for something like 4 million a year

[Richdg 267]

We can talk about UFA's...... But why do that to ourselves? We have no cap space. We can't even sign our own RFA's.... Next year we need to resign Mantha and Larkin and AA isn't signed yet. Then there is Mrazek, Sheahan, etc.....

[xault 272]

9 hours ago, ChristopherReevesLegs said:

Oooo Philadelphia assistant captain Valterri Filppula is as good as ours

Oh man... it's gonna happen. I feel it in my bones.

[krsmith17 7,191]

30 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

If we're lucky there'll be a few teams wanting the services of Green, and we'll get a solid pick/s in return.

If Green can stay healthy and keep up a solid point pace by the deadline, I don't see any reason we wouldn't be able to get a late 1st / early 2nd for him. In saying that, of all the 2018 UFA's that may be available, Green would probably be the only one I'd have any interest in. Aside from the off chance that we're able to attract / clear cap space for an elite player like Tavares of course. Ideally, I'd like to trade Green for a late 1st round pick, and re-sign him again next summer on a 2-year contract, slightly lower than his current $6M.

We'd still need to free up some cap space to re-sign our RFA's (Larkin, Mantha, and possibly Mrazek and / or Frk). That's where a new, more creative GM would have to come in. If we want to accelerate this rebuild at all, we're going to need a GM that is willing and able to make the necessary moves to rid this team of a few bad contracts (namely Nielsen and Ericsson)...

[marcaractac 3,962]

4 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

If Green can stay healthy and keep up a solid point pace by the deadline, I don't see any reason we wouldn't be able to get a late 1st / early 2nd for him. In saying that, of all the 2018 UFA's that may be available, Green would probably be the only one I'd have any interest in. Aside from the off chance that we're able to attract / clear cap space for an elite player like Tavares of course. Ideally, I'd like to trade Green for a late 1st round pick, and re-sign him again next summer on a 2-year contract, slightly lower than his current $6M.

We'd still need to free up some cap space to re-sign our RFA's (Larkin, Mantha, and possibly Mrazek and / or Frk). That's where a new, more creative GM would have to come in. If we want to accelerate this rebuild at all, we're going to need a GM that is willing and able to make the necessary moves to rid this team of a few bad contracts (namely Nielsen and Ericsson)...

After what Smith got us last year, I have no doubt Green can get a 1st from a contender. 

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

Vanek anyone? Or could he become the new Samuelsson?

[PavelValerievichDatsyuk 1,935]

10 hours ago, krsmith17 said:

If Green can stay healthy and keep up a solid point pace by the deadline, I don't see any reason we wouldn't be able to get a late 1st / early 2nd for him. In saying that, of all the 2018 UFA's that may be available, Green would probably be the only one I'd have any interest in. Aside from the off chance that we're able to attract / clear cap space for an elite player like Tavares of course. Ideally, I'd like to trade Green for a late 1st round pick, and re-sign him again next summer on a 2-year contract, slightly lower than his current $6M.

We'd still need to free up some cap space to re-sign our RFA's (Larkin, Mantha, and possibly Mrazek and / or Frk). That's where a new, more creative GM would have to come in. If we want to accelerate this rebuild at all, we're going to need a GM that is willing and able to make the necessary moves to rid this team of a few bad contracts (namely Nielsen and Ericsson)...

Would you go Green over Carlson, though, if both are real options? Honest question. I haven't followed John Carlson enough to know what style he plays or how much money he'll demand. I have really liked Green - he was our best D man last year, imo, and he's not that old, so I'd definitely be on board with bringing him back on another short term deal (though we should absolutely trade him at the deadline).

But Carlson's 27 and has similar point production last year (and Carlson takes the 2 years before that). I've seen that he's on Washington's 2nd pair - Is he not a top pairing guy? That would be a deal breaker since I think Green has handled top pair duty (just needs a more steady partner).

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

Why not both? Oh yeah, cap space. Thanks Ken. See about 23 names on that list that would make a better team than this one.

Edited October 8, 2017 by Neomaxizoomdweebie

[krsmith17 7,191]

4 hours ago, PavelValerievichDatsyuk said:

Would you go Green over Carlson, though, if both are real options? Honest question. I haven't followed John Carlson enough to know what style he plays or how much money he'll demand. I have really liked Green - he was our best D man last year, imo, and he's not that old, so I'd definitely be on board with bringing him back on another short term deal (though we should absolutely trade him at the deadline).

But Carlson's 27 and has similar point production last year (and Carlson takes the 2 years before that). I've seen that he's on Washington's 2nd pair - Is he not a top pairing guy? That would be a deal breaker since I think Green has handled top pair duty (just needs a more steady partner).

I'd take Carlson over Green for sure, but I don't think he'll be available, and if the off chance he does leave Washington, I think he would command MUCH more than Green. Carlson may not be on Washington's "top pair", but he absolutely is a top pair defenseman. I think he's the Caps best defenseman, and it's not even close.

[Dabura 12,207]

Here's my point of concern with Carlson: he plays for the Washington Capitals. It's the same concern I have with Orlov. If you put them on a bad team's bad blue line, are they the same defensemen? Are they true busdrivers? Could you build a Cup-worthy D group around one of them?

I think it's fair to say Carlson is a legit top-pairing defenseman, arguably a low-key 1D. But for the money and term he's going to want, a guy like Green on a cheaper, short-term deal might actually be the better choice, at least for the Wings. Carlson's a few years younger, but if we're looking at being really competitive 3-5 years from now...he'd be around Green's age when we get back to contending. He'd likely be in decline, and he'd be eating a big chunk of cap space. And that's assuming we'd get back to contending in that time frame, which is not at all a given.

I think if we're serious about going after a guy like John Carlson, then we should probably be serious about getting back to serious Cup contention before the three-or-four-years-from-now projection that Holland himself recently put out there. Unfortunately, unless our GM pulls several rabbits out of a magical hat, I don't see a realistic path forward that takes us from mediocrity to excellence within the next couple of years.

On the other hand...if we don't add any significant D pieces and Green doesn't re-sign, our 2018 opening night D group is probably DeKeyser, Daley, Ouellet, Jensen, Hicketts, Ericsson. Which is brutal. So, whether it's Carlson or someone else, I think Holland is going to have to go fishing and reel someone in between now and this time next year. By this time next year, we should be over-stocked with top-nine wingers. In theory, we'd trade one or two of those wingers for a defenseman.

(SPOILERS: We sign Rick Nash in the summer, $3.5m x 3. Because of course.)

[Dabura 12,207]

Bob McKenzie talks about Tavares:

https://www.fanragsports.com/mckenzie-jury-out-on-future-of-tavares-with-islanders/

[Dabura 12,207]

59 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

There's a good number of reasons not to re-sign with the Isles.

I honestly can't think of any good reason/s to stay there...That team has a dark cloud over it's head 24/7...I'm certain 3 to 5 teams will have both the cap space, and the potential to be a playoff contender when July 1st 2018 rolls around.

It's gonna really sting if he signs with a (non-Wings) basement team.

Of course, there's always 2019's UFA class. If not tying ourselves to Tavares means we can "live to fight another day" and chase Karlsson or Doughty or Ekman-Larsson, maybe we should be actively hoping we don't sign Tavares.

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

So what happens if Green continues to play this well? Do the Wings A: trade him at the deadline and cut ties? B: trade him at the deadline and try to resign him when free agency starts and risk him signing somewhere else? or C:hold onto him and sign him to an extension? I like Green. This team lacks top 4 D, which I believe he is. I would like to have him back, especially if he continues to play well. It may be too early to decide at this point, we may have to start a whole new thread about this when the trade deadline nears.

[krsmith17 7,191]

1 hour ago, Neomaxizoomdweebie said:

So what happens if Green continues to play this well? Do the Wings A: trade him at the deadline and cut ties? B: trade him at the deadline and try to resign him when free agency starts and risk him signing somewhere else? or C:hold onto him and sign him to an extension? I like Green. This team lacks top 4 D, which I believe he is. I would like to have him back, especially if he continues to play well. It may be too early to decide at this point, we may have to start a whole new thread about this when the trade deadline nears.

It's definitely B for me.

[kliq 3,755]

I think it all depends on our position in the standings. If we exceed expectations and our young kids are playing great while we are sitting in a playoff spot, then there is no way we trade him. If we are not in a playoff spot, then without question B IMO.