Red Wings 2024-25 Season Catch All

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

Im thinking throw the bank at Marner. Sign a cheaper RHD like Perbix. Get a quality vet leader like Marchand into the room. And overpay (if we have to) in a trade for a guy like Olivier or Rempe. We need grit and rat protection as much as anything. 

Debrincat - Larkin - Marner

Marchand - Kasper - Raymond

Rasmussen - Copp - Compher

Soderblom - Danielson - Olivier

Extras: Mazur

Use Berggren as the trade chip that brings in Olivier. And Tarasenko is bought out (we need the cash). Kane and Motte can hit the road. And Danielson also needs to come up. We need his PK abilities desperately. 

The top6 looks excellent if Marchand and Kasper can keep up. The 3rd line an excellent shutdown line - which I dont want to move away from - Copp going down this year hurt this team more than most realize. And the 4th is for our specialists. Soder on the PP. Danielson on the PK. And Olivier our fighter to get this teams nuts to finally drop.

Chiarot - Seider

Edvinsson - Perbix

Johansson - Tuomisto/ASP

Tuomisto and ASP can split time to shelter and not overwhelm both rookie players. We will need the savings their ELCs provide. Holl and Gus both bought out. Petry retired. 

PP1:

Marchand - Larkin - Marner

Debrincat - Seider

PP2:

Soderblom - Kasper - Raymond

Edvinsson - ASP

PK1: 

Copp - Compher

Chiarot - Seider

PK2:

Rasmussen - Danielson

Edvinsson - Perbix

Run the all Swedish PP2 or GTFO. Kasper is Austrian but he speaks Swedish. And as you can see need Danielson to take Motte's spot the PK... heaven forbid Todd gets ideas about putting Larkin and Raymond on the PK again...

 

[LeftWinger 5,132]

18 hours ago, Jimmybigrigs69 said:

And Tarasenko is bought out (we need the cash).

 

18 hours ago, Jimmybigrigs69 said:

Holl and Gus both bought out.

Remember, you only get TWO buyouts initially, then once arbitrations are filed you get two more, but they have to be contracts $4M or higher. So buyout Holl and Gus with the first two, then Tarasenko after Soderblom and Johansson file for arbitration (which most players do anyhow, it's nothing personal against the team.) Yzerman will need to trade Berggren before he files, because once he files, he cannot be traded for one season, despite what the arbitrator awards, or even if the 2 sides agree on a contract before the awards.

Edited April 16 by LeftWinger

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

2 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

 

Remember, you only get TWO buyouts initially, then once arbitrations are filed you get two more, but they have to be contracts $4M or higher. So buyout Holl and Gus with the first two, then Tarasenko after Soderblom and Johansson file for arbitration (which most players do anyhow, it's nothing personal against the team.) Yzerman will need to trade Berggren before he files, because once he files, he cannot be traded for one season, despite what the arbitrator awards, or even if the 2 sides agree on a contract before the awards.

Dang Left, you know your arb and buyout rules well lol

At EOD I think you and I are jerking ourselves off a bit on buyouts. I think it's way more likely SY will perform zero buyouts... let alone 3 of them. 

The logic will be we need the depth (especially at D) so better to just let the contracts playout. If a guy like ASP forces himself onto the roster the team will just waive guys like Holl, as we've already done b4. 

Assuming that's the most likely scenario... we then have roughly $15-17 in cap to work with if Patty Kane leaves. I think you have to throw all of that at Mitch Marner. With the Cap going up salaries will increase, therefore offer him $14x7 and make him the highest paid player in the league. He can come tell tales about how he got Babcock fired and be his own legend to guys like Lidstrom lol.

Why it's okay to finally throw mega cash at this level of player = 1. All of our big contracts are already done (Larkin Seider Raymond) and 2. Big contracts start to roll off the books next year (Tarasenko Chiarot Holl Gustafsson Mrazek Talbot) leaving us plenty to get Edvinsson done long term when that time comes.

If we can't get Marner done... then circle back and on any remaining vets (like Kane) and hand out some short term deals and continue to bide our time.

Edited April 16 by Jimmybigrigs69

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

On 4/15/2025 at 1:47 PM, Jimmybigrigs69 said:

Idk if you've noticied, but SY has become increasely more chippy and irritable in his EOY media availbities each year... IMO.

And I get it... same fuqqing questions. Same fuqqing answers. 

And last year I was mad he fence sat, but I still had sympathy for him. I could at least rationalize why he did that. We were close...

This year I have no sympathy. And if he cops a fuqqing attitude with the media again then fuq him. 

Well well welll

A veryyyyyy different EOY presser from the great planner than we are used to...

First, it's not him at his desk behind a webcam. It's formal and in person.

Second, he brought in his head coach as backup. This is a new thing for us.

Third, this event is weeks later than normal. Maybe needed some extra time to get his messaging right?

Anyway, let's talk about what he had to say...

1. Out the gate he starts the meeting off by addressing the TDL before even being asked. He cites MTL and STL, saying they also didnt make moves and are in the playoffs... "and being led by their best players". He continues by saying there were no players that could reasonably have been added that would have made an impact. 

IMO coming out the gate with this so strongly is a tell that this is what he is most nervous/upset about. And I did not care for the finger pointing at STL and MTL to justify his own in-action. Telling us there were no players he could have grabbed anyway is also a shockingly bold faced lie. 

2. Addressing how to fix the March skids he says we need more depth and we need to get better players and have our players play better.

In less than a minute he goes from defending his lack of action at the TDL to saying we need more depth. Depth he couldve picked up at the TDL... not a good start for a presser.

3. Says he did not get feedback on any morale loss from the TDL from any of the players. Continues by saying he expects our leaders to give our team a morale boost when needed.

Contradicts the statements made by his own player and then places the blame on said players shoulders. Maybe it was Larkin's fault... but idk if this is the best way to get that across Stevie...

4. Says he spoke to Larkin about his presser personally and will keep what was said between them private. 

5. Asked about Walman netting SJS a 1st at the TDL and he refused to give any answer. 

6. Yzerman gets asked to piggy back off an answer from Todd and he admits he wasnt listening to Todd and the reporter has to repeat the question. Odd.

7. Says group needs to show more leadership from everyone. Todd adds theyre coaching the players on this. 

8. Steve struggles to answer a question about whether or not hes worried about us developing a losing culture, but ultimately admits: yes.

9. Says hes willing to spend big on the right player and also says yes that the urgency to get better now has increased. 

 

In general the old chippy Yzerman was gone. He seems much more humble this year. Likely, he is very aware he is losing the confidence of his team and fans.

He also hardly mentioned needing to be patient at all this year. He used to use the word patience an ungodly number of times in these pressers, this year patience came out of his maybe 3 or 4 times?

 

It appears to me Yzerman is indeed feeling the pressure from his captain, the fans, and perhaps even ownership. And I expect we may see a big offseason from him because of it... However, he and Todd also went out of their way to combat what Larkin said in his presser. And their messaging on the skids and TDL was that our leadership group (Larkin) was the thing that failed us... not Yzerman. I wonder how Dylan feels about this... do we have a Larkin v Yzerman fued developing? Captain v Captain?

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

Gentlemen,

After posting the above I was kinda feeling bad. Because, since Yzerguy was being more candid and friendly i thought, maybe I shouldnt have critiqued him so much

 The average Detroit fan does not feel the same. Observe:

 

Yzerman has lost the narrative. 

Detroiters are arguably the biggest sports fans in the entire nation. Besides Boston, Detroit is the only major city in the country that has all 4 major sports teams with no duplicates in the city/state to divide loyalty. Detroiters proved this last year by setting record attendance for the NFL draft, record road attendance for the lions, and chanting JARED GOFF at even Wings games. This city goes hard when ur good, and is nastyyyy when ur bad. Detroit wants the Wings to be good, needs the Wings to be good, and demands that the Wings be good. What bizzaro world is this where the Lions are superbowl favs, the pistons are in the playoffs, and the tigers can sell at the deadline and still make the playoffs, but Steve FUQQING Yzerman cant even get a playoff appearance in over half a decade.

I'm tellin ya now, read the room, Detroiters - like the biblical Abraham - will sacrafice their only son (yzerman) for eternal salvation. 

Plan harder bucko

[LeftWinger 5,132]

So here is what Yzerman NEEDS to do. He needs a legit #1 LHD via trade or UFA. He needs a legit #2 (behind Seider) RHD via trade or UFA. He needs a legit top 6 HIGHLY paid scorer to got with Larkin, Raymond, DeCat, Kasper, and Kane. Yes, he needs to re-sign Kane. He needs a much better bottom 6. Berggren and Rasmussen need to be traded. I don't care if the bottom 6 gets younger or older, they just need to get BETTER.

DO NOT re-sign Petry. Holl MUST be bought out.

Edited April 30 by LeftWinger

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

4 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

So here is what Yzerman NEEDS to do. He needs a legit #1 LHD via trade or UFA. He needs a legit #2 (behind Seider) RHD via trade or UFA. He needs a legit top 6 HIGHLY paid scorer to got with Larkin, Raymond, DeCat, Kasper, and Kane. Yes, he needs to re-sign Kane. He needs a much better bottom 6. Berggren and Rasmussen need to be traded. I don't care if the bottom 6 gets younger or older, they just need to get BETTER.

DO NOT re-sign Petry. Holl MUST be bought out.

IMO we need another forward that can keep up with our top6 offense, forcing both Copp and Compher down to the bottom 6. Doesn't have to be Marner, but a guy like Kubalik at minimum.

What the bottom 6 needs is an identity. Copp and JTC can be the foundation of that new identity as the more offensive/responsible guys. On both their flanks give them nothing but sandpaper. Callup Watson. Sign Tanner Jeanot and some other nasty bois. Guys like Berggren have no business in any checking line. Trade the pieces that dont fit.

The defense needs Holl and Petry gone. With a bottom pair of Chiarot/Ajo and Gus at 7. So yes, two high quality Dmen needed. That's a tall order, but its what we need.

And in goal we just need Cossa to come up at some point and run away with the job.

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

Here's my budget solution:

Buyout: Holl + Tarasenko

Sign: LHD Gavrikov + RHD Ekblad

Sign: C/LW Sam Bennett + C/LW Yanni Gourde + LW Tanner Jeannot

Trade: Rasmussen + Berggren (for whatever you can get)

Callup: Watson

 

Dcat - Larkin - Raymond

Kasper - Gourde - Kane

Soderblom - Copp - Compher

Jeannot - Bennett - Watson

13th: Mazur

Edvinsson - Seider

Gavrikov - Ekblad

Chiarot - AJo

7th: Gustafsson

Bennett and Jeannot can both wreck shop, and Gourde is a known and trusted Yzerman product. Line 3 is more of a shutdown/matchup line that can also chip in some offense. Line 4 is a pure energy line.

Gavrikov is a tremendous shutdown Dman. Ekblad more of the two way guy that can step in for Ed or Mo if needed. Both will make our D bigger and more responsible. 

 

Edited April 30 by Jimmybigrigs69

[LeftWinger 5,132]

3 hours ago, Jimmybigrigs69 said:

Here's my budget solution:

Buyout: Holl + Tarasenko

Sign: LHD Gavrikov + RHD Ekblad

Sign: C/LW Sam Bennett + C/LW Yanni Gourde + LW Tanner Jeannot

Trade: Rasmussen + Berggren (for whatever you can get)

Callup: Watson

 

Dcat - Larkin - Raymond

Kasper - Gourde - Kane

Soderblom - Copp - Compher

Jeannot - Bennett - Watson

13th: Mazur

Edvinsson - Seider

Gavrikov - Ekblad

Chiarot - AJo

7th: Gustafsson

Bennett and Jeannot can both wreck shop, and Gourde is a known and trusted Yzerman product. Line 3 is more of a shutdown/matchup line that can also chip in some offense. Line 4 is a pure energy line.

Gavrikov is a tremendous shutdown Dman. Ekblad more of the two way guy that can step in for Ed or Mo if needed. Both will make our D bigger and more responsible. 

 

I could deal with that.

You could package a deal of Ras or Berg along with picks for Issac Howard.

What are the odds that Toews get's a "show me" contract here like Kane did? Would it be worth it?

Edited May 1 by LeftWinger

[Jimmybigrigs69 371]

6 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

I could deal with that.

You could package a deal of Ras or Berg along with picks for Issac Howard.

What are the odds that Toews get's a "show me" contract here like Kane did? Would it be worth it?

My initial reaction is of course I wouldnt be mad about a Toews show me signing.

However, have you been following him since the Hawks? He's kinda a wackadoo now. First he claimed his issue was "long covid" which we now know isnt a thing... so he changed his ailment to a vague non-specific immune disorder.... Many believe this "immune disorder" is completely nonsense and in his own head. At best he was making up fake ailments like Hossa in order to quit the team. At worst he's fuqqin crazy. He's been going to events like burning man and then posting cringey s*** on instagram, like a 16 year old who just took one hit of weed for the first time. "LIFE IS LIKE A SPACE CARNIVAL MANNNN". Then he's been in India practicing some pseudoscience "knowledge of life" healing BS with a cult from the 1970s where they practice literally inducing vomiting and shoving enemas in your azz daily...

Athletes are morons, and Toews is definately an athlete. My worry with him is he's not the same guy after this little mid-life crisis of his, and would be more of a distraction than a help.

Edited May 1 by Jimmybigrigs69

[town123 235]

15 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

I could deal with that.

You could package a deal of Ras or Berg along with picks for Issac Howard.

What are the odds that Toews get's a "show me" contract here like Kane did? Would it be worth it?

I'm hoping SY goes after Issac Howard and/or Tom Willander since he and the Canucks seem to be at an impasse contractually.