kipwinger

What would happen though if either of those teams could sign Filppula as part of the deal? Then Filppula might not be just a rental?

 

And unless Buffalo does have a firesale I don't really see them trading Vanek.

 

However I'm big on Vanek just as a player. He could fit nicely into our top 6.

I mean anything's possible, but given their position in the standings I'm assuming that Buffalo wants picks or NHL ready prospects before they want an upcoming UFA.  I definitely think Vanek could be had, it would just cost a lot and might not be worth it, as good as he is.  I think Pominville is probably the more cost effective option if you're going to trade with Buffalo, and while he's a real good player, he's not as much a pure finisher as Vanek is.  And I definitely want a pure goal scorer.  Something that will bury those beautiful Datsyuk set ups.  Vanek is that, so is Gaborik, Pominville...maybe, but a significant step down as a scorer. 

Edit:  One reason I like Gaborik over Vanek is because he's exactly the type of player I hope Brunner will become.  He'd be a great example for Damien in terms of learning how to use that speed and shot effectively (and consistently) in the tighter checking, faster, NHL game. 
 

Cola, Sammy and Helm. 

 

esteef

Probably. 

I keep making this point and it keeps getting ignored.  If you sign Bouwmeester with that price tag, you pretty much ensure that you can't sign a high end winger as well.  We simply can't take on that much salary with the cap going down next season.  By the time J-Bo's salary is off the books, Datsyuk is back in Russia (perhaps) and every other member of this team is two years older. 

Bouwmeester doesn't help in the short or long run because we need defense AND a top six winger.  Signing J-Bo means you're going to get another Samuelsson type winger who's top six in theory only. 

Filppula and (something) for Vanek?

 

Rather see Vanek here than Gaborik as far as top 6 forwards go.

The Sabres aren't likely to trade for Flip because they aren't making the playoffs, so a rental player has absolutely no value to them.  I like Vanek, but you'd have to give them something else for sure. 

Conversely, Flip might have value to the Rangers as it looks like they'll sneak into the playoffs and could use the rental. 

Ok enough of this stupid Crosby/Bettman b.s. please.  Doesn't anyone remember Crosby being one of the most outspoken critics of Bettman during the lockout?  They're both idiots, but this absurd conspiracy theory that somehow the league has a preference for the Penguins is getting annoying. 

Also, this is a thread about Dekeyser, not Bettman and Crosby.  This is every bit as annoying as people bringing up how Franzen is a floater in each and every single thread on this site. 

Crosby's marketable and the NHL is a business, get over it.  Or at the very least be creative with it instead of pandering to the lowest common denominator. 

I have a question.  Does anybody know if Dekeyser is physically still in Toronto? Think about it.  By all accounts, Dekeyser had his equipment and was ready to join his team immediately after his decision.  The Wings aren't due back in Detroit until around 5:00.  Seems like the wait here actually works in our favor right? 

Maybe we're waiting because he's not going to announce a signing on his own, and his new team won't be around to announce it with him until this afternoon.

My guess is they'll call a presser for right after the Wings get back to Detroit, and the signing will be announced with KH and Dekeyser attending personally to field questions and all of that.

All predicated, of course, on Dekeyser's current whereabouts. 

...people don't honestly believe that DeKeyser is waiting for a plane to land for him to announce...do they?

I do. 

Honestly, the more and more this gets dragged out past noon just makes me think he's signing here 100% now. He was supposed to have a decision made at noon. Why no announcement coming up on 3pm? 3 hours past your deadline? The more and more closer we get to 4:30ish, the more I honestly think he may be waiting for the team. Ah, i'm just sitting here rationalizing like a good homer fan.

I seriously was typing the exact same thing when you posted.  I'm with you buddy. 

I would like to see this 'source' that said Yandle is being shopped right now. This is the first i've heard of this.

Well, we'll start with these...

http://www.sportsnet...ation-heats-up/

http://www.thefourth.../chi130328.html

http://www.mlive.com...estions_10.html

Why is my troll brain telling me that, even though this is entirely media speculation to fill up space on the web, the fact that we're even talking "very interested" in Bouwmeester means we've been told we're out of the running for DeKeyser?

Because for the last few years every time we've lost any sort of talent it's been replaced by mediocre hacks?

So according to most here at LGW, Holland needs to get off his ass and make this team better right now BUT ONLY if the moves are LGW approved.

Nope, only if the moves actually make the team better.  Bouwmeester doesn't.  Nobody is saying make a trade just to make a trade. 

Ya I'd rather have Yandle over JBow. I'd see what Calgary would accept for JBow and then offer the same (or equivalent) to Phx for Yandle and see if they bite.

According to the rumor sites they're asking for essentially the same thing, young roster player, prospect, pick. 

And thats just it. This team could use more size. They get injured enough as it is. The bigger they get, the healthier they get. J-Bo has also been an ironman. If there is something this team can use, it's someone who is not gonna be on IR regularly.

yeah nothing like having expensive mediocrity in the lineup night after night after night after night after night. 

Yandle, IMO is exactly what the team doesn't need. A one dimensional dman who is not very good in his own zone. J-Bo can play well at both ends of the ice, and has stepped up his game this year. I think he would be a great fit with the Wings. And his cap hit is just for one season. Everyone acts as if it is a cap hit the team would be stuck with forever. I don't get it.

 

He has size, can QB a powerplay, can move the puck well, and play well in his own zone. I don't understand how Yandle at just 1.8 mil less can be seen as a much better option. Yandle isn't even the best dman on his team.

Yandle's as good as Rafalski offensively and defensively, and he'd make our powerplay lethal.  Plus, he's excellent in transition.  He's already everything we're hoping Smith will be one day.  His defensive play is wildly underrated.  He only gets knocked because he's smallish. 

Don't get me wrong, I'd love a top minute shutdown defender who can play physical, I like Smid for that, but here's the thing...Bouwmeester isn't a physical shutdown defender either.  You're getting a worse contract, marginally better defense, and worse offense for a lot more money and essentially the same asking price.

Plus, if Yandle's numbers weren't already impressive enough, imagine how much better they'd be on a team with offense who doesn't play a defense first system. 

If we trade for Bouwmeester I'm going to lose it.  Why take on that s*** contract for that s*** player when Yandle is supposedly available?

How is he on the PK? 

Supposely really good.  He's a good skater, decent size, and real long reach. 

I don't think it's unrealistic for him to step into the NHL and be an effective player.  The problem is, he's not a point producing defenseman so he's not going to show up on the score sheet much, which will draw the ire of some fans.  By all accounts he's a good physical shutdown guy, more of a Dan Girardi than a Justin Schultz.  So if people hold him to the wrong standard then they'll definitely be disappointed. 

Calling it now, Pittsburgh gets beat in the first round of the playoffs after their swiss cheese defense gets totally exposed. 

Hahaha, OK. So sorry, but if I need to pit the virtually unanimous online opinion of a fanbase against some random statistical system created by a bunch of random, amateur hockey analysts, I'm going to go with the former.

 

Add to this that nobody on this planet actually believes that Douglas Murray is top-25 as a defensive defenseman.

Cleary that's not true.  People who use evidence like blocked shots, quality of competition ratings, takeways, PK time/game, and give aways think that Doug Murray is a top 25 defensive defenseman because...drum roll please...they opinion is based on something verifiably hockey related .  Apparently, the only people who don't think so are the ones that say things without substantiating them in any way, just for the sake of argument.