Offseason

[yave1964]

While I do not have the chutzpah to believe that I know more than the Wings brass I have been running the Wings offseason through in my head, especially as the SCF is slowly coming to a close and the expansion draft is less than a month away. IMHO here is a perfect offseason:

 

JIMMY HOWARD TO CALGARY OR THE ISLES FOR A THIRD

With the game of goalie musical chairs heating up, Darling and Bishop already claiming two seats and Elliott and Fleury among others hitting the market soon the time to be aggressive is now. The return really is not that important the 5 million in cap relief is.

 

TOMAS TATAR OR GUS NYQUIST TO THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS IN THE DRAFT

 

It frees up another 4 million giving the Wings 12 million to play with entering the trading/free agency period.

 

SIGN THOMAS VANEK

 

 Vanek was a great fit in Detroit, seeming to rediscover his love of the game and was a hit with the team both on and off the ice. Bring him back on a two year deal with an option on a third.

 

SIGN EITHER BRIAN ELLIOTT OR RYAN MILLER TO BACK UP MRAZEK.

 

Yeah I know Miller's stock sells for nothing in this forum and he is past his prime but he is a Detroit boy and if he could be signed for half of what Howard was making would be the veteran safety net that Mrazek needs, same with Elliott. Both are vets on  the back nine and it would send a nice message to Mrazek that this is his crease.

 

SIGN MICHAEL STONE

 

 He would be a non sexy under the radar defender but he can flat out play. It is no coincidence that Giordano got his season going when paired with him after Stone was dealt to Calgary from the 'Yotes, Stone hits, playing a heavy hard game, he is fearless when it comes to blocking pucks and knows what to do with the puck on his stick. His signing is nothing sexy but it fills a need.

 

RECALL SVECHNIKOV AND BERTUZZI TO THE BIG CLUB.

 

 Svechnikov is the real deal, after a slow start through the quarter turn in his AHL rookie season he has been nearly a point a game player since, he would provide the top six net front presence that the Wings havent had since Homer.

 

  As for Tyler Bertuzzi, he is a bottom six winger and a pain in the rear to play against, he can score a bit, loves to hit and never takes a shift off, in other words the type who coaches love.

 

FINALLY DRAFT WELL

 

The Wings have a first (pick number 9) a second and FOUR third rounders for a total of 6 picks in the first 88 which is unheard of in Motown. IMHO we need to go defense heavy in the draft, we selected Cholowski in the first round last year but previous to him only once in the past decade have we went defense in the first round (Brendan Smith 2007). We have some skilled prospects at the lower levels but most are too small or lacking in other areas. We need to go defense early and often in this draft. With young forwards such as Larkin, Mantha, Svechnikov and Athanasiou and more we need to get some desperately needed help on the back end for them. This is a critical draft for the future of the franchise. It is not deep as far as generational talents but it is an underrated deep draft skill wise. We have to draft well. My personal choice would be Timothy Liljegren who was considered a sure fire top five pick entering this season but he missed half the year with mono and was sporadic thereafter. I believe if not for his illness this year there is no way he falls to Detroit but he would be a perfect fit, some size and speed and offense for a nice package.

 

  So that is it, Howie and Tats gone, Vanek, Miller and Stone in and draft well. Is that the formula to win a cup? Nah, we have too many holes to believe anything like that is remotely possible but this would be a start in the right direction.

[yave1964]

Holland has stated he has no deal in the works with the Knights, is not going to give up draft picks to nudge the Vegas club to take someone and allow the Wings to dictate the narrative of whom they will lose. 

 

  IMHO that is a good move. We have 6 of the top 86 picks in this years draft and a couple of extra already for next year as well. We need new blood for the system and at this point draft picks are critical. If we lose Helm or Abdelkader or Glendening, well they have all proven what they are and we are better off for the salary that it would save.

 

  The only exception to that that comes to mind is Jimmy Howard, I might be willing to parlay a second rounder to get the Knights to take him off of our hands but that is even a stretch.

[yave1964]

Okay this one is driving me nuts, every single thing I have read has the Wings exposing Oullet and protecting Nick Jensen.

 

  Let me be clear, I have watched more Griffin games than Wings games the last two or more years, and even in a normal year I watch the Griffs 25ish times so I have watched Jensen play a lot. He is a body who was tentative at GR and they kept speaking of his potential to the point where the Wings desperate for defense recalled him and for six weeks he played the absolute best hockey of his life.

 

  That is not him, let me repeat that, THAT IS NOT HIM. Jensen caught lightning in a bottle in a small sample size and had a decent season after his recall but in 27 games at GR he had one goal and five assists. To top it off he will be 27 at the start of training camp, he is not a kid, he is no damn good. He should under no circumstances be protected-period.

 

Oullet on the other hand is 24 years old at the start of next year, three years younger in terms of a learning curve is massive and was probably our best stay at home defender last season. I am not saying he is Rod Langway but he has talent and is young enough to grow while Jensen is a flash in the pan who will be back in the AHL by midseason if he even makes the team. I have watched him literally a hundred games or so and he really cannot play.