Offseason!

[TheHockeytown]

Hey folks!

 

It's been a while since I've been on the forums. Pretty sure I said this last time, but I apologize for being inactive! I have been busy with college life. Hope you are all healthy and doing well!

 

So let's talk offseason.

 

Notes:

- Red Wings have two first round picks this year (thanks, Vegas! Miss Tats though... such a class act)

- D Mike Green is a UFA on July 1st

- Larkin, Mantha, and AA are in need of extensions

- Holland will remain in Detroit for at least another two years (why, Chris, why?)

- Hank and Kronwall say they'll be back next season

- Highly sought after superstar John Tavares could test the market on July 1st
- Edmonton is open to moving their 10th overall pick

- Penguins could be looking to move players, definitely want to improve defense

 

I am going to number my questions one by one like so so that it's a bit easier for you all to add commentary lol.

 

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Blue-line Blues...

 

With Detroit in desperate need of blue-line help, who do we make a play for? I read an article yesterday that discussed the possibility of trading for Arizona's household defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Nobody asked for my opinion, but I'll say it anyway: that 6th overall pick should be untouchable. This draft has too much wealth of talent, and we can't afford to miss out on the opportunity to score a big fish (especially one who improves our defense). If Arizona asks for that pick, it has to be a no. 

 

ONE: In the hypothetical that we do make a play for Ekman-Larsson, what are your thoughts on a trade including that Vegas pick, Nyquist (maybe AA? Or both?), and a prospect (Hronek was one that a writer mentioned in an article)? Your commentary is welcomed on this note.

 

The Trade:

Detroit receives: D Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Arizona receives: 2018 1st round pick (from VGK), RW Gustav Nyquist (?), C Andreas Athanasiou (?), D Filip Hronek

 

Nyquist's contract gives some help to Arizona in reaching the cap floor. Not sure if that will do it though.

 

Conversely, how do you guys feel about trading up (obviously this means we do move our 6th overall)? Buffalo might as well sign Dahlin now... so how about Svechnikov? Wouldn't it be awesome to see him wearing the Winged Wheel?

 

Okay, sorry. Back to reality. TWO: Speaking of that 6th overall pick, who tops your draft list?

 

I've watched highlights of most of the candidates for the Wings, and I have to say say: Bouchard tops that list (he seems to be the consensus). He's a big guy, moves the puck well, and has a coveted right hand shot. Hughes, Tkachuk, Wahlstrom, Boqvist, and Dobson are also candidates. In my mock draft, I say the Wings take Bouchard (if they don't trade up, that is).

 

Tavares Talk...

 

I'm not getting my hopes up about Tavares. I'm having flashbacks to the Stamkos hype, which obviously you know how that went. (Side note: speaking of Tampa Bay, it still amazes me that Washington is playing them in the ECF.) But back on topic - THREE: what do fellow fans think about making a splash for Tavares? We'd have to move some cap (shedding Green's contract, moving Nyquist, and convincing Larkin and Mantha to take less money than they'd originally ask for would help some. Still not there yet though.) Unfortunately, this all goes back to the elephant in the room... Kenny's horrible contracts.

 

Offseason...

 

Hypothetical:

 

Cap hit for the 2017-18 season was $75M, so let's say it increases to $80M next season.

 

Free Agent Signings:

 

- Larkin and Mantha to same deal: 5 years, AAV of $6M maybe more, maybe less.

- FOUR: I don't even know where to start with Bertuzzi and Frk. I'd like your opinion on these. Let's say they both ask for AAV of $1.2M for 3 years.

- A few other minute signings for guys who mainly play in Grand Rapids.

- FIVE: Grubauer or Hutton? Let's say both ask for $1.125M AAV (Hutton's current contract) for 2 years. Grubauer will be RFA (Washington). Wings need to look into the goaltending situation.

- Wings don't resign Green.

- Tavares signing is pretty much impossible unless we shed a lot of cap.

 

SIX: Can someone answer this: does Franzen's cap affect us right now? If so, we LTIR him next season right?

 

Trades:

SEVEN: Your input on the following:

 

- A trade for Pittsburgh's LW Conor Sheary? Not sure if they're looking to deal him, but Rutherford said he's open to movements and Sheary seems like he'd fit in Detroit. Fills a need on the wing if Svechnikov and Smith don't get the call next season.

- A trade for Edmonton's D Oscar Klefbom?

- If OEL trade didn't work, where do we send Nyquist? Do we wait until the deadline?

 

EIGHT: Just for the hell of it... what do you guys think of Erik Karlsson? Will Ottawa deal him? One GM said the price for him was "stupid high" or something along those lines lol.

 

Okay, that's enough for now. I'll await your replies! I'm gonna be more active on here now that it's summer (don't I say this every year, though...?)

 

LGRW.

[yave1964]

@Hockeytown

 

I missed this post entirely sorry, I believe I was on vacation whenypou put it out there. Addressing a few points:

 

OEL is likely staying put in Arizona as they are talking an 8yr/8.5mil deal which is waaaaayyyyy overpayment. I think your offer would be overpayment as Hronek needs to put on weight but the kid can play and AA is part of the future among our forwards.

 

Sadly, no Tavares. Sadly, probably no Karlsson or other big name.

 

First rounder, I love Bouchard but from what I have been reading Hughes is the target unless we trade down which Holland is considering. He wants a center or a top pair defender who is currently in the NHL to do so. Faulk from Carolina has beentossed around and wouldn't be a bad starting point.

 

I doubt the Penguins trade Sheary, supposedly they aren't actively shopping Kessel but are willing to listen to offers for him for cap relief. I doubt the Wings can get in that conversation.

 

 Hutton had a monster year and will likely be looking for a starting gig, the Islanders have been rumored to be planning on going all in on him. I could see Cam Ward or some other aging vet coming in as a backup with plans to upgrade for next year when Howard is gone.

 

 Could be a bleak offseason, nobody wants to do us a favor and eat one of our forwards contracts (Helm, Abby or Nyke) Green likely gone, little cap space and few marketable assets save for the 6th pick. Ugly. Just hoping for the best and then I remember Holland is still there and shudder.

[ruxpin]

2 hours ago, yave1964 said:

First rounder, I love Bouchard but from what I have been reading Hughes is the target unless we trade down which Holland is considering. He wants a center or a top pair defender who is currently in the NHL to do so. Faulk from Carolina has beentossed around and wouldn't be a bad starting point.

Two separate things. 

 

First, I think Detroit will do okay picking Hughes, but outside of his being a Michigan kid I don't understand picking him ahead of Bouchard. Every mock or discussion I've seen has Hughes to Detroit, but the comments are always "Michigan." I don't think homegrown anywhere is the beat all end all argument for a draft pick. 

 

Second, Faulk was mentioned in the Flyers thread, too, as a possible target.  No one has commented other than me to reject it. I know your feelings on him in general, so do you think he's an example of someone who is just desperately in need of a change of scenery? I do think change might help his offense return, but my concern is he is simply horrible in his own end and has been much of his career.  I don't think scenery will change that and may be even more exposed in Detroit.  What do you think? 

[yave1964]

@ruxpin

 

I think what screwed Faulk up more than anything else is the influx of kids and the loss of veteran safety nets such as Hainsey, Sekera and Liles. None of the above are great players but all were solid defensive players who knew their roles and how to stay in their lanes and allow Faulk to grow.

 

  The problem IMHO is that as talented as Hanifin, Pence, Pesce and Slavin are they all more or less hit the team at around the same time and the standard rule of thumb is it takes an NHL defenseman 250-300 games before they totally get the game at this level, so Faulk instead of being surrounded with nice boring safety net players was forced into that role as the kids developed. The irony is it killed his game and now that the above are approaching the magic number of games on the ice Faulk has lost his game and probably needs a change of scenery to find it.

  In Detroit he would probably be paired with Daley which would be ideal as Daley is a nice Swiss army knife defender who can plug in and adequately do about any role but his best spot at his age and pointof his career is stay at home with a roaming partner. Green scored 10 points in the first 6 games of the year with Kronwall sidelined and partnered with Daley, but as soon as Kronner and his one knee came back inexplicably Blashill split them up. Green played his best all year when partnered with Daley. So yeah, I think Faulk in Detroit at the least could replace Green as long as idiot Blashill gets it through his mind that Kronwall simply cannot play 23-25 minutes a night on the top pairing anymore.

  In Philadelphia I could see the same thing as in Carolina, paired with Ghost or Provorov as a skilled safety net his career would continue to spiral, I think he is being misused in Carolina and while I respect the two kids in Philly quite a lot I think he is the opposite of what they need to grow. Unless they use him as a third pairing puck mover with someone boring and steady like MacDonald and having him run the second unit power play. Even that IMHO is a misuse of his talent and for the cost that it would take to add him I think the temptation to move him  up with one of the kids would be too high and wouldn't work. 

[ruxpin]

1 hour ago, yave1964 said:

In Philadelphia I could see the same thing as in Carolina, paired with Ghost or Provorov as a skilled safety net his career would continue to spiral, I think he is being misused in Carolina and while I respect the two kids in Philly quite a lot I think he is the opposite of what they need to grow. Unless they use him as a third pairing puck mover with someone boring and steady like MacDonald and having him run the second unit power play. Even that IMHO is a misuse of his talent and for the cost that it would take to add him I think the temptation to move him  up with one of the kids would be too high and wouldn't work. 

 

Really good points all around, but I just thought this was a terrifically on point assessment of the Flyers' situation and why he would be a really bad fit in Philly.  

 

I'm still skeptical of him even in Detroit, but I think you justify why it might be worth the shot if you don't have to pay too much.  I said in the Flyers' thread that the Hurricanes will likely have to be selling low on him at this point, so I'm thinking it might not take all that much.

[yave1964]

@ruxpin

Elliot Friedman has been speculating since before the deadline that the Wings/Canes were in discussion of a deal centered around Athanasiou for Faulk and mentioned it again a couple of weeks ago. Most of these guys I just ignore but Friedman gets more right than most so there is a possibility of that. It makes a lot of sense if the Canes think AA can play center as AA has soured on Blashill and the feeling is mutual, he had a bit of a nasty holdout that went into the season last year and is a RFA expecting to get paid. It makes sense for both teams.