2022 Free Agency Thread

[blueadams]

I've seen a lot of discussion spread across the board, but not a focused thread.

Yzerman's MO has never been anything even CLOSE to signing hot young free agents to big long contracts-guy. Ever. Not even close. And I don't at all expect that to change here, now (could be wrong?). |

But with that being said. I really do think we should really *Go For It* this off-season. We're really just a few moves away from potentially being a 2nd or even 3rd rd playoff team IMO. And I'd like to start seeing some of our young guns get that opportunity.

I think we should spend big. But on veterans. On one, two, max three year deals.

I'll lay out my ideal here first..

Bertuzzi---Larkin---Raymond
Soderblom---FA?---Vrana
Fabbri---Suter---Berggren
Veleno---FA?---Zadina

FA?---Seider
Edvinsson---FA?
Johansson---Lindstrom

Nedeljkovic
FA?

Easier said than done finding good FA's willing to sign short contracts. But we've got the cap space to burn, and we could really pay some guys well.

1) I want Seider to have the kind of partner he deserves. A good veteran defenseman who can really help him.
2) I want Edvinsson to enter the league with the same. I don't want him playing with a defensive liability like Hronek in his first season.
3) I like Suter a lot, but as a 3rd line center. A nice veteran 2nd line center could really do wonders for us up front.
4) I'd like to see us bring in a 4th line center who could work well with Zadina. I'm not completely ready to call him a bust yet. When he plays with a hard net driving center like Larkin...and he can trail and snipe drop passes...he's really not bad. That is not what Suter or Ras is though.

.....

Who are some veteran FA's who could potentially fill these roles?

Click to read more...

 

[golffuul]

I'm assuming that unless Yzerman goes fishing to upgrade, via trade, our 2nd C position...that we will run with Larkin-Suter-Rasmussen/Veleno for next year, again. Yzerman isn't going to just go out and get someone to get someone. He will stand pat with what we have unless the right player comes along that makes us definitively better. Suter can play in every situation and that earns a lot of trust and respect from the organization. I think we will definitely be looking at finding a veteran LD in Free Agency to replace DDK, who should retire after a solid career for someone who was undrafted.

A lot of our moves are going to depend on what we do both at the trade deadline, this year, and during the summer. We have some interesting depth issues at Center that probably will need to be resolved at some point. I'm assuming that Veleno and Rasmussen will continue to get better and we will see some competition for the 2nd and 3rd Center positions. Whether we move one of Suter/Ras/Veleno to upgrade will be interesting to watch. And we will need to consider whether to move on from Hronek or not. Edvinsson, if he makes the club, will eat Hronek's PP time and force him down to the 3rd pair, IMO. We can currently afford his contract, but at a 3rd pair or even 2nd pair spot with a very hard ceiling, already, on development and with all off the defenseman that Yzerman has drafted, already in the pipeline, Hronek won't be around beyond his current deal.

 

[jkutswings]

2022 NHL Free Agents Tracker

Who knows who will actually make it to market, but I'd target Hertl or Strome at center, and Lindholm on defense.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

2022 NHL Free Agents Tracker

Who knows who will actually make it to market, but I'd target Hertl or Strome at center, and Lindholm on defense.

Hertl, Lindholm, Vrana and Edvinsson, and we are a playoff team for sure.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

Hertl is the only center worth going after and I think he’s gonna cost too much. I’d much rather have lindholm because he’s a defenseman and his game should age very well. I’d add zadorov as a bottom pairing and bring edvinsson to the team to pair with Hronek. Honestly id look at selling a guy you wouldn’t expect at the deadline, I’d totally trade a guy like suter at the deadline then with the cash in the off season sign a replacement. Either way if we wanna compete we must get a 2c, it’s our biggest issue that can’t be fixed by our prospects.

 

[PelagicJoe]

The Winged Wheel would look good on Hertl, Filip Forsberg, and/or Lindholm.
I'm sure Yzerman will find a couple of cheap options for the 3rd pair since we are losing a lot of people this year.

 

[Ricelund]

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned Trochek as a 2C possibility. I think Trochek, Hertl, and Forsberg are all great options. I think Forsberg mostly plays wing, so I'd probably prefer Trochek or Hertl.

I've suspected that Lindholm would be a target for a while. Let's say they sign one of the forwards and Lindholm.

Raymond-Larkin-Vrana
Bertuzzi-Trochek/Hertl-Berggren
Zadina-Suter-Fabbri
Erne-Veleno-Rasmussen
Smith

Lindholm-Seider
Edvinsson-Hronek
Staal-Lindstrom
Stecher/Oesterle

Nedeljkovic
UFA

Johansson and McIsaac probably get called up a few times during the season.

That team is pretty good. I think they'd safely make the playoffs. I'd like to see them add some size/grit to the forward group.

 

[OldnotDeadWings]

I hate when reality gets in the way of FA fantasy. For about three months I've been thinking Brayden McNabb would be a perfect and relatively cheap addition to the top four, something like three years at $3-3.5M. Just found out on CapFriendly he recently signed an extension for three years at $2.85M. He's way better than Zadorov.

Reality is going to get in the way of most of these Free Agent wish lists. I don't expect any high-end FA signing with Detroit for at least another year. SY is more likely going after Mikheyev and Motte on shortish deals to replace Namestnikov and Gagner instead of signing a top six center, guys like Chiarot and Borowiecki as LD instead of Lindholm to replace two of Leddy, Staal, DDK.

Throwing money at Malkin and Letang for 2-3 years is just too good an idea for it to ever happen. SY is going to prefer the draft and trades to bring in the truly needed pieces. He isn't kidding when he keeps advocating patience.

 

[Gniwder]

I'm surprised more people haven't mentioned Trochek as a 2C possibility. I think Trochek, Hertl, and Forsberg are all great options. I think Forsberg mostly plays wing, so I'd probably prefer Trochek or Hertl.

I've suspected that Lindholm would be a target for a while. Let's say they sign one of the forwards and Lindholm.

Raymond-Larkin-Vrana
Bertuzzi-Trochek/Hertl-Berggren
Zadina-Suter-Fabbri
Erne-Veleno-Rasmussen
Smith

Lindholm-Seider
Edvinsson-Hronek
Staal-Lindstrom
Stecher/Oesterle

Nedeljkovic
UFA

Johansson and McIsaac probably get called up a few times during the season.

That team is pretty good. I think they'd safely make the playoffs. I'd like to see them add some size/grit to the forward group.

Stecher isn't coming back, it won't be good for his career when there are 3 RHD above him on the depth chart. He'll go to a team that needs a RHD.

 

[Ricelund]

Stecher isn't coming back, it won't be good for his career when there are 3 RHD above him on the depth chart. He'll go to a team that needs a RHD.

I was thinking he was under contract for next year.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

I don’t agree with people thinking we can’t sign a great FA this summer. The devils just did it this past off season. I’d like to see Lindholm at 7.5 x 6. I’d prefer less term but he’s not gonna want that. If we can’t get him then I want hertl at 8 x 5. And for my bottom pairing as I’ve been saying I’d want zadorov at 4-4.2 at 2 years.

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

We will have a lot of money coming off the books if we don’t re-sign dekeyser leddy staal and stecher. That will be 15 mill to play with on top of the 10+ we already have. I think the potential to make a big FA splash is there, if not this year then certainly next year.

 

[Gniwder]

I don’t agree with people thinking we can’t sign a great FA this summer. The devils just did it this past off season. I’d like to see Lindholm at 7.5 x 6. I’d prefer less term but he’s not gonna want that. If we can’t get him then I want hertl at 8 x 5. And for my bottom pairing as I’ve been saying I’d want zadorov at 4-4.2 at 2 years.

Has nothing to do with ability, it's all about how everyone is reading Stevie. The cap space is there, and if Stevie can sign a big name on opening day of free agency then other big names would be more likely to sign since this team is only a couple of good players away from playoffs.

The problem is that signing big names in free agency has never been Stevie's MO. Signing a guy like Zadorov to a short term deal sounds like more of his style. As much as I'd like to see Hertl and Lindholm, I'd be more than happy to settle for Zadorov and Giroux at 2 years each.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I want to buy futures on fans bitching about Zadorov if we do in fact sign him.

 

[golffuul]

I want to buy futures on fans bitching about Zadorov if we do in fact sign him.

I don't mind Zadorov as a 3rd pair D.

 

[KJoe88]

I’d lose my mind if we somehow got G.

Had always been my favorite non-Wing aside from Pavelski and Krejci. It’s too bad Philly wasted his career.

 

[NickH8]

I think wanting to fix all of our holes (2c and ld) while possible, is pretty lofty. I'll be happy if we make one big add that fills a hole, and then 2 or 3 auxillary players, guys like Zadorov, Jarnkrok, etc.

 

[Gniwder]

I want to buy futures on fans bitching about Zadorov if we do in fact sign him.

Would you rather see Leddy, DDK, Staal, and Oesterle?

Pretty much any legit NHL LHD would be an improvement. Stevie overpaid for Nemeth, and nobody complained because he was better than the crap on the ice the previous season. A 3rd pair NHL LHD is a top pair LHD in Detroit.

Term is more important than salary, I wouldn't go past 2 years.

 

[jaster]

I was thinking he was under contract for next year.

R0

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

I was thinking he was under contract for next year.

No UFA, He's already played his 2 seasons here.

 

[Geezer WC]

No love for Johnny Gaudreau on here. Why?

 

[Henkka]

No love for Johnny Gaudreau on here. Why?

Just noticed he is UFA. Thought he has 2 years left.

Man is he having good season now, the price would be hefty. He is at 110-point pace and putting up Kucherov-level numbers.

That CGY top line is also superb defensively. One of the best combos lately seen.

Gaudreau - Lindholm - Tkachuk, I think we could have equivalent with Gaudreau - Larkin - Bertuzzi.

Gaudreau - Larkin - Bertuzzi
Vrana - Suter - Raymond
Fabbri - Veleno - Zadina
Erne - Ras - Berggren/Smith/Söderblom

 

[Coach Reggie Dunlop]

I’m good on gaudreau, too much money, too old and too little. Also has disappeared in the playoffs in the past. If we are using our cap space there’s a lot more guys I’d rather spend it on.

 

[DoMakc]

Red Wings have currently 2 first line players on entry-level contracts for the next two years. They also in a state of rebuild where they need to think about making playoffs and start contending. I would throw some hilarious money (9-10 millions on 2 years term) on Giroux and Letang and maybe trade for Martinez to maximize our cap flexibility and also allow to take every a next step. I also think they can spend on one long-term contract even with new rich contracts for Seider, Raymond, Edvinsson and extensions for Larkin, Ned and Bertuzzi, so maybe they can go out and sign Lindholm for something under 8. Alternatively I like Trotchek idea. I don't think Hertl is a realistic target, he will get overpaid by virtue of being top free agent center.

 

[Ricelund]

I’d lose my mind if we somehow got G.

Had always been my favorite non-Wing aside from Pavelski and Krejci. It’s too bad Philly wasted his career.

I’m a huge Giroux fan too. He’s very underrated.