If your goal is to make a playoff run next yr (w/o ruining our future).. what do you do?

[Frk It]

Delete - nvm, not worth it

 

[blueadams]

This is more or less how I view the BASE our team once we're actually in some interesting 2nd, 3rd rd playoff series. 24-25 season.. 25-26 season.. etc. Just two more momentum-building yrs I think (22-23, 23-24).

**********

Net: Cossa/Ned

LD: Edvinsson, Buium, Johansson
RD: Seider, Wallinder, Sebrango
(*sad to say I don't think Lindstrom will stick around once all these speed-skaters are of age)

C: Larkin, 22/23 1st rd pick, Niederbach, Nilsson/Savage/Zito

Top-6 Wings: Raymond, 22/23 1st rd pick, Bertuzzi, Vrana
Bottom-6 Wings: Soderblom, Mazur, Mastrosimone, Tyutyayev/Zito/Berggren

**********

Lots of picks and trades to be made, some FA signings... but I think this ^ is more or less the relevant base we're building off of.

Some guys I just don't think will end up being as good as our prospects when they're ready (Hronek, Fabbri, Suter, Zadina, Ras, Veleno...tear...Lindstrom).

 

[Henkka]

Re-build the left-side D.

Nothing else has to be done.

 

[blueadams]

Re-build the left-side D.

Nothing else has to be done.

Pretty odd the day after fans were throwing their jerseys onto the ice

 

[SuperScript29]

Replace Leddy/Neddy and find a capable coaching staff.

 

[Ricelund]

Hard to believe it will have been a 20-year drought if they don't win until '27-28.

 

[SoupNazi]

Hard to believe it will have been a 20-year drought if they don't win until '27-28.

Where does the time go?

 

[Reddwit]

Hard to believe it will have been a 20-year drought if they don't win until '27-28.

It’s crazy how long Holland/Illitch kept delaying the inevitable.

 

[nhlisawesome]

It’s crazy how long Holland/Illitch kept delaying the inevitable.

Same with Yzerman keeping Trash

 

[Spirit19]

I do not see a scenario where this team makes the playoffs next year.

 

[DTR]

We currently have 13 wins in regulation, which is tied with Arizona and only two more than Montreal. We have a long way to go to become a playoff team.

 

[Henkka]

Hard to believe it will have been a 20-year drought if they don't win until '27-28.

It's 21 years for Colorado avalanche...

It's 19 years for Devils...

It's 16 years for Carolina Hurricanes...

It was 15 years for Tampa Bay from 2004 Cup win to bottom and back to Cup...

It was 17 years for Pittsburgh from 1992 to 2009. For the luckiest lottery darling.

Normal timelines.

Our drought is now 13 years, since the Finals.

 

[Frk It]

I would aggressively pursue both Hertl and Gaudreau this off-season.

I would call all the teams with a logjam on the blue line and see if I could package some of our young forwards together to swap them for a young d-man.

I would try to upgrade the #2 goalie or even being in a 1b level guy if possible.

 

[lilidk]

Swedish invasion next season , Edvinsson, Bergreen, Soderblom. I believe big improvement from Rasmussen , Zadina , Veleno and Hronek . Sign big LD free agent

 

[SoupNazi]

I would aggressively pursue both Hertl and Gaudreau this off-season.

I would call all the teams with a logjam on the blue line and see if I could package some of our young forwards together to swap them for a young d-man.

I would try to upgrade the #2 goalie or even being in a 1b level guy if possible.

Hertl just signed an eight year deal last week. Sharks most likely aren't dealing him.

 

[Frk It]

Hertl just signed an eight year deal last week. Sharks most likely aren't dealing him.

Oh man, I missed that. Killed my dreams, sir.

A couple months ago I was really hoping for Lindholm and/or Hertl. Now both are off the table.

 

[theYman]

I think what Steve meant, now years ago, when he talked about a long-term rebuild was turning the team around primarily through the draft. And I agree with him on long-term rebuild. So, I wouldn't get real happy on big free-agents yet.


But I also think the team is close to a full turn-around. They are so close to being a +500 team this season. So, if they are lucky with health and have Vrana back, if Edvinsson earns a spot or earns a call up (almost hard not to with the way our defense is), just making some basic moves in the off season should get us closer, at least 14-16th in the lottery and that's almost like a worst-case scenario (but based on the team staying healthy).

If a tremendous deal comes along for someone you want long-term, then you have to weigh it, but at the moment they don't have the goal tending to be much more competitive and with Ned signed on for a little while and Cossa still coming up, you probably aren't going to do a real long-term deal for another goalie and that might take you out of the market for the goalies who would fit the concept of trying to do a playoff run next year. Instead, you probably end up signing an aging veteran goalie for the now.

Who's our goaltending coach? If we just got better with that we'd be over 500 already. Team has no problem scoring goals now. Just can't stop a beach all atm

 

[Mister Ed]

Trade for a left-handed D, bring in Edvinsson, Berggren and Soderblom (as an aside, imagine defending a line of Soderblom - Rasmussen - Sundqvist down low!) and bring in a competent, young-ish backup.

Then we'll see :

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Raymond
Vrana - Suter - Zadina
Berggren - Veleno - UFA (Niederreiter / Rust / Trocheck / Copp)
Soderblom - Rasmussen - Sundqvist

Extras : Erne and Fabbri (probably on LTIR)

Trade - Seider
Edvinsson - Hronek
Walman - Lindstrom

Extra : Oesterle and Juolevi

Nedeljkovic
UFA / trade

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

The goal quite apparently is to NOT be a playoff team in 2023.

Ajo
Soderblom
Edvinsson
Will all be in GR

Valeno full-time in Detroit
Berggren splitting between Detroit and GR

Maybe we can send Cossa to the SHL?
Wallinder will stay in Sweden another year

We will sign 4 depth free agents to one year deals each, with one being Staal plus a goalie

One more season after this one outside looking in and selling. Hopefully we take another step forward and it lasts a little bit longer than 45 games.

That's it

 

[theYman]

And I thought we were bad on the road. Man the Flyers are shit

 

[theYman]

Ray! Ray!

 

[theYman]

I was hoping for a shutout

 

[Frk It]

I really freaking like Bertuzzi as a hockey player and what he brings to this team...

But I almost think we have to flip him for the best LD/C possible, and then try to replace him via someone in UFA.

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

Malkin 2 x $10M
Letang 2 x $8M
MAF 1 x $7.5M
re-sign Staal, Namestnikov
Also need a cheap LHD
Edvinsson plays

Contracts expire when Raymond and Seider's ELCs end so it doesn't put the Wings in salary cap hell. MAF only gets one year because Bert and Larkin need new contracts. Each player gets a slight raise despite their age to convince them to come over. Yes, I realize it's overpayment for them.

Gone:
- Leddy $5.5M
- DDK $5M
- Greiss $3.6M
- Nielsen's buyout is lower by $3.75M

Hronek gets traded for LHD or will have to play his offside

Bert - Larkin - Raymond
Berggren - Malkin - Vrana
Fabbri - Suter - Namestnikov
Raz - Joey - Erne/Smith

Edvinsson - Letang
Hronek/UFA - Seider
Staal - Lindstrom
Oesterle

Probably first round fodder until the team gets better LHD, but I think that takes the team to the playoffs.

All of those ex Penguins give me the heebidy jeebidies (I haven't forgotten 2009)

 

[Gniwder]

All of those ex Penguins give me the heebidy jeebidies (I haven't forgotten 2009)

Well the Caps won the Cup by signing 2 Penguins....

The best part about it is that it makes the Penguins worse. I'm not really a big Malkin fan, but you can't deny the talent there.