Speculation: 2019 UFA targets

masta8

Registered User
Apr 26, 2018
355
94
The Point situation is going to be very interesting to watch this summer. There is speculation there is a good chance an offer sheet might actually take place this summer and with TB tight at the cap it might not be a bad idea for a team to make a play for him. I like his game a lot and consider him an elite 1C for a long time. Unfortunately, I don't see KH pulling the trigger for him.
 

Hockeyfannnn91

Registered User
Jan 26, 2019
1,268
328
If the Wings land Hughes at the draft I do the following.

Offersheet Trouba

Sign Panarin (I mean if Hughes is most compared to Kane, who did Bread have amazing chemistry with)

Bert-Larkin-Mantha
Hughes-Nielson-Panarin
Ras-Glenny-Zadina
Abby-Helm-Svech
De La Rose

Trouba-Dekeyser
Green-Daley
Hronek-Ericsson
Cholo is the first call up and takes over once one of E or Daley is dealt.

I'd be leary of offer sheeting Point after one really amazing season with Kucherov burning the world down on his line.
Offer sheet trouba? He’s a ufa in one season so it makes zero sense, only thing I’d consider doing is signing someone to one year not named vanek who wouldn’t force us to give a ntc with the point of that player hopefully having a good season so we can trade him on deadline day for a good return
 

Cyborg Yzerberg

Registered User
Nov 8, 2007
11,150
2,369
Philadelphia
Offer sheet trouba? He’s a ufa in one season so it makes zero sense, only thing I’d consider doing is signing someone to one year not named vanek who wouldn’t force us to give a ntc with the point of that player hopefully having a good season so we can trade him on deadline day for a good return
He's probably not signing a one year deal though, dawg.
 

Shaman464

No u
May 1, 2009
10,211
4,420
Boston, MA
I don't think it's just Point benefitting from Kucherov, that swings both ways. Tampa's gonna have a problem matching even the top compensation allowed in the two 1st rd pick range, so I don't think giving up 4 will be necessary. And two 1st rounders is definitely a bargain when you're getting a sure thing back.

You're never going to have a situation where every contract on your team is perfect. But we've been overpaying mediocrity, and in some cases incompetence, for years. Instead of paying an extra million or two to guys like Nielsen/Abby/Helm/etc, or even outright replacing those types with $1-2M players who perform just as well for next to nothing, throw those extra millions at the players who will make a difference.

Would I prefer Point at $8M? Sure. But given the choice between Point in a Lightning jersey at 8.5M and in a Wings jersey at 9.75M, I take the second option. It's not ideal, but making the cap work around star players isn't the worst problem to have in this league. If he'll sign for an amount within the two 1st rd pick range, I say sign him and let Tampa decide.

That's true, but they may have enough as far as other young players who can be included. We just had a really good draft, toss in Berggren or McIsaac for example.

In what world would he be the 2 1st range? Tampa can carry extra salary. They will match it, and they will trade someone like JT Miller.
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
1,274
In what world would he be the 2 1st range? Tampa can carry extra salary. They will match it, and they will trade someone like JT Miller.

I agree they probably would match as well anything under 10.4M because Point is so damn good, but I would at least try and force them to maneuver around the cap if there is mutual interest with Point/Wings at 10.4.

With the projected 83M cap for next year, the Lightning currently have ~9.9M in cap space, needing 7 roster players. Sign Point (at say 10.4M, the very high end of the two 1st round pick compensation) and trade JT Miller and they are down to 4.75M in cap space to fill 7 roster spots, including (probably) needing one or two top 6 defensemen. I'm not sure what the minimum NHL salary is, something like 700k maybe? So even filling the remaining 7 roster spots with minimum salary players puts them over the cap by ~200k. Would need to make another move or two, especially if they want to shore up their top 4 on defense. Maybe buying out Callahan or trading Gourde as well?

I think thats definitely doable and they would somehow figure out a way to make it work even if they would just have to basically give away JT Miller, but it certainly wouldn't be easy, even with a trade of JT Miller. It must be nice to have cap problems because you have too many great players on your team lol.
 
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PullHard

Jul 18, 2007
28,377
2,452
I agree they probably would match as well anything under 10.4M because Point is so damn good, but I would at least try and force them to maneuver around the cap if there is mutual interest with Point/Wings at 10.4.

With the projected 83M cap for next year, the Lightning currently have ~9.9M in cap space, needing 7 roster players. Sign Point (at say 10.4M, the very high end of the two 1st round pick compensation) and trade JT Miller and they are down to 4.75M in cap space to fill 7 roster spots, including (probably) needing one or two top 6 defensemen. I'm not sure what the minimum NHL salary is, something like 700k maybe? So even filling the remaining 7 roster spots with minimum salary players puts them over the cap by ~200k. Would need to make another move or two, especially if they want to shore up their top 4 on defense. Maybe buying out Callahan or trading Gourde as well?

I think thats definitely doable and they would somehow figure out a way to make it work even if they would just have to basically give away JT Miller, but it certainly wouldn't be easy, even with a trade of JT Miller. It must be nice to have cap problems because you have too many great players on your team lol.

I would think they would attach a pick and/or prospect to Callahan to move his hit

Killorn would likely be next in line, IMO
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
1,274
I would think they would attach a pick and/or prospect to Callahan to move his hit

Killorn would likely be next in line, IMO

Very possible with Callahan.

Killorn has a NTC however. I don't know why anyone would willingly waive their NTC to leave TB but who knows.
 

DInTheB

Registered User
Jul 27, 2006
1,139
1,046
Very possible with Callahan.

Killorn has a NTC however. I don't know why anyone would willingly waive their NTC to leave TB but who knows.

It’s not even to leave a winning team. I wouldn’t waive it because I don’t want to start paying state taxes.
 
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PullHard

Jul 18, 2007
28,377
2,452
Very possible with Callahan.

Killorn has a NTC however. I don't know why anyone would willingly waive their NTC to leave TB but who knows.

I agree, but I think Brisebois would do his work and try to make it happen

Hypothetical sales pitch: You can stay here and win but be a passenger/ depth player in terms of on ice impact, or you can go to Vancouver and play with Pettersson and Boeser on their first line
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
1,274
It’s not even to leave a winning team. I wouldn’t waive it because I don’t want to start paying state taxes.

true. I think some TB players take less on their new contracts knowing they will be paying less in taxes, but then they have to get the NTC because if they are taking less to stay in TB/lower taxes they don't want to get traded, that would defeat the purpose of taking less.
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
1,274
I agree, but I think Brisebois would do his work and try to make it happen

Hypothetical sales pitch: You can stay here and win but be a passenger/ depth player in terms of on ice impact, or you can go to Vancouver and play with Pettersson and Boeser on their first line

anything is possible for sure. we don't know what each individual player values more - winning, playing time, playing in their hometown city, etc
 
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DInTheB

Registered User
Jul 27, 2006
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true. I think some TB players take less on their new contracts knowing they will be paying less in taxes, but then they have to get the NTC because if they are taking less to stay in TB/lower taxes they don't want to get traded, that would defeat the purpose of taking less.

Exactly.

That’s why Yzerman gave out so many NTC’s.

Why would you take less otherwise?
 

DInTheB

Registered User
Jul 27, 2006
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The best bet to get an RFA is if Trouba makes it known he won’t sign beyond one year and basically threatens to pull a Nylander. At that point, he would have to make it known he only wants to play in his hometown of Detroit. We could then trade a few of those seconds for his rights.

That scenario would certainly be very unlikely, but it’s probably more likely than successfully offer sheeting someone.
 

Hockeyfannnn91

Registered User
Jan 26, 2019
1,268
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I would think they would attach a pick and/or prospect to Callahan to move his hit

Killorn would likely be next in line, IMO
We should definetly make a trade with Tampa to take Callahan off they’re hands with all the cap space we’ll have , with that high of a cap hit we can likely land a 3rd and another pick and possibly eat half of his deal and ship him elsewhere for a mid pick as well if not just play him for the year and deal him on trade deadline or just buy him out

Either way free assets and we should be making these types of deals with the cap space this season we’ll have
 

Hockeyfannnn91

Registered User
Jan 26, 2019
1,268
328
The best bet to get an RFA is if Trouba makes it known he won’t sign beyond one year and basically threatens to pull a Nylander. At that point, he would have to make it known he only wants to play in his hometown of Detroit. We could then trade a few of those seconds for his rights.

That scenario would certainly be very unlikely, but it’s probably more likely than successfully offer sheeting someone.
Why even do this ?? Just wait it out one season , we won’t win shit with trouba next year regardless and we keep our assets which we can’t afford to give away , just be patient man and think longterm
 
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PullHard

Jul 18, 2007
28,377
2,452
We should definetly make a trade with Tampa to take Callahan off they’re hands with all the cap space we’ll have , with that high of a cap hit we can likely land a 3rd and another pick and possibly eat half of his deal and ship him elsewhere for a mid pick as well if not just play him for the year and deal him on trade deadline or just buy him out

Either way free assets and we should be making these types of deals with the cap space this season we’ll have

I'd take Callahan and Mitch Stephens and give Tampa back something of moderate value :naughty:
 

DatsyukToZetterberg

Alligator!
Apr 3, 2011
5,549
738
Island of Tortuga
In what world would he be the 2 1st range? Tampa can carry extra salary. They will match it, and they will trade someone like JT Miller.

If that's what they have to do then so be it, but just because they may be able to move someone to create the cap space doesn't mean the Wings, or any team for that matter, should not consider offer sheeting Point. At least if there is an offer sheet that Point accepts it weakens the Bolts both next year and in the future.

I think people underestimate how far we are from contending. I don't see Trouba or Point making us a contender. I don't want to see Lafreniere in a Tampa jersey because we felt we were a Braden Point away from contending.

I think that's why you have to wait and see what happens at the draft lottery as well as in FA. A decision to offer sheet doesn't have to be made now or even in June, there's no real deadline in terms of offer sheets, we can send one so long as he is unsigned.

The Wings are not a good team and I agree that we have quite a few holes; the Wings are still missing 2 top line forwards, a, #2C, and a top pairing dman. We could hypothetically address 3 of those 4 needs this offseason, very unrealistic I know but this is an ideal offseason. If we were to get lucky and draft Hughes/Kakko that would give us a forward with a very real chance of becoming a top line threat, Hughes has superstar upside imo; we could sign Gardiner, assuming his back issues are not recurring; and offer sheet Point. I'm confident that if we were to add Gardiner+Point+Hughes we would not be a bottom 5 team, potentially not even a bottom 10. Mind you should we draft outside the top 2 I would just focus on signing someone like Gardiner.

The only reason I would be hesitant to attempt it would be because our defence even with the addition of Gardiner would still have a few questions on it, though I do think Hronek has shown he can be a 2nd pairing guy. We would need McIassic or Cholowski to play at that level and I'm not sure that's a possibility yet. It's for that reason I think the real threat to offer sheet Point would be a team like Philly who has defenceman that are established, a ton of prospect capital, and the need for another top line forward.
 

NickH8

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Jul 3, 2015
3,646
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If that's what they have to do then so be it, but just because they may be able to move someone to create the cap space doesn't mean the Wings, or any team for that matter, should not consider offer sheeting Point. At least if there is an offer sheet that Point accepts it weakens the Bolts both next year and in the future.



I think that's why you have to wait and see what happens at the draft lottery as well as in FA. A decision to offer sheet doesn't have to be made now or even in June, there's no real deadline in terms of offer sheets, we can send one so long as he is unsigned.

The Wings are not a good team and I agree that we have quite a few holes; the Wings are still missing 2 top line forwards, a, #2C, and a top pairing dman. We could hypothetically address 3 of those 4 needs this offseason, very unrealistic I know but this is an ideal offseason. If we were to get lucky and draft Hughes/Kakko that would give us a forward with a very real chance of becoming a top line threat, Hughes has superstar upside imo; we could sign Gardiner, assuming his back issues are not recurring; and offer sheet Point. I'm confident that if we were to add Gardiner+Point+Hughes we would not be a bottom 5 team, potentially not even a bottom 10. Mind you should we draft outside the top 2 I would just focus on signing someone like Gardiner.

The only reason I would be hesitant to attempt it would be because our defence even with the addition of Gardiner would still have a few questions on it, though I do think Hronek has shown he can be a 2nd pairing guy. We would need McIassic or Cholowski to play at that level and I'm not sure that's a possibility yet. It's for that reason I think the real threat to offer sheet Point would be a team like Philly who has defenceman that are established, a ton of prospect capital, and the need for another top line forward.
The odds of all three of those happening are real low though. Hughes we actually know the odds will be less than 20%. I'd rather be patient and continue stocking prospects. When our homegrown talent brings us to the middle of the pack we can start looking at free agents. We've already got a few good pieces, Larkin as a two way center, Zadina maybe as a top line scorer, Cholowski as a 2nd pair puck mover, and I think Hronek may be a little more than the second pair offensive defenseman we've pegged him as (he's got some pretty good underlying numbers and hasn't been sheltered whatsoever). Would you rather add shall we say two top 5 and two top 15 prospects over 4 years or one Braden Point who plays the same role as Larkin? We need a playmaking center, another high end scoring winger, and a surefire top pair defenseman, and I don't want to give up four very good shots at getting those for another two way center (A damn good one, but another one).
 

obey86

Registered User
Jun 9, 2009
8,013
1,274
The odds of all three of those happening are real low though. Hughes we actually know the odds will be less than 20%. I'd rather be patient and continue stocking prospects. When our homegrown talent brings us to the middle of the pack we can start looking at free agents. We've already got a few good pieces, Larkin as a two way center, Zadina maybe as a top line scorer, Cholowski as a 2nd pair puck mover, and I think Hronek may be a little more than the second pair offensive defenseman we've pegged him as (he's got some pretty good underlying numbers and hasn't been sheltered whatsoever). Would you rather add shall we say two top 5 and two top 15 prospects over 4 years or one Braden Point who plays the same role as Larkin? We need a playmaking center, another high end scoring winger, and a surefire top pair defenseman, and I don't want to give up four very good shots at getting those for another two way center (A damn good one, but another one).

If the Red Wings are still drafting top 15 four years down the road, it likely means that Zadina and 2019 top 5 pick were busts.
 

NickH8

Registered User
Jul 3, 2015
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If the Red Wings are still drafting top 15 four years down the road, it likely means that Zadina and 2019 top 5 pick were busts.
Top 15 is fringe playoffs. I think you overestimate how close we are. We aren't Zadina and let's say Cozens away from a divisional playoff spot. We may be Zadina and Hughes/Kakko away, but I won't bet on them.
 

lilidk

Registered User
Mar 4, 2008
9,588
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If the Red Wings are still drafting top 15 four years down the road, it likely means that Zadina and 2019 top 5 pick were busts.
No it is not, it's going to take about 3 -4 more years for Zadina to become important part of the team.
 

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