Speculation: Expansion draft

[Tatar Shots]

Would rather protect Abdelkader and hope for Helm being picked to be honest. I think Abby is key, and Helm's role is less needed. He doesn't have the vision top be a top nine guy IMO.

I'd rather have 4 more years of a cheaper Helm than 6 more of Abdelkader.

 

[Wood Stick]

But does his contract fit his role? I'm not so sure.

Nah, nor does Helm's though. I'd rather Abdelkader on his deal than Helm's, but that's debatable for most on this forum. I think Abdelkader can play on any line. I don't think Helm plays an agitator role, or uses his teammates enough for a top nine role. I think we're a better team with Abdelkader than with Helm.

Abby is coming off 23 and 19 goal seasons. I think he's better at using his teammates than Helm. Like I said, gets the puck and gets it back to carrier. Helm is the carrier, doesn't have a great or even an average finish, and doesn't use his teammates.

Hell, I could see Helm captaining Vegas.

 

[Wood Stick]

I'd rather have 4 more years of a cheaper Helm than 6 more of Abdelkader.

I feel you. I think it could go either way for most. I'm a fan of Abdelkader most of the time. I prefer Abby.

 

[Heaton]

I feel you. I think it could go either way for most. I'm a fan of Abdelkader most of the time. I prefer Abby.

I'm just concerned that we're in for 6 more years of 10 goals and 25 points a season, that's a brutal contract for that type of production.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

I think we should just protect 8 plus 1

Zetterberg
nyquist
Nielsen
mantha
aa
green
dekeyser
ouellet
mrazek

leaving helm, ericsson, howard and abby as bad contracts exposed

trade away tatar, smith, narchenko and sheahan for picks/prospects

if we trade green for some crazy reason then put sproul in his spot

the goal should be to lose one bad contract, not a cheap(young) player

 

[Henkka]

I'd rather have 4 more years of a cheaper Helm than 6 more of Abdelkader.

Either won't be picked because Holland structures it that way. Worse contract is let free and not picked.

 

[Claypool]

I'm just concerned that we're in for 6 more years of 10 goals and 25 points a season, that's a brutal contract for that type of production.

Who cares? This team is likely going to be a bottom feeder for years to come. Abdelkader at least won't cheat you on effort and hits things. He's the kind of guy you want for a rebuild.

 

[Heaton]

Who cares? This team is likely going to be a bottom feeder for years to come. Abdelkader at least won't cheat you on effort and hits things. He's the kind of guy you want for a rebuild.

I care. Unless Holland gets fired and the next GM doesn't sign these types of deals it set a very disastrous precedent.

 

[jolly roger]

I think we should just protect 8 plus 1

Zetterberg
nyquist
Nielsen
mantha
aa
green
dekeyser
ouellet
mrazek

leaving helm, ericsson, howard and abby as bad contracts exposed

trade away tatar, smith, narchenko and sheahan for picks/prospects

if we trade green for some crazy reason then put sproul in his spot

the goal should be to lose one bad contract, not a cheap(young) player

It doesn't seem to me that your protected list would mirror Holland's history. I'd say he protects the vets like Helm, Abby (for sure), and Ericsson. So at least three have to come off your list if I'm correct. I'd say that's Ouellette and AA left exposed.

 

[jkutswings]

Who cares? This team is likely going to be a bottom feeder for years to come. Abdelkader at least won't cheat you on effort and hits things. He's the kind of guy you want for a rebuild.

You mean he's the kind of guy YOU want for a rebuild. Personally, I'd much rather have a handful of ELC contacts of varying types of players, and see who sticks. If a kid pans out, you have cheap young talent. If not, the financial risk is essentially nothing, and you still have high flexibility to make other moves.

Justin Abdelkader has the contract of a middle 6 power forward, yet has the pace of a 30 point year with a -20 rating. I'd be downright thrilled if he ended up in Vegas, because I think those funds could be put to better use, just based on his CURRENT production, let alone the decay that his style of play will likely have.

 

[Lampedampe]

I'd rather have 4 more years of a cheaper Helm than 6 more of Abdelkader.

Yeah and i also think Abdelkader is pretty much protected just because of the lenght of his contract, doubt vegas would want to pick him up.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I'm just concerned that we're in for 6 more years of 10 goals and 25 points a season, that's a brutal contract for that type of production.

He hasn't done that for two years and when he did, it was the Cleary-Datsyuk-Abby line that was a waste of everyone's talent. Also, his rate stats for this year (with a long term injury AND Blashill's quick hook line setups) are still over that kind of production.

It's simply not a very valid worry. And if he DOES put up 10g,25p for any extended period of seasons, that means his usage has gone down in a big way.

The team as a whole is about as bad as they're going to get. I don't see much more potential downside for this team. It's not like Kronwall or Z are magically going to lose another step or two... Larkin, Nyquist, and Tatar have not been very good. The defense is about as bad as it has ever been. It won't be this year... this year is pretty much lost for good hockey. But next year and forward, I truly do think they'll be better, if only due to the law of averages.

The only guys really outperforming expectations are Mantha and AA in comparison with basically the rest of the team being garbage around them.

I'm not saying that the rebuild will be over. Far from it. But I do think they will be trending upwards.

 

[Retire91]

Need to expose all bad contracts and anyone over 30 that has negative trade value:

Nielsen
Zetterberg
Franzen (you never know maybe they need cap floor help)
Howard
Abby
Helm
Kronwall

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

You mean he's the kind of guy YOU want for a rebuild. Personally, I'd much rather have a handful of ELC contacts of varying types of players, and see who sticks. If a kid pans out, you have cheap young talent. If not, the financial risk is essentially nothing, and you still have high flexibility to make other moves.

Justin Abdelkader has the contract of a middle 6 power forward, yet has the pace of a 30 point year with a -20 rating. I'd be downright thrilled if he ended up in Vegas, because I think those funds could be put to better use, just based on his CURRENT production, let alone the decay that his style of play will likely have.

A handful of ELC contracts on varying types of players makes you an AHL team. At some point in a rebuild, you have to have some kind of continuity and I'd rather pay a guy who I know bleeds red and white and will grind it out even when the team is awful. I'm really not a fan of "throw **** against the wall and see what sticks" in terms of team building. If you throw one player in and try it, that's one thing. But your whole philosophy can't become attrition based.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Need to expose all bad contracts and anyone over 30 that has negative trade value:

Nielsen
Zetterberg
Franzen (you never know maybe they need cap floor help)
Howard
Abby
Helm
Kronwall

Z and Franzen would be ****ing terrible. You're locking the Wings into about a 3-5M hit of dead money annually for several years by doing that. I think Kronner is in a similar boat too. The cap recapture guys would be very stupid to expose. You want Abby gone because he provides negative value, but would be fine paying an empty roster space close to the same amount of money against your cap?

Doesn't Nielsen have a NMC and he's got to be protected?

I agree with exposing Howard, Helm, and Abby. Those make sense. Ericsson would be a good choice as well.

 

[Retire91]

Z and Franzen would be ****ing terrible. You're locking the Wings into about a 3-5M hit of dead money annually for several years by doing that. I think Kronner is in a similar boat too. The cap recapture guys would be very stupid to expose. You want Abby gone because he provides negative value, but would be fine paying an empty roster space close to the same amount of money against your cap?

Doesn't Nielsen have a NMC and he's got to be protected?

I agree with exposing Howard, Helm, and Abby. Those make sense. Ericsson would be a good choice as well.

Yes I forgot two things, Ericsson should 100% be on there. Also I forgot about cap recapture. I think the team that they are on should be responsible but I forgot if they retire the wings get hit. There is only so much LTIR to go around though wings are going to be seriously handcuffed in the future and may end up eating it anyway. Holland is okay with dead cap space though (Weiss) and we can afford the dead space through an actual rebuild by properly leveraging ELC contracts.

 

[Henkka]

League protects Franzen as career-ending injury guy. He will never move anywhere.

 

[Bench]

League protects Franzen as career-ending injury guy. He will never move anywhere.

They really need some way to wipe contracts (while players still get compensation) like that once a guy has a career-ending concussion. The fact we still all pretend he's on the Wings payroll every summer is silly. Same deal with the likes of Savard and Pronger.

We're entering a new age in the NHL where concussions are actually treated like serious injuries. So maybe adapt the rules to match that rather than treat a brain injury like a guy who can't play due to a bum knee.

 

[jkutswings]

A handful of ELC contracts on varying types of players makes you an AHL team. At some point in a rebuild, you have to have some kind of continuity and I'd rather pay a guy who I know bleeds red and white and will grind it out even when the team is awful. I'm really not a fan of "throw **** against the wall and see what sticks" in terms of team building. If you throw one player in and try it, that's one thing. But your whole philosophy can't become attrition based.

The excessive continuity over much of the last decade is what got them into this mess.

I want 2-3 years of them being as awful as possible, preferably without trading any players that have a shot at being part of the next core. Justin Abdelkader is definitely not in that category, and his style of play tends to age like milk. No thanks.

A guy like DeKeyser I could understand. Even if he's not playing well, a defenseman who (supposedly) is more positional than physical should have a fairly long shelf life. But middle 6 checking forwards are more chewing gum than cherishable.

 

[SirloinUB]

They really need some way to wipe contracts (while players still get compensation) like that once a guy has a career-ending concussion. The fact we still all pretend he's on the Wings payroll every summer is silly. Same deal with the likes of Savard and Pronger.

We're entering a new age in the NHL where concussions are actually treated like serious injuries. So maybe adapt the rules to match that rather than treat a brain injury like a guy who can't play due to a bum knee.

After this year, his caphit essentially becomes irrelevant. Players who go a full season without playing any games can be added to IR before the season actually starts effectively eliminating the salary from the cap. Between that and the off-season 10% rule that contract will hardly affect the Red Wings moving forward.

 

[Retire91]

After this year, his caphit essentially becomes irrelevant. Players who go a full season without playing any games can be added to IR before the season actually starts effectively eliminating the salary from the cap. Between that and the off-season 10% rule that contract will hardly affect the Red Wings moving forward.

But that is only one contract, what happens when Zetterberg and Kronwall hit LTIR

Zetterberg: 6 mill
Franzen: 4 mill
Kronwall: 4.75 mill

15 million is roughly 20% of the cap.

That's without adding Weiss buyout too. 16.5 mill in dead cap space each offseason.

 

[Henkka]

But that is only one contract, what happens when Zetterberg and Kronwall hit LTIR

Zetterberg: 6 mill
Franzen: 4 mill
Kronwall: 4.75 mill

15 million is roughly 20% of the cap.

Zetterberg hasn't missed a single game for 2 seasons. WTF are you speculating with his LTIR.

 

[SirloinUB]

Zetterberg hasn't missed a single game for 2 seasons. WTF are you speculating with his LTIR.

Not to mention Z is still the teams best player.

 

[Retire91]

He's 36 years old and signed through 20-21 or did you click the ignore button on that too. LTIR is a very likely eventuality.

 

[Frk It]

Zetterberg hasn't missed a single game for 2 seasons. WTF are you speculating with his LTIR.

He could go on LTIR at any point if he wanted. Probably true the last 3 years or so, actually.