News Article: TSN:Stephen Weiss a target? Flip Unaffordable and Letang Available?

[InjuredChoker]

Why? Letang at least logs more ice time, takes some pk shifts and matches against the other teams top lines.

Not super interested in Yandle, especially at his rumored price tag, which is almost as steep as what we know about Letang. Letang is better offensively and provides more defense. Although he cap hit would be 2 million different at least. Still Letang is in a better class in my opinion.

Yandle is better on pp imo, Letang maybe better on transition. But it's not like Yandle has had too much talent to work with in Phoenix, so that works for Letang.

I agree Letang is more complete player.

I really wish that Weiss and Horton would want a Florida reunion in Detroit. That would be awesome! But not really for the roster...

Franzen - Datsyuk - Zetterberg
Nyquist - Weiss - Horton
Abdelkader - Andersson/Helm - Tatar
Miller - Helm/Andersson - Eaves (Tootoo,Emmerton, Bertuzzi)

And where does Brunner fit?

Put Tatar or Abby on 4th line. Or trade Tatar.

 

[Fourth Liner]

Yandle isn't as complete as Letang but people saying that Letang is better offensively than Yandle have no clue. Put Yandle on PIT and you would see that he's the best OFD.

 

[gretskidoo]

Letang is godawful defensively, so saying he's better defensively than Yandle is silly.

 

[Fourth Liner]

Letang is godawful defensively, so saying he's better defensively than Yandle is silly.

Well, Yandle creates ton of turnovers which I count in his bad defensive plays. Also, Yandle isn't very good without the puck, he doesn't block shots either. I don't think it's silly to say that Letang is better defensively even if it may not be true.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Well, Yandle creates ton of turnovers which I count in his bad defensive plays. Also, Yandle isn't very good without the puck, he doesn't block shots either. I don't think it's silly to say that Letang is better defensively even if it may not be true.

Bigger thing would be Yandle basically never plays the top line and when he does he gets absolutely abused. Remember Datsyuk playing Yandle in those Yotes series. When he is asked to check the top tier forwards it is usually an embarrassing outcome for him.

As far as Yandle has better PP abilities, well maybe. You can blame the talent up front, but lets face it the Coyotes have one of the worst PP in the league for a bunch of years here running. If he was really stellar on it, he should be making a bigger impact in my opinion.

Finally he is left-handed and only plays the left side. So I guess some positive news once he gets here. Both he and Kronwall only play the left and Kronwall is better than him so he would be the #3 pretty quickly. Of course you just gave assets to Phoenix like he was #1 and your disappointed with what you have, but at least he wouldn't be asked to check the top lines pretty quickly here as well. Not a great fit for us.

 

[BF3]

Thank god I'm not Ray Shero. Pens are really going to feel what cap hell means.

Especially after the cap drops next year, and they don't even know what it will drop to. ***** and moan about Holland all you want (and we do...), but the Wings are in a sweet position in terms of the impending cap drop.

 

[Fourth Liner]

Bigger thing would be Yandle basically never plays the top line and when he does he gets absolutely abused. Remember Datsyuk playing Yandle in those Yotes series. When he is asked to check the top tier forwards it is usually an embarrassing outcome for him.

As far as Yandle has better PP abilities, well maybe. You can blame the talent up front, but lets face it the Coyotes have one of the worst PP in the league for a bunch of years here running. If he was really stellar on it, he should be making a bigger impact in my opinion.

Finally he is left-handed and only plays the left side. So I guess some positive news once he gets here. Both he and Kronwall only play the left and Kronwall is better than him so he would be the #3 pretty quickly. Of course you just gave assets to Phoenix like he was #1 and your disappointed with what you have, but at least he wouldn't be asked to check the top lines pretty quickly here as well. Not a great fit for us.

Watch him and you'll see what I mean, he is incredible offensively. He finished first in points for his team (along with 10 goals). He is the only positive point for the Coyotes on the PP, along with Vrbata I would say. When I watch the Coyotes, I easily see how much they lack offensive talent, Yandle can very well carry the puck in the offensive zone but nobody will complete his plays or place themselves to receive a pass. His shot is hard and on the net, creates second chances with the rebounds but his teammates often cannot complete the plays.

But I agree with what you said about him against top lines. Good point.

 

[Hendricks433]

because it's not like we NEED an all-star offensive defenseman, we did just fine this year with what we have. letang comes with a massive price, yandle's price is more than likely much lower and he can also put up the points and be defensively responsible. when acquiring a d-man during a time when it isn't a priority, why take a guy who will want a huge contract and in my opinion isn't that great in his own zone sometimes (but he has his moments). yandle is the safer bet, with a smaller price.

also, look at their points history, they put very similar numbers. i think yandle, on average, actually puts up more points than letang. i also believe he's better in his own zone, sooo...yeah.

edit: now i'm hearing that yandles price is higher than i expected. well, i hope it's not letang-like high.

Our defense isnt really fine. It was a glaring weakness in the playoffs and our offense sucked. Letang would help with both of those. He would help move the puck out of our zone and he would help our offense produce more points. Both things that we need.

Look at Chicago and Boston. Both teams have great puck moving d-men who get the puck our of the zone and generate offense. We dont have much of that at all.

Letang - Ericsson
Kronwall - Dekeyser
Smith - Kindl
Cola/Lashoff

That looks much better.

 

[PullHard]

We shouldn't touch the blueline at all. Let our own guys develop. Letang will want too much $.

Get another top 6 forward to add depth and help bridge Datsyuk's final years and Zetterberg's offensive decline until guys like Nyquist, Tatar, Jarnkrok, etc. are ready to play heavy minutes.

 

[Tomas W]

Samuelsson didnt play enough for you to comment on his play. Be concerned for his ability to stay healthy, I was already before DRW signed him again, but don't comment on his play, he was injury riddled and could do little to get going this last season.

 

[Heaton]

What about Bozak?

 

[ProPAIN]

What about Bozak?

Isn't he asking the same as Filppula ($5 to 5.5 million)? I rather keep Filppula. Similar age and Flip has actually hit more than 47 points in his career.

Only thing going for him is he is a RHS.

 

[Kronwalled55]

What about Bozak?

I think Leaf fans view Bozak pretty similar to the way we view Filppula... Maybe less.

I would just rather have Brunner. Seems like they will put up similar numbers.

 

[pdd]

We shouldn't touch the blueline at all. Let our own guys develop. Letang will want too much $.

Get another top 6 forward to add depth and help bridge Datsyuk's final years and Zetterberg's offensive decline until guys like Nyquist, Tatar, Jarnkrok, etc. are ready to play heavy minutes.

Zetterberg was better offensively in the regular season and playoffs than Datsyuk. Just FYI.

 

[Winger98]

As much as the Wings need some defensive stability, those big point producing defensemen don't come around very often. I think the asking price is high, but teams probably are worried about taking on a primarily offense, young guy who is going to cost them a lot for a long time.

And that seems like a mistake to me. Nearly every cup contender has at least one legit offensive D, usually a couple, and the truly skilled guys can work in pretty much any system. As you mention, these guys are also rare. You can get a stay-at-home D pretty much every summer for a couple of million or less, but a guy who can routinely put up 40+ points? You're paying a mint for that and there's at best one or two on the market.

I can understand teams just not having the pieces to make a deal, but it's the kind of player you should want around for a long time. I think Phoenix would be making a mistake moving him unless they got a tremendous haul for it.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

And that seems like a mistake to me. Nearly every cup contender has at least one legit offensive D, usually a couple, and the truly skilled guys can work in pretty much any system. As you mention, these guys are also rare. You can get a stay-at-home D pretty much every summer for a couple of million or less, but a guy who can routinely put up 40+ points? You're paying a mint for that and there's at best one or two on the market.

I can understand teams just not having the pieces to make a deal, but it's the kind of player you should want around for a long time. I think Phoenix would be making a mistake moving him unless they got a tremendous haul for it.

usually stanley cup winning team have those elite 7 plus million dollar dmen, guys who are elite in all 3 zones(doughty, chara, keith, lidstrom, pronger, etc)

letang is not up to snuff with those players

 

[ArGarBarGar]

Is anyone on the defensive roster up to snuff with those players?

Either way, Detroit is not going to get either him or Yandle. Those players have too much value for us to be able to make a play for them.

 

[Winger98]

usually stanley cup winning team have those elite 7 plus million dollar dmen, guys who are elite in all 3 zones(doughty, chara, keith, lidstrom, pronger, etc)

letang is not up to snuff with those players

I think Letang is closer to a couple of those guys than he's given credit for, and you wouldn't be getting any of them for $7m a season at this point. edit: not in their primes, anyway. a 42 yr old Lidstrom could probably have been signed for $7m, though.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

You must not have been around. The board was rejoicing that "slow, small Hudler" had been replaced with "big, gritty Samuelsson".

I remember people saying they'd rather have him than Hudler, but still wanted neither.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Bozak? Oh lord, no.

 

[HTT3*]

If Weiss is so special (over Flip), then he should be able to fetch $5.5+ million on the open market. I suspect he's looking for a payday like Filppula.

The likely scenario is either Holland pays Flip the money he thinks is fair, or he signs FA and the Wings go into next season with what we have. Wings already have enough forwards, in fact they have too many after he re-signs Cleary and promotes the kids like Tatar. Sucks losing Filppula, and a top 6 player, but I think a healthy Samuelsson would produce more points than Filppula. Hopefully Bertuzzi is healthy and ready to go, too.

 

[HTT3*]

EDIT:

I DON'T think Holland signs a FA and we go into next season with what we have.

 

[ricky0034]

I would just throw $5+ million Filppula's way and keep him.

but I think a healthy Samuelsson would produce more points than Filppula.

if Samuelsson's contract was up how much money would you give him?

 

[Winger98]

If Weiss is so special (over Flip), then he should be able to fetch $5.5+ million on the open market. I suspect he's looking for a payday like Filppula.

The likely scenario is either Holland pays Flip the money he thinks is fair, or he signs FA and the Wings go into next season with what we have. Wings already have enough forwards, in fact they have too many after he re-signs Cleary and promotes the kids like Tatar. Sucks losing Filppula, and a top 6 player, but I think a healthy Samuelsson would produce more points than Filppula. Hopefully Bertuzzi is healthy and ready to go, too.

The amount I saw rumored was Weiss is probably looking at 1.5 times what he's making now, or around $6m a year.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

Especially after the cap drops next year, and they don't even know what it will drop to. ***** and moan about Holland all you want (and we do...), but the Wings are in a sweet position in terms of the impending cap drop.

The Penguins are fine. Crosby and Malkin are what? 26 and 27?
They've got Crosby, Malkin and Sutter down the middle and under 30.
They'll need to scrimp a bit next year -- and that's not always a bad thing. But then the cap goes up again.

Regarding Weiss -- Smallish, finesse center... That's not what Babcock wants. It's not what we need.

I'd like to take a shot at signing Raffi Torress (under $2.5M) and Clowe (under $3.5M) and have a hybrid roster that plays Babcock style and Holland style.

Tatar-Datsyuk-Torres
Franzen-Zetterberg-Brunner
Nyuist-Andersson-Clowe
Abdelkader-Helm-Tootoo
Emmerton/Miller

If it was possible to dump Quincey and sign Scuderi, I'd make that move too.

Kronwall Dekeyser
Ericsson Kindl
Scuderi Smith