TSN: Vanek Open to Being Traded, Hopes He Can Stay By Winning

[Claypool]

The Detroit Red Wings could move Thomas Vanek by the March 1 trade deadline if their post-season streak appears to be doomed. In the meantime, Vanek is putting together a nice season.

The 32-year-old winger increased his potential appeal on Monday, scoring late in the second period to help Detroit to a 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Vanek leads the Red Wings with 12 goals, and his $2.6 million, one-year contract expires after this season. Even though Vanek knows he could go, he wants to stay.

"Obviously, I understand the business side of it," he acknowledged. Vanek was traded twice during the 2013-14 season, taking him and his expiring contract from Buffalo to the New York Islanders to Montreal in fewer than five months. He was searching for stability that following summer as a free agent and thought he had it with a $19.5 million, three-year contract in Minnesota, but the Wild bought out the final season of his deal last June.

After a disappointing season with just 41 points in 73 games in Minnesota, he has been a pleasant surprise in Detroit by averaging almost a point per game.

"I hope we can put some wins together and stay here," said Vanek, who has 328 career goals. "But if I'm moving, I'm getting pretty good at that, too."

http://www.tsn.ca/vanek-scores-lone-goal-as-wings-beat-canadiens-1.651695

Click to read more...

 

[jkutswings]

Glad to see he's both happy and a realist.

 

[Reddwit]

Not really any new material here. Pretty much the attitude I thought he'd have. Detroit is a great organization to hunker down in: You will be heralded as a star if you play well and you will be excused in the interim if you don't (sans goaltenders and a few undesirables). And even then, the media guillotine is extremely delayed, courtesy of the organization.

That said, if you want to compete for a Cup, you want to open yourself up to that possibility. (In particular, a guy like Vanek is the definition of a complementary piece that brings the whole thing together.) So you walk that diplomatic line between "Hey! I'm super competitive and want a Cup" and "I'd love to say with such a cozy organization if I have the chance."

The nice thing here is that this does give me hope with respect to him being traded for a fat return but, upon a playoff loss, wanting to also return to the Wings for a security. I wouldn't be opposed to that at all, given how he plays the game.

 

[Dotter]

May as well just keep him. He'll be a great help next season.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

May as well just keep him. He'll be a great help next season.

To what? Tanking?

 

[Datsyukian Deke]

May as well just keep him. He'll be a great help next season.

With no changes, next season will be the same abysmal play we've seen this year, no thanks.

Get what you can for him. If Ladd was able to get a 1st last year, I think Vanek would fetch that too. A potential top 5 pick to grab a Defenseman, and a later 1st rounder to grab a Center, I'll gladly take that.

I'd like them to see what they can also get, either at the deadline or before the draft for the likes of Abdelkader (if anyone will take that ridiculous contract off our hands), Helm, Sheahan, Tatar, & Nyquist, to perhaps help out with re-tooling the Defense.

It's time for this franchise to begin rebuilding, and if Holland wants to continue to be stubborn & unrealistic about things, push him out like the Devils did with Lamoriello, in order to get it done. Enough is enough, already.

 

[Henkka]

May as well just keep him. He'll be a great help next season.

Trade for a low-1st, and sign back at summer.

Win-win-win.

 

[PuckDynasty]

The problem is he isn't going to play next year for under 3 million. He's going to want a substantial raise, probably at least 5 million. He's been a good addition for the price, but he's not worth double that and at 32, after inking a long term deal with a good salary, he'll probably return to his unproductive ways. I'd like to see them trade Franz Nielsen also. They're at the bottom with them. Makes no sense to keep them.

 

[ricky0034]

The problem is he isn't going to play next year for under 3 million. He's going to want a substantial raise, probably at least 5 million. He's been a good addition for the price, but he's not worth double that and at 32, after inking a long term deal with a good salary, he'll probably return to his unproductive ways. I'd like to see them trade Franz Nielsen also. They're at the bottom with them. Makes no sense to keep them.

how the hell is he not worth 5 million right now? that's DeKeyser money

he'd also want term to go with it and so at his age i'd agree it won't work out well but come on he's worth well above 5 million right now

 

[borisbadenough]

He walks away from a rebuild in Buffalo with a promise from the new owner to make him a godzillionaire. Then he turns down owning a bank in LI, and putting up a pt a game for the reminder of his career playing with a top 3 NHL center.Then in Montreal, a place he never wanted to go, a week after he gets there he tells the braintrust he was not interested in signing.He and mellon head (the coach) do not see eye to eye (then they start to pee on him in the press and the coach extracts retribution). He goes UFA and signs in Minn for much less in money and term than other offers on the table because his wife wants to go home and he likes the State . He had to know the defensive system and personnel were a horrible fit. He plays hurt for one of the two years he is there (double hernia) (I wonder what Yeo thinks now watching him healthy in a more offensive structure playing with a real 2nd line center.

The point you may ask. Money does not motivate him is my take.

..Trade him and shed 10 mil in other payroll, bring back Vanek at 4-4.5 for four and have him make a run at Tavares for you.

think of it , down late by one, you send out Taveres ,z, and Vanek

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

chicago, washington, pittsburgh

I can see all three of these teams with interest and all 3 likely offering up their 1st rd pick(a pick likely between 25 and 30)

I do not see montreal or columbus or minnesota as having any interest whatsoever

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Trade for a low-1st, and sign back at summer.

Win-win-win.

I think all of us would be open to this.

If we could get a 2nd and a 3rd for him go ahead and retain half, And then possibly resign him this summer for 3 years $10.5 million sounds like he might be willing for awhile with the team.

 

[SirloinUB]

chicago, washington, pittsburgh

I can see all three of these teams with interest and all 3 likely offering up their 1st rd pick(a pick likely between 25 and 30)

I do not see montreal or columbus or minnesota as having any interest whatsoever

I'd Imagine Sharks and Ducks would have interest as well.

 

[Ezekial]

chicago, washington, pittsburgh

I can see all three of these teams with interest and all 3 likely offering up their 1st rd pick(a pick likely between 25 and 30)

I do not see montreal or columbus or minnesota as having any interest whatsoever

A lot of people doubt the Hawks will trade their 2017 first round pick due to the fact that the NHL Draft is in Chicago this year.

 

[Dotter]

With no changes, next season will be the same abysmal play we've seen this year, no thanks.

Get what you can for him. If Ladd was able to get a 1st last year, I think Vanek would fetch that too. A potential top 5 pick to grab a Defenseman, and a later 1st rounder to grab a Center, I'll gladly take that.

I'd like them to see what they can also get, either at the deadline or before the draft for the likes of Abdelkader (if anyone will take that ridiculous contract off our hands), Helm, Sheahan, Tatar, & Nyquist, to perhaps help out with re-tooling the Defense.

It's time for this franchise to begin rebuilding, and if Holland wants to continue to be stubborn & unrealistic about things, push him out like the Devils did with Lamoriello, in order to get it done. Enough is enough, already.

If this team is healthy next season, they'll be leaps and bounds better.

 

[Flowah]

A lot of people doubt the Hawks will trade their 2017 first round pick due to the fact that the NHL Draft is in Chicago this year.

If they thought Vanek could put them over the top for another cup, is the draft being in Chicago something they actually care about? Seems like a Cup would trump all else.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

A lot of people doubt the Hawks will trade their 2017 first round pick due to the fact that the NHL Draft is in Chicago this year.

That's a really good point.

 

[PuckDynasty]

If this team is healthy next season, they'll be leaps and bounds better.

But so will many other teams who are having injury problems right now.

 

[Flowah]

If this team is healthy next season, they'll be leaps and bounds better.

Some people say this every season. We really haven't had that many injury problems. Most of our MGL are from Franzen and Vitale. Meanwhile next year Z/Kronwall/Vanek/Green are all on the wrong side of 30 and yet another year older. And they're our best players.

So how's the team supposed to be "leaps and bounds" better?

 

[Winger98]

Some people say this every season. We really haven't had that many injury problems. Most of our MGL are from Franzen and Vitale. Meanwhile next year Z/Kronwall/Vanek/Green are all on the wrong side of 30 and yet another year older. And they're our best players.

So how's the team supposed to be "leaps and bounds" better?

yeah, Helm and Gator have been out of the lineup for bits, but they aren't the guys who are going to move the needle for us. If we're better next year it'll be because Mantha, Larkin, AA, a couple of kids on D, etc. continue to get better. If those kids stagnate or reverse course, we're in trouble. Those kids get better, we'll move up the standings.

 

[jkutswings]

If this team is healthy next season, they'll be leaps and bounds better.

Let's assume for a moment that no significant personnel changes take place, and that the roster is 100% healthy next season. A GIANT assumption, but that means:

* No additions were made to a defense that has been a problem for a long time. They're primarily struggling from a lack of talent and/or coaching, not a lack of health.
* The coach that most people are willing to fire sooner or later will return, along with the assistants that are toting a historically awful power play.
* Guys like Zetterberg and Kronwall and Ericsson are yet another year older. Even if they're all healthy, at least the latter two of those three are close to out to pasture.
* Multiple players have had extremely inconsistent play throughout their entire careers. I'm thinking of guys like Mrazek and Tatar and DeKeyser. While all three might be better next season, there's not sufficient evidence to expect a huge uptick across the board.
* This season, the Atlantic Division has been fairly lousy from top to bottom. If Detroit gets the benefit of the doubt in being better, several other teams should as well.

So other than hoping that Mantha and Larkin take the next step, and guys like Helm and Abdelkader provide a boost...what exactly is the basis of , "leaps and bounds" improvement? If they finish bottom 5 this year, I don't see why it wouldn't be bottom 10 next year, or flirting with the 8th seed as the absolute ceiling. They simply don't have enough first line talent to do more.

 

[Flowah]

yeah, Helm and Gator have been out of the lineup for bits, but they aren't the guys who are going to move the needle for us. If we're better next year it'll be because Mantha, Larkin, AA, a couple of kids on D, etc. continue to get better. If those kids stagnate or reverse course, we're in trouble. Those kids get better, we'll move up the standings.

We'll also likely lose Vanek. Green and Z are still unquestionably our leaders on the team. Those kids are gonna have to take an awfully big step to offset the current leaders continuing their decline.

 

[Retire91]

Bye Bye Vanek.

 

[Ezekial]

If they thought Vanek could put them over the top for another cup, is the draft being in Chicago something they actually care about? Seems like a Cup would trump all else.

I agree, that's just the speculation here in Chicago from the fans.

 

[InGusWeTrust]

Dude, at this point does it matter what we do? I mean we are in a bundle of trouble if Vegas doesnt take a bigger contract from us anyhow aren't we? What is more important..Vanek or Green long term? I think it would be relatively safe to assume that it is either one or the other with Vanek getting a raise and also Larkin, Mantha, AA all soon to come off ELC and needing money. I may be wrong. But I say trade him to any team willing to shell out a first. Maybe even snag a prospect as well.