Weaponized cap space?

[avssuc]

Saw the Hockey Guy talking about this today so I thought I'd bring it up here. You should be able to select 2 answers, change them as you like.

With the CBA not doing cap strapped teams any favors for the next 3 years, the Wings are in a position to add some nice futures if they think that's best for the rebuild.

So I'm curious what you fine people have to say about this...

-What players and teams do you folks see working with the Wings (best fits)?

-What 'current' prospects (like Puljujarvi if the Wings take Neal) might be targets for the Wings?

-Will the new CBA really up the price of cap dumps?

-If so, what might the Wings be able to get if they went all in?

Click to read more...

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I am okay chasing the big names. But I want to be all in on one plan. I am either weaponize it all or chase the Hall, Krug and Petro guys.

Of course there is a part of me that wants to flip the double birds at the league be a cap floor team and say fix the lottery, because we aren't helping the system move money now... I think the assets that will be dumped will be attractive enough to change my mind. If it is a Callahan to Ottawa esk move well that is where I hope we tell the other team to **** right off.

 

[Henkka]

Use it all for good players and never look back.

Let's make The Detroit Red Wings GREAT AGAIN.

A) UFA Torey Krug
B) Cirelli with a trade from Tampa
C) Robin Lehner from UFA

 

[Killerjas]

Sign all of them players. Make it seem like this is NHL 20 and sign them up!

 

[DarylO]

I think it would be smart to go after some of the lesser known but decent depth character guys that can be flipped at the TD for picks which also helping the younger players by having good examples in the room.

 

[Henkka]

Imo, it's always good to sign assets, because then you can let some other assets go in a trade.

So hoarding guys does not mean you sign and trade them. You'll sign better new players, and trade former lesser players from the team. Add value for future in picks, and at same time you improve the team.

It's a win-win. Best win-win than anything, if you improve the team and add value for future in picks.

I would't sign anything mediocre anymore. We have reached a point, where our own waiver-exempt guys should be the placeholders. This team obviously has to get better. We have those bad contracts (Abby and Frans), but we can live with them with cheap ELCs being the replacements. And when those contracts die away, freed up cap space goes to extensions.

 

[Hen Kolland]

Saw the Hockey Guy talking about this today so I thought I'd bring it up here. You should be able to select 2 answers, change them as you like.

With the CBA not doing cap strapped teams any favors for the next 3 years, the Wings are in a position to add some nice futures if they think that's best for the rebuild.

So I'm curious what you fine people have to say about this...

-What players and teams do you folks see working with the Wings (best fits)?

-What 'current' prospects (like Puljujarvi if the Wings take Neal) might be targets for the Wings?

-Will the new CBA really up the price of cap dumps?

-If so, what might the Wings be able to get if they went all in?

Going all in? You probably go all in and walk away with one of Hall/Krug/Pietrangelo, plus Holtby/Lehner. All signed to a projected negative value contract as it ages (over-pay, over-term).

Outside of those players, I am sure there are some depth players that Yzerman will want to look at, but there really isn't anybody that makes me super excited one way or another. Although they will likely need to sign a depth goalie to be behind Bernier.

Situation looks like this(?):

Roster and Obvious Resigns // Potential Resigns // AHL and Juniors

F: Larkin, Mantha, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, Zadina, Helm, Filppula, Glendening, Nielsen, Abdelkader // Erne, Gagner, Perlini, Ehn, Timashov // Svech, Ras, Veleno, Hirose, Peason, Smith, Turgeon, Brome
D: Nemeth, Hronek, Lindstrom, Dekeyser, Biega // Bowey // Seider, Cholowski, McIsaac, McIlrath, Hicketts
G: Bernier // Howard // Pickard

I feel like there are some obvious graduations. I would for sure graduate Rasmussen, Seider, probably Cholowski. Smith, Svech, and Veleno should all have consideration in camp. Timashov and Bowey are the only two RFAs I am really intrigued by, and the former has way more intrigue than the latter. And this doesn't factor in the potential draft of a player who may emerge as NHL ready, like Stutzle/Byfield falling, Rossi, Lundell(?).

We could get by without a real signing except someone to replace Howard.

----------------------
My final feeling on this, throw out a feeler on Krug. I have no interest in paying him like a #1, but if it's reasonable, I would entertain. Sign a goalie.

Normally I would say let the contract situation clean itself up through attrition, but this year I think I can honestly say, attrition may make the team better in 20/21. Let dead weight fall, let players like Helm and Nielsen drop into bottom line roles and be replaced by Ras and Svech/Smith/Veleno.

 

[Marky9er]

Is Brodie a big name? I feel like he's a medium name. An experienced vet who can usher in Seider and play close to home. He probably wants to win, though.

 

[Winger98]

I think the Wings will explore weaponizing the cap space to see what is there, but the price won't be right and Yzerman will continue to do what he did last summer - bring in some guys to try to solidify the roster, don't overspend, and prepare to suck again for a high pick. Hopefully, he is able to deal off some guys at the deadline for more picks.

 

[raymond23]

Weaponize the hell out of it. Take advantage of teams that have no other option.

 

[teemussalami]

It's time to get as many assets as they possibly can and build for the future. Yzerman needs to rebuild properly, and fill up the bare shelves. Spending money on big name FA will only help in the short run.

 

[NickH8]

I think we need to start looking at actually adding in free agency. We have a unique opportunity this year due to the flat cap. I think we can add a couple guys for the medium term AND weaponize our cap space. No vet is going to want to come here on a short term deal unless they are a Nemeth or Filppula type, which we don't need. We need to sell guys on the long term. It will be hard but it's possible. A guy like Tyson Barrie who is 28 you could sell that we'll be looking at playoffs in the later half of a 4 year contract, at that point he could be a veteran leader and we could look at extending him a couple more years. If it doesn't work out that way we move him to a contender. Maybe a guy like Khudobin would bite on a chance at being the starter for a couple years. Then let's just say we take on Neal for futures. I think with a hypothetical roster like this you would start seeing a positive trend in where the team is going, while having veterans who are not overpaid (or are only slightly overpaid during a term in which it won't matter) to help the young guys transition.

Neal - Larkin - Mantha
Bertuzzi - Rasmussen - Zadina
Helm - Filppula - Fabbri
Svechnikov - Glendening - Brome
Hirose/Timashov

DeKeyser - Hronek
Nemeth - Barrie
Cholowski/Bowey/Lindstrom/Seider

Khudobin
Bernier

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Take what is given. We're a putrid team that's lucked into a lot of cap space at a time when it's incredibly valuable. You won't get many chances like this one, so you've got to take full advantage while you can.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure Yzerman has said they're not going to make any big UFA signings this off-season.

 

[Retire91]

There is not a single FA that is truly available that fits the core. Fill out UFA signings once the core is established. This is not the time to chase FA. Use that cap space for future picks and prospects, not future bad contracts.

 

[Henkka]

Is Brodie a big name? I feel like he's a medium name. An experienced vet who can usher in Seider and play close to home. He probably wants to win, though.

Brodie is kinf o stabilizer, like Dekeyser and Nemeth. But because we have Dekeyser and Nemeth, I'd like to prefer adding skill LhD (Krug) for better mix and go right size with our current guys/kids. Those are also a good mix.

 

[Henkka]

There is not a single FA that is truly available that fits the core. Fill out UFA signings once the core is established. This is not the time to chase FA. Use that cap space for future picks and prospects, not future bad contracts.

This proably is THE TIME to add UFA. Because many won't fit on contenders. So then they should consider teams which turn to rise soon.

With rising cap the hunting for opportunity + success + money would have been likely destination for many. Now you can't get everything for sure.

Now that's changed, and I believe we will see different kind of UFA market behaviour than in the past.

 

[jkutswings]

Exhaust all options for long term success:

1) Is there one or more steady free agents (goaltender, defense) to solidify glaring weaknesses a bit?
2) Burn up the phone lines to find the best return on adding one or more cap dumps.
3) Keep feelers out for possible trades. There's very little ammo in town, but it only takes one sucker to swindle.
4) Be ready to move up or down at the draft, depending on who goes when.

I don't want to pick just two options, because I want management to use ALL options.

 

[MBH]

If you can get a real asset? Sure. A late second?
Don't bother.

I'd rather sign UFAs who can ease the burden on the youngsters and help them keep the compass pointed in the right direction when the storms hit.

 

[Kronwalled55]

Yzerman needs to do something regarding goaltending. I don't mean more 1-2 year stopgaps... we need to actually address it. This organization selects a goaltender every other year in the draft and each one has been a total flop. Plus, the one goaltender they WERE able to groom into an NHL starter got traded by Kenny.

This team is trash, no doubt about it. But I am interested to see what this team could do with reliable goaltending. I wonder how glaring the flaws would still look like in that scenario. Food for thought.

 

[MBH]

Brodie is kinf o stabilizer, like Dekeyser and Nemeth. But because we have Dekeyser and Nemeth, I'd like to prefer adding skill LhD (Krug) for better mix and go right size with our current guys/kids. Those are also a good mix.

So you're not playing Cholowski next year?

 

[BinCookin]

I said weaponise the cap space. But Part of me thinks Taking on bad contracts for a pick is really only worth it for a 1st rounder. If not suck it.

Here would be my main plan to weaponise the cap space. Sign UFA's. but for FAR below their real value!

Why would someone like T.J. Brodie sign for below his value you ask? Because not many teams have the cap to sign him. This will be true for many 2-3rd liners. And we will have the cap space. It will be a choice they have, get underpaid and stay in the NHL hoping to put up the kind of numbers that keeps them in the show... or freakin retire.

That may sound harsh, but that is how we should be negotiating with these UFA's. 1-2 year deals tops. And far below their real value. This makes these players more valuable at the TDL to be flipped for additional picks.

No secret what our plan is... They either go for it, or they don't. In either case, we could get a lot of picks my utilising 15-20M this way.

 

[avssuc]

Sign all of them players. Make it seem like this is NHL 20 and sign them up!

I did that, but the Wings still got 4th in the 2121 draft.

 

[Larkin2AA]

I did that, but the Wings still got 4th in the 2121 draft.

101 years later and we are still getting 4th... in a video game. Dammit.

 

[avssuc]

I said weaponise the cap space. But Part of me thinks Taking on bad contracts for a pick is really only worth it for a 1st rounder. If not suck it.

Here would be my main plan to weaponise the cap space. Sign UFA's. but for FAR below their real value!

Why would someone like T.J. Brodie sign for below his value you ask? Because not many teams have the cap to sign him. This will be true for many 2-3rd liners. And we will have the cap space. It will be a choice they have, get underpaid and stay in the NHL hoping to put up the kind of numbers that keeps them in the show... or freakin retire.

That may sound harsh, but that is how we should be negotiating with these UFA's. 1-2 year deals tops. And far below their real value. This makes these players more valuable at the TDL to be flipped for additional picks.

No secret what our plan is... They either go for it, or they don't. In either case, we could get a lot of picks my utilising 15-20M this way.

Yea, this is concerning. It's pretty easy to get all caught up in San Jose or Ottawa giving away top 4 lottery picks every year, but I'd assume NHL GMs have learned a lesson. I guess the only positive aspect of this is that we all know chances are decent that some desperate GM will get taken by Yzerman, not the other way around. That helps me sleep better.

 

[Henkka]

So you're not playing Cholowski next year?

There will games enough games also for him. 7th D usually plays ~57 games on average per 82.

He can be in AHL still. If there's no AHL we can send Seider to Mannheim, and let Bowey/Cholo/Biega be 5-6-7.

Just world full of options, not problems.