Who will be your starting forwards 2020-2021 season.

[GreatGordie9]

I am going to start with Larkin, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, Mantha, Zadina, Glendening, Flip, LaFerniere, Helm, Rasmussen, Smith, Hirose. I am obviously thinking will get the first pick but would be happy with Byfield. Abby may be bought out, Perlini, gone, Kuffner in the minors, AA traded, Erne gone, Svechnikov, in the minors. Veleno one more in the minors. I think however we may get a scoring forward as a UFA. Nielsen waived or bought out.

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[Barry Amsterdam]

Fabbri Larkin bertuzzi
Zadina Flip Mantha
Lafreniere Nielsen Glendening
Helm Rasmussen Hirose

not what I’d want but what I see. See Laf getting the Zadina treatment with those two if we are lucky enough to select him

 

[2xJack]

It's too early for me to make my predictions. I'll say that I'd really like to see Nielsen, Helm and Abdelkader gone... but that's probably going to be the fourth line.

 

[Gniwder]

Bert-Lark-Mantha
Zadina-Fabbri-Raz (Raz can eventually switch to center)
Helm/Svech-Flip-AA
Erne/Helm-LGD-Abby/Perlini/Nielsen/whatever

If Raz and Svech make the team, Erne and Perlini are probably gone.
One of the big problems with this team is the 2C position, I'd like to see Fabbri and Raz get a shot at that during THIS season, since it's a wasted season anyways.

 

[lhsgolf19]

I also think there will be a buy out in the offseason, either Frans or Abby

I don’t think it’s worth it to buy out Helm since he’s a UFA after next year

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

I think/hope JV will be ready by 2020 start or shortly into it. He may need/probably will need some insulation to start so I put Fabbri on 2RW. I don't want anybody else in the Top6, barring a AL/QB pick who could be NHL Top6/9 ready. **Disclaimer, if JV doesn't show he's at least 3C ready by 2020 start, I'd consider looking at cap casualty teams (TBL-Gourde/Johnson) w/25%+ retention, though their specific terms are a bit longer than ideal, they could be traded later (waived NTCs). The expansion draft could work in our favor.

Bert-Larkin-Zadina
Mantha-Veleno-Fabbri
---------------------------
Svech/Helm-Flip-LGD
Svech/Helm--Ras--Nielsen/Erne

Nielsen/Erne
Perlini
___________________
AA-traded @TDL/offseason
Hirose-GR to start or traded by/in 2020.
Ehn...GR
Smith-....GR to start til Helm/LGD traded
Turgeon.....GR to start til Helm/LGD traded
Kuffner...GR

Abby-bought out. His A goes to Bertuzzi. Larkin gets C, his A goes to Hronek. Nielsen's A goes to DDK.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Depends who the coach is.

Bert-Larkin-Glendening
Zadina-Fil-Mantha
Hirose-Nielsen-Helm
Perlini-Rasmussen-Erne

Defense? Let's be real, we don't have a defense.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Depends who the coach is.

Bert-Larkin-Glendening
Zadina-Fil-Mantha
Hirose-Nielsen-Helm
Perlini-Rasmussen-Erne

Defense? Let's be real, we don't have a defense.

Did you trade Fabbri?

 

[GMR]

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha
Fabbri - Rasmussen - Zadina
Nielsen - Filppula - Glendenning
Lesnar - Helm - Abdelkader

 

[GMR]

I also think there will be a buy out in the offseason, either Frans or Abby

I don’t think it’s worth it to buy out Helm since he’s a UFA after next year

Ken Holland should be forced to buy those contracts out. Can't believe Abdelkader is signed for another three years. Ouch.

 

[NotLeddy]

I think AA, Glendening and Helm will be traded. Might get some reclamation projects/C level prospects at the deadline (probably only for AA, don't think Helm will return anything but a 4th/5th, Glendening might get like a fringe NHLer with no top 6 six upside but can still be valuable). I wonder if Steve is valuing and wanting more potential Fabbris/Perlinis than 3rd/4th round picks to build depth looking towards the trade deadline.

I think Erne, Perlini, Hirose, Bowey, Green, Biega, Daley, Howard and Ericsson all will be let go/not qualified. Bernier might get flipped and I could see Steve taking some flyers on young goaltenders/cheaper fringe starters and rolling with that tandem over Bernier/Howard. I think Steve is going to add a lot more of "his" depth and start constructing a roster he envisions more, it's just probably going to take awhile.

Nielsen might get bought out I think, they can afford it. It's not as bad as the Perry or Phaneuf buyout if they do it at the end of this season. He's just such a black hole at this point, it might be for the best just to free up that roster spot unfortunately. We'd be paying $3.14 million next season and $4.416 mil the next, and then 666,667 the next two years after that.

I also expect Steve to sign some unknown European UFAs/KHL players (e.g. Ilya Mihkeyev) over the next summer or two in hoping of striking gold. But either way, I honestly could see the only current players on the team next season being Larkin, Mantha, Zadina, Bertuzzi, Nemeth, Hronek, Filppula, Fabbri, Dekeyser, Abdelkader and Comrie. After such a bad season, you can't just bring the same team back, right?

 

[MBH]

Were it up to me:
Next year.
Bertuzzi-Larkin-Fabbri
Zadina-AA-Mantha
Svech-Flip-Rasmussen
Helm-Glendening-Abdelkader
(Nielsen/Ehn)

But I get the sense AA/Svech aren't part of the plans here.

 

[Retire91]

In all honestly I would healthy scratch Neilsen and Abdelkader from here on out and I would wave them both to GR if any team expressed interest in them for free. If I were the owner I would give them permission to move away and tell them they lucked out on their payday but we are not obligated to subject the fan to you. If their agents want them to play go find a team that will take them we will give them to you for free.

Let a prospect sink or swim in the bigs it isn't going to hurt our record so let's see what they got.

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha
Lafreniere - Fabbri - Zadina
Svechnikov - Rasmussen - Athanasiou
Helm - Filppula - Perlini

 

[Henkka]

I also think there will be a buy out in the offseason, either Frans or Abby

No, just bury them if not needed. Don't want any extra caphits hurt us on our success seasons. Buyouts will push those too far in the future.

Burying them in AHL will kill those contracts earlier.

 

[MBH]

I wonder if demoting a guy like Abby or Nielsen might convince them to retire.

 

[Retire91]

I also think there will be a buy out in the offseason, either Frans or Abby

I don’t think it’s worth it to buy out Helm since he’s a UFA after next year

Do you have any idea how long buyouts stay on the books? Stephen Weiss is still on the books for crying out loud. There is no need to buyout contracts the wings can absorb the hit, we shouldn't be signing marquee UFA anyway when the core is not yet established. If you want them off the ice just healthy scratch them and hope they get the message to retire or go play in Europe.

I highly doubt Yzerman wants 2-4 million in wasted cap space for 4-6 years, in order to gain what exactly?

 

[Gniwder]

In all honestly I would healthy scratch Neilsen and Abdelkader from here on out and I would wave them both to GR if any team expressed interest in them for free. If I were the owner I would give them permission to move away and tell them they lucked out on their payday but we are not obligated to subject the fan to you. If their agents want them to play go find a team that will take them we will give them to you for free.

Let a prospect sink or swim in the bigs it isn't going to hurt our record so let's see what they got.

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Mantha
Lafreniere - Fabbri - Zadina
Svechnikov - Rasmussen - Athanasiou
Helm - Filppula - Perlini

Not enough PKers, you got Bert/Larkin and Helm/Flip. You need 2 more so that Bert/Larkin don't spend too much time on PK. Replace Perlini with LGD and maybe pair him with Raz? Does he PK in GR?

I wonder if demoting a guy like Abby or Nielsen might convince them to retire.

… and give up $4.25 or $5.25M? For that kind of money you could ask me to just about anything.

 

[MBH]

Not enough PKers, you got Bert/Larkin and Helm/Flip. You need 2 more so that Bert/Larkin don't spend too much time on PK. Replace Perlini with LGD and maybe pair him with Raz? Does he PK in GR?


… and give up $4.25 or $5.25M? For that kind of money you could ask me to just about anything.

I think it depends on the guy.
Nielsen has how much in the bank.
Does he want to ride the bus for the next two years?
Now, Abby's from West Michigan. So I don't know. He might end up as player/coach down there if we did that.

 

[lidstromiscool]

If we end up with Lafreniere, I would acquire a 2C so he doesn't have to develop in the NHL with Fil or Nielsen as his center. Other than that, I wouldn't change too much for next year, I don't think the forward group is too bad.

 

[saska sault]

I wonder if demoting a guy like Abby or Nielsen might convince them to retire.

Zero chance. Give up those pay cheques for the next few years? We can only hope they sustain a LTIR worthy episode (one that of course has no bearing on their quality of life away from hockey).

 

[lilidk]

Depends who the coach is.

Bert-Larkin-Glendening
Zadina-Fil-Mantha
Hirose-Nielsen-Helm
Perlini-Rasmussen-Erne

Defense? Let's be real, we don't have a defense.

Fabbri?

 

[ShelbyZ]

Zero chance. Give up those pay cheques for the next few years? We can only hope they sustain a LTIR worthy episode (one that of course has no bearing on their quality of life away from hockey).

On top of that, their checks would get bigger if they get demoted since they would no longer have to contribute to Escrow.

 

[saska sault]

On top of that, their checks would get bigger if they get demoted since they would no longer have to contribute to Escrow.

I still think we see them bought out over being demoted. There is almost no cap savings to demoting players to the AHL now, just buy them out if you are already eating most of the cap hit. Leave room for the young guys to develop on the top lines, round out the Griffin's roster with veterans who won't be sulking since they are demoted and other guys looking for a second chance. I can't see Abby or Frans going down and accepting the demotion, then becoming good leaders for the young guys while also allowing those same players to run the top 2 lines and get the PP opportunities. They go down and just eat up the opportunities for guys like Veleno and Ras.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I still think we see them bought out over being demoted. There is almost no cap savings to demoting players to the AHL now, just buy them out if you are already eating most of the cap hit. Leave room for the young guys to develop on the top lines, round out the Griffin's roster with veterans who won't be sulking since they are demoted and other guys looking for a second chance. I can't see Abby or Frans going down and accepting the demotion, then becoming good leaders for the young guys while also allowing those same players to run the top 2 lines and get the PP opportunities. They go down and just eat up the opportunities for guys like Veleno and Ras.

I'd just think that while they don't "need" the cap space, they probably just let those contracts run out unless the players become a complete dumpster fire (probably Nielsen getting any worse lol). That way they can have the cleanest slate possible when they need to really start paying guys like Zadina, Hronek, Cholowski, etc.

Looking at how Nielsen's deal is structured, I wouldn't be surprised if he retires outright or through LTIR before the last season of it starts. After 7/1/21, he's only getting another $1.5M in salary. And due to that how that season is structured, his buyout would give the Wings less cap space than if he was buried.

As Abdelkader's contract wears on, he probably continues in a role he's been in most of the season playing 4th line wing and killing penalties and maybe even at some point a #12/13 guy, which isn't exactly the best spot for young guys that could be getting top line roles in GR. Interestingly, Abdelkader is sitting at #10 in forward ice time, so his NTC will be voided starting next season, when his salary starts to go below his cap hit, even if the Wings miraculously make the playoffs. That likely makes the contract moveable. Helm is in the same boat.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

I'd like to see us continue the youth movement while also integrating some players from FA. My #1 F target would be Clifford who is excellent at driving play at 5v5 and would be a good fit on our 3rd line. I know he isn't a big name, but he has excellent numbers at ES and I think it's really unlikely that the prospect he may block would be able to provide as much value as he should.

The biggest question for the forwards in 2020-2021 is what we should do with Nielsen, Filppula, and Abdelkader. I think we should be able to move Helm this trade deadline, especially if we were to retain say 50% of the contract, but the other 3 are already either replacement level or worse. Given our center depth I think we end up playing Filppula & Nielsen, but we should relegate Abdelkader to the press box.

I think we re-sign one or two of Svech/Erne/Perlini for around 1M and allow them to rotate in as the 12th/13th F. As well, I'd like to have traded AA this year so my lineup reflects that trade. Assuming we draft 1 of Laff/Byfield/Rossi I think our F lines could look something like this:

Bertuzzi-Larkin-Mantha
Zadina-Nielsen-Fabbri
Clifford-Filppula-Laff/Byfield/Rossi
Hirose-Glendening-Svech/Erne/Abdelkader
Svech/Erne/Abdelkader

I think both Rasmussen and Veleno could use another half season or more in the AHL and in 2021-2022 there should be more openings in the lineup for Centers. If they're ready for a bigger role I don't think it would be hard to make room for them by waiving one of Erne/Svech.