Ansar Khan: Wings interested in Vanek among others

[jkutswings]

I disagree with the fundamentals of your line of thinking. We are a bottom 5 team. Only 3 teams scored less goals than us. No one would be surprised if we are the worst team in the league next season by a margin of 10 points.

And I'd prefer to be a bottom 1 team, by a wide margin.

Sure in theory it's possible Vanek scores an important goal that helps us win game #53 of the season which could then be seen as a reason we finish 4th worst instead of 3rd worst. Just like Larkin could get 80+ points and singlehandedly win enough games to put us out of the bottom 10, or Howard could win the Vezina, or Blashill could emulate Gallant and take us to the SCF.

One of these scenarios is an order of magnitude more likely than the others.

Or, Mantha could score 50 goals but our sh*t defense still lands us as a bottom 3 team. Who the heck knows. But when you're as bad as we are, you can't be afraid to sign a dirt cheap FA for 1 year because THAT guy is going to help you win a bunch of games. We're so bad that we could add Karlsson and Tavares and still not be a lock to make the playoffs.

I'm not at all afraid to sign anybody. But when rebuilding, you either sign an asset to flip - which Vanek is not - or you sign a guy with a future here - which Vanek is not.

Dylan Larkin is the only player anywhere on the roster or in the system that I'm certain I want to keep. Anybody else is fair game for the right price, so everybody else should either show noticeable growth, or be shipped out / taken off the books when feasible, not brought back for a reunion tour to perhaps win a few more meaningless regular season games.

 

[Heaton]

The reasoning for purising these UFA's is incredibly silly, but it goes in line with Holland's wrong thinking. I view Holland's idea that Vanek will sell tickets the same way that 'any team' who makes the playoffs has a shot to win the cup.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

The reasoning for purising these UFA's is incredibly silly, but it goes in line with Holland's wrong thinking. I view Holland's idea that Vanek will sell tickets the same way that 'any team' who makes the playoffs has a shot to win the cup.

I think they want Vanek around entirely for AA and Rasmussen. Yes he can still score. By the way Vanek after last trade deadline where he went to Columbus and had a big impact isn't necessarily the same ole Vanek at the deadline this year, that will help hopefully, we will see. But he complements some of what we need to do. He is a high-skill player that gets to grimy places and made a living understanding where to be in the offensive zone and probably has shown the most chemistry with AA of any forward we have had.

If they don't sign him nothing is lost, if they do I understand the reasoning in terms of a steady vet that can teach our young guys how to play in front of the net, how to get open in the o-zone and be a clinical finisher when opportunities present themselves. He can also perhaps get AA's value into an area where flipping him yields a better return.

Also if you guys want a last place finish, we have to trade Howard and make basically a mockery of who plays goal for us all year. That is the only way I know to do that, Buffalo and the Leafs did this to find their way to the bottom. Nielsen is also a problem for tanking as he is a shootout wizard and great glue-guy in terms of versatility. Those to me are the pieces that if we moved mid-year you could watch a spectacular plummet.

 

[HIFE]

Wait, did you just say "big impact"? I thought Vanek was garbage as usual, 2 points in 6 games and is simply a soft, washed up former superstar.

How many more Vanek/Hanzel/Nash/Plekanec/Gionta/Iginla vet TD signings will bomb out before these GM's just give up on the fantasy? I think it's crazy how many people are actually entertaining the thought of Vanek returning... I mean you really want to watch this guy play hockey? No thanks.

Kovalchuk too is a joke. I saw nearly every Russian game and wasn't impressed- with his play or cheap-shots. The Wings are nuts to dream he can still dominate NHL games, especially on this team. I personally think he's a p***y and will laugh watching him return and fall flat on his face.

If Detroit is looking at UFA's there are younger and better options.

 

[Ezekial]

15 points in 19 games is more of what he was talking about. 17 in 25 ain't bad, could've had a better playoffs

If he has the numbers he had in Vancouver and not on a playoff team, he'll be traded.

Edit: my bad I thought he had had 15 in 16 games, turns out it was 19.

 

[jkutswings]

Also if you guys want a last place finish, we have to trade Howard and make basically a mockery of who plays goal for us all year. That is the only way I know to do that, Buffalo and the Leafs did this to find their way to the bottom.

Jared Coreau, come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price of Hughes!

 

[njx9]

Jared Coreau, come on down! You're the next contestant on The Price of Hughes!

Really, though. If the team bring back Green and signs a Vanek or Kovalchuk, there's no reason in the world to keep Jimmy around.

 

[Hammettf2b]

With the selection of Zadina and the extension of Frk, does that squash any vet forward signing? or does a trade of AA/Nyquist make it still a possibility?

 

[shanman]

With the selection of Zadina and the extension of Frk, does that squash any vet forward signing? or does a trade of AA/Nyquist make it still a possibility?

i would hope that unless we move one of those it squashes those rumors. Just wouldnt have the fit in the lineup to add a guy like vanek now and still bring some of our next 3 in

 

[masta8]

With the selection of Zadina and the extension of Frk, does that squash any vet forward signing? or does a trade of AA/Nyquist make it still a possibility?

Maybe the Zadina selection, but I feel like Frk will be playing the David Booth role this year.. 30-40 games when players are hurt and on the 4th line when in.. wouldn't mind them trading Nyqvist as long as it brings us back a younger defenceman or a reasonable draft pick.

 

[masta8]

I think they want Vanek around entirely for AA and Rasmussen. Yes he can still score. By the way Vanek after last trade deadline where he went to Columbus and had a big impact isn't necessarily the same ole Vanek at the deadline this year, that will help hopefully, we will see. But he complements some of what we need to do. He is a high-skill player that gets to grimy places and made a living understanding where to be in the offensive zone and probably has shown the most chemistry with AA of any forward we have had.
.

That is very true, I believe the line was Vanek, AA and Nielsen. That line was buzzing and I think it was up until he was traded if I remember correctly..

 

[RedWingzz]

Maybe the Zadina selection, but I feel like Frk will be playing the David Booth role this year.. 30-40 games when players are hurt and on the 4th line when in.. wouldn't mind them trading Nyqvist as long as it brings us back a younger defenceman or a reasonable draft pick.

Maybe Frk does well and we can flip him at some point for a pick. I'm sure this is why Holland brought him back. Try to turn him into a potential future asset. The fact that we drafted Zadina also probably plays into the Frk contract.

 

[datsyukfan]

Moving a nyquist and helm would make me more in on Vanek even if it’s say 3yrs at 3 per something like that I would like as he can always produce, him nielsen and AA were a great line together. This would leave us

Bert- Z- Zadina
Mantha-Larkin- rass
Vanek-nielsen-AA
Svech-glendenning-Abby
Frk

Maybe svech and nyquist and a 3rd are moved to get a guy like Faulk in, then can flip helm for a 3rd to recoup that. Add a teurgon or cheap fa to play 4th line/compete with frk instead of svech. The one thing frk does is that he has that shot on pp and if he can learn to get it off quicker at times and be more accurate he could be a great 4th line plus pp guy for us

 

[Hammettf2b]

Moving a nyquist and helm would make me more in on Vanek even if it’s say 3yrs at 3 per something like that I would like as he can always produce, him nielsen and AA were a great line together. This would leave us

Bert- Z- Zadina
Mantha-Larkin- rass
Vanek-nielsen-AA
Svech-glendenning-Abby
Frk

Maybe svech and nyquist and a 3rd are moved to get a guy like Faulk in, then can flip helm for a 3rd to recoup that. Add a teurgon or cheap fa to play 4th line/compete with frk instead of svech. The one thing frk does is that he has that shot on pp and if he can learn to get it off quicker at times and be more accurate he could be a great 4th line plus pp guy for us

Trading Helm might be harder than it seems however on his UFA year I can definitely see teams wanting his services at the TDL for a playoff run assuming he is still good at what he does.

 

[datsyukfan]

Trading Helm might be harder than it seems however on his UFA year I can definitely see teams wanting his services at the TDL for a playoff run assuming he is still good at what he does.

I think if you retain 25% a team will pay a 2/3 for him