Wings make offer to Green

[Bench]

The blueline is already tank worthy with Green on it, I'm pretty terrified how it goes without him. There's building for the future, and then there's throwing your young players to the wolves with absolutely no help.

And I'm not sure we can count on Daley, Ericsson, and Kronwall to keep minute crunching. They were 2, 4, and 5 respectively in minutes per game last season. Green was #1. There's room for 1 young player to get some good minutes even with Green. Without him, it's wiiiiidddddeeee open. Maybe too open.

 

[cjm502]

With our defense already being pretty bad and extremely unproductive I would hate to see how awful it would be missing arguably our best defenseman.

 

[odin1981]

Let him go sign a ufa 3rd pairing scrub for 1-2 years for less money. With lesser offensive production comes better draft picks to further along the rebuild. And then either rotate a young kid for 15-20 games to see if any looks ready or if in camp a kid comes out on top let him play as #6.

 

[newfy]

Replace him with Bouchard/Dobson.

A one or two year deal that is tradeable would be fine. The team still tanks with him but at least a guy can get hte puck to Larkin with him around

 

[masta8]

Extending Green would weaken our tank for Jack Hughes pretty good though... if Green doesn't resign I think 55 year-old Kronwall might be running the point on the PP1 ..

 

[jkutswings]

Justin Faulk Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

Mike Green Stats | Hockey-Reference.com

Package AA in a trade for Justin Faulk and let Green walk.

Faulk is 26 to Green's 32, has 2 years left at $4.8M, and might still be useful when the kids hit their stride. If the team needs a "bridge veteran" who might improve with a change of scenery, he's the type of guy I'd target, and the Wings will not likely find a better opportunity to deal for a defenseman, unless Trouba flat out tells the Jets he's leaving.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I understand that people want to move on from Green, but without him who replaces his production? Is it really good for Larkin and Mantha to have no help from the blue line? Hronek isn't quite ready, he still needs to work on his defense and Hicketts just came off of a down season.

x2. This is why I'm 100% fine with re-signing Green (to a reasonable contract obviously). IMO, it would be a hindrance to the development of the teams young forwards to have no competent PMD or PPQB.

I also think if you're hoping Green doesn't return because it opens a spot for another young D in the line-up, you're going to have bad time... You might as well open Word and type out your disdain for a Tobias Enstrom signing now, so you can simply copy and paste it in the signing thread on 7/1.

 

[njx9]

And I'm not sure we can count on Daley, Ericsson, and Kronwall to keep minute crunching.

If we already can't rely on Daley to play those minutes, then he was an even worse signing than I thought before.

Though I agree on Kronwall and E, who should both be playing 5/6D minutes.

All that said, I'm not fussed - I don't think Larkin's development changes one iota if he has 1/6 defensemen who can occasionally make a pass vs. 0/6. It's not like Green is really even a stud - he's just the best of a really, really bad bunch.

 

[Frk It]

If we already can't rely on Daley to play those minutes, then he was an even worse signing than I thought before.

You thought you were going to get a top pairing guy for 3.3 million in UFA?

 

[njx9]

You thought you were going to get a top pairing guy for 3.3 million in UFA?

Of course not, but I'd expect to be unconcerned about him being able to play 20ish minutes a night.

ETA: He played the 79th most minutes/game among defensemen last year. I don't think expecting the same in the second year of his contract is an outrageous expectation. That's barely second-pairing minutes.

 

[Frk It]

Of course not, but I'd expect to be unconcerned about him being able to play 20ish minutes a night.

He did log the 2nd most minutes on the team. I don't know, whenever I saw him play in Pittsburgh as a 2nd pairing guy, he always looked solid.

We have a whole blue line of guys who are in over their head. It's a mess.

 

[jkutswings]

We have a whole blue line of guys who are in over their head. It's a mess.

Something like that...

 

[Frk It]

 

[Mister Ed]

Let's say the Wings aren't competing for a few years, say 2020 at the earliest, then locking up Carlson now for 4-5 years wouldn't be the worst move. He's 28 and still has some prime years left to give. Green, I can't see him coming back, unless it's a 1 year - 5M deal.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

Carlson would only be a smart move in that he'd allow the young defenders to develop at a level more suited for them. He's not going to contribute to us winning at all.

That's part of the problem with this team right now. DeKeyser, for example, might be a halfway decent 2nd pairing D-man... But when he's assigned top pairing responsibilities that he's obviously not good enough to handle, he looks like complete trash.

At this point, I'm not even sure I want to see Hronek or Cholo up just because getting destroyed nightly is probably not good for their development.

 

[jkutswings]

I've seen this movie before. Here's how I expect this summer to play out for NHL defensemen:

OEL and Carlson will both stay put. Karlsson will reprise the role of Stamkos, albeit via trade instead of free agency. And then the teams that lose out on him will fight to overpay for the significantly worse consolation prize, with Mike Green playing the role of Frans Nielsen.

I'll pass... Let somebody else give him more AAV and term than he deserves.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I've seen this movie before. Here's how I expect this summer to play out for NHL defensemen:

OEL and Carlson will both stay put. Karlsson will reprise the role of Stamkos, albeit via trade instead of free agency. And then the teams that lose out on him will fight to overpay for the significantly worse consolation prize, with Mike Green playing the role of Fran's Nielsen.

I'll pass... Let somebody else give him more AAV and term than he deserves.

I can't remember where it was, but there was a report out there about how Jack Johnson could get $6M/year this summer...

 

[jkutswings]

I can't remember where it was, but there was a report out there about how Jack Johnson could get $6M/year this summer...

Woof...that kinda nonsense is what eventually brings about labor disputes. I'd have more sympathy for the owners if they weren't the ones writing the checks to all these stupid contracts, but it's really everybody's fault together.

Please stay away from free agency, Kenny. At least for the next 2-3 years...

 

[raymond23]

I'm confused on this thought that Hronek isn't ready.

I hate to play this game, but if he were a forward everyone would be begging for him up.

 

[Oddbob]

I hope somebody else he's willing to play for gives him a 3-4 year deal. He certainly wasn't the biggest problem on the roster, but I'd rather just move on.

I like Mike Green, but I kind of agree at this point. To me he hasn't been good enough that we need to bring him back. He has been ok and better than I thought defensively and all, but I think maybe try and give someone else, from outside the Wings a chance to replace him. Maybe there is a decent point producer who needs a shot out there and is a cheap option. Honestly, while pts aren't everything, just over 30 pts is nothing special.

 

[Oddbob]

Mike Green on a maximum term of two years is exactly what Holland should be trying.

It's pretty clear the Wings will not go longer than that which is really all we should be concerned about.

Also, for those saying it, I am amazed Kronwall played as much as he did, I really don't see him being able to do that again all season. I think they probably plan on him playing 40 games. With Ericsson, Daley, Green and Kronwall all on the wrong side of 30, it is pretty realistic to think one of the GR guys in Hicketts and Hronek sees a ton of time next year even if they ink another D-man.

The problem with Kronwall is, that yes he played a lot, but honestly he was so very ineffective in most games. I actually don't like seeing him out there, ruining his good run with us, he physically just doesn't have it anymore. He hardly hits/plays physical (because he is likely in a lot of pain), turns the puck over a lot in our zone which he never used to do, and is just another guy out there at this point. Hate to say it, but I think they honestly should tell him at this point, we don't have a spot for you anymore.

 

[ChadS]

I'm confused on this thought that Hronek isn't ready.

I hate to play this game, but if he were a forward everyone would be begging for him up.

I think they'll give Sulak a good look in training camp. He had a very solid World Championships and IMO played better than Hronek on the same team, surprisingly good defensively too.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I like Mike Green, but I kind of agree at this point. To me he hasn't been good enough that we need to bring him back. He has been ok and better than I thought defensively and all, but I think maybe try and give someone else, from outside the Wings a chance to replace him. Maybe there is a decent point producer who needs a shot out there and is a cheap option. Honestly, while pts aren't everything, just over 30 pts is nothing special.

To Greens credit, he was on pace to cross 40 before he got injured prior to the trade deadline.

More to your point though, I'm betting if Green doesn't re-sign, Holland will go with a more budget friendly UFA option like Enstrom or Hickey for the same 1 or 2 years.

The problem with Kronwall is, that yes he played a lot, but honestly he was so very ineffective in most games. I actually don't like seeing him out there, ruining his good run with us, he physically just doesn't have it anymore. He hardly hits/plays physical (because he is likely in a lot of pain), turns the puck over a lot in our zone which he never used to do, and is just another guy out there at this point. Hate to say it, but I think they honestly should tell him at this point, we don't have a spot for you anymore.

I think Kronwall and the team end up arriving at some kind of "reduced role" like Fetisov had back in 97 and 98. He probably won't be in the line up every night unless there's some injuries.

I think they'll give Sulak a good look in training camp. He had a very solid World Championships and IMO played better than Hronek on the same team, surprisingly good defensively too.

IMO, Sulak seems like a quiet front runner to be the "young dman" that makes the team out of camp. His age and NHL size probably makes him the best fit to develop at the NHL level and maybe sit some games in the press box every once in a while.

 

[StargateSG1]

With our defense already being pretty bad and extremely unproductive I would hate to see how awful it would be missing arguably our best defenseman.

You mean the one who can't actually defend?

 

[FireBird71]

Move on