Wings rfa’s next season - do we extend them?

[Hockeyfannnn91]

Do we extend the kids now and hope it pays off like Larkin’s deal looks like it has or just wait it out and risk paying more ??

I say we extend bertuzzi for sure , i definetly can see him getting 15-25 and 40-50 pts and he brings in the grit and physicality we don’t have much of and I can definetly see him being the type of player that elevates his play come the playoffs, can fluctuate up and down the lines with no problem

I was thinking he’s gonna be 25 at next years seasons end , maybe a similar abdelkader deal (yes I know it turned out bad but I don’t think it’ll be the same result) 4.25 cap hit x 5 years that means we’d have him till 30, I think it’s good both sides, if we can have him cheaper even better but Tom Wilson even though is more nasty is getting 5+ with fewer pts so can be a risk if he somehow manages close to 30

There’s no doubt mantha has a bunch of upside but he’s gonna turn 25 and has yet to score 30 I’m sure he would wait and try and bank on himself, I’d consider a 5.25 x5 and locking him till 31 , if not 5, 4 years it should give some time before the zadina(if he and other future kids pan out) bigger deals come in

AA is more of a risk I would say , if he gets another big year then he for sure can be a top 6 future kid but he steps back and gets 16 goals again 30-40 pts he’s more likely to be a 3rd line guy and a risk at 5+, I’d maybe give him 5x3 but there’s a risk he walks at 28 , I’m really not sure what to do in his case, I might even consider dealing him now if we can land a top d prospect in return but I highly doubt that’s being considered at this moment

So do We just let the season play out and risk paying more money or we lock important kids up?

Click to read more...

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I actually could see AA and Bert signing this summer. I think Mantha is going to want to play for it and be a 30 goal scorer when he tries to get his next contract. I don't really have a problem locking them up, my guess is while I could see them doing this in the summer, they might wait a couple months into the season to be sure they have consolidated the steps forward they had towards the end of the season.

I am not against it if they hit good numbers and terms on any of those three. I like all three guys and think they are solutions to us getting better, even if one of them might not be around for us actually being really good again, I think the development is finally starting to reach a good place. I liked the progress and don't mind locking up those guys.

 

[WingsMJN2965]

There's not much value in an RFA signing a year earlier, unless they're already an established star that's gonna get paid.

 

[Claypool]

No reason to sign any of them earlier. None of them have proven to be long-term building blocks of this team. If Yzerman comes in this offseason he's going to want to get a good look at them for 82 games, too.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

No reason to sign any of them earlier. None of them have proven to be long-term building blocks of this team. If Yzerman comes in this offseason he's going to want to get a good look at them for 82 games, too.

Agree with you more on AA ,mantha is always hurt it seems but he’s always around the 25 goal mark and I think he can fetch 30+ And has size and speed so I don’t think it would be a bad move him keeping him around and trying to get it at a discounted price both sides can live with

Bertuzzi even more so I would say is 110% building block and longterm redwing , we don’t have any bertuzzi’s on this team and is the kind of guy we’ll need to win games when it matters

 

[obey86]

Do we extend the kids now and hope it pays off like Larkin’s deal looks like it has or just wait it out and risk paying more ??

I say we extend bertuzzi for sure , i definetly can see him getting 15-25 and 40-50 pts and he brings in the grit and physicality we don’t have much of and I can definetly see him being the type of player that elevates his play come the playoffs, can fluctuate up and down the lines with no problem

I was thinking he’s gonna be 25 at next years seasons end , maybe a similar abdelkader deal (yes I know it turned out bad but I don’t think it’ll be the same result) 4.25 cap hit x 5 years that means we’d have him till 30, I think it’s good both sides, if we can have him cheaper even better but Tom Wilson even though is more nasty is getting 5+ with fewer pts so can be a risk if he somehow manages close to 30

There’s no doubt mantha has a bunch of upside but he’s gonna turn 25 and has yet to score 30 I’m sure he would wait and try and bank on himself, I’d consider a 5.25 x5 and locking him till 31 , if not 5, 4 years it should give some time before the zadina(if he and other future kids pan out) bigger deals come in

AA is more of a risk I would say , if he gets another big year then he for sure can be a top 6 future kid but he steps back and gets 16 goals again 30-40 pts he’s more likely to be a 3rd line guy and a risk at 5+, I’d maybe give him 5x3 but there’s a risk he walks at 28 , I’m really not sure what to do in his case, I might even consider dealing him now if we can land a top d prospect in return but I highly doubt that’s being considered at this moment

So do We just let the season play out and risk paying more money or we lock important kids up?

Yep, that's always the risk. Do we wait another year just to be sure they are legit and then AA and/or Mantha comes and puts up a 70 point season? Now we are probably paying them a lot more if we want to keep them around long term. Of if you sign him now for a high dollar amount long term and they revert to 40 point players we are stuck with bad contracts. Definitely risk in doing it either way - the team will have to make the right call.

 

[obey86]

No reason to sign any of them earlier. None of them have proven to be long-term building blocks of this team. If Yzerman comes in this offseason he's going to want to get a good look at them for 82 games, too.

I think the best franchises can identify who or who are not long term building blocks before they prove they are very good 2-3 years in a row or whatever. If the Wings think last year is more of the norm for AA and he will progress even further, they should lock him up. If they think last year was an aberration, they should make him prove it further.

 

[Winger98]

If we can lock them up for a reasonable four or five year deal, I wouldn't blink at signing up Mantha, AA, or Bert. We're not going to let any of these guys walk without qualifying them, and outside of the relationship between them and the team deteriorating to the point where they want to push for UFA as soon as possible, they're going to get at least three year deals anyway. Lock them in now and we avoid them having a monster season and negotiating off of that. Right now, they all have some question marks to their game that Holland can try to leverage.

They could end up imploding as players, but I haven't seen anything in their games that makes me believe that will happen. they might not get way better, they might just plateau, but I don't imagine Mantha or AA suddenly cratering as 25 point fourth liners.

 

[Henkka]

I would definitely sign Bertuzzi.

All questionmarks on his level of compete and effort are gone. He is an absolute great NHLr to have. Pay for his production, he will be underpaid anyway after that with his intangibles.

Lock AA for 4-year deal to buy some UFA years. I still see him as a trade bait on long-run. 4 years settles a time period to trade him for a D at some point.

 

[Oddbob]

I think we definitely need to wait on signing AA, as we need to see what player he is next year. He hasn't exactly been consistent with his effort and performance to this point. Mantha is much the same, but I feel way less confident in AA. I would already try a 4 or 5 with Bertuzzi as it could save some money in the long run.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

Yep, that's always the risk. Do we wait another year just to be sure they are legit and then AA and/or Mantha comes and puts up a 70 point season? Now we are probably paying them a lot more if we want to keep them around long term. Of if you sign him now for a high dollar amount long term and they revert to 40 point players we are stuck with bad contracts. Definitely risk in doing it either way - the team will have to make the right call.

Well I think more with Bert and mantha we know what we have and should lock them up now 4-6 years each at between 4-6 each , AA it all depends if he reverts back to his old self and goes and get 40 pts , I’d be strongly considering locking up those 2 and trading AA for a top young d prospect, we have a ton of forwards coming so it doesn’t add up

Think the Bert Larkin mantha line stays intact and then we have veleno zadina Rasmussen Svechnikov Berggren possibly the 6th pick hirose etc... , sooner or later some bodies will be moved and we should sell when the value is high , I like AA but I’m thinking long term what’s best and selling him after his 30 goals and all these kids on the horizon could be the best thing to do

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

I think we definitely need to wait on signing AA, as we need to see what player he is next year. He hasn't exactly been consistent with his effort and performance to this point. Mantha is much the same, but I feel way less confident in AA. I would already try a 4 or 5 with Bertuzzi as it could save some money in the long run.

Which is why we should consider trading AA now when his value is high and get a stud young dman back to go along with hronek,cholowski and mcisaac

Mantha is pretty much a 25-35 goal guy , I think he’ll hit the 30 goal mark next season if healthy, 6’5 with speed and skill I’d lock him up in a heartbeat. Same with bertuzzi he’s young enough that if we signed him to a 5-6 year extension we wouldn’t be regretting it like abdelkader’s deal , now is the time to give him a longer term deal , not signing bertuzzi for another 2 years and thus extending him to 6-7 years when he’s 27

 

[jkutswings]

I don't see anything next season that would result in any of AA, Bertuzzi, or Mantha regressing. They all showed improvement in the midst of a bad team, with lots of injuries, off and on goaltending, and a coach with an unknown future.

If anything, any changes (new draft picks, development from Hirose/Zadina/Rasmussen, summer RFA/UFA adds, etc.) would boost their opportunities. It's not like they all racked up points during garbage minutes of blow-outs or something.

Maybe they level off. But even still, I'd sooner risk any possible fallout from extending them now, than risk the fallout of waiting too long.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

If we can trade AA for a top young d would you do it?for who?

Oilers 8th pick - victor soderstrom
9-16th pick this draft - Philip broberg
Carolina - Jake bean
Nashville - Dante fabbro
Calgary - Juuso valimaki
Chicago - boqvist/jokiharju


Side note we should look at trading a 3rd if possible for Adam fox if he agrees to sign

 

[izlez]

I say we extend bertuzzi for sure , i definetly can see him getting 15-25 and 40-50 pts and he brings in the grit and physicality we don’t have much of and I can definetly see him being the type of player that elevates his play come the playoffs, can fluctuate up and down the lines with no problem

C'monnnnn. I don't know why people are so hesitant on this guy, even when they are TRYING to compliment him. You say he can be a 40-50 point guy and say it as a good thing. Another poster just said he's "arguably a top-6 player" and meant it as a compliment.

He just put up 47 points in 73 games in his first full NHL season. 40-50 points is insulting. He's playing on the first line. "Arguably top-6" is insulting. Sign him long term now and embrace him for the 1st line NHL All-Star that he is soon to be

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

C'monnnnn. I don't know why people are so hesitant on this guy, even when they are TRYING to compliment him. You say he can be a 40-50 point guy and say it as a good thing. Another poster just said he's "arguably a top-6 player" and meant it as a compliment.

He just put up 47 points in 73 games in his first full NHL season. 40-50 points is insulting. He's playing on the first line. "Arguably top-6" is insulting. Sign him long term now and embrace him for the 1st line NHL All-Star that he is soon to be

First line nhl all star? Come on man , I love bertuzzi but i won’t get carried away ,he’s a 40-50 pt guy most likely , 20 goal ballpark and there’s nothing wrong with that , we don’t have guys like him who hit and get all gritty and physical we will need him when playoffs come , I’m sure he’ll end up being someone who rotates between first,second,third lines and again there’s nothing wrong with that

If he ends up being a 60-75 pt guy even better , I just don’t see it but he’s still a very valuable player for us

 

[obey86]

First line nhl all star? Come on man , I love bertuzzi but i won’t get carried away ,he’s a 40-50 pt guy most likely , 20 goal ballpark and there’s nothing wrong with that , we don’t have guys like him who hit and get all gritty and physical we will need him when playoffs come , I’m sure he’ll end up being someone who rotates between first,second,third lines and again there’s nothing wrong with that

If he ends up being a 60-75 pt guy even better , I just don’t see it but he’s still a very valuable player for us

I don't think he's a 1st line all star, but I don't think it's unreasonable to think Bertuzzi could be a 60 point player on a good team. He had 47 this year on a bad offensive team. Also, he played the first half of the season on the 4th line with non offensive players.

Over the last two seasons he has put up 71 points in 121 games. That's the equivalent of 48 points/82 games....so I don't think 60 is too unreasonable if he's the 3rd best player on a line on a good team.

 

[Hockeyfannnn91]

I don't think he's a 1st line all star, but I don't think it's unreasonable to think Bertuzzi could be a 60 point player on a good team. He had 47 this year on a bad offensive team. Also, he played the first half of the season on the 4th line with non offensive players.

Over the last two seasons he has put up 71 points in 121 games. That's the equivalent of 48 points/82 games....so I don't think 60 is too unreasonable if he's the 3rd best player on a line on a good team.

Can he get 60+ pts ? Totally but I don’t expect it to be a yearly thing with him I can see him rotating up and down with the lines in the future years when more kids come in

 

[obey86]

Can he get 60+ pts ? Totally but I don’t expect it to be a yearly thing with him I can see him rotating up and down with the lines in the future years when more kids come in

no doubt. he's the ultimate "3rd best player on a top 6 line" kind of player IMO.

 

[izlez]

52 point pace on the season. 65 point pace post all-star game. In his first full season.
Just think what his pace will be once he gets the confidence boost of playing in those all-star games.

 

[jkutswings]

52 point pace on the season. 65 point pace post all-star game. In his first full season.
Just think what his pace will be once he gets the confidence boost of playing in those all-star games.

Pace is a fickle master. It briefly suggested that Nyquist was the next Ovechkin, and that Rasmussen would be the next Eric Lindros.

Lil' Bert is a very good asset to have. But taking a small sample size and projecting it out to a full season - let alone a career - is likely setting the kid up for disappointment.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

No reason to sign any of them earlier. None of them have proven to be long-term building blocks of this team. If Yzerman comes in this offseason he's going to want to get a good look at them for 82 games, too.

Yzerman is not coming this summer.

 

[Henkka]

If we can trade AA for a top young d would you do it?for who?

Oilers 8th pick - victor soderstrom
9-16th pick this draft - Philip broberg
Carolina - Jake bean
Nashville - Dante fabbro
Calgary - Juuso valimaki
Chicago - boqvist/jokiharju


Side note we should look at trading a 3rd if possible for Adam fox if he agrees to sign

We need to trade AA in a package for a proven D.

Some 26-year-old who will fit perfectly to our forward core, being a little bit older.

 

[obey86]

Pace is a fickle master. It briefly suggested that Nyquist was the next Ovechkin, and that Rasmussen would be the next Eric Lindros.

Lil' Bert is a very good asset to have. But taking a small sample size and projecting it out to a full season - let alone a career - is likely setting the kid up for disappointment.

To be fair, he’s played at 48 point/82 game pace over the past 2 seasons he’s been in the NHL.....so at least it’s more than just a single season.

 

[Wingsfan 4 life]

Mantha is the only one I'd feel comfortable with locking up long term ASAP. I'd much rather take the wait and see approach with AA and Bert.