2023 Free Agency/UFA Targets

[GarlicbreadTB]

Yeah Ehlers is someone I got marked if Winnipeg decide to do stuff in the summer.

 

[Snuggs]

This is really right on target. 90% of posters here confuse toughness with ability to drop the gloves.


Give me Ehlers. That guy is insanely good but Winnipeg has no clue how to use him properly.

I think more because a guy like Watson drops the gloves he doesn't get credit for the gritty parts of the game he's good at and gets called a jackass by fans who don't exactly watch him or know the nuances of his game. Lots of hits, block shots, etc, but it gets glossed over cause lazy fans come to the easier conclusion of gooney over some sort of niche role within the team.

Like I said, for what he's asked to actually do, his 10-12 minutes a night are more valuable to a team than what Zadina/Veleno are providing.

Someone mentioned a better point, in which, your best players ALSO have to be tough, like when Wings had Dastsyuk/Zetterberg or even earlier, Shanahan/Fedorov. etc.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Yeah Ehlers is someone I got marked if Winnipeg decide to do stuff in the summer.

What would Detroit be giving up for the guy?

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Yeah Ehlers is someone I got marked if Winnipeg decide to do stuff in the summer.

Ehlers is a poor man’s Kovalev. I’d rather get Kyle Connor.

 

[Oddbob]

Ehlers is a poor man’s Kovalev. I’d rather get Kyle Connor.

Why not just get a rich man's Kovalev? That would solve all our problems, I think!

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

Ehlers is a poor man’s Kovalev. I’d rather get Kyle Connor.

I’d certainly take Connor over Ehlers in a vacuum. I think the price for Ehlers is slightly less eye-watering.

Either guy is going to cost a pretty penny though.

 

[better Red than Dead]

If we're gonna throw stones... I'm not sure you know the whole story yourself, just tid-bits, and assumptions.

Women still with him, and they're happy, with child, and have admittedly gone through some tough stretches, addictions, but what you're suggesting happened, I'm not sure happened the way you think.

He obviously is not familiar with Darren McCarty

 

[Kibe]

Ehlers is a poor man’s Kovalev. I’d rather get Kyle Connor.

Nah Connor would cost too much. Would rather get Ehlers and keep Ed and Kasper.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Thinking Ceci might be an option.

3.25, two year after this one, 29 currently.

Plus Detroit can leverage some of those Holland picks.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Looking ahead to next years deadline, Perron and Kubalik should have decent value if they have similar seasons to this year. What do we think they could get in return? A couple 2nd rounders each? Ideally a late first for one of them, but seems unlikely.

 

[WingsToPick4th]

Looking ahead to next years deadline, Perron and Kubalik should have decent value if they have similar seasons to this year. What do we think they could get in return? A couple 2nd rounders each? Ideally a late first for one of them, but seems unlikely.

Could see a late 1st for DP57 he's a known commodity and a playoff beast!

 

[sepster]

Toughness isn't some jackass ready to drop gloves. Toughness is Henrik Zetterberg skating around the ice with "insert other team's heavy" draped all over him.

I don't disagree that Zadina and Veleno are bad fits for a bottom line, but I don't think getting some bender with upper body strength is a necessity. The Leafs fall apart because guys like Matthews, Tavares, and Marner simply don't react well to physical (not dirty) play against them. You can neutralize them in tight areas. Whereas when the Wings had Datsyuk and Zetterberg, you'd damn near have to kill them to get them to stop.

But, when Datsyuk and Zetterberg weren't on the ice, there was Draper, Maltby, McCarty, and Drake who weren't goons, but were tough as nails and (at least two of them) could and were willing to fight. Add Kocur, Lapointe, Shanahan, Rouse, and Ward to the Cup teams before that. The point is that teams need balance. All of the Wings' Cup teams had it.

A player like Watson is closer to a modern McCarty than a Brad May. That's the type of player I would like to see the Wings bring two of, the modern day equivalent of a McCarty or a Lapointe.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Looking ahead to next years deadline, Perron and Kubalik should have decent value if they have similar seasons to this year. What do we think they could get in return? A couple 2nd rounders each? Ideally a late first for one of them, but seems unlikely.

Next season I'm hoping Detroit improves enough to be in the postseason so I hope neither gets traded.

Perron is a guy I'd like in this organization after he retires, so I don't know about trading him unless the season goes horribly wrong.

Kubalik, if he gets traded then at least a 2nd + for him. I'd prefer to keep him though.

 

[GoBoltz56]

Next season I'm hoping Detroit improves enough to be in the postseason so I hope neither gets traded.

Perron is a guy I'd like in this organization after he retires, so I don't know about trading him unless the season goes horribly wrong.

Kubalik, if he gets traded then at least a 2nd + for him. I'd prefer to keep him though.

Outside of multiple MASSIVE trades (Top 6 C, Top 6 W and a Top 4D), I just don't see how there will be much improvement. A couple middling UFA signings like last summer just won't get it done IMO. But....trades are definitely a possibility.

 

[Shaman464]

Next season I'm hoping Detroit improves enough to be in the postseason so I hope neither gets traded.

Perron is a guy I'd like in this organization after he retires, so I don't know about trading him unless the season goes horribly wrong.

Kubalik, if he gets traded then at least a 2nd + for him. I'd prefer to keep him though.

They made significant adds last offseason and it bought them 6 points and 2 spots better in the standings. Short of adding a legit top line center, winger and a first and second pairing defender Detroit still is on the outside looking in next season.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Nah Connor would cost too much. Would rather get Ehlers and keep Ed and Kasper.

Maybe we look to Arizona and Keller? I wonder what the cost would be for him.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

They made significant adds last offseason and it bought them 6 points and 2 spots better in the standings. Short of adding a legit top line center, winger and a first and second pairing defender Detroit still is on the outside looking in next season.

It's almost like they lost two 20 goal scorers for pretty much the entire year.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Outside of multiple MASSIVE trades (Top 6 C, Top 6 W and a Top 4D), I just don't see how there will be much improvement. A couple middling UFA signings like last summer just won't get it done IMO. But....trades are definitely a possibility.

"Significant adds" is a stretch. The wings were missing Vrana, Bertuzzi and Fabbri for HUGE chunks of the season. They should have combined for at least 50+ goals this year between the 3 of them.

Berggren as a rookie produced close to Fabbri's level but there wasn't anyone that replaced Vrana or Bertuzzi's goals. That will hurt any team when 2 top 6 wingers are gone for almost the entire season.

This team has been playing with basically 5 AHLers in the forward group for the last few games. That will have a major negative impact. Adding a guy that can score 25+ replaces one of Vrana or Bertuzzi. Add another 20+ goalscorer and this team has a different outlook. Improved scoring depth puts this team much closer to the playoffs. So does improving the putrid backup goaltending this team has received.

 

[norrisnick]

Maybe we look to Arizona and Connor Garland? I wonder what the cost would be for him.

You misspelled Clayton Keller. Or Vancouver. One of the two.

 

[GoBoltz56]

They made significant adds last offseason and it bought them 6 points and 2 spots better in the standings. Short of adding a legit top line center, winger and a first and second pairing defender Detroit still is on the outside looking in next season.

Exactly.

 

[Detroit Knights]

They made significant adds last offseason and it bought them 6 points and 2 spots better in the standings. Short of adding a legit top line center, winger and a first and second pairing defender Detroit still is on the outside looking in next season.

We also have to understand that this was the first year of a brand new system.

Most of the time, if it is the first year in a completely new system, things don't really go too well. You could definitely watch the games where we played the system correctly, and games when we did not play the system at all. So, that alone should buy a few points and 2 spots in the standings.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

You misspelled Clayton Keller. Or Vancouver. One of the two.

I get the two mixed up. I meant Keller.

 

[Detroit Knights]

I get the two mixed up. I meant Keller.

Honestly, it seems like Keller is the only attraction they got, so I am not sure they want to lose him and lose whatever seats they have being used in the stands. Either way, we have the assets to get him from Arizona...I mean they let Chychrun go for far less than advertised.

 

[norrisnick]

I get the two mixed up. I meant Keller.

Not really sure how, but ok.

 

[norrisnick]

Honestly, it seems like Keller is the only attraction they got, so I am not sure they want to lose him and lose whatever seats they have being used in the stands. Either way, we have the assets to get him from Arizona...I mean they let Chychrun go for far less than advertised.

Arizona likely wants to kick their youth down the road a few more years. They won't get a new arena for 2-3 years minimum. Or new city if they can't get an arena, which means no revenue. They probably would rather acquire cap hits paid for by insurance (LTIRetired) vs actual money to players. If they'd take our '24 or beyond 1sts for Keller and his $7M salary... that might work. Then they can pick up guys like Price to collect their insurance contracts to get to the floor.