Speculation: Detroit's Next Move

[HawkeyTalkMan]

A Howard buyout makes the most sense. Saves $3.8 this year and $3.3 next.

More dead cap for Detroit though?

Do they want to just keep piling debt long term? (dead cap space)

Here is Howards buyout numbers: http://www.generalfanager.com/buyouts/769?day=15&year=2016

That also means that between Howard and Weiss Detroit will be carrying the following dead cap amounts:
2016-17: $2.49 mil
2017-18: $4.49 mil
2018-19: $4.34 mil
2019-20: $3.29 mil

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

could someone show the current cap situation with DK on board?

http://www.generalfanager.com/teams/detroit-red-wings

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

could someone show the current cap situation with DK on board?

Cap Friendly shows us -$239,000 over the cap. But i noticed they took Mantha off. And General Fanager shows us at -$839,000 over or so because they've Athanasiou listed on the team.

 

[burrythebiscuit*]

I still don't understand why Holland would re-sign Darren Helm when he already has Larkin, Nielsen, Sheahan, Glendening and Ott at Center.

Thank God for what you just said

 

[burrythebiscuit*]

Helm's actually a W dude which we still have a lot of.

Where have you been sitting lol helm is a natural center

 

[vipernsx]

I wouldn't worry too much. After playing backup for another season, I'd count on Howard adding LV to his list of 10 teams and I'd expect there's a good chance, they'd scoop him up.

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

I wouldn't worry too much. After playing backup for another season, I'd count on Howard adding LV to his list of 10 teams and I'd expect there's a good chance, they'd scoop him up.

They might not be able to wait until next summer to move him.

Mrazek is likely going to get a contract/cap hit in the next few weeks larger than the LTIR relief provided from Franzen ($3.9 mil)

 

[kasper11]

More dead cap for Detroit though?

Do they want to just keep piling debt long term? (dead cap space)

Here is Howards buyout numbers: http://www.generalfanager.com/buyouts/769?day=15&year=2016

That also means that between Howard and Weiss Detroit will be carrying the following dead cap amounts:
2016-17: $2.49 mil
2017-18: $4.49 mil
2018-19: $4.34 mil
2019-20: $3.29 mil

But there's really no alternative to dead space at this point.

If Mrazek is the starter, that means you are paying $5.3M for a position that is worth about $1.5M. So, your only choice is between $3.8M in overpayment for 3 years or $1.6M (or so) in dead space for 6 years.

Either way, you have wasted cap space. The question is how best to minimize it.

What serves the Wings better right now, keeping Howard at his cap hit, or buying him out and signing Enroth or somebody for $1.5M?

 

[Ezekial]

Where have you been sitting lol helm is a natural center

Probably watching the games where our coaches have played him at W for the last few years.

 

[grewalwings]

Cap Friendly shows us -$239,000 over the cap. But i noticed they took Mantha off. And General Fanager shows us at -$839,000 over or so because they've Athanasiou listed on the team.

I thought we'd have more space once Franzen was off the books, guess a deal has to be made. Gonna such if Nike is gone, been a big fan of his game. I can't imagine Tatar's 2.75m gives us the leverage we're looking for, Howard needs to be bought out and I highly doubt Kenny makes that move.

 

[Ezekial]

They might not be able to wait until next summer to move him.

Mrazek is likely going to get a contract/cap hit in the next few weeks larger than the LTIR relief provided from Franzen ($3.9 mil)

We have Vitale to LTIR too ($1.1 mil), which puts us at ~5 million.

 

[Martinez]

Where have you been sitting lol helm is a natural center

Used to be, it's not like he was centering datsyuks line. Last two seasons he hasn't consistently centered a line.

 

[Super Cake]

I wouldn't worry too much. After playing backup for another season, I'd count on Howard adding LV to his list of 10 teams and I'd expect there's a good chance, they'd scoop him up.

There will most likely be better goalies for Vegas to choose than Howard. So i wouldn't exactly pin my hopes on Vegas choosing Howard.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

I thought we'd have more space once Franzen was off the books, guess a deal has to be made. Gonna such if Nike is gone, been a big fan of his game. I can't imagine Tatar's 2.75m gives us the leverage we're looking for, Howard needs to be bought out and I highly doubt Kenny makes that move.

Well yeah once Franzen and Vitale are on LTIR, We will be fine. I was just mentioning as of now that's what we have.

 

[obey86]

A Howard buyout makes the most sense. Saves $3.8 this year and $3.3 next.

I don't think a buyout makes any sense.

If i'm the Wings, it makes much more sense to trade him next offseason with 50% retained. That way he would only count 2.6M per year for 2 years on the Wings cap instead of being on the Wings cap for the next 6 seasons.

I'd have to imagine another team would take Howard on a 2.6M cap hit, 2 year contract.

 

[Petes2424]

There will most likely be better goalies for Vegas to choose than Howard. So i wouldn't exactly pin my hopes on Vegas choosing Howard.

Their best hope in moving Howard this year is another goaltender either being horribly bad or a season ending injury. As an example, if Allen is so bad or is injured, it might open the door. Doubt he goes in exp draft and if he has another up/down season, they'll be forced to buy him out next year or eat a substantial part of the contract.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Probably another awful one.

We are ****ed now and in the future. Thanks Kenny

 

[Frk It]

See 2013.

Holland does nothing. Signs Mrazek for just about exactly the remaining cap space.

We have no cap space to call up promising young players like Athanasiou or Mantha. He waives a player like Steve Ott at worst, if Mrazek gets more than expected.

Injuries decide when AA or Mantha get called up, once cap space frees up again. We have all seen this movie before.

 

[Hogan86]

With Dekeysers signing of $5 per, Detroit is extremely hard up on the cap with Mrazeks new contract still needing to be hashed out.

Not only for this year, but Detroits cap situation likely gets even worse next year as Tatar needs a new RFA deal as well as Jurco, Anathasiou, and Pulkkinen.

Outside of that, the only money coming off the books are Vanek (2.6 mil), Miller (1.0 mil), Ott (800k), Smith (2.75 mil)

Tatar will likely each a large chunks of that space in his RFA raise as well as whatever Mrazek gets this year moving forward, leaving nearly 0 money (or negative money) to sign any of the other RFAs (let alone make roster improvements via FA).

After all that long winded back story, its pretty clear Detroit needs to make a move via trade or buyout, even with still having Franzen on LTIR.

Most consider Howard trade the likeliest choice but I think this summer proved there isnt much of a market for him and almost all the teams that had goaltending needs, addressed them already.

What say you?

EDIT: Also, Stephen Weiss' buyout cap hit jumps from $1.0 mil this year to $2.5 mil next year

That Abdelkader contract is rough. the AAV is just a bit high, but the length is awful. And his no trade clause. Plus he's 29 and signed for 7 more years. His value will be gone in 5 years or less. Never liked the Frans Nielsen signing, and the Helm contract was just awful. Holland better figure out some way to ship out salary cap. That 25 year playoff streak will most definitely will be broken here shortly. I have mad respect for the Wings as such a storied franchise and Original Six team, and remember the beauties that have played here (Shanny, Yzerman, Federov, Datsyuk) but they are headed down a road to obscurity and mediocrity with the roster they will be icing for the next several years. They will be a bubble team for 2 or 3 years, then will start to fall hard after that. 3 years from now, Zetterburg, Abdelkader, Nielsen, Helm, Kronwall and Ericsson will all be between the age of 32-38. Time for a shake up.

 

[Ishad]

See 2013.

Holland does nothing. Signs Mrazek for just about exactly the remaining cap space.

We have no cap space to call up promising young players like Athanasiou or Mantha. He waives a player like Steve Ott at worst, if Mrazek gets more than expected.

Injuries decide when AA or Mantha get called up, once cap space frees up again. We have all seen this movie before.

We like our team.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

There will most likely be better goalies for Vegas to choose than Howard. So i wouldn't exactly pin my hopes on Vegas choosing Howard.

How about this though. We offer Vegas our second round pick or third and a prospect for future considerations to take Howard....

You can do that kind of stuff in the expansion draft. Yes a lot of times teams have done a deal to get them to leave somebody alone. Detroit could actually come to Vegas with a take Ericsson or Howard you need to hit the cap floor anyway and here is a little something for helping us out. They should absolutely explore that, eat nothing and attach an asset to dump Howard.

They will be fine this year in terms of the cap. It might be as Frk It described where for a couple of months while waiting on injuries to gain more cap space they have to keep Mantha and Athanasiou down. Pretty bad news if you're an AHL team, but no real long-term impact though the Wings board is going to implode when they are sent down...

 

[HawkeyTalkMan]

How about this though. We offer Vegas our second round pick or third and a prospect for future considerations to take Howard....

You can do that kind of stuff in the expansion draft. Yes a lot of times teams have done a deal to get them to leave somebody alone. Detroit could actually come to Vegas with a take Ericsson or Howard you need to hit the cap floor anyway and here is a little something for helping us out. They should absolutely explore that, eat nothing and attach an asset to dump Howard.

They will be fine this year in terms of the cap. It might be as Frk It described where for a couple of months while waiting on injuries to gain more cap space they have to keep Mantha and Athanasiou down. Pretty bad news if you're an AHL team, but no real long-term impact though the Wings board is going to implode when they are sent down...

Hasnt Holland been adamant about not giving up good picks and prospects just to move a contract/player?

He was crystal clear about that for Datsyuks contract. I agree Howard could be moved if that were the case but it looks like Holland is not at all interested in packaging high assets to dump a bad deal

 

[JPE123]

Seems like every year Kenny makes one WTF move. This year signing Helm and I'm a fan of Helm

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

I think Detroit management does a good job at drafting and acquiring free agents. Re-signing players is not their forte though.

 

[DanZ]

I think Detroit management does a good job at drafting and acquiring free agents. Re-signing players is not their forte though.

Resigning RFAs they are pretty good, the DeKeyser contract aside. Resigning UFAs, not so much.