GDT: Free Agent Frenzy

[Henkka]

None are being moved...Vegas was looking into to free up cap to resign Marsh or Stephenson...that's no longer an issue

Interesting, how Vegas has only 2 players left from the expansion draft.

William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb.

Also Theodore was one, but happened with a "trade", not as expansion pick.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Hedman signs in Tampa. Would have easily given him that exact same contract to come to Detroit. What is Yzerman doing!?!?


/s

 

[Henkka]

Hedman signs in Tampa. Would have easily given him that exact same contract to come to Detroit. What is Yzerman doing!?!?


/s

Man, that's cheap. 4y 8.0M per.

Guy is mr. discount. The Lidström way.

 

[nbwingsfan]

However will we survive without Perron's untimely penalties, a healthy scratched Walman, and the defensively invisible Ghost??

The healthy scratch Walman was our 2nd best D.

Perron has many issues, and was also our 6th leading scoring forward. Replaced with…. Max jones?

Ghost was a train wreck defensively, but great offensively… replaced with a guy who’s also a train wreck defensively, even worse, and doesn’t offer the same offense


We had bad goaltending. We’ve “solved” that problem by adding a 37yo bad goalie

 

[Ed Ned and Leddy]

When the trade happened, the defense of it was "Wait and see. Yzerman has more cooking. After we upgrade the roster it will be clear why we needed 3.4 mil in cap space and the roster spot." That answer was Erik Gustafsson. So now the only defense is just "Walman is a below NHL caliber D and needed to be moved out ASAP because that's just how bad he is." But even if that's the case, we didn't need to move him. We could just waive and bury him. We paid assets to accomplish nothing. That's annoying.

And now that we didn’t splash and free agency the position is that we’ll make big trades. And maybe we will. But if we don’t, then people will say that obviously the plan the whole time was to make room for the kids.

I just wish people on this board would stick to their priors sometimes. If you said that Walman was trash and you couldn’t wait to see the back of him at any cost, ok take a victory lap. I get adjusting expectations, but the amount of people on this board who will just say “I think X” then see Yzerman do Y and say “you’re right X never made any sense” is so strange to me.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Hedman signs in Tampa. Would have easily given him that exact same contract to come to Detroit. What is Yzerman doing!?!?


/s

Did SY tell you to think and say that?

 

[Frk It]

Gun to head fellas:
Theodore, Pietro or Ekblad?

Would be over the moon adding any of them.

 

[Pavels Dog]

The healthy scratch Walman was our 2nd best D.

He was absolutely not, that is incredibly bad player evaluation.

 

[JediOrderPizza]

When the trade happened, the defense of it was "Wait and see. Yzerman has more cooking. After we upgrade the roster it will be clear why we needed 3.4 mil in cap space and the roster spot." That answer was Erik Gustafsson. So now the only defense is just "Walman is a below NHL caliber D and needed to be moved out ASAP because that's just how bad he is." But even if that's the case, we didn't need to move him. We could just waive and bury him. We paid assets to accomplish nothing. That's annoying.

Yeah sorry for not wanting to react aggressively to a move without seeing what he does the entire summer. How could we.

 

[nbwingsfan]

He was absolutely not, that is incredibly bad player evaluation.

LOL then who was? Petry? Maatta? Justin Holl who is hilariously still being paid over $3M a year by us?

 

[HisNoodliness]

And now that we didn’t splash and free agency the position is that we’ll make big trades. And maybe we will. But if we don’t, then people will say that obviously the plan the whole time was to make room for the kids.

I just wish people on this board would stick to their priors sometimes. If you said that Walman was trash and you couldn’t wait to see the back of him at any cost, ok take a victory lap. I get adjusting expectations, but the amount of people on this board who will just say “I think X” then see Yzerman do Y and say “you’re right X never made any sense” is so strange to me.

Yeah exactly. Like we're going to pretend that anyone besides Petes didn't have Walman forecasted on the top pair next to Seider for next season when the off-season started? Sorry boys, I just don't buy that. Then Petes came in, told everyone that management hated Walman and he was getting moved. So we all started fantasizing "oooh Walman will be a great asset. Walman + 15 for Sergachev" or whatever ridiculous pie in the sky HFboards trade idea. Then Walman is a cap dump. "Cap space is so hard to get, and we NEED it because there's something big coming." Nothing big comes. "Walman was terrible and I've always believed that."

And anyone who is upset by that is cast as complaining just to complain. No, we think the team is making bad moves. Yzerman has been GM for five years, Seider is the only top 4 D on our roster and we still aren't making room to play Edvinsson and AlJo. We're not supposed to complain about that?

 

[Henkka]

If healthy scratched guys were our better defencemen, have to say that

A) Holl was one of our greatest defencemen
or
B) Lalonde tanked when not using them.

 

[LongTimeDRWF]

Arguably, our two biggest acquisitions last year (DBC through trade and Kane mid-year Free Agent) came long after free agent frenzy day.

There will be deals to be had once the other teams figure out where they are, and I suspect the price of cap space can be real high...with all this movement this FA period, we might see the as few as 20 points from #1 seed to #8 seed in either conference this season.

 

[Henkka]

Seider is the only top 4 D on our roster and we still aren't making room to play Edvinsson and AlJo. We're not supposed to complain about that?

They just made room for Edvinsson, with Walman gone.

Edvinsson played at last season, thanks to Walman scratched.

 

[lhsgolf19]

LOL then who was? Petry? Maatta? Justin Holl who is hilariously still being paid over $3M a year by us?

Chiarot when he played was better... Edvinsson was better

 

[HisNoodliness]

Yeah sorry for not wanting to react aggressively to a move without seeing what he does the entire summer. How could we.

Sure, if there's a few trades incoming, then I'll change my tune. The rumored trade was for Trouba, also a third pairing defenseman, and that has fallen through. Most rosters are fairly solidified now that FA is done. I'll be surprised if there's some big move coming to fix this. We can update our opinion then if so. But as is, I think everyone complaining is being mostly reasonable.

They just made room for Edvinsson, with Walman gone.

Edvinsson played at last season, thanks to Walman scratched.

We didn't need to trade Walman and a second to play Ed. We could have just buried him in the AHL or on the third pairing.

 

[norrisnick]

Sure, if there's a few trades incoming, then I'll change my tune. The rumored trade was for Trouba, also a third pairing defenseman, and that has fallen through. Most rosters are fairly solidified now that FA is done. I'll be surprised if there's some big move coming to fix this. We can update our opinion then if so. But as is, I think everyone complaining is being mostly reasonable.


We didn't need to trade Walman and a second to play Ed. We could have just buried him in the AHL or on the third pairing.

And the rest of the $2M salary goes where? The Redden Rule exists.

 

[nbwingsfan]

Sure, if there's a few trades incoming, then I'll change my tune. The rumored trade was for Trouba, also a third pairing defenseman, and that has fallen through. Most rosters are fairly solidified now that FA is done. I'll be surprised if there's some big move coming to fix this. We can update our opinion then if so. But as is, I think everyone complaining is being mostly reasonable.


We didn't need to trade Walman and a second to play Ed. We could have just buried him in the AHL or on the third pairing.

Exactly, or removed the even worse D our team is littered with

 

[Henkka]

We didn't need to trade Walman and a second to play Ed. We could have just buried him in the AHL or on the third pairing.

Burying him at AHL does give only 1.125M in cap space and then any other roster player on that opened spot takes at least 775k of that amount. You get only 350k of cap space.

What's the point on that, when you can have 3.05M extra? That made the room for Cam Talbot and for Edvinsson slot at same time. 2.5M + 900k ELC = Walman 3.4M caphit.

Like I said earlier, Walman was a special teams problem, can't fit well on either one, handness problem, advanced stats problem, maybe an off-ice problem. Just too many things, to make a selection, that he is the odd man out.

Let's move on. Team is different now.

 

[Frk It]

Yeah exactly. Like we're going to pretend that anyone besides Petes didn't have Walman forecasted on the top pair next to Seider for next season when the off-season started? Sorry boys, I just don't buy that. Then Petes came in, told everyone that management hated Walman and he was getting moved. So we all started fantasizing "oooh Walman will be a great asset. Walman + 15 for Sergachev" or whatever ridiculous pie in the sky HFboards trade idea. Then Walman is a cap dump. "Cap space is so hard to get, and we NEED it because there's something big coming." Nothing big comes. "Walman was terrible and I've always believed that."

And anyone who is upset by that is cast as complaining just to complain. No, we think the team is making bad moves. Yzerman has been GM for five years, Seider is the only top 4 D on our roster and we still aren't making room to play Edvinsson and AlJo. We're not supposed to complain about that?

How can you say we aren’t making room for Edvinsson.

Edvinsson’s path to big minutes on the left side is blocked by who at the moment?

Edvinsson’s path to big minutes is by being better than the other options not by having 5 defenseman under contract.

 

[norrisnick]

Exactly, or removed the even worse D our team is littered with

As if the wailing and gnashing of teeth over the assets needed to move them wouldn't be even louder.

 

[lomekian]

One the one hand, its very disappointing that it seems our FA activity will have us a little weaker than last year. On the other hand, I would want no part of 80% of the FA signing contracts seen so far. We aren't close enough to mortgage future cap space and flexibility for players likely in decline in 2-3 years if not sooner. A lot of future buyouts signed yesterday. I've no issue with this team taking 1 step backwards this year if it means that Copp is the longest running handcuff contract on this team.

 

[HisNoodliness]

And the rest of the $2M salary goes where?

Wasted. But until something changes, we don't need that space right now.

 

[wingfan]

Walman trade - not great. I liked Walman and thought he was a serviceable defenseman, not any worse than some of our alternatives that's for sure. I also don't even want to fathom what the cost to move Holl's contract would be if Yzerman is being genuine in his statement that he tried to move the contract, and I don't think he has any reason to lie.

Big fish free agents - I really wanted Stamkos. I also saw the deal that Stamkos got from Nashville and that contract is going to to be a boat anchor in two years max. Can you LTIR him? Sure. Stamkos is also a competitor and I think he'll fight an LTIR kicking and screaming. I have no idea what Yzerman offered if it even got to that point, but I can't imagine he offered more than 3x7 or 2x8.. I like Montour, but 7x7+ for another right shot defenseman on the wrong side of 30 that has one season over 40 points is.. steep.

Signings - Love the Kane signing, especially with the incentivized 1 year deal. I think this was a fantastic deal and that seems pretty unanimous. Talbot signing seems odd given that we have Husso and Lyon. One of those guys has to be moving or we roll with all 3 like we did Husso, Reimer, Lyon. Gustaffson I have no opinion on because I have no knowledge of his game, but it seems Yzerman was pretty adamant about not giving term to Ghost so this is who we got.

Trades that didn't happen - Chychrun trade. We were never going to get Chychrun for what the Capitals got him for just based on the fact that we are in division. We got Debrincat for cheap because he was holding Ottawa hostage.

Rest of summer - I think a Necas trade could still materialize. If that doesn't work out and Tarasenko would take a short term deal, I think he'd be a solid option in the 2LW spot for a year or so. Play him with Kane and on the PP and I think he's a 30 goal scorer again. We'll also see how the rest of the d corps shakes out as I don't think we're done there.

At the end of the day, we have a few contracts that aren't great(Copp, Holl) and a few holes to fill but the doom and gloom "it's so over" shit is getting ridiculous. We bottomed out in 2020 with a barren prospect pool and a glorified AHL roster. We now have an elite pipeline and an NHL roster that missed the playoffs on a technicality. Do we make the playoffs this year? I'm not sure. Are we better off today than we were 4 years ago? Yes, without question.

 

[Euro Twins]

When the trade happened, the defense of it was "Wait and see. Yzerman has more cooking. After we upgrade the roster it will be clear why we needed 3.4 mil in cap space and the roster spot." That answer was Erik Gustafsson. So now the only defense is just "Walman is a below NHL caliber D and needed to be moved out ASAP because that's just how bad he is." But even if that's the case, we didn't need to move him. We could just waive and bury him. We paid assets to accomplish nothing. That's annoying.

The fact is Yzerman wanted him and his cap off the roster, he wanted that cap to sign a bigger player or bring in trouba. I didn't pan out and we were left with scraps. Hopefully he can swing for Tarasenko or make a trade