His contract pisses me right off. Kesler makes five million, and when his contract is up, he'll probably look at this and want 7. Yzerman is a crap GM. All the assets he gave up for a two unproven goalies is laughable.
- Boinker

Wow you're a ray of sunshine are you? It's only a little more then Wiess makes, why is it Yzermans fault? Looking who's talking GM's anyway. Gave up the better tender with youth, talent and lower cap hit for an aging cap killer that doesn't wanna (frank)ing be there! Our Cupboards are full of young talent and we could afford to move assets to get a quality goalie.

Malone and Stamkos do. I don't expect ALOT of production from Filppula, 40 ish or so and that's the point. We have offense, we need guys that play all 200 feet.we are happy to have him, you are happy with Wiess. Why all the douchebaggliness?
- Artyukhin76

I'm not trying to be, he's a pretty good player.
I always thought he was much better on LW than center, which is when he had his only 20 goal season playing with Hank and Hudler.

I'm not trying to be, he's a pretty good player.
I always thought he was much better on LW than center, which is when he had his only 20 goal season playing with Hank and Hudler.
- houseofcards74

Plan is to have him play number 2 center here in tampa next year then down the road I'm thinking Killorn, Johnson or Vladislav Namestnikov take over. So he may only play center in tampa for 2 or 3 years not the whole 5 years by them he will be moved to LW.

I'm not trying to be, he's a pretty good player.
I always thought he was much better on LW than center, which is when he had his only 20 goal season playing with Hank and Hudler.
- houseofcards74

He's gonna second line center and possibly winger Stamkos from time to time, add to that more PP time and a 40+ point guy he will be. Is that ALOT for him, yes. 4 to 4.5 would have been better, but Free Agency is always more money for teams filling needs.

He's gonna second line center and possibly winger Stamkos from time to time, add to that more PP time and a 40+ point guy he will be. Is that ALOT for him, yes. 4 to 4.5 would have been better, but Free Agency is always more money for teams filling needs.
- Artyukhin76

yep

He's gonna second line center and possibly winger Stamkos from time to time, add to that more PP time and a 40+ point guy he will be. Is that ALOT for him, yes. 4 to 4.5 would have been better, but Free Agency is always more money for teams filling needs.
- Artyukhin76

It could have been worse, Tampa could have signed Clowe. I think that deal is easily the worst this off season.

If you think Flip was hurt alot wait till you go threw a year with Weiss
- GoBoltss61

sounds to me like most of you guys are calling him a teddy purcell clone. hopefully they dont put them together with drouin because all three are passers. they will just pass it in circles and never shoot lol. purcell has a wicked shot when he actually takes it but 8 out of 10 times he will pass first. either way fil is cheaper than vinny and less years. he will slot into the 3rd line role by the end of the contract because killorn or johnson will take his place. if not we move him to the wing when purcells contract is up.
- boltsfan48

This is what I've been saying. maybe percy will shoot more since the other two guys are playmakers? lets hope so.

Bullsh*t? Haha just wait till you watch him play a full season. You`ll beg for Vinny back.
- kjmw1340

We all loved Vinny here. Probably the biggest fan favorite in Lightning history. He just wasn't worth it anymore. Too much cap hit. Bittersweet. He will definitely be missed.

His contract pisses me right off. Kesler makes five million, and when his contract is up, he'll probably look at this and want 7. Yzerman is a crap GM. All the assets he gave up for a two unproven goalies is laughable.
- Boinker

but Gillis is way better right?

It could have been worse, Tampa could have signed Clowe. I think that deal is easily the worst this off season.
- houseofcards74

You have to see this from a Lightning fans perspective. Is Filppula an offensive downgrade from Lecavalier, yes. Is he a defensive upgrade, (frank) yeah. Does Filppula come with a much more manageable cap hit and term, ABSOLUTLY! Was he brought through a winning system in Deroit, I think we all know the answer to that

You have to see this from a Lightning fans perspective. Is Filppula an offensive downgrade from Lecavalier, yes. Is he a defensive upgrade, (frank) yeah. Does Filppula come with a much more manageable cap hit and term, ABSOLUTLY! Was he brought through a winning system in Deroit, I think we all know the answer to that
- Artyukhin76

I agree with you Evgeny

You have to see this from a Lightning fans perspective. Is Filppula an offensive downgrade from Lecavalier, yes. Is he a defensive upgrade, (frank) yeah. Does Filppula come with a much more manageable cap hit and term, ABSOLUTLY! Was he brought through a winning system in Deroit, I think we all know the answer to that
- Artyukhin76

You make it sound like I said he was a bad pickup or it was a bad deal.

Maybe the Wings bloggers should have a round table on Weiss then we don't have to hear their bullsh*t here.
- tpd11

he was developed in detroit and was walked away from over the decision for weiss, how can you expect them not to continually be talked about together?

You make it sound like I said he was a bad pickup or it was a bad deal.
- houseofcards74

From most of the comment, you guys are pretty down on him.

You make it sound like I said he was a bad pickup or it was a bad deal.
- houseofcards74

No one ever said you were down on him, its your other comrades that are more down on him. You were probably the most complimentary.

No one ever said you were down on him, its your other comrades that are more down on him. You were probably the most complimentary.
- BoltsFan4Life

I actually thought it was a great fit for him in Tampa after Vinny left.
I think Anaheim would have been a good fit too, they needed a 2nd line center just as much.

I actually thought it was a great fit for him in Tampa after Vinny left.
I think Anaheim would have been a good fit too, they needed a 2nd line center just as much.
- houseofcards74

Listen, lets make one thing clear everybody. We aren't expecting Filp to come in and be an offensive guru. We need him for his two-way play. We have a lottt of offensive weapons already that can score. We just need better defensive play, and we are hoping that is what Filp can bring to the table. Yeah, he might be overpaid by a little bit, but he fits our needs tremendously. We would have to make Johnson our 2nd Center, which I don't believe he is ready for those minutes yet. So all in all, I believe this is a pretty good fit. If we were to sign Grabo, we would just be signing another player who can score, not a person who can play good D. lets hope Filp can bring a nice 2-way game for us!

I have said it before and I will say it again. Wings fans should thank Yzerman. Not only for all the wonderful years he spent in detroit, but for making the tampa bay lighting, a division rival of the Wings, a little bit worse next year by spending $5 mil on a 35 point man.

Listen, lets make one thing clear everybody. We aren't expecting Filp to come in and be an offensive guru. We need him for his two-way play. We have a lottt of offensive weapons already that can score. We just need better defensive play, and we are hoping that is what Filp can bring to the table. Yeah, he might be overpaid by a little bit, but he fits our needs tremendously. We would have to make Johnson our 2nd Center, which I don't believe he is ready for those minutes yet. So all in all, I believe this is a pretty good fit. If we were to sign Grabo, we would just be signing another player who can score, not a person who can play good D. lets hope Filp can bring a nice 2-way game for us!
- BoltsFan4Life

You think a big part of the reason filp looked so good defensively was because of the fact that Datsyuk played against the top line? Yes Filp played against the 2nd line, but he also had zetterberg out there to carry the load defensively.

I have said it before and I will say it again. Wings fans should thank Yzerman. Not only for all the wonderful years he spent in detroit, but for making the tampa bay lighting, a division rival of the Wings, a little bit worse next year by spending $5 mil on a 35 point man.
- Sulli03

you will be surprised by our compete level.

Who knows if you'll be able to watch the Wings a full season with Detroit bankrupt maybe outside ice on the Detroit river by years end.
I never look back we take what we have a move forward. Funny I didn't hear all the Filppula detractors the last few years from the Wings fans only after he left. Maybe all the Swedes don't like the Finns.
- tpd11

Big man pulling the bankruptcy card. The fact is, Detroit may be bankrupt but we finished 3rd in attendance last year. And guess what?? It was mostly Red Wing fans. I love it when we play in Tampa and you can hear the "lets go red wings" chants

The truth about Val is this:
We loved the way he played in his own end
We loved the way he could carry the puck in the offensive zone with speed
He never finished a hit, he always tried to make an extra unnecessary move
He disappeared for not just shifts but for games. He was also playing with Z and The Mule and still couldn't figure it out. Maybe he will be used differently in Tampa and I hope he does tear it up. He always left something to be desired

Stamkos will stay! they have plenty of young kids around him coming Brett Connolly, Drouin, Palat, Panik, Nikita Kucherov and Vladislav Namestnikov not to mention a good goalie coming Andrey Vasilevskiy. Yzerman has been rebuilding for the last 3 years here. I would be more concerned with Pavel Datsyuk retiring in the next 3 or 4 years that will be your huge hole.
- todd1a

When Pavs retires we will have all that cap space to sign someone like say a Stamkos.


Of course we have our own kids coming up looking pretty good so maybe we won't need him anyways.

You think a big part of the reason filp looked so good defensively was because of the fact that Datsyuk played against the top line? Yes Filp played against the 2nd line, but he also had zetterberg out there to carry the load defensively.
- Sulli03

Most of the time he only played as a center against the third line. He was usually a wing when he played on the second line.

I LOVE how someone said detroit cant afford a full season of hockey. Its not like Mike Illitch has a few billion dollars lying around or anything..... OH WAIT.

Also, Lightning fans must have for gotten that the reason their team is even relevant is because of Detroit-er and former owner Bill Davidson. But keep making fun of detroit.