Jeremy Laura: RFAs - extend, bridge, walk away or trade rights?

Qualify all of them and give them all minimal raises and McIsaac very minimal.

Was this why Hronek was traded to save money for Sieder while adding more young prospects?

Was this why Hronek was traded to save money for Sieder while adding more young prospects?
- Quinn's Quest

It was rumored that Hronek wants over $7M AAV on his next contract. And besides Stevie was offered a 1st and a 2nd in a deep draft for him!

Was this why Hronek was traded to save money for Sieder while adding more young prospects?
- Quinn's Quest

The “get” for Hronek was good, and he found himself in an awkward spot. At 20 Seider had climbed the ranks really quickly. I don’t think anyone has him Lower than the topD spot going forward. Hronek has arbitration rights next year and is at 4.4m. I do think the Wings will try and lock him down for max or near max term with Raymond probably looking at similar money to what Hronek has now (opinion). Hronek is going to want term as well. Yzerman may already have a replacement in mind.

Add to that a potentially flat cap for longer than anyone wants to think about. Inflation and bank issues have people cutting costs all over. I’m watching the writer’s strike and Disney’s issues as closely as I can. If the Writer’s strike hits 8 weeks, studios can try and enact “force Majeure” (used to be called Act of God) and cancel shows. That shouldn’t seem related but it is. ESPN will hit its next round of layoffs in about 2 weeks and there’s a push to let AI (by studios and owners) write scripts which could include sport pregame and post game scripts. If the cap were going up 5 to 6 million (and the offer hadn’t been what it was) Detroit may have kept Hronek. As it is, it looks like they’re content to develop/draft/trade and even sign “stop gap” solutions while they build up the team. Probably more than you wanted. I liked Hronek a lot. But Yzerman must feel like he can cover that position

Qualify all of them and give them all minimal raises and McIsaac very minimal.
- HenryHockey

At this point, we only have 28 contracts for next year. I’m not sure I’d qualify them all if some seem destined for GR and you can trade or sign a better option. Not a GM, so maybe they’ll go that route. Some may try their hand elsewhere as capped out teams look for low dollar depth

There are some RSD that could be drafted in first and second round.

Moving out plus 25 played is the long term rebuild move that seems to be what Stevie did for the Bolts that eventually paid off.

It was rumored that Hronek wants over $7M AAV on his next contract. And besides Stevie was offered a 1st and a 2nd in a deep draft for him!
- HenryHockey

Yeah would have been problematic with Seider. Maybe now can add D and forward with those added picks.

At this point, we only have 28 contracts for next year. I’m not sure I’d qualify them all if some seem destined for GR and you can trade or sign a better option. Not a GM, so maybe they’ll go that route. Some may try their hand elsewhere as capped out teams look for low dollar depth
- Jeremy Laura

I could see the Wings qualifying most of the Wings RFAs. They will still need some depth for the AHL and injury call ups. I wonder when they will name the new GR coaching staff too. They weren't happy with the results and probably will make some changes to that team in terms of players. I expect GR to look a lot different next season aside from the prospects.

Maybe Yzerman has some players from cap strapped teams in mind as replacements for some of the UFAs that they will let go and the players like Bertuzzi, Vrana, Hronek and Sundqvist that were traded away. Carolina was able to get Burns and Pacioretty for basically nothing from cap strapped teams. Maybe Yzerman does something similar to replace some of the scoring lost or add the type of players they are missing. Should be an interesting summer for the Wings for sure starting with the draft.

The “get” for Hronek was good, and he found himself in an awkward spot. At 20 Seider had climbed the ranks really quickly. I don’t think anyone has him Lower than the topD spot going forward. Hronek has arbitration rights next year and is at 4.4m. I do think the Wings will try and lock him down for max or near max term with Raymond probably looking at similar money to what Hronek has now (opinion). Hronek is going to want term as well. Yzerman may already have a replacement in mind.

Add to that a potentially flat cap for longer than anyone wants to think about. Inflation and bank issues have people cutting costs all over. I’m watching the writer’s strike and Disney’s issues as closely as I can. If the Writer’s strike hits 8 weeks, studios can try and enact “force Majeure” (used to be called Act of God) and cancel shows. That shouldn’t seem related but it is. ESPN will hit its next round of layoffs in about 2 weeks and there’s a push to let AI (by studios and owners) write scripts which could include sport pregame and post game scripts. If the cap were going up 5 to 6 million (and the offer hadn’t been what it was) Detroit may have kept Hronek. As it is, it looks like they’re content to develop/draft/trade and even sign “stop gap” solutions while they build up the team. Probably more than you wanted. I liked Hronek a lot. But Yzerman must feel like he can cover that position
- Jeremy Laura

Good stuff helps put things in perspective. So how will this be covered you think?

Good stuff helps put things in perspective. So how will this be covered you think?
- Quinn's Quest

It depends on who is paying the bills. That sounds really pessimistic I know, but “career journos” (and I’m not one, just a blogger) will sometimes be asked to give certain input. I’ll go back to the old noon show that Phil Esposito was on (was shot in Gretzky’s restaurant I think). A former GM said he would go to the play by play and press staff and ask them to really talk up a player they were looking to trade.

In the current market, year after year there are players who are talked up and I just don’t get the hype. Then I remember that interview. If you want a recent real world version of this, there was a “red carpet” event for Ant Man and the Wasp. Every person on the mic called Jonathan Majors “the most charismatic, best and brightest star ever”. Someone panned back and there were literally about 50 fans made to look like a ton. And then, the star got accused of bad stuff and now all those interviews look cringey and bad. Apparently Disney/Marvel had at least 3 movies in mind for Majors as Kang. The advent of the smart phone has killed some facade to be sure

I could see the Wings qualifying most of the Wings RFAs. They will still need some depth for the AHL and injury call ups. I wonder when they will name the new GR coaching staff too. They weren't happy with the results and probably will make some changes to that team in terms of players. I expect GR to look a lot different next season aside from the prospects.

Maybe Yzerman has some players from cap strapped teams in mind as replacements for some of the UFAs that they will let go and the players like Bertuzzi, Vrana, Hronek and Sundqvist that were traded away. Carolina was able to get Burns and Pacioretty for basically nothing from cap strapped teams. Maybe Yzerman does something similar to replace some of the scoring lost or add the type of players they are missing. Should be an interesting summer for the Wings for sure starting with the draft.
- dcz28

I think that a “system” has now been decided upon. Yzerman (a lot like Kenny) wants the ahl to be rolling out the same systems as the NHL. We saw the “purge”, and I assumed with what was essentially a coaching trade with TB, Yzerman was seeing the building blocks or at least potential blocks. I feel bad for GR because they got shaved thin by callups that lasted all year. The only reason I don’t qualify all is that you can do an NHL contract later in the year if needed. Those spots are valuable in retention deals. But, you have to put a player on waivers to do that so there is some risk.

I think that a “system” has now been decided upon. Yzerman (a lot like Kenny) wants the ahl to be rolling out the same systems as the NHL. We saw the “purge”, and I assumed with what was essentially a coaching trade with TB, Yzerman was seeing the building blocks or at least potential blocks. I feel bad for GR because they got shaved thin by callups that lasted all year. The only reason I don’t qualify all is that you can do an NHL contract later in the year if needed. Those spots are valuable in retention deals. But, you have to put a player on waivers to do that so there is some risk.
- Jeremy Laura

GR did get hit with a lot of injuries and callups but they also had a lot of players underperforming. A lot of the AHL vets they brought in were underperforming to the point they had to make a couple of trades to change things up. They also needed an NHL goalie standing on his head to have any shot at winning a game. That coaching staff with the goalie coach really needed to go. It was time for a clean sweep down there with more and more prospects coming in.

Sure the risk of losing someone on waivers is there but if they only sign an AHL deal any team can sign them away anyways. Besides the waivers are more of an issue during the season. during training camp and pre-season there are so many players on waivers that the chances of someone being claimed are slim because teams already have full rosters and they would need to keep them on their roster.

I don't think they will let GR underperform next season. I'm sure they want GR to be a playoff team so the prospects can get some much needed experience on a winning team not a bottom feeding team.

GR did get hit with a lot of injuries and callups but they also had a lot of players underperforming. A lot of the AHL vets they brought in were underperforming to the point they had to make a couple of trades to change things up. They also needed an NHL goalie standing on his head to have any shot at winning a game. That coaching staff with the goalie coach really needed to go. It was time for a clean sweep down there with more and more prospects coming in.

Sure the risk of losing someone on waivers is there but if they only sign an AHL deal any team can sign them away anyways. Besides the waivers are more of an issue during the season. during training camp and pre-season there are so many players on waivers that the chances of someone being claimed are slim because teams already have full rosters and they would need to keep them on their roster.

I don't think they will let GR underperform next season. I'm sure they want GR to be a playoff team so the prospects can get some much needed experience on a winning team not a bottom feeding team.
- dcz28

I saw that Lashoff retired. I do hope GR does something nice for him. He was a trooper, did whatever he was asked. It’s funny, i want some veteran presence but really want to be developing our guys. And, I hate to say it, those clubs have to sell tickets too. One AHL team broke its affiliate because so many callups screwed up the team

Joe getting nasty and Nino getting him back!


https://twitter.com/SElli...tatus/1659927402103861249

Joe was suspended from the rest of this year's Worlds

I saw that Lashoff retired. I do hope GR does something nice for him. He was a trooper, did whatever he was asked. It’s funny, i want some veteran presence but really want to be developing our guys. And, I hate to say it, those clubs have to sell tickets too. One AHL team broke its affiliate because so many callups screwed up the team
- Jeremy Laura

I would imagine Lashoff might get a job either with the Wings or maybe with GR in some capacity. You do want some vets on the farm team to show the prospects how to train and play hard and what it is to be a good pro but you want the prospects to be leading the charge to victories and not a bunch of career AHLers or former NHLers. AHL has rules anyways that they can only dress so many vets per game so having too many can be kind of pointless.

It just kind of dawned on me how unusual it is that Brian Lashoff managed to play his entire 15-year professional career in Detroit's system despite the fact that he was only a full-time NHLer for one of them. Never played for any NHL team other than Detroit (136 games). Never played for any AHL team other than Grand Rapids (629 games). Never played for any ECHL team other than Toledo (3 games).

Just based on the length of his career and the way he bounced a bit between the NHL and AHL (but mostly stayed in the minors), you'd have expected him to play for like five or six or seven different organizations. He's like a journeyman except that he never journeyed anywhere.

Kinda neat, honestly. I don't know if there are any other recent examples of a 15-year pro with a 600+ game AHL career who was playing on NHL contracts with a single organization the entire time.

It just kind of dawned on me how unusual it is that Brian Lashoff managed to play his entire 15-year professional career in Detroit's system despite the fact that he was only a full-time NHLer for one of them. Never played for any NHL team other than Detroit (136 games). Never played for any AHL team other than Grand Rapids (629 games). Never played for any ECHL team other than Toledo (3 games).

Just based on the length of his career and the way he bounced a bit between the NHL and AHL (but mostly stayed in the minors), you'd have expected him to play for like five or six or seven different organizations. He's like a journeyman except that he never journeyed anywhere.

Kinda neat, honestly. I don't know if there are any other recent examples of a 15-year pro with a 600+ game AHL career who was playing on NHL contracts with a single organization the entire time.
- Sven22

Yeah, it sticks out especially with so much AHL time. Really seemed to like the organization and didn’t look at the AHL as an “insult”. His attitude is really good and I hope he gets to do something in the future with them

Joe getting nasty and Nino getting him back!


https://twitter.com/SElli...tatus/1659927402103861249

Joe was suspended from the rest of this year's Worlds
- HenryHockey

Good grief. Didn’t Jordan Staal get stepped on like that and have a tendon severed? I don’t want to sound harsh, but those skates are dangerous. That was out of line

It just kind of dawned on me how unusual it is that Brian Lashoff managed to play his entire 15-year professional career in Detroit's system despite the fact that he was only a full-time NHLer for one of them. Never played for any NHL team other than Detroit (136 games). Never played for any AHL team other than Grand Rapids (629 games). Never played for any ECHL team other than Toledo (3 games).

Just based on the length of his career and the way he bounced a bit between the NHL and AHL (but mostly stayed in the minors), you'd have expected him to play for like five or six or seven different organizations. He's like a journeyman except that he never journeyed anywhere.

Kinda neat, honestly. I don't know if there are any other recent examples of a 15-year pro with a 600+ game AHL career who was playing on NHL contracts with a single organization the entire time.
- Sven22

He was traded to Tampa, and then they loaned him back to Grand Rapids! If you call that a journey.

Good grief. Didn’t Jordan Staal get stepped on like that and have a tendon severed? I don’t want to sound harsh, but those skates are dangerous. That was out of line
- Jeremy Laura

Matt Cooke severed Erik Karlsson's Acchiles tendon!

He was traded to Tampa, and then they loaned him back to Grand Rapids! If you call that a journey.
- HenryHockey

Oh man, totally forgot about that.