Red Wings free agency preview

First, the big news. It is being reported that Hossa has turned down the Wings offer of roughly $4 million a year for ten years. Holland has said countless times that this was basically a take it or leave it offer. Hossa left it and he is no longer a Red Wing.

So, where does that leave the Wings? Here is our current Red Wing roster...


Detroit Red Wings

#	Player	Position	2009-2010 Cap Hit	2010-2011 Cap Hit	Contract Length
	Forwards
13	Pavel Datsyuk	C/LW	$6,700,000	$6,700,000	thru 2013-14
40	Henrik Zetterberg	C/LW	$6,083,333	$6,083,333	thru 2020-21
93	Johan Franzen	C/RW	$3,954,545	$3,954,545	thru 2019-20
51	Valtteri Filppula	C/LW	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	thru 2012-13
11	Daniel Cleary	C/RW/LW	$2,800,000	$2,800,000	thru 2012-13
96	Tomas Holmstrom	LW/RW	$2,250,000	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
33	Kris Draper	C	$1,583,333	$1,583,333	thru 2010-11
18	Kirk Maltby	LW/RW	$883,333	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
43	Darren Helm	C	$599,444	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
	Defense
5	Nicklas Lidstrom	D	$7,450,000	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
28	Brian Rafalski	D	$6,000,000	$6,000,000	thru 2011-12
23	Brad Stuart	D	$3,750,000	$3,750,000	thru 2011-12
55	Niklas Kronwall	D	$3,000,000	$3,000,000	thru 2011-12
3	Andreas Lilja	D	$1,250,000	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
52	Jonathan Ericsson	D	$900,000	$900,000	thru 2010-11
22	Brett Lebda	D	$650,000	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
14	Derek Meech	D	$483,333	$xxx,xxx	thru 2009-10
	Goalies
30	Chris Osgood	G	$1,416,667	$1,416,667	thru 2010-11
35	Jimmy Howard	G	$716,667	$716,667	thru 2010-11
	Projected Total:		$53,470,655	$39,904,545
	Salary Cap:		$56,800,000	$56,800,000
	Cap Space:		$3,229,335	$16,795,455

Notes:
Red = Unrestricted Free Agent
Blue = Restricted Free Agent
Green = 35+ years old at contract signing, cap hit remains [almost] regardless



Free Agents

#	Player	Position	2008-2009 Cap Hit	FA Status
	Forwards
81	Marian Hossa	RW	$7,450,000	UFA
37	Mikael Samuelsson	RW	$1,200,000	UFA
26	Jiri Hudler	LW/RW	$1,015,000	RFA
21	Ville Leino	LW/RW	$875,000	RFA
44	Aaron Downey	RW	$575,000	UFA
25	Darren McCarty	RW	$575,000	UFA
28	Tomas Kopecky	LW/RW	$500,000	UFA
	Defense
24	Chris Chelios	D	$750,000	UFA
	Goalies
29	Ty Conklin	G	$750,000	UFA

-To summarize: Hossa is gone. Conklin is gone. Chelios is gone. Kopecky is testing free agency and might be gone. Downey and McCarty might get two-way contracts between Grand Rapids and Detroit for the league minimum. Jiri Hudler and Ville Leino are both restricted free agents who were given qualifying offers. Mikael Samuelsson has had contract negotiations with the Wings but will test free agency.

-So, we have 9 forwards under contract, 8 D-men and 2 goalies. Our D is set, but I would not be surprised to see Lilja placed on LTIR next season b/c of his persistent headaches. If that is the case, that would free up $1.25 million. Holland has also stated that he would trade one of his D-men if Lilja is healthy. So, either way, our salary cap space will increase. For next year, the cap is set at $56.8 million, and we have roughly $3.3 million available to use on at least 3 forwards.

-Leino will probably re-sign for $800,000 or so with the guarantee that he will be on the Red Wings roster all year. Then, I think Hudler will sign for about $2 million. I expect Samuelsson to walk and get a better deal elsewhere. That would leave us with $500,000 or so. But, with the inevitable trade of a defenseman, we will at least have another $1 million to spend on another forward.

-With $1 million, we will not get a top-flight forward. What we can get, though, is a veteran checking-line player. Think Dallas Drake in 2008. What follows are five players who I think the Wings will target with that money (and some have connections to our local area or Babcock).

-C Todd Marchant is a defensive wizard who made life a living hell for Datsyuk's line in that tough second round series against Anaheim. Here were his stats last year...

	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	Shots	PtsPG
2008-09 ANAHEIM	72	5	13	18	-2	34	0	2	0	101	0.2

He was on the shutdown 3rd line for the Ducks with Sammy Pahlsson and Travis Moen during their cup run in 2007. And, in the playoffs the year before that, he scored 13 points and was + 14. He is a legit playoff performer. He will be highly sought after for a 3rd/4th line role.

-W Travis Moen is a winger, and a similar shutdown-type guy like Marchant is. Like I mentioned above, he played with Marchant for a couple years, and has won a Cup after his stellar performance in the 2007 playoffs. Here are his stats from last year...

GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	Shots	PtsPG
2008-09 TOTAL ANA/SJ	82	7	9	16	-18	91	0	3	2	101	0.20

He is a hard nosed player, as evidenced by the 91 PIM. He is only 27, is a great defensive player and has won the Cup before. He would be a great pickup for us, and may fit our team better than Marchant because we need wingers more than centers.

The following are a couple free agents profiled by Kyle at Babcock's Death Stare, with my comments following his.

"Ian Lapperiere – Heavily rumored to Detroit at the deadline, it looks like he wants out of Colorado. He’ll likely be the most sought after grinder of this year’s free agent class, so Detroit would likely sacrifice some scoring to nab him."

Stats last year:

	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	Shots	PtsPG
2008-09 COLORADO	74	7	12	19	0	163	0	0	0	61	0.26

He had a salary of $1.15 million, so he is well within our price range. What type of player is he? Check the penalty numbers. He is a rough hockey player who is solid penatly killer and will get ou 10 goals and 10 assists a year. A real good 4th liner who is 35 and never sniffed the Cup. He wil be someone we target.

"John Madden – Why not, Wolverine trifecta in this section. He’s been slowly phased out by the Devils, and now, at 36, finds his 7 goals as his lowest career total. He still adds grit and leadership."

	GP	G	A	Pts	+/-	PIM	PPG	SHG	GWG	Shots	PtsPG
2008-09 NEW JERSEY	76	7	16	23	-7	26	0	1	2	132	0.30

His salary was nearly $3 million, but he will get nowhere near that this time around. He is a former Michihgan Wolverine and won the Selke Award in 2001 as the best defensive forward in the game. He also is a veteran at 36 years of age who was an integral part of 2 Stanley Cup runs with New Jersey. But, I would prefer Lapperiere over him. Madden doesn't bring a physicaly presence and I fear that he is going the way of Kirk Maltby and Kris Draper. He has been a negative player in 3 of the last 4 years on a pretty good team, and that is a clear warning sign to me.

"Samuel Pahlsson – Pahlsson has always been a thorn in the side of Detroit’s type lines, and although he’s always been the enemy, perhaps he would be interested in joining many of his countrymen in Detroit."

2008-09 TOTAL ANA/CHI

65

7

11

18

-17

34

1

0

2

88

0.28

Had a salry of $1.4 million last year. Babcock coached him for two years in Anaheim. He is the eptiome of a shutdown center who won a cup with Anaheim and gave us some trouble with Chicago this year. He is a better option than Madden. He doesn't bring the physical presence that Lapperiere does, but he is roughly 3 years younger and a better defensive player.


Any of these guys would be good gets, but because we need wingers and we might want to get a little tougher in our bottom 6, I think Moen and Lapperiere are the ones most likely to sign with us.

Then we are left with these possible lines:

Datsyuk | Zetterberg | Holmstrom
Cleary | Filppula | Franzen
Hudler| Helm | Moen/Lapperiere
Maltby | Draper | Leino

Lidstrom | Rafalski
Kronwall | Stuart
Ericsson | Lebda
Meech

Osgood | Howard

-Abdelkader will probably spend most of next year in Grand Rapids and come up in the postseason like Helm did.

-Obviously, these lines will be fluid and ever-changing. For example, Hudler might be on the second line, and Cleary might get bumped down to the 3rd line to play more of a defensive role. Or, Homer might get bumped off the top 2 lines entirely and Hudler and Cleary might each get bumped up a line. A lot could happen.

-As it stands, though, a top 6 forward group of Z, Pavel, Franzen, Cleary, Flip and Homer is still one of the best in the game. And, our top 5 on D is also one of the best in the game. This roster would be dimished in depth compared to this year's team. Players with the ability of Ericcsson, Leino and Helm will not be waiting in the minors anymore. That's what the Salary Cap will do to teams. Z and Franzen's salaries have now inceased and the Wings depth will not be as great as it once was.

But, this team would still be a top contender and a top 5 team in the league along with Anaheim, Chicago, Washington and Pittsburgh. As long as Holland is still our GM, you can never count out the Wings.