All reasonable though remains to be seen if Anaheim keeps it up, they were half expected to be a bottom feeder this year in a rebuild to be competitive for next year.

I always pegged them as a playoff team. They were just sooooo injured last year. They had to talent just couldnt stay healthy

I doubt Howard gets traded. The Ducks aren't play-off team this year they won't be buying. Pittsburgh isn't giving up a 1st to move JJ. Since Detroit has 10 players under contract 2020-21 season thats 13 RFAs and 8 UFAs with contracts expiring at the end of the season. So if you look a little closer you will see Detroit doesn't have ample cap room so taking on JJ and his contract won't happen. But I do agree with you that Daley and Ericsson are untradeable and both will retire at the end of the season.

I doubt Howard gets traded too. I would like to see him moved for a chance to win thought because he deserves it.

If you look at the Ducks stats they had some fantastic numbers in small sample sizes. They were also the second most injury prone team in the league. Their division is respectively weak as well so I can easily see them taking a spot.

As for the contracts you are right, but they are mostly guys coming off ELC who need small deals or bridge deals. Mantha, Bertuzzi and AA are the only ones who need big deals. I would suspect Mantha around 6-7, Bertuzzi on a bridge around 3 and AA around 5. Outside of that, all the UFAs are mostly walks like Ericsson, Daley, Howard, and Bowey. Det also loses those big contracts this off season and before singing anyone will have around 40 million in cap space. So lets say thats ample enough lol

Detroit has 10 players signed for next season and about $36M to do that with. The cap is supposed to be between $82.5M - $83.5M so at most Detroit will have $38.5M.

Players that will be resigned:
Mantha - around $7M
AA - around $7M
Bertuzzi - around $5M
Howard - around $4M - Detroit's goalie prospects aren't ready yet.

That brings the roster 14 and cap space $15.5M

Players that more than likely will be signed:
Hirose - around $2M
Kaski - around $1M
Bowey - around $1.5M

I'm not sure could go either way:
Svechnikov - between $1M and $3m
Kuffner - around $1M
Erne - around $1.5M

Baised on last years stats these guys are the same. DLR is bigger and 1yr older but Ehn will be cheaper. My guess is they keep one of them but both is a possibility:
DLR - around $1.5M
Ehn - around $1M

Doubtful
Saarijärvi
Turgeon

Im just going copy and paste the same thing with what I think they all deserve.

Payers that will be resigned:
Mantha - around $7M
AA - around $5 (I dont think hes going be as productive as everyone thinks. Especially not 7 million dollars worth).
Bertuzzi - around 3$ bridge deal. 5 million is too steep for a guy who could turn into an Abdelkader. Im not saying he will, but no one thought Abdelkader would just stop scoring.
Howard - around $2 million. We all know hes going have a bad year due to a learning defense. If he askes for 4 million on a one year deal, let him walk and pick up someone much cheaper. The team is rebuilding not over paying for players who used to play for the team

That brings the roster 14 and cap space $21.5M

Players that more than likely will be signed:
Hirose - around $2M (depends on his season but i could see up too 2 million)
Kaski - around $925K Cant see him making over a million
Bowey - around $1.5M fair deal if he stays

I'm not sure could go either way:
Svechnikov - between $1M and $3m (this one is the most interesting to me, Cause if he plays, and he scores like we all know he can, it could be even more. Yet he has to stay healthy.
Kuffner - around $1M
Erne - around $1M

So honestly, lets say they have around 12.5 million in cap. Its still alot of cap space

I saw this on the Athletic in an article on demographics in the NHL by James Mirtle

"The Red Wings, meanwhile, get the award for most 30-plus players, as they incredibly have nine on the roster, including four who are 35-plus. That’s hard to do given there are only 26 across the entire NHL. Steve Yzerman has a lot of work to do getting that group younger and more competitive."

Detroit is finally getting rid of a couple players over 30 it would be stupid to bring another one in. Seriously I'd rather have Ericsson or Daley for 3 more seasons than JJ. Now if Pittsburgh takes Abdelkader back instead of DLR ok it will start to make sense. DLR has been more valuable to Detroit than Abdelkader has, but Pittsburgh doesn't want him.

I think AA will get close to last seasons goal mark and he will have more assists playing with Hirose and Filppula or Glendening at center. Yzerman wants to move AA to the wing to limit defensive responsibility and open him up for more scoring chances and Hirose proved he could keep up with AA and most his points last season came from him playing with AA. Then putting Filppula and Glendening at center both are very responsible defensively. Plus without AA Detroit really doesn't have a scoring threat that opposing need to worry about outside of that first line. We have some prospects in the AHL that will probably be able to take pressure off that top line but we aren't even sure when they will be called up it might not be until next season. If they were good to make an impact right away they would already be on the team and since they aren't when they come up it will take time to adjust.

I'm just saying AA is more important to the team than a lot of people realize. What if Detroit wants to make a run at a free agent like Krug. You can't do that if you take on jj as a cap dump. There is absolutely no way JJ helps Detroit and in most situations he hurts Detroit. The draft this year is supposed to be full of talent and Detroit gives away a 3rd this year and gets a 1st in 2021 which is more like the 2017 draft.