Before anyone asks about Veleno and Rasmussen...

I want to keep Veleno in GR to play centre between Raymond and Berggren and let them come up next year as a unit.

I don't think Rasmussen will ever make it as a centre in the NHL, he has a horrible FO% and isn't a good enough playmaker.

PS. Line-ups are Blashill's job, this is just a rough guide.

I don’t see the Flyers paying that much for a team to take Ghost. Maybe they pay something, but not that much. I can really see them just keeping him, too

Too much for Dunn I've seen a 2nd round and a B/B+ prospect. I also think Glendening will get a raise from his current contract not much but he will get one.

I disagree on Rasmussen. He made major strides last season and if you look at his advanced stats over the final 20ish games, he was very good. I actually think he's going to have a breakout season next year. Remember, because he had such a weird start, it feels like he is older, but the kid is only 22 and still has a ton of growth ahead of him. He's not even a full year older than Veleno.

EDIT - I misread your post and took it to mean that you thought he wasn't going to make it as a player. It's pretty clear that you were referring to position only after re-reading it. I'm 50/50 on him as a center because I still think he's too young to judge.

Rasmussen has his weaknesses. He lacks in creativity and in ability to read the play. He has improved but still loses most of the puck battles he gets into. He was drafted for his size and I fear that's the best of his attributes. He'll likely score most of his points on the PP around the net just as he did in Junior. If he improves his faceoffs he could play as a defensive 3/4 C + special teams but I don't think his ceiling is higher than that.

I've seen other ACGMs place him at about that price, but we are only fans none of us are professionals. We'll see where he ends up, he fits a need for Detroit so it'd be nice to see him come here.

I tried with a lower amount earlier but was shouted down by the Blues fans

He's good enough to solidify the left side for a long time (he's putting up Hronek-like numbers). With DDK leaving next year and Ghost in two and the uncertainty about Cholowski he brings some continuity to the LD position. I think he's worth it.

Glendening is getting older and his numbers are getting worse, that means pay cut, not a raise. He will likely be traded at the deadline to open a spot for Veleno, I signed Glenny to two years in order to make more teams interested in him rather than make him just a rental.

Agree to disagree. The second half of the season, especially once Larkin went down, he really blossomed and although the pure points weren't there, the stuff you just mentioned - puck battles, creativity really started to show. He also hit a ridiculous number of posts.

I like Dunn but that's too much for Wings to pay. 2nd+ is much more reasonable

They won't trade him for that.

I agree some where a 1st and 1st + 3rd. But they will want to make the trade before the expansion draft which is doable but it should bring the 3rd down. Why give up pick Let Seattle take who they take. Besides Vegas came out and said it will cost a 3rd and they will be happy to take who want them to take but that was also before they knew they were going to be a playoff team. I still think if Namestnikov is left unprotected they will take him. Cholowski isn't a NHL defenseman yet and Lindstrom is a defenseman defensive defenseman probably a 3rd pair dman for his career. Plus with Dunn does Cholowski matter? McIsaac has made some big steps and could challenge for a roster spot by the end of the season. Wennberg will want more to come to Detroit and I'd they won't bring in Nosek to play #3C Rasmussen is being groomed to be a shut down center his size alone makes him a good candidate. Plus Veleno will play more this season so for #3C and #4C will probably rotate between Rasmussen, Veleno and Glendening with the odd man playing wing or being a healthy scratch. Detroit does need a real center at the #2C spot if they want to have consistent scoring from the 2nd line. If Detroit can bring in Wennberg without having to throwing too much money at him ok. If not they need to bring in someone else I do like Johnson because we can get a 1st for bringing him in but I know you don't. What ever Detroit decides to do they don't have a player on their roster that can fill that #2C spot successfully.

Honestly, I think if that's what Dunn costs I just would not acquire Dunn.

The reason I offer the pick to Seattle is that I don't want to risk losing either Cholowski/Lindström/Ghost/Dunn or Svechnikov/Smith.

Dunn because of his performance and youth, Cholowski and Lindström because of youth and the lack of prospects in RD (Lindström) and Ghost because of need he fills a position where we have no other option other than to sign someone in FA, Svechnikov and Smith because they are both still progressing and one of them will be traded next year to make room for Raymond and Berggren and I don't want to lose that return and they also fill a position of need this season.

I want to make absolutely sure that Namestnikov is the one taken, he's the oldest and least valuable going forward. Remember last expansion draft when every Detroit fan though Mrazek would be picked?

Yes, even with Dunn does Cholowski matter, Detroit have 4 LD in GR with the collective total of zero NHL experience. With the fraility of DDK I want both Cholowski and Lindström there to take care of any injuries and with Stecher on his last season of his contract he may very well be traded at the deadline, there needs to be someone to step in if that should happen.

For Veleno and Rasmussen see my first post above. Raymond and Berggren need a centre berween them in GR, their first season will be a total waste otherwise.

Dunn is putting up better numbers than Hronek, he's totally worth it.

Potentially. Id be curious to see how he does on a team like Detroit. I may be looking at it cautiously because there are some guys I like who are projected to go around the Washington pick, that said, if they go early, or Yzerman doesnt like a guy around the caps pick this deal makes a chunk more sense.

Well, a fairly high 2nd and a B+ prospect is a better offer than a late 1st and a very late 3rd.

I'm not sure Petruzzelli has any intention of signing with Detroit and the closer we get to Aug 15th the less likely he signs. With Tuomisto I think he plays at least 1 more year with Denver but he also makes Lindstrom expendable. The fact that Cholowski can QB a powerplay is why he has lasted this long. He can put up points and as we've seen in the last couple of seasons he can play defense but he hasn't been able to put those 2 thing together. It's the same problem Hicketts has you can get offense or defense but not both at the same time. Even if Cholowski and Sevch don't get taken in the expansion draft I'm not convinced either will be on the team next season. They were both Holland picks so Yzerman not invested in either of them. Smith is a hard working bottom 6 garbage man and with Vegas setting the bar really high for expansion teams I would be very surprised if Seattle took him.

I have no idea who said Vegas would take Mrazek but even about month before the expansion draft it was pretty obvious that wasn't going to be the case.

Yzerman has signed 2 RDs and 2 LDs from the reserve list since the end of the season so you don't have to worry about GR.

I know Philly fans want Ghost gone and The Flyers might want him gone but I doubt they give up a 2nd to move him when they can offer him up to Seattle. If you think Seattle might take him from Detroit its just as likely they take him from Philly and since Philly isn't getting a return from trading him they have no reason not to wait until after the expansion draft to move him. So that keeps the desirable unprotected defensemen to Cholowski and Lindstrom assuming we get Dunn.

Rasmussen got screwed when Holland kept him in Detroit for a full season when he should've played his last year of eligibility in the WHL. So I don't see him being sent to the AHL just to center Raymond. So I think it is safe to say he is a Red Wing and no longer a Griffen. Veleno will probably start in GR and regardless of who is centering Raymond line. I think will permanently be in Detroit around mid season or maybe sooner. Now if Yzerman is worried about who is centering Raymond he can send him back to Sweden for another season. I think Berggren makes the team right out of camp.

In no way does Tuomisto make Lindström expendable, they're totally different types of players. Besides Tuomisto will need at least a year of AHL experience so his signing has no bearing on next seasons personell decisions.

Detroit doesn't have a full roster without signing Smith, Svechnikov, Cholowski. That's the reason they are signed, count the players, we have nothing to put in their place if we don't sign them!

There is currently only 1 serious player on RD in Grand Rapids, the other one is not a prospect, he's a filler, someone Yzerman signed just so that Barton wouldn't be the only RD in GR. That's why I want Tuomisto there, so that GR have a full roster, filled with prospects. It's explained in the "Team Explanation" read it.

That is also the reason that I want Veleno in GR for the next season until the trade deadline. I do not want to waste a whole year of development for Raymond and Berggren by having them play with Nielsen as their centre. It's also expkained in the description.

I have never mentioned Rasmussen being in GR, where did you get that idea from? Besides he is eligible for waivers and would be lost if we tried.

If you send Raymond to Sweden you waste one year of his development, he needs a year in AHL on the small ice sheet before being able to come up to the Wings. If he plays top line in GR with Veleno and Berggren he'll be ready next year, if you send him to Sweden it'll take a year longer, that's a waste.

Please read the "Team Explanation" and my first post and try to see the moves I made in the light of what's written there! There are solid reasons for those signings and trades:
1. Detroit need a full roster next year.
2. Grand Rapids need a full roster next year.
3. Newly signed prospects need a year in the AHL, especially young Europeans in order to get used to the smaller ice and different playing style.
4. There must be a path to bringing youngsters up to the NHL that times the departure of veterans with the maturation of the kids. You can't bring kids up too early and you can't let them linger in GR past when they're ready, timings have to match. That played a large factor in the moves I made.

You may want to make other decisions and moves but at least respect the ones I made under the premises stated upfront.

Hickey's buyout is $833k for two years. That's not worth giving up a 2nd round pick for.

It's been proposed by several Islanders ACGMs.

I don't know whether they're planning on using a buyout on another player or why they've made the proposal but it's out there.

Hickey is a player that has no value by himself to Detroit (he'd be sent to Grand Rapids) so, unless there's a sweetener attached, Detroit may as well go without him and save a spot under the 50-contract rule.

That was during the season when we could've used the immediate cap space. But now with the off-season looming, we don't need to pay to move Hickey. At least, it wouldn't be wise to in my opinion.

No, it's from the last three days.

Oh well I missed that, but either way I don't agree with that approach.