Are you really going to waive Lindström to save Nielsen?

I don't think you're far off. D pairs probably won't start that way but if they do then Seider and Oesterle is the 3rd, not 2nd pair. I bet Veleno starts in GR. Rasmussen moves to 3C, Gagner fills in on that wing. And then yeah, Lindstrom stays up and Nielsen gets the boot.

No but it's very doubtful Lindstrom would get claimed. Teams sneak players like him through waivers right before the season starts every year. He needs to play, sitting in the press box does him and the Wings no good

I'd be surprised if Veleno started the year in GR, he already showed he was NHL ready last year. If he has a good camp he's staying up. Most teams pair their young elite D with the best veteran D on the team and put them in a significant role. Seider has proven he's more than ready for that. It makes no sense to make Lindstrom rot in the press box, he needs to play. Wings will be able to sneak him through waivers right before the season starts like every team does with their young, fringe NHLers

The risk of Lindström being claimed is about a billion times higher than it's for Nielsen.

Yzerman chose to protect him ahead of both Stecher and Cholowski and DeKeyser. I very much doubt Our GM would spend a protection slot on him when there's a risk of one team picking him but willingly expose him when there's a risk of 31 teams picking him.

I don't disagree that Veleno looked NHL ready at the end of last season but I do think it's more a question of which place is better for him as a hockey player. I would argue that top line center with Raymond and Berggren, with PP and PK time in GR is better long term than 3rd line center in Detroit.

And I don't think Lindstrom will "rot in the press box." That d core is not good enough to not see a TON of rotation throughout the year. Besides, why protect him over Stecher if, to start the next season, you're going to waive him to keep Stecher on the roster? Doesn't follow logically.

Seider has absolutely not proven that he's ready to play 22+ minutes against the other teams best players in the NHL. He's a fantastic prospect but he hasn't proven anything in the NHL yet.