Detroit can only retain on two contracts in addition to Panik. I’ve always assumed Detroit insisted on dumping panik in the Leddy deal, but I’m not sure how losing a retention spot over 1.375 M helped them.

No thanks from the Rangers, Othmann is not available for trade.

Yeah, that was a dumb trade altogether IMO.

Btw, I realized after I posted and edited the Kubalik deal.

I figured as much. Wanted to do something a little different than the typical Bertuzzi deals.

If you don't ask, you don't receive, so nice try anyway.

Acquiring Leddy isn’t a bad move when the alternative is signing Ben Chiarot imo.

Ehh... are you sure you're a WIngs fan?

Canes would only do that if they knew they could extend him so sure.

Not sure those were the options at the time but I’d rather sign a free agent to a bad deal over trading too draft picks for them. My heart sank to my stomach when NYI drafted Raty with the pick we traded while I’m yelling at my TV for Yzerman to trade up to get him.

All my life, brother. What makes you ask?

I don’t think value is off necessarily. Drury drafted othmann and drafted him over a C position player so I think he’s going to want to keep him

Thank you. My thought process for NYR was they’ve got a small window this year to make a major acquisition while they have the cap space and that was my justification for moving Othmann in a deal as opposed to giving up several assets for someone like Horvat or someone with term that will force them to move a key piece like Lafreniere.

I think you picked the right destination just not the right return there. Othmann looks to good but they have other prospects who could be attractive.

My initial thought was Kakko & a 1st but I kinda sidestepped that after I saw he’s been having a somewhat decent year statistically.

Which of their prospects are you keen on?

If I had to guess, I would imagine Larkin’s preferred extension would not come from the Carolina Hurricanes. But tbh, idk.

I've heard good stuff about a couple kids, sykora and cuylle. We could always roll the dice on kravtsov.

Wings had multiple changes to take Raty and passed. Acquiring Leddy was the right move, Detroit just wiffed on earlier picks. Either way it’s better to trade a pick than get stuck with a bad player for four years imo. If a great player is selected with the 52nd pick that’s just good drafting. Not necessarily a bad trade.

Might be other prospects/pick’s instead. Would love to have Bert for a run.

Also I was joking about it being Leddy V Chiarot. Just pointing out that sometimes it’s better to trade a puck than sign a player. At the end of the day tho, yzerman’s Draft classes will have to be evaluated at a later date.

I’d recommend avoiding the Kravs route. 1st, *prospect, conditional late pick that jumps to a 3/4th if conference finals happens. Just spit balling

Well, gosh, you've traded Larkin, Bertuzzi, Kubalik, SunnyD and frankly your two best LDs, and the only thing you've put back into the lineup are two totally washed cap dumps on the 4th line. Most of your asks have been 2nds and 3rds and prospects who are small and/or minus skaters.

Well, going into the draft I was eyeing Atu Raty & Zachary L’Heureux with our second 1st rounder and after the trade happened for Cossa, and we had a bunch of second rounders, I’m like sweet we’ve got some ammo to move up and get one of them. We didn’t make another move and took Shai Buium over Raty and that was that.

I agree having a bad contract on the books can hamper a team but I am in the minority when it comes to Chiarot. I think he’s a fine 4th defenseman that is being relied on to play the role of a top 1-2 D-man and he just isn’t that. It’s a good thing he isn’t getting paid like a 1-2 Defenseman or else we’d really be in trouble.

Yeah I'm not fond of kravs but if Detroit wanted a body back that was nhl ready I could see him thrown in.

He was misguided. His 1st season stay in the K is fine. 2nd season he need to move to the A which is the 2nd best league in the world. Then he would have played N last year and this year would have been successful. Gorton messed up, so did Kravs.

Well, I like to think I possess the ability to view things impartially when it comes to Detroit teams. I think the players I’ve traded away, while they’re all valuable to this team, all or most have the option to walk away next year and/or receive substantial raises following a season of overall mediocrity.

I don’t view mediocrity as a sign of progression, I think it’s a place that if drastic measures aren’t taken, you’ll be there for too long and fans become unknowingly complacent with the flirtation of significance that is only a facade.

The draft this year is an opportunity to stack the deck and set this organization up for the next 15 years. Why waste that chance just to pretend to contend?

The 3 prospects we got back are all teenagers that have ample time to improve their skating and develop their game. We’ve got time.

Also, as rare as it is in sports, there is a chance one or multiple UFA’s I dealt could return in the offseason.