MSU Red Cedar Message Board

Good article by The Production Line on the changes that should be coming this offseason. My priorities for the offseason would be:

1. Sign Parise
2. Sign Suter
3. Sell Lidstrom on the idea of coming back for a discount. Say ~3 million
4. Send Stuart, Bertuzzi and Hudler packing. (I know Bert's still under contract)
5. Bring in a veteran to center the third line. (Gaustad, Doan, someone similar?)

As Babcock said, the forwards just didn't have the same depth as they've had in the past. The key is having a third line with the ability to put the puck in the net. That means Abdelkader's gotta be a 4th line guy. I say we go young, but skilled with our 3rd line next year.

Parise-Datsyuk-Zetterberg (Babcock needs to quit trying to outsmart himself. Just play Dats and Z together)
Franzen-Filppula-Cleary
Tatar-Gaustad-Nyquist
Abdelkader-Helm-Miller/Eaves

Lidstrom/Suter
Kronwall/White
Ericsson/Smith

The team has too many 4th line caliber players. Abdelkader, Helm, Miller, Eaves, Emmerton, Mursak. The only person you could make a case for being a 3rd line guy is Helm, and that's extremely debatable.

If the Preds go deep I think Suter signs with them.

Bertuzzi is a 35+ exception. Nothing is gained by cutting him. His salary hits the cap regardless. Like it or not, he's staying.

Bertuzzi isn't going anywhere, he was going to be a free agent this offseason and they re-signed him about 2-3 months ago. What we need to worry about is making moves that could send him to to the third line.

I agree with the poster above you in that I wouldn't mind seeing Cleary go. We have enough young guys who can play on the bottom two lines, and with Gustav and possibly Bert and Helm there if we make some moves those young guys are much more skilled then Cleary. I don't know if its just me, but I've failed to see what he brings to this team as of late.

So Tater ends up on a higher line than Abs, Helm, Mursak, Miller, Emmerton, and Mursak?

Hudler and Homer are obviously gone. Both are FAs, and there just needs to be a change in blood. Stuart is the same way, and I don't think he wants to come back either.

Bertuzzi is going to be really hard to move. I know the Wings will basically give him away, but does anyone want his 35+ contract?

Forwards, if they can sign Parise will look like this I think:

Parise/Datsyuk/Bertuzzi
Franzen/Zetterberg/Filppula
Helm/Abs/Nyquist
Some combo of Miller/Emmerton/Mursak/Sheahan
Eaves

Nyquist may get moved up to the top 2 lines, dropping Bertuzzi down to the 3rd line, especially if he looks good on the PP. Riley Sheahan is the wildcard, but I think he's going to be in Detroit, not Grand Rapids. This team really missed Helm down the stretch. He's extremely valuable in all facets of the game.

If Lidstrom comes back its for one reason and that's to win the cup (I don't buy the Winter Classic nonsense). This means he will understand he has to play on discount. If we pull off the big 2 I see our lines like this

Franzen Datsyuk Nyquist
Pairse Hank Filp
Cleary Abs Bert
Miller Helm Emmerton/Tatar/Brunstrom (If resigned)

Kronwall Suter (So Sick)
Lidstrom Smith (train the young'n)
Quincy Ericsson/ White

I really only see Nick playing 50 ish games next year. I believe the deal with Quincy is if someone offers him and we don't match we get our first rounder back. I think its conditional so we would lose our 2nd or 3rd (might depend on how many game he played this year). A UFA I am interested in is Dustin Penner. He went AWOL in Edmonton, but he was in Edmonton. He would have to take a hefty pay cut though.

I am not sure why everyone wants Bertuzzi gone. We don't pay him much and I think he plays his role fine, he's just not a top 6 forward. Plus he's practically indestructible AND willing to toss the gloves off.

If Nick re-signs, i do hope it's at a discount but i really don't think it will happen. Who believes they are in a position to tell possibly the most respected player in the game today that he needs to take a 50% pay cut to come back?

Franzen is who worries me. He's expensive and doesn't seem to do much anymore. He had a lackluster year that extended to the playoffs. Your big, skilled, powerforward/sniper should never be mostly invisible for such a long period of time.

Holmstrom might just not have much left in the tank, I agree. Dude's a Detroit hero for all he's done, though.

I actually thought Cleary had decent jump this series, but I agree that his role can be filled by younger, more skilled players.

Anyways, if Lidstrom sticks around, even IF it's at 3-4 mil a year, will we have enough cap space to sign Suter + Parise + whatever other roles need to be filled depending on who's gone?

I wouldn't overpay for Quincey, but he was one of our better dmen when he got in the swing of things.

Which is not saying a ton but still.

I'd like that a lot more if you switched out Hudler for Gaustad. He's a much better faceoff guy and is more physical than Hudler. I would imagine he would cost about the same as well.

Amen. I wished for drapes to come in 762 times in the last two weeks. Those role guys are how you win a cup.

You are missing Miller who had his best season. He's got speed, nice hands and is 10X better at killing penalties than Abs. Plus Miller is signed and Abs is not.

Abs is an RFA.