Preising?  Vishnevski?

Posted by w2j2 on 06/24/07 at 07:59 PM ET

Chief, you are ahead of the curve on this one.  I was just thinking about it this afternoon, actually had a whole conversation with my brother about it.

Great post, you outflanked the diggers!  I would love to see Rafalski end up in Detroit, though I would rather see Schneider stick around!

Posted by John the Red Wings Fan from East Lansing, MI on 06/24/07 at 08:02 PM ET

Rafalski? Too expensive. He’s already making $4.2M, so he’ll want what Schneider wants.

Sydor? Too slow and a minus 4 for the Stars. No thanks.

The Calgary goons? Not Detroit’s style.

As I posted in another thread yesterday, my choice would be Preissing. He’s a power play guy with good defensive skills (better than Schneider’s)...and he’ll probably go for around $3M (a major upgrade from the $600k he made this year).

And I’d let Markov go. It’s time for Meech to get a shot, if only at the No. 7 defenseman spot. Use the money saved to sign Bert and Smyth.

Gosh, it sure is fun to spend Mr. I’s money, ain’t it.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/24/07 at 10:35 PM ET

Yes and Yes, W2J2.  If there’s a worst-case scenario, and both guys leave, it’s Vishnevski and Preissing that I look at.

When Preissing was a Shark, and to some extent, a Senator--at least in the first half of the season--he was a giveaway machine.  He’s a bit of a gambler, but he’s fast, he’s got a really, really nice outlet pass, a good one-timer, and while he’s neither big nor nasty, he wins battles for the puck along the boards and behind the net. 

He’d be a good offensive replacement, and a realistic one--there’s no way the Wings would pay $5 million a year for a similar power play specialist who has a better shot but is much worse in his own end, whose name happens to be Sheldon Souray.  Souray has a great shot and is mean as heck, but mobility-wise, he makes Larry Murphy look like Pavel Bure.

If Markov goes bye bye, I’m a huge Vishnevski fan.  He was tremendous in Anaheim a few years ago when paired with Ruslan Salei (was it some guy named “Babcock” who was coaching the Ducks back then?), and he’s struggled in support roles in Atlanta and Nashville, but as a regularly-playing second or third-pair defenceman, he’s tremendously physical--he’s a player who lays guys out and hurts ‘em without even trying--strong, tenacious in the trenches and in front of the net.  At the same time, he’s surprisingly quick, and for a defensive defenceman, he’s got really good puck-possession skills.  His issue is game-to-game intensity, and he’d obviously get a kick in the pants from an effective former coach in Babcock.

Otherwise, I think that guys will be asking for far too much money.  Between the Leafs’ signings of McCabe, Kaberle, and Kubina for $5 million-plus last summer, the big bucks doled out to Chara and Jovanovski, and the fact that the Flyers gave $6.3 million a year for six years to a guy who’s worth $4 million a year for 4 in Timonen, the market is gonna get ridiculous by mid-day on Sunday.  I’d argue that Nick may look like a bargain after we see some moron give Souray almost $7 million to play on a struggling team.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 06/25/07 at 02:34 AM ET

Rafalski - Priessing - Poti

and in that order.

more so, If Hasek signs for more than 1.5million he is not a bargin.  I don’t know what cards the flopper is holding, I seriously doubt anybody else would sign him.  What other potential contenders out there would take a chance on him?  Vancouver - no, Ottawa again - no, Buffalo - no, Anahiem - nope, Calgary - notta, Dallas - nope, Rangers - no, San Jose - no, Atlanta - no, New Jersey - no.... Tampa Bay - maaaaybe, but no, Montreal - no, Nashville - no, Toronto - no, Islanders - nope.  Our strong team defense made him look better than he is.  He fit well for us, because he was cheap and allowed us to bring in other players.  He wants to return, he only wants to play for the wings, how can he hold any cards at the table?

Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 06/25/07 at 07:25 AM ET

Is it true that Bertuzzi is asking for $3 million a year for three years?  I can’t see anyone paying that.  (maybe Keenan?) With his recent injury history, he will have to lower his demands a bit, just because no team will have anything to go on.  swallow your pride, sign a one-year, incentive-laden contract, and prove that you can still play.  Folks will be lining up to give you the money then.

I agree on letting Markov go.  Quincey was pretty capable, and from everything that was said it sounds like Meech is on a similar level.  Time for them to get their opportunities, especially if someone is going to throw $6 million a year at Schneider.

I like Vishnevski as well.  And since he plays for Nashville, of course he is available.  I haven’t seen enough of Preissing to comment on him.

And for everything Lidstrom does, he is practically a bargain at any price.  Perfection usually is. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/25/07 at 07:30 AM ET

Georgums said:

I’m a huge Vishnevski fan...he’s tremendously physical--he’s a player who lays guys out and hurts ‘em without even trying--strong, tenacious in the trenches and in front of the net.  At the same time, he’s surprisingly quick, and for a defensive defenceman, he’s got really good puck-possession skills.

If he’d take $2.5 or less, maybe he could fill the role that I thought Markov would fill last season...i.e., a physical guy with a mean streak. I honestly never saw that from Markov until the playoffs.

Maybe another option would be Joni Pitkanen. Another story here on KK hints that Philly might be willing to trade him (and his $2M salary) in order to pick up more offense. Soooooo, since it doesn’t appear Hudler will ever have a major role on a Babcock team, maybe Philly would take the little guy and a draft pick for Pitkanen.

Besides being a wide body, Pitkanen seems to have some scoring potential and, at 23, he could be here for a long time. And I’m sure Flip wouldn’t mind having another Finn on the team.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/25/07 at 08:29 AM ET

I like the Pitkanen idea from OlderThanChelios.  I would trade Samuelsson before Hudler though.  Hudler is going to explode with increased ice time.  He led the wings in goals per ice time, and while averaging between 5-7 minutes a game he had 15 goals, 25 points, and was a plus 16.  Samuelsson who only managed to squeeze 53 games in this year and scored 14 goals and had 34 points, was a plus 1 with considerably more ice time.

Samuelsson and draft pick for Pitkanen.

all is highly unlikely and it wouldn’t suprise me if our opening day defense looked like this....

Lidstrom / Lilja

Kronwall / Lebda

Chelios / Kindl / Meech / Quincey

Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 06/25/07 at 09:07 AM ET

Keep Hudler.  If he keeps up the pace he was on, he could score 80 goals if he got more than 5 minutes of ice time each game. 

Samuelsson and a pick for Pitkanen...How is Pitkanen’s injury history, though?  I thought he was hurt a lot last year (concussion, etc.).  If I saw more of the eastern conference, I might have a better handle on his play.  I like the idea of swapping a Swede for a Finn, too--after all, the Wings just drafted another Swede this year, so they have that demographic sewn up.  Even out the Scandinavians so poor Flip isn’t as outnumbered.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/25/07 at 09:59 AM ET

I like Vishnevski...those who don’t watch him alot...don’t get how good he is. He hits and skates like Konstantinov...and he’ll come for about a mill or less

Posted by mormerod19 on 06/25/07 at 10:05 AM ET

mormerod19 said:

I like Vishnevski...those who don’t watch him alot...don’t get how good he is. He hits and skates like Konstantinov...and he’ll come for about a mill or less

Vishnevski already makes $1.55M so I can’t see him signing anywhere for less than $2M this summer.

Jdunc said:

I would trade Samuelsson before Hudler though.  Hudler is going to explode with increased ice time.

I agree with your choice and your assessment, but Babcock just doesn’t seem to like/trust Hudler. Not sure why. I thought he did everything asked of him last season, including being far more responsible defensively. In fact, I never once thought of him as a defensive liability last season...which is somewhat borne out by his plus/minus rating.

But if Babcock won’t play him, he’s no good to us sitting in the press box or warming the end of the bench. Maybe Philly might take both Hudler and Lilja for Pitkanen. They’d get a pylon, er, I mean, a stay-at-home defenseman and a scoring winger for less than they’re paying Pitkanen. And we’d free up a spot for Meech or Quincy while still having enough cap space to go after Preissing.

Ah, such are the things that dreams are made of.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 06/25/07 at 10:46 AM ET

Vishnevski already makes $1.55M so I can’t see him signing anywhere for less than $2M this summer

But I think he realized there was a hard time getting anyone to take his contract off of the Ducks hands, and became a scratch in Nashville, if he could get ice time with a winner, you may see him go cheap

Posted by mormerod19 on 06/25/07 at 11:43 AM ET

I agree with your choice and your assessment, but Babcock just doesn’t seem to like/trust Hudler. Not sure why.

I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that Hudler was close to the soon but not soon enough to be departed Bob Lang? He lived with Lang’s family for quite awhile and I remember Lang referring to Hudler as “his oldest child” or something like that. Perhaps with Bob no longer in the picture, Jiri can be judged on his own merits.

Posted by YzermanZetterberg from Saginaw, MI on 06/26/07 at 11:00 AM ET

BTW, have the Wings given Hudler a QO yet?

Posted by YzermanZetterberg from Saginaw, MI on 06/26/07 at 11:06 AM ET

I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that Hudler was close to the soon but not soon enough to be departed Bob Lang?

Hmmm… Maybe.  Maybe Hudler deferred a little bit to Lang because he was more experienced, and was less likely to stand out on his own efforts because of that.  I’d like to see what he can do now that he has presumably gotten past any rookie jitters he might have had.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/26/07 at 11:40 AM ET

A little late here, but i like most of the options listed here. I do however believe, 1 way or another we need 2 top 4 defensemen.  Id thats schneider and markov so be it, or rafalski and vishnevski or pressing and pitkanen, whatever floats your boat.  I dont want to see any scenario in which lilja or lebda, or meech or quincey for that matter, aare forced into a top 4 role.  so where does that leave holland?  With alot of options.

This team could live without lebda, or lilja, or realistically without both and where i dont think lilja has much trade value, lebda with 3 more years on his contract may.  This effectively opens up a spot on the bottom pair for quincey or meech with the other a healthy scratch, and you also have some depth in kindl and ericcson in GR in case of injury. In addition to opening up a roster spot where a spot needs tyo be opened for the kids(bottom pair) this frees up a little salary to be applied toward the top 4.

Sammy is in a similar situation imo.  If the wings sign bert, hasek, their 2 defensemen, and through a little maneuverability, have a few mil left over, sa my might be the next logical place to upgrade with a guy like kozzy.  Sounds like a major overhaul, but really you are only replacing 1 role playing forward and moving 2 guys who are likely career bottom pair defense. (or #7 guys)

Posted by aTTicA on 06/29/07 at 04:33 AM ET