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Mantha wanting to stay In Detroit was the topic of the previous post. Detroit’s Free Agents are playing the waiting game while the league and the NHLPA continue to work on a solution. There’s a possibility, still, that some form of the season could still be played. However, Detroit is doing some bookkeeping for season ticket holders.
Detroit is offering refunds, credits and bonuses To people who have paid for tickets for the last 4 home games and those who have renewed season ticket plans. Mlive did a nice job of laying out the specifics. My favorite has to be a virtual Q and A with Yzerman before the draft. That is an incredible opportunity, and one I think a lot of people would enjoy. I don’t expect Yzerman to confide any secrets, but it’s always interesting to hear his thoughts on the current draft class, process and scouting. The draft, especially the first round, is a lot like a big wedding. A year of planning and coordinating that culminates in a lot of excitement for these young players. Sometimes, even shock and disbelief (see Moritz Seider’s reaction last year).
I like what the team is doing here. Adding value to season ticket holders is always a good thing. Price increases for a team that finished where Detroit did were not well received last year. I’d noted that you could get some really good deals on tickets, but unfortunately it wasn’t for people who pre pay. By the end of the season they were giving away free concessions and $20 tickets to try and fill some seats. I’m sure that didn’t sit well with some of the faithful who continue to support the team through this rebuild.
Brian La Rose Did a mailbag post and touched briefly on contract buyouts. The possibility is there, of course, but he believes it will be limited to one per team. Some owners aren’t keen on the idea, so the idea of a luxury tax could be added to teams who use it that would count against HRR, so the players would get something out of it as well. And, while the league has frowned upon it, he wonders if teams could trade their buyout candidate to another team who is more cash flow positive while adding draft picks or prospects to the deal. That’s an interesting thought, but most teams that are flush with cash will probably want to use the buyout.
Mark Eason penned a piece Regarding depth players for next year. Should the cap fall or simply stay put, league minimum and entry level players will be in high demand. It’s not much of a surprise, of course. In particular Toronto is going to have to be creative (again) with their roster. It will also point to how much money Detroit has tied up in the bottom 6. Abdelkader at 4.25M for 3 more seasons, Helm at 3.85M for one more, Nielsen at 5.25 for 2 more and Glenny at a more tolerable 1.8M for 1 more year. That’s about 15 mil in 4 players that will likely play bottom 6 minutes. Luckily Helm and Glenny deals are up. Abby may well end up in GR, though 3.25 will still count against the cap. Yzerman is waiting out contracts. Fil has one more year at 3 mil (corrected from 5), but he seems to be able to get second line minutes.
The intrigue related to what the salary cap will do is going to hit everyone in one way or another. Nashville has a lot tied up in Turris and Johansson and neither are performing at the level they are paid at. PK Subban is doing interviews, confident he’s a top defender in the league, but I wonder if NJ regrets that deal. Sven Bartschi also thinks he could play well on any team in the league, but Vancouver had him buried in the minors. There may well be a glut of players floating around the trade wire. Another reason why GMs aren’t in a hurry to get the draft underway. It feels like at some point the dams will be breached and the chips will start to fall. Yzerman could be in a very good position to benefit from teams who are desperate for space.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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