If it were me in charge:

Veleno and Raymond make the team.

Ryan released from PTO.

Probably go 13-8 and keep Lindstrom in the NHL for now. Stephens would be my odd guy out to get waived and sent to GR.

If they decide to offer Ryan a contract, I'd probably go 14-7 and waive Lindstrom as well. You could convince me to choose Oesterle (or Staal lol) instead of Lindstrom. Lots of pretty borderline defenders on this team.

Gagner can play center and as of now is the 2nd best pk forward after Namestnikov.
- Feds91Stammer

Like i said, he isn't good enough at center and not better than Ryan on the wing. Wings have enough so so centers that they don't need to keep Gagner just because he can somewhat play center.

Wings can use someone else to kill penalties and i really doubt it would make any difference if Gagner is on it or not.

Like i said, he isn't good enough at center and not better than Ryan on the wing. Wings have enough so so centers that they don't need to keep Gagner just because he can somewhat play center.

Wings can use someone else to kill penalties and i really doubt it would make any difference if Gagner is on it or not.
- dcz28

Gagner over Ryan all day.

I would go with:

Bertuzzi - Larkin - Fabbri
Zadina - Suter - Raymond
Erne - Veleno - Ryan
Smith - Namestnikov - Rasmussen

Extra Stephens, Hirose

DeKeyser - Hronek
Leddy - Seider
Staal/Oesterle - Stetcher/Lindstrom

Waive one of Oesterle or Staal unless you can trade Stetcher or one of Staal/Oesterle

Greiss
Ned

Gagner over Ryan all day.
- Feds91Stammer

Disagree Gagner has done nothing in pre-season while Ryan you notice every game.

Gagner is a good territorial play driver in all three zones; his finishing just sucks. Rowney is not a good player overall but well above average in a shutdown role, so he can add some value if he's deployed properly. The new Glendening, essentially, but probably a little bit better at everything except faceoffs.

Ryan I feel is just kind of the "neutral NHL bottom six winger." Meh but not awful offensively. Meh but not awful defensively. I feel sorta the same way about Namestnikov, but he can at least passably play all three forward positions and both special teams units. Ryan can't play center or kill penalties.

I don't think Ryan is a "bad" hockey player per se but I'm not really sure there's a great fit for him on this roster. Which is too bad, because he seems like a genuinely really likable guy.

Disagree Gagner has done nothing in pre-season while Ryan you notice every game.
- dcz28

I hear you, but I would counter by saying that doing things that "get noticed" (even if they're mostly "positive" things) isn't necessarily the same thing is being an overall positive contributor.

Mathias Brome made a lot of noticeable plays due to his level of effort / hustle and his willingness to go to the net. He also sucked.

Gagner's arguably less noticeable, but I think he does more to help the team win overall than Ryan does.

Gagner is a good territorial play driver in all three zones; his finishing just sucks. Rowney is not a good player overall but well above average in a shutdown role, so he can add some value if he's deployed properly. The new Glendening, essentially, but probably a little bit better at everything except faceoffs.

Ryan I feel is just kind of the "neutral NHL bottom six winger." Meh but not awful offensively. Meh but not awful defensively. I feel sorta the same way about Namestnikov, but he can at least passably play all three forward positions and both special teams units. Ryan can't play center or kill penalties.

I don't think Ryan is a "bad" hockey player per se but I'm not really sure there's a great fit for him on this roster. Which is too bad, because he seems like a genuinely really likable guy.
- Sven22

I have seen nothing during pre-season that would make me think Gagner or Rowney belong on the team. Personally i don't really care what those guys have done in the past, i'm looking at them right now and neither of those guys did anything that would make me give them a spot on the roster.

Veleno, Raymond, Seider and Ryan to me earned a spot. Hirose and Barber made a decent case too. Gagner and Rowney didn't and Staal/Oesterle didn't stand out either. I would have no problem if the Wings waived any or all of those 4 players tbh. The only one that i think might get picked up on waivers would be Oesterle. I wouldn't waive a young player for any of those guys.

I have seen nothing during pre-season that would make me think Gagner or Rowney belong on the team. Personally i don't really care what those guys have done in the past, i'm looking at them right now and neither of those guys did anything that would make me give them a spot on the roster.

Veleno, Raymond, Seider and Ryan to me earned a spot. Hirose and Barber made a decent case too. Gagner and Rowney didn't and Staal/Oesterle didn't stand out either. I would have no problem if the Wings waived any or all of those 4 players tbh. The only one that i think might get picked up on waivers would be Oesterle. I wouldn't waive a young player for any of those guys.
- dcz28

You put Hirose on your roster though…

Disagree Gagner has done nothing in pre-season while Ryan you notice every game.
- dcz28

If you’re comparing NHl vets on preseason performance you’re doing it wrong. Bottom 6 players need to provide versatility and Gagner does that while Ryan does not. There’s also a reason why you’ve noticed Ryan. He’s played twice as much because he doesn’t even have a contract and Gagner is a lock to make the team.

I hear you, but I would counter by saying that doing things that "get noticed" (even if they're mostly "positive" things) isn't necessarily the same thing is being an overall positive contributor.

Mathias Brome made a lot of noticeable plays due to his level of effort / hustle and his willingness to go to the net. He also sucked.

Gagner's arguably less noticeable, but I think he does more to help the team win overall than Ryan does.
- Sven22

Ryan had 4 points in 4 games going into the game last night while Gagner had none and Rowney had none either. Yes i know it's not all about points but offensively you noticed Ryan every single game going to the net. Gagner did nothing at any point that made me think he helps the team. I have no clue about the advanced stats and i don't look at them, i just go by what i see and what i saw was Ryan was way better than Gagner in any game i watched. I don't mean in the Brome sense either. Ryan made things happen out there not just hustle and going to the net. Ryan is also a big body and harder to knock off the puck with some skill.

I'm not going to throw a fit if Ryan isn't signed or anything but i don't think Gagner is a better player at this point than him and if the only reason/argument for keeping him over Ryan is that he can somewhat play center, that is a poor reason. I wouldn't waive any young players like Lindstrom or Smith for the sake of vets like Gagner, Rowney, Staal, Oesterle or even Ryan though.

You put Hirose on your roster though…
- Feds91Stammer

Hirose has looked good and i could see him possibly being claimed which is why i kept him on my roster.

If you’re comparing NHl vets on preseason performance you’re doing it wrong. Bottom 6 players need to provide versatility and Gagner does that while Ryan does not. There’s also a reason why you’ve noticed Ryan. He’s played twice as much because he doesn’t even have a contract and Gagner is a lock to make the team.
- Feds91Stammer

Like i said, they can take plenty of players to kill penalties in place of Gagner and it won't change anything. He's not some great PK player by any stretch...not even close. He's not a good center either and the Wings have plenty of so so centers so his versatility isn't worth much in my books. If he was a physical force that can scrap then yes the Wings need more of that on the roster but he doesn't bring anything that the Wings won't miss at all.

Gagner is not a vet that should be a lock for any team. Guys like Larkin, Bert yes those guys have no reason to break their backs in pre-season (although they still go hard). Gagner needs to earn a spot and to me has not done that period and it has nothing to do with how many games he has played versus Ryan. Ryan has been better plain and simple in every game versus Gagner.