Jeremy Laura: Vrana to St. Louis, not much in return

Anyone else refreshing TSN just have a panic attack?

With them retaining salary on Vrana, they can't retain salary on anybody else this season. I would imagine they will call up one or two guys now (unless Yzerman is planning to add a player or two) since if Oesterle is still injured, they have no spare forward or defenseman.

TSN has Zadina on the trade deadline list which is not surprising. Is Yzerman just going to dump him for a draft pick too?

Osterle came off IR yesterday

I hope the behind closed doors reasons for this come to light... opting for rehab over surgery was a mistake, but we do not know what advice he got or reasons behind electing to not have surgery... what a shame, I feel if Vrana gets himself together he could net 35 to 40 with his skill and quick release.... I happen to live in St Louis and all friends and coworkers are getting my thoughts and leaving the conversation pretty excited with anticipation of what Vraba may be able to do... at least Copp will still receive a lot of ice time and perhaps facilitate a plethora of goal scoring.....

Sundqvist to the Wild for a 4th round pick.

I hope the behind closed doors reasons for this come to light... opting for rehab over surgery was a mistake, but we do not know what advice he got or reasons behind electing to not have surgery... what a shame, I feel if Vrana gets himself together he could net 35 to 40 with his skill and quick release.... I happen to live in St Louis and all friends and coworkers are getting my thoughts and leaving the conversation pretty excited with anticipation of what Vraba may be able to do... at least Copp will still receive a lot of ice time and perhaps facilitate a plethora of goal scoring.....
- angryagain

I only have a couple sources, but there were some fairly serious issues in house. What we’ve seen is the “final straw”

I only have a couple sources, but there were some fairly serious issues in house. What we’ve seen is the “final straw”
- Jeremy Laura

Unless your source is Yzerman I wouldn’t believe anything.

Well at least the JVR deal didn't happen. Unless he was coming over along with a 2nd round pick or something there is no point in trading for him.

I can’t remember a more dejecting feeling at the trade deadline. Last week we were flying high, in a wild card spot and full of good feelings. Then we play a double header in Ottawa. Today, realizations are that we aren’t even close in Yzerman’s mind. I’m not even feeling good about the 1st round picks because they are all conditional. Ugggghhh.

Wings only have 11 forwards now so they need to call up 1 or 2 guys. Do they call up Chiasson who they just signed to replace Sundqvist and Soderblom?

I can’t remember a more dejecting feeling at the trade deadline. Last week we were flying high, in a wild card spot and full of good feelings. Then we play a double header in Ottawa. Today, realizations are that we aren’t even close in Yzerman’s mind. I’m not even feeling good about the 1st round picks because they are all conditional. Ugggghhh.
- GreenArrow63

Even a week ago they were at like a 15% chance of making the playoffs. Not sure why there’s been so much overreaction from the fans.

Even a week ago they were at like a 15% chance of making the playoffs. Not sure why there’s been so much overreaction from the fans.
- Feds91Stammer

I said before the season i didn't expect them to make the playoffs but to be in the mix until late in the season and maintained that up until the deadline. I do understand trading Bert since they didn't want to lose him for nothing. Hronek deal is just weird. Sundqvist same as Bert. Vrana deal stupid. I expected to get a bit more like the Leddy deal if they moved players and at least get some players or prospects back but they got nothing but draft picks and in Vrana's case nothing even when eating half his salary for next season.

I didn't expect Yzerman to throw in the towel like this and make the team much worst.

I said before the season i didn't expect them to make the playoffs but to be in the mix until late in the season and maintained that up until the deadline. I do understand trading Bert since they didn't want to lose him for nothing. Hronek deal is just weird. Sundqvist same as Bert. Vrana deal stupid. I expected to get a bit more like the Leddy deal if they moved players and at least get some players or prospects back but they got nothing but draft picks and in Vrana's case nothing even when eating half his salary for next season.

I didn't expect Yzerman to throw in the towel like this and make the team much worst.
- dcz28

How exactly did he throw in the towel?

Even a week ago they were at like a 15% chance of making the playoffs. Not sure why there’s been so much overreaction from the fans.
- Feds91Stammer

Now Husso is out for at least the weekend

For all those with dreams of the playoffs last week….you realize IF they were to make it, they would/will be out in the 1st round right?? They aren’t beating Boston in a 7 game series. —I say Boston because they were never going to win a tiebreaker to play Carolina/NJ

I said before the season i didn't expect them to make the playoffs but to be in the mix until late in the season and maintained that up until the deadline. I do understand trading Bert since they didn't want to lose him for nothing. Hronek deal is just weird. Sundqvist same as Bert. Vrana deal stupid. I expected to get a bit more like the Leddy deal if they moved players and at least get some players or prospects back but they got nothing but draft picks and in Vrana's case nothing even when eating half his salary for next season.

I didn't expect Yzerman to throw in the towel like this and make the team much worst.
- dcz28

Hronek deal I think was too good to pass up. This is by far the best season of his career and he's still a very middle-of-the-road NHL defender. Don't get me wrong, as I like Hronek and don't think the Wings had to move him, but selling high makes sense.

Bertuzzi makes total sense to me. It seems likely that Detroit wasn't going to be able to meet his asking price. Getting back a 1st and a 4th for a rental planning to test the market is good business.

Sundqvist is a 28-year-old fourth liner. Nothing against the guy but you can get equally good players routinely on the waiver wire or out of the AHL. A fourth rounder for a replacement-level player is basically a free draft pick.

Vrana I agree with you. I get that there was bad blood behind the scenes but the blood would have had to be pretty freaking bad to give him away for nothing.

Going into the offseason, the team has no more critical UFAs to lock up. Seider and Raymond will be entering their third seasons and are likely to take further steps forward. Edvinsson should have a good chance to make the lineup.

The only player who made meaningful contributions to this year's team that we lost or haven't signed yet is Hronek. (Or maybe if you squint hard enough, Bertuzzi and Suter.) We have a boatload of draft picks, including 2 in the first round and 3 that will probably all come in the first half of the second. And we're $32 million under the cap.

Just because we were sellers at this deadline doesn't necessarily mean the team will be worse next year. Sure, Yzerman could choose full teardown. But he could also choose something like:

- Continue the current rebuild trajectory, give yourself a good chance at scoring at least a couple of solid future NHLers with all your draft picks, count on another year of development for Seider/Raymond/Edvinsson/Kasper, replace the contributions of Bertuzzi/Hronek with solid mid-tier free agency signings.

- Leverage some of those draft picks and some of that cap space and make a play for a genuine difference-maker or two.

Hronek deal I think was too good to pass up. This is by far the best season of his career and he's still a very middle-of-the-road NHL defender. Don't get me wrong, as I like Hronek and don't think the Wings had to move him, but selling high makes sense.

Bertuzzi makes total sense to me. It seems likely that Detroit wasn't going to be able to meet his asking price. Getting back a 1st and a 4th for a rental planning to test the market is good business.

Sundqvist is a 28-year-old fourth liner. Nothing against the guy but you can get equally good players routinely on the waiver wire or out of the AHL. A fourth rounder for a replacement-level player is basically a free draft pick.

Vrana I agree with you. I get that there was bad blood behind the scenes but the blood would have had to be pretty freaking bad to give him away for nothing.

Going into the offseason, the team has no more critical UFAs to lock up. Seider and Raymond will be entering their third seasons and are likely to take further steps forward. Edvinsson should have a good chance to make the lineup.

The only player who made meaningful contributions to this year's team that we lost or haven't signed yet is Hronek. (Or maybe if you squint hard enough, Bertuzzi and Suter.) We have a boatload of draft picks, including 2 in the first round and 3 that will probably all come in the first half of the second. And we're $32 million under the cap.

Just because we were sellers at this deadline doesn't necessarily mean the team will be worse next year. Sure, Yzerman could choose full teardown. But he could also choose something like:

- Continue the current rebuild trajectory, give yourself a good chance at scoring at least a couple of solid future NHLers with all your draft picks, count on another year of development for Seider/Raymond/Edvinsson/Kasper, replace the contributions of Bertuzzi/Hronek with solid mid-tier free agency signings.

- Leverage some of those draft picks and some of that cap space and make a play for a genuine difference-maker or two.
- Sven22

The Vrana thing is a total head scratcher, and has been. Yzerman is always tight lipped. The only way we ever find out really what has gone on is if Vrana opens the door (due to privacy rights etc). With that said, I trust Yzerman enough to believe something was going horribly wrong behind the scenes. He wouldn’t just waive a player like Vrana just for the heck of it, nor then trade him like he did. There is a lot more to this story than we know.

This summer will be very interesting as there will be some cap-strapped teams willing to make deals to reduce cap such as Vegas, Tampa, Toronto and Philly. There will be some FA's willing to give Detroit a try as they are now a bubble team that will get better. And Stevie Y will work his magic! (Hoping his magic includes getting Chiarot to disappear)

How exactly did he throw in the towel?
- Feds91Stammer

Uhm by selling at the deadline. I'm sure he would have moved out Suter too if he got a decent return. The fact Suter is still here means he either didn't get a decent offer for him or he plans on re-signing him.

Nobody can look at this roster and say this team is better for the rest of this season than they were a week ago. They lost 2 top 6 forwards (yes i still count Vrana as one despite him not playing much, same with Bert) and a top 4 defenseman while adding nothing but picks. They might be better in the long run but they are not a better team right now...hence the throw in the towel for this season.

Uhm by selling at the deadline. I'm sure he would have moved out Suter too if he got a decent return. The fact Suter is still here means he either didn't get a decent offer for him or he plans on re-signing him.

Nobody can look at this roster and say this team is better for the rest of this season than they were a week ago. They lost 2 top 6 forwards (yes i still count Vrana as one despite him not playing much, same with Bert) and a top 4 defenseman while adding nothing but picks. They might be better in the long run but they are not a better team right now...hence the throw in the towel for this season.
- dcz28

They are currently 36 points behind their likeliest playoff matchup if they somehow miraculously made the playoffs. You have to sell. It would be stupid not to.

They are currently 36 points behind their likeliest playoff matchup if they somehow miraculously made the playoffs. You have to sell. It would be stupid not to.
- Feds91Stammer

I'm not saying it was bad to trade players you were going to lose for nothing but that is throwing in the towel on making the playoffs. What bugs me more though is the fact he didn't make any hockey trades or get any prospects or young NHLers back. This deadline was obviously a sellers market but i still wish he could have done something that helps this season and the future.

I'm not saying it was bad to trade players you were going to lose for nothing but that is throwing in the towel on making the playoffs. What bugs me more though is the fact he didn't make any hockey trades or get any prospects or young NHLers back. This deadline was obviously a sellers market but i still wish he could have done something that helps this season and the future.
- dcz28

The deadline is not the time for hockey trades. That’s draft time.

The deadline is not the time for hockey trades. That’s draft time.
- Feds91Stammer

Any time is a time for hockey trades. One of Yzerman's biggest hockey trades was at a deadline with the Mantha/Vrana trade...even though it doesn't seem to have worked out well for either team.

The deadline is not the time for hockey trades. That’s draft time.
- Feds91Stammer

I think price wise there’s something there. Yes, there’s almost always deals to be made, but if you “have to have it right now” teams are going to gut you if they can. The draft can be another place where really high prices or bad deals can be made. Inevitably, someone who had a huge playoff run is going to get overpaid each year. Luckily, I feel better about our first round since 2019 than I had for a while. We still have Zadina, Veleno, Ras and Berggren from KH and i feel like they ultimately could help for a good bottom 6.

At the end of the day, the JVR deal falling through soured me a little. What they traded Vrana for is still baffling but has the “better than nothing” feel (although I wish they could have just stepped up and worked things out). Doucet’s ELC and Walman’s extension and Larkin’s extension being wrapped up were better parts of the past week for me personally.

I think price wise there’s something there. Yes, there’s almost always deals to be made, but if you “have to have it right now” teams are going to gut you if they can. The draft can be another place where really high prices or bad deals can be made. Inevitably, someone who had a huge playoff run is going to get overpaid each year. Luckily, I feel better about our first round since 2019 than I had for a while. We still have Zadina, Veleno, Ras and Berggren from KH and i feel like they ultimately could help for a good bottom 6.

At the end of the day, the JVR deal falling through soured me a little. What they traded Vrana for is still baffling but has the “better than nothing” feel (although I wish they could have just stepped up and worked things out). Doucet’s ELC and Walman’s extension and Larkin’s extension being wrapped up were better parts of the past week for me personally.
- Jeremy Laura

Wonder if Stevie chases JVR in the summer? He’s a veteran and probably should be very inexpensive.