Bob Duff: Mantha has 20-goal vision Detroit Red Wings forward Anthony Mantha has placed a 20-goal objective for his injury-interrupted season.

smh

Today's projected lineup:

Forwards:

Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Gustav Nyquist
Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Anthony Mantha
Darren Helm — Luke Glendening — Andreas Athanasiou
Justin Abdelkader — Christoffer Ehn — Martin Frk

Defense:

Niklas Kronwall — Mike Green
Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen
Jonathan Ericsson — Filip Hronek

We must be the only team in the league with a 4th liner (Abdelkader) who's making 4.25 AAV per year on a seven year deal. Terrible asset management by Holland. And the 4th line is where he actually belongs (along witth Helm) until he proves otherwise. Not crazy with Blashill's decision to put AA on the third line while Vanek is on the 2nd line. AA is 2nd on the team for goals scored (17). Hoping Blashill does not get resigned. Cholowski gets the day off today off some reason.

team is still years away from even turning it around. getting jack hughes would help out a lot.

Today's projected lineup:

Forwards:

Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Gustav Nyquist
Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Anthony Mantha
Darren Helm — Luke Glendening — Andreas Athanasiou
Justin Abdelkader — Christoffer Ehn — Martin Frk

Defense:

Niklas Kronwall — Mike Green
Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen
Jonathan Ericsson — Filip Hronek

We must be the only team in the league with a 4th liner (Abdelkader) who's making 4.25 AAV per year on a seven year deal. Terrible asset management by Holland. And the 4th line is where he actually belongs (along witth Helm) until he proves otherwise. Not crazy with Blashill's decision to put AA on the third line while Vanek is on the 2nd line. AA is 2nd on the team for goals scored (17). Hoping Blashill does not get resigned. Cholowski gets the day off today off some reason.
- Vladdie_Kon1

While you can certainly one-up my Devs with bad contracts, we do have Greene and Lovejoy combining for 7.7M while providing pathetic offense and low quality defensive abilities. But I give you the crown, as your are another two seasons away from some horrid contracts. Young guys look great tho!

Today's projected lineup:

Forwards:

Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Gustav Nyquist
Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Anthony Mantha
Darren Helm — Luke Glendening — Andreas Athanasiou
Justin Abdelkader — Christoffer Ehn — Martin Frk

Defense:

Niklas Kronwall — Mike Green
Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen
Jonathan Ericsson — Filip Hronek

We must be the only team in the league with a 4th liner (Abdelkader) who's making 4.25 AAV per year on a seven year deal. Terrible asset management by Holland. And the 4th line is where he actually belongs (along witth Helm) until he proves otherwise. Not crazy with Blashill's decision to put AA on the third line while Vanek is on the 2nd line. AA is 2nd on the team for goals scored (17). Hoping Blashill does not get resigned. Cholowski gets the day off today off some reason.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Thats 18M in LD alone. And not one of them a legit top 4. yikes

Thats 18M in LD alone. And not one of them a legit top 4. yikes
- bikeguy99

Our defense is just awful and our achilles heel as this team cannot maintain ANY kind of a lead in a game. Need some high draft picks in a big way for defensmen. Hronek looks to be a good young prospect that's up and coming. Even in Grand Rapids, we don't have squat for prospects coming up in the system for defensemen. It was impossible for Holland to pass up Zadina and Veleno when they fell into his lap in last year's draft. But now this organization has a huge gap in quality defensemen in the organization. And they can't trade hardly any of their crappy overpaid veteran forwards except Nyquist. And now there's rumors Holland may resign him...

Our defense is just awful and our achilles heel as this team cannot maintain ANY kind of a lead in a game. Need some high draft picks in a big way for defensmen. Hronek looks to be a good young prospect that's up and coming. Even in Grand Rapids, we don't have squat for prospects coming up in the system for defensemen. It was impossible for Holland to pass up Zadina and Veleno when they fell into his lap in last year's draft. But now this organization has a huge gap in quality defensemen in the organization. And they can't trade hardly any of their crappy overpaid veteran forwards except Nyquist. And now there's rumors Holland may resign him...
- Vladdie_Kon1

Where have you seen this?

Today's projected lineup:

Forwards:

Tyler Bertuzzi — Dylan Larkin — Gustav Nyquist
Thomas Vanek — Frans Nielsen — Anthony Mantha
Darren Helm — Luke Glendening — Andreas Athanasiou
Justin Abdelkader — Christoffer Ehn — Martin Frk

Defense:

Niklas Kronwall — Mike Green
Danny DeKeyser — Nick Jensen
Jonathan Ericsson — Filip Hronek

We must be the only team in the league with a 4th liner (Abdelkader) who's making 4.25 AAV per year on a seven year deal. Terrible asset management by Holland. And the 4th line is where he actually belongs (along witth Helm) until he proves otherwise. Not crazy with Blashill's decision to put AA on the third line while Vanek is on the 2nd line. AA is 2nd on the team for goals scored (17). Hoping Blashill does not get resigned. Cholowski gets the day off today off some reason.
- Vladdie_Kon1

I will sort of halfheartedly defend Helm. Both players are overpaid but Abdelkader's contract is a whole other category of awful.

Fun fact: both players have identical per game scoring rates after rounding over their careers - .16 goals, .21 assists per game for both players. Helm is actually slightly ahead in goals and points per game if not rounding.

And Helm has achieved those (admittedly meager) offensive results with less opportunity. When you adjust the numbers by situation, Helm proves to be the more offensively productive player.

They are actually tied in career even strength goals and Abdelkader leads by only two even strength assists, even though Helm has played 72 fewer games, 1,396 fewer minutes at even strength, AND is used in a more defensive role (49.4 percent zone start percentage vs 54.2 percent for Abdelkader).

And of course, Helm is still an actually decent PKer and defensive forward, unlike Abdelkader.

In summary:
- Both players are overpaid, but
- Helm is moderately better offensively
- Helm is significantly better defensively
- Helm is $400k cheaper per year and signed for two fewer years

The only real "edge" Abdelkader seems to have over Helm is durability. But being healthy enough to play every game isn't such a great advantage when you also happen to be terrible at your job.

Where have you seen this?
- RafiDRW

It was TSN or Sportsnet article I think. Said Holland was now considering resigning Nyquist.

I will sort of halfheartedly defend Helm. Both players are overpaid but Abdelkader's contract is a whole other category of awful.

Fun fact: both players have identical per game scoring rates after rounding over their careers - .16 goals, .21 assists per game for both players. Helm is actually slightly ahead in goals and points per game if not rounding.

And Helm has achieved those (admittedly meager) offensive results with less opportunity. When you adjust the numbers by situation, Helm proves to be the more offensively productive player.

They are actually tied in career even strength goals and Abdelkader leads by only two even strength assists, even though Helm has played 72 fewer games, 1,396 fewer minutes at even strength, AND is used in a more defensive role (49.4 percent zone start percentage vs 54.2 percent for Abdelkader).

And of course, Helm is still an actually decent PKer and defensive forward, unlike Abdelkader.

In summary:
- Both players are overpaid, but
- Helm is moderately better offensively
- Helm is significantly better defensively
- Helm is $400k cheaper per year and signed for two fewer years

The only real "edge" Abdelkader seems to have over Helm is durability. But being healthy enough to play every game isn't such a great advantage when you also happen to be terrible at your job.
- Sven22

Interesting numbers. I've always liked Helm's speed... but he doesn't have the great hands to go with it. Over the years he's been injury prone. His injuries would often significantly shorten his season. Agreed Abedkader's contract is horrid... probably the worst on this team because of term and his limited usefulness. I like the fact he's got some sandpaper... but not for that price.

Remember a few year's back I was at a Griffins game and Helm had been sent down for reconditioning from some injury (surprise, surprise). He had three great breakaways in the game... and scored on none of them.

Going to see the Griffins on Friday against San Jose Barracuda.

Interesting numbers. I've always liked Helm's speed... but he doesn't have the great hands to go with it. Over the years he's been injury prone. His injuries would often significantly shorten his season. Agreed Abedkader's contract is horrid... probably the worst on this team because of term and his limited usefulness. I like the fact he's got some sandpaper... but not for that price.

Remember a few year's back I was at a Griffins game and Helm had been sent down for reconditioning from some injury (surprise, surprise). He had three great breakaways in the game... and scored on none of them.

Going to see the Griffins on Friday against San Jose Barracuda.
- Vladdie_Kon1

I mean, you're not wrong about Helm's lack of hands, or his lack of durability. He's not really a good NHL player per se.

We're just at the point with this team where we're splitting hairs over degrees of crappines and degrees of overpaid-ness. Saying a guy "would be a valuable bottom sixer if he wasn't so overpaid and could stay healthier" isn't exactly strong praise, but at least he's not "useless fringe NHLer making over four million a year until the sun explodes."