Jeremy Laura: Detroit officially eliminated from Playoffs with loss to the Islanders

Jeremy Laura: Detroit officially eliminated from Playoffs with loss to the Islanders
- Jeremy Laura

- gergeswillems

Yep, Ivan Drago just killed our team....

Jeremy Laura: Detroit officially eliminated from Playoffs with loss to the Islanders
- Jeremy Laura

Yep, 2 shots on goal in the first. Unless someone cut off the arms of all of but three Wings players, one would assume that the team was unprepared and/or didn't give a poop. I would say it's a combination of the two. What are the options for Abby? From looking at things I guess it is such a poop show in Detroit and somewhat decent in GR that Yzerman can't even move him down there because he would (frank) up the chemistry. How poopty is that?

Damn that gif is just too spot on at this point

Yep, 2 shots on goal in the first. Unless someone cut off the arms of all of but three Wings players, one would assume that the team was unprepared and/or didn't give a poop. I would say it's a combination of the two. What are the options for Abby? From looking at things I guess it is such a poop show in Detroit and somewhat decent in GR that Yzerman can't even move him down there because he would (frank) up the chemistry. How poopty is that?
- MartyBurk

Yzerman must eat 2 warm sandwiches this summer and buyout both Abdelkader and Nielsen.

Yep, 2 shots on goal in the first. Unless someone cut off the arms of all of but three Wings players, one would assume that the team was unprepared and/or didn't give a poop. I would say it's a combination of the two. What are the options for Abby? From looking at things I guess it is such a poop show in Detroit and somewhat decent in GR that Yzerman can't even move him down there because he would (frank) up the chemistry. How poopty is that?
- MartyBurk

It’s pretty bad. No point in making changes right now. Just have to wade through it a bit more. Just make sure you cover your mouth. The taste is unpleasant...

Yzerman must eat 2 warm sandwiches this summer and buyout both Abdelkader and Nielsen.
- gergeswillems

Mmmmm open faced corn and gravy sandwiches

Damn that gif is just too spot on at this point
- Roadrunner75

Right?!!! I have the best readers ever

Mmmmm open faced corn and gravy sandwiches
- Jeremy Laura

you meant corned beef, right?

you meant corned beef, right?
- Blackstrom2

Mmmmmm. Even better

Sort of sickening that we have abdelkader at 4.25 million and Nielsen at 5.25 million for 3 and 2 more years after this? Is that right. My god. Way below replacement level. Jesus

At least Ericsson and Weiss come off the books this year! I think

Sort of sickening that we have abdelkader at 4.25 million and Nielsen at 5.25 million for 3 and 2 more years after this? Is that right. My god. Way below replacement level. Jesus

At least Ericsson and Weiss come off the books this year! I think
- datswho

Maybe we could add a 2nd and get rid of one, or both. Abby was a decent 3rd liner 5 years ago but playing with Dats and Z ruined him. Made him believe he could carry the piano with others when I could’ve scored 30 playing with those two. Franz was always going to end up being an issue at the price / age.

Maybe we could add a 2nd and get rid of one, or both. Abby was a decent 3rd liner 5 years ago but playing with Dats and Z ruined him. Made him believe he could carry the piano with others when I could’ve scored 30 playing with those two. Franz was always going to end up being an issue at the price / age.
- Manthamania

No abby has never been good. Just played with pav and z. Wonder how good pav and z could have been with decent wingers

start of a long road. yzerman has a ton of work to do.

Yzerman must eat 2 warm sandwiches this summer and buyout both Abdelkader and Nielsen.
- gergeswillems

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are bought out:

20-21: $5.22 million
21-22: $6.72 million
22-23: $2.97 million
23-24: $1.72 million
24-25: $1.06 million
25-26: $1.06 million

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are sent to the minors and play out their contracts:

20-21: $7.35 million
21-22: $7.25 million
22-23: $3.13 million*
23-24: $0
24-25: $0
25-26: $0

* assumes that the cap relief calculation for buried contracts remains unchanged by the next CBA

Demoting them instead of buying them out costs you an extra ~$2 million in year one and ~$500k in year two, but it's pretty close to a wash in year 3, then about $1 million saved per year over years 4-6.

As terrible as both players are, I would only buy them out if there is an immediate need for the short-term cap savings. I would rather take the hit up front, get the cap obligation over with as quickly as possible, and keep as much cap space as possible clear for seasons 4-6, when it's far more likely the team will actually be competitive.

EDIT: I screwed up the math originally for year 3, but it's fixed now.

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are bought out:

20-21: $5.22 million
21-22: $6.72 million
22-23: $2.97 million
23-24: $1.72 million
24-25: $1.06 million
25-26: $1.06 million

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are sent to the minors and play out their contracts:

20-21: $7.35 million
21-22: $7.25 million
22-23: $2 million*
23-24: $0
24-25: $0
25-26: $0

* assumes that the cap relief calculation for buried contracts remains unchanged by the next CBA

Demoting them instead of buying them out costs you an extra ~$2 million in year one and ~$500k in year two, but then saves you about $4.7 million combined over the remaining four years.

As terrible as both players are, I would only buy them out if there is an immediate need for the short-term cap savings. I would rather take the hit up front, get the cap obligation over with as quickly as possible, and keep as much cap space as possible clear for seasons 4-6, when it's far more likely the team will actually be competitive.
- Sven22

Yzerman can demote them both to Grand Rapids and hope they refuse to report. Suspend them. Terminate their contracts Bogosian style. But I'd expect both to report to Grand Rapids. Neither one is giving up their bloated paychecks. Abdelkader is toxic for this team. Neilsen is just old and washed up. Yzerman needs to cleanse this roster of the Ken Holland plague.

Opening up roster spots to players like Zadina, Smith, Svechnikov, Veleno should be the goal. Abdelkader and Neilsen are part of the past. I'd take the cap hits and Buy them both out. Yzerman will have a ton of cap space anyway. By the time this team gets good again the Cap will be much higher than it is now. I don't expect Yzerman to actually do it. It's complete wishful thinking on my part.

Demoting them to Grand Rapids is likely the right thing to do. Yzerman needs to be cut throat here and not fall into the Ken Holland "loyalty" trap. If these guys want to continue cashing their bloated paychecks, they can do it in Grand Rapids. The worst thing Yzerman can do is to allow both Abdelkader and Nielsen play in Detroit next season.

Yzerman can demote them both to Grand Rapids and hope they refuse to report. Suspend them. Terminate their contracts Bogosian style. But I'd expect both to report to Grand Rapids. Neither one is giving up their bloated paychecks. Abdelkader is toxic for this team. Neilsen is just old and washed up. Yzerman needs to cleanse this roster of the Ken Holland plague.

Opening up roster spots to players like Zadina, Smith, Svechnikov, Veleno should be the goal. Abdelkader and Neilsen are part of the past. I'd take the cap hits and Buy them both out. Yzerman will have a ton of cap space anyway. By the time this team gets good again the Cap will be much higher than it is now. I don't expect Yzerman to actually do it. It's complete wishful thinking on my part.
- gergeswillems

So what if they report? They will not be blocking anybody.

Every NHL team hires a handful of older vets for the farm team because nobody has enough legit prospects on the cusp of graduating to the NHL to fill a competitive AHL team.

Griffins have Puempel, Terry, Turner, and Turgeon all coming off the books at the end of the season. Don't bring at least two of them back and give Abdelkader and Nielsen their jobs. Boom.

So what if they report? They will not be blocking anybody.

Every NHL team hires a handful of older vets for the farm team because nobody has enough legit prospects on the cusp of graduating to the NHL to fill a competitive AHL team.

Griffins have Puempel, Terry, Turner, and Turgeon all coming off the books at the end of the season. Don't bring at least two of them back and give Abdelkader and Nielsen their jobs. Boom.
- Sven22

As long as Yzerman has the guts to demote them to Grand Rapids then I'm all for it. Neither one should be playing in the NHL next season.

As long as Yzerman has the guts to demote them to Grand Rapids then I'm all for it. Neither one should be playing in the NHL next season.
- gergeswillems

Agreed.

I don't expect Yzerman to do it either, for what it's worth.

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are bought out:

20-21: $5.22 million
21-22: $6.72 million
22-23: $2.97 million
23-24: $1.72 million
24-25: $1.06 million
25-26: $1.06 million

Combined cap hits for the next 6 years if both Abdelkader and Nielsen are sent to the minors and play out their contracts:

20-21: $7.35 million
21-22: $7.25 million
22-23: $3.13 million*
23-24: $0
24-25: $0
25-26: $0
- Sven22

That’s pretty wild. I guess ultimately I don’t see either scenario hurting the wings at this point. Though there is a small chance they are successful towards the later years. I guess either way I am ok with them being bought out or sent to the minors. Maybe do one with one of them and the other with the remaining one? I think I heard Abby’s contract is harder to buy out?

Yep, 2 shots on goal in the first. Unless someone cut off the arms of all of but three Wings players, one would assume that the team was unprepared and/or didn't give a poop. I would say it's a combination of the two. What are the options for Abby? From looking at things I guess it is such a poop show in Detroit and somewhat decent in GR that Yzerman can't even move him down there because he would (frank) up the chemistry. How poopty is that?
- MartyBurk

Call up anybody who will fight or at least hit every shift. The leafs are soft, but they are in the hunt. If you can't score, you better find a way to make other teams hate playing you. Mcilrath is the only guy who seems willing, heck he is leading your NHL and AHL squad in fights. I'd kick Biega out of the lineup to fit him in.

Call up anybody who will fight or at least hit every shift. The leafs are soft, but they are in the hunt. If you can't score, you better find a way to make other teams hate playing you. Mcilrath is the only guy who seems willing, heck he is leading your NHL and AHL squad in fights. I'd kick Biega out of the lineup to fit him in.
- bikeguy99

I hate saying it but I can't wait for this Red Wings season to end.

I hate saying it but I can't wait for this Red Wings season to end.
- gergeswillems

Free Press thinks Lane Lambert is Yzermans guy for next head coach