1. Mike Babcock
Babcock will want input on the roster moves so his contract needs to be decided before anything else. Assuming Ilitch pays something close to market value (looks like about 4 million dollars at this point), I see no reason for Babcock to leave. Everything I have seen so far suggests he has not ruled out coming back and no other team with a coaching vacancy provides the same balance between winning now and winning later. If Babcock won’t sign a long-term deal or he decides to leave it will be a loss but signing McLellan or promoting Blashill would be an excellent replacement.
2. Resign Gustav Nyquist
The first person they need to resign after Babcock is Gustav Nyquist. After carrying the team into the playoffs 2 season ago Gus, not surprisingly, slowed down a bit this year. However he was able to put up a very respectable 54 points and 27 goals which put him in the top 30 for all NHL goal scorers. Still in the "reloading" phase I am assuming both sides are looking for a mid-length deal at 4-4.5 million for 3 or 4 years, comparable to contracts given to Brad Marchand and Mats Zuccarello. 4.5 million is excellent value for his current production and gives Gus the opportunity to sign a big deal before he turns 30.
3. Make A Decision on Brendan Smith
Does the organization think Smith can become a top-4 defender and power play quarterback? This is the first tough decision Wings management needs to make this summer. If Smith and DeKeyser are expected to eventually lead the Wings’ D-core, than a deal similar to Kindl’s (2 or 3 years at around 2-2.5 million) works for both sides. Similar to the Nyquist deal, this allows the team to keep Smith on a low cap hit while testing him in top 4 minutes and gives Smith the opportunity for a massive raise if he excels in that role.
If the Wings do not see Smith as a future top 4, now is the time to deal him. Obviously talks will turn to Toronto and Dion Phaneuf. While he would definitely help the team on the backend and it would be advantageous to get rid of Weiss and Smith, I wouldn’t make the deal if Toronto asks for a bigger piece like Teemu Pulkkinen or refuses to retain salary. Phaneuf’s contract does not expire until 2022 and even at the discounted price of 5-5.5 million, that could cripple the team's cap down the road.
4. Upgrade the Defense
As usual, the team will be looking for a right-handed power play defenseman. I think Cody Franson would fit nicely as he could provide the same offense as Zidlicky with better defensive play. However many decisions need to be made before making this move. Marchenko, Ouellet and potentially Sproul need an opportunity in the NHL sometime soon. If Kindl can be moved to open up a roster spot and cap space then I see no downside to signing Franson and letting the kids serve as the 7th man/injury replacements for another year until Quincey’s contract expires. However, if Kindl can’t be moved or Franson wants too much money it’s time for the kids to play in the NHL full time.
5. Let Johan Franzen Decide his Future
The Mule says he wants to play and his improvement is good news for everyone. However, at some point he needs to think about his future beyond hockey. Hearing the stories of Franzen's inability to play with his kids was heartbreaking. With those stories, his terrible concussion history and the slow pace of his improvements, it is time for him to “retire.” I'm assuming that the team will simply put him on long-term injured reserve a la Chris Pronger until the contract runs out. Despite the criticism he receives he could still help this team so it will be sad to see him go, although getting out from under his contract will help the organization in the future.
6. Determine our Depth Forwards
If Franzen is let go then the team will probably return nearly the same lineup from game 7. Despite his down year Jurco will be resigned and should get a full-time spot on the more offensive third line and after his impressive post-season performance Ferraro deserves a contract and a spot on the 4th line. Holland has said that Pulkkinen will be up with the Wings full time, most likely as the other 3rd line winger, which leaves Joakim Andersson. I like him and think he can be a useful player but at this point the only opening is as the team’s 13th forward and that is a placeholder until Mantha or another young stud is ready to move up. Thus, I expect Andersson will sign a 1-year deal as the 13th forward and leave as a UFA next season.
Right now I expect Babcock returns and the roster looks eerily similar to how we ended the season. It's possible a Phaneuf deal gets done as the team tries to take advantage of DAtsyuk and Zetterberg's last good season. That being said, his age (30) combined with the length of his contract (2021) is too much for me. I also see little hope of the team offloading Jakub Kindl; the lack of playing time on a “weak” defensive unit is a bad sign for other teams. Maybe the Wings get lucky and find someone willing to gamble on what is left of his potential but I don’t see it happening. With Franzen expected to retire, the forward group will probably remain the same as we saw at the end of the post-season and we will depend on the "push from within," to get the Red Wing's over the top.
Projected Lineup
Helm-Datsyuk-Tatar
Nyquist-Zetterberg-Abdelkader
Pullkkinen-Sheahan-Jurco
Ferraro-Glendening-Miller
Weiss-Andersson
Franzen (LTIR)
Kronwall-Ericsson
DeKeyser-Quincey
Smith-Marchenko
Kindl
Howard-Mrazek
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