Jason_R

If I recall correctly, Yzerman wanted to make the trade before the trade deadline but Gibson got injured. That trade would have occurred independent of Cossa’s play down the stretch. Maybe the trade reflects some concern about Cossa’s play to close last season but I suspect Yzerman has not seen Cossa as the short-term solution in net but as the medium-term one. Gibson is a bridge goaltender with a high floor and maybe a high ceiling. Hopefully Cossa earns a few more NHL starts this season then can back Gibson up in 2026-27.

Yes, and I expect their level of aggressiveness to increase with their replenished defense.

Nothing against Ben Johnson but I think people underestimate contributions to the offense by Campbell and Goff. I'm not expecting the Bears to do much more than tread water.

Just the messenger! Not even sure the guy reporting it is credible. Karlsson is carrying a big salary number, so if this happens and if the Pens don't retain salary the trade better come cheap. My main question for this potential trade or for other moves the Wings may make in the next few years, is what do the core players -- who are making ~$8 million -- think if the team trades for/signs players for $10-12 million? It would be a tough sell to tell Larkin, Seider, Raymond, "We are building our team around you" then pull in a new player (in this case an aging defenseman) and pay him a third more than you are paying them.

🤷🏻‍♂️

Edvinsson, AlJo, Kasper, and Soderblom all solidified their spots on the roster last season. What makes anyone think Yzerman is not going to play the kids when they are ready? If Cossa does not get any starts in the NHL this season or if some of the other prospects don’t break through, it will say a lot more about their progress than it will about Yzerman.

Per Reddit’s summary of Friedman’s podcast, Ehlers wouldn’t even take a pitch from Detroit. Got nowhere with Arvidsson or Marchment Ehlers was the only FA that Steve would consider on a 4-5 year contract. Doesn’t want to block the prospects on whom he is “betting his reputation.” Just saw the same summary here:

From the summary of the presser that lord Stanley posted: “With guys in their prime how does it shape the plan. Yzerman jokes that Marchand at 37 signed a 6 year deal so he assumes he has around another 15 years on Dylan.” Seems like they’ve made up.

We might learn something about their pro scouting if they end up trading Larkin for a young NHL player or two and some high end prospects.

The market is the market. If a guy is on the market, it is because his former team didn’t want to pay him. It is not realistic to assume that you can sign a guy from a Stanley Cup contender like Tarasenko or Compher, put him on a roster full of holes, and expect the same results. It would have been great to get Gostisbehere back but he got to go play for a contender. It’s not like they had dozens of fallback options to choose from other than Gustafsson. And goalies are like place kickers if you don’t have a stud, you cycle them until they wear out their welcome. So Yzerman got one via trade and we find out he had been trying to get his guy for over a year. The market is the market. Guys are there because their teams think they can find someone to do as good or better for cheaper. It probably killed Yzerman to hand out five year contracts over the past few years but he knew his roster of homegrown players wouldn’t take shape until 2026-27 at the earliest. The one year deals he is handing out now support this. Fans don’t like to wait but it is the right thing to do.

I do not buy the “poor pro side scouting” narrative. There was a roster with gaping holes but with no prospects to fill them for several years. Yzerman filled these holes with the players who were on the market at market rates (or slightly above) on medium-term FA contracts. These players have performed according to reasonable expectations, though fans may have wished these players turned into something they were not. Now that there is talent in the pipeline, he is not as interested in free agents and the ones he has signed have been for one year.

I didn't realize he was the captain of the Wings for 12 years. His peers must have thought an awful lot of him for him to have been named captain of a team that included Gordie Howe. RIP.

What do we know about Buium and Wallinder?

I was thinking the same thing. Does he know that not every FA is going to the Hall of Fame?

There was enough smoke about Miller that I suspect something was going on that didn't work out. I saw a story last night that said Emily Kaplan reported that NYR didn't like the offer made by Detroit. (Can't find the original tweet.) Either way, it's time to see what the kids can do. With ASP developing they have the makings of their first two pairs. Can they trust the prospects with the back end of the lineup?