Summer 2017: I don't think you HAVE to move Howard (pretty bold...I know)

Team: 2017-18 Detroit Red Wings

Initial Creation Date: May 12, 2017

Published: May 12, 2017

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Get ready for a boring summer! Please don't give me one star just cause you think this is boring...

OK, so if the goalie market falls the right way I think we COULD move Howard and get decent futures in return. However, if that opportunity does not present itself, I am perfectly ok with not moving him and risking the loss of Coreau to waivers. Coreau has not shown any ability beyond "passable NHL backup" and he happens to be older than Mrazek; so I won't shed a tear if some other team grabs him.

I am not in the wings fan camp that says "retain as much as we need to and take whatever return we can get". I do not think moving Howard is the difference between contending and not contending for a cup. We are nowhere near that point yet. If we were that cliche "one move away" then moving Howie by whatever means necessary MIGHT make some sense; but we're not.

If Vegas takes Howard, so be it; be thankful for the cap relief. If they don't take him (which I think they won't), we have our best performing goalie from last year back (although Mrazek is clearly still the goalie of the future).

Given that we have enough cap space to resign our RFAs there's nothing wrong with a Mrazek/Howard tandem for the team next year. If Howard has another decent year and stays healthy his value will be much higher next offseason when he only has one year left on his deal and the goalie market isn't flooded with other options. And who knows?...maybe next season a contender's goalie goes down midseason and someone gets desperate for a playoff run? Dreaming, I know...

PREDICTED EXPANSION PROTECTION LIST (7/3/1)

Nielsen (NMC)
Zetterberg
Nyquist
Tatar
Mantha
Athanasiou
Helm

Green
DeKeyser
Jensen

Mrazek

Barring any trades or other acquisitions, this is the list I predict Ken Holland and Co. to go with into the expansion draft in June. If it were me, I would swap out Helm for Sheahan and Ouellet for DeKeyser. However, if I am being honest, the above list is what I expect from the DET front office. Hopefully I am wrong.

GMKH has made his bed; now he must sleep in it. His old, underperforming roster is not anywhere near contender status. Long-term contracts are preventing youthful turnover. There is no quick, easy way to fix the defense. The non-sexy thing to do is to be patient, eat your mistakes, hit some home runs with your draft picks, take a really good look at who you want to be part of the next core, and then build around them. Be careful to not deal from a position of weakness or desperation. That is when you get ripped off. Holland isn't in danger of losing his job. He should be confident enough to collect his assets the right way and build a young, exciting, cap-smart team.

This roster doesn't project much better (if at all) than last year's team. I am ok with that. Holland should accept his own questionable decisions and look to start moving non-essential pieces for picks and prospects.

Here's to Dahlin or Svechnikov 2018!