Tavares isnt taking a discount to go to detroit

I can't see Tavares taking less money to play in Detroit, can you? By the way, IMO Leaf management isn't interested in signing Tavares. That's a social media wannabe. I can't see Kronwall retiring. LTIR yes, retiring, what's his financial motivation? Nyquist has just one year left till UFA. Doesn't look like a player Carolina would want for young Fleury.

No way is Tavares signing for only $9 million in Detroit, If we want Tavares we will need to outbid other teams might take close to McDavid money to convince Tavares to come to Detroit. And besides Zetterberg wont retire next year possibly 2019 at the earliest when he only gets paid $1 million each for the 2019/2020 season and 2020/2021 season. I always liked Nyquist for Haydn Fleury trade Ouellet might get a 5th rounder. But Z wont leave next season 2019 at the earliest.

FYI Faulk or Hanifin would cost us one of Mantha or Larkin, No thanks Nyquist wouldn't cut it for either.

While I would hardly consider $9M per year a discount and I am not sure there are going to be as many suitors for Tavares as people expect (mainly because I think there are not going to be a lot of teams that have the cap space and roster make up to attract him enough to leave the Islanders) I can concede it could take more than $9M. Bumping him up to $10M per would be a little more difficult but I should still work.

As for the trade with Carolina, keep in mind it would be Nyquist plus up to a 2nd round pick in 2018. Another option could be Athanasiou (as Carolina is in need of centers as well as scoring) and a pick but I would not go in with that deal. Carolina is going to have to move a defenseman or possibly even two relatively soon. No so much because of cap issues (they have a boatload) but because they need to improve their forward core and, depending on what they do with the three defensemen RFAs they have this summer, they could have 6 defensemen signed beyond next season without counting Fleury and they are going to have to figure out how to make room for Jake Bean soon. I fully understand and agree the price for Fleury is lower than that of Hanifin or Faulk, hence the reason I choose him.

As for Zetterberg, his contract begins to diverge from his cap hit starting next season. Sure, it does not drop to $1M until the 2019-2020 season but after everything that has gone on the last two seasons in Detroit along with the very real possibility that there is a complete regime change after this season when Ken Holland's contract is up he could very easily decide he does not want to go through everything he needs to in order to play as a 38 year old on a team that is in the midst of a massive rebuild and walk away while he still can. Same with Kronwall. Sure he might leave some money on the table but at this point $1.75M (his actual salary next year) might not be worth continued pain and w/t on his knees (LTIR is going to be a difficult one to do as it would require the Wings to say that despite the fact he played around 60 games the past two seasons with his knees already toast he can no longer play hockey because of his health. That is a very tough sell and one the league might just come after them on).