Helm (with retention) is valuable to a number of teams as a 3rd/4th liner. At 2.5m, he fits teams that need speed (with Edmonton very much needs).
Daley returns back to Dallas (who, if they don't make the playoffs, are looking at a major house cleaning)
Jimmy takes a haircut for 2 years to bridge the gap to Filip/Keith/Joren/Kaden (how many Filips are we going to have?)
Kronwall retires (contract limit really pushes DET to say goodbye). Witkowski isn't retained, nor is Vanek. DET walks away from Frk, Megan, McIlrath, Chelios, and Sateri.
Sulak has Arb rights, you can expect he'll be looking for an NHL deal. Hicketts beats out Ericsson (who's been on the bench a few times) to be the 7th Dman. Ericsson gets buried instead of a buyout (with all that cap space, no point in buying out).
Svech comes back this year (any week now as he's been practicing already, should go straight to GR), and has a big playoff in GR. Makes DET and plays well.
Wings win #2 pick, and draft Kakko, who has played C in the past, but will start on the wing (and has been exclusively a RW this year). No Dman is worth it at #2, and the dropoff starts after Kakko. Good consolation prize (and frees up the team to trade a Mantha for something if necessary). Your RWs next year could be KK, Zadina, and Mantha (in some order).
Veleno, Hirose, Kuffner, and Pearson start in GR. All 4 see time in DET next year.
Mule and Z can't be on LTIR, because DET isn't close enough to the cap. They are on regular IR. Franzen could be bait for Ottawa to get to the floor.
DET makes a run at Karlsson, but he goes to NYR. DET does not bid for any of the other high-end guys (Panarin would be nice, but with Zadina, Kakko, Mantha, Svech, Kuffner, Hirose, etc. the focus is on Cs and Ds).
Could see Green (UFA) and Glendening (1 year remaining) as trade deadline fodder if/when DET is out of it. AA, Mantha, Bertuzzi will need new deals in 2020/2021 (if they are still here). Trouba would be there 2020/2021 FA target (along with another C most likely).
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