Red Wings are about to make some moves

Well just like the rumors said, the salary cap has jumped up nearly $5 million and the cap for 2011-12 will be $64.3!

This is incredible because now, According to CapGeek.com, the Red Wings will have $16.2 million to spend! (What!?) This could possibly be the first time we have an off season similar to the pre-cap era. Now what are we going to do with it? Well there are a ton of different things the Wings and Kenny Holland can do, here are a few I think could really help the Wings hoist the cup in 2012:

• Re-sign DEF Jonathon Ericsson to a 3 year/ $2 million
• Sign DEF James Wisniewski to a 4 year/ $4.25 million
• Sign G Ray Emery to a 2 year/$1 million
• Re-sign FWD Patrick Eaves to a 3 year/ $1 million
• Re-sign FWD Drew Miller to a 2 year/ $750,000

With those moves right there, that is  $9 million dollars of the free agency money. So Ken Holland would have around $7.2 million to play with. There are a couple options that could really make this team a legit contender and favorite to hoist the cup again. Here are a few different options:

• Sign FWD Jaromir Jagr to a 1 year/$1.5 million deal
• Break tradition, Offer TB RFA Steven Stamkos a $6.75 million/year deal (Super dream scenario, not happening)
• Sign FWD Brad Richards to a 5 year/$6.25 million, could maybe take a smaller amount to be a Wing, just like Hossa and many others. 
• Break tradition, Offer either RFA D-men Zach Bogosian or RFA Drew Doughty a $5-6 million/year to pry them away from their teams (giving up first round picks is no big deal to the Wings). 
• Break tradition, Offer either RFA Zach Parise or RFA Andrew Ladd a $5.5 million/year

Now I know it is not very "Red Wings" of us too go after a RFA, but I think with the talented players that are restricted free agents like Doughty, Bogosian, Stamkos, Parise or Ladd, the Wings could really pick up a young, All-star caliber player for years to come, especially with the team getting older and the UFA pool not that great.

Zach Parise

My choice: Zach Parise at $5.75 million/year. I think he would bring another scoring/playmaking threat to the Wings for years to come, plus New Jersey has financial problems after that ridiculous signing of Kovalchuk, so maybe they won't match a offer at nearly $6 million a season. (Parise Highlights)

So heres to wishing and dreaming this or something similar to this happens around July 1st:

• Re-sign DEF Jonathon Ericsson, 3 year/$6 million deal ($2 mill/year)
• Re-sign FWD Patrick Eaves, 3 year/$3 million deal ($1mill/year
• Re-sign FWD Drew Miller, 2 year/$1.5 million deal ($750,000/year)
• Sign DEF James Wisniewski, 4 year/$17 million deal ($4.25 mill/year)
• Sign G Ray Emery, 2 year/$2 million deal ($1mill/year)
• Sign FWD Zach Parise, 5 year/$28.75 million deal ($5.75 mill/year)

This would all equal up to around $14.75, and would leave around $1.45 million left under the cap for this season.

If you're wondering about what we're gonna do after this season with Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart, since they will both be UFA, and Darren Helm and Justin Abdlekader becoming RFA, the Wings will have a bunch of other money coming off of the books, including Tomas Holmstrom, Jiri Hudler, and Todd Bertuzzi. Kenny Holland will be able to get Stuart back for about the same deal and Kronwall will get a good bump up around $5+ million a deal as the #1 defensemen of the future.