If the Wings really wanted one of the big FAs they would have gone out and grabbed them and used it as a bargaining chip to get Hasek in at whatever price, since they would have literally only had room for said salary.
The Wings I think are basically set, save a low-key veteran forward. And for that they may wait until the current prospect camp ends so they can see where Igor Grigorenko is. Throw in how much Babcock has praised Kopecky, and how Holland has said Jiri Hudler is destined for PP time, and the fact that the Wings have re-signed Matt Ellis, I think they're set.
Until the deadline. If the Wings go to camp with this roster (either Quincey or Meech as the 7th DMan, Ellis as the 13th F, no 3rd G) they will have, by my count, 5.27M in slush money. Figure 1.27M of that is in the proverbial lock-box for injury call-ups, that gives the Wings 4M a the deadline. Since 3/4 of a contract has been paid out by the deadline, that adds up to 16M in July 1 salaries. Certainly enough to add a #1-type offensive defenseman, a top physical D, and/or a power forward or two. Brad Stuart, for example, is on a one year deal and the Kings could potentially suck this year. Don't know of any power forwards but undoubtedly there will be a few. Oh yeah, and plenty in the piggy bank for a goalie if Hasek blows a groin or two, knock wood.
And, if the Wings leave a substantial amount of their cap on the table at the end of the season, it means they can potentially count Hasek's and/or Chelios's bonuses against this year's cap, and avoid having bonus-money carried over onto the 08-09 cap as the Wings have failed to do this year and last year. This could be pretty important if the cap fails to go up again next year.
