Post-mortem on the Wings:

This team is three elite players (a first-line center and right winger and a first-line left defenseman) from returning to real relevance.  This essentially amounts to replacing (or demoting) Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Kronwall, who had been holding down those positions but now, bless their prior service, are no longer capable or, in Datsyuk's case, likely to be available.  Injuries have been a factor for all of them in recent years, and so the Wings find themselves enmeshed in numerous contracts of negative value.

I agree that Howard will likely be moved.  Coreau or an acquired veteran will be the backup, and play maybe 20% of the games next year, I would think.

In addition to still having Kronwall, Mike Green and Brendan Smith, the Wings will resign DeKeyser and Marchenko.  They will likely promote Oulette, unless he is leapfrogged by Jensen or Sproul.  They may also resign Quincey.  They should dump Ericsson as soon as possible, even if they have to help with the contract.  Adding a number one left-side D-man would create a little competition, and one of the young ones could then be moved in a trade as well.

Assume Datsyuk gone (maybe not, but assume): Imagine then a top line of Tatar with a number one center and right wing; line two becomes Zetterberg, Larkin and Athanasiou; three is your grinder line of Abdulkader, Sheahan and Glendenning; and four is Tyler Bertuzzi, Mantha (or a resigned Helm, who may flee), and Nyquist, with Mantha or a resigned Drew Miller or Jurco or Pulkkinen as your 13th guy (or Nosek, Aubry, etc.).  Gone then are Brad Richards (or, he fills the fourth line Helm role if the former goes elsewhere) and Franzen on a buyout, fingers crossed.  The rest are percolating in the minors, getting ice time.  I would also take a good long look at Mitch Callahan to see if he could fill the fourth line RW spot, and move Nyquist if so.

Would Jimmy Howard, Nyquist, Ericsson and one of Oulette/Jensen/Sproul be enough to pry one or two of the major needs from someone?  All those pricey contracts work against such a deal in all likelihood, but you can never be totally sure until you've tried everyone in the league with the idea.