Red Wings

[jaadam4]

I'd trade Franzen and his shitty long term contract in a heartbeat. Those long term deals are nightmares

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

I'm not specifically on board with trading any one specific person. I'm also not making up mock trades on Real GM to show how "smart" it would be.

What I AM preaching is that it's time to take a good, long, realistic look at the future of this team. Not pipe dreams, not a curtain call for the past, but to take a look at what the Wings have... what they are GOING to have... what they are GOING to lose, and what they can realistically do to keep the winged wheel rolling.

The answers I have reached don't look too good. I look at the prospects in the organization, and I just don't see enough there. Yes, there ARE players like Brunner and Smith and Jurco who have tons of promse... but it's just... not enough, man.

The Wings have gotten along because they've been able to grow their core from within. As it stands, they'd have to fill the rest of that core in FA, and that's a dangerous go even with the most "can't miss" player (See also, Parise and Suter in Minnesota... and before Froot starts on some aha rampage, those two were ALWAYS going to be gamble, but it represented the best gamble the Wings had to make another Cup push with their current core of aging players).

So, yeah... I DO think it's time Holland asks himself, "What can I get for Datsyuk? Zetterberg? Franzen?" Players who are nearing the end of their run, and aren't going to be a part of a Stanley Cup team as it stands now. Does that mean, pull the trigger on the best offer? I suppose not (even as I've said stuff like "something" > "nothing). But hell, if say... Philadelphia wants to blow me away with two firsts, a second, and a couple 2nd or 3rd line prospects for Dats... then I'd strongly consider that deal.

Okay well you need to look harder at the Red Wings prospects and actually do homework on them.

Because Brunner is not and never was a prospect, and Smith graduated from being a prospect this year if not last year. Then the only other one you list is Jurco which just shows you know nothing about the wings prospect pool. We have a top 10 prospect pool in the league and have done so by not drafting higher than 17th in the last 15 yrs. On forward we have Jarnkrok, Sheahan, Pulkkinen, Frk, Jurco, and Tvrdon who are all very good prospects with the chance of being top 6 players. Then you have all the guys who are developing into great bottom 6 players like Ferraro and Quine (think Helm with better hands).

Then on Defense we have Ouellet, Sproul, Backman, and Marchenko who are all very good D-men in their own right. Backman and Marchenko both play on mens teams in the top league in their countries (Sweden and Russia). Although Marchenko doesn't play top 2 minutes on the team like Backman does. Ouellet is going to be our best D-man in a few years because he is just so rock steady on the back end (always in position to make a play look easy). Add to that Mike Green 2.0 A.K.A. Ryan Sproul who had just started playing hockey like a year and a half before he was drafted in the 2nd round, he has done nothing but make sure everyone kicks themselves for not taking him in the first.

So yes this year might not be the best team we have had but I still think it makes the playoffs. Next year could be good depending upon what D-man we pick up, after that though most of the guys listed above will be challenging for spots if not already taken them.

[chemiclord]

I still consider Brunner and Smith "prospects" in the sense that they're best years are (in theory) ahead of them and are projected to be a part of the next core for the team. If the semantics really bother you, fine, let's call them "the next generation of the team." Is that better?

On offense, Pulkkinen is a player I'm ashamed to admit I didn't mention. The rest are going to amount to low-line players, at best. It just isn't there from what I have PERSONALLY seen from them.

And I've seen Ouellet and Sproul play. Was not impressed by either. Neither will amount to much, you're looking at a pair of 3rd pair players there, at best, in my honest opinion. I'll admit I haven't seen much of Backman and Marchenko, though. So you MIGHT have me there.

I'm sorry, but I don't see the scenario you see playing out. Basically you're buying into the hype. I've personally seen them play, mostly in person in Grand Rapids. You're going to be disappointed, is all I can tell you.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

Well there's a few you should really watch when you get the chance.

The most important one I think would be Jarnkrok because he is the best forward prospect we've had since Z. I know this because of times I have seen him play as well as the simple fact that he has played in a mens league for ~3 years already and has been played with the top Sweden national team over the last year and is a lock for this years World Championship. The only thing is the Griffins will be going to the playoffs right around the time Jarnkrok's season is over so do you let him play more with the international team (which he's already done) or bring him overseas to play the playoffs and make the Griffins that much better while getting him some experience on the smaller rinks?

Sproul is a smooth skating 6'3 d-man with a booming shot that has been playing hockey for like 5 years...not to mention he has 60 pts in 40 games so far this season for (easily) the best ppg for a d-man in the CHL. So I don't know when you saw him, but he has only improved since we drafted him...and that's really all you can hope for with a prospect.

I grabbed a video from youtube of Jarnkrok in case you don't know what kind of hockey intelligence he has but this is from the year he was drafted in 2010...he's bulked up a decent bit in comparison to then.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc8iTNYYZFo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc8iTNYYZFo[/ame]

[chemiclord]

Now, I will acknowledge I haven't seen much of the prospects (or "future core") from overseas. This highlight reel of Jarnkrok shows he CAN do some impressive work, but it's hard to make a judgment based on highlight reel stuff.

And hell, if it all pans out the way you think it will... then sure, it won't be long at all before the Wings are back at the top, and the lull (that we're starting to see) is going to even shorter-lived than I expect.

We'll see, won't we?

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

Okay I'm not saying all of those players will amount to anything or be the savior of the team.

I think if 1 of the forwards and 1 of the d-men live up to their full potential then we will not be that poorly set for the future. The 1 guy I completely forgot about in that long winded post was Dan Dekeyser from WMU who is this years Justin Schultz...who actually almost came out last year but the wings told him there wouldn't have been room for him right away. He would be one of our best d-men right now as it is...well at least now he'll be here for next season.

But yeah I've been trying to curtail my expectations for prospects ever since I was so thoroughly disappointed by the what I thought were can't miss prospects Dick Axelsson and Johan Ryno. No matter what skill the kids have at 18, if they don't have the drive they won't ever improve enough to make it.

But so long as Ken Holland, Jim Nill, and Jimmy Devellano are running the team there is really no worry in my mind that they will be competitive...there might be a lull of a couple seasons as there are always growing pains for a young team (which we are about to become).

[chemiclord]

But so long as Ken Holland, Jim Nill, and Jimmy Devellano are running the team there is really no worry in my mind that they will be competitive...there might be a lull of a couple seasons as there are always growing pains for a young team (which we are about to become).

Well, hell... whattya know? We actually AGREE on something here!

I'd actually say as far as the long term for the Wings go, we're probably all on pretty much the same page, really.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

Good game tonight, but the best news was what the new division realignment plan the NHL put forward that was introduced on HNIC...it has to be approved by the board of governors though. But I think that this may have been one of the major reasons Illitch was so quiet this time around during the lockout, because the new alignment puts Detroit back in the east just like they have been asking for for a long time.

Here they are:

Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Florida.

Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington.

Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg.

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver.

[Malto Marko]

To get Toronto, Montreal and Boston back in our division would be awesome!

[Tony G]

The florida swings could be nice for a vacation stop

[jaadam4]

Holy crap that looks like an awesome plan! I hope it goes through

[chemiclord]

I just don't see the governors signing off on anything that separates Chicago and Detroit and leaves the Blackhawks out of any "Original Six" pairings. That was the problem the governors had every other time Detroit to the east came up, and I'm not sure what would have changed on that score.

[CaptainBlue]

Good game tonight, but the best news was what the new division realignment plan the NHL put forward that was introduced on HNIC...it has to be approved by the board of governors though. But I think that this may have been one of the major reasons Illitch was so quiet this time around during the lockout, because the new alignment puts Detroit back in the east just like they have been asking for for a long time.

Here they are:

Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa, Boston, Buffalo, Tampa Bay and Florida.

Carolina, Columbus, New Jersey, the New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Washington.

Chicago, Colorado, Dallas, Minnesota, Nashville, St. Louis and Winnipeg.

Anaheim, Calgary, Edmonton, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Jose and Vancouver.

I don't like the idea of TB in our division. That's Yzerman's team. I always root for them to do well too.

[Tony G]

that's a little short sighted

[CaptainBlue]

that's a little short sighted

Other than that I like it alot. I hate all those late West Coast games especially the playoff games.