Red Wings

[Tony G]

2002 wings? http://www.hockey-reference.com/teams/DET/2002.html

The only one I don't remember is Ladislav Kohn

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

If you actually followed the wings closely 11 years ago we were counting on Igor Grigorenko to take over the reins from Fedorov/Yzerman.

Yep newbie, I just fell off the turnip truck and started following the Red Wings last year. Who is this Grigorenko you speak of?

Easy now, I'm not trying to offend you or accuse of not being a fan or not following the team...I said closely as in someone who actively follows the prospects of the team.

He was a very talented russian with a nose for the net that dominated the world junior championships for Russia playing on a line with Kovalchuk. We took him in with our second pick back in 01 and after he had another brilliant season following his draft year back in Russia he was touted as this awesome player who would step right in and play in the top 9 to start the 03-04 season.

Then the unthinkable happened, he got in a car accident in Russia and broke his thigh bone among others and had to have a length of metal surgically put in there. He was never the same after that because he lost that extra burst of speed and wouldn't be able to get around NHL defenders like before and all he would have is really good hands which doesn't work in today's game. Anyways he's been playing in Russia and not doing too badly, which I am glad to see whenever I check up on KHL stats and see him on the score sheet.

[Malto Marko]

The Wings used to have Europe scouted better than anyone else. Barry Smith in particular had the place wired. Unless some other hotbed of hockey developes, they have lost the edge they used to have.

I heard they have a new European scout named Lidstrom......

[chemiclord]

I heard they have a new European scout named Lidstrom......

It's not so much that the Wings don't have scouts in Europe but that other teams have caught on and are pursuing those avenues much more aggressively. A player like Datsyuk doesn't slip into the 6th round now. Zetterberg goes a lot sooner than the 7th. Someone takes a chance on that sort of potential before then.

The Wings were able to find a lot of depth players in Europe in those late rounds, give them time to build up their game, then bring them in when they were ready. That luxury isn't there anymore. Europe is getting picked clean just as quickly as North America is now.

[froot loops]

Easy now, I'm not trying to offend you or accuse of not being a fan or not following the team...I said closely as in someone who actively follows the prospects of the team.

He was a very talented russian with a nose for the net that dominated the world junior championships for Russia playing on a line with Kovalchuk. We took him in with our second pick back in 01 and after he had another brilliant season following his draft year back in Russia he was touted as this awesome player who would step right in and play in the top 9 to start the 03-04 season.

Then the unthinkable happened, he got in a car accident in Russia and broke his thigh bone among others and had to have a length of metal surgically put in there. He was never the same after that because he lost that extra burst of speed and wouldn't be able to get around NHL defenders like before and all he would have is really good hands which doesn't work in today's game. Anyways he's been playing in Russia and not doing too badly, which I am glad to see whenever I check up on KHL stats and see him on the score sheet.

I know who Grigorenko is. There was some question even before the accident how well he could transition over.

The larger point remains, the Wings have had a lot of prospects who never turn out but Wing fans are well aware of them for a few years until they flame out or are traded. But you can't expect these guys to turn out like Datsyuk or Zetterberg. The Wings as a franchise were tremendously fortunate to have it turn out the way it did. But its not really a sustainable strategy. The odds are none of the existing prospects will turn out like either Datsyuk or Zetterberg. Those guys are top 10 players and they were later round picks.

The Wings had two advantages. A lot of their Russian picks were late round flyers on players that would be first round picks but the Cold War was still going on. Thats where most of their Russian(and Klima) prospects came from. And with the Swedish players, the NHL teams were loathe to take. Neither advantage is applicable and the KHL is a viable alternative to these Russian players.

[lions&tigers&wings...yea]

The Wings had two advantages. A lot of their Russian picks were late round flyers on players that would be first round picks but the Cold War was still going on. Thats where most of their Russian(and Klima) prospects came from. And with the Swedish players, the NHL teams were loathe to take. Neither advantage is applicable and the KHL is a viable alternative to these Russian players.

That is precisely the reason the "Russian Factor" still applies today, players who are playing in Russia in their draft year are not drafted as high as they should be because of this perceived risk that they might bolt to the KHL (which is valid for some players). If they move over here as a 15-16 yr old and play junior hockey in the CHL then they are "safer" (Yakupov 1st overall last year for example).

[Tony G]

Then the unthinkable happened, he got in a car accident in Russia and broke his thigh bone among others and had to have a length of metal surgically put in there.

The Wings have had other bad luck, what with Vladdy and Jiri Fischer's losses.

[froot loops]

That is precisely the reason the "Russian Factor" still applies today, players who are playing in Russia in their draft year are not drafted as high as they should be because of this perceived risk that they might bolt to the KHL (which is valid for some players). If they move over here as a 15-16 yr old and play junior hockey in the CHL then they are "safer" (Yakupov 1st overall last year for example).

I've missed all of the Russian phenoms coming over to the Wings. They haven't had any impact players since Datsyuk. So no, its not precisely why.

[jaadam4]

Iginla, Jagr and Bouwmeister all were traded. Man I hope we make the playoffs

[Tony G]

We're fodder if we do

[chemiclord]

We're fodder if we do

Yep. Why blow resources for the future on a team that cannot win it all now?

[jaadam4]

FCUK ME!!! The Rangers traded Marian Gaborik!?!?!?! Seriously!

Why couldn't we have got that deal. The dude scored 40 goals last year. Put him next to Dats.

[Tony G]

The deal, which is pending league approval, sends right wing Derek Dorsett, center Derick Brassard and defenseman John Moore to the Rangers, the source told ESPNNewYork.com.

[jaadam4]

A player like that would have helped us bigtime

[Panoptes]

Free tix to ANA v DAL 2nite. Took my daughter to her first live NHL game (she's 9). We sat behind the net in 201 in row Q. Great first game seats. And you can't beat "free." Despite about a hundred bucks being spent on grub and souvenirs.

She loved it, ANA wins 5-2.