Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Hannibal]

FWIW pretty much anything post-lockout can be attributed to Holland. Most of the greatness from 2005 through 2011 was built with trades and picks from poor drafting positions. The team could have and should have won at least one more Stanley Cup in that time but not for some terrible injury luck and the NHL trying its best to give Sidney Crosby his first Stanley Cup on a silver platter.

But Holland has been pretty bad going on five years now.

[WingsFan]

Holland didn’t hire the man responsible for selecting Pavel Datsyuk in the SIXTH round and Henrik Zetterberg in the SEVENTH round.

No, those two were BOTH scouts back in the early 1990s. Contemporaries. Ken Holland was gift-wrapped TWO Tom Bradys and he almost FUCKED THAT UP.

Do you want to know how easy Holland had it? Not only was he bequeathed a virtual All-Star team, and the greatest European scout to ever purchase a pair of binoculars, but he also had Mike Ilitch’s almost bottomless wallet to add whomever he wanted to that collection of talent.

[WingsFan]

Mr I wanted to add Stevie to assistant to Holland, but Kenny inflated ego he said no. Steve Yzerman should be the Red Wings GM right now and we would not be in this s. Highest payroll in the NHL and the worst team?

Ken Holland said this week 'we are not that far from making the playoffs' (his only goal at this point) and (in his opinion) it would take 10-15 year for a rebuild...so not going there - he just needs to retool, something he has no idea how to do or the Cap space to do it.

[Hannibal]

I wouldn't have any problem with Holland going now. But I feel like the Ilitches would have a lot better chance at bringing back a guy like Stevie Y than some random billionaire who buys them. I want an owner who just loves winning. We were lucky that Mike Ilitch was one of those guys. If we get one of those shitty owners who just views the team like a cash cow then we'll probably end up as another Buffalo.

[WingsFan]

That may be true, but I think that ship has sailed. Why would Stevie want to come back to this mess Holland has made? Holland’s horrendous moves over the last few seasons in an effort to extend the playoff streak has most of the team’s contracts absolutely immovable.

[Hannibal]

Depending on who the owner is going to be, I think that when the 2018 draft rolls around, we'll be in a good position for a turnaround. The team will likely finish near the bottom of the league next year, giving us great drafting position for what is reputed to be a very strong draft. Add that to some trade paybacks and I think that you are looking at potentially getting back to winning five years after that. Some of the shitty contracts will start coming off the books pretty soon too, I think.

[paul daugherity]

A little surprised that no one has posted it, but the Red Wings' playoff streak is officially over. I live in Chicagoland, and am a Hawks fan, but I still have a lot of respect for what Detroit was able to accomplish, especially in the cap era and how difficult it is to maintain that long term success. It was an impressive feat. For you guys, on to the future. Good luck.

[Da Geezer]

They're going to need luck, Paul.

The highest overall pick the Wings have had in the last 25 years has been Larkin at # 15 overall. I guess that is the flip side of a long playoff run.

[paul daugherity]

These days, you really have to manage what you have, and know who to sign long term, and who to let go, getting something in return. The Hawks and Pens have done a good job at that. Bowman has let a lot of good players go in order to move up in the draft and get early picks.

[iam416]

CBJ!!!!

[iam416]

Time for annual complaint about the asshattery of the NHL playoff format. ASSHATTERY.

The Western Conference is fine -- it will have something approaching a sensible bracket. The Eastern Conference, however, is beyond stupid. Montreal is arguably better off finishing 2nd in its division than winning it. The Penguins and CBJ are clearly better off dropping down to 4th in their division. The Penguins, in particular, will draw a road series against CBJ and then, probably, the Caps. The Rangers will draw a road series against Montreal and then the winner of Ottawa-Toronto!

I guess the other way to look at it is that over the course of 82 games, an 8-10 point difference in teams isn't particularly significant. But, still, it does seem silly that the 2nd best regular season point total in the league will have to play a road series in the 2nd round if things to go to form.

[AlabamAlum]

Seems fair to me.

[Hannibal]

No NHL in the 2018 Olympics. The first non-dipshit thing that Gary Bettman has ever done.

[WingsFan]

Dubinsky. seems to get under Cindy's skin, should be a fantastic first round matchup starting tomorrow night. Tortorella should have the CBJ ready as will be watching Malkin making his return with a bad shoulder.

[Hannibal]

Woo Riley Sheahan finally got a goal Sunday.