Detroit Red Wings & the NHL

[Mike]

This Wings game is excruciating. It's been obvious all night we're headed for a shutout loss yet I have to watch...

[froot loops]

What a disaster and it will get worse from here.

[Mike]

Yeah, I'm in full favor of blowing it up and starting over. The only two players that are untouchable to me are Larkin and Myrzak. Everyone else is free to be traded, waived, retired, whatever. The ride is officially over.

[Ghengis Jon]

The only thing worse than the offense was the power play. Jeez, score some freakin goals. This was painful.

The only thing that could make the season worse would be to see Cindy Crosby hoist the Cup.

[Hannibal]

Yeah, I'm in full favor of blowing it up and starting over. The only two players that are untouchable to me are Larkin and Myrzak. Everyone else is free to be traded, waived, retired, whatever. The ride is officially over.

I agree. Everyone but those two guys should probably be on the table. I think that I might add Athanasiou in there too. But anyone over the age of 25 needs to be eligible. That includes everyone. Abdelkader, Helm, etc. Time to start selling. See if there is a team out there looking for veteran leadership and defense that will give you some draft picks for Zetterberg, Ericsson, or Kronwall. I'd also like to see if somebody out there will take Nyquist. ($4.75 MM per year cap hit for 17 goals, 4 goals in 35 career playoff games). See if there is a team with salary cap room that will take Howard. Don't resign Quincey. Buy out Franzen. Re-sign most of the RFAs and then see if you can trade them. See if a lottery team is willing to trade away their lottery spot for some veterans. I have the utmost faith in the ability of the Red Wings to draft competently. The fact that they have so many serviceable (albeit mediocre) players with such poor drafting position for so many years says a lot about them. And they absolutely stole Larkin at #15.

Unfortunately, the Red Wings' ability to rebuild is hindered by the bad salary cap hits that some of these guys will take. If Datsyuk leaves, next year will probably be bad. And then maybe a couple more years after that until the Wings can finally stock with young draft talent ala the Penguins, Bruins, and Blackhawks from last decade.

[WingsFan]

Rebuild?? You would have to be Fucking insane to take any of those players.


Wings are 13-24 in past 37 playoff games. 1st round roadkill in 4 of past 5 seasons. The Red Wings have won 3 playoff series in the past SEVEN seasons, two against the Coyotes and one against Bruce Boudreau.

Holland won't have any money to spend on dead wood veterans this off season with no cap space for a few years to improve this team. A clueless coach in Blashill that* has* Dave Louis laughing.*


Darkness of Harkness days are here again, Dead Things with no fighting. A GM who doesn't know what he is doing and the people who advised him are now gone and doing good things for the teams they now work for.

[Hannibal]

I thnk that there are a lot of average players on the team who could be good depth scorers on a team that needs more. Abdelkader could provide some grit and third line scoring. Zetterberg could be that veteran, defensive-minded winner that helps put somebody over the top but can't carry them. Kronwall could provide somebody with a good Top 4 defenseman. Maybe you can convince somebody that Nyquist can score 30 goals or that all Howard needs is a new environement.

It's worth a shot at least for Holland to get on the phone and tell teams that almost everybody is on the table.

[WingsFan]

Who would be stupid enough to take on Hank and Kronwalls contracts that both run through 2021? Or even Howard? Helm and Abby can sign somewhere good riddance, really who cares. This team is well fucked is the only word, Dats, Franzen, Ericsson, Green on the books as well. Has Holland paid off Weis yet? Seriously can't remember all his terrible signing anymore.

I'm actually glad Holland and Blashill will not be fired. With all the shit that's about to come out, they will have to be accountable. And be there for the new arena and the dumpster fire that's moves in.


There are enough signs, and there's enough evidence that Zetterberg and Kronwall and the Swedes where calling all the shots from the locker room. I read and heard multiple reports now, what they say goes, influence that keeps Jonathan Ericsson in the lineup ahead of Brendan Smith, and Joakim Andersson ahead of Anthony Mantha. Interesting how Holland and his lap dog Blashill has turned this organization into a joke.

[Prime2]

Panthers lose a heartbreaker in double OT to the Islanders, 2-1 last night in Sunrise, Fl. Tall order to win the next 2 but we'll see. Was looking forward to a Tampa v. Miami series in the next round.

On the glass, across from the Panthers' bench, caught the lucky puck out of play. Still will attend the SCF because, well, I choose so.

[IMG][/IMG]

[WingsFan]

So the Panthers are your team this year OP? I know you like Luongo. Your potpourri of teams is broad, Montreal, Pittsburgh, (Ducks,? Sharks,? ) Blackhawks. I guess I'm rooting for the Islanders now that the Winged Wheels are out.


St Louis had their chances to put away Chicago in game 5 and blew it. Kane with another amazing goal in double OT. The Blues lost again after having a 3-1 lead last night in game 6, have to think Chicago will put them away in game 7, even with this team that is no where as talented as past teams.

Washington history is catching up to them, Jesus.... they better put Philly away today.

[Prime2]

When I was a wee lad, our kindergarten teacher assembled our class in the gymnasium to watch The Summit Series of 1972, Team Canada v. The Soviet Union. From that moment on, I was hooked. Our entire school was gathered around a single TV to watch the magic.

I am a hockey purist and a Canadian Patriot as far as hockey goes. The NHL is our bread and butter League , best players in the world, but nothing supersedes International play, best-on-best IMO.

As I get older and having lived in many cities, I tended to cheer for the local team. However the Gretzky trade changed everything, wherever he played, they became my team.

Anyway, the Panthers have made the playoffs for only the 2nd time in 16 years, they deserve my support and they are pretty talented.

Big Tavares fan, can't wait to so Ovechkin choke yet again, over his ENTIRE career. LOL

Pens appear to be the team to beat out of the East.

Agree with your Wings assessment although it is certainly not that dire. Holland needs to go. Rangers bounced a "loaded" Pittsburgh team twice over the last two seasons in the first round.

From that Pens team in 2015, only 7 players remain on today's squad. Total retool, smart trades and strong minor league player development have them on top even with Crosby/Malkin salaries.

You need an aggressive GM, willing to pull the trigger and not vicariously live in the past.

Datsyuk is done, 38 in July, let him go home, dump his contract to a small market team, needing to fincially meet, Cap bottom minimum spending. Zetterberg should have been traded a few years ago to team making a Cup run, getting plenty of young guys in return.

[Prime2]

Oh yeah, Mike Ilitch's advanced age is a problem and to make matters worse, his son is drug addict bum!

Kiss NHLers goodbye! Little chance of NHL participation at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The NHL has to shut down the league for nearly three weeks which is huge in February, every 4 years, nuts. Began and should die under that midget, Heeb, Bettman.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl-participation-at-2018-olympics-in-doubt-1.477086

http://www.thehockeynews.com/blog/iihf-president-says-outlook-not-really-good-regarding-nhl-participation-at-2018-olympics/

[WingsFan]

It's bad, real bad ... I posted this up there ^ in the Red Wings thread in the Lions forum

The number of bad contracts on this team is astounding. Ken Holland has crippled this team with massive contracts to players who aren't worth a nickel of what they're getting paid. Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall, Johan Franzen, and Gustav Nyquist are just a few of the players who received raises recently and are either underachieving or not playing at all. The worst contracts have to be the Daniel Cleary deal and the Stephen Weiss contract. Weiss is on the Wings books until 2021 at a cap hit of $1.6M per year. If Datsyuk chooses to retire, then Detroit would have about $10 million in wasted cap space for next season.

Not only that, but every player who Holland traded for in the last 4 seasons has left the team or is no longer playing pro hockey. Holland gave up a plethora of prospects and picks for Erik Cole, Marek Zidlicky, and David Legwand. The Legwand trade may go down as the worst of the Holland era. Detroit gave up Calle Jarnkrok, Patrick Eaves, and a 3rd round pick for 26 games worth of David Legwand. Eaves is now a depth player for Dallas, and Jarnkrok has turned into a fine piece to the Nashville lineup. Speaking of players Ken Holland lost for nothing, let's not forget he lost Landon Ferraro and Andrej Nestrasil for absolutely nothing. All the while, failing to bring in top free agents.

Plus the Detroit news had this

what could quite possibly be one of the biggest blunders over the past decade for the Red Wings organization:

When Steve Yzerman left the front office to manage the Lightning, Mike Ilitch said he had approached Holland about moving up in the front office to make room for Yzerman as general manager.

Ilitch said Holland declined.

Now, Holland’s tasks are formidable and mounting, and his joke several seasons ago that Lidstrom’s retirement might hasten his own is less humorous.

He faces fierce urgency in a hot kitchen, likely to get only hotter.

Hannibal what are your thoughts on this?

[WingsFan]

Capitals close out Flyers. Washington vs Pittsburgh should be a good one.

[Prime2]

Packy, no question Holland needs to go, but not sure why Ilitch would ask Holland? At the end of the day, he's got to make the hard decisions and Holland serves at his pleasure.

Yzerman was one of the greatest hockey players I that ever saw play and an obvious coach/manager on the rise in the NHL, keeping him the Wings mix was mission critical.

Reminds me of Carr's blunder in not giving the Michigan QB coaching position to a 15 NFL vetran and Michigan alumnus for petty, personal reasons.