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@tkulfan: Zidlicky has concussion symptoms...has not decided whether he wants to play anymore @KenKalDRW: Babcock said that there's a 24 hour rule for sulking in his house (after game 7 loss) and he used all 24 hours. @Bill_Roose: #RedWings coach Mike Babcock said he doesn't know what the future holds. "I'm not trying to snow you. I don't know." http://t.co/MrSCsNf6rX @HeleneStJames: "I don't want to be a general manager. I'm a coach" Mike Babcock @Bill_Roose: #RedWings defenseman Kyle Quincey said he'll undergo surgery next week to remove bone chips from an ankle. @CraigCustance: Jimmy Howard says he won't request trade. Looks forward to competing for starting job in Red Wings training camp.

@DennyKapp: Holland: "I think (Bab) is a fabulous coach... he's made our organization better. I respect he's pushed our players" http://t.co/2UKcpFk0YB @Bill_Roose: #RedWings Holland: "Did the players always like Scotty? Do they always like Babcock? Nah. I like that. I like when the boss makes you work." @HammerFox2: "We're trying to go younger...the one thing we don't get are the players that are stars right off the draft table." #Wings draft later @greggkrupa: Babcock more upset by loss than I have ever seen him. Voice quivered. Eyes teared, a bit. "Can't believe lost."

There are whiners, and then there is Claude Julien...King of the Whiners.

There's a thin line between winning and losing sometime. I don't think it's a coincidence, though, that we ended up on the wrong side of that line. We're just lacking that something extra right now to win this kind of game. Too many squandered chances in the first two periods.

I would like to see an old title brought back to the red wings: Head Coach - Director of Player Personnel. Which was once held by Bowman. I think Babcock has paid his dues and deserves a raise and more responsibility. Holand morphs into - Executive Vice President and Alternate Governor of the Detroit Red Wings Same great minds but with change moving forward, and all part of a great big red wings plan one day Develano Retires Holand moves into his position Babcock moves into the GM position and then we promote the coach in the AHL. I think Holand has been soft and safe and picked up some wishy washy players over the years, I think Babcock as Director of Player Personnel would stop that and maybe make some hard trades, and cuts that may not be popular but would make for a better team. Next year my wishes would be simple a team with more Babcock influence less Holland influence.

Ok, but I didn't ask about Abby or Ericsson. I'm asking about Tatar, Nyquist, and Dekeyser because they were our most heralded young players, and you previously said "I've been listening to people for years tell me how great our prospects are, and they turn out to be decent 2nd pair defensemen and 3rd line players, at best". I'm serious just wondering if you're including them in there, or are you talking about our lesser prospect. Because you'd have a point with Pulkkinen or Smith. But I think no matter how you cut it, Tatar and Nyquist are legit top six forwards, and Dekeyser is a legit top four defenseman. And considering they're only just finishing up their sophmore years, I don't think it's a stretch to think they'll continue to improve their games as well.

Painful. Basically the reason why you try, as a team, to not go to game 7.

Vermette = Helm I love Helm, but do we really need another Helm?

Ya they should trade Howard. That way if/when mrazek has a sophmore slump McCollum can come in and play... Makes sense to me. Or should they re sign glass groin gustavsson?

To be fair, even when the hype was it its greatest, Smith was projected as top-4 guy with the ability to put up 30-40 points, which might not be a stretch if he actually got any PP time, and in a more run-and-gun (and probably less successful) team, i think he'd produce more. Same with Tatar and Nyquist...for a long time they were seen as possible 2/3 line guys, and it was only really the goose's goal output last year that gave anyone genuine hope beyond that. Certainly RWC (RIP) managed to predict most of the kids that have come through remarkably well, such as Howard being a solid but not brilliant starter, Marchenko being a good 5-6 guy and Sheahan being a 2/3 Center. These are the Kozlovs of old rather than the Federovs...very good players who are ultimately expendable in a good trade. The only real disappointments regarding serious projections of prospects I read were Kindl, Grigorenko and Emmerton. Kindl has all the skill to be a top 4 guy, but sadly none of the calm under pressure, fortitude or physical courage. Grigs never got back after the crash and underestimated what it took to make the NHL. Emmerton was only ever ok at a lot of things, without being NHL standard at anything. Re the coaching issue, Bab's is clearly an excellent coach as squeezing a lot of not much, but too many of our current younger players and potential assets would be better suited to a different system. So either the roster needs some major re-shaping or a new coach may be for the best. Certainly we will not maximise Smith, Kindl, Weiss, Pulks, Nyquist, Tatar in Babcock's systems. If he stays, he's a good enough coach to keep this team going, and the kids 2-3 years away are much more to his taste. If he leaves, some of the current roster may flourish, but overall results may suffer a little.

The best I've found it this http://stats.nhlnumbers.com/free_agents(obviously not using anything related to nhl.com) Man that UFA class is something else

Jon Cooper immediately moved to ask the NHL to suspend PK Subban as a result of this arson.

The most games Mrazek has started is 52 and that was back in the OHL. I'm guessing he splits the season with Jimmy and the "starter" will be the guy who ends up earning the spot over the course of the season.

I'd be really careful about fully trusting Mrazek with the starting job right now. Not because he hasn't been excellent. But because our system limits shots to such a degree that it's a little easier for a young guy to come in and play well. Certainly he had huge games, where he faced a lot of shots and did well, but he also had a lot of games where he didn't face many at all. If Babs leaves, and the system becomes less (excruciatingly) defensive, Mrazek will face more shots on average. And I'd feel more comfortable if we had a veteran like Howard there for insurance. If the kid plays well, then no sweat. And if he struggles at first, you're safe.

As a fourth line winger? I'm not really sure if Ferraro was being counted on to score. The more relevant question would be "I wonder if Pulkkinen was a better option in this series than Jurco or Andersson"? I still don't think so, but that seems a little more of a fair comparison.

It's like trying to pick which one of my balls I want crushed by a maul. Go Caps!!!!!!!

Also, Dekeyser was so far out of position, it caused Miller to have to swing down to cover the front of the net and he ended up leaving his point man wide open. Then Dekeyser screened the goalie. #Dekeyser

I suppose Rangers. Given the teams left...anything that isn't Chicago, Montreal, or Anaheim.

Holland is too safe. In the cap era you have to take risks, and he is risk adverse. I think this is reflective of the fact he is safe in his job, so long as he sails the ship of mediocrity he is safe. Why take risks to win a cup when he can keep his job just ekking in the playoffs and getting bounced early? This team needs new blood, young kids, bold moves and swinging for the fences!

Who says the Wings even want Babcock back? This could be fact, and needs to be a bigger part of this "will he/won't he" discussion.

Who cares? It's either Babcock or Blashill - both outstanding coaches... I would personally rather have Blashill because he knows these players as well as Babcock does, and knows the next generation (Mantha, Oulette, Anthanasiou, Pulkinnen) a hell of a lot better. The current Detroit Red Wings, anyway you look at it, are the bi-product of a great job that Blashill has done in terms of development of our young nucleus, and they evidently respect him as a coach, which is massive. It just feels right, let him finish the job he has started and see if he can get more out of a Teemu Pulkinnen or a Tomas Jurco than our current coach has. I also didn't like Babcock's attitude last night, it was a selfish press conference he used as a marketing ploy to put the spotlight on himself - and the great job "he" has done. Without finding the direct quote, he basically said that the Red Wings have won "too much", and been "too good" in recent years to be in the position to draft a replacement for Pavel Datsyuk or a "Great Player on the Back End", and that "the team isn't as good as it was". My issue here is that the Red Wings were still an extremely good hockey team when Pavel Datsyuk was drafted (in the 6th Round) - actually they won the cup that year (1998), and the year before that (1997), and then again in his rookie year (2002) - so maybe a good future doesn't cost you a miserable few years. I understand that the Salary Cap made it easier back then, but who currently has better future than this? (Besides Edmonton) TATAR - LARKIN - MANTHA NYQUIST - SHEAHAN - ABDELKADER JURCO - ANTHANASIOU - PULKINNEN BERTUZZI - GLENDENNING - FERARRO DEKEYSER - MARCHENKO OULETTE - SPROUL JENSEN - (THIS YEARS 1ST ROUNDER?) MRAZEK I am not exaggerating when I ask this, but which forward on that list doesn't have star potential? Yes - we need help on the back end, but defenseman also mature at a much older age than forwards do, and our scouting staff is still the best in the business.

While I agree Howard should be traded eventually, I don;t think the Wings should just hand Mrazek the starting job based on a really good playoff. Howard is still a very good goalie, and his value can improve if he plays well in the regular season up to the trade deadline. Plus, where's the harm in having two really really good goalie's next year up to the deadline, and then trading Howie when his value could be at its highest and the return could be the greatest. Right now it's not, because he's been injured and he struggled. Also, Mrazek will need some tutoring and help getting through his first full NHL season playing 40/50 games. He really hasn't proven yet that he can handle the rigours of it and needs to work out his consistency issues. He's definitely our goalie of the future, but it'd be a bit short sighted to jettison Howard so quickly IMO

Without Babcock this season, we miss the playoffs imo. Team's outperform their true talent when Babcock is coaching. Wouldn't be surprised if the Wings streak ended next season without him.