Leaderboard

Pretty stupid comments by him no matter his intentions. There are much better ways to motivate a player than by completely dismissing him after one half of one pro season.

Does anyone really care what Devellano thinks?

Okay, so all he has to do is acquire young high level players on the cusp of greatness, pay them what they're worth, fit them all in under the salary cap and give them all the ice time they want. SMH, why didn't Kenny Holland think of this first!?!?! I mean, get real. Every team just can't wait to trade blossoming stars to the Red Wings. No doubt, too, that they'd take Cleary, Zid or a 5th round pick for said players. Not sure how he could have stuck with Cole and Zidlicky too long as he just acquired them at the trade deadline and Cole only played 7 games before being injured. Weiss has had injury problems since he was signed as the #1 free agent available that year and hasn't been given ample opportunity by Babs to right the ship. So I'm sure other teams are lining up and will give the Wings all those up and coming hungry young stars for him. Cleary was kept around too long, but he rarely cracked the line up this year, and wasn't a horrible liability when he was in. When the Wings won the Cup in 2002, they weren't old, they were experienced, savvy veterans who knew how to win.

How do you define "competitive"? Winning the Stanley Cup every year? Holland's Wings are competitive. They win more than they lose. They go to the playoffs, EVERY YEAR. They're just a couple players away from a championship team. There are 30 teams. 30 GMs. 53% chance of making the playoffs 27% chance of making it to the second round 13% chance of making it to the conference finals 7% chance of making it to the cup finals 3% chance of winning the cup Under Holland since '97, this is how we've done: 100% - Made Playoffs 64% - made it to second round 31% - made it to conference finals 25% - made it to Stanley Cup finals 19% - won Stanley Cup It's time for people to chill. You can't always win, but damn, we sure do win more than we don't.

Wow, so our cup back in 08 and cup finals appearance in 09 was a "long time ago"? Man, I wonder how Toronto feels with their last cup win. Or Edmonton for that matter. Heck, lets ask the Rangers how they feel since their last cup. This really does show the level of entitlement that Wings fans have grown accustomed to over the course of the last 25 years. Most teams have bandwagon fans. The Wings have achieved a level of greatness where the bandwagon effect hasn't been measured because we have been good for so freaking long. Now we are looking at Holland deserving blame for making the playoffs and not getting past the 2nd round since making it to the finals in 09. When I see this attitude, I just shake my head in disbelief. Is this really what some Wings fans have deteriorated to? The salary cap era has made the playing field level. No team is a slam dunk for a championship anymore. I will say this much. Any new GM that comes in may have successes in some areas, but failures in others. No GM is going to hit it out of the park on everything they do. So while a new GM may have landed Parise and Suter for Detroit, he may have not gotten Dekeyser and wouldn't have gotten Hossa either because he wouldn't have had the money to get them all. I get it, Wings fans want a championship. Its championship or bust mentality that really has to change though. Only 1 team gets to win the Stanley Cup every year, and the favorite doesn't win it much of the time. The sooner that we all realize that the Wings are just one of 16 teams in the playoffs and things have to go right for the team that wins it, the better off we will be.

New to this board but been following it for awhile now. I just can't understand the amount of hyperbole from some people regarding Holland. We are in an age of absolute parity in the NHL, this isn't the 50's and 60's when Montreal won 5 straight Cups. Making the playoffs is the goal now, because as we have seen anything can happen once the playoffs start (just look at the Kings last year). The days of winning the president's trophy and rolling through the playoffs year after year are over. Holland has made mistakes but he has still done a remarkable job with what he has been given. Go ahead and tell that to the 22 teams that didn't make the playoffs this year. I am thankful for our playoff streak, it gives me more Wings hockey into the spring/early summer while other fans are watching....baseball.

I don't think it's fair to make any conclusions about the NHL career of a 20 year old who is still playing in his first year in the minors, especially after missing the first couple months with a broken leg.

Yeah, trading him after one mediocre season after coming off a broken leg at age 19/20 doesn't sound like the red wings way.. seems like this is more to try to get Mantha working harder in the playoffs and motivating him to work hard this off season. Hopefully he realizes the potential he has.

I've seen a fair number of Griffs games this year...I'll echo what krsmith said about Mantha...physically he has all the ability in the world and can dominate when he gets after it. the problem he has...like a lot of really talented athletes...is that he's finally reached a level where talent alone doesn't cut it. You have to work...it's paradoxical, the more talent you have, the harder you have to work because you have more skills to develop and refine. Jimmy D was 100% justified in raking Mantha like that. The kid has a huge opportunity in front of him as the Wings NEED scoring. He isn't putting forth the effort to grab that opportunity and run with it. An WTH does Jensen have to do to get a shot in Detroit. Blazing speed, moves the puck well and decent size...and he's RH!! Every time I see him play I think "that's an NHL defenseman".

I think anyone would take a cup and miss the playoffs. I'm just saying, the parity of the league shows you can win a cup one year, then miss the playoffs the next. Or you can finish the season as the "best regular season team" (Bruins) but the next year miss the playoffs. Detroit isn't a dominant Hockey team anymore, and neither are the other 29 teams. The only constant is Detroit still continues to make the playoffs while all 29 other teams miss them - which in it's own regard is highly impressive.

I've watched a lot of Griffins this season (40-50 games) and I watched all 5 games of the first round against the Marlies, and one thing is for sure, this team is legit. Even with them being down 2-0 in the series, I had a strong feeling that they would come back to Grand Rapids and win the series. After they lost game 1, I made a bet with my two jackass Leafs friends that they would win the series. I ended up winning two cases of beer last night. All of this talk about our center depth and no one has mentioned Tomas Nosek? He was without question, one of our best players in the first round. He's a big body, that protects the puck as well as anyone, and has very deceptive foot speed and hands. He flat out makes things happen in the offensive zone. Last night he split two defenders, dangled around a third man back, waited out the goaltender and feathered a beautiful pass over to Hoggan for the wide open net. Unfortunately Hoggan ended up hitting the post on the play, but nevertheless it was highlight reel material. I'm not saying he will do that at the NHL level but the skill is definitely there and the kid is still only 22 years old, in his first season of North American pro hockey. I think the potential of him making it as a 2nd/3rd line center is definitely there. Pulkkinen has also been very good, but it kind of worries me a little that he still does his one go-to move; walks in over the blue line, puts on the breaks and winds up for the holy slapper. Sure, it works in the AHL but it clearly doesn't at the NHL level. I know he won't ever be the type of player that dangles past defenders but I think he needs a little more than that shot to make it in the NHL as anything more than a 3rd line winger / power-play specialist. In saying that, I don't think 15 goals on the power-play alone is out of reach next season if the Wings would actually use him correctly (ala Stamkos / Ovechkin, hovering around the left faceoff dot). Despite Pulkkinen's huge numbers, I think the best player in Grand Rapids is Athanasiou. The kid is electrifying and is dangerous any time he's on the ice with that blazing speed. The comparison to Fedorov, although it may sound a little far fetched right now, I don't think it's out of the question either. Some of the similarities in their games are definitely there. The way they can take over a game with their speed, their hands, their size, etc. No, I don't think Andreas is going to put up 120 points in a season the way Sergei did, but I do think a few 80-90 point seasons at the NHL level could be within reach. People seem to forget that he is only 20 years old and in his first pro season. He has had a smoother transition from junior to pro than any prospect we've seen in our system in a looong time. Bertuzzi is looking great as well, and although I thought he may max out as a 3rd or a very good 4th liner at the NHL level, I don't think the top 6 is out of the question. He's looking like he could potentially mature into a bigger Marchand type of player. I do still think 3rd/4th line duty is most likely, especially with our depth on the wings, but he continues to impress and exceed expectations at every level. It is still mind boggling to me that Frk is once again out of the lineup. I thought he played great down the stretch in the regular season and in the first two games of the series (despite being losses). I guess it wasn't the worst decision to take him out, since the team rallied back and won the series but I do think he is an upgrade over a couple players in the lineup. One being Hirschfeld (the guy that got the game winner last night...) and the other one being Porter. It seems like he is getting the Weiss treatment, in that he can produce all he wants but he'll still be yanked from the lineup the first chance the coach gets... Ouellet and Marchenko have looked very solid on the defensive side of the puck and are putting up some points as well, which is great to see. I found it to be extremely odd timing when Sproul was hauled from the lineup, as game 3 was by far his best performance of the 3 playoff games. I thought he had a very rough game 1, a solid game 2 and a great game 3. I would have much rather seen Lashoff or Evans out when Marchenko returned rather than Sproul, but again, they won, so you can't really complain with the result... All in all, very impressive squad, and I think another Calder Cup could be going back to GR next month...

When you're under the microscope it doesn't matter how much good you do, one small mistake and you're "losing your touch" two small mistakes and "OMG FIRE HIM NOW." Nobody's perfect, but Holland's closer than most.

I like it, white is generic, let the away team be the generic team and home team show their colors.

Perfect And since there's some sensitive people *points* up there who can't handle some levity in the thread, let me be painfully on topic in sharing my opinion on The State of the NHL: The game is changing. The league is changing. The way the game was played 30 years ago would be a bad fit for the current situation on multiple levels. As someone mentioned before, players today are faster, bigger, and stronger than ever before. Gear is more high tech. And we have knowledge now regarding health and safety issues that was not widely available before. The league would be foolish and unprogressive if they dug their heels in and refused to develop the game in a way that addresses these challenges. Do I like every change that is made? No. But I also have no misconceptions that me raging against the machine is gonna make a rabbit's fart of a difference. "Pretend we have an audience.". We *do*. Social media has developed to a point where officials ABSOLUTELY know how fans of the game feel about each and every little thing. They just don't *care*. Because here's the kicker, and if I have to pick the one thing that bothers me the most it would be this: WE are not who the league is reaching out to. The die hard, post on a hockey team's message board, donate money to charity based on playoff performance, contemplate homicide of other players not on our team who are probably pretty nice guys otherwise type people are going to follow our team /the league *anyway*. Our $ is not the growth, because it has always *been there*. These changes, the outreach, the people pleasing (if any) will not be directed at us. It will be directed at Joe Non-hockey Schmo whose ass they're trying to pull into a seat. Trying to pull into the NHL shop. Trying to pull into buying that cable package or GCL. So the game is gonna change. Because hockey is not very accessible to people who aren't familiar with it. Do I like it? Not necessarily, but in a way that mirrors why my grandpa doesn't like it that he can't find a doctor with a name he can pronounce. There are some changes the league is looking into that I think will be beneficial like 4-4 overtime and video reviews, but to opine that the league is "changing" because it's not like it was 30 years ago is short-sighted, unnecessarily nostalgic, and unprogressive. Time marches on. Things change. And now I've forgotten my larger point. Which is why "old man yells at cloud" sums up my feelings perfectly, and isn't as sarcastic as you thought. You...should probably step away from your keyboard for a minute.

Some people don't understand parity and what the salary cap does. They can't get over the fact this isn't pre 2005 anymore. Boston was the president trophy winners last year. Missed the playoffs. LA Kings won the Stanley Cup last year. Missed the playoffs. Wow, must really suck to be a Wings fan....

As someone else pointed out Ericsson's brother was on the last Swedish olympic team. Also, since the olympics are only every 4 years all 4 players didn't have the same opportunity. Both Nyquist and Tatar played in the olympics during their first year with the wings. If the olympics had taken place a year earlier it's possible both would have still been chosen. Tatar for sure would have been chosen for Slovakia. Zetterberg played in the Olympics just a year before joining the Wings so then they would be in the same situation. This comparison is pointless, though, - we know they're in different situations. There's a chance Tatar and Nyquist can become dominant players. They have a ways to go - let's hope they get there. Regardless they are quite good right now and just need to keep moving ahead and prove themselves in the next playoffs.

Jonathan Ericcson's brother was the only non NHL player on the last Swedish Olympic team. So it isn't necessarily an indicator of greatness. For me, taking Weiss is more than enough and eating salary isn't necessary. Trading his 5 million dollar salary and adding 2 million for a top 4 defenseman seems like a win/win situation. Not saying I'm totally high on Phaneuf, but they have to find a way to rid themselves of Weiss. Kind of like the Tigers shedding Prince Fielder and taking a "bad" contract with Kinsler, who turned out to fill a big need at second base.

Joe Thornton? Over 35, making 7.5 million, epic playoff no show, can't handle the pressure, stripped of his captaincy, Joe Thornton? He'd be awesome. These threads are entertaining to say the least. Let's get a number one defenseman. Let's get a top 6 winger, oh, but he has to be big and tough and score a ton. Let's trade the prospects, well all of them except the good ones. Get a new coach who's better than Babcock, and a more successful GM than Holland. Oh, and throw in a hot 22 year old who likes to swallow twice a day while you're at it.

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

The losing out on free agents bit is getting old. The number of viable free agents is limited and the prices are usually way too high. Fans just want to throw out money at anyone, thinking they're better than what the Wings have. If the Wings were losing out to trendy cities and organizations who win more, that could be used as an argument, but that isn't exactly the case. Free agents now take other things into consideration, like family, team mates, friends, etc. As you saw in Boston, when you're not mindful of the salary cap, it's easy to get burned. It's a balancing act. I think Holland has done and admirable job transitioning this team from a blank check team to a team that has been successful in the salary cap era.

Lol. Disagree. Whole heartedly. Since Bowman left (2002) we've made the playoffs every single year, went to the finals twice, and won the Cup once. Since Yzerman left (2010) we've made the playoffs every single year. Same with Nill (2013). You know who's struggled since Yzerman and Nill left? Yzerman and Nill.

What? You can't blame Howard for playing like garbage late this season but you can blame Holland for not being able to predict the future? Let the records show, I tried to have a discussion here, but I'm out.

Only on LGW does a GM "deserve blame" for building an almost entirely homegrown roster, making the playoffs for the zillionth time in a row, and being poised to upset a better team in the first round. The only thing Ken Holland hasn't done is play/coach the actual game itself. Has he made some mistakes over the years? Sure. Have those mistakes seriously inhibited our chances of being competitive? The results certainly suggest otherwise. Or is he supposed to make no mistakes whatsoever?