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I don't understand the statement, "at that rate it will take 23 years to even field a full roster"... I think 1-2 players on average making it per draft for any team is pretty standard, and I don't think any team ideally wants to bring in any more than 1-2 rookies per year... I don't see the purpose of only listing the players we drafted that are currently on our team. If your trying to figure out our success rate in drafting I think a more effective way is to list all the players we drafted in that time frame that are currently or are going to make the NHL... 2001 - 0/7 < Traded 1st round pick > 2002 - 4/10 (Hudler, Fleischmann, Filppula, Ericsson) < Traded 1st round pick > 2003 - 2/8 (Howard, Quincey) < Traded 1st round pick > 2004 - 1/8 (Franzen) < Traded 1st & 2nd round picks > 2005 - 3/9 (Kindl, Abdelkader, Helm) 2006 - 1/7 (Matthias) < Traded 1st round pick > 2007 - 2/5 (Smith, Andersson) 2008 - 1/6 (Nyquist) 2009 - 3/7 (Ferraro, Tatar, Nestrasil) - (*Jensen*, *Callahan*) < Traded 1st round pick > 2010 - 4/7 (Sheahan, Jarnkrok, Pulkkinen, Mrazek) 2011 - 5/9 (Jurco, Ouellet, Sproul, Quine, Marchenko) - (*Backman*) < Traded 1st round pick > 2012 - 1/6 (Athanasiou) - (*Frk*, *Paterson*) < Traded 1st round pick > 2013 - 2/8 (Mantha, Janmark) - (*Nastasiuk*, *Bertuzzi*) 2014 - 1/7 (Larkin) - (*Turgeon*, *Holmstrom*) 2015 - 1/6 (Svechnikov) - (*Saarijarvi*) I think that would be considered pretty solid drafting if compared to other teams, especially considering we have never picked higher than 15th overall in that timeframe, we never had a first round pick in 8 of the 15 years, and our average first pick was 39th overall... Also, like PVD mentioned, our current team is stocked full with homegrown talent. Last season, of the 29 players that played a game with the Red Wings, 22 were drafted by Detroit, another 3 were signed as free agents straight from College / Europe. Some have / will move on next season, and they will be replaced either by more home grown guys or via trade / free agency. Either way, a team made up of 85+% of home grown talent have to be doing something right at the draft table. We have been very good at drafting and developing and we have a pretty good stable built, however we do need to start trading some of these assets to upgrade in some areas, mainly defense. Whether or not Holland can get it done, we'll find out soon enough...

Unbelievable game in Nashville Gotta say, I'm really enjoying watching the Sharks these playoffs

I'd much rather keep Ouellet and Sproul, because both have much higher ceilings than Marchenko my opinion. Unfortunately though, I think Ouellet may end up being the odd man out. Sproul is the main one I want to keep, even if he's just the number 7 next season. I still have high hopes for him, and I think he could become a potential replacement for Green in the next year or two. Jensen, I think will be exposed to waivers, and I do think he'd probably clear.

So I think we all had a little taste of how nice and pleasant this forum can be when the Mods just step back and let you do or say whatever you want. (For those unfamiliar, view the "Moderator Problems" thread in the Water Cooler.) This thread got out of hand fast, and it's run it's course at this point, so it's getting the clamp down after a few edited posts. It was just a rare instance that none of us have been around until now to get this under control, but some of the comments made here are pretty embarrassing. I'm posting a link here to the forum rules, and i'd like everyone to read them over again, and if there is a comment you are about to make that you think is questionable or bordering on being against forum rules, do not post it. Period. We will be posting up a refresher in the General Discussion area as well so we can try to get a handle on things, stop being insulting, and actually return this board back to what it is intended for, Hockey discussion. http://www.letsgowings.com/forums/index.php?app=forums&module=extras&section=boardrules

The story on Sean Day

I'd take a chance on Sean Day. His stock has dropped a lot since he was declared "exceptional" by the OHL at 15 but I think he's worth the risk.

Building through the draft doesn't mean every player on the roster. It doesn't even necessarily mean most of the team. It mostly means the top players. It is far easier to get top end players through the draft than by trade or UFA. In the entire lockout era there have been only a small handful of the type of top players we need who have moved teams. We're not worse because we've been drafting too much. We've gotten worse because the players we need aren't available.

Again, this term means that expecting less going in, can only be that much more exciting when those expectations are surpassed. IMO this is what Kenny meant. Remember a time when we had a lineup full of unproven, yet good players that created the Dynasty core? Lapointe, Draper, Maltby, McCarty, Brown, yes even Larionov, Fedorov and Yzerman had much to prove before they started winning. That core grew together, and learned to become winners together, all along they way losing in the 1st rounds of multiple playoff years. BUT, when they weren't "expected" to win Cups every year, don't you remember how exciting the season was when you just didn't know what was going to happen? Remember when making the playoffs was the thing you looked forward to when the season started? Sure, you had fantasies about winning a Cup, but when those expectations weren't automatically there, the regular season was so fun to watch, individual stats were more fun to follow, certain teams were more fun to play against just because of who they were, not if they were possibly a 1st round matchup or not. There was never "acquire this vet to win him a cup" attitude and "he could be our motivation," it was "none of us have been there before" and "win this for the fans." For sure, I want to win Cups, but I also want to enjoy the entire season to. When I look back, how lucky was I to "grow" with that core back then and watch them build from missing the playoffs in 1990 to what they became. We need to go back to that attitude with this young group, Larkin, Mantha, AA, Mrazek, Dekeyser, yes even Tatar and Nyquist, and watch them with unbridled excitment and grow with them. I do believe that if I watch the regular season with far less "expectations for a Cup" it can and will be a lot more exciting. Doesn't mean I won't be as upset when they get elimintated, but then there's always next year...rememeber having that attitude? That is what made Red Wings Hockey for me. I'm ready.

While I agree, its been a dry run for us, but if we're looking at the here and now, a lot of ships sank in the 1st round, and 14 ships didn't even make it out of harbor. Who's loss was worse? Detroit's or Chicago's? Or Boston who didn't even qualify by a ROW. How much fun do you think the fans of Toronto or Edmonton have been having? What about Montreal? They're arguably the best team in our division and due to injury didn't even sniff the playoffs. Look at Florida, you think they are happy about their "ship sinking?" Sure, you can say that when it comes to a lot of our star players that their ship has sailed, but only one team can put it together enough and keep it going long enough to win. A lot of ships have sunk, but we lost a dingy, Chicago, Anaheim, LA, Florida (soon to be Washington) all lost yachts and battleships. I for one am looking forward to see if there are, indeed, any needs that are addressed this summer (by addition AND subtraction) and then I will figure out if the ship has enough to sail into the playoffs, or if its taking on water from the start. Right now, we are bilging out the water, but a scorer, some pugnaciousness and a #1 D can right that in a hurry. Doesn't mean the ship won't sink again in April-June, because 15 ships sink in that span every year, 14 more before that. When we are getting #1's 4 out of 5 years, then we can talk about ships being lost at sea instead of the annual sinking that NHL powerhouses do every year, let alone teams that aren't expected to keep sailing through June.

Just a feeling I guess. I hope you're right and they have been showcasing him though. I mentioned trading Ericsson to Edmonton a few days ago, retaining a million for a 3rd round pick. Not sure if it's doable, but Holland should at least be making a few phone calls... I've expressed how I feel about trading for Vatanen. I wouldn't do it. I think the amount we'd have to give up to get him, wouldn't be worth it. We need a number one defenseman and Vatanen definitely isn't one. I'd much rather just keep Green for the time being...

I liked Dominski and Doyle when they were here.

Tangradi makes 1-0 GR less than a min into the 2nd EDIT: LE makes 1-1 about 4:30 in

Aren't Canadians cute sometimes?

This thread needs more Borat and Trump. Less girly men talk.

yup. no room for religion or politics. our religion here is RW hockey. our politics are NHL hockey.

Who?

I'm offended be people being offended, words hurt you know. I'll be in my safe space if anyone needs me.

Its called a joke. Maybe you people, and by people I mean anyone that's offended by anything should prolly not be on the Internet.

Panarin should win and Eichel should be in the talk over Mcdavid. He didn't play half the season, it's unfortunate but that's how it is. Nominations shouldn't be based on ifs and assumptions (that he continued that ppg pace).

...It will have the largest Little Caesars logo in the World!

Fall - Kicker Conspiracy

Just popping in to say it looks like the penny has dropped with a lot of people. Ken Holland is a clown who hid behind the success of Håkan Andersson for many, many years. With the majority of Andersson's players gone or on the decline there was never any real attempt by Holland for so many years to keep the Wings at the top, just a lot of cast away one-year rentals that and the never ending presence of Dan Cleary. He has literally waited to the point where we're on the cusp of becoming a team that won't even make the playoffs before he's decided he actually has to do his job and make us a better team...although his job is apparently for us to expect less, so then he's doing a better job without actually having to do anything? The guys a joke. Huge thanks to Håkan Andersson for giving us such a good team between 2006-10.

Didn't read a word of this post but I will throw my 2 cents in on how to fix this mess... Run Blashill and his boring hockey system clear out of town and BEG Babs to come back! The Blashill experiment failed miserably. Don't believe me, watch the never ending team confusion and random line shuffling. Watch what has become a very boring and predictable team get owned over and over and over again. That stupid new zone entry move they use repeatedly.... forward quickly carries the puck to the opponents blue line then all forwards stop, pass the puck back to the defense, then wait for the defense-man to carry the puck in. Guddammet!!!! This team is young... turn the youth loose!!!! Forget the dumb pass back BS. If you can't carry the puck in then dump and chase. Get it deep and have that youth chase and hound. We don't have the high powered super stars of decades ago... we need an old school smash-mouth system. Aggressive fore-check, mucking and grinding in the corners, hard shots on net and young kids crashing and fighting for pucks in front. Teach them to step in and finish a check... no more patty cakes! No need for killing people but checks that make the other team think.

I agree, there are going to be tons of upset users here WHEN Holland doesn't do anything to better or change this team. He won't trade Ericcson, Smith, Pulk, Jurco or Howard. He'll re-sign Helm to Abby money and term, he'll re-sign KFQ to $5M, DD to $6M, Mrazek to $5M and as soon as he hears from Dats he"ll resign Richards as insurance. Of course he won't trade Dats contract either. All kidding aside, the nightmare is, there is a possibility that this team would be EXACTLY the same next year...and possibly minus Datsyuk.

I like Ken Holland