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If this happened Holland would be in deep crap with the ASPCA first for bagging all of those pugs and secondly for using them as a weapon.... the poor pugs. For the love of God think of the pugs!!!

To say you would be upset or happy with Holland for getting rid of any player is impossible to assess without more info. For example: If Holland traded Larkin for McDavid, I would be fine with it. (Yes, I realize this would never happen). If Holland traded Larkin for Shattenkirk I would be pissed. Point is, I cant say I would be happy or upset if Holland got rid of Larkin or anyone for that matter as it all depends on the return.

Mantha was very hyped upon being drafted, and for good reason. Very few are as high on him as they once were.. I'm just hoping he's having a good off season of work and comes to camp determined to make the roster. He certainly has the tools to be a difference maker at the NHL level, he's just gotta want it. Little Bert has been one of the more exciting Griffins to watch over the past year. I still think he'll have another year down there though. Maybe be a bottom 6 injury call up this year.

If Holland traded Howard for a bag of pugs and then beat Mrazek over the head with said bag repeatedly until he ended up on IR, I would be pissed.

A line of Pulkkinen-Sheahan-Jurco would outperform a line that features the possession black holes that are Drew Miller and Luke Glendening. Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill and Mike Babcock would say, "Not good enough defensively." And therein lies the problem. This organization fetishizes defending, fetishizes playing without the puck, fetishizes a fundamentally flawed brand of hockey.

Pulkkinen's possession numbers are sparkling. Know why? He creates offense. Because that's what he is -- a point-producer. You can isolate a few examples where he flat-out turned the puck over. That's fine. But you have to realize that Miller and Glendening never have the freaking puck. You also have to realize that the best players in the league tend to turn the puck over a lot. (Few turn it over more than Subban, Doughty, Karlsson.) Does this make them terrible possession players? No. What it's reflecting is the fact that they have the puck a lot more than 97% of their peers do and they're always looking to move the puck, make a play, generate offense -- create. All Drew Miller and Luke Glendening and Steve Ott do is react, endure, defend. They chase the puck. Contrary to popular belief, they're not helping our cause. Now that we have Frans Nielsen, who's one of the game's best two-way centermen, we really, really, really need to get past this "you need a fourth line that's real good defensively" bulls***. The Penguins! They slaughtered all comers, and they did it the way it's supposed to be done -- by simply and utterly overwhelming them. Not by waiting them out. Not by enduring. Not by defending. The Penguins took the fight to everyone, and they were the last ones standing. The Penguins are one Cup-winner that the Wings really could learn a thing or two (or twelve) from. In the year 2016, Mike Sullivan's brand of aggressive possession hockey is The Right Way.

"Toughness" (whatever that is) is not something we desperately need. We didn't beat Anaheim in 2013 because we were "tougher" than them. Chicago didn't beat us in 2013 because they were "tougher" than us. Boston didn't beat us in 2014 because they were "tougher" than us. Tampa didn't beat us in 2015 because they were "tougher" than us. Tampa didn't beat us this year because they were "tougher" than us. Not a single one of these teams was "tougher" than us. We can't score to save our playoff lives, mainly because we lack elite talent at the top of our lineup. That's the big problem we're facing. Neither Miller nor Ott is going to help that cause. Using a "gritty, defensive" fourth line is an outdated strategy. You win with skill and by scoring goals. We need more goals. We need more skill, talent.

Well - there would be scoring. This much is true.

Our fourth line could be a scoring line. There's no law against it. Pulkkinen-Sheahan-Jurco?

People said that about the Hawks after their first cup. Remember big bad Dustin?

Your boy Mrazek got manhandled by Paquette a couple years ago and guess who stepped in?

I agree...but Holland won't give up what it would take to get a "Kessel" on our team. He needs to make the deal for Trouba/Shatt/Fowler and then let this core grow over the next 6 years winning and losing and learning. I'd prefer Fowler or Trouba and then if he gets to July 1, then try to sign Shatt. Or even at the deadline...

if he traded away: larkin AA tatar svechnikov hicketts sarijarvi and then kept errorson/smith for some unknown reason. yea, then i would jump off the USS red wing , and swim into open waters, cause i could obviously see the iceberg.

I understand it as Tatar having a better projection than Nyquist. Probably with minutes as a first liner.

Athanasiou deserves both As lol get it

I have been and will be a huge Holland critic. For not getting a shot at Stamkos, I think he did pretty well on the 1st. I hate the Helm deal, but at least Franzen cap will wash it out come LTIR. I think, for most, Holland needs to make a trade that solidifies his D. Shatt, Fowler or Trouba would be huge for him. Also, if he could find a way to dump E and Howard, that would do wonders for his fan rep right now. As for who is dealt. The two mentioned above and Nyquist would be my choice to go,that would be super in my eyes. Also, if you aren't going to play them, then trade Pulkkinen and Jurco. He would also score some points if he managed to get some sort of return for the guys that seem like will have to go on waivers come October.

What does trading Tatar have to do with the "Holland apologists"?...

Bill was funny at times, though for some reason he had an Axe to grind, particularly against Drew Miller. Back on topic. I wasn't a huge fan of Ott in the past, but reading some of his comments out there about signing with the Wings, I'm thinking maybe it is going to turn out better than many hope. He seems to at least have the right mindset.

...so, Tatar is better, but Nyquist will be kept instead. Ya, that sounds like Holland.

In simple terms, it means that Tatar likes to shoot a lot and scores more often than Nyquist does. Nyquist is a better set up guy. It also means that Tatar does a better job of keeping the puck on the opposing teams net and a better job of keeping the puck away from our net.

Just analytics nonsense ... Can't judge a player just by charts

Gus vs Tats

Straight Outta Vowels

How many years now have we been saying that for? And how far has it got us? Seriously this team needs a trade of a core player to light a fire under everyone else's asses to show them they're accountable, and to give AA and Mantha a spot to let them know their jobs are on the line if they don't produce

You must be a man or postmenopausal because you are... ...missing some periods Yeeeaaaaaaaaaaahhhhh!!! 😎