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BUMP SAT ALONE IN A BOGGY MARSH So I was talking hockey with an old friend. He brought up an interesting angle that I somehow hadn't even considered: If 2020-21 is a significantly shortened season, a la 2012-13, then maybe Yzerman actually does make an honest push for the playoffs next season. Because why not. We probably don't make the 2013 playoffs if 2012-13 is a full season. Instead of burning out over a full 82-game schedule and missing the playoffs, we made the playoffs and very nearly made it to the conference finals. All of this largely because Howard didn't have to deal with the workload of a full season and, consequently, was able to get into a groove and play arguably the best hockey of his career. Granted, that 2013 team still had Datsyuk and Zetterberg and Kronwall, and Howard was in his prime, and Babcock had a rare talent for getting thoroughly mediocre teams to overachieve. And, granted, I don't know whether a January start to next season (a la 2013) is realistic or unrealistic, as I honestly haven't been paying much attention to NHL rumors and news outside of draft lotto stuff. But it's something to think about. We know Yzerman is going to have cap space to work with. We know that, at the very least, he's going to be looking for an upgrade in net, e.g. Lehner. We know what hot goaltending can do for a team. We know we could be walking away from the draft with Lafreniere. ... If the season is set to start in the fall, none of this makes me think playoffs. If, on the other hand, the season is set to start in the winter...then maybe the stars are aligning for the Wings. We're all concerned that two or three more years of futility would wreck our young players and establish a losing culture. Wouldn't it be nice to break up the hopelessness with a surprise playoff appearance? "No. We need to suck next season. We need another top-four pick." I mean, sure. But I'd say we also need some meaningful hockey games.

Yeah but this team wasnt all kids. There were still quite a few Holland vets left over that knew this team was bad before the season even started. I think those were the guys who became the paycheck collectors, which is a shame considering those were the guys who should have been the leaders in the locker room and setting the example on the ice. I dont think it was all attributable to just tuning out Blash. I think it was a combination of playing for a bad team, playing for a development coach, declining skills, and the physical toll from being aged players that caused the vets to just call it in every game. The kids, for the most part, seemed to at least try. I had no complaints with the attitudes of Mantha, Bert, Zadina, or Ehn, for example. But without the proper leadership, you probably can't expect the best from all of your kids.