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Blash made some big adjustments Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 2m2 minutes ago 3 different lines in #RedWings practice: Athanasiou-Nielsen-Zetterberg Tatar-Larkin-Sheahan Nyquist-Helm-Vanek Abdelkader-Glendening-Miller Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 2m2 minutes ago Ott rotating in on fourth line. Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 2m2 minutes ago One switch in #RedWings defense pairs in practice: DeKeyser-Green Smith-Marchenko Ericsson-Ouellet Kronwall (knee) and Sproul extras

Let's play a FULL 3 periods tonight, yes the 3rd in just as important as the first two. 4-3 final, AA, Larkin, Sheahan and Glendening with the goals. LGW!

Looking like the Kings could be without Quick for 3-4 months. Holland should be on the phone willing to give Howard away right now.

Nice, thanks!

Agreed, but last game wasn't all that bad besides the dumb penalties and blown leads. scoring 4 goals against Tampa is an improvement over many games last season when they struggled to score goals. Yes they scored 5 and one EN, but the game was close. The D and Mrazek (played well but not as well as he can) need to tighten the screws and Blashill needs to ice better lines. AA is in tonight so that's one step forward. Bench Errorsson for Sproul. Vanek and Nielson both looked great in their first games with the Wings. Vanek fills a big hole from last season with his scoring and net presence. This team can compete, they just need to get it together. Hopefully tonight is when it begins. Haha very true.

AA in and Ott out per nhl.com.

Let's get one in the Win category!!!

Any potential Howard trade will involve the Wings retaining salary. There is no way around it. But eating a large portion of his cap for the rest of his contract is a lot less terrible than a buyout.

Subban scored his first goal tonight in classic PK fashion.

I think you're confusing "top-6" and "star". I suppose you could argue that anyone could produce like he has if given the same opportunity. Kind of hard to argue against a pure hypothetical. But does it really even matter? So what if he can only produce like that because of his linemates when playing him in the top 6 means he'll have those linemates. It's not like every team (or any really) is getting significantly better production from their 6th forward.

The way LTIR works is they take the cap hit of the full roster at the time. Whatever amount that is over the actual cap is the amount of LTIR relief you get. Having Pasquale on the roster meant we were able to get virtually all our potential relief. Basically gave us an extra $575,000 in cap space. Not enough to really do anything with, so kind of meaningless, but still.

Guys like Abdelkader, McCarty, and Lapointe are/were grinders that can compliment two skilled players, doing the dirty work so the skill guys can do their thing. That doesn't make them top 6 players, any more than Ian White was a top pair defenseman the year he played with Lidstrom, or Fedorov a second line center and Kronwall "just" a second pair D in his prime years behind Yzerman and Lidstrom, respectively.

Ott will not be waived. We're trying to make this team a destination that UFA'S consider one they'd like to play with. How would it look to other, larger impact UFA'S if they sign here, suffer one loss, then get waived? Sure, decisions will have to be made when Jurco is activated, but I'm hoping by then we have shed ourselves of a couple of players for that D upgrade we are in need of. But, with AA having to not pass thru waivers, when Jurco comes back, AA will return to GR.

Errorsson never looks like an NHL defenseman. Lazy and he sucks. At least if he played like a 6'4 225lb'er and threw his weight around, blocked shots, leveled some guys, and fought now and then, then it wouldn't be so bad. He plays like he's Nyquist size. Why he hasn't been banished to the AHL then finally bought out like Wade Redden was by NYR year ago is baffling. I know the D is at it's worst point in decades, and pickings are slim, but theres better guys on the bench and in GR that could replace that pylon.

You got to think as well, if the Wings saw any real value in him they could have just waived Ott and kept him on the roster. I look at this move as the Wings essentially giving up on him. With hindsight being 20/20, I do wish the Wings traded him right after his big AHL year, but at that time they must have still had hope in him rounding out his game. They were obviously wrong.

That requires Holland making a trade. That's hard for him.

Exactly, I don't get why so many don't understand this. Nobody wanted him bad enough to give up an asset for him. There was a good chance the Wings wouldn't want him on the roster, so he's have to hit waivers, then another team could grab him....take a chance at a very low cost (just salary). There's no guarantee in getting the player that way though as several teams could put in claims. If teams really want a guy, they'd make a trade for them. He literally had no trade value, if he did, one would have been made. Now you could complain that he could have been traded at some earlier point when he had trade value, but that's hindsight. You have an asset that you are hoping develops into something, the only way you trade someone that you think has potential is to get another player you have your eye on, you don't just give someone like that up to get a pick. It's not like he was a high potential guy when they drafted him. He was a long shot to develop into anything when they got him. You draft people in later rounds in hopes they develop into something beyond what they projected on draft day. More often than not, they don't.

I... had been hoping for Tatar-Larkin-Sheahan had expected AA to draw in, but not on the top line. I'll absolutely take it, though. It seems to suggest Blashill and/or Holland realize(s) Z's legs are gone don't like Helm as our 3C. I don't really like him in the top nine, tbh am glad to see Abby and Larkin aren't necessarily a set "forward pairing," as I feel Abby holds Larkin back. If Abby's taking Ott's spot on the fourth line, well, it's an upgrade for that line Overall...not ideal, but, in my opinion, it's better than what we iced last night and a step in the right direction. I'm hoping we get to see these lines tomorrow night.

Not keen on the defensive pairs. Smith and Green were too good in my opinion to break them up. Marchy/DeKeyser had some problems for sure but they were our top pair and I think they looked surprisingly decent for that. At least it is not a problem fixed with changing Marchenko for Green. Why Ott is out is also beyond me. I thought him the best of the OMG line.

Abdelkader is on the 4th line because he's really not that good. He's fairly big, he skates reasonably well, and he hits and crashes the net. That doesn't make him a top 6 winger.

i ******* love that you have nyquist 4.75 mil and abs 4.25m on third and 4th lines but its nice to have AA on top line wonder how long until he realizes Z is a 3rd liner and helm is a 4th liner

Blashill seems a bit stubborn on certain things. Like dude, Sheahan is not a 2nd liner, just realize that. He wasn't even that good on the 3rd line last year. Move on. Why is Abdelkader on the 4th and why is Miller still in. He didn't really solve any problems except maybe made us happy by putting AA into the line up. Yayyyy. Sheahan and Abby need to be swapped.

I have to complement your post Frank, this was a very well written assessment. I give you you crap at times lol, so I have to give you credit when you make a very valid point. I have mentioned on here numerous times that I believe the Wings are going through a re-build, and I stand by that. With that being said, I do agree with your assessment that their isn't a crystal clear direction. I do believe that Hollands mandate from ownership it to 1) make the playoffs, 2) build for the future. While I do like the strategy of building on the fly, certain signings (ie. Ott, Vanek) to me are just blocking younger talent like a AA or a Frk. I think that sometimes Holland acts on a "fear of not making the playoffs" opposed to doing what is best for the long term success of the team. Again, I am not pro tanking and I do not want the Wings to trade every player under the age of 25 hoping to get lucky with lottery picks, but I do wish that their veteran to ELC contract ratio was a bit more on the side of ELC's. Though I do not think Helm/Abby/Glen are the problem. If I were Holland/Blashill I would do the following: - Try everything I could to trade E and if you cant and he plays bad put him in the press box or waive him. - Same thing for Jimmy.....I think that Holland hangs on to him as a safety net for Mrazek because of the fear of not making the playoffs. Though who knows, maybe nobody is biting. - Not have signed Vanek, played AA in that spot - Not have signed Miller or Ott, and had a 4th line of Glendenning/Helm/Sheahan or at least not signed one and had Glendenning-Sheahan-Miller/Ott and let helm centre the third line. - I would fill the other 2 top 9 spots (if we didnt have Ott/Miller) with Jurco and Mantha. (or a guy like Frk while Jurco was out). - I would find a way to get XO and Sproul in the lineup even if it means benching vets that are under-performing regardless of contract. A guy like Kronwall doesn't need to play 82 games. - I would do what I could to trade for Trouba (though this is easier said then done if Chevy is demanding Larkin and Nyquist).