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Well, now that we know we're not getting Lafreniere, we're free to talk s*** about him. Bob McKenzie said he's not viewed as a generational talent and he's not necessarily even considered a sure-thing franchise player. His floor is tremendous; he's a top-line NHL winger *right now*. No one in this draft class is anywhere near as NHL-ready as he is. No one else in this draft class is a solid top-line NHLer right now. HOWEVER, I've always said there's a decent chance that someone else in this draft class -- someone outside the top three -- ends up being a better NHLer. We have to identify that player. I hope there's someone that Yzerman and his people are in love with in the same way that the Canucks people were in love with Pettersson, and I hope we get that player, and I hope he's as good as Pettersson. Raymond might fit the 2017 Pettersson profile the best. For what it's worth...

Keep dreaming... we're way closer to a rebuild reset than being a rising team. At this point we have to commit to stripping it down; going the UFA route only makes us average.

I wouldn't worry too much about intra-division competition. As with any division, the Atlantic will always have some dominant teams, some middling teams, and some bad teams. Some Atlantic teams will overachieve, some will underachieve, some will perform exactly as expected. The perceived hierarchy will always be fluid, will never be set in stone. For example: Boston is a top team right now, sure, but Chara is 43, Bergeron is 34, Krejci is 34, Marchand is 32, Rask is 32, and Krug is possibly on the way out. If Lafreniere lands with an Atlantic team, I'm going to be more annoyed than worried. You always have to assume that there are going to be multiple recent 1st and 2nd overall picks in your division -- and if you're a Wings fan, you always have to assume that not a single one of them will be on your team. I was hoping this draft would end the trend and I'm low-key devastated that it didn't. But I don't think this lotto outcome has really hurt us. It just didn't really help us the way we were hoping it would. We could've gotten a big shot in the arm, but we didn't. So, our status quo reality is unchanged. I'm sure Yzerman will turn this thing around. What's killing my HYPE! is the likely timeline. I can't do another three years of this. The universe has to give me a reason to remain as dialed-in as I've been. I'm tired of talking myself into being emotionally invested. Show me something.

Ok, fellas, it's time to get back on the Soul Cole Train! Here's an article, for those of you that got a subscription atleast, from the Athletic telling us why Stevie will pick Perfetti at 4. https://theathletic.com/1904511/2020/07/02/the-red-wings-no-4-draft-pick-making-the-case-for-cole-perfetti/ After being cut from the WJC: “His first comment was how he’s going to come back and dominate the league,” Lazary recalled last week. “He was really motivated. So, to me, that told me everything I need to know about that player — that his mindset, his makeup as an athlete, it’s all about taking hardships and trying to turn them into positives and be elite. … “And really, he did. His game went through the roof. Our team, it’s no secret that our team, when he came back from that World Junior disappointment, exploded the rest of the way. And he was leading the charge.” Why he can ba a difference -maker: “His brain, his anticipation, his ability to just manipulate defenders — so not even read and react, like he manipulates what he wants to do,” Lazary said. “He sets defenders up into certain situations and just manipulates the scenario. So to me he’s the best player at that in the draft.”: The guy is a leader: One of his most significant “wow” moments this season came in late January, in a road game at Kingston. Saginaw was one of the top teams in the OHL, and Kingston was near the very bottom, yet the Frontenacs held a 4-0 lead on the Spirit early in the third period. “He stood up on the bench and was verbally getting into guys — in a good way, but challenging guys to be better — and like, we have 16 minutes to right the ship,” Lazary recalled. Then, Perfetti went out and backed it up. His line scored five goals in the game’s final 16 minutes, with Perfetti scoring two of them himself and assisting on two more. Saginaw won, 5-4. “I think that leadership moment where he was like, ‘There’s zero chance we’re losing this game’ — we always say he went blackout, like he went blackout and dominated for 16 minutes, and our team won the game.” One last thing, why he's a fit in Detroit: “Because you’re going to be challenged in your rebuild, there’s going to be tough moments, and there’s going to be big games where you need character,” Lazary said. “And a guy like Cole Perfetti is somebody you can build your franchise on, because of who he is as a person and obviously his talent as a player.”

Franzén is officially retired as of today. Congrats on a great career, Johan!