Shaman

Again, what does he gain by doing this? Short term: The Wings are in a marginally better position to lock up the 8th seed. And again as I keep saying, get bounced by one of the top seeds. Long term: The prospect pool is weaker by a factor of 2. First they lose a top prospect, and second they lose a chance at the highest draft pick since Marty Lapointe. Seems like a bad deal no matter how you spin it.

#1 Holland literally said he would not trade prospects for rentals. #2 Saying he's the best center traded right now is like being the prettiest girl at fat camp. It really doesn't mean that much. #3 This team is not a better position right now than it was in last night. They were a bubble team last night that would get bounced by Boston or Pittsburgh. After this trade they are now a bubble team that will get bounced by Boston or Pittsburgh. They might have increased their chances of being the 8th place team by a bit, but the inverse of that is they also dropped their drafting position. And all this without increasing their odds of winning a cup.

Coming next season: The Wings trade Mantha for Hudler.

Over half the teams in the NHL make the playoffs. This isn't like the NFL or MLB where not many teams make it any given year. Literally more teams make it than not.

Yeah, where they get beaten by Boston or Pittsburgh and Holland stays the course. They are far better off missing the playoffs, taking the top 14 pick, and taking a long look in the mirror.

Uh, if he had a deal on the table with SEL every team would have known about it, the IIHF has a transfer agreement for this very reason.

And after they get bounced from the playoffs we get to hear Holland dust off the old gem of a speech 'well its important to get into the playoffs, anything can happen, had a bounce gone our way' etc etc etc. The realistic outcome of this trade is the Wings sold more of their future to keep a streak alive that is meaningless anyway.

I can tell you based upon what we saw today that Detroit got hosed. I can tell you based upon Holland's own statements and the information available that the deals that were offered for players like Yandle and Jbo (among others) were in the same ballpark as what other teams were asked or actually paid. So I have to believe that Holland is the issue, not the 29 other GMs.

Hedge what bets? Even with Legwand they aren't a contender, they still are a bubble team that will have to claw into the playoffs and then will have to play Boston or Pittsburgh with their depleted forwards and ramshackle defense. So instead of having a really good first round pick, they play 4-6 more hockey games than they would have otherwise and draft lower.

This kind of baseless speculation doesn't help anything. I mean I have a very hard time believing there is a huge conspiracy against Holland that other teams won't deal with him. The more realistic possibilities are that A) Holland low balls the other GMs and they won't pull the trigger, or B) That Holland when faced with a fair deal is unwilling to pull the trigger. Given the news about Datsyuk this deal stinks of a desperation move on Holland's part. It completely contradicts his stated strategy of not dealing youth they are high on or high draft picks and especially not for rentals, but trying to deal roster players and depth prospects in what he called a 'hockey trade;.

This trade makes no sense: The Wings offense is sub-par, even with the addition of Legwand, it's not going to be any better than it was in January. This team's defense still has KMFQ in the top 4, and Howard still hasn't quite figured himself out. So, instead of trading for a D-man that isn't a rental, Holland trades for a rental center. In the purely short term the moves probably would pan out to be pretty equal, in the long term its terrible. They give up one of their top center prospects for an aging rental center that because 3-4th center on the depth chart if the team gets healthy, and still haven't addressed their defensive woes.

It seems the Wing's brass don't think he's going to jet.

The issue with this: 2 of those centers have extensive histories of injuries over the last few seasons, 1 is starting to get injured more often on top of it, 3 of those centers are over 30 2-3 of those centers are still suspect offensively, and cant be counted on to center a top line now, or possibly ever. Now all this being said, Jarnkrok may never turn into a top 6 center, but he has more upside than Sheahen, Andersson, and Helm. Right now he is younger and healthier than Zetterberg and Weiss, and by virtue of the last CBA as a new player, he's pretty much the team's slave until his late 20s, as such, he's safer than counting on Datsyuk or Zetterberg in the long view.

If they resign Legwand and everyone is healthy they will have 7 centers. Zetterberg (>30) Datsyuk (>30) Weiss (>30) Helm Andersson Legwand (>30) Sheahan Now I know I only have a minor in math, but I believe you can't have 7 players in 4 spots.

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postsports/2014/3/5/legwand_dealt_at_nhl_trade_deadline_ends_affiliation_that_dates_to_predato Its pretty much official now

Wood TV 8 is Grand Rapids' only TV channel and they report Jarnkrok is gone.

Grand Rapids new reporting:

“@DetroitRedWings: Per GM Ken Holland, the #RedWings are shutting down Pavel Datsyuk for about 3 weeks” This move screams Kenny Holland panic move if he did send Jarnkrok to Nashville.

Pierre LeBrun ‏@Real_ESPNLeBrun 1m According to @GMillerTSN, Preds get Patrick Eaves, a prospect and a 3rd-round pick for Legwand The prospect might be Jarnkrok

What scares me is that this could be a sign that Weiss, Helm and/or Dats could be out for a long period.

Please be fake accounts.

Honestly she is so insufferably optimistic about the Wings that seeing this pretty much makes me thinks the rats are leaving the sinking ship.

McKenzie or bust.

In a year or two their deals will be pretty good.

This was the point I was making the whole time, being sick of his half measures. I am ambivalent on which strategy to take. On one hand I hate the idea of suffering through a season or two of them sucking, but on the other hand, I love the idea of young big name talent to build around, a new Yzerman to watch like my dad had.