VM1138

Honestly, I can't be too upset about this off-season. The team didn't get better on paper, but the defense is better defensively than it was, I think, plus with a new defensive coach I think that problem is fixed. On the flip side, I think offense will be hurt, but probably not too bad. With the cap space, if the Wings have trouble scoring that's a problem that could be rectified later. And in goal, a tandem of Conklin-Howard is better than Howard-MacDonald-McCollum-Pearce that existed last year. So no...not really better (on paper) but not all that worse, and if the team stayed healthy last season could have been a Cup winning year. So by tightening up the defense but keeping the same guys (mostly) I think the Wings are positioned well. A disappointing off-season, but not a failure by any means.

He may be a finalist but there's no way he picks him. It was probably a family member or friend who leaked this as a means of getting his name out there for other teams moreso than a claim that the Wings are really leaning towards him.

I was just going to post something like this. Holland mentioned it twice in that article, as if it mattered. Who gives a damn how big he is if he doesn't know how to play his position?

Smith, Tatar, and McCollum. Smith and Tatar for sure, McCollum only if we have another cluster-you-know-what situation in goal. I'd even venture to say that Tatar and Smith are locks to make the team in 12-13.

The KHL: The NHL's Retirement Home.

San Jose got worse, but it won't affect them vs. Detroit since Heatley is usually a non-factor anyways against us.

I'm no expert on White, but I do know enough to know that White > Jovo.

Yes. I was a fan of them a few years ago, and even the Modano signing, but so far all our young guys are shaping up to be bottom 6 guys. We have a LOT of depth in this way. THe problem last year was a lack of a consistent, reliable scorer outside of Zetterberg and Datsyuk due to injuries and bad seasons by individuals. If we add any forward, it needs to be a Top 6, reliable scorer, not a declining vet who might pot a few on and off throughout the year.

I swear, the more stupidity I see among people in power (politicians, businessmen, GMs) irritates me all the more that an educated person like myself has such a hard time making money.

Agreed. With the role and support he would have here, he could really turn into an even more solid defenseman. Honestly, I feel our defense is worse offensively but better defensively, so if Holland can lock up a reliable top 6 scorer I think it'll be a wash, but the increased physicality and the new coaches could push the team farther than last years. The problem last year was consistency and injuries. I think Holland has fixed that on the defensive end but with all the injuries at forward the past two years it's important he pick up another top 6 guy. It's just become too frequent that Cleary and Franzen are injured at the same time.

I don't get the Hudler hate. I'm all for trading him and everything. But it's not like Hudler sucked for us. He was a non-factor 90% of the time, but that's better than being a negative factor. He can only go up.

That's affordable for the Wings right now, and almost exactly what they could spend and still have a little money left for a backup and space at the trade deadline.

He is, for sure. I wouldn't mind giving up Flip for him, either, but your previous assessment of Smith and Filpulla are just incorrect, I think. I understand that the Wings will have to give up somethign to get a talent like Yandle, but as good as Yandle is and could be, he's no Hasek or Lidstrom, why on Earth would any team give up that much for him? I can see two players and a pick. I can see maybe three players, but not four players and two first round picks.

If the Wings somehow got Yandle...that'd be insane. But with signign White and Commodore, doesn't it seem like Holland is done there? Why bother signing Commodore at all, then? Maybe it was insurance, but now that he signed both, that boxes us out of any other defensemen probably, unless we do a sign and trade, which would be unheard of for Holland.

Not all that knowledgable about him. Glad to see we signed someone, and people seem to think it's a bargain, so cool. Doesn't sound like he's anything to put us over the top, but if it pushes Big E down the depth chart I'm okay with it. Thumbs up, Holland! EDIT: I don't think Holland is still looking for another defenseman. Unless he's planning on moving some people. Hopefully he still grabs a forward. I imagine he won't spend up to the cap. There's just not enough available and that gives him wiggle room at the deadline. But how much space do you all think he'll leave? If we have 7 million, 1.5 for a backup, 4 for a scorer? Any reliable scorers that cost around 4?

I wanted him back here around the trade deadline. For the right price it'd be a good pickup. Nothing to get crazy excited over but it's a quality signing.

That is certainly possible. Holland could be blowing smoke up everyone's ass, he's done it before. But we can only judge things based on what has happened and the comments made. I'm sure Holland will be looking for another defenseman all summer. Hopefully he can find one. But given how they've always been high on Ericsson it wouldn't be too unusual for them to be doubling down on him and forcing him into a top spot for him to learn. I see a very similar situation to last year, where most of the defenders had similar minutes, so E might be seeing time with Lidstrom as a last ditch effort to make him learn.

Really? I see Commodore sitting in the press box come mid-season. Honestly, though, as long as he can keep his whining to a minimum and get in shape, he should be serviceable as a bottom pairing guy. I see this: Lidstrom-Ericsson Kronwall-Stuart Kindl-Commodore That's what seems to be shaping up from the various comments from Babcock and Holland.

I see your point but I don't think it's bad to have Bertuzzi or Homer on the top lines. Homer still scores on deflections and Bertuzzi had a great year last year. We just need a bit more consistency from him, but everyone but Datsyuk suffered in that department last season. I would gladly bump one of them if we could get a bona-fide second line scorer, though.

Perfect. Flip and a pick? Flip and Hudler? Unfortunately no one wants Hudler as Holland has already tried. But Filpulla would be an acceptable loss in that trade, I think.

Thank you, I don't know why everyone jumped down my throat. It was written right in the article from Holland's mouth. Lidstrom-Stuart-Kronwall-Rafalski/Ericsson. That's where I made that stretch. Ericsson filling a top 4 when there are already the other top 3 is the same as filling Rafalski's place. Maybe he won't be replacing Rafalski exactly in the sense that he'll be doing the same role, and maybe that's what people thought I was saying, but the reality is if E is in the Top 4 that means the Top 4 took a hit from last season, which is bad.

I don't think so. Detroit never really popped up in the Richards sweepstakes in any sports articles I read.

Worst. Offseason. Ever. One of the biggest problems last season was the inconsistency in scoring. Overall, it worked okay and offense wasn't a problem, but it became obvious we lacked one of those bona-fide scoring threats.

Everyone keeps saying this like it's a defense of the signing. If he could make more elsewhere, LET HIM GO MAKE MORE ELSEWHERE! I see the point of the going rate for defensemen, but anyone who thinks theres even a tiny chance Big E fills Rafalski's shoes (successfully) in the Top 2 is delirious. I know Holland said he's still looking, but that "we could always just rely on Ericsson for our Top 2 replacement" quote sounds an awful lot like "this is what we'll be doing since there's nobody out there."

I'm sure he'll make a move sometime this summer, but as of right now, this team is worse than the team that iced last season. Not much worse, but worse. Which is strange, because the goal is to get better. I'm not critiquing Holland, because like he said, there just wasn't anything all that good available, and plus there's still months of free agency left. But I don't like his talk that sounds like we're pretty much set. Nor do I like the idea of Big E replacing Rafalski, which seems to be what is implied in comments made by Holland and Babcock, though neither came out and admitted it. Also not a good sign that nobody wants Hudler. Makes trades that much harder. But hey, at least we are guaranteed a goalie signing before the season.