StormJH1

First, I'm happy for Joey Mac and glad he'll get a chance to get some games in (though if Kipper actually comes back healthy, he plays like 90% of their games). But as exciting as Mrazek was on Thursday, there's really not argument that we're better losing MacDonald from the organization versus having him in Grand Rapids as an option. Simply put, we cannot count on Monster to be healthy, at all. It took him all of 12 minutes to get hurt for at least a month, and it's not like he was Mr. Durable before that. MacDonald's departure means that Mrazek impressed the Wings and will get some more games in the upcoming back to backs. Good. But it also means that if Gustavsson fails to stay healthy, Mrazek will be wasting away on the bench as a 20-year old netminder who is developmentally young for the AHL, let alone the NHL. People need to keep Jonathan Bernier in mind when they assume that Mrazek will just stick with the Red Wings because of one good game. Bernier was fast-tracked and got a cup of tea with the Kings before Quick had emerged, and looked great. Bernier is now 24, and still looks like a great prospect, but he's buried behind Quick on the depth chart. Mrazek had a 5th round pedigree, but I gotta tell you, he looked fundamentally great on Thursday. But he needs games at the professional level, and the AHL is the only place he's going to get them (unless, heaven forbid, Jimmy goes down). People would feel differently about this issue if things hadn't gone so right on Thursday.

The past criticisms of Ericsson's game were entirely fair. It might be that we had unreasonably high expectations for him based on how he played in the '09 Playoffs paired with Lidstrom. There were many examples from 2009-12 of poor positioning, total lack of offensive involvement, and a physical dimension to his game that was disappointing given his size. That being said, his play this season has been outstanding, and is finally worth the contract that made LGW collectively groan when it was signed. Of course, being surrounded by other crappier defensemen probably helps the perception. But his breakout passes have been excellent, and he's always had a hard shot, it's just that his hands of stone usually render it moot. And there were some key decisions in that Kings game Sunday where he jumped on passes and diffuse some potential disasters on defense. I think one problem that Ericsson had was that he broke in with the Wings already in his mid-20's, and was perceived as being "over-ripe" (a 2002 draft pick that didn't debut until 2008). But he was also a converted forward, and many tall defenseman (Chara, even Hal Gill to an extent) seem to struggle figuring things out until they've been in the league for several years. My point is simply that maybe Ericsson (who just turned 28) is on a different developmental scale. Whatever the case, if he kept up this level of play for the rest of the year, I think we'd be thrilled.

I just rewatched the videos from that game from the guy who posted the link above. A little unfair to McCollum given that the team had basically quit and it was out of control, but his goals were terrible. One was basically a soft dump-in where he pissed a rebound out with this stick, a la Tretiak in the Miracle on Ice game at the end of the period. That's about thing Tom McCollum will ever have in common with Vladislav Tretiak. Good call above from the posters regarding Khan's column and MacDonald being ready by the weekend. Who knows, this could end up being the only game Mrazek plays all year.

I have no problem with that rationale...except if adhering to that plan meant debuting Mrazek against a division opponent (St. Louis), instead of against Calgary, the worst team in the league at the time. Agree with the poster above that if Howard was already tired, the time to rest him was the Calgary game, not against St. Louis. Especially given that Howard just beat St. Louis in one of our better efforts of the year. Oh well, hopefully Mrazek plays well and makes all of this a moot point. Go Wings.

What's strange to me is that they start him here on the road with SAT/SUN back to back afternoon games coming up, which are both at home. Presumably, he'll get the Kings SUN now on the nationally televised NBC game?! I know Howard's tired, but I'm wondering if the EDM game on SAT won't have been a better place to debut him. Heck, half of Edmonton is Mrazek's age anyway. Maybe they thought that the 14,000-ish at the Joe would jump on him out of frustration with the team, if things went badly?

Haha, exactly. This is our concern, Dude. I didn't expect McCollum to look Vezina-like either last year, but there are levels of bad that elevate one's concern beyond the "meh, he's just not ready" level. Hope he does that #34 proud like Legace and Maracle before him. Only better.

While you obviously hope for that to happen, I completely disagree with you in the following respect: If the Red Wings knew Pavel Datsyuk was going to be Pavel Datsyuk, there's no way in heck they let him fall to #171. The two players drafted by Detroit AHEAD of Datsyuk were Carl Steen (#142, played in the Swedish league and never came over to North America) and Adam DeLeeuw (#151, Canadian Junior player who never played in the NHL). It's one thing to avoid overdrafting a guy, but if they had any clue Datsyuk would become half of what he turned out to be, why were they drafting other North Americans and Europeans ahead of him? http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=31765 You are correct that hockey seems to have a lot of "hidden gems", but the reasons for that in the 90's were different than they are now. Heading into the Nagano Olympic games (first with professional players), it was still very much assumed that Canada and Russia were the talent powerhouses of the world. Globalization and the internet have diminished the chances that Hakan Andersson wanders into some European rink and sees some prodigy that nobody else has even heard of. Also, the profile of many other leagues not named the NHL or KHL has increased greatly following Olympic play and the 2004-05 lockout. In addition to Yzerman and all the free agents, the Wings were built by the head start we seemed to have in spotting (and smuggling) Russians in the late 80's and early 90's, and Swedes before those players were fully appreciated (Swedes being a solid foundation of the '08 team). I'm not sure there's an "untapped" market that the Wings can exploit now, but we will see. Plus, you have to keep in mind the type of players that Datsuk and Zetterberg are. They are undeniable talents, but they are also both very unselfish, 2-way players. Neither of them possess a 100 mph slapshot, or blazing speed. They aren't flashy players that blow away the competition like Pavel Bure on CSKA Moscow. It takes a lot of foresight, but even more luck, to find a complete player whose overall intelligence and feel for the game that give them the edge at lower levels will also make them elite players as grown men in the NHL. Guys with one particular elite skill, such as world-class speed like Andreas Athanasiou, don't make it past the 3rd or 4th round, even if they tons of other holes in their game. Also, I don't think NHL GM's do draft players thinking that every one is going to be a star. Drew Miller draft position (with ANA, not DET) was comparable to Datsyuk's, but I don't think anybody looked at the guy and thought: "here's a potential Hart candidate". I think the hope at that late round was that he became a useful bottom-6 forward, which is basically how he turned out.

I haven't seen much out of Tatar yet, but it's kind of ridiculous the way the fan base keeps waiting for every low draft pick coming through the system to be the next Datsyuk or Zetterberg. That just doesn't happen. There also was no salary cap at the time those 2 were drafted, so it's not like Holland was expecting to hit on guys like that to be cornerstones of the franchise. Guys like Grigorenko and Robert Lang more or less failed, yet that WAS the primary plan. Sent on iPhone using Tapatalk

Excited to see him play (and glad it's not McCollum), but please everybody keep their expectations in check. This is not some overripe Jimmy Howard type working his way through the system - this kid is 20. And defense in front of him has been suspect to the point where even Jimmy has a 3.00-ish GAA. Sent on iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, sadly I agree. Cleary is older now and has had a lot of knee problems and other injuries. He's starting to get to that point where Holmstrom was about 2 or 3 years ago where the mediocre parts of his game are falling into "bad" territory, and his liabilities outweigh the potential offense he provides. Cleary is one of those guys that made the 2007-08 and 2008-09 SCF teams so compelling. I'll never forget in '09 that while Hossa's shoulder was hanging by a thread, Datsyuk's foot was messed up, and Lidstrom...well, you know...Dan Clearly almost single-handedly won some of those games to get us back to that 2nd Final.

Any Wings fan who can tell you with a straight face that they don't have respect for Illitch is absolutely nuts. He's the definition of a "fan-owner" and his businesses have been extremely important in providing jobs, interest, and morale to a city that is about as dysfunctional as it gets, as anyone who's ever lived anywhere else would tell you. He basically spent the Tigers out of the cellar. Four Cups, Six SCF appearances, and two decades of consecutive Playoff appearance for a team that doesn't have a single draft pick higher than #19 overall (IIRC) on its roster. I'm 31 now, and if you take the Tigers, the Red Wings, and even friggin Little Caesar's Pizza away, I'm not even sure I recognize my childhood.

I live in Minnesota. Suter has been awful and the Wild fans know it, but I think they're trying to be patient with it based on his track record. It's not like Suter was total garbage on the U.S. Olympic team, I thought he was quite good. The Wild have a rookie, Jonas Brodin, who looks like a stud. He's decent-sized, skilled with the puck, and already playing 21 minutes a night, almost by default. Tom Gilbert was acquired in a trade for fan favorite Nick Schultz last year that stunned everyone, and Gilbert has been a better fit with this year's more skilled set of forwards. Zach Parise has actually been as good or better than advertised. As long as he stays healthy, his leadership and work rate are going to keep up his effectiveness, even if the scoring dries up now and then. Plus, he's the local guy who came home, so the Minnesotans love him for that anyway. But the shocking reality for the Wild is that they're more than a decade in and they've arguably never had a shutdown "Top 2" defenseman in franchise history. They had Brent Burns, but he was more interesting for his offensive rushes and willingness to ignore Lemaire's trap system. Other guys, like Cam Barker, were supposed to anchor the D unit, and completely flamed out. So there has to be some concern that Suter isn't the guy they thought he was, but I'm sure he'll turn it around over time.

Buried in a Freep story about Ian White's eventual return was this nugget from Babcock about Gustavsson: http://www.freep.com/article/20130201/SPORTS05/130201046/1053/rss17 And as for backup goaltender Jonas Gustavsson and his groin injury, "There doesn't seem to be any light at the end of the tunnel. Whitey is the only one making any noise." Obviously, groin injuries are a big deal for goaltenders, but this is starting to sound like months, not weeks. Unfortunate because McCollum is not ready by any stretch of the imagination, MacDonald's got that back injury dating back to 10 months ago, and the Wings schedule in February will be BRUTAL. I count 8 games that are back-to-back and many others on two days rest. So that's at least 4 games that Monster probably would've played for Howard. Seriously, any type of injury to Howard right about now, and this season could come off the rails in a hurry.

Keep in mind that the Wings are really playing with house money on Brunner - gave up nothing to get him, and only a $1.35 mil cap hit in a one-year deal, and a year where we had cap room to spare. He'll be 27 in March, so he's no kid. He's a seasoned professional, and Babcock has shown that confidence in him by putting him on that left point of the PP unit from day one. I just hope that the Wings' early PP issues don't get blamed on Brunner, who actually has looked pretty good on that unit. He either doesn't have (or doesn't use) the huge slapshot from the point, but Sammy's shot from the point isn't great and I trust him far less with the puck. That wrister that Brunner scored on Minnesota shows an example of what he can do, and he plays a shallow point, almost lurking off on the boards. Even in his first few games, he's shown the confidence to walk that puck into the crease, and I don't see him getting bounced around much. Heck, Datsyuk used to get routinely MURDERED along the boards when he was rookie, and now he's just as likely to throw a shoulder back.

The purpose of this thread is not to troll Jordin Tootoo as a hockey player or a person. I've done that in the past, but the season has started now, and Tootoo is player for the Red Wings, like it or not. But given that he played all of 6:57 out of a 65-minute game last night, I really wonder what his role is supposed to be on this team. We all saw the fight at the start of the game. Perhaps you believe that Jordin Tootoo being willing to more or less get his face beat in for his new team "inspired" the Wings to badly out-shoot Columbus in the early going. I'd like to think that after a 6-0 embarrassment against a division rival on Saturday, this team is professional enough to come out stronger next game, with or without the fisticuffs. But Tootoo is not an "enforcer" like John Scott. He's not even really a "fighter" - more of a pest. And as a avowed Tootoo hater, I thought he actually had some good shifts later in the first, got some shots on net, and showed some of the "pestiness" he was supposedly hired for. My point is this: If Tootoo isn't going to play on special teams, and is basically a 4th liner who won't see time in one-goal games, is that the best use of a $1.9 million AAC acquisition? I understand there were an absurd number of penalties yesterday. But is this an anomaly, or is Jordin Tootoo regularly going to play less minutes than a guy like Emmerton?

Amen on the Sammy bit - Seeing Brunner floating around on those power plays yesterday and actually making quick decisions with the puck from that left side (and not missing the net by 10 feet when he did shoot) was refreshing. Using Sammy on the PP has always been less about Sammy and more about the Wings' legendary inability to find a great right-handed shooting defenseman for the power play. Rafalski was that guy to a degree, but he was more of a passer and had that low shot. Ian White is not Brian Rafalski. I don't know that Brunner has a heavy enough shot to rain it in from the point, but he looks to be a much more accurate shooter, and he's certainly more skilled with the puck. There are 18 and 19 years olds playing all over the league. Couturier got significant minutes on a Philly team last year that was actually pretty good. Nyquist should have a shot at the lineup, and other guys like Tatar should probably have a crack too, instead of wasting spots and money on guys like Tootoo and Samuelsson.

His average time on ice for Nashville ranged from 10 minutes to 13 minutes per game. Last season was actually a career high for him. It's tough for me to put together a coherent argument here because I didn't him on the team in the first place, and certainly not for 3 years, $1.9 AAC...but I'm trapped into the argument that if they did bother to acquire him and pay that, there must of have been some plan for him greater than sub-Cory Emmerton levels of importance. We're missing several forwards and he's still treated as a generic 4th liner/pest. And I trust Babcock, so I'm left to assume that's really the best he can possibly be. I get that people like the chippiness, but Tootoo is not a "big strong" player, nor was he "very important" to our win last night. I watched that game from start to finish - it takes "Brad May" levels of message board delusion to think that Tootoo had anything more to do with that shootout win than Abdelkader, Miller, or perhaps the equipment manager.

You have a link to that? I haven't seen the hip mentioned yet on my feeds. That would be disturbing.

I'm sure he has history with a lot of teams...including Detroit. Still, Babcock has to pick the starting lineup, and Tootoo would be an interesting selection if he didn't at least think there was a chance of happening. This is not an organization that I would view as being receptive to players taking care of personal vendettas. The people who like Tootoo's game (and there are actually a lot of them on LGW) tell me that he "draws penalties" and disrupts the other team. But he has to be playing to do those things, and if you prorate the PIM's he takes over an 82-game season, it's in the 150-200 range. Yes, some of those are fighting majors that don't leave the team shorthanded, but that's not the Jordin Tootoo I recall. The Nashville player I recall took dumb, selfish minors in the corners. That is, when he wasn't a healthy scratch in the playoffs. I'm sure he'll see more minutes in more "ideal" situations for him. I just don't thing those "ideal" Tootoo situation will or should include any of the following: Penalty killing, especially with Helm and Eaves back One-goal games Chippy games where Tootoo aggravates the other team into additional fights/cheap shots, escalating the risk of injury to players that matter Fights against pretty much any "enforcer" taller than 6'2"

Quincey is tall

The one-way deal is kind of a concern. This seems like a guy who should be splitting AHL time. But frankly, I'm starting to think that there will be a spot for him in the Top 6 if he's at all healthy, given 48 games in 99 games and the issues we already have.

33 years old, left handed shot, 6'4" 205lb, but pretty limited playing time the past few years. I have only vague knowledge of him from being on the Ducks. But I guess it's a warm body with some size an NHL experience, right?

I just don't get the sense that after a lockout supposedly based partially on unfair contract negotiating practices that any GM wants to be the first to break the "gentleman's agreement" on offer sheets, days after signing a new CBA. Which is completely stupid, I think, because the rules governing RFA's are completely legitimate part of the current and last CBA, and other teams openly pursue them in other leagues with that rule. If Travis Zajac can get a max deal, a guy like P.K. Subban, who is a fan favorite, great young player, and excellent marketing asset should be getting that same consideration. And if Montreal wants to play hardball with a deal they should've done weeks ago (or last year), then other teams should be able to step in and force their hand. And yes, I was at the front of the line yelling for the Wings to offer sheet Weber, which the Flyers did. It did no damage to the Flyers, and forced the Preds into a long-term contract for a guy that could still be traded next July, if he wanted to force the issue.

Predictable that Lashoff would become a message board darling (remember Doug Janik?) after last night, but he deserved it. Scores the first Wings goal since April 2012, and I seriously doubt we win that game if another system defenseman plays in his spot. Was amazing to see Babcock give him that level of quality playing time (only defenseman on a 4 on 3!?!), but he did his job amazingly well. We're going to need warm bodies back there who can play on a fringe NHL/AHL level this year, so let's keep our expectations in check.

I've seen flashes from Nyquist that suggest he could be a player. Mursak and Emmerton have never shown me anything, and they had some terrible turnovers on Saturday, though that was true of a lot of guys.