RedWingsRox

I think even the outside world is starting to question whether we've lost our mystique. I am leaning on yes, there will be some difficult years ahead. I think with this present roster, we'll be fighting just to make 7 or 8th spot. http://sports.yahoo....01313--nhl.html Detroit Red Wings GM Ken Holland is considered the best at what he does, which is maintaining a consistent contender in the Western Conference with legitimate designs on winning a Stanley Cup each season. Along with Coach Mike Babcock, Detroit's recognized as having the "gold standard" for management. Yet the Red Wings' offseason has seen better talent depart than has been added the roster. Nicklas Lidstrom retired. Brad Stuart left for the San Jose Sharks. Jiri Hudler signed a 4-year deal with the Calgary Flames. Meanwhile, the Red Wings inked Maple Leafs backup goalie Jonas Gustavsson, Nashville pot-stirrer Jordin Tootoo and Mikael Samuelsson, for a second tour of duty after playing with Florida last season. The real frustration for the Red Wings: They have $13 million in cap space, and were unable to land a premium upgrade to the defense. Ryan Suter of the Predators flirted with Detroit, who courted him heavily, only to sign with conference rival Minnesota. Nashville captain Shea Weber, meanwhile, spoke with Detroit but Holland was never given the option to sign him to an offer sheet, as he did with the Philadelphia Flyers. The Predators didn't engage in trade talks with Detroit, seeking to move Weber to the Eastern Conference. In some ways, it's inconceivable a team like the Red Wings would be on the outside looking in on these free-agent blockbusters. Which is why Holland is being criticized for Detroit's lack of reloading this summer, as the power shifts in the Western Conference. Matt from Ultimate Hockey Source on Holland "losing his moxie" as GM: Despite the Red Wings signings of Jordin Tootoo, Jonas Gustavsson, and Mikael Samuelsson, Holland has once again disappointed fans with the lack of a big move. In years past, it was Holland stealing great players and assembling the perfect teams, but this has failed to happen recently. His last ditch effort of making a move for restricted free agent Shea Weber has even been stomped on by the Flyers. Even if the Wings manage to sign Shane Doan, or perhaps trade for Bobby Ryan, their defensive unit as it is will not be enough to carry them to the Stanley Cup next year. If Holland can't regain his moxie and make a high impact trade and the Wings fail to make the playoffs, you can bet that people will begin to call for a replacement. George Malik offers this dose of reality on the Wins perusing Alex Semin and Doan: I hate to use the line because it even annoys me at this point, but as the Wings continue to aggressively pursue every option to improve their team, they've still got to sell their "program" to players instead of tossing $6 or $7 million at a player simply because someone else is bidding for said player. It makes me cringe to say that, mind you, but it's the truth. Because of that spend-thrift ideal, Chuck Pleiness of the Advisor & Source (MI) wondered last week if the Wings had "lost their luster" as a destination for free agents: "Once you make those types of decisions you're out of the game for a decade," Holland said. "We're not going to have major announcements every year, the league doesn't work like that. I'm confident that at some point in time, and it might be next year, that the history, the tradition, the commitment of our ownership and the passion of the Red Wing fans is going to all add up to us bringing a player of significance here." … "We're going to try and do some things," Holland said. "We have some cap space so we'll see. But it has to be the right fit whether it's a trade or someone wants to come here. We're working the phones so we'll see. "At the same time we're in a cap world," Holland continued. "We're moving some younger people in. If we're not moving younger people in we're going backwards. Brendan Smith has to play. Gustav Nyquist has to have an opportunity. Jimmy Howard is 27. We signed Jonas Gustavsson and he's 28. Darren Helm is 25. Those players have to be a part of where we're going." Seeing where Doan and Semin end up is essential to determining whether Holland's in a rut or simply hasn't landed his big fish yet. He's been hindered by some forced beyond his control: Ryan Suterwanted to play with Zach Parise in Minnesota; Nashville wouldn't let Weber slip to a division rival; and the same could be the case for Rick Nash and the Columbus Blue Jackets. But perhaps the greatest question: What does he do to fill the holes on the blue line? Keith Yandle, if available, would be a great start.

Please don't trade away Flip for JBo ... Flip is just coming onto his own and he's going to be real good for us offensively this coming year. In fact, I don't even like trading Franzen away for JBo ... we need Franzen in beast mode if we get into playoffs. Yes, he drives me nutz during regular season. In fact, I'd stay with what we have, suck if need be, get a good draft pick next year than trade any of the young pieces for Bouwmeister

For the love of God ... no, please Holland, NO! I rather go into the season with our present roster than to add JBo and subtract any of the names mentioned like Tatar, Kindl, and Emmerton. In fact, I rather tank the season and get a high draft pick than to get JBo. Are we THAT desperate now? OK, read through some more threads and I changed my mind a bit. Cal gives us JBo and next year's 1st round pick + $3mill/yr for the remaining years that he is under contract. We send a 3rd line D from Griffin to Cal. Get it done Kenny.

Holland is going to have to find that forward or defenseman that is under the radar who will have a break out season next year and maybe make a trade for that player. This is the only sensible way to get a solid good player, free agency is stupid ridiculous.

Don't want at $7.5 mill/yr for 4 ... next please. Don't blame Holland one bit. If he offered $4.5-5 per, that's about what Doan is worth. Maybe because he saw Semin with $7mill for a year and thinks he can cash in. Ridiculous demand.

No thanks for $7mill ... good job Holland. Rather you hold it in the bank then waste 1/2 of our cap on a slacker.

If there is the Burke rule in the new CBA, ie. teams can split salary of players being traded and Calgary eats up $1.5-2 mill ... that might be worth the risk.

That's a pretty bold prediction. Only one way to find out but I'm not betting that Holland will pull the trigger on this.

All the above and plus, the city isn't much of an attraction.

Just checked, $6.68 mill/yr ... makes Suter's $7.5 look like a steal. If he could play like a $6.68 mill/yr dman, maybe but as it stands now, no, thanks.

Next time we meet Nashville or Philly, wherever Weber ends up, old teammates meet ... Tootoo takes him on to earn his stripes for the Wings?

He is a bargain in year 7 .. 2019. By then, $6m/yr will be like $3m/yr today even if he gets paid loaded up front, it'll be weird playing for $6m/yr for a stud Dman in 2019.

If Nashville matches, does Weber really want to play for them for the next 14 years? Or will he be a disgruntled Nash? If Weber leaves, this might just plunge Nashville into one of the welfare teams.

That's a HUGE but or if ... I know that Holland is working and trying but a lot of teams don't want to dance with us. However, if we can sign Doan and Semin, I would feel pretty optimistic but as it stands right now ... uh no.

I can't imagine the GM's would be in agreement with contracts that are equal in every year. That would really handcuff them. I mean what do you do with a player in the tail end of his career if you can't taper down the salary in the last years ... even if 5 years was the limit. I'm not including the circumventing contracts where it goes on for 13 and it goes down to $1m/yr at the end, those should somehow be eliminated.

This gives Burke another option for his goal tending problem. 2 yrs at $1mill per to back up and mentor Reimer and Scrivens.

Best signing this summer yet.

Please for the love of God, do NOT get JBo ... terrible idea. Career negative in the +/- category, 6.6 mill ... are you kidding me ?? Unless you think we can somehow turn the clock back to the days when he was in Florida. He's the prime example why you don't pay a defenceman $6.8 mill/yr.

Is he being a **** about this knowing that we are desperate for D? Does him filing for arbitration mean that negotiations were not going his way?

I know it takes a good player to get a good player back but really hoping that Flip is not part of the package, nor Helm, nor Abelkader.

How do we know that players listen to him? If Renney can't shape and coach young players in Edmonton to play a certain way, doesn't that mean his players don't listen to him? What exactly is his strength and good points other than the fact that he has experience? I want to like Renney but everything about his resume leads me to think he isn't very successful, at least not in a head coaching position. Maybe he is a great associate coach?

Hmmm interesting hire. Only thing I know is that he was not very successful at Edmonton even with all that fire power. Can anyone spell out Renney's strengths and why we should be thrilled about this?

Maybe Kronwall becomes that stud defenceman that he was projected to be, this could be his year to shine. I can't fault Holland, I think my stomach would turn if we gave both Parise and Suter those kinds of contracts. He did the best that he could. Maybe we offered $90 mill to each of them and they took the $98 mill offer ... what can you say?

Knowing the numbers, I think Holland did the right thing by walking away. Hard when there is so much pressure but I'm actually glad we didn't try to top it with $100m for 13 years or something stupid like that. Suter should also take a humble pill ... he should know that he is not worth $7.5/yr.

1. Can't blame Holland or Ilitch, they did everything they could. Don't know if I would have gone up to $98m for each of them, I already thought $90m over 13 yrs was a lot. 2. Please don't tell me in the end it was about the money, $8mill after taxes is like $4mill ... over 13 years, that shouldn't be a factor for Suter or Parise. So they think that Minny's roster is closer to 'winning' it all than Detroit's? 3. Minny was the dark horse and they won the Lebron/Bosh sweepstakes of NHL. Now everyone will have the hate on Minny like they did on the Heat. 4. Glad they finally made their decision and everyone can move on. I'm disappointed but not devastated. If we suck this year, so be it ... get some draft picks and rebuild the good old fashion way.