Jesusberg

Seems to me like two of Mrazek, Jurco and Ouellet will be sent down. One can stay because of Datsyuk being on IR. Yuck.

Disagree, big time. Offensively, Jensen > Ouellet. All around game, Ouellet beats him easily. He had a few off games during the preseason, but I think part of that was trying to put up some numbers in an attempt to make the team. He sacrificed positioning and smart puck decisions to generate some offense, but if he's given a spot on the team, I think he'll return to what's made him so successful to this point - being a well rounded, accountable defender. They just brought Porter in this offseason, so he's not going anywhere. While I agree he's got no future in Detroit, they're not going to remove him already. Right now, GR needs Porter, anyway. Miele's out, Nesty and Jurco are still up with the team. Right now they have about 11 or so healthy forwards, not accounting for the guys on AHL contracts. Porter serves as depth, at least for the time being. Help slow it down? Both guys are anchors. There are a handful of guys in this league willing to drop the gloves that I would take on this team, and all of them chip in some other way. Orr and McLaren don't really provide anything outside of the fisticuffs.

Honestly, the preseason kind of gave me the impression that a few guys are expendable. For a team that had next to no depth at center a couple seasons ago, it's something they have in abundance now. I think it's actually pushing guys out of the line-up and into unfamiliar situations. Sheahan has showed he can produce, and I think the team can afford to flip either Weiss or Helm. The team has plenty of options at center - Splitting Z and Dats up, Weiss/Helm, Sheahan, Andersson, Glendening. Then further down, Nosek, Nestrasil (can/has played center at times), Athanasiou down the road, etc. I think the Red Wings are in a place where they can and should showcase either Weiss or Helm. If I'm Red Wings' brass, I'm putting both guys in a position to succeed while Datsyuk is out. Get the most out of each guy right now to bring up their trade value.

Weird to see Weiss on the outside looking in, but maybe Babcock just doesn't like what he's seen during the preseason. On the flip side, I am so stoked about those defensive pairings. Been waiting to see DeKeyser-Smith for awhile. I really hope they gel.

I assume he's talking about the Boychuk trade.

RH as in right handed? He's a lefty. And he's played a lot of left wing lately.

Edit: Nevermind, Pulu and Nosek sent down, too.

Callahan and Ferraro waived today, Nestrasil still up with the team.

Does this also include Kindl turning on the Red Wings,(a la Hulk Hogan and the NWO) by stuffing the puck into his own net? It would be followed by a team beat down and Kindl winding up in a full body cast.

To be fair, a lot of people who follow prospects closely didn't know if he was going to get a fair shake. As you noted, he is a bit older and the injury last season set him back. Even Babcock admitted he didn't know all that much about Jensen: It's fantastic to see that he created an opportunity for himself, but he was thought to be behind the top 4 defensive prospects, starting the season in Toledo. It was kind of just easy to disregard him, I guess.

I agree 100% with your take on Kindl - I think Khan was kind of reaching when he claimed Kindl was safe as well. My take on it is that Lashoff is safer than Kindl is, by however slim of a margin. Him sitting on the bench half the season limits his impact on the team. I think you factor in his position on the team, cap hit, expectations, etc. and it makes him a less likely candidate to be replaced. My best guess is that if/when the decision is made to bring up one of the younger guys, they're going to attempt to move Kindl first. If they find themselves stuck with his contract, I assume they'd waive Lashoff before waiving Kindl, if only because it feels like less of a loss and he's not as likely to be claimed. Somewhere in there, Babs said he basically wants someone who's going to be a stable, 5-on-5 player. At this point, it would appear that either Ouellet or Marchenko are a much better bet than Kindl to offer that. We'll see if the brass has the... brass to pull the trigger. Edit: Regardless of the actual outcome, I really want those three to have the game of their lives today. I want to see what management does when one or more of Ouellet, Marchenko and/or Jensen prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that they belong on this team's blueline.

It's a stretch for Kindl, but he explicitly says: ""Lash isn't in any trouble" [...] "Lash trained like crazy," Babcock said. "Lash is smart. Lash does a good job penalty killing. Lash is what he is." He's the 7th guy - comes cheap and is what a #7 should be. He doesn't say anything about Kindl, specifically. Maybe that's where the opening lies. Personally, I hope one or more of the kids have fantastic games. I truly feel as if the defense needs a shake-up.

Is that really saying much, though? As for Schenn, I won't be mean... but no. Just no. The points made about him chasing after hits and not taking care of things in the defensive zone are bang on. He may have been poised to be a top 4, defensive showdown guy at one point, but he's been mishandled and it's hurt his development. At this point, Detroit has enough of their own players developing that they need to worry about. Luke Schenn would be another project, but coming at a high price in both assets given up and cap hit.

Sproul's already been cut and sent back down to Grand Rapids. Right now the defensemen left for the remaining preseason games are Ouellet, Marchenko, Jensen and Rome. Personally, I doubt anything comes of it. There don't seem to be many suitors for Kindl, and I doubt Holland is going to lose something for nothing.

I disagree with Mule and E. I don't think you replace his goal scoring, or E's defensive skills and PK ability with the kids the team has now. On the other hand, I feel like Andersson, Quincey and Kindl could all be upgraded or swapped for someone of similar value. I'm on the fence with Helm, but with all his nagging injuries and the depth the Wings have at center right now, I think they could get by without him. He's still got a lot of value, but slotting Dats, Weiss, Sheahan and Glendening down the middle works out well. Not to mention, they'll have some good bottom 6 depth at center with Larkin and Turgeon down the road.

Just saw this and wondered something similar. At the very least, it shows they aren't always on the same page when it comes to roster moves.

It's a big year for Smith - it being a contract year is obvious, but moving forward it's huge for him. I think part of Babs' comments about finding a top 4 guy when discussing the defensive prospects was definitely directed at Smith. Thing is, I hope he's given a fair shake this year. Give the guy special teams minutes and let him play. You're not going to find a future top 4 in Kindl or Quincey - those two are fringe #4-5 defenders at this point, IMO. I don't care about last year or the year before, Smith can prove what he's going to be this season. Pairing wise, I wish they'd slot him with DD and let Kindl-Quincey run around together. Much better indicator of what Smith is going to mean to the team going forward.

I suppose we just have a different perspective. I don't expect the Wings to be wholly successful - I expect them to land somewhere from #4-8 in the East, and I feel like that's realistic. The difference between last year and this year (in theory) is the number of games Red Wings are playing at their highest level. You have your best players playing their best hockey, and it's bound to be a better year. I actually feel like last season was so rough in terms of man games lost that there's nowhere to go but up. I get the idea of reeling in expectations when it comes to players returning from injury, but Weiss has looked heads and shoulders better, IMO. He had a ton of skating issues last season and looked terribly slow. Even if it's been a couple games, his skating is much more fluid. Not saying he's going to be a 60 point guy, but I think he's going to show some serious improvement. I agree about him being a passive guy, but that's always been the case. I think the best way Weiss is going to be used is between guys like Mule, Tatar, Nyquist, etc. Give him those trigger men and he'll be given an opportunity to set them up. The thing about other teams catching on to Goose, Tatar, Danny, etc. is that the team has some depth at forward. If this team can run three scoring lines, it gives them that much more offensive punch. If you're taking away space from Goose, you're leaving Mule open. Taking it away from Tatar, and perhaps Jurco gets some room. The depth at forward is something I'm optimistic about on this team. The Bruins are a good team - I don't think there's any denying that. For as much as you believe they played poorly against the Habs, I also think the Wings played poorly against them. While I think the right team won the series, I really think Detroit could have pushed them a lot more. It was just a flat effort from the team.

1. "That stupid injury thing" impacts losing your high end talent, cohesion on the team and forcing players into unfamiliar situations. I'd say this team was lucky as hell that Goose responded the way he did. When you dress a full, healthy team, that depth gives you better chances up and down the line-up. You build on success and chemistry night in and night out, and it allows your team to get on a roll. When there's a constant rash of injuries, that kind of throws a wrench in things, wouldn't you think? 2. Yes, this is the same roster as last season. Thing is, it's also a healthier one. The biggest issue facing the older players is the wear and tear, but it's not like you're going to see a significant drop in ability for Datsyuk - I think he's already shown he looks better. Weiss looks much better, even though he's been given lumps of coal for line mates. As far as the kids carrying the team, I don't see it that way at all. With a healthy team (kind of important) the kids are playing against weaker competition. In saying that, Sheahan and Tatar have looked fantastic in the preseason, IMO. Nyquist isn't going to score goals at the same pace he did last season, but 20-25 isn't out of the question. Where some guys may have sophomore slumps, others may break out (I feel this way about Tatar) and have even better seasons. One year of older guys slowing down can also be a year of exponential growth for a younger ones - it's all about perspective. What I will concede here is that we have the exact same defensive core, and if it's going to be used the same way it was last season ,THAT is a problem. They're not all that great at generating offense and getting the puck up ice quickly. If there are question marks anywhere on this team, I'd say it lies with the defense. 3. Yes, the Bruins intimidated Montreal all the way to losing to them in game 7. Speed kills - as do smart decisions with the puck. Detroit didn't do that and that's why they lost - they played poorly. They didn't play intelligent, fast-paced hockey. Again, going back to what I see as the big issue on this team, it's getting the puck up the ice in a timely manner from the defense. I still say that's their Achilles heel, and something that really needed to be addressed in the offseason. I think it's part of why this team hasn't made their next round of cuts - guys like Ouellet, Sproul, and now Jensen last night are turning Babs' head.

I agree with Ouellet and Sproul - especially Ouellet. I think he looks like an NHL player already. He's noticeable in that "I'm not going to notice you, because you're making smart, subtle plays" kind of way. I think he'll make a perfect anchor somewhere in a top 4. I liken him to Vlasic - not sure he'll ever put up numbers, but he's a damn steady guy. While I'm less convinced about Sproul, I think his offensive contributions will be more than enough to merit becoming a #4 guy. He's got some work to do with his decision making in the defensive zone, but man... he just gives the PP a whole new look, IMO. Backman and Marchenko I'm slightly less convinced about, but only for the moment. I think once Backman transitions to the NA game, he's going to be great, and turn out similar to Ouellet. I'm a little worried about Marchenko's ankle, but if he can bounce back from that, I think he'll work out nicely. Worst case scenario with Marchenko as a member of the Wings, I think you get a solid bottom pairing guy who makes good decisions with the puck. I wish Jensen the best, but I think he's stuck behind Sproul in terms of being the offensive defender Detroit needs. Missing half the season really hurt him. He's 24, and as of right now he's starting the season in Toledo behind 6-7 other guys. Going the college route was beneficial, though, as I think he'll get another contract for next season and maybe step into a bigger role with GR. This year's going to be big for him, obviously.

I'm not sure those lines necessarily reflect ice time, but I guess we'll see. The Nose line had a heck of a game the other day, so I could see them getting some more time. On a side note, I like that Cally's getting plenty of games in. It means they're at least giving him a good look, I think. From the Khan article for today's game: So Sproul is healthy enough to play? I'd wager Backman takes Smith's spot and plays with Sproul, as has been the case during most of TC and the preseason. That's basically GR's defense core, outside of Paetsch and Evans (and minus Rome).

I want him to stay, but I'm not nearly as opposed to a change as I was 2-3 seasons ago. I think there's something to the shelf life argument, and it's something Babs has mentioned himself. Not just players tuning him out (younger, new faces on the team combat that), but the idea that staying in one place too long can make a guy stagnant. In no way am I saying I want Babcock gone - I just don't think I'd be as torn up about it as I would have been a few seasons back. Change isn't the worst thing, sometimes.

Well you know... Marchand-lite. Lower point totals and general level of... women's hygiene product-ness.

A pest, a PK'er and someone who can chip in some timely goals. A guy who you hope turns into, best example I can think of, an Andrew Shaw? Brad Marchand-lite, even.