Jesusberg

Mrazek still has another year, and I think he should play down there... I just wonder about the back-up situation in Detroit. Gustavsson seems like he enjoys being in Detroit, but wants term. Whoever the Wings grab, it needs to be a one-year deal. Mrazek, Paterson and Coreau can work in GR - I'm not sure what they'll do with McCollum, but he was on an AHL deal, anyway. Weird idea, but if all else fails, maybe McCollum could back-up Howard for the season? I know it's an out-of-the-box idea, but he played well this season. I don't think it would be the worst thing for Mrazek to back-up Howie and push him all year, but I can see the argument for development in the AHL.

I wouldn't say Howie is average, but I definitely see a goalie controversy on the horizon. At no fault of Howard's, Mrazek is going to be pushing for the starting job in 2-3 seasons - next season if they don't re-sign Monster.

I wouldn't say that is every one's solution. Holland seems to really be pushing the idea of the RH d-man. At this juncture, I think running something along the lines of this would be an improvement: Kronwall-Smith DeKeyser-Niskanen/Boyle/Gilbert Ericsson-Sproul/Marchenko Kindl Letting Quincey walk is an improvement in itself, and waiving Lashoff is just a casualty of adding a veteran RH and one of Sproul/Marchenko. At the very least, this defense corps is going to generate more offense (in theory, anyway).

I they can't get a Niskanen or let's say, Green (via trade) then this is something I could get behind. The only change I would make is Sproul over Ouellet. I think Boyle's spot in this scenario is eventually Sproul's. I like Marchenko's overall game right now, but I think Sproul has a higher ceiling. Pairing him with a steady guy like E could work out nicely.

At this point I think they'll just waive Lashoff, but I wonder if they could move Kindl for anything. 2.4 mil isn't "hefty", but I wonder if anyone would take him. Not a huge issue - he's just sitting around with that deal for 3 more years. As far as adding someone, I really liked the Kronwall-Smith pairing and I'd keep intact. I love Ericsson's work on the PK, but I agree with him being bumped down a few pairings, if just for the sake of balance and generating offense from the top 4. The UFA options who could generate offense aren't all that pretty, though: Niskanen's solid, but then there's really only Zidlicky and Boyle after that. If they could go the trade route to find a guy, I think it'd be ideal. I would try to pair an experienced, RH guy with DK and then pair Ericsson with whoever is more impressive in camp out of Marchenko or Sproul. I do think that without adding that experienced RH guy, though... the defense is looking pretty meek.

I'm all for adding some "grit" and "big bodies" up front, but I'm always worried about the price tags those guys command and how their bodies hold up. I agree there should be a balance on lines. The way the NHL seems to be heading, two skilled guys and a puck-retrieval/net presence is nearly the normal. Pure skilled-based lines are being weeded out, and are losing their effectiveness. I look at two recent examples - Clowe and Clarkson - and it makes me wary of grabbing those types of guys at that point in their careers. We're not going to just find a skilled, power forward the likes of Lucic, Burns, Coyle, Kreider, etc.- not at where the team drafts from. It's the guys who are shells of their former selves that wind up available. That being said, I think there are a few guys would could be a big boost for Detroit, if they were able to get their hands on them. Two guys who come immediately to mind are Dubinsky and Chris Stewart, especially Stewart. I'm not sure either of those guys will be leaving their respective teams. There are some other reclamation projects like David Booth, Nick Foligno and Drew Stafford that I wouldn't hate taking a look at, but I wonder if they could turn things around. I'm honestly very for having balanced lines of attack - I'd love to see Chris Stewart playing right wing here. I just think it's not as easy to get those type of guys as some posters here believe, and the ones who are easy ending up being regrettable signings.

I think it's easy to look at this season, perhaps the last two or so, and feel as if Kenny dropped the ball. Personally, I hate all the vet signing he's made. I think the Quincey trade was a big mistake. I feel as if he should listen to Babcock about certain aspects of this team (there seems to be some definite friction). I think he should have trusted the kids a bit more. If Jarnkrok stays in North America, I'm sour about that trade as well. It's easy to be upset with Kenny right now. On the flip side, it's hard to argue against the drafting this team has done since 2008 - Kenny hanging onto all those picks has paid off. The team couldn't lure Parise-Suter over, but I don't think the blame can solely lie on Kenny shoulder's for that. It's a combination of destination, coaching and desired teammates. Maybe the team overestimate the allure of playing here, and they're realizing now that they're going to have to overpay to land a big name. That's reality now. I think this team is in a good position to make some real changes. They've got cap space, some reliable older players and a cupboard full of prospects knocking on the door. Now if in the next 2-3 seasons he pushes this youth movement, makes a trade and can sign a big free agent or two, he redeems himself in my eyes. We have several assets - prospects can be flipped and some picks can be moved for legitimate players. Kenny has cards to play with now, and I'd like to see him actually play. Dropping the ball here would definitely sway me to the, "Good-Bye Kenny" side, but I'd also like to see what he does in this (favorable) situation.

Some of the comments make me wonder about the future of Alfie and Babs with the team. They're not going to use Tootoo, so might as well let him try to get a regular job with another team.

I think the only circumstance where Mantha makes this team is if Alfie doesn't re-sign and he outplays Jurco big time. Then he might have a spot on the 3rd line. I wonder about Jurco's status with the team at the moment... I think he'll both have to prove he deserves a spot in camp for sure. Either way, I think he should play in the AHL to start the season - just my preference. Some of the other interesting info on Twitter was about Babs' status with the team/Holland not allowing teams to talk to Blashill and the desire for a right-handed shot. I think that's a huge signal to Sproul and Marchenko, and a hint to guys like Quincey, Kindl and Lashoff. They've specifically praised the play of Smith and DK. I don't blame them for not getting into a bidding war over the thin market of UFA d-men - the only RH guy who will truly make an impact is Niskanen, and I'm sure he's going to command a good chunk of cash.

I really think Nyquist was the least of this team's issues. He's a fresh face (in terms of NHL experience) and he struggled. As mentioned, guys like Pavs and Z struggled in the playoffs quite a bit in the past. I even remember people around here, and other RW fans I know personally questioning Pavs as a playoff performer, period. He set the bar very high for himself - too high. And as far as Z bulking up, I swear when he did it impacted his game negatively (at least that's what I recall). He ended up looking slow throughout the beginning of the season. I think Gus could add some muscle, but his speed is what kills. It's a learning experience. The kid's a good player and not someone you should just move... just surround him with players who compliment his play and let him learn.

I'd rather keep Monster around for another year, but I doubt he wants to sign a one-year deal. Outside of that, they've got Mrazek, Paterson and Coreau in the system; McCollum played well on that AHL deal. Honestly, it might not be a popular option, and it's definitely a risk, but I wouldn't mind if they signed McCollum to a one-year deal and let him back up Howie for the year. He's got something to prove, and would likely sign for a year to showcase himself.

At this point, I think they could definitely use a stop-gap before Ouellet, Marchenko, Sproul, etc. come up to the big club. I don't want that stop gap to be Kyle Quincey again. Almquist should battle for a spot on the team in camp, and I think he could be an asset on the PP, even just for the short term. Lashoff has been running around too much lately, and I'm not sure how much management trusts him as an every day defender. Out of the UFA crop I'd be willing to take a look at Meszaros, Orpik, Mitchell, Greene or Nikitin before I went with Quincey/Lashoff as a regular, even if it's just as a two-year transition period. I know some (maybe most) of those guys will be retained by their current team, but those are pretty much the five I'd take over the current situation. Worst case scenario, so long as Quincey moves on, I'd still be fine with some combination of Kronwall, Ericsson, Smith and DeKeyser as the top 4, with Kindl, Lashoff and Almquist rounding things out. I just hope Kenny doesn't have some misguided sense of loyalty toward Quincey. He's a product of the team's development and they gave up a 1st for him... but he's still Kyle Quincey. Please, just let him go, Kenny.

Going over Twitter, you'd think this guy was John Scott in terms of his effectiveness on ice. Then I saw something along the lines of, "He pissed off Crosby to the point where he was more focused on his anger toward Luke than scoring goals." I have to agree, and I like the signing. He's an effective 4th line guy.

I agree that playing with Kronwall, most guys are going to look better. I really just feel like Quincey isn't a good fit for him at all. I think Ericsson or DeKeyser would be a marked improvement over Q... just anyone but him. Seriously. Please don't re-sign Quincey, Ken Holland. Please. Please. ...Please.

It's about time we had another rock star on this team.

It is. I don't think they'll find any takers for Weiss' contract.

And during Tatar's call-up during 2010-11 the guy couldn't even stay onside. I have a hard time remembering any of this team's prospects blowing people away during their initial call-up. Jurco and Nyquist were impressive, but most guys are going to struggle in limited roles.

I think this year was a blessing in disguise (unless you see it this way), as it gave management a wake-up call regarding what these kids can do. Imagine a healthy forward corps next season of: Z-Dats-Alfie Mule-Weiss(Legwand if they move Weiss)-Nyquist Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco Miller-Helm-Abdelkader Andersson, Glendening Could be a few tweaks in there, obviously. Regardless, that's a fun group of forwards to watch, if you ask me.

The kicker on Luke is that he's only got 14 games (2 years or 60 NHL games total) before that exemption runs out. He plays the rest of this year and a playoff series, and he's no longer exempt. So I imagine there are a few guys on the outside looking in.

This. Pretty sure they're going with Miller-Glendening-Bert, Andersson-Helm-Callahan

I thought he had a pretty good game. He really is way too passive when he's on the rush - just shoot the puck. I'd still like to see him get paired with DeKeyser, but that might be risky for DK's development. DK might be better off with Kronwall for now. This is where I would have loved to still have Stuart here. I think he would have made a great partner for Smith.

Based on talent alone, Skinner's worth the contract - the guy just can't stay healthy. On the flip side, I don't think Jordan's worth his deal. Would probably take too much to get either guy. Edit: Title said Jordan. I like Eric's skill, but that price tag is huge.

I think both plays are garbage, but the inner Wings fan in me is happy someone showed some snarl. Mind you, if it would have cost us the game, my feelings would be drastically different. Just touching on Orpik, he reminds me of a more physical Stuart - he throws some big hits and plays the game hard. I don't know about you, but I never thought Stuart was a dirty player. I'd love to have someone like Orpik over Quincey.

We're more like under the dog in this one, if ya know what I mean.

1st PP unit: Bert-Franzen-Nyquist, Kronwall-Alfredsson 2nd PP unit: Sheahan-Legwand-Tatar, DeKeyser-Pulkkinen Was hoping to see Almquist in and on that 2nd unit, but DK manages to move the puck well enough.