PavelValerievichDatsyuk

Are we allowed to complain about Smith here? or do we have to measure it with complaints about E and Kindl?

I don't see this at all. I think he was brought here as a secondary player. I think his main purpose was to cover us while Datsyuk was out. Obviously, that didn't go so well since he was injured too, but Larkin was probably not expected to make the team and gave us a boost while Datsyuk was out. I honestly think Richards Is an extra and looking for a spot now that Datsyuk's back and Larkin is on the team. I hope proves effective on the wing because I'd rather have that than Sheahan on the wing. Maybe someone wants to trade a Dman for him+a couple of our Dmen.

please delete

The Wild? Could be close for them: Suter, Parise, Pominvlle, Prosser, Zucker, etc

Ah yes, Slipped my mind. Always wanted to see Tool, but they shouldn't do anything that keeps them out of the studio - It's almost as ridiculous as Chinese Democracy at this point and I'm dying to hear the next opus. (Not that I've ever been a GnR fan)

So, Kronwall and Fischer are 2 other homegrown Dmen that contributed to cups. Also, these home grown guys contributed to our cup teams for the playoffs and played throughout the playoff run: Joey Kocur: 97,98 Jamie Pushor: 97 (only played 5 playoff games) Aaron Ward: 97, (scratched or maybe injured in 98) Anders Ericksson: 98 (His rookie season also, though 23 games the prev. season) Brett Lebda: 2008 (2nd full season) Only Kocur was drafted before Lidstrom. So, you're comment: "But the rest: Ramsey, rouse, Fetisov, Chelios, Schneider, Rafalski, Hatcher, samuelsson, etc... were all brought into the organization" isn't correct. Also, why is Samuelsson on your list of Dmen?

Well you can discount Jiri just because of his short career. That's like saying we shouldn't try to draft and develop defencemen because they might have a hidden heart defect. He was on the 2002 cup team and that was even his rookie season (though he'd played half of 2 previous years-like many RW prospects). So that's evidence against having rookies when going for the cup.

Kronwall and Jiri Fischer say Hi.

2013-14 he looked ready I also believe that the "long term plan" is a re-development of sorts. Blash said they could stick him in a game here or there, but they wanted him to stick once he's there. Just speculating, but the conditioning stint could be the run-up to having him stick with the team then - like a 2nd preseason. Agreed on Kindl. I think AA will be sent down when Richards comes back unless he starts producing. He's looked great to me, but just hasn't put up other than that big goal.

Foiled again! Yeah, I should have known that E had a NMC. Agreed on using Kindl and Smith+ to get a good partner for Kronwall, but I doubt they'd bring much by themselves. I'd like to keep Helm, but it would depend on what the deal is

Not to take things to far off topic, but just adding Larkin, Mrazek (first full year), and Green absolutely raises he bar for me. Those are 3 undeniable improvements. I find it hard to think that someone would scoff at adding a top 6 forward, top 4 D, and a capable (or much more) starting goalie. Yes, Datsyuk, Z, and Kronwall are on the declining side of their careers, but I don't thinkany one of them has declined from last year to a point where they counteract the improvements to the roster. Z's played as well or better than last year IMO, Datsyuk's still powering up. Kronwall's definitely playing worse, but it's not like he's become Ian White out there. As for expectations, it was unrealistic to think that the transition from Babs to Blash would go without struggles. I'm predicting that this was the low point of the season. We have Datsyuk back, Helm's playing better, Starting to find more lines with success, Pulkkinen's an offensive contributor that we didn't have last year, we'll get Richards and Q back at some point. I think the fact that we're where we were last year despite injuries and the transition bodes well for the rest of the season. And Kindl will get better too (see, I can keep it on topic).

Yeah, that's interesting that he's going to GR. Seems like a good thing to get him playing somewhere. A question for someone who knows more about waivers: Doesn't this mean that he has to have been injured? Otherwise, wouldn't he have to pass through waivers and risk losing him? Or can you go for a conditioning stint and skip waivers if you have been scratched for a certain number of games?

Agreed that Kronwall-Green is bad, but we don't have to have Green and Kronwall together so I would say that's Blashill's doing. Especially if Q was healthy there would be other options. Dk-Green and Kronwall-Q could have worked for me. I do think that we lack a #2 guy and it would be great if Holland wheel and deal (just don't kick those wheels Mr. Holland). I wonder whether the Jets would see Ericsson as pretty good value for Buff since he's only a rental. I wouldn't feel so bad about losing him for nothing if Buff didn't re-sign - we could just use the extra space to re-sign Quincey if that were the case or maybe some other UFA.

There was a lot of expectation that we'd be better this year since we added Green, Richards. Also, Pulkkinen and Mrazek being up, Larkin hype and Franzen returning. I still think we will end up better than we did last year. I credit a lot of our early struggles to the team getting used to Blashill's system and finding chemistry with new players. Injuries have also played a part in the struggles. It's also hard to find the chemistry for lines and a team identity when key guys were missing. I'm not too worried about PK numbers - PP, shots, and goals are the problem. As for Kindl, this has been a storyline that people were talking about before the season stated with Babs gone - I don't know that he's fulfilled Z's prophecy yet. He has still made some pretty big mistakes. Also, he was pretty good at the end of last year after spend the couple of games in GR so I can't see this year's good play as a dramatic turnaround. Would have been hard for him to feel confident when he kept getting scratched in years past. Especially for an offensive minded guy, you have to get into a rhythm and feel comfortable out there.

You can count me as one.

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comments/pulkkinen-fined-for-diving Definitely a dive to me. So, we have 2 divers so far with Nyquist previously being fined.

Z, Pav,Larkin, Richards, Sheahan, Helm, AA, Glendening is pretty damn good center depth to me. You'll say that some of those guys aren't playing center. In that case, Pav, Z, Richards(or Shea) Glendening is pretty damn good. I really don't think center depth is a problem. Defence is, but we have a great goaltending duo that will cover up somewhat for that. I think that offensive chemistry is an issue and forchecking/chrashing the net/ I want to try Ny-Z-A Tat-Dat-Helm Shea-Lark-Pulk

Sharks announcers are idiot. We've got Detroit's 4th line here. With Datsyuk Tatar Helm Kronwall Green on the ice.

Come on. You originally said Hollands success was due to others - I showed an example of him drafting well without (and better) than one you were giving credit to. Then you said 13 other teams also missed out on Larkin - You were obviously trying to say that it doesn't show an edge in drafting for Holland over Nill because it happens often or maybe that drafting is luck. That's not what I said at all. Holland gets credit. To me, the "13 other teams" statement just means that other team's scouting staffs also didn't recognize the talent or that they also got really high end players (Ekblad, Reinhart, Draisaitl). I don't think that statement has much meaning or relevance within our discussion of who gets credit for Holland's success.

Thanks for the numbers. Of course drawing penalties in itself isn't a bad thing. Some players forecheck hard, other players just have a tendency to piss off the other team. Then there's a few conspicuous guys that usually lead the league and had the reputation of diving (Kadri, Brown). It's great the league put in the shame fines and I think things are changing.

Sorry, maybe I said it in an unclear way. To me, it does seem to me that Nyquist draws a lot of penalties. He was caught for the dive of course, but I've noticed him do the chicken wing 'hold the stick so it looks like he's hooking me' thing a few times. Then there's been a bunch were he's gone down, but didn't look like a dive. I was just hoping to see if anyone had numbers to show how many calls are with him involved.

Yeah, so credit go to our scouts and GM for recognizing a great player. We missed out on Subban. Credit to Montreal for recognize a potentially great player. That's what good drafting is. I don't think your statement says anything at all. The moldy figs (Cleary, Modano, Sammuelsson) were for a transitioning team while we built up and developed our prospects. Now that that period is coming to fruition and we have some great young players on the team and soon to be. I think you will see less of older vet signings.

Pretty sure Sheahan played on Richard's wing at the beginning of the year and it didn't work Usually I'd agree, but Datsyuk probably doesn't have too much in the tank just coming back so I'm fine with it. Later, if we split them, I like your lines, but I'd switch Tatar and Nyquist. Nyquist is pretty much only good 5-on-5 when he's with Z and Datsyuk and Tatar were really good together last year when Helm was also on that line.

Yeah, not serious - sarcasm should have its own font or be italicized or something like that. I was just satirizing how some people give blame to Holland for every bad move and every good move is due to someone else in the organization.