Hairy Lime

You see, this is the problem: Too many naive fans give Holland WAY too much credit. He actually deserves very little. He's an overrated, pretty incompetent GM, if you ask me. Tell me why he deserves so much credit? Because he was able to fleece other teams in the pre-cap era, and even then his trades were hit and miss. Maybe because he inherited a Scotty Bowman coached team and promptly reaped the benefits..and glory. Ken Holland has done very little for this team, but they win so he gets a lot of the credit. The good decisions he makes are ones any competent GM would make, but the bad ones, and there are many, he gets a pass on. The big problem with Holland, besides his insistence on turning the NHL into a no-contact sport, is that he was a goalie; he has no real understanding of what it takes to win a physical sport. After Bowman retired and he was eventually able to get his loyal lap dog(Mike Babcock) in place, he promptly started to reshape the Red Wings in his image --- soft! The only reason we saw the acquisitions of Drake and Downey in '08 was because of all the negative reaction and feedback from fans of the season before. Remember that team? Possibly the softest team I have ever seen in my life. This team has a ton of skill, but no heart or grit. That will not get it done in the NHL. Our coach is also an overrated buffoon, but boy do fans love him. I don't understand it? It's easy to with a talented team when they are healthy, but a coaches true worth is measured in how he handles adversity. We have all seen how Mike Babcock handles adversity, haven't we?

I don't know why, but that really cracked me up. But on a serious note, I hope Helm is back by the playoffs, not that it will really matter.

I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the Red Wings will have more than 15 shots on goal! I just have a feeling.

Most fans today don't know who Darren McCarty is. They think the Red Wings have always been soft.

Fischer certainly was not an all-star, but he was developing into a pretty good defenseman, and he hit harder than anyone on this current roster. And yeah, he did get pummeled by Thornton, but that was, if I recall right, his first NHL fight. After that, he carried himself pretty well in fights. Hell, he even managed to not get destroyed by Georges Laraque in one fight, even though he just basically held Laraque off, which, still, was not easy to do. Anyways, I like this Smith kid, and actually think he should be up full time. He needs to learn at an NHL level now - The kid's 23yo for Christs sake! Holland has a bad habit of letting players "over ripen". And while we're at it, I would have Tatar and Nyguist up here, too. Homer and Cleary look spent. Lets inject some youth into this line-up.

I don't know about the author, but I have been in my share of fights both on and off the ice, and if you can handle yourself off the ice, it will bode well for you on the ice. You see, I don't think Justin has been in many fights off the ice(and if you're a good, law-abiding citizen, that's a good thing), because his defensive skills and patience are terrible. Put your off-arm straight out, leave your throwing arm loose and at your side, and wait for your opening. And in a hockey fight, it's always best to let your opponent make the first move, assuming you know what you're doing. Justin doesn't, and the fight is usually over before it even begins. He does not have a good fighting stance, and he definitely has no patience. Also, lose the shield! Tough guys don't wear shields! Now, I'm not saying Abby should go out to some bar and pick a few fights with some Hell's Angels, but he should at least watch some old Joey Kocur fights, and watch what he does. Or better yet, ask Joe to give him some tips. He's sometimes around. Joe was a guy who knew how to end a fight quickly. Justin will NEVER be in Kocur's league, but he can become a better fighter. Hell, he can't be much worse. I respect him for trying, but he can't keep getting his ass kicked. He's a tough kid and he can take a punch(or 10), but he must improve his whole game or just not fight at all.

Then why doesn't Stuart just have the father knocked off? That's what they always do on "Discovery ID".

The biggest problem with these uneventful deadline days (that we have all become accustomed to) is that we will never know for sure whose tires Holland kicked and what other GM's wanted for particular players, so people are always going to speculate and criticize, and nobody will know if that criticism is legitimate or not. I mean, I really wanted a player like Matt Martin, to add legitimate toughness to our fourth line. Did Holland "kick his tires"? Probably not, but I don't know, and it's easy for me to assume that he didn't without really knowing. Maybe he did and the Islanders wanted too much ... in Holland's opinion, at least. And that is another problem: we will never know what Holland's idea of "too much" was. We all have our own opinions of particular players' value, and what WE would be willing to give up, but it's probably not the same as Holland's. I also made it clear that I wanted Jeff Carter, to add a right-handed sniper to our pretty basic, one-dimensional, inconsistent PP, and I did not care about his perceived "character" issues. But was Holland interested in him? Again, probably not, but I don't know. So basically, we have to assume that Holland did everything he could to try and improve Detroit, but the price was just "too high"(for him). Am I happy? Of coarse not, but what can I do? And believe me, I am not a Kenny Holland apologist; I'm actually one of his biggest critics. But I also understand that there were just a handful of sellers this year, and names like Nash were just too expensive. I would have LOVED to of gotten a little grittier and to of added a top-6 forward like Vanek, but what did Buffalo want for a player like Vanek, and were they even willing to trade him? We'll never know for sure. Anaheim might of been an interesting team yesterday, but unfortunately they got hot at the wrong time(for the league, at least). Parity has put an end to those entertaining arms races of the past. Everybody is in the playoff race. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That has basically been my maxim these last three seasons. Detroit is weak in a lot of areas, but you just have to hope they can overcome them. Again, I am not a content, happy camper; I'm PISSED! But?? And remember, there is always that chance that Hudler might finally show up in the playoffs. Hey, don't laugh, it could happen.

I would of loved to of gotten Matt Martin so we could of better matched up against, well ... the rest of the NHL. Abdelkader, please never drop the gloves again; someone is going to hurt their fists on your head.

Ditto.

Commodore to the Lightning?

I would seriously have trouble watching Detroit games if he were added to this team. Talk about lack of character and class. I'm all for adding toughness and grit(and I'm a little sick and tired of watching Abby get abused by any and everyone), but it must come with at least a little character - McCarty, Kocur, Downey, etc. Ott is a piece of refuse!

He adds the same type of toughness Abby adds - a punching bag for opponents. We might as well put Kindl back in there and see just what we have with him. I haven't been impressed thus far, but I think it's too early to write him off. As for toughness, I would make some serious inquiries as to the Islanders' Matt Martin's availability.

"Zetterberg, Franzen, Hudler, Kindl...for Nash"?? Tell me, were you dropped on your head as a child? Oh, and you have Nyguist playing on your 1st and 2nd line; was that a mistake or do you just think he's THAT good? That deal makes no sense. I would, however, deal Franzen and a prospect to Buffalo for Vanek.

This game could be the best thing to happen to Detroit, as it will hopefully show Holland what I already knew, and that is just how vulnerable Detroit is. Forget regular season success, Detroit's PP is in desperate need of a right-handed sniper, and they are also in desperate need for some true grit, not the artificial grit that sweet lil' Abby provides.

Why does ANYONE want Hemsky? How does he make us better, and who would he replace on the roster? I would not give up a 5th rounder for him. As to Sammy, no thank you. I hated him when he was here, and even more when he became a Canuck. We had a chance to get that sniper we needed in Jeff Carter, but let him fall into the Kings' hands. Too bad. Now the only player I'm interested in is Vanek, but I don't know how willing Buffalo would be to dealing him? But after bringing back Quincey (which I had no problem with), and now showing interest in Samuelson, something tells me that if Holland went after anyone from Buffalo, it would probably be Leino? Maybe Lilja's available too?

I know; despite what some fans thought, he was the answer to our PP woes, and a potential 50 goal scorer. I figured Kenny might not be interested, but I was hoping.

There is NO WAY I would want Steve "The Turtle'" Ott wearing a Wings jersey. No thank you. I don't care what intangibles he brings or how hungry he is for a Cup, I would never accept it. Dallas Drake was one thing, but he was an original Detroit draft pick and spent a lot of time in Northern Michigan, and Detroit was also the BIGGEST bunch of ******* I had ever seen on a North American hockey rink the season before, so it was easier for me accept him. But Ott is a piece excrement!

Grabovski? I don't know? Very Streaky player, and another left-handed shooter. I really think Detroit needs to acquire a right-handed shooter to create more scoring opportunities on the PP. You know, Jeff Carter had a hat-trick last night, 2 on the PP... I'm just sayin' . I know that his name does not fly with a lot of Wings fans, attitude + contract and all, but? No, it's probably not going to happen, but I would at least keep an open mind if I were Kenny Holland.

A 1st round draft pick? I would of rather had Downie for a 1st round pick. Don't get me wrong, Quincey is a better option than either Commie or Kindle, but for a 1st round draft pick? Some fans think that Holland has something up his sleeve, but I always assumed that Detroit's 1st round draft pick would have to play a part in any significant deal? As for this deal, I'm indifferent... Are we better for it? Yes. Am I jumping up and down? Not really. We'll see.

Lil' Abby needs to learn some defense in these scraps. Another loss.

Kubina? I'm alright with that, but for nothing more than a 3rd round draft pick or you're gettin' robbed!

Isn't Allen the dirty s.o.b that broke Zetterberg's leg?

The only big plus in trading Franzen for Nash, which seems the popular suggestion, is the 5 year age difference. But Detroit would also have to throw in a top prospect or two, and maybe even a top draft pick. Is that a wise trade? Franzen has 22 goals, Nash, 18. Franzen is proven playoff performer, Nash has 1 goal in 4 games, which, yeah, is not necessarily his fault. I don't know? I still don't understand why so many people are against Jeff Carter, who is younger, right-handed, has been a more prolific goal scorer over the last three seasons, and who could be had for half of what it would cost to acquire Nash. All because of "character" issues? Give me a break. Nash is the better all-around player, yes, but Holland would have to work a miracle to get him, and you can say goodbye to Franzen or Filppula, along with Nyguist AND Smith. That's what I would ask for to give him to divisional rival if I were Scott Howson, especially with some of the offers that other teams might make. But Rangers fans are dreamin' if they think Nash can be had for Dubinsky, Kreider and a 1st rounder. Howson would lose his job. Give 'em Tatar and 1st rounder for Carter, bolstering that second line, move Hudler to the 3rd line, hello Stanley Cup!

Here's an interesting take from Travis Yost of HockeyBuzz,com: Again, I think he's worth the risk, but I also realize that I am in the minority.