kipwinger

I guess I just disagree with the "stale voice" premise as you're relating it to a GM. If I agreed that we needed a new GM, then Yzerman would be a legitimate option. But I don't agree we need a new GM. Our GM is doing a good job. I think you're reaching on this "stale voice" thing. But that's because I think everybody overstates this. First, GMs are not really responsible for strategic or tactical decisions which affect the game in real-time. Those COULD get stale if the were boring and/or increasingly ineffective over time. But that's on the coach. So maybe a coach's message could get stale, though I really doubt that too. Only in hockey is this even a thing people posit. Nobody says Nick Saban, or Bill Belichick, or Greg Popovich should get fired because their "voice is stale". It's mostly just nonsense, and to the extent it's true would only apply to coaches and not GMs. GMs are responsible for personnel decisions, and pretty much all GMs make the same kinds of decisions in the same kinds of scenarios. It's the reason why there is a general consensus on draft rankings. It's the reason there is a general consensus on the market value of free agents. Hell, Kyle Dubas is considered the "renegade" GM because he uses...analytics! That's how homogenized GM decision making is. I actually think longevity is an advantage for GMs. First, because there are unlikely to be scenarios which Ken Holland has not dealt with and navigated successfully in his 20+ years on the job. Second, because any process that takes a long time to complete is easier when you know as much about where you're coming from as where you're going.

You're making my point for me. Thanks.

If we had every single piece we needed to contend then the rebuild would be complete and we wouldn't be having this conversation. We've got a very good up and coming team, with lots of talent at all positions (maybe outside of goalie). And Holland was able to do so without a single top five pick. That's pretty good work. Next you'll give him credit for building the Canadian Olympic team. Yzerman has done a fine job. But his job was made 100 percent easier by the fact that Stamkos and Hedman were already on the team when took the job. It's also worth noting that people have criticized Holland for years for already having Yzerman, Fedorov, and Lidstrom on the team when he became GM, which is true. But at least he won with the team he inherited. Stevie is still a little light on Cup wins as a GM for people to gush over him the way they do.

I have no idea, other than nostalgia, why anybody would want Yzerman over Holland. Literally every single criticism of Holland is equally true of Yzerman as GM. Plus, in case people aren't paying attention, our rebuild is actually going really really well.

I kinda like Sam Reinhart. He seems like a total assh*le.

I'm never sure who Detroit players are passing to. Seems like they don't care who the puck goes through as long as they clear the zone. Dekeyser and Ericsson are also terrible for just sorta wildly flinging the puck up ice (to the opposing team's defense at the blueline) as well.

It's been a while since I've seen a Detroit player set up a goal off a no-look, backhanded, shovel pass. Datsyuk maybe? But man did Abby ever deliver.

I'm genuinely not talking s*** here, because again, I've never even heard of this kid, but his OHL numbers don't look "elite" to me. He's got 17 goals on the season. 14 all of last year. Tell me more about this guy.

Some interesting thoughts on Jimmy Howard and the trade deadline. I like the idea of a Calgary or Columbus deal, Colorado too, but they've already taken their first rounder off the table so I'm not sure what else they've got to offer. https://sports.yahoo.com/five-teams-call-jimmy-howard-214357918.html

Wait, why do we like Graeme Clarke again? Never even heard of this kid.

I don't care if he ever fights again. But it might be nice for him to not lose puck battles to defensemen half his size. If he does that I'll never say another bad word about him.

He's a good goal scorer and all, I just wish he wasn't suuuuuuuuuuuuch a p*ssy.

How does someone as big as Mantha lose as many puck battles as he does?

I mean, totally agree, but at this stage of his career is Howard happy to make the playoffs or does he want a realistic chance at winning a Cup? Because while we might make the playoffs next year, we're almost certainly not a Cup contender for at least another 3 years I'd think.

It's not even that I wouldn't want to re-sign him either. He's a good enough goalie. It just doesn't make sense for either party (again, provided he wants to win). We're not winning any time soon, so no reason he should want to stay with the team. And when we're ready to win again he'll be old and suck, so no reason the team should want him to stay.

You've got to figure that Howard gets traded regardless of the return right? I mean, provided he wants a chance at a Cup. Let's say Holland re-signs him, we're realistically a few years away from Cup contention best case scenario. Holland would be crazy to sign him for more than a few years. Meaning, MAYBE in the final year of his new contract he'd have a realistic chance at playing for a Cup. At which point he'll be 37 years old, and will likely suck. So he probably wouldn't be playing anyway. I think this whole, "we may re-sign him" thing is smoke screen to get the best deal possible at the deadline.

Not necessarily: Bert-Larkin-AA Ras-Duchene-Zadina Mantha-Veleno-Svech Neilsen-Glen-Abby Helm The bigger concern would be if we drafted a center that was ready to play in the NHL within a season or two. But the draft comes before UFA, so if you did land a Hughes type guy, you just wouldn't sign a Duchene. Not really that hard to navigate.

The thing I like about Duchene is what a nightmare he'd be to play against in a 7 game series. The dude is like Larkin, super fast, super engaged, motor always running. Between the two of them I think they'd skate you into the ground over the course of a series. We're FINALLY getting a team identity and he fits right in. I actually really liked Ryan O'Reilly as a trade option last year for the same reason.

Nobody is saying that KH is going to play every card right, I'm saying he's got plenty of cards to play and that the Cap isn't an issue unless he makes it so. If I were KH I would do the following for the remainder of the season: 1. Trade Nyquist for Devon Toews and a 2nd to the Isles, who have been rumored to be in on Nyquist. 2. Trade Howard to Columbus for a 2nd and a prospect. I proposed a 3 way trade earlier with FLA which I think makes sense, but obviously those are hard. 3. Trade Jensen for a 3rd 4. Go hard for Duchene, but don't be afraid to walk away if the bidding gets ludicrous. 5. Draft the best available center with our first pick. 6. Kronwall, Frk, Witko all walk in the offseason.

All of our big s***ty contracts are expiring just as fast as young guys will be needing raises. Even faster actually. There's a very real possibility that we could be shedding all of Kronwall, Nyquist, Howard, Vanek, Frk, Jensen, and Witkowski this year. Green, Ericsson, and Daly next year. Bernier, Glendening, Helm the year after. Long story short, our Cap situation is looking REALLY good. We've got more than enough money to pay our RFAs and sign UFAs. The key, of course, is making sure the UFAs you sign are worth it. I think Duchene this year, and Trouba next year would be excellent acquisitions.

Filip Hronek with two goals tonight for the Griffs. Does he even still count as a prospect at this point?

YOU'RE kidding right? 1) Pretty sure I said I didn't think he'd cost much money. DEFINITELY didn't say we should give him 8-9 million dollars. You just made that up. 2) I said the teams he played for (Colorado and Ottawa) had defensive systems, not that they were good defensively. You just made that up too. 3) He's scored over 25 goals twice in the last 7 years (what an arbitrary number you picked!), last year and in 2015-16. So you made that up too. Are you trying to be this bad at posting things online, or are you just sorta effortlessly terrible? Are you the Jack Hughes of making up stupid crap on LGW? Lol. I almost did. I was so close. Ultimately I decided to stick with just the one correction considering he got the same one wrong over and over and over. Let this be a lesson to all the kids out there, when you don't pay attention in school and eat too many Doritos your brain may turn to mush.

It's called attribution. I didn't "conclude" anything. I said that Pronman listed them as one of the worst. Which he did. That information was used as context and I never pretended that more people than just him had said it. I also explained why I listed Pronman in particular in a subsequent post. Wait, did you think that I was trying to pretend like I spent my time evaluating the prospect pools of each NHL team? Or that I was trying to pass someone else's work off as my own? Lol. Not me man. Here's the thing, I read stuff about hockey on the internet, and then I talk about my thoughts on that stuff here on LGW with you dingbats. I don't know s*** about hockey. I DO know s*** about organizing thoughts around coherent concepts though.

First, it's "you're", not "your". For example, "You're more likely to be taken seriously when you spend a few seconds making sure you've chosen your words correctly". Ok, here goes. Why do I want Matt Duchene? 1) He's one of the fastest skaters in the NHL, which fits our team identity. 2) He's really good in the face-off circle. 3. He plays center primarily, but has produced well on the wing so he provides versatility if Veleno becomes a stud and we draft another high quality center this year. 4. Despite being on teams with extremely defensive systems, he's shown he can produce 2nd line center numbers. 5. His production history means he likely won't cost as much as a top center (which he wouldn't be on our team). 6. He produces well on the powerplay. Or, ya know, he's a floater who doesn't care.

It's been so long since I paid attention to you that I forgot about your posting methods. BOTH Duchene and Stone play for the same team "nobody cares about". Both are having career seasons in their contract years. Both have never won anything. But in your eyes one is a "warrior" and the other is "not a winner". You don't need to agree about Duchene, I honestly don't care. But your rationale for feeling the way you do about each player is pretty obtuse. Given that this is the internet, I assume that being obtuse is the point though.