kipwinger

As much as I'd love to see Team NA win it, I think they'd get slaughtered by Canada. I actually think they'll get beat by Russia. I was reading an article about the Russia/NA game coming up, and Evgeny Kuztesov made a good point. He said the NA team is only good when they've got the puck and don't play well without it. Russia has a bunch of guys who hold the puck well, and Canada is WAY better than that. Team NA will have a hard time with that IMO.

I don't care how much Ott wanted to be a Red Wing. I still hate this signing. I remember a few years ago when Cleary was still on the team and the overriding sentiment was that he was better than any AHL alternative would have been. Then he went to the AHL and was just as bad as he was in the NHL. That's exactly how I feel about Ott. He's pretty much washed up. I'd MUCH rather have Callahan in that spot. He can do everything Ott can do, but more cheaply. AND he'd probably score more given how underrated his offense is.

The last time I was in Russia I was talking with some locals and told them I was from Detroit. They all immediately said "Datsyuk". I realize that it's just an anecdote, but I got the impression he's a pretty big star.

That's because Ovechkin's not a quitter.

I know right? What better way to validate fighting in hockey than to rely on the testimony of the enforcers themselves and some obscure Canadian actor? Way to make a strong case in the face of opposition from medical doctors, league executives (including Yzerman, Shero, Rutherford, and Scotty Bowman), and sports analysts. The fighters are clearly as bad at winning the public relations war as they are at playing hockey lol.

How is this not better? Oh that's right, they don't block enough shots for dumb s*** Tortorella. Parise-Pavelski-Kane Pacioretty-Stepan-Kessel Ryan-T. Johnson-Wheeler Oshie-Dubinsky-Palmieri Suter-Byfuglien McDonagh-Carlson Yandle-Niskanen Team USA has comparable talent to Canada, Sweden, and Russia on the wings, and at defense. We're definitely weaker down the middle but there's nothing we can do about that. I can't wait until Eichel, Matthews, and Larkin can play down the middle for team USA. Maybe in the 2018 Olympics.

Boy the Americans are starting out strong. Ugh. I thought "grit" was a winning recipe? Apparently skill matters a little more eh? Things that are inexplicable to me about team USA: 1. Tortorella is the coach. 2. Byfuglien is playing offense in general, and scratched in particular. 3. None of Yandle, Kessel, Tyler Johnson, or Ryan are on the team.

While I agree with your overall sentiment, I think we've actually got a fair amount of shooters. Nyquist, Tatar, and Vanek are all pretty good shooters. Z and Neilsen are adequate. People (not you) talk all the time about how Detroit doesn't have a "sniper". Aside from that being a goofy bucket term I don't agree with, look at the goals Tatar scored a year ago and tell me he can't pick a corner as well as most players in the league. At least 10 of these goals are pretty much pure "sniper" goals.

That's true. It may just be a perception thing. And you're right, when I hear "net front" I do totally think of the Homer-esque sense of the term. But it's not completely off base for me to think so. Abby, Helm, and Sheahan have all been asked to play almost the exact same way on the PP as Homer did. Stand there, screen the goalie, tip shots, and bang home rebounds. Part of that may be that they're not really skilled enough to do much else though. If Mantha is used like Franzen, as you said, or like Vanek and Kesler have been over their careers (down low, but not necessarily glued to the crease) then I have less of a problem with it for sure.

Ideally I'd like to see Abby as the net front on one PP unit and Sheahan on the other. Abby Vanek-Neilsen-Nyquist Kronwall Sheahan Larkin-Zetterberg-Tatar Green

This is good to see. Aside from Borkowski (who I know nothing about) we got scoring from all the guys we want to be getting scoring from.

Also can we please, PLEASE, stop forcing every big guy to be a "net front presence"? From Khan's "Mantha" article: "Last year was a good first year for me to do net-front. It was the first time for me practicing it," Mantha said. "I worked on tips a lot during practices, just getting the feel of being in the right position in front of the goalie's eyes. It could be a good advantage for me, being 6-4, 6-5." This kid is a skilled shooter. I don't care that he's big. You're taking his best weapon (shot) away from him by sticking him in the crease. Let unskilled guys bang in rebounds. You don't see Rick Nash, Blake Wheeler, or James Neal standing in front of the net on the PP just because they're big.

So based on Helene St. James' "Helm" article, it sounds like Blash wants Helm to start the season as a 3rd line center. Pair that with the fact that Holland said Zetterberg would start on Neilsen's wing, and that Larkin would be a center, and it looks like our forward lines are starting to come together a little bit. It will be interesting to see how the rest fills out, but we can reasonable expect to see this based on what we've heard. Zetterberg-Neilsen-? ?-Larkin-? ?-Helm-? ?-Glendening-?

It's a man's league. These kids don't stand a chance lol.

Here's an interesting tidbit... "While Mike Babcock was still coaching the Detroit Red Wings, during their exit interviews both Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk told management that they wouldn’t re-sign with the Red Wings while Babcock was still coaching the team." http://www.torontosun.com/2016/09/10/encarnacion-will-be-in-high-demand-in-off-season

He should go the CM Punk route and try a career in MMA instead of pretending to be a hockey player. At least he'd be spending his time on something he's good at.

I remember as if it were yesterday when McGratton said analytics were a fad and that he'd be back in the league in no time lol.

What is it you think he'll "likely" be? Because I haven't seen anything to suggest, so far, that he'll be any different that Tyler Myers, or Zach Bogosian, or Alex Edler, or Cody Franson. As a matter of fact, they ALL came into the league young too, performed BETTER than Trouba has to this point, and still never developed into top pairing guys. He's never topped 30 points. You seem perfectly content to chalk that up to being young, but that belies the fact that lots of guys have come into the league at the same age and performed better. Any one of them showed as much, or more, "potential" as Trouba but didn't develop into top pair guys. So why are you so sure he will? It's not unreasonable, for instance, to think that Mrazek will continue to improve and fulfill his potential. But that because he's played at a high level off and on for two seasons. He has SOMETIMES been excellent in his short career. Trouba has never shown that. He's never been anything other than pretty good. And he's regressed each season since his best one. So what's this "what he'll likely be" insinuation based on? If you're willing to give up all this for Trouba based on his potential and age, what would you give for someone like David Savard? He's nearly as young, and has performed just as well as Trouba. What's he worth? People are acting like Trouba is another Dougie Hamilton. An obvious top pair guy who's hitting the trade block. But he's not. His track record doesn't suggest that at all.

Which is why trading for someone in hopes that they'll get better is dangerous. Trouba, for instance, has played well over 200 games and gotten worse since his rookie year. Fowler too. So its pretty dangerous to trade your future #1 goalie based on that track record.

Or like the people talking about Trouba and Fowler like they're already legit 1D instead of moderately good players with some potential? You're doing the same exact thing your chastizing others for.

Mrazek is already a better NHL goalie than Trouba is an NHL defenseman. Anybody who is willing to make that trade is dramatically overestimating Jacob Trouba.

Nah, I'm from Michigan. We tend not to have that problem.

Eichel...cuz he big!!!! He's 1 inch and 5lbs bigger than Larkin. What a giant.

I'd give up Nyquist or Tatar for a 1D too. Unfortunately none are available so it's a moot point. The problem with you and Dickie's argument is that you both have just gone ahead and anointed Trouba and/or Fowler and/or Shattenkirk as "top defensemen"...which they aren't. Would you give up Nyquist or Tatar for a 2D? What about a second pair guy? Because that's what you're getting.

Personally, I'd like a little more assurance than Vanek. I genuinely hope he does well, but if I'm giving up a guy in his mid twenties who's under contract and producing like that, then I'd want a better replacement than a 32 year old Vanek on a 1 year contract. Which is why I liked Okposo (which I'm going to drop because it's irrelevant now). Without such a replacement I'd prefer to wait and see what we've got before making any trades. I do agree with all your valuations though. They seem like reasonable deals. I'm just unsure of what we've got right now and would like Nyquist's (or Tatar's) offense in my back pocket going into the season.