kipwinger

And this, in a nutshell, is the problem. "We made pitches to a number of defensemen," general manager Ken Holland said. "For a variety of reasons, they opted to go elsewhere. I don't know why they're not coming here." No Ken. They opted to go elsewhere for one reason. Detroit is not realistically competing for a Stanley Cup any time soon. We've barely made the playoffs lately. A variety of reasons have contributed to that fact. Largely, that you're a miserly, penny pinching, son of a ***** who is utterly befuddled by the player acquisition part of your job. He seriously makes it seem like EVERY free agent signed somewhere else entirely by chance. Pure happenstance kept everyone away Kenny, you betcha.

I don't really see it that way. He's getting over-paid, for sure. But Washington is getting a hard hitting, defense first (god knows they need defense), Stanley Cup winner, two time Olympian, and team leader, to anchor Trotz' defense first system. More importantly, mildly overpaying for Orpik may well have helped Washington win out on Niskanen, and the combination of both signings puts Washington back on the map after a couple lackluster years. One thing that nobody is talking about (and I admit this is purely speculation), is that both Niskanen and Orpik went to Washington together. They played together all season in Pittsburgh, and they both went to the same team. One which nobody had predicted prior to yesterday. I'm not saying they did the Suter-Parise buddies thing. But I'd be surprised if the two weren't influenced by each others' willingness to sign with the Caps.

We consistently become less and less competitive, and yet, pundits like Malik are blaming the state of Joe Louis Arena. Unbelievable. As I've said a thousand times. Please, Ken Holland, don't do something stupid to make this worse. You're already a huge embarrassing failure. Losing Tatar or Jurco in a lopsided panic move is only going to make it worse. Don't bring anyone else in, don't over think things, don't kick tires or pick up the phone. Just give the remaining spots to Ryan Sproul and Mantha, and in a couple years (despite your best efforts) we should be respectable again (under head coach Jeff Blashill).

Jesus what a nightmare. Prediction: It'll get worse when Holland inevitably panics and trades too many good young players for a mediocre return (Myers) instead of staying put, or trading for someone who's worth it (Yandle). Jesus what a nightmare. Does anybody know what the f*** just happened? Seriously. Is there any explanation for this that doesn't make our team look and feel like a complete and total joke?

Just got back home and what do I see? Quincey in, Niskanen out (for less than 6 million). Lol.

Naw, I wouldn't turn on Holland. He's got me as bamboozled as he's got everyone else. I'll be right here at the trade deadline, and next year's draft, and free agency next summer, waiting patiently and knowing damn well that "this year, this year, is the one when Kenny finally pulls the trigger". I've been hoodwinked. I'm a rube. Gullible. A born sucker. But nobody can ever say I don't hold out hope.

He did have to play in Cali, until his stepdaughter was 18. Which she is now, and no longer subject to custody rules.

I want to rub this guy's head. He must be one lucky S.O.B to get signed by Ken Holland as a UFA. That's twice as rare as a unicorn, at least.

Has anyone checked to make sure that Ken Holland isn't actually dead? He might very well be dead...from the shame of not making a trade before the draft...and is still lying on his bathroom floor somewhere in suburban Detroit. I say "bathroom floor" because he must surely have been looking at himself in the mirror saying "what happened to you?...You used to be so...so...so..." right before his heart exploded. This would explain why there were no moves today. The fact that everyone hates his ******* guts for destroying our team would explain why nobody has bothered to go looking for him.

Trading a young asset like Jurco or Tatar for Myers is the very definition of a panic move. I can't believe I have to explain why trading a cheap, up and coming, top six forward for a guy who's making 5.5 million on potential is a bad idea.

Which would be totally awesome if that were what was going to happen. But instead, he'll eventually get around to re-signing Quincey, Cleary, and Alfie and no kids will play...until half our old ass team is inevitably injured two weeks into the season. But hey, we're only about 9 months from the trade deadline...so that's something.

I can't wait to chase him with a pitchfork and a torch.

Are those like the notes that don't get played in Jazz?

At this point, as long as Holland doesn't start giving away our good young talent, I can still laugh this off. Yes I hate it, yes we're still terrible, yes it's another year down the drain. But at least there's still hope for some nondescript period in the future when things will be good again. I'm really finding the humor it in. But let him trade away one young asset. I'll riot.

I KNEW IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Absolutely right. And we're not paying either one of them (Jurco and Tatar), 5.5 million dollars a season while they work on living up to their potential. We're also not giving up good assets to get them either. Their potential costs nothing to nurture. Myers costs a lot of cap space, and some real good assets.

I smell a Commie plot! This has got to be Soviet payback for stealing Fedorov in '89. Putin's replaced the real Ken Holland with a look alike, cloned in a jungle laboratory a la "Boys From Brazil".

A first round draft pick...at least.

I am being punked. I knew it. Ok Ashton, come on out.

I might think this too, if he hadn't done the same thing with Suter and Brunner. And those are the only two other guys I know he represents. I'm sure he's done it more than that.

He played for Buffalo, so I'm guessing this is heralding some sort of idiotic move with them to be announced real soon.

We could do a lot worse. We could trade Tatar for potential and have Myers turn out to be a taller version of Brendan Smith. Forever a bonehead. If I'm going to take a gamble on talent, I'll bet on Sproul. He doesn't cost me anything to acquire.

Oh, and by the way. f*** Neil Sheehy. His waiting game tactics would piss me off REAL quick if I were an NHL GM.

Seriously, what other team is out there who can afford him that hasn't been making moves all day? I don't want to let myself think he could still sign here, but I honestly can't think of who else wants him, can afford him, and hasn't already signed someone else.

Brian Burke: TRUCULENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!