krsmith17

This draft seems to be wide open after the first couple picks. The only two players that definitely won't be around at 6, are Power and Beniers. Everyone else, maybe. It's the first year I don't really have one or two guys that I'm gung ho over. There are a lot of guys I like in the 6 range though... McTavish may be my favorite as of now, but that seems to change daily. Johnson seems like a real boom or bust pick, but I'd be more than willing to bet on the skill there. I like Guenther, but I'm not sure about taking another pure winger with our first pick, unless Yzerman believes he's that much better than the rest. Same applies to Eklund, but I believe he could be the most skilled player in the draft, and I also think he has the tools and ability to play center at the NHL level. Edvinsson seems like he could be one of the more polarizing picks in the top 10, but I really like what I've seen from him. Could be a great guy to pair with Seider. I'm not as high on Hughes as most. But then again, I wasn't as high on older brother Quinn either, and we all see the impact he's making in Vancouver. Our top 4 on the right side is pretty set with Seider and Hronek, but I'd consider adding Clarke and moving Hronek down or trading him for help elsewhere. I've always been completely against taking a goaltender in the top 10, or even in the first round (or two) for that matter. However, for the first time ever, I wouldn't be that against a goaltender (Wallstedt) at 6th overall. Wouldn't be my first choice, but wouldn't hate it either. Depending on who we take with our 6th pick, and obviously how the 1st round plays out, there are a ton of players I'd like to see fall to 23 (or 38, 48, 52), or potentially trade up... Lucius, Sillinger, Pinelli, Bolduc, Raty, Lysell, Lambos, Ceulemans, Cossa... Best case scenario for me would be Edvinsson and Lucius or Raty OR McTavish or Eklund and Lambos, and one of the others dropping to the 2nd round... Probably pretty unlikely though...

So far there are 5 Red Wings players / prospects on loan to different European Leagues... Filip Hronek - Mountfield HK (Czech Extraliga) Filip Zadina - HC Ocelari Trinec (Czech Extraliga) Moritz Seider - Adler Mannheim (DEL) Gustav Lindstrom - Almtuna IS (HockeyAllsvenskan) Mathias Brome - Orebro HK (SHL) Does anyone know when regular season games start up for these leagues? I'm not sure if this was regular season or some sort of pre-season game, but Hronek had a goal and an assist, including his patented bomb from the left side on the power-play, in a 5-1 win...

Our 1D is ready! Time to trade our 1C. Sound logic there bud...

You know who else "hopes" (sees) this in Larkin? Yzerman. Larkin will remain THIS team's 1C for the foreseeable future.

You and like two other people agree that Larkin sucks. Everyone else thinks Larkin is a low end 1C, or at worst a high end 2C. But yeah, don't "buy my crap"... Why would folks forget about their number one center and captain just because we add a number one defenseman? That makes no sense. Did folks forget about Yzerman when we added Lidstrom back in '91? What exactly can't I see that's an inch from my face? Enlighten me...

Every. Single. Time. Without fail. number9 / CRL / Grinder gets backed into a corner and out comes the Brendan Smith BS... Comparing Brendan Smith to the Red Wings best player and captain is cute though. Yzerman is going to rip the C off Larkin and give it to Seider though, and Blashill is going to demote Larkin in favor of Pearson though. Can't wait...

Well considering I see him as a 65-75 point, two-way center at his peak (which he hasn't reached yet), I don't think I'd really consider 61 points at the age of 23 much of a "down year"... I'm sure you're right though, "rapid decline". He will most likely finish with a 20-25 point pace this season, after he gets demoted to 3rd line being passed by Rasmussen (1C) and Pearson (2C)...

Larkin's point pace the past 4 seasons... 2017-18 - 63 2018-19 - 79 2019-20 - 61 2020-21 - 43 Last season was very obviously a down year and an outlier. He will bounce back strong this season. Mark it.

Based on last season, no he was not a 1C. Based on previous season's, yes he was a 1C. I suppose you think he peaked at the age of 22? On a good team Larkin is a 65-75 points, two-way 1C. I'll bet anything that none of Rasmussen, Veleno or Pearson dethrone Larkin as the 1C. The only way Larkin gets demoted before he ages out, is if we luck out and get a Wright or Bedard over the next couple drafts, and even then, Larkin would remain our 1C for the next 5 years.

Why would we trade from our biggest area of weakness (center), to add to our biggest area of strength (right-defense)? Moritz is our future 1RD. Hronek is a more than capable 2RD. Stecher (or Lindstrom) is a more than capable 3RD. No need for Jones, who is two years older, the same age as Mantha, who was just traded away for Vrana, who is two year's younger because he better fit the rebuild... Trading Larkin would leave a ginormous hole down the middle. Not to mention, Yzerman isn't trading his newly named captain. Dylan Larkin IS a (top 25) 1C that could still be a very good (top 15) 1C. Michael Rasmussen isn't and never will be a 1C. Joe Veleno isn't and never will be a 1C. Chase Pearson? LOL

Played his first WHL game for Prince George last night against Seattle. Scored the only goal for the Cougars in a 5-1 loss.

It's not quite the offseason yet, but we're getting close, with a dozen games remaining. Alex Biega was re-signed today, 1 year, $875K. Good depth signing, but I hope we're in a position next season where he slots in as the 7th defenseman... It'll be interesting to see what happens with the rest of the UFA's / RFA's this spring / summer... UFA's - Gagner, Ericsson, Daley, Goloubef, Howard, *Franzen, *Brodziak RFA's - Mantha, Bertuzzi, Fabbri, Perlini, Erne, Hirose, Svechnikov, Timashov, Ehn, Turgeon, Bowey Of all the UFA's the only one that I'd re-sign is Gagner. Something around $2.5-3.5M for 1-2 years. It would be great if Yzerman could somehow pull off a Nielsen trade... Mantha, Bertuzzi and Fabbri will all be re-signed. I'd try to lock Mantha up long-term, 7-8 years at around $6-7M, Bertuzzi, 5-6 years at $4-5M, and Fabbri, similar to Bert, maybe slightly lower AAV. I'd also re-sign Perlini, Hirose, Svechnikov, Timashov, Turgeon and Bowey for around $1M for 1-2 years each. Erne and Ehn I can take our leave, but I'd be okay with either / both on a similar deal as well, for depth. Other than that, I'd sign a goaltender in free agency and stand pat at forward / defense.

I don't consider 2 to be that "B O L D"... The Jack Adams isn't really awarded to the best coach, but rather the coach of the team that exceeds expectations. The Red Wings are still expected by a lot of people to finish dead last this season. I can see them surprising a lot of people this season.

Yeah, this is pretty much where I'm at as well. I still think Nielsen should have been waived before Svechnikov, but glad he cleared to hopefully get one last look. Either way, Svechnikov won't likely be a needle mover, but may still be able to be a decent 3rd line winger, if he can stay healthy...

Svech clears.

Yeah, I think he clears, just based on the sheer number of players placed on waivers yesterday. Over 100 in one day, most in league history... I wouldn't mind Yzerman claiming Kylington, but maybe not after the Djoos claim. That's a player I don't see slipping through though...

Ho-Sang comes with some baggage though doesn't he? Some off ice issues / concerns? That said, I agree. Svechnikov likely clears. I'd love to see it.

The key there is that he does need to clear waivers. If not, he may be giving up a decent asset for nothing. In saying that, decent assets can be acquired for nothing every single year, via waivers or free agency, so whatever. If he clears, great. If not, probably not a huge loss. I like Svech though. I wouldn't mind seeing him end up with his bro in Carolina. Whether or not Svechnikov was or Cholowski is in Yzerman's future plans is irrelevant. If they have trade value (Svechnikov probably didn't due to injuries), they will be traded, not waived.

Like I said, even if he's not (I don't see it), he still should have enough value to keep on the roster / trade. He won't be waived, unless he gets a look again this season, and struggles / takes a step back from the previous two seasons.

Cholowski doesn't have the injury history that Svechnikov has. I highly doubt he'd be waived. If he's not part of the plans going forward, I think he would have some value around the league. I think Cholowski forces his way back on the roster at some point this season.

He could have kept him in Detroit, practiced with the team, and maybe give him a look in the next couple weeks when a player(s) inevitably gets injured. In the short-term it should. I don't think it was the smartest move, but I could see it going either way with Svech.

I wouldn't go as far as to say Yzerman is idiotic, but I do think he should have given him a look at least to start the season. The roster is jammed, but there were other options other than waiving Svech...

Yeah, like I mentioned in the other thread, I wouldn't mind it to be honest. Kid hasn't had any luck with injuries in Detroit, maybe he can catch a break in Carolina...

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I'd much rather Gagner over Perry at this point their careers. If Perry is picked up specifically to replace Erne (I don't think he would be), I'd be all for it. He'll probably clear, with all the injury history. I wouldn't mind Carolina picking him up though to be honest...