krsmith17

Sick! Love the red lighting!

Datsyuk forgot us...

Hughes - Larkin - Mantha Bertuzzi - Nielsen - Zadina Rasmussen - Veleno - Athanasiou Abdelkader - Glendening - Helm

McIsaac with a big night last night, 1 goal, 3 assists, 10 shots on goal in a 7-5 win. He currently sits 3rd in the league for defensemen with 1.12 points per game. He has 37 points (10 goals, 27 assists), and 106 shots on goal in 33 games.

LOL such a petulant child... Not even worth the time...

Jesus Christ dude... I put a lot of stock into what the draft analysts and scouts say, but it's not the only determining factor. Just because the Bobfather has Dach ahead of Cozens, doesn't mean I have to... I think Cozens and Dach are fairly close, but personally "I" like Cozens better because of his skating ability (one of, if not the best in the draft). Dach's skating appears to be lacking, and the way the league is going, for that reason alone (not that it's the only one), I'd prefer Cozens. Get over yourself. We don't have to agree, and you don't have to attempt to talk down on people that have a differing opinion... #BellLetsTalk

LOL learn how to read. I'm not taking any of that model as gospel... I said I believe that Veleno will become a 2C and I also believe that one of Zadina or Mantha will become a top line winger. Who knows, maybe both will. The point remains, we have a bigger hole on the wing than at center in my opinion. Basically, I think it's more likely that Veleno exceeds expectations and becomes a 2C, than Zadina, Mantha, Bertuzzi and Athanasiou all exceed expectations... You're right, I did believe Brendan Smith was a dynamic offensive defenseman. I was wrong. So what? I also think Veleno will be a very good, two-way, second line center. Maybe I'm wrong there as well. What's your point? I believe and still do believe Jurco got a raw deal early in his career. Can we please discuss that some more?... I don't think it's been discussed enough over the past 3 years... No, we're not just naming good players. We're illustrating that the center is not always the best player on the team, nor does he have to be for the team to be successful. Stamkos is not the best player on the team. He's basically our Larkin and maybe Kucherov could be our Zadina (hopefully). Centers are the most important player on the team, but yet 3 of the last 6 Hart winners were wingers (2 were centers), and 3 of the last 6 Conn Smythe winners were wingers (2 were centers)... I'm not basing who I believe is the better player on this one season. I truly do believe that Marner is the best player on the Leafs roster. You can disagree. But do you disagree with all 9 of the other wingers that I suggested are the best player on their respective teams? Probably, because that would be the silliest, most you, thing imaginable...

Marner, the elite winger that controls the play, drives possession, leads his team in assists, etc. etc. But how can he be the Leafs best player? He doesn't even take face-offs... How about Kucherov. Another elite winger that is far and away his teams best player. Ovechkin, Wheeler, Kane, Gaudreau, Rantanen, Pastrnak, Panarin, Stone... All wingers that are arguably the best players on their respective teams that are the driving force behind their teams' success...

That's a lot of talk about opinion and facts for someone who oftentimes tries to pass his opinion off as fact. Just because you believe that players 3-10 in this year's draft are equal, doesn't make it a fact. It's your opinion. All things being equal, I agree that we should take the center. However, all things aren't equal in players 3-10. Far from it. Now, onto the second part... I specifically said top line, not top six because I knew you would try to pass some of them off as top six wingers, when in reality, most of them probably aren't either on a good team. Max Bultman of The Athletic recently wrote a great article (recommend) based on Dom Luszczyszyn's model, projecting where players across the league will be in the 2021-22 season. https://theathletic.com/774488/2019/01/18/how-the-red-wings-can-build-a-contender-during-dylan-larkins-prime/ AverageContender.img Of course it's not an exact science, but it seems at least somewhat accurate to me. As you can see, we don't have a single winger that projects to be a top line winger (right-handed or not). Larkin is considered borderline elite. I think Larkin will be elite, if he's given some help on his wings in the coming years. There's also a hole in that 2C slot, but I believe Veleno will get there. I also think it's reasonable to believe that one of Zadina or Mantha could bump up to the 1LW/RW slot. Rasmussen will likely be a middle six winger. You mention Vanek (done after this season), Frk (likely done after this season), Glendening (bottom six grinder) and four defensemen as top six right-handed shooters... Not a single right-handed shot in the top six. Of course you'll downplay the importance of having shots opened up on both sides of the ice, but the FACT is, it does factor into scoring, especially on the power-play. I don't think we need an elite winger more than an elite center. I just think we already have an elite center, and zero elite wingers. If the Red Wings brass feel that Cozens is the best player on the board when they're up to draft, they'll take him. They've proven time and time again over the past several years that they'll take the player they believe to be the best at the time, regardless of position. Besides, Cozens has played plenty center, and if they want to groom him as a center, they will. If they can convert Jonathan Ericsson from a C/W to a D, I'm sure they can convert a C/W into a fulltime C...

You can keep saying "you'd be dumb to...", "you're dumb if...", or whatever, but nothing you're saying is fact. It's just your opinion, the philosophy you would use if you were building a team. You think centers are far more important than wingers. I disagree. Give me the better player, regardless of position. There are quite a few teams that best player' is their top line winger, not the center. Regarding BPA, that's subjective as well. Every single person is going to have a different list. You don't think Cozens is or projects to be a better player than Dach? I disagree. Maybe the Wings brass would disagree as well. Maybe they think Dach is better. Who knows. Point is, if I were running the draft (I would have a lot more information than I have now, but with the limited information I do have), I'd take Cozens over Dach, Zegras, Krebs, Newhook or Turcotte. I don't think we have a clear organizational need right now. However, I'd argue that an elite right-handed winger is more important to this team than an elite center right now. Who are the top six, or better yet clear-cut top line wingers that we have? Zadina is still a question mark, although I think he'll get there. Mantha is the only one I'd consider a top line winger, and most would disagree with that. The only elite (or borderline elite) player we have right now is Larkin, and he's a center. We don't have a single right-handed winger in the entire system that projects to be top six. That's an organizational weakness in my opinion.

I'd still go with best player available, unless it's a situation where we think we can trade back, still get our guy, plus add other assets. I think we're in need of a top six right-handed winger as much as we're in need of a top six center. Of course, I don't see center as much of a glaring issue as you, and I also know that you don't put as much stock into handedness as I do. I'd consider trading back if we ended up in the 2 slot. If a team a spot or two behind us in the draft are willing to pay a premium to get Kakko, I'd be more than happy with Cozens plus another late 1st, early 2nd, or top prospect.

Back-to-back games in Texas and San Antonio tomorrow and Friday.

Sounds kinky...

Very favorable schedule down the stretch though, depending on how you look at it... A lot of winnable games, which could be a bad thing for the tank... 2 big games against Ottawa, Philadelphia and Chicago this month... C'mon Kenny! Sell Howard and Nyquist! Do it now, before it's too late!!!

I hope Arizona offer sheets Matthews, Philadelphia offer sheets Kapanen and we offer sheet Marner...

I think we should send Witkowski out to f*** him up. Imagine seeing him get a season ending injury on Friday... Sorry, not sorry... I just hope whatever the Leafs do, Tampa and Boston match. I hope the Bolts trade for Panarin and the B's trade for Duchene and Simmonds... and the Preds trade for Nyquist...

The Vanek contract could have been worse. It could have been a multi-year contract. I understand why Holland may have had to attach a NTC to get him to sign here, I just don't get why he had to get him to sign here... Vanek is way past his prime, and has very little left in the tank. Sure, he's a veteran, but he's not exactly the type of veteran that we should want the kids to learn from. He's far from the type that does it right every shift, every night. Basically, he's lazy and he sucks... I get the reasoning behind giving out NTC's, most of the time... However, I don't think it's necessary to give almost every player one that is eligible to get one. In my opinion, Vanek shouldn't have one. Abdelkader, Helm, Ericsson, DeKeyser and Daley shouldn't have one. I can understand why Nielsen and Green were given one. Kronwall and Nyquist, sure. Detroit has the most NTC/NMC in the league at 10. It's funny though that the only team with as many, is Tampa, and most Red Wings fans want Holland replaced by Yzerman... Holland is great at a lot of things. Hiring the right people and allowing those people to do their job, without too much interference, he's good. Drafting and developing, very good. Negotiating RFA contracts, one of the best in the business. Negotiating UFA contracts on the other hand, one of the worst in my opinion...

Which was my point...

I'm still hoping we can trade Nyquist to Nashville. The Preds are a very good team, but they lack offensive fire power. Nyquist could help bolster their top six. Poile bent Holland over 5 years ago with the Legwand trade. Hopefully he can return the favor now. Nyquist for Fabbro (rights) and a 2nd round pick...

A ransom? They gave up a late 1st, that may or may not be a player in 3+ years, and two prospects that might become bottom six winger / bottom pair defenseman in a couple years... I'm actually shocked they didn't have to give up Liljegren, Sandin or Bracco. Good trade for the Leafs and I hate it...

I agree that Green would have been a better option for the Leafs, and maybe Dubas called Holland, but he wasn't available. And don't immediately assume that means Holland is an idiot. He may have asked Green to waive his NTC to go to Toronto, but he said "F*** No! F*** the Leafs!"... At least that's what I'd hope he would say... Muzzin is a solid addition, but I am a little surprised they traded for another left-handed defenseman after all that talk about them going hard after a righty. And we all know how much Babcock values lefty-righty pairings.

Not saying he would waive his NTC to go to Toronto (he might), but he could waive to go to a contender, if the thought he had a legit shot at winning a Stanley Cup. 3 years, 4 months (splitting hairs I know). We could have retained salary. Not sure if previously winning a Cup really matters (maybe a little). Both Muzzin and Green have one year remaining on their contracts. In saying all that, I hope Holland doesn't even consider trading Green, unless it's a massive overpayment, which this wasn't. I think Green is too valuable to this team right now. I'd rather keep him around for another season, and trade him at next year's deadline for a 2020 1st round pick...

Well in that case, I'd rather the two 2nd round picks or a different trade partner.

Toews seems like a decent defenseman, but he'll be 25 in a few weeks and we already have a major logjam on defense. We need to make room for Cholowski and Hronek. Adding another player, pushes one (maybe both) out of the lineup. If we're trading for prospects, I'd hope we could get an actual prospect... To NYI: Gustav Nyquist straight up for To DET: Bode Wilde Highly doubt they'd give up on him this early, but that would be my ask...