krsmith17

I think most are taking this quote way out of context, and I actually tend to agree with him. But hey, anything to b**** about when it comes to ol' Kenny "kicking tires" Holland, amirite?

Where do you get the idea that he "doesn't like the Red Wings"?...

xtrememachine, none of the players you listed are prospects, they are young players. I never once said that we could get Trouba or a similar type player for draft picks. I would be more than willing to give up a player like Nyquist or Tatar, a prospect not named Mantha (they would likely want a defense prospect anyway), and a high pick to get that "future" top pair defenseman. I'm not sure if that would be enough to get a player like Trouba, but that's where I'd start. Like Buppy said, and I said previously, just because management gave Ericsson a long term contract doesn't mean they expected him to be a top pair defenseman, it just means they thought he would be a key piece to our core. And like it or not he has been. We also have totally different opinions on what makes a player considered elite if you think every top pair defenseman is "elite"... Also, like I said, there's virtually no risk in trading for a player like Trouba, when his floor is a very good 2nd pair defenseman, and his ceiling is elite, top pair defenseman... I also disagree that any of those defenseman are an upgrade over anything we have on our team right now or waiting down in Grand Rapids...

Yeah, Pietrangelo is a beast, one of my favorite defensemen in the league for a few years now, and I think Ekblad will be as good or better... In saying that, there's zero chance a team would even consider... considering... to consider... trading a playing like Pietrangelo... We could offer Larkin, Mantha, DeKeyser, 2016 and 2017 first round picks and it still wouldn't be enough...

What "proven prospects" are you speaking of that we would have to trade to get Trouba? We don't have a single prospect in our system that is as proven as Trouba... When did management EVER think Ericsson was going to be an "elite defenseman"? They never did, and he was never paid like he would be. Ericsson, is paid like a 2nd pairing defenseman, and despite what many here say, he is a solid number 4, at worst number 5. Management probably did think that Smith was going to be elite, or close to it, but he certainly has never been paid like it, because he didn't meet expectation. He is still a very good top 4 defenseman though, which brings us back to Trouba. Like Smith early on, Trouba has all the tools to become an elite defenseman, we give up some assets now in hopes that he develops into that role, if not, he's still a very good top 4, and we would pay him accordingly... There's no risk in trading for a guy like Trouba, because there's no way he becomes a complete bust. The only way we'd look back and regret such a trade is if he only becomes a top 4, and the first round pick we trade to get him, becomes the next Drew Doughty... Guys like Polak, Schenn and Russell are the last thing this team needs. We don't need depth, we have plenty of that. We need a legit top pairing defenseman to pair with DeKeyser. In my opinion that player could / should be Trouba...

I think Nyquist, Mantha and a 1st would definitely get it done, not sure if I'd do it though. I know you have to give to get, but I'm still very high on Mantha, and I'd be hesitant to trade him right now. I'd try Nyquist, Ouellet and a 1st. Not sure if the Aves would bight on that though... They definitely need help on the wing and Nyquist could give them 60+ points on the top line with Landeskog and MacKinnon. Their defense also needs a big upgrade, and Ouellet could help in that regard, and 1st round picks are always at a premium... Probably still not enough though...

This year is weaker than years previous, and next year and so on will be weaker again, that's the way the NHL is going. Teams are locking up their stars, so not near as many hit the open market, hence the importance of drafting and developing... I've stated my opinion on this so many times now, but here it is again. Like you said, we're not getting any of the top "current" defensemen, aka Doughty, Weber, Pietrangelo, etc. The key is looking for young, up and coming defenders, that you think have a chance to develop into the next wave of elite defensemen. Who that is? I'm not sure, but they're out there. I want us to go hard after Jacob Trouba, not because I think he is an elite defenseman, but because I think he has all the tools and potential to become an elite defenseman in a few years. I also think he is better than the majority of what we have on our blueline right now, and even if he doesn't hit his ceiling, he will still be a very solid second pairing defenseman. So we can go after a Keith Yandle and pay him $6+M to be our second pair defenseman, basically a left handed Mike Green, or we can package together a deal that could bring Jacob Trouba in with a floor of second pair defenseman and ceiling of elite top pair defenseman...

Unless a team is looking for depth (we aren't) free agency is not the way to go. We need a legit top pairing defenseman, and there's just not any available in this years UFA class. Yandle is the closest thing to a top pair defenseman available, but I think even he's a solid second pair. Trading is the right way to go, and we have the assets to acquire a legit top pair defenseman. Whether or not Holland is willing to give up these assets, we'll soon find out...

Yeah, I was happy to hear most of what they were saying in the exit interviews, particularly Holland. Obviously though, there's a huge difference between "saying" and "doing", the question is will he act on his words?... Some points that Holland touched on that I hope he holds true are, that they will be "aggressively going to the draft and exploring trades", they "need to change the mix a little bit" and "will look to get bigger", and most importantly, they "need to give more responsibility to the younger players"...

Huge loss if Helm walks...

Care to explain?...

Yeah, that old washed up 29 year old...

Weren't Datsyuk and Radulov linemates with CSKA Moscow in the lockout season a few years ago?

All the skill in the world, along with a piss poor attitude. It's a no for me as well.

Absolutely no chance Chychrun is available at 16. He will likely be gone in the top 7, maybe even 5. In saying that, I'd definitely trade up to get him if that were an option, just like I wanted to last year with Werenski. Unfortunately, I don't see any team in the top 10 trading down, unless it's massive overpayment... I really like Bean if we're keeping our pick, although he may be gone before 16 as well...

Yeah, apparently he hasn't 100% made up his mind yet, but everything I've read today makes it seem like he's already on his way out...

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"A #13 Red Wings jersey was signed by the entire team in dressing room on Monday - The handwriting is on more than just the wall"... I still want to be hopeful, but this doesn't sound good...

I was thinking the same thing Jacksoni. That's definitely not the same image I seen during the game... Either it's a different angle, or someone worked their photoshop skills...

We definitely have more than enough to get Duchene, just not the players most of us would want to give up...

No one is saying that because we started drafting bigger players that these players are going to make us better or harder to play against. Odds are against most players to make it, regardless of size. But the point is, the issue has been addressed for quite a few years now, and to suggest otherwise is just wrong. It's hard enough to predict which players are going to develop the skill to play at the NHL level, let alone which ones will develop the skill along with the edge. The best bet is to draft players with skill and size and hope they develop into players... Which is what this team has been doing for 5+ years now...

In the past 5 drafts we have drafted 1 player out of 36 under 6'0", (2015 3rd round pick - Vili Saarijarvi), quite a few are 6'2" or taller, and we have a few monsters at 6'5" / 6'6", but people still like to say that we need to get bigger... We've been going with that philosophy for the past five years... It takes time...

I don't think we had to go through Tampa to get Quincey because the Wings and Avalanche are not willing to trade with each other, I think that's just the way it happened to go down. Three way trades do happen in the NHL, and I would say unwillingness to trade with a particular team or GM because of a rivalry that died 10+ years ago is never the case. The only objective in any GM making a trade is to do what he feels will better his team. The only situation a GM should maybe be a little wary about his trading partner in my opinion, is when they are current divisional rivals, and I don't even think that's as big a thing as some make it out to be...

Superman, Duchene would be an interesting option if Datsyuk ends up leaving, and Holland trades his contract. Despite what Kenny has said, I do think he would move the contract. I think he may just be saying that he won't, in hopes that Pav would feel more obliged to stick it out for the last year... Who knows though. And despite what some people think, that there's still a lot of animosity between the Red Wings and Avalanche, and there's no way they'll ever make a direct trade with one another, I don't buy that. With MacKinnon poised to take over the number one center role full time, and due for a significant raise this summer, as well as decent center depth with Soderberg and Grigorenko more than capable of filling their 2/3 slots, they may entertain moving Duchene for the right pieces. What those pieces are, I have no idea. I do know, that they don't have a whole lot of depth on the wings, besides Landeskog and Iginla, who is getting up their in age, they don't have much else. Maybe a package including Nyquist, Marchenko / Ouellet, and a high draft pick could get the conversation started... Although I'm still not convinced Datsyuk is leaving, if he does, I'd feel a lot more comfortable if we had Duchene, Larkin, Sheahan, Glendening down the middle...

I'd be okay with any of DeKeyser, Abdelkader or Larkin. In saying that, I hope that decision is still a year away...