krsmith17

No, not at all. Stats are telling but they don't tell the whole story. Smith is better than his stats suggest because he SHOULD be getting top 4 minutes (in my opinion), and he WOULD be a top 4 defenseman with 25+ other teams (in my opinion). I constantly state as facts? Are you kidding me? I make a conscious effort to make the point of saying "in my opinion" as much as possible, so that people like yourself wouldn't confuse it as me trying to state my opinion as fact. I apologize if I don't always say "in my opinion", but I think that's the case for almost every single conversation on a sports forum... especially when it comes to debating a players worth... Yeah, it's impossible to think that a coach doesn't always put players in situations to succeed... As much as you hate on Babcock (almost as much as Smith), you sure give him a ton of credit for giving all his players the appropriate amount of ice time... Why is it that Weiss gets demoted to the 3rd line and it's all "WTF has Weiss done to deserve this" from kipwinger, but if Smith is demoted to the 3rd pairing, it's "well he just isn't a top 4 defenseman"...

What is a two-way defender to you Kip? To me it is a player that can play both ends of the ice, very well. I think Smith is almost there. I think he should be put in better situations and in a different system, under a different head coach, he would be a 30-40 point guy. Disagree all you want... because... stats right? That's the coaches job to sort those things out after having those 6 players on his roster. Why not break up the top pair? They're no more of a staple at this point than the DeKeyser - Quincey pairing. I don't know. Maybe Kronwall - Smith, DeKeyser - Franson, Quincey - Ericsson. Oh but, never mind, Smith hasn't "earned it". Never mind how he played last time he was paired with Kronwall. And oh yeah, that would never happen, because Babcock would NEVER put two offensive defenders together... No one if calling out Ouellet for his defensive game because he has been quite good on the defensive side of the puck. That is and always has been his game. He will never have the offensive ability that Smith has (I know, I know, 9 points...) I think Smith is just as good as Ouellet defensively right now and much better offensively.

I see the potential in Smith that I don't see in Ouellet, simple as that. You don't have to agree with it, and you don't have to like it, but that's what I've seen by watching both players from their days with the Griffins to the Red Wings. Also, Ouellet was more of a well rounded, two-way player, even in his days with Armada in the Q before he was drafted and continued that style in the minors and up in Detroit. Smith on the other hand, was an offensive defenseman right through college and the minors and was forced to refine his game at the NHL level, to be a two-way defender... That's not an easy thing to do. It takes time, it has taken time and he's almost there... So like I've said two times now, but you fail to get the point... Rearrange the top 6 however you want, but Smith is better than Ouellet, which is why I'd prefer to trade Xavier... and Franson is better than Marchenko, which is why I'd like to acquire Franson... Very simple. Which is exactly what I did... But you missed that point as well apparently... After 25 NHL games, which is all we have to go on at this point, Smith was the better player. Does that mean he will be in the future? No, not necessarily but I do believe he will. And that's just based on what I've seen of them in their respective careers thus far...

Lol Kip, you really don't think Holland has had any interest in bringing in a right handed shooting defenseman? Babcock is the ONLY reason he's after this elusive right handed defender?... I'm sure Babcock has been harping for one for quite some time now, but Holland has been after one for just as long. But after Holland acquires any player, it is up to Babcock where he plays that player. And as he has shown time and time again, his line combinations and pairings don't always make the most sense...

I find it hilarious how you pick and choose which points you want to respond to. Just forget about the point I made about Smith being twice as good as Ouellet, statistically, in their first 25 games after you trying to portray the opposite... Ouellet is definitely going to be better than Smith though, no question... We need more offense from the blue line, Smith can provide that if given the opportunity with the right partner. And no he has not been given every opportunity to succeed. He's been on a short leash and you know that. For good reason? Maybe. But only because I believe Smith will be a better all around player because of Babcock's ways with him. He hasn't been given the green light to free wheel and go all out offense. He was expected to play defense and that's been great for his game. He's finally starting to figure it all out. I'm sure Holland didn't acquire Legwand to be our 4th line center or Wiess to be our 3rd line winger either, but that's where Babcock has elected to put them. Why? Because Babcock likes balance. He plays his 4th line just as much as his 1st for f***s sake, why would he not be willing to play all three pairings the same?... So, if you think Smith - Marchenko have been good, and you admit that Smith is better because he is with a righty, and I'm sure you would say that Franson is much much better than Marchenko, wouldn't it be reasonable to assume that a Smith - Franson pairing would be really good?... Umm because, who really gives a s*** what either player has done in the past? It's about where they are right now and where they project to be in a few months / years from now...

Kip, I've never said that Smith is in any way, shape or form, better than DeKeyser. I've actually stated numerous times that DeKeyser is the better defenseman right now. You're right, I don't believe that it's technically a third pairing if all three lines are getting between 18-22 minutes a night. Make DeKeyser and Quincey your second pair and Smith and Franson your third pair if it really makes you happy. Hell, I even said, rearrange them if you see fit, but it comes down to balance and chemistry for me, and keeping our two most steady pairs together makes the most sense in my opinion. If we had 6 of those players, plus any of our defense prospects (including Marchenko), that would be our top 6, Marchenko would be our number 7 at best. There is a TON of benefit in acquiring a top 4 defenseman and demoting one of your second pair guys... it's called depth and that would be one hell of a deep blue line in my opinion. Again, I am not saying that Smith is better than DeKeyser, so stop with that bulls***... Marchenko is not THAT good. He is a reliable third pairing minute muncher, and I think that's where he maxes out in the NHL. Whether you like to admit it or not, Smith has looked better because he is paired with a right handed defenseman who can get him the puck quicker, giving him more time to make a play, not because Marchenko is awesome... Ouellet is a good defenseman, but no I don't ever see him being better than Smith. They are both still improving their game but I think Smith's ceiling is much higher. LOL if Smith should have been flipping burgers after his first 21(25) games, Ouellet should be scraping the gum off the bottoms of all the chairs in that same burger joint... Ouellet has 3 points through his first 25 NHL games. Smith had 3 points through his first 5 NHL games and 8 points through his first 25 games... Remember, this is a guy that has been praised by his coach on a regular basis lately, but yeah, let's go back to a quote from a year ago, that's much more fitting... to your argument...

Kronwall, Ericsson, DeKeyser > Byfuglien, Enstrom, Myers... in my opinion. Jacob Trouba is the only defender on the Jets that I would want...

I don't really understand this trade from either teams perspective...

I also agree on Athanasiou. It would be a huge mistake to trade this kid in any sort of package. He is the real deal. Although I wouldn't put him above Mantha and Larkin right now, I think he definitely has the potential to be the best of all of our prospects at any position.

Kip, I already said that I would trade Smith for Franson, IF he would definitely, without question re-sign with us in the off-season. Of course, I do think it's an overpayment for a UFA so I doubt it happens, but if it were a sign and trade I would do it. Although, even if we were 100% able to re-sign him, I don't think that is the only option for us. In my scenario where we lose Ouellet and a 2nd, we could go with... Kronwall - Ericsson, Smith - Franson, DeKeyser - Quincey, or rearranged however. The reason Marchenko has looked so good is because of his handedness being paired with Smith, allowing him to play his natural side, which has formed a very solid pairing. But if you pair Smith with Franson and leave the other two pairings intact, which have been great all year, it makes us much deeper back there in my opinion... I know you like to give me s*** about Smith, but honestly, do you believe Ouellet is an upgrade right now, or ever will be? I honestly don't see it. Smith is finally starting to round out his game and I still say it would be a mistake to trade him, especially for a rental...

That is steep for a potential rental, however, I believe that Franson could be the type of guy that would want to re-sign with us in the offseason (if we land him). If we finish in the top of the standings and go on a decent run, I think he would be foolish not to re-sign (assuming Holland offers him a fair contract). Our blue line would look significantly better with him back there, and I'd consider going as high as a 2nd and Ouellet in a trade, and then do everything we can to lock him up after this season.

Whoever doesn't believe that Callahan has a future in the NHL (on the Red Wings) clearly haven't watched this kid enough. He is definitely an upgrade over Andersson right now, and I think if given the chance, he would be better than any of our options on the 4th line in a very short time. The kid flat out competes. He's the exact type of player Babcock loves, and I'm honestly a little surprised he wasn't given the Glendening treatment by Babs. I will be shocked if Callahan doesn't make the team next season out of training camp. He is better than Andersson in literally every facet of the game... I think his 6'0", 195lbs. stature is pretty accurate but I agree that he definitely plays bigger. He is a prototypical 4th liner. He hits everything, blocks shots, kills penalties, great speed, a very good wrist / snap shot and underrated hands and passing. I love this kid, and I hope he makes the jump sooner rather than later...

http://www.nhl.com/ice/m_news.htm?id=752569

Lol fair enough. Well stop pushing my f***ing buttons! I'm in the same boat with Franzen as well. Do I get frustrated with him? Absolutely. It would be near impossible not to. But he takes WAY too much heat on here. I hope he gets healthy and has another decent run down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Explain why you like "pushing my buttons"... You wouldn't know but I hailed him as the second coming or something. I simply think he is a good young defenseman that takes way too much flack from Wings fan, much like Ericsson did a few years back...

Yup, definitely no idea what I'm talking about... says the guy that "likes" the majority of what I write. Keep up your Brendan Smith sucks comments, and while he keeps improving, and the rest of us fans (even Kip, who was probably the biggest hater) take notice, you'll still be grumbling about how "bad" he is... Jimmy, I could care less if you read my comments. Me personally, I'd rather read long thought out comments then the one liners a lot of people on here provide most of the time...

Well played...

I don't think it's selfish to keep both goalies for a few years, which I'm sure we will. There are teams every year that have two potential starting goalies (Luongo / Schneider, Quick / Bernier, Elliott / Halak...) We are fortunate enough to be in that situation in the next couple years. Things will sort themselves out, and I think eventually, one of the two will be traded for a need elsewhere on the team.

Absolutely, which is a great problem to have.

I agree that it's great for Mrazek's confidence. However, I do think it's more to just wanting Howard to get a few more days of practice and conditioning in before he's thrown in again. I'm sure they'd rather him get his first start in over a month against the Jets rather than against a pretty potent Penguins team. Petr has been playing great, but make no mistake, it's still Jimmy's net.

It was officially announced a couple minutes before I posted. Pretty clear I didn't see it until afterward...

Mrazek will get the start again on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. I expect Howard to back him up and then be ready to start the game on Saturday against the Jets. Mrazek will most likely be sent back down to Grand Rapids to get as much playing time as possible. edit - beat me to it nawein...

I'll admit, I know very little about the upcoming draft class. That goes for this year and every year for that matter. Of course there are always a few players I'm familiar with before draft day, like the top 5-10 picks, as well as a few players around where the Wings are drafting. I knew all about Anthony Mantha prior to the 2013 draft, and that's exactly who I, along with just about every other Wings fan wanted. I just find it funny when so many people act like they are experts when it comes to evaluating these 17-18 year old, undrafted kids. Chances are, there are very few people on here that have actually watched any of these players regularly, to have any basis for an evaluation, let alone all of them to compare players. For the most part, people are basing their entire opinion on these players, on a paragraph scouting report, and that's best case scenario. Others are just looking at their bios and looking at height and weight and thinking, "wow, that kid is big, he must be good"... Other than stature and point totals, there's not a whole lot else to base an opinion on, unless you're fortunate enough to be able to watch these kids on a nightly basis... MasterPavel, the Wings have lacked right shooting players (both defensemen and forwards) for years now, and they proved last season when they picked 6 left shooting forwards, that they will pick the best player available, despite their handedness... Roy is small? 6'0", 185lbs. is small for a 17 year old? Okay... But Jens Looke who is virtually the exact same size, is a player that we cannot pass over? I don't know anything about this kid, but he has 6 points in 34 SHL games this season... What's so special about this kid? If Roy and Looke are both available when we pick, my non-expert pick is Roy for sure. Also, I'd love to know what gives you the impression that Spencer is "right handed Kyle Quincey"?... And personally, I think a right handed Quincey would be a great addition to our prospect pool. I will carry on with my "dman agenda"... because that's our biggest need...

There's no way Montreal or Detroit would ever make either of those trades. They would both lose those trades in my opinion, especially Montreal.

BAHAHAHA not even worth it... You're right frank. But then again, I shouldn't be surprised, you usually are...