kliq

He's actually from Belle River which is about 20min away from Windsor out in the county. That is good for Detroit though if he ever becomes a UFA, you can drive from Joe Louis to his childhood home in less then an hour (if the border doesn't suck). http://windsorstar.com/sports/belle-rivers-aaron-ekblad-brings-calder-trophy-home

Not comparable Frank. Steve Jobs being a good "presenter" and Apple products being a good fit for you are two different things. Of course you don’t have to agree with everything Babcock says, but I don’t understand how you can say that he is the best in the world no questions asked, but also say you don’t agree with his coaching methods. If you think he uses inferior methods to coach, how can he be the best in your opinion? We are not talking a little thing here, or small decisions. Using advanced stats is a pretty big thing, and any coach that uses them is making a lot of decision based on them. You can’t have it both ways. To me this would be like saying, "I think the New Jersey Devils had the best D in the league during the late 90's/early 2000's but I think the trap was a horrible defensive strategy." or "Ovechkin is the best player in the NHL no questions asked! But goal scoring is not that important and playmakers are MUCH more valuable". Disagreeing with his stance on PR also has nothing to do with coaching as they have nothing to do with each other. Saying that you don't like his coaching methods, but also saying he is the best coach in hockey, that is a contradiction. Advance stats are not going away Frank, and even the best of the best are using them. (not that I am saying Babcock is the best, I think he is one of the best). They may not be for you Frank, and that is totally cool. But clearly there is something to them. It’s not a situation where its either “advanced stats” OR “eyeball test”. IMO any coach that is at the top of his game should be using both, and it appears that they are.

Even harder then lol

That's not what I am saying at all, I never said that coaches should be ranked based on their stance on advanced stats as of course that would be dumb. What I am saying is that you put Babcock on a pedestal and every chance you get say he is the greatest coach in all of hockey, but if Babcock is using a method in his coaching that you think is a fad and useless, there is a major contradiction there. Advanced stats are a part of what he does, he bases his coaching methods that you speak so low of on these advanced stats. So either these advanced stats have some validity to them, or Babcock is going down a path that he shouldn't and maybe isn't the best in the world by a mile. I just don't understand how someone can be the best in your opinion if you think their methods are wrong.

Not saying you wrong, but in 2015 with a cap this is a very hard if not impossible thing to do. Not many teams are willing to get rid of a legit #1 d-man. That leaves UFA, but they dont make it there. The last time one did (Suter) Holland tried but couldnt compete with his hometown.

What is your stance on Babcock and advanced stats Frank? He is very high on this. Is he the best coach in the world no questions asked? Or is he a Math Freak? I dont see how you can have this both ways. I dont see how someone can be the best in the world at something if their approach is stupid has and no validity. Here is what he had to say: "Not only is it a great idea, but if you don't [start using analytics] you're going to fall behind," http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=727093

I completely agree with this, I hate it when people say not to make excuses. When someone is struggling in any walk of life and you need them to get better, all you can do is assess the situation, evaluate why they are failing, and then based on that evaluation make the necessary changes. Just saying "Do it" or "Fix It" or "Work Harder" is not really a remedy unless the problem is as simply as laziness.

Not true at all, look through my posting history. I have never called anyone else a troll before and I always debate with facts and reason. Lots of people have different opinions then mine and that's fine.

Its funny how some people feel that EVERY single pick needs to turn into a stud or the GM is doing a bad job. People that are going to start criticizing Holland for his drafting skills either have zero clue what they are talking about, are trolling, or dont like Holland and will say anything they can against him.

We all get your stance on Drew Miller. Bringing him up in every other thread is the kind of thing that causes posters to say you are trolling. If you are this annoyed by him, just create a "Drew Miller should not be playing" thread.

I wont disagree with anything you are saying, its the timing that is wrong. Like I said, he needs to naturally become the leader.

The kind of payer you make captain is the kind of player that has people want to follow him, not be forced to. None of us were in the locker room when Yzerman was named captain, but I am guessing that with the dynamic they had at the time and the players they had at the time that players wanted to lineup behind him and for the situation it worked This is not the situation now. Forcing the C on Larkin will be just that, putting a C on him, it wont make him the the leader. You cant force things like this, you need to let him happen organically. Do you really think that players like Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Kronwall etc. are going to look at Larkin as their "leader"? Maybe down the road, but not anytime soon. I feel you are confusing "skill set" with "leadership". Being the most skilled player doesnt mean you should be the leader (that would be Datsyuk anyways).

He is in Grand Rapids for a maximum of 2 weeks, they can call him back up anytime.

I'm done with your trolling, I dont even know why I give in. There is no mention of any of these teams in the nhl.com article. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=788701 You want me to post the entire thing....fine. Islanders' Hamonic cites family matter for trade ask Thursday, 11.19.2015 / 1:20 PM / News By Brian Compton - NHL.com Deputy Managing Editor Comment Print E-mail SYOSSET, N.Y. -- It seemed like a routine practice day for New York Islanders defenseman Travis Hamonic on Thursday. He was smiling and joking with his teammates, the same way he always does. The difference, though, was this was about an hour after he addressed the news with them reported Wednesday by Sportsnet that he requested a trade to Islanders general manager Garth Snow prior to the start of the season. Hamonic wants to be traded somewhere closer to his Winnipeg home for personal reasons. "I would have liked to have the chance to talk to them and not have them seen it online first, but it is what it is and those things can't be changed, unfortunately," Hamonic said Thursday. "It was difficult. I guess you can ask them, but they were certainly very understanding of a personal situation, as I hope anyone would be in this situation. "Those are guys you go to war with. Some of those guys I've been playing with for six years and really know really well. [Capuano] always talks about a brotherhood in there and everything else, but it certainly is. (I was) just explaining what was going on. It was probably one of the more difficult conversations I think I've had in life. It certainly wasn't easy, but they've been there for me for many years now in different situations in my life and my career and they've certainly been there this morning." Hamonic, who lost his father Gerald to a heart attack when he was 10 years old, and Islanders brass managed to keep his request out of the media for several months. Nothing in Hamonic's play suggested something was going on away from the rink; he has three assists and a plus-5 rating in 19 games and leads the Islanders with an average of 23:20 of ice time per game. "I've known for a long time," coach Jack Capuano said. "Travis and I obviously have talked about it over the last couple of months. But you can see the professionalism in him and what a teammate that he's been and what a first-class individual he's been. He gets the utmost respect from his teammates. You guys will talk to them and understand that it's a personal matter with him right now." Hamonic is in the third season of a team-friendly contract that has an average annual value of $3.857 million. With the Islanders expected to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's hard to envision Snow trading Hamonic for prospects and/or draft picks. He's likely going to want a player who can step in and fill the void Hamonic would leave. Hamonic understands this could take a while, that Snow is simply not going to give him away. Snow did not speak with reporters Thursday. "I don't want to handcuff the team by any means," Hamonic said. "Garth has a job to do, and I completely understand that and I respect this process. I think I respect Garth tremendously, not just as a general manager but as a person as well. I think maybe in this business people overlook some of those things. He's going to do what he feels is best for the organization, and I've said that from the start that I signed here and I love it here. I really enjoy my teammates. Whatever Garth feels is best, it's not going to bother me. I'm ready to play here and battle hard and go to war every night. It hasn't been an issue for me so far this season. I continue to try to work hard and win here. That's our goal, and one thing I can guarantee and promise is it's not going change how I play on the ice." "If you think Garth is just going to turn around and trade a guy, it's not happening," Capuano said. "It's going to happen if the deal is right. Travis has got a great contract as we know. He's a top-pairing defenseman in this League. He means the world to me and this hockey club. I've been around him a long time. If the right deal comes along, it comes along. For [the story] to break, it doesn't put any added pressure on our general manager. If anything, it'll probably make it tougher." Islanders captain John Tavares has been Hamonic's teammate since the latter arrived in New York during the 2010-11 season. Tavares said he and the rest of the Islanders were understanding of Hamonic's issue and he's impressed with the way New York's defenseman has handled himself on the ice. "It's a family in here," Tavares said. "Travis has been here for a long time. We know he wants to be here, but it's obviously for many reasons I think personally, there's things he's going through. It's important for him obviously wanting to be closer to home. For us, he's focused on helping this team and doing what he has to do to play. Nothing changes for us. He's like a brother to many of us. I've been with him here a long time, and he's a great guy. "Being athletes, I think you learn to accept a lot of criticism, you learn to be hard on yourself and what it takes to be successful. But at the same time, you're human beings and everyone deals with a lot of things. We're there to support him, we're there for him and make sure we let him know that. Just focus on playing and I'm sure that's what he wants to do and that's what we want to do to keep things going here." Hamonic, 25, was a second-round pick (No. 53) by the Islanders at the 2008 NHL Draft. It's the only organization he's ever known professionally. Starting with owner Charles Wang, he's grateful of the relationships that have been built over the past seven years and for the way Snow is handling this difficult task of trying to accommodate Hamonic while not doing anything to hinder the Islanders' chances this season and beyond. "(I'm) handling it in strides," Hamonic said. "The root of all this is a personal family matter of mine that I hold dear to my heart. Obviously, things about my family have been well-documented in the past, but I think in this situation, it's probably as far as I'm going to go with it. It's a personal family matter. "I probably wouldn't want to get into more detail, but I think the Islanders have been great with me throughout this whole process. I know people are going to say and write what they want and all that stuff, but it has nothing to do with the organization or how I've been treated here six years as playing and another two or three since I've been drafted. I've been honestly treated like gold from the start. Charles has been great, I've had a great relationship with him. I think maybe a lot of players don't have that good of (relationship) or are close to their owners. He's been unbelievable. [Capuano] has been one of the best coaches that I've played for. "When we talked about his, Garth and I … I feel it was more on a personal level definitely. It wasn't just a player/GM thing. It was something that … he understands what this means for me and how difficult it is. He's really been there for me, and I can't thank him enough. Obviously I didn't intend for this to happen at all the way that it is. But I'm forced to deal with it."

From my understanding because the former captain Danny Gare had left the team. I cant see a 19 year old Larkin becoming "the leader" of a team that still has players like Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Kronwall on it. Not to mention, do you actually think he would want that? I couldn't imagine just walking into a locker room and taking the captaincy from someone who has been there as long as Z. Typically young guys are given the C, when the entire team around them is young or new to the organization. You dont strip an established vet of the C to give to a 19 year old. Also, how is being big a good leadership quality?

I read the article, and I didnt see anything about Chicago or Minnesota. I dont know where you got those two teams from. Detroit to Winnipeg is 1145 Miles, Saint Paul to Winnipeg is 466 miles, Chicago to Winnipeg is 863 Miles, Brooklyn to Winnipeg is 1656 miles.......If he loves NY but it is too far from home, I really really doubt Detroit wouldn't pose the same problem. If you read somewhere that he is willing to move to Chicago or Minnesota, they are still both closer to Detroit, and Minnesota by a significant distance.

What? What does the distance between Calgary/Edmonton/Colorado and Winnipeg have to do with Detroit? All those teams play close to the west coast and in the western conference which is exactly where he wants to go. How are Minnesota & Chicago the only teams better Detroit distance wise? Compared to who?

I dont mean to be rude, but you really need to read more then a headline before creating a thread. He wants to move to the western conference, a trade to Detroit makes zero sense. .

My interpretation of trending in the right direction is not based on record, but rather the overall direction of the team. I feel that just looking at record is a very simplistic way of evaluating the direction of the team. In the 2010 playoffs our starting 18 + goalies were the following: Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Todd Bertuzzi, Valtteri Filppula, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, Drew Miller, Darren Helm, Daniel Cleary, Kris Draper, Justin Abdelkader, Jason Williams, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson, and Andreas Lilja, Jimmy Howard, and Chris Osgood In 2010 this was a team that was build to win in the now, and in hindsight was headed towards a decline. There is nothing wrong with this, every team has an ascent, a peak, and a decline. Of those 20 players, 8 are still playing, and next year with the likely loss of Miller and Helm probably 6. If we still had most of those players playing and no talented young players to replace them and were not getting better, then I agree we would be the same team and I would not say we are headed in the right direction. However this is not the case, we have a ton of young players who have a history of winning together (calder cup) and have a ton of promise. Led by Larkin and DD, I believe that this team is on it's way of becoming a force in the league....hence, trending in the right direction.

Being a .500 team is not a bad thing as long as you are trending in the right direction.

Regardless of what sport you are talking about, pretty much every team in the world has high points, and low points. To keep a team a contender literally EVERY single year is pretty much impossible. The only franchises that I have seen even come close to this, are the Detroit Red Wings, San Antonio Spurs, St. Louis Cardinals, and New England Patriots. All 4 of these franchises are outliers in their respective sports. Most teams before they become good, have a very very very bad period, just look at the Blackhawks and Kings. Before leading the league the hawks didnt make the playoffs 9 times in 10 years, the Kings didnt make it 6 straight years, and 11 times in 15 years. My point is, it is unrealistic to expect any team to be a championship contender forever. In my lifetime (I am 33) I have seen 3 era's of Wings, lets call it the Yzerman era, the euro twins era, and the current era. I think because Detroit made a seamless transition between the Yzerman era and Euro Twins era, people have that expectation moving forward, but with the cap that is pretty much impossible. I have seem a team being run poorly (I am a Lions fan) and the Wings are not that. Our worst case scenario/lowest point has been losing in the first round 3 times in 4 years. When you compare that to what most teams have to go through during any type of transition, that is not bad at all. I guess if you are in a mindset that Nyquist, Tatar, Larkin, Mrazek, DD and company are nothing special and not the players you want moving forward, I get the disappointment, but for those who believe in the core lets just wait and see what the kids can do. Especially with a new coach, we are not just going to become contenders again overnight. Like I have said a million times on this board, we are going through a re-build and to give up a Larkin or Mantha etc. for a rental to get us a round further in the playoffs now is silly IMO. Its not like a player like Jurco is going to get us a Shea Weber. If people want us to trade for a superstar, we are going to need to get rid of a package of kids, I would rather be great later, then a bit better now.

I think you mean aren't as good as people think

Based on the market, he's not overpaid. The issue here if anything is the term.

I find it funny that some people attribute any success Holland has to those around him, however any bad decisions are solely placed on him. Got to love being a GM in the NHL, you will never please everyone. As far as the '89 draft goes, yes it gave the Wings Vladdy, Lidstrom, and Fedorov, and yes of course it was a big part in the future success of the franchise, but only 2 of them were there in 1998 and 2002, and one in 2008 (well I guess 2 if you count Drake lol). To say all of his success is based on that draft is just wrong. Using that logic to dismiss Holland's part in the 2008 cup win could pretty much dismiss every GM's part in any cup win ever as most teams have a player that is good that was there before the GM got there.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/ales-hemsky-boards-jonathan-ericsson--discipline-coming---video-012513221.html