frankgrimes

From a fans point of view this must be great: - luxury press box seat every game - training with NHL caliber players, coaching stuff - staying at the best hotels - getting paid millions heck if someone, would offer me something like that I would gladly take it *g*

See now we are on the same page Once a team is starting to fall behind, it's time to rebuild because the stupid CBA doesn't allow teams to use their own money. I'm not saying blow it all up but I'm obviously very concerned if they aren't going to start the rebuild next year, this team might be looking at a Calgary Flames like situations Personally I just don't see a point in barely making the playoffs and going out in the first or second round and not getting a better draft pick (thanks god we've lucked out with Mantha).

I'm starting to think this series really gave people more importantly Holland a false impression on where this team is headed in the future but I'll bite. The Hawks simple underestimated the team and thought it would be easy. After they've found another gear the team was simply overmatched in a lot of areas. Like I said when the Wings were healthy and didn't score it was they need to find chemistry, new conference and all that stuff. It doesn't matter, if we as fans are giving them time or boot, other teams are winning so time to catch up is running out. The sad part is, watching this team is boring, they are pushed around way too easily, safe for Kronner from time to time no big hits or playing with an edge.. Also having Pasha or Z out should have given people a good idea on what's ahead, if Holland doesn't react. Maybe missing the playoffs would be the best thing longtermwise, get a better draftpick and start the rebuild in the McDavid year, not a bad year to start. With gems like Tatar, Nyquist and Danny already in place it shouldn't be as painful as other ones. So yeah fairly lengthy but I'm worried about the future and Holland has to share a ton of the blame for not using the wealth this franchise has, this team used to get a player if they wanted him!

Well Nealnis better than Mule, Kunitz better than Alfie, Malkin >Pasha they've also had Letang out and still managed to be competitive. Back when the roster was healthy, people were saying give it time they need chemistry, need to learn how to play in the east stuff like that but if it clicks...watch out. For a team that still wants to play a puck possession style the offense has been very undwhelming so far. The truth is at this point every team is going through bums and bruises, but good teams are finding ways to win even with injuries. Sadly if they aren't getting it together, they might find themselves further down in the standings injuries or not, the ones playing need to step it up.

Why should he? No matter how rich you are, people aren't walking away from basically free money I wouldn't either. Holland signed him and till the contract is up, there's nothing he can do about it.

I don't get it either I mean yeah Scrivens has potential, but there is a reason why he was only considered to be #3 on a stacked LA team. If they don't fix their defense not even the King could backstop this defense. I'll bet a lot MacT already had an offer on the table for Phaneuf and now they've to look elsewhere. Trade one of the big 4 or this years draft pick for immediate top pairing help otherwise they're going to rebuild forever.

Nope I'm not stopping to claim otherwise, it's my opinion and I'm just like you entitled to it. The east is a different beast, the West may be better but that doesn't mean anything right now, because DRW playing the East = built the roster for the east. So what? Even healthy they couldn't score a lot of goals and even Babcock was quoted saying, that nowadays he is happy if this team can score 3 goals, he considers that a very good night. Yes, injuries do hurt and are making things more difficult but they are also part of the game and I really hope Holland doesn't play the injury card if the streak ends... At the end of the day with a new arena coming up, a lot of work needs to be done in order to have people on the edge of their seat again. I'm not pessimistic I'm just realistic

Sadly you can add the Sens or Toronto Maple Leafs to the list I really don't think by the time game 6 rolls around, this roster would be banged up and maybe even scared a bit. Montreal and Washington are the only matchups, where I could see them making it to the second round, but other than that I don't even want to looka t a Boston or a Pittsburgh series it would be....not funny from a Wings pov.

Agreed and I really like Callahan and his play but the point is, the fourth line isn't there to score goals. A well built fourth line is going to provide tenacity, shutdown roles and physicality these guys don't need to be scorers they just need to be big, tough and willing to work hard each shift even with limited icetime. More often than not, all thse stupid "state sheets" aren't telling the whole story, if someone is snakebitten and still plays unreal no data / score sheet or whatever is going to recognize that but coaches and people who actually watch the game will do so. Personally I couldn't care less if a well built 4 line doesn't score at all in a season, it's just not their job. I also like Gelendening.

MacTavish seems to be having a hard time to fix the real problem = defense and their run and gun "swarm"Eakins style. I feel for Scrivens going from LAK to the Oilers is tough and will for sure take him some time, to figure out how to play behind this defense.

Nope it's an excuse, other teams are having / had very significant injuries too, i.e Backes, Weber !, Malkin, Bolland, Gaborik Stamkos ... good teams are finding ways to win it's that simple. And even healthy this just isn't a good club right now (2 stars, a rookie playing great in DD and solid goaltending) but man the D, second line + bottom 6 is a mess. The good thing is, more and more people are now seeing that the East is a whole different beast and some huge adjustments have to happen in the offseason, if Holland doesn't want to do it, let someone else run the ship and he should just move up as an VP of hockey operations. Without Howy playing stellar this would have been another blowout and now with LAK, St. Louis and the Hawks coming up things are getting tougher.

The injury excuse is getting old fast, this just isn't a very good hockeyclub and other teamd are having injuries too. Assuming the club would still be in the west they'd be already six points behind in the standings. At the end of the day at least Holland and Babcock are getting a lot of answers for next season and hopefully reshape this team in a lot of ways.

Boudraus is a good regular season coach but his style of play just doesn't work well in the playoffs. Also compared to the 3 other powerhouses their defense is less than impressive.

Lately I've been playing Torchlight 2 again it's fun, love Path of Excile but after reaching the end of act 3 I'm just sick of all the WTS/WTB spamming and it's hard to find "groups"

Wow didn't expect that they are on a roll lately that's unbelievable. But I don't think Anaheim could handle the Blues or Kings, Blackhawks over 7 games

Girardi, Ott, Westgarth would be a great Ufa day Buyout Mule or Weiss to create more capspace

Fully agreed no GM is perfect so mistakes are part of the job. That doesn't mean, you can be passive all the time. I'd rather see him overpaying for top notch players instead of guys like Quinces or some some softish third line players. The golden era where players took a paycut in order to come to this former powerhouse are gone and for them to come back in the post Z Pasha era, hockeytown needs to be big Ufa player again. Otherwise seasons like this could be looked back as good ones and we'll be competing with teams like Edmonton, Calgary...

This is spot on thinking about this team without Z and Pasha is damn scary. The best hope I'd that some of the promising young guns are going to become regular top 6 contributors, top 4 guys bring no matter the outcome Holland needs to be more aggressive and get creative again, the team needs top eend players enterinentering their prime.

No matter if you like a player or not, this is obviously not good I'm not just talking about hockey here but the person Franzen. I hope he can become symptom free very soon and then start thinking about his return, not the other way. so get well soon Mule

Kane - locker room cancer, bad attitude you don't want something like him around some of the promising younger guys Byufglien - no thanks he is a lose cannon you never know, what he brings defensively something this team can not afford to gamble on Ladd - will be by far the most expensive of the four he is their captain, leader heart and soul guy Wheeler yeah would be a nice thing but the Jets are looking for the exact same thing as the Wings a top pairing defender.

The Rangers simple can't allow either one of them to walk, their defense and even offense isn't that great. They've traded away too much depth for Nash and are now left in a tough situation. With an ever rising cap and given that Girardi might be the best available defenseman this summer, he is going to get paid and by that I mean way more than he is worth, think about something north of 5,5. Not a bad situation to find yourself in as a player, he should really thank Phaneuf for that.

I'm wondering, why some people just don't shut up if they have nothing useful to add.

None of these guys has yet played a full season in the NHL, so how about waiting before we overhype them ? There is definately some potential but at the end of the day. I think, they are going to help fo sure but how much well the jury is still out on that. The biggest hurdles will be replacing Pasha and Z either through UFA or draft

See we are talking about fourth line players here, so it really isn't that big of a deal and guess what I would move heaven and earth just to change our fourth line to theirs, at the Flames fourth line is entertaining ours is well....******* disgusting they don't provide skill, they aren't a shutdown line so I don#t know what their job really is.. The Flames were supposed to be bad and they will be for a few more years, so I'm not surprised. When people are talking about Bergevin they only mention Parros but how about Brandon Prust ? the guy is making 2,5 m and is and unreal hard and soul player, Parros has a horrible season yes but nobody could know that would happen, btw. he won his first fight against Orr so he is still a tough hombre. If McKee doesn't get a chance then I'm really starting to questioning wheter this management has a plan for the fourth line, I HIGHLY doubt there will be anyone like him in a few years. If he could become some sort of younger, bigger Shawn Thornton I'd be incredible happy with that.

Allf four of them are still way to unproven in order to hype them up as coming top pairing guys. The best we can hope, is that their games transformes well to the NHL and that at least one of them is going to become a future much needed stud.