Behind Enemy Lines in CO

The Boyle hate is hilarious. Our blue line generates no offense, can't break out of its zone, can't run an effective power play - but yeah, there's absolutely no reason why we should be interested in Rafalski-esque Dan Boyle. At the very least, he'd give as an actual power play. You know what would've helped our cause against the Bruins? An actual power play. You know what would've helped our cause against the Bruins? Better puck management, a stronger possession game. Boyle would help on those fronts.
Niskanen - he's worth overpaying, because the need is that great, because our blue line is that bad. You may overpay by a couple million, but you're getting what you need, which is a right-shooting power play quarterback in his prime who weighs 200 lbs and isn't afraid to throw his weight around. And with the cap going up every year, there's a good chance that it looks like a great deal in a couple years. We can't be too picky here.
If we don't add a high-end top-four defenseman, we have absolutely no shot at competing for the Cup. None whatsoever. We have Kronwall, two pretty good defensive defensemen, and Brendan Smith (who's 50/50 in re: whether he's going to put it together before he becomes a reclamation project). That's it. We'll be incredibly fortunate if any one of the kids ever becomes as good as Niskanen is now or even as good as Boyle is now. Talk about risk - going with the kids would be the ultimate risk, if money alone could get us a big name who could really help (and that happens to be the case here).
Get Niskanen or Boyle and we'll be a much better team.

I still don't get why people are so nervous about Niskanen. Sure he played with Crosby and Malkin. But here he'd be feeding Datsyuk, Franzen and Zetterberg (who may have a career year now that he is healthy). And maybe playing with Kronwall, one of the better offensive d-men in the league.
If there's any player you take a risk on, its a steadily improving guy entering his prime years. Not a guy who was discarded by a good team for being half the player he once was (Boyle).
Boyle reminds me of a depth signing, like Colaiacovo. Only it sounds like we want to pay him way more.
Sure, short term is nice, but what if our young guys plateau below their potential and Niskanen continues to improve? We will have missed out on that chance and will go through the whole overpay thing in two or three years.
I'm not sold on the kids being prime level contributors in two years.
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I would give Kocur a one-game stint just to throw another chair to center ice.

People blaming Renney need to remember that he didn't build this s*** team. Holland and Babcock are more responsible for it than him.
I remember people here always blaming McCrimmon when the defense struggled and everyone wanted him fired. It's silly blaming Renney, imo. The assistants coaches are just that...... assistant coaches.
Mclelland had a prime Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Lidstrom, Rafalski and Holmstrom. Probably a few others I've missed. I won't give him credit for the Wings having a good powerplay. Renney would be just as good with that powerplay.

Pretty sure our PP problems have a lot more to do with the retirements of one Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Holmstrom than McLellan. I find it hard to believe that Todd McLellan is simply that much smarter at organizing a PP system than Renney.

And now we all see the value the Grind Line brought to the Wings years ago. They could play tough against the best lines of other teams and could also score.

And now we all see the value the Grind Line brought to the Wings years ago. They could play tough against the best lines of other teams and could also score.

Tatar, Sammy, Bert.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.

I've got to believe there's an attitude issue. Tatar did more than pay his dues in the AHL, and he's free to evaluate the option of going to Russia internally, but he never should have expressed it to the press in the way that he did. However right he might be, the correct thing to do would've been to say it was his 'ultimate goal' to make the team, not that it was his goal, but that the KHL provided ample oppourtunity if things don't work out. Just look at Mantha. From the draft to the start of training camp he had people believe he was really determined to make the Wings this year, despite it being near impossible. When it was made obvious he wasn't NHL ready he didn't pout, and just said what we were all thinking, and what I'm sure he knew from the beginning.
I can't reiterate enough, Tatar paid his dues (unlike Mantha), but he's been very immature throughtout this whole ordeal.

You could probably post this same info on many coaches. For some reason, Patrick Roy comes to mind.

The only way I would ever go to a Dives game with Roy as the coach is if it was guaranteed he would throw some kind of tantrum or start a fight or some other kind of shenanigans. Maybe when the Dives goalies start to get lit up he appears on the bench at the start of the next period in full gear ready to go!
That would be entertaining as hell.

LOL @ the Avs. Things are going poorly? Bring back Sakic and Roy! That'll turn them around!

this thread has now killed any legitimate attempt for rational fans to be displeased with smiths poor play.
roughly everyone that has been on smiths case lately does NOT want him traded. most people just want him sat so he can learn a lesson and stop hurting the team with boneheaded plays.
however, now everyone on the smith bandwagon will instantly turn to this thread and make the generalization that anyone that critiques smith is a moron.
let me say this though, he made at least half a dozen mistakes in these first 2 games that are worthy of a weeks worth of bag skates. scoring a goal from 10 feet away into a wide open net thanks to the strong play of linemates does NOT redeem someone from all those mistakes. additionally, smith has been bad in his own end all year .
many of you keep saying how absurd it is to rag on smith because hes a rookie. however you are all just as guilty of lumping anyone that is down on smith as the irrational reactionary type of fan when many of us have legitimate gripes about his play.

You sure about that? Cuz when I was at the Dives game last weekend I swear I saw his jersey hanging from the rafters.

There is no truth whatsoever to the OP's allegation. Ilitch gave Holland the OK to offer massive contracts to Suter and Parise last season. The reason that the Wings aren't at the cap is that there weren't exactly a ton of players to spend money on last offseason.

I believe it has all to do with potential.
For the older players (Cleary, Sammy, Bertuzzi, Abby, Miller, Eaves) it is the POTENTIAL to perform at a high level that keeps them IN the lineup.
For the young studs it is the POTENTIAL to screw up that keeps them OUT of the lineup.

Franzen has the potential to be a good power forward if only he could fight. Either his game consists of sniping/floating from the outside which has not been effective the past few years or spending more time in front of the net and mixing it up. And by mixing it up I do not mean all the face washes he gives while being held in the arms of the referee. The way the game is officiated right now, he is going to get mauled every time he approaches the net and the only way to stop guys taking liberties is to drop the gloves and defend himself properly, not this after the whistle crap. This is the definition of the soft Euro tag.
I'm not sure what else he can do - it is apparent to me that he is trying and is engaged, he is just getting mugged in front of the net. I do not recall Shanny or even Bertuzzi (in his prime) taking that kind of abuse.
Is the Kronk gym still open?

I believe this all goes back to Rafalski's decision to retire. I believe it caught Red Wings management off guard, and when they stood back and looked at their situation (including guessing how many more years Lidstrom would play) and looked at the FA market last Summer, they decided to sit on their hands and bring in the kids to see what they could do. They also figured that if things were not working they had a pot of gold to throw at someone at the trade deadline.
So they make some small changes (White, Commadore) and bring in the kids. Babcock himself said in his interview a few weeks ago that he told management he was not sure they would make the playoffs. Sitting on a backlog of prospects in Grand Rapids means at some point in time you have to use them.
And guess what. The team plays fairly well, Jimmy is having a great season and the off-season gamble they took appears to be paying off.
Then, a few injuries pop up (Howard, Eaves, Datsuyk, Lidstrom) and suddenly the mask is pulled off and the remaining team is exposed for what it is. The trade deadline comes around and while management is interested in a few potential targets the asking price is too high given management's sight is now firmly focused on the upcoming Summer FA market. Management brings in Quincey for some additional blue line help/upgrade to Kindl and decides to rely on the return of injured players to make a playoff run. In management's eyes, if the healthy team can play in April/May like it did in December/January then all will be well.
However the chemistry never did return with the injured players, and the loss of Helm was the dagger in the heart.
The playoffs exposed the Red Wings for not having a solid 4th line, i.e. the Grind Line. That should be one of their top priorities in the off season; reconstruct a new Grind Line, either with in-house players or bring in some new guys.
The playoffs also exposed the Red Wings for not having a "sniper" forward and a true "power" forward.

I believe this all goes back to Rafalski's decision to retire. I believe it caught Red Wings management off guard, and when they stood back and looked at their situation (including guessing how many more years Lidstrom would play) and looked at the FA market last Summer, they decided to sit on their hands and bring in the kids to see what they could do. They also figured that if things were not working they had a pot of gold to throw at someone at the trade deadline.
So they make some small changes (White, Commadore) and bring in the kids. Babcock himself said in his interview a few weeks ago that he told management he was not sure they would make the playoffs. Sitting on a backlog of prospects in Grand Rapids means at some point in time you have to use them.
And guess what. The team plays fairly well, Jimmy is having a great season and the off-season gamble they took appears to be paying off.
Then, a few injuries pop up (Howard, Eaves, Datsuyk, Lidstrom) and suddenly the mask is pulled off and the remaining team is exposed for what it is. The trade deadline comes around and while management is interested in a few potential targets the asking price is too high given management's sight is now firmly focused on the upcoming Summer FA market. Management brings in Quincey for some additional blue line help/upgrade to Kindl and decides to rely on the return of injured players to make a playoff run. In management's eyes, if the healthy team can play in April/May like it did in December/January then all will be well.
However the chemistry never did return with the injured players, and the loss of Helm was the dagger in the heart.
The playoffs exposed the Red Wings for not having a solid 4th line, i.e. the Grind Line. That should be one of their top priorities in the off season; reconstruct a new Grind Line, either with in-house players or bring in some new guys.
The playoffs also exposed the Red Wings for not having a "sniper" forward and a true "power" forward.

Well, on Monday I said the yotes would win 3-1 because the Wings were not hungry enough.
Now I have to eat my crow for breakfast. My wife told me "I hope you are hungry enough this morning".
Sucks to doubt the Wings.

Well, on Monday I said the yotes would win 3-1 because the Wings were not hungry enough.
Now I have to eat my crow for breakfast. My wife told me "I hope you are hungry enough this morning".
Sucks to doubt the Wings.