Serratoni

What strikes me about most of these drafts is the high rate of failure. The NHL draft is really a crapshoot. So many players don't pan out. Others taken quite late (Dats, Z, and Big E) turn out to be NHL regulars or even crazy awesome.

ABC. Anyone But Crosby.

Kindl turned it up this year big time. Love the way he skates. Looking forward to seeing him on the Wings' blueline for years to come.

Helm played one game this season. One game. And has suffered setback after setback since. Why would anyone think his career isn't in jeopardy? I hope he comes back but counting on it seems foolish.

Smith this time next year will be even better. He's still a rookie. And there's no reason to not expect Kindl to continue to improve now that he's found his confidence. As for CocaCola, well, he's not as awful as many make him out to be, but I doubt he fits into the team's long term plans.

Well said! And to think, some posters on this board were hoping the Wings would miss the playoffs for a better draft position. Hope they didn't strain anything too badly climbing back aboard the bandwagon.

Egads, there has to be some middle ground. Regner was a total Wings slappy. The guy was a male puck bunny.

Still one more game to win. In the immortal words of Han Solo: Great, kid! Don't get cocky.

Apologist.

You couldn't be more wrong. Even Micky was praising how far Kindl has come and how well he's been playing since about halfway through the season. Great post.

Kindl? Wow. Kindl has been playing better than Smith, Q, and Big E. It's time to let go of the past. Kindl is better than that trio.

Gen X isn't young guys. Usually applies to those born in the 60's - early 80's. Maybe you mean Generation Y?

Not quite. Won the Lester B. Pearson in 1988-89 season. All rookie team in 1984. Second in Calder voting. First 18-year-old to play in the All-Star game. In 1989, I had an NHL stars poster in my dorm room which included Chelios, Savard, Gretz, Lemieux, and Yzerman, among others. All this was long before Yzerman scored that winner against St. Louis. EDIT: Fixed a typo

Not that I liked the trade for Quincey, but have you actually watched any games that Q has played in the second half of this season? He isn't the reason the team is losing.

My favorite kind of observations in a thread like this: Red Wings Fan #1: I hope the Wings make the playoffs this season. Red Wings Fan #2: You're spoiled.

Oh, man. I had hoped that a sports forum would save us from the internet's tinfoil hat crowd.

My prediction: only one of Tartar and Nyquist will become permanent Red Wings. The other will be dealt.

Smith definitely deserves more time. A year from now I hope he is showing what he is really capable of.

I guess I'm not seeing the offensive upside to Smith. His shot from the point is absolutely weak. By comparison, Kronwall, Kindle, and CocaCola can all blast it.

You know you're old when you still think of Toronto as an old rival and not new.

Rick McCann? D'oh! I tracked it down but not in time. Son of a Wing beat me by one post!

I unintentionally caught a playoffs game against the Blues in 1989 on channel 50. The Wings won and moved on to face the Oilers. Two games later, Yzerman returned from his awful knee injury and no one on Detroit skated like her did. I was sold.

Regardless of whether he stays or leaves, he will always remain a Red Wings legend. People still wear Howe and Yzerman jerseys. They'll be wearing Datsyuk jerseys for decades to come too.

First, I was responding to the poster (I quoted) who claimed it was embarrassing to make the playoffs and lose early. If you're offended by the term, take it up with him. Second, I have confidence in the organization. The Wings don't need top 5 picks to find future stars or diamonds in the rough. They've proven this time and again for years. Third, I just cannot support rooting against one's team. The players want to win. The ownership wants to win (and deserves the extra revenue from playoff games). The folks who work at the stadium want to win. *I* want them to win. Fourth, I think the playoff streak is a bigger deal than many give it credit for. It would be sweet if the Wings could beat the Bruins record.

"What is gained by making the playoff and embarrassingly being booted in the first round?" you ask. Answer: Not being embarrassed by being booted BEFORE the playoffs begin. I can't believe people actually think it's more embarrassing to make the playoffs and lose than to MISS the playoffs. Crazy!