DetroitRedWings1993

According to ESPN via Terry Koshan of the Toronto Star, the rumor is that the Leafs could move John-Michael Liles before the trade deadline. He's been a healthy-scratch for four games in a row. He's a solid defenseman when playing the way he should. Not the top-flight #1 we need, but it's a step in the right direction. Again, all depends on which Ken Holland is working the phones: the one willing to make deals to improve the roster, or the one who sits on his money and does nothing while everyone around him gets better.

Good Lord, no. Inconsistent, older than Howard, and quite frankly, slumping badly. He would cost us way too much and give way too little. We don't need a goalie. We need a top-6 scorer.

It's a risk, but a risk worth taking. He's a good player. He could definitely fill a need and help us out.

I highly doubt Hossa will be bought out. Old or young, he's part of the Blackhawks core. Besides, you think he's going to come here for peanuts? If he's interested in coming back, he's going to want a contract similar to the one Chicago bought him out of. We just have to live with Franzen's soft play, inconsistency, and lately, injuries. I know, I'd much rather have had Hossa considering how things have played out, but that's the decision that was made.

I don't want to trade any of them. It may all be a moot point as I have a strong sense that Holland's going to sell HARD at the deadline. We might just be stripped clean when we come out of the deadline. Who knows? This weekend really soured the outlook. It got so much murkier and far less optimistic. I'd love to get a top-6 winger, too. Those can be had without totally selling the farm. I don't want a superstar. We won't have the cap room to pay superstar dollars. Someone at least somewhat-capable of adding a scoring punch will be fine. Again, to be honest, it really feels like seller mode is upon us. It's really sad.

I'd love to see it happen, but let's face it: we don't have a snowball's chance in Hell of making this happen. The asking price is rumored to be a roster player, two top prospects, and a first-round pick. No, thanks. We literally can't afford to part with ANY of those pieces. And I'm going to assume they want a top roster player when they say "roster player".

Don't really know much about him, but could be a nice young addition. Can anyone shed some more light on his game?

Twitter's been blowing up reporting that Weiss is done for the year. It was first reported that he wasn't on the ice at practice. Some speculated that a trade was coming. It has now been reported all over the place that Weiss is gone for the season to undergo wrist surgery. Eklund broke it, if you can believe that. For those of you unfamiliar with him, he's another Twitter "rumor-breaker" who never really gets anything right. He just throws random crap at the wall and hopes that it sticks. HockeyInsiderr is another one like Eklund that comes to mind. He was, unfortunately, right about this. So, what does this mean for us? Well, Weiss was really the only option I could see for the top-6 scorer we need this deadline. Pittsburgh and Boston have too much firepower in a trade for Iginla. I don't think the Ducks will deal Perry unless they were absolutely sure he's gone. Although, I had heard some scant Twitter rumors linking us to Perry. Not to be taken seriously, probably. Rumors are going around that R.J. Umberger could be had for draft picks. Not sure if I want to sacrifice picks in this draft for him, though. Plus, he's a former Buckeye. Eww.

I see. Might want to give him a shot if he's available when we come up. Certainly can't be worse than Cleary or Abdelkader with Pav.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/03/06/red-wings-wont-make-a-huge-splash-at-the-deadline/ Ok Ken, we get it. You're going to sit on your butt at the deadline and use parity and injuries as excuses to do that. Honestly, this is both the media's fault for posing the question so many times to him and Holland's fault for saying the same thing over and over again. Even when the injury list clears out (which won't be for a while anyways), this team still won't be able to score goals. I don't understand why people think a guy who disappoints consistently (Filpulla), two broken down old men (Bertuzzi, Samuelsson), one third-line grinder (Helm), and one injury-plauged #4-#6 defenseman (Colaicovo) is going to fix the fact that our offense blows donkey rod. The same core group that couldn't score at all since halfway through last season is still together. But hey, we're the Red Wings. We put the "together" in "getting the band back together".

There's a point to this. This only confirms that Holland is a broken record who's too scared to try and make deals. I've always said that he hides behind the excuses of injuries and parity. The first time wasn't enough. Now, with this, let's face it...it's true. Think of it this way: if Holland won't do anything at the deadline, and given how poorly last offseason went, what hope does that give us for this offseason? We could potentially walk into next year a year older and with the same roster. I just think this is a dangerous trend. We can't throw up our hands and say "This league's too competitive to improve our team!" anymore. Something has to be done about the offense. And getting older (Bertuzzi, Samuelsson), more injury-prone (Helm, Colaicovo), and less productive (Filpulla) is not going to help that. I know, I'm an extremely emotional, "glass-half-empty" fan who's incredibly hard on my team. But, that's how I define fandom. Holland has to do something. This team needs help. And not the help a few old men and a bust is going to provide.

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comments/red-wings-gm-ken-holland-talks-trade-turkey-with-espns-lebrun?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter Well, I guess that's the end of that. I could spout off for about 5 pages on this, but I won't I'd rather let you guys take over from here. Suffice it to say, this is one of the only 5 sentences Holland seems capable of saying lately. Anyone who "likes our team" and thinks that "getting healthy players back will be like making trades and will be our deadline additions" is living in La-La Land. This team is far from good enough to even consider such ridiculous inactivity.

I would agree with that assessment if any of the guys coming back filled the need we have. Our offense sucks. It shouldn't, but it does. We have no consistent goal-scorers. Not one. And now, more than likely, no moves will be made to improve that. Getting those guys back and healthy is great, no question about that. But that does not fill our biggest need: finding someone to play in the top-6 who can score goals.

Words can't express how bad this line is. Datsyuk is totally wasted with those bums he has for wingers. Neither can finish at all. It's really sad, to be honest. Datsyuk must feel like someone has it out for him.

Holland making a deal for a player who could actually play in our top-6 and not look like a complete fool? This is Ken Holland we're talking about. Don't you know? Our injuries ARE our trade deadline additions. Whoopee!

Yeah, he provides a nice veteran presence, but that's not the issue. Having a veteran presence isn't the Wings' issue. It's offense and the power-play. Sammy and Bert probably won't help that very much. Sure, they're good to have from an experience standpoint, but when the chips are down, will they be able to bend the nets? From what I've seen, probably not. All these injured guys will take time to get back into the swing of things, too. We may be past the deadline and far out of the playoffs by the time they come around. Not only that, but I haven't heard a very peachy prognosis on anyone, either. They have no idea when Helm or Bertuzzi will be even skating full-time, let alone playing. Samuelsson is still "weeks away". Colaiacovo and Filpulla are close, but they still can't say when they'll be back. We have deal-able assets and several guys available from sure-fire sellers (Washington, Buffalo, Florida) who can help the offense and the power-play. I agree that we shouldn't make a blockbuster deal. That's just foolish given how important our draft picks and prospects are. But a deal for a scorer on the cheap? Sure, I'd do it. Pav needs wingers. He's having to do it by himself out there. That's the sad truth of it.

1. Filpulla hasn't been hurt all season. He's been healthy up until the last few games, and been generally ineffective. Helm was never anything more than a third-or-fourth line sparkplug even before he got hurt. He won't solve our horrible offense. So yes, neither player has been producing, before or after injuries. 2. Old, slow, and not the player he used to be. The only sad part about that statement is that he's an upgrade over Abdelkader on the second-line. So I guess you're right by default. He's less useless than Abdelkader in a second-line role. 3. It's not a generalization. It is very reasonable to assume that, given their history, neither Samuelsson or Colaicovo will be healthy for very long. They're injury-prone. Holland knew that when he signed them. And yet, he signed them anyways. He even gave Sammy a no-trade clause. It's really a moot point because no one will come calling for Samuelsson, which acts as the ultimate no-trade clause. Colaiacovo has become expendable, frankly. Lashoff is pretty much the same player, but younger, much more talented, less expensive, and far less injury-prone. 4. Holland and Babcock have both cited injuries as the reason for our struggles multiple times during the season. So how do they solve that? Sit on their butts and hope things don't go totally dark before we get healthy. Great strategy. They've been optimistic about it, as in this interview between Brendan Savage: http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/03/detroit_red_wings_general_mana.html. But, he cites injuries as a reason for struggling. Have they been there? Sure. But great teams play through that. It's win or stay home in this league. We used to understand that. We didn't give up and suck when Stevie tore his knee apart or when Howard broke his finger. 5. If they were players who could be counted upon to produce offense consistently, then yes. If anything, their re-insertion into the lineup ruins the chemistry we've just gotten finished developing and will likely force Tatar and Andersson back into the minors. I would gladly give Samuelsson's spot to Tatar. I'd do that move any day of the week. I'd love their expectations (and mine) to be that low. It would make life a lot easier. But this is Detroit. There are very high expectations. That comes with winning. Pressure comes from all sides and if you aren't winning consistently, then you better do your damnedest to fix the issue. 6. "Fairly well" is a subjective term. A fringe playoff team should not be this team's ceiling. Like I said, we've had mostly depth guys injured for great expanses of the season, besides maybe Bertuzzi. The core group has remained intact. And yet, we still cannot score. Zetterberg and Datsyuk have only missed one game combined. Franzen has played most of our games, so has Filpulla. Look, I want to agree. Maybe I'm being too hard on everyone. But, to me, that's what being a fan is all about. Watch every game and expect the best effort organization-wide. If you've ever watched Franzen play, that's simply not the case. I'm not saying blow the team up and start over. I'm saying pay attention to who's available and make some moves to bolster our forward depth and add that top-6 goal-scorer or two we desperately need. We have too many passers and not enough finishers. Fact is, none of the guys coming back fill that need. We've needed that since Hossa flipped us the bird and walked. By no means should we go nuts at the deadline. We have one focused need. The best thing that could've happened is the defense sorting itself out. We can focus on adding another scorer.

I agree, Mueller would've been awesome to have. Especially for depth's sake. He can do a lot of different things. Like I said, there are some roster players that need to go. We could move some salary and cap them in.

Our injured players are either A) not producing despite talent (Helm, Filpulla), B) too old to be of any real use anymore (Bertuzzi) or C) so injury-prone that we can expect them back on the injured list within a few days of coming back (Colaiacovo, Samuelsson). Sammy actually falls into two of those categories. That does not equate to much, so no, they are not like making trades. The idea of making a trade is to come out better than when you entered. Getting older, slower, more mistake-prone and less productive is not my idea of making a trade. We can't expect so much of the team before and be so soft on them now. It doesn't work that way. Injuries are a convenient excuse that the organization (and, quite frankly, many fans) have clung to like their lives depended on it. None of our injured players will change the fact that our offense blows. And when it doesn't blow, it's inconsistent. Regardless of the injuries, the core of our offense (Kronwall, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Filpulla, Franzen, Brunner) has been relatively healthy all season. We've been dragged down by dead weight like Cleary and Ericsson and have been content to fall back on the injury excuse. We have now become a team that makes excuses. Injuries are no excuse for being a team that's anywhere from mediocre to God-awful on a nightly basis. Go out, make a deal or two, and fix your terrible offense. The "let things play out with the young kids and wait to get healthy" BS makes me think the team has committed to losing. That's unacceptable. Not only that, but there's no guarentee that this miracle health plan some of you have going will even last. Given our track record this season, it won't. With another scoring forward or two, this team can compete without the two old farts, one made-of-glass defenseman, one offense-less sparkplug, and one recurring disappointment on our injured list. We're a contending team with a front office content to make excuses and act like a celler-dweller. Do that and there won't be any fans when the wins finally do come back.

That's the frustrating part. He can, but just won't. There are deals to be had for guys who can help this team. Holland just won't do them. He's too afraid to make a deal because of injury. He's giving up on the deadline before it even begins. I'm sick and tired of seeing us stand by and do nothing while everyone around is either already better or gets better. OK then, you asked for it Ken Holland has become a broken record. Every year, it's the same old line of BS when the deadline rolls around. He sits on his cap space and gives an excuse for doing nothing long before the deadline even gets here. This just isn't wise with this team. When you have as many injuries as we've had, you make deals to fill the holes. We haven't, and because of that, this team has hovered around .500 and struggled mightily with inconsistency. We have more dead weight on the roster than we know what to do with. Unfortunately, because of having so much dead weight (and signing more dead weight in the offseason i.e. Samuelsson and Colaiacovo), trading will be tough. We have depth in the minors and have many attractive prospects. Riley Sheahan and Landon Ferraro come to mind. Both project to be NHL-caliber forwards and could be very attractive trade pieces. Sheahan's recent run-in with the law may make him hard to deal, though. With guys like Jarnkrok, Pulkinnen, Tatar, Andersson, and Nyquist, these two are valuable, but expendable. They can also be easily replaced in this year's draft. Draft picks will probably have to be added to deals involving them. If needed, we have plenty of roster players who we could add in. Get rid of Clearly. Old, slow, and doesn't provide much at either end anymore. I wouldn't mind dealing Ericsson. He's way too soft and makes a ton of mistakes. Huskins can easily fill his spot while making far fewer mistakes. Samuelsson and Colaiacovo could probably be dealt. Both are made of glass and won't provide very much even when healthy. I'd rather keep good checkers/PK'ers like Miller, Emmerton and Eaves. Helm, Tatar and Andersson are out of the question. Ian White is the interesting trump card in all this. He could be very valuable to a team like Carolina or St. Louis, who are seeking upgrades on defense and have forwards to deal. The fact is, the D-corps has played much better since he's been a scratch. I love White, don't get me wrong, but his recent comments have irked me. If a need can be filled, send him on his way. Our D-corps has settled in and their play has vastly improved. For me, that need has somewhat dissipated. The focus should be on acquiring a proven sniper to play in the top-6. I'm not asking for a 40-goal superstar, just someone who can twitch the twine regularly. Franzen can't do that. Let's not even go there. Filpulla has regressed badly. Bertuzzi is just too old to count on. Zetterberg only has 6 on the season. I would look at guys like these: Marian Gaborik - Slight rumblings that he's available. He has a massive cap hit and would be very costly. However, Glen Sather never shies away from a deal and the Rangers need depth at forward. Rick Nash makes Gabby expendable. He would be unreal playing in our top-6. He would be unreal playing in anyone's top-6 Peter Mueller - Has a lot of skill and is still developing at 24. Could be low-risk/high-reward type of deal. Can score and was a 20-goal guy his rookie season. Dany Heatley - I know, I know. He's not the elite player he used to be. But, put him with Datsyuk, and I guarantee his goal totals come back up. This guy can still fill the net. Is he what he was in Atlanta and Ottawa? No. But he can still put the biscuit in the basket. It's as simple as that. Patrik Berglund - Gets overlooked with the precense of T.J. Oshie and Alex Steen, but is nonetheless very skilled and a proven goal-scorer. 25+ is the floor with his skill level. Again, if played with Datsyuk, could score 30+. David Perron - If he can stay healthy, has 30-goal skill and work ethic without a great center. Power-forward who plays physical and gives a great effort. Has proven his consistency. Matt D'Agostini - Injuries are a concern, but he has shown his ability to score when healthy. Had 21 goals in his only full season. If the concussion is behind him and he's ready to produce, Datsyuk could make him into a very valuable forward. Mike Ribeiro - Crafty forward with a proven nose for the net. Has been around winning teams and would know his role well. Ryane Clowe - Has proven his goal-scoring ability in the past. He's basically another Abdelkader with a lot more offensive skill. Struggles this season would probably steer Holland away. Jarome Iginla - Will have big competition from Pittsburgh, Boston, Buffalo and Philadelphia, but would be a good pickup. Obviously can score and would fit in well. Brendan Morrow - A little bit of a stretch, but is a gritty power-forward who can score goals. Good leadership qualities. Age is still a concern, only consider if a rental. Tuomo Ruutu - Jim Rutherford probably won't want to move him, but he's relatively young and has good skill and physicality. We tried and failed last year. Drew Stafford - Really a last resort, but can also score goals. Only consider if all else fails. He's injury-prone and proven to be a little inconsistent.

Well, the Ryan O'Reilly saga is almost over. He'll either be in Colorado or Calgary for the next two years. Offer sheet reads 2 years and 10 mil. But, it's the distribution of the salary that's scary. Next year, on this deal, O'Reilly is due 6.5 mil. That's a huge cap hit for someone still so unproven. Calgary continues to resist a full rebuild and they might just be wasting O'Reilly's talent on a team languishing in mediocrity. In Colorado, at least O'Reilly has a chance to make it with a young team. It all depends on if Colorado matches. If you ask me, the relationship is very strained between the two but Colorado needs to match this offer sheet. They can't afford to lose O'Reilly this way. Sure, they'd get some draft picks from the Flames, but if O'Reilly turns out to be the star he's projected to be, the Avs need him in a Colorado sweater when he does. Greg Sherman needs to show that he's the bigger man, put all the pouting and BS behind him, and get this player signed and on the ice. This is ridiculous. So, what does this mean for us? Well, it means there's one less option available (even if it wasn't very viable to begin with) for a scoring forward to help stabilize the 5-on-5 offense and improve the power-play. Honestly, I'm just glad it's all over and I don't have to hear how dumb Ken Holland is for not mortgaging his future and handcuffing himself to a guy who, honestly, is very raw and unproven. A guy who had 18 goals last year should NOT be making 6.5 mil in a season. Damien Brunner is making less than a third of that and has scored more than half of that output in a condensed half-season. Would I have given O'Reilly a try for a realistic price? Absolutely. But, we need those draft picks to get more talent on the farm. And trading for O'Reilly? No thanks. The price was reportedly astronomical.

As Bruce Garrioch recently reported via www.mynhltraderumors.com, Holland tried to trade for Ryan O'Reilly. Obviously, that didn't work. But you know what? That may be the best move Holland's made in a while. The asking price was a proven roster player, a top prospect and a first-round draft pick. That's absolutely ridiculous. O'Reilly has only been in the league a few years and has ONE 55-point season. I wouldn't pay Anaheim those prices for Corey Perry. That price is laughable and Holland showed he's still one of the smartest GM's in sports by saying "no, thanks". I applaude him for sticking to his guns and getting out of what could've been a horrible trade. Trade a roster piece and what could be a future star, plus a first-rounder, for one promising center? Essentially, you'd be trading three roster-caliber players for one. That's just plain stupid. Ken Holland, I haven't been very kind to you lately. But this time...darn good work, sir.

Scary, isn't it? That not only may he be serious, he probably is?

I did, and I threw up in my mouth a little. Anyone who thinks we'll be just fine when our injury list clears out is living in La-La Land. Filpulla isn't producing, Bert's not going to do much coming off of a major back injury, Franzen is useless, Sammy's constantly hurt, Cleary just sucks, Abby sucks in a 2nd-line role, and Tatar and Andersson are making the most of their time but not getting enough of it. This team has a REAL need at forward. We have no consistent scorer. Not one. We haven't since Hossa left. No one that has proved they can score goals night-in and night-out. Brunner has been a nice surprise, but he hasn't gotten on the scoresheet in a little while. No one has, to be honest. How Holland can sit there and sit on his hands when this team cannot score goals consistently is beyond me.

Kronwall is among the league-leaders in points on defense. Quincey hasn't been as bad as he was early on. Ericsson is downright terribad. Playing with Cleary and Abdelkader on the PP doesn't help one's "quarterback Defenseman" qualities. So, scoring points proves you don't belong? I guess I should hope the defenseman just don't bother taking the ice anymore. Kronwall hasn't been perfect, but to say Ericsson got better after he cost us the Chicago game is silly. He's a waste of a roster spot. Same with Kindl.