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Jurco has been pretty ineffective, I agree. Also, I'd like him to use his body a little more. Still, he's not our problem. He's been good. He doesn't score but he's been solid and he's a good possession player. If they get him to play harder with a bit of an edge I'd play him. His production will come sooner or later.

Really? I can see only two options why you and a good amount of others write posts like this: 1.) Darren Helm has multiple accounts here 2.) Darren Helm pays people to praise him in here. No serious human being would ever write posts like this without one of those reasons. No, Helm isn't a great 3rd liner and no, he isn't worth 3 millions. Not even close. Also this post is ridiculously wrong. In fact it couldn't be more wrong. Helm and co f***ed it up. This game for example: http://redwings.nhl.com/gamecenter/en/recap?id=2014030124 1st Tampa goal is typical for Helm. He turns the puck over but he doesn't do anything to get the puck back. That's what happens all the time. Almost every freaking Helm shift is like that. I don't wanna see this anymore and it's completely impossible not to see it. Still you guys keep telling us here how good Helm is. Maddening...

I didn't. Helm didn't do well in any of his games alongside Pavel. It's not enough to score a goal after a breakaway and apart from that to chase the puck for 15min. Not if you play in a top6 role alongside Pavel. Play Miller alongside Pavel for one season and I bet he will score at least Helm's 26 points. While making significantly less mistakes... Also, Helm would need to be waay more consinstent and tough to be able to play in a bottom 6 role.

I'm not so sure. What makes you think so? Helm is faster than Miller but Miller isn't slow at all. Miller is clearly not a skilled guy, he's a 4th liner. But like I explained already in other posts, Helm has almost no upside apart from his speed. Almost every Grand Rapids forward has a better skillset than him. Helm hasn't been able to protect or pass the puck properly all season long. Miller knows very well how to carry the puck and he usually finds open ice while Helm just runs into the next best opponent. Maybe Helm can do more than he did so far but if he's too dumb to show his skills it doesn't make it any better. What I see is that Miller is a leader and Helm isn't, that Miller can protect the puck and Helm can't and that Miller is consistent while Helm isn't. Even for the same amount of money, right now, I'd take Miller over Helm 100 out of 100 times. I'm sick and tired of watching turnover machines. Let them all go or trade them away. Give the prospects a chance, sign FA's or trade for players...I don't care anymore. I've just seen enough of that crap.

This is priceless. What on earth makes you think that Helm would be able to play top 6 wing? Name me only one game where Datsyuk's line was dominant with Helm on it. Only one. Pretty surely you won't even find one. The reason is simple enough. Helm is a plug. He can skate but he cannot handle or protect the puck, he cannot hit, he cannot pass, he cannot shoot and he has no idea how to play without the puck. Though he spent almost all season on Datsyuk's wing and played lots of PP, apart from his turnovers, all he produced were either individual efforts thanks to his speed or given points for which Datsyuk is 99% responsible. Helm contributed literally nothing but hurt the line a lot by turning over pucks. Datsyuk is an excellent two way forward but he would have been far more effective with different linemates. He needs guys who help him recovering pucks and doing the physical stuff along the boards and in the slot. Instead he had to deal with linemates who needed his help to survive.

Helm might have less per game than Datsyuk and Zetterberg all season long. And I doubt even that. Don't use nhl.com statistics. As good as they are for other things...take- and giveaways are really random and the numbers way too low.

Is it you, Darren? I'd rather have Miller for 2 millions than Helm for free. Helm isn't a little bit tough or steady so he's completely useless as bottom six player. All he got is his speed. He mostly played along Datsyuk last season and he did nothing but to turn over the puck. If he had any value whatsoever, Pavel's line would have been far better. The line didn't work because Pav had to do it all. I'd rather give Helm's spot to a prospect than to have him back. No matter in what role and for what money. Watching guys like Helm, Tatar or Nyquist is like a neverending nightmare. I just can't do it anymore and desperately wish back even players like Brunner or Hudler. There's zero understanding for whatever situation, zero toughness, zero defensive awareness. At least Nyquist and Tatar got some skills and score from time to time. Helm does exactly nothing but turning over pucks.

If you got a talent pool like ours, you don't need Helm. I'd like to keep Miller though. Every team needs experienced players and he's a leader and heart and soul guy. Plus, most importantly, he reads the game very well and is steady like a rock. Younger players don't give you that. I like Athanasiou, but he's no 4th liner. A 4th line with Miller, Sheahan and Glendening would be somewhat ideal. 3 Millions for Helm would be a total waste. Let's leave this deal for Garth Snow...

You must have confused Helm with Glendening or Abdelkader. Either that or you are Darren Helm. The guy is completely useless. "Players" like Helm are, apart from obviously family and maybe health problems, the reason why Datsyuk won't return to Detroit. All season long he was chasing pucks in the defensive zone because Tatar or Helm kept on losing it almost every damn time they had it. Tatar at least got some skills and put up a few points. Helm has zero skills and did s***. More turnovers per game than points all season long...despite playing on Datsyuk's line for many many games. The only time Pavels line, no matter if on the PP or 5vs5 worked and established some momentum on a regular basis was when Mantha played on his wing. They may put up some points but after all the line was completely useless without Mantha...and trust me, it wasn't just Pav's fault...

I want Richards if Holland doesn't manage to trade for a Centerman. And I'd want him because he played very well lately plus he knows the players and system already. Richards is an excellent teamguy and we need a strong 2nd/3rd Center to shoulder a little bit for Z. If Z has to do all the work in the defensive zone he's not gonna play a good season.

The only point that I agree with you is that I don't want any of the UFA Center's except Stamkos or Richards shortterm and for less money. They're all either useless or too old. I also don't think that Holland will be able to trade for a good 2nd line Center. But we'll see... edit: I'd really like Brouwer though. Big, tough and versatile as he can play center. If he doesn't necessarily seek longterm, I'd like Holland to explore that.

Glendening won 48,5% in his rookie season. Larkin and Athanasiou won 41% each. Which is nowhere near enough if you wanna play them both in the middle. And even if they actually win some faceoffs they still have very little experience especially against the puck. It would automatically lead to a rebuild.

There are reasons why Nyquist and Tatar don't get more Icetime. If they'd be anywhere close from being reliable, Blashill or even Babcock would have used them more. They're not trusted. As simple as that. Me too I don't like the idea of switching Abdelkader to Center. But having Larkin and Athanasiou in Center spots would mean almost no faceoff wins, lots of tough matchups for Z and just instability in the middle. You can protect one Centerman, but not two at once. Having them both at center would mean to go into rebuild mode. Something Holland won't do. He wants to keep the streak alive. So if he fails to land a center either we need to bring back Richards or switch somebody to center.

He's capable of a lot more than you think. Just look how lost Philly was without Couturier. They are a completely different team without him. Is he a skilled guy? No. But he's got good speed and is very strong defensively. The guy plays abour 20mins per game and plays the takes the tougher matchups for Giroux. A solid 2nd Centerman would be very positive for Z. If he has to shoulder a lot of defensive work, it's gonna be a difficult season for him. Abdelkader is tougher and faster than Couturier and is more of a goalscorer, too. I'd still prefer Holland to land a Centerman but I'm also convinced it would work if Abdelkader was moved to center.

I don't get why Abdelkader gets that little appreciation in Detroit. Guy would be our 1st or 2nd line Center since years without the eurotwins. It was Babcock who put him on Datsyuk's wing he felt that Abdelkader's capable of being more than a bottom six Centerman and because Pav asked for a physical winger, somebody to pull the piano. Now I gotta read here that Abdelkader last played Center in the AHL or that he wouldn't be capable to play Center. But why I'm I not surprised? It's nothing new...people kept complaining about Babcock playing Abdelkader...he took a lot heat already when just playing as a bottom six Center. Even now that he's producing a lot more and is by far our best and reliable winger aswell as our most physical forward, people keep complaining about him taking too many penalties and so on. Whereas Nyquist, to answer your question, krsmith17, ever since he fell asleep during OT of a game 7 hasn't improved a single bit: Over and over this moron keeps producing giveaways. He's no rookie anymore but he's not gonna get it. Always thought we would at some point but he won't. Not a single bit better than Brunner or Hudler. 0,00 physicality and no defensive awareness at all. At 4,75 Holland will never ever be able to move the guy. Should have done that before even Edmonton realized how bad he is. Tatar is a little bit better but I don't like his development. As a rookie he made few mistakes and was much more physical. Now, without a protected role, he doesn't show any signs of improvement which to me is really a shame. Holland better move the guy in a package for a Center or Defender as long as he still has any value. Green scored some important points and I also gotta admit that he improved slightly after a terrible start. Still, nobody is gonna want a nr. 5/6 defender at 6 millions. At that point we had the cap but at some point Holland will regret this deal...a deal that's nothing but terrible.

I've got little time so I'm just gonna respond to the center thing. So you want our centers to be Larkin, Athanasiou, Sheahan and Glendening? Correct? If your answer is "yes" then I got no more questions. We wouldn't even be able to compete with the Leafs with even one of them as a top6 Centerman. Nothing against Larkin but he had a protected role and quality icetime. To me he's a winger. If Blash wants to switch him to Center he'll need more protection...at least for a few months with solid wingers as 3rd line Centerman. Another thing is that only Glendening would be winning anywhere close 50% of the faceoffs. With those 4 we wouldn't be competitive at all. The 3rd reason why it wouldn't work is our System. Blashill isn't gonna change it. With the centermen having lots of defensive responsability it would be a shame not to make use of Athanasiou's and Larkin's speed. As Blashill always protected those two and hardly ever used them in the defensive zone let alone shorthanded, it's not likely that they're anywhere close of being able to play a bigger role as a centerman in our organization. When Larkin had a chance to play center he wasn't great at all. I'd either switch Abdelkader, who's a proven and natural centerman and maybe our best 2-way forward or acquire somebody in a trade...which will be difficult enough. Quality centermen are really tough to get. With Pavel gone Z won't go anywhere else. We need his experience, his faceoff skills, his defensive qualities and his play making skills at center. Anyway he doesn't seem to be skating as he used to earlier and Blashill is really into speedy wingers. What you're suggesting is never ever gonna happen.

Apart from Stamkos, Okposo is the one to get this year. If Holland manages to get Radulov or Okposo, I'd be more than happy. Other interesting potential FA's to me are Boedker or Brouwer and on defense Russell, Yandle or Hamhuis who's looked surprisingly good last season despite health problems. Please don't sign Helm. Not even for 500'000. I can't take his bulls*** anymore. He's got his speed but other than that he's just terrible. Quincey actually played one of his better seasons here. I'd like to keep him for less money. Same for Richards. Miller is a must. He's a warrior and his experience is invaluable. I also think that if Datsyuk's gone, we need a new Nr.2 Center. The only FA who's good enough would be Staal who probably wants a long term deal. Unless Holland pulls out a surprising deal Blashill should switch Abdelkader back to Center. If we can get one of the top3 UFA-Wingers we should be deep enough to make that move. For example: Pulkkinen, Zetterberg, Radulov/Okposo/Boedker/Brouwer Larkin, Abdelkader, Mantha Athanasiou, Richards, Jurco Miller, Sheahan, Glendening Nyquist, Tatar DeKeyser, Marchenko Kronwall, Sproul Ouellet, Ericsson Green Tradelist, even if almost impossible to move: Nyquist, Tatar, Green, Ericsson

I honestly don't like Quincey, but he was far better than Ericsson or Green in the last two games. I also don't get how Blash can think that it's smart to play the worst forwards in a top6 role with 2 of our best wingers in the bottom six role. Must have lost his mind. I really like Blashill, but if that's how he wants to win tonight, then he deserves to be demoted right away. Wouldn't fire him as I clearly believe in him...but this one seems to be over his head right now and it may be better if somebody else takes over...

I'll stop watching if I see Helm once more tonight...I can't take it anymore. Really. s***.

WHY ON EARTH would you still play Helm with 4min to go? Really, Blash? He's been terrible for years and 2 of 3 Tampa scored because of him...

If Abdelkader is stupid, then what's Helm, Nyquist, Tatar or Andersson? C'mon. Abdelkader scored a goal and has drawn a penalty already. At least he sticks up for himself and doesn't just take Drouin's crap.

Been saying it since years. Helm is soo soo bad. He's not even funny anymore. Just stop it, Blash. Please.

Man Blash, can you please stop playing Helm and Andersson? They're so useless. Same goes for Nyquist. No factor but keeps turning pucks over. So tough to watch them wasting their icetime with Mantha in GR and Pulkkinen/Jurco scratched. Crazy.

I prefer the NBCSN one as long as McGuire or other Morons aren't there.... But I'd certainly appreciate any links to view the game on FSD.

Really? So this is a local thing? I can't find it...