lwing

Wait are we saying Holland is a genius now for one ok trade? I'm not hopping on this roller coaster. Big deal. He answered the phone and said yes. He still has too many failings to answer for.

Oh lord forgot about that. Atanis is just a son of a rich guy, but Kane takes jerk to the highest level.

I'm wondering if Jurco isn't the only younger player wanting to go somewhere else. Could you imagine being much more talented, like AA or Larkin, and having to go to work for the moron Blashill every single day?

Saw this douchebag at a Detroit area music store whining over having to wait his turn. Like a bad movie (the only kind he would ever be in) he actually said, "Do you know who I am?"

He'd probably have irreversible thumb damage if he typed it all out! Just razzing you, but what is up with that screen name? Trying to figure out what thought process would lead to that.

With all the garbage taking up server space you'ld think we could have every hockey game ever played. I know, I know, that would take a ton of work and money, but times like these you need some great old Wings games. Off topic. But I have an old nonHD DVD set of best wings games of the modern era. Cup wins and the two classic games with the Avs. That was some insanely great hockey. Best we might ever see.

I'm older than most of you and I can't name a single business person who came close let alone did more for Detroit sports and the city itself. From so many accounts he went beyond being an owner to being a good person. Taking care of players and families with awful injuries or illness (Vladimir, Fischer, Bownan when his son was ill and more) to finding a new home and paying for some of it for Rosa Parks. So, while many are remembered for their business resume, he has that as well as a eulogy resume. Something to aspire to no?

Good to have those standards. I'm kind of a lurker, but I fully expected this kind of response as soon as I read the news. No shortage of research on this - many of us fail to recognize or act as if there were real humans on he other side of the screen. I have a theory though. Many of the people who like each other online would probably not in person, as well as the opposite. Then again I never had to experience online dating! Thank the Lord. As for Ericcson, I hope it isn't a career damaging injury. Some of the pitiless anger here is a symptom of frustration on this team and managements failure to bring up young players and make older players accountable. Yes that is super frustrating, but it shouldn't lead to gloating when a real human is hurt.

The Wings press conference I hope to see in the near future. Holland on the left, Blashill on the right. FYI, the part where the one person yells to not end his suffering just quite yet. That was for Clearly.

How can so many things be bad? A great question, but the answer is ultimately simple. Years and years of a failed (or non existent) strategy by management. No vision, no willingness to take risks, no ability to make deals, no accountability, no plan for young player development... coupled with endless excuses on why nothing else can be done and to expect mediocrity. You reap what you sow and in this case we have sown nothing. The buck stops nowhere. The playoff streak will end this year and with that little bandaid ripped off, perhaps ownership will finally have the smarts to dump Blashill and Holland and then pick up the mess they have left us.

What a ridiculous argument. Are you saying anyone who has not been a boss is unqualified to have an opinion on Blashill or any boss? Then why do they let us vote? Well, sonny, I have been a boss and am one. As far as qualifications, I put myself through college all on my own, have a great career and had a seven figure retirement account by the time I was 32. What are your qualifications? Summer manager at the dairy queen? Ran your own paper route? Boss or employee, only a fool would be unable to see Blashill is a weak leader unable to help this team perform to its potential. Bunch of homers here. This kind of head in the sand homerism is what has helped make Detroit such a loser in every way.

I have to agree with this point of view. Leadership in the office and on the bench is weak. There is no vision, no strategy, no meritocracy, and no accountability. I think we have all worked for lousy bosses and clueless leaders and, while I obviously don't have the inside scoop, there are more than enough symptoms and warning signs. Blashill's reaction to AA is a good one. Last year he put out an absurd defense for his keeping his minutes down despite his production and I see his most recent comments much less about motivating a young player than covering his a$$ (CYA) and not being remotely able to consider he was wrong. Unlike Blashill, AA responded like a pro and won our game with Philly. Holland did a similar petty CYA job in throwing Mantha under the bus in the press last year. Players admit mistakes and bad games all the time. I have yet to hear a single admission of anything from Blashill or Holland. I think it's a safe assumption that both AA and Mantha will think about how they have been scapegoated when making future decisions on where they want to play and it won't be Detroit, an organization that used to inspire a lot of loyalty, teamwork, and sacrifice among players of all ages. Blashill won't last, and his demise is inevitable. He can't go soon enough for me. Until he does, this team and its fans will be dragged down by his incompetence and failure to be a true leader worthy of genuine respect. It's unfair to compare anyone to Bowman, but if anyone responds that Bowman also called out people, I would argue he did it in a very calculating way to get the most from a player and not to deflect any blame from his own decisions. It is subtle, but it's the difference between a leader/boss you can't respect or trust, and one you will practically kill yourself to do everything you can to impress and gain back his respect.

Vanek is unbelievable. I missed his goal, but during intermission they showed it and I am amazed at his truly unique on ice communication skills. How the heck does he project that red light around himself?

I'm facing my own job review this week and I find myself thinking, "Gee this would be so easy if Holland was my boss!" Big raise and long term security for mediocre results. Fortunately my boss and I have higher standards. Unfortunately the Wings standards of individual performance are going to pile up and hurt our future. If only the playoff streak had been broken last year, where would we be now...

My two cents (though forum opinions are worth much less). Had Federov stayed, I think this would be simpler question and his stats and contributions warrant serious consideration of a number retirement, but not a lock. As much as I love Datsyuk and Zetterberg, I'm not sure their stats alone qualify them, but they certainly were a force for the team for many years. However, not equal in impact to Yzerman or Lidstrom. As with Federov, had Datsyuk stayed, I could have seen a future dual hoisting of the Eurotwins numbers to the rafters, but even together I'm not sure they meet the standards set by Yzerman and Lidstrom. Howe is out of the equation in comparisons as there simply are none.

You know when you are at a job interview, they always ask, "Where do you see yourself in five years?" I guess Holland takes care of answering that question for everyone on the team.

That isn't very European. I do hope he apologized via a handwritten note on delicate hand made paper and sent some chocolate to the poor D man.

Exactly. I don't think it is a stretch to say that when it comes to strategic thinking Holland is playing checkers when the real game is chess. Or if he is playing chess, he is overvaluing his pawns and fails to understand he can sacrifice two or three for a knight or bishop!

Are you and the other guy really this obtuse? It's not about Mantha's feelings, it is about Holland's lack of professionalism and using others as his excuse, not to mention verbally degrading a potential trade asset. Maybe only someone who has real responsibility and graduated beyond paper routes, flipping burgers and mowing lawns would understand.

Both, Holland more recently. http://www.detroitnews.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2016/04/10/wings-opt-andersson-over-mantha-start-playoffs/82866748/ “Anthony Mantha was a spare part in the (AHL) Calder Cup playoffs a year ago. Why does anyone think he is going to be the answer in Detroit?” To me that is simply throwing someone under the bus and demonstrates a lack of control, and a CYA mentality. I can't believe for a second that is meant to motivate Mantha and if it was, KH needs to take 101 pysch course and a 101 management course. If any of us said something like this online, that's fine, but for a GM, that is absurd. And no, this is not the same as when Bowman would subtly play mind games to get players off their a$$. If I was Mantha, I'd be begging to be traded. A smart GM could see the potential of this kid in a better environment with the right mix of ways to motivate him to play to his potential.

I want to answer this in a very respectful way. What bothers me, and I'm sure others, is the lack of any proactive strategy by Holland. He seems completely incapable of making any bold moves. He is entirely reactive and far too safe by only going for what is available for purchase vs. applying any creativity or risk to making deals with what we have. This is further compounded by his endless excuses and arguments that the decisions he has made were the only decisions possible. Too many of us buy into this and respond, "What else was he supposed to do?" The lack of vision goes beyond Holland to many fans. We have been duped. Add to this his completely outdated mindset on treating hungry young skilled players like they need to be on training wheels until they are 26 while sticking with a growing roster of underperforming and overpaid mid level veterans. I think his lack of strategic thinking and planning was illustrated most with Lidstrom. Of course you can never ever ever replace him, but where was the plan to even try and fill that massive gaping hole? The attempt to get Suter? That was it? That was the only card in his hand? A smart GM living in reality would have been developing multiple options for the inevitable retirement of #5 including combinations of draft picks, trades for players, trades of picks, free agents... all cultivated over many years. Or truly pathetic D corp is glaring evidence of KH's lack of not just "genius" but competence. Let's now add to the mix some contracts and decisions. Weiss (while letting Flip go). Franzen over Hossa. Tootoo for how many years? Bringing back Sammy and Cleary? Erricsson? So many more... Dear God, how can anyone claim even one of those deals was the sign of genius? Oh, just wait and see where Blashill is in a year or two. As for offense there seems to have been some planning (and luck) for the inevitable loss of Dats and Hank with Larkin, AA, Mantha and a few others, but all too little and too late by keeping most of these kids on GR training wheels so we can do what, extend the streak? You can argue about that, but there is one more thing that screams idiocy to me. What GM calls out a player like Mantha and literally insults him in the press? Even if it is true, how incredibly stupid is that? Thinking ahead, if/when KH would ever consider trading Mantha, I'd be the first GM to pull out those articles/quotes as a bargaining chip.

I don't know much about this guy, but it is nice to FINALLY get some size in our forwards. I mean Holland keeps saying this guy is a 200 foot player. I hope the new arena is built to handle this.

May or may not be a problem as a player, but I sure wouldn't want my sister to be dating this guy - pretty clear warning signs. My question is do the Wings have the coaching staff to get this guy on track? Blashill? Come on...

The lack of any vision and strategy represented by this deal is impressive, but unlike half of you sycophantic homers around here I NEVER bought into the Holland "genius" tag. It was always others (Nill, Bowman, scouting) that made this team. As far as I'm concerned the only think Holland did for us was go out and buy Hasek, Hill and Robitaille - nothing genius about having the riches to buy three hall of famers, but in today's world that would probably take up half the cap space. Despite Holland's emperor with no clothes finally being revealed to the masses, the one thing I can't stand any more is for this team to play underperforming mid level veterans (like Helm and so many others) over promising and very hungry kids. I don;t care what they are paid, if I see another season of dead weight playing while someone like AA is out there making things happen in 7 minutes a game, I'm going to lose it.

Sad to say isn't it, but a huge wake up call - Abdelkader is the ONLY Wings veteran worthy of wearing the A based on his performance, effort and consistency. If not him, a kid like Larkin is the way to go. It is way overdo for this time to look ahead and dump the past.