DickieDunn

I can get a 6 pack of Labatt pints for $6 here. It's my cheap beer of choice. I prefer Founders or Bells but that s*** gets expensive. Last time I was in Toronto they had ButtWider as a premium import. I laughed. As far as the draft goes, Id rather take a bigger guy, provided he can skate, them use the second and a couple 3rds to move up into the mid 1st and get a d. Failing that, use at least 3 of the next 4 picks on D and hope for a home run. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

How the hell was McCollum mismanaged? Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Bowman didn't tell Yzerman to be a checking line center. He told him to be defensively responsible. Everytime AA makes a coverage error he gets benched. Jurco talked about how in Chicago players are told to make plays and in Detroit they're told to play safe. Hell, just watch a Wings game and you can see them pass up chances in order to make the simple play. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Asking a player to improve in an area where you're weak is one thing. Asking them to go against everything that they've ever done and change their game is another. I don't think anyone is arguing against the idea that Mantha needs to play hard every shift to maximize his impact, or that AA needs to be defensively responsible. Blashill's taking those concepts and putting them to the extreme, though. Everyone has an off shift or a bad period. When AA or Mantha have one, Blashill benches them. When Nyquist or Tatar, or Sheahan, or someone else has one, he ignores it. He praises zero goal Sheahan for doing "good things" and gives him PP time, and the most AA gets is a back handed compliment peppered with criticism. Larkin's best asset is his speed, Blashill wants him to sacrifice that in order to get bigger and become something he's not. And it's not working. At all. Who has met or exceeded expectations this year? Zetterberg, Vanek, Nielsen, Howard and Green. Five guys who have been around long enough where Blashill more or less leaves them alone. Everyone else is playing below their ability.

Fedorov didn't "switch to defense." He was used there for a few games because of injuries and because Bowman liked to screw with him. They thought Dandenault would be more effective as a defenseman because of his speed, and Bowman wanted a d-man with wheels. they didn't tell him to move to defense and then play like Bob Rouse, they moved him to defense and told him to rush the puck and be involved. Lot's of players switch from center to wing, and players with the ability can go from wing to center. That's not changing how they play. Ericsson was drafted to play defense after Andersson saw him used there in a game because his team was short some D. Abdelkader is a piss poor top 6 forward. he's a complimentary player just like McCarty, Lapointe, and Brown were. Glendening asked to start playing center while in GR because he knew that was his best chance at making the Wings. Calling hims a top 6 power forward is like calling a Honda Civic a sports car. Asking a player to focus more on defense isn't the same as telling him to focus ONLY on defense. Asking a player to use his size isn't the same as telling Larkin that he needs to be a power forward and bulk up. Finally, a point you didn't address, Bowman won. A lot. He also got the most out of his players more often than not. Blashill loses, a lot, and his players play worse for him than they have for other coaches most of the time.

Playing 2 way hockey isn't the same as what Blashill is doing, Datsyuk was always defensively responsible, and comparing Blashill and Bowman is 100% ridiculous. Bowman put Fedorov on d to play mind games and motivate him. Blashill thinks AA should be like Helm and Larkin should be a power forward because he's an imbecile. Did you watch GR when Blashill was there vs how he coaches now? It's night and day different. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

A goos coach takes what his players do well and makes use of it. A bad coach has a rigid idea of what they need to do and expects them to conform, and it usually doesn't work. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

They lack a #1 center. That doesn't mean he needs to play Sheahan, Glendening, Abdelkader, et. al. as much as he does, or bench AA and Mantha for things he ignores from vets, or tell some of his players to completely change their games. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

OK, my point was he coached differently. You appear to agree. His methods in GR brought in positive results, his NHL style negative results. To me, that says he shouldn't have changed, at least not that much.

MRWGA

Because when he was coaching GR they used creativity and he allowed his offensive players to play that way while teaching them how to defend as well. Now he wants defend, defend, defend, and benches them for a defensive mistake. Meanwhile zero goal Sheahan is still playing every night and even getting some PP time because he "does good things." Never mind that one of those things isn't scoring this year. It was time for a change, and I don't think Babcock wanted to stick around until Holland finally had no choice to admit they need a rebuild. Hell, even after this year he STILL isn't committing to a full rebuild, because "we're not that far out." You're last in the conference, that means you're a long way out.

And in GR he didn't preach the same style he does now, where hard work and the "process" trump everything else. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Any decent player should score 20 goals playing with Zetterbeg and Datsyuk plus getting a bunch of PP time. It doesn't make Abdelkader special. He's a 3rd line player with a skill set that allows him to compliment 2 skilled players, no different than guys like Lapointe and McCarty, and to a lesser extent Homer. Tatar and Nyquist should be scoring more than that though, both have goal scoring ability, and under Blashill they, along with any other player not old enough to tell him to kiss their ass, are being asked to do things that they're not suited for. Larkin is being told he needs to be a power forward. Scorers are being turned into grinders, and grinders into scorers. Mantha is told he needs to move his feet, a few weeks ago Blashill said Larkin moves HIS feet too much. The guy is clueless and just keeps repeating buzz words and phrases and values hard work and "the process" over actual talent and results. He'd rather a player not score and spend 80% of his time on the ice defending than push the puck and take chances, because they might turn the puck over and lead to an odd man rush.

Tank train comin through!!!! Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Nobody is arguing that or saying that they're a Cup contender or something. But with what they have, they shouldn't be last in the conference. This isn't a team where they have no choice to play Sheahan, Abdelkader, & co. as much as they do, that's done by choice.

Don't tell Journey that. Born and raised in Windsor just doesn't sound as good. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

We need someone with photoshop skills to put Holland and Blashill's heads on Beavis and Butthead

I've said it before, I'll say it again. It's hard to give 100% all the time when your boss is clueless. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

We know Glendogmillionaire, Abdelkader, Helm, Nielsen, and Ericsson will be here. Nobody is going to want those crap deals. Larkin, AA, and Mantha will also probably still be here. Zetterberg, Mantha, Larkin, AA, Nielsen, Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan, Abdelkader, Helm, and Glendening are a good base for a forward corps. Add a legit top line center and a decent coaching staff and it's good to go. The biggest issue is the defense. The lack of a #1 guy makes everyone else play a role they can't handle, and having Ericsson and one legged Kronwall locks up 2 spots that should be used on cheap players. Goaltending is a coin flip. Will Mrazek bounce back or is he just another flash in the pan? Howard is what he is. He plays well for awhile them he gets hurt and isn't the same as he was pre injury. You can't count on him to be a full time #1. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

I don't think a hard ass like Hitchcock is the answer. They need a teacher who is good with kids. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

Because both showed the ability to score before Blashill drove the team onto the ground. If it was just them not scoring you could put it on them. When it's 80% of the forwards, it's coaching. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

You don't need to get rid of that many players. A legit NHL coach and Tatar and Nyquist probably get back to scoring 25-30 goals. Get a top pair D so Dekeyser isn't their #1 and he plays better. As for the rest, most of them you're not going to move without taking on equally bad contracts. Best case scenario is Ericsson and/or Kronwall retire. XO isn't dead weight, either. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

They get emergency recalls, but I think there are pretty strict rules about them. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk

I don't want anyone over 25 years old and I'm not sure anyone who might be available is worth a top 5 pick. Sent from my LGLS676 using Tapatalk