DickieDunn

Saying you don't want to trade Nyquist or Tatar because what they'll do this year or next is too shortterm term for where the team is right now. Barring a miracle trade that brings in elite players at center and D, they're probably not going to be contenders for at least three years. That needs to be the focus off any moves that they make.

I think everyone would be shocked, Holland is too paralyzed with fear of trading the next Datsyuk or Kronwall to make a trade and thinks average players Luke Helm and Abdelkader are guys to build a team around.

Trouba is four years younger, is bigger, and has more upside. Fowler is 24, bigger, and still has plenty of room to improve. Dekeyser probably will get better, but not take a big leap forward like either of the younger guys could. I'd move one of Mantha, AA, Tatar, Nyquist plus either Smith or a second rounder for either. If other players were involved, say Scheifele and Trouba for Larkin, Smith, and Marchenko, I'd probably consider doing that too. You have to give to get, and Holland and several people here don't want to give anything good. Larkin is probably going to be a 65-70 point two way center. AA is probably going to be a second line forward. Mrazek is a probably gong to be a good goalie but who knows, goalies are impossible to really project. Too many things can go wrong with them, and other teams have proven you don't need a top 5 goalie to win the Cup if your team is solid and doesn't give up a ton of prime scoring chances. What you do need is an elite defense man and a couple elite forwards, at least one of whom is a center. Outside of possibly Larkin, Detroit doesn't have those. To hear some people talk though, Larkin is for sure an elite player, AA is going to be almost as good, Dekeyser is a top pair D and maybe even a #1 if he gets a little better, and Mrazek is already one of the top goalies. Most of these are the same people who said they wouldn't have traded Nyquist or Sproul for anything short of Crosby or Ovechkin.

To get a better player, he'll yes

Holland thinks Glendening and Miller are untouchable Anyone of similar age who is better.

It'd take a lit, but I'd trade Larkin or Mrazek. Certainly Dekeyser should be moved for a #1 D

In a small sample size. Lots of kids come in and tear it up short term, then never take a major step forward, Nyquist is a prime example.

AA COULD be a 1C, but it's unlikely. He's far more likely to be a second line player, and might not even end up as a center. He has speed and decent hands. He had one big year in juniors and didn't really blow away AHL competition. I just don't see future star when I watch him, any more than I saw Tatar or Nyquist being more than they've ended up being.

Potential #1D > potential #2 C every day if the week

Why not AA? I like him but he is absolutely not untouchable in a trade for a guy like Trouba

Sometimes a player wants a ton from the team he's on just to force them to let him go then signs a reasonable deal with a new team. I'd be trying to get him right now, but Kenny won't because that would mean parting with someone who hasn't said he wants out of Detroit

Anyone?

The difference between him and who we have is that he has the potential to develop into a top pairing D

Plus 10000000000000

Lang scored 62 and 52 points in his two full seasons here, that's pretty good. The issue I have with Holland is that he doesn't make those trades anymore. He could have traded any number of guys who never turned out to be as good as hoped to bring in players to improve the team, but won't.

Unless Trashill becomes his own man instead of Babs Jr. The kids have no real shot

Beyond that, nobody said every prospect SHOULD be traded, or that a top prospect should be traded for a small upgrade. But that's where a GM needs to have an understanding of his own talent pool, so you know you can trade Fleischmann or Matthias but not Datsyuk or even a guy like Homer.

A second pair D is more valuable than a small one dimensional 45 point winger

More of them never come close to their ceiling than hit it. You'd win 80-90% of the time

If he was better than what they have now, absolutely Not for both of them, but one plus XO, yes

I stand firm with trading prospects. That was one thing Dave Dom browsing did really well for the Tigers. Whrn he traded Maybin, Miller, Ravello, and everyone else for Cabrera and Willis some fans list their minds because Maybin was a potential star and Miller was a potential top of the rotation lefty with a good fastball. Other than extending Willis immediately, that deal worked out pretty well.

Just because you don't over value one guy doesn't mean you're not over valuing another. Prospects generally don't hit their ceiling. Trading them for a proven commodity is going to be a win more often than not. If they had moved Nyquist and Sproul plus maybe a pick when Sproul was tearing up the CHL and Nyquist was so good in GR thy ey probably could have gotten that defenseman or big scoring winger that they need right now. But no, can't trade them because of potential!

People seriously over valuing prospects, as usual

Yeah, if they can swap a guy who might be a good second line player and a pick for a legit top 4D they'd be stupid not to. But this is Holland.

That would mean Holland actually making a trade