chaps80

Yep. Overdue though. Tired of this team spinning their wheels trying to fight for a playoff spot when they can’t do anything with it anyways. Even Holland seems to be getting on board somewhat, which is a miracle.

Curt Mac in goal for the Leafs. So the Wings are now officially one of those teams that other teams play their backup goalie against on the second game of back to back nights. Remember when it would be the opposite? Leafs already score. 1-0. Good job boys!

He could get an actual chance. Talbot hasn’t been very good, and they may want to see what he’s got when he doesn’t only play once in awhile and the fact he has a contract to earn with them. Sometimes a team change can kick things into gear for ya. It’s a good opportunity. He’s not getting one here.

Hopefully it’s not true. But it’s not out of possibility.

Mrazek has been treated like s***, honestly. Guy signs a contract to be the team’s starter after Holland decided Howard was the past in Detroit, and expendable. OK, done deal. Only Howard was never moved. Seemed like Holland didn’t even actively shop him much. Definitely was not retaining salary! So Mrazek has a bad season overall while Howard plays well overall in the games he gets in. OK, it happens. Not a huge deal in the goalie world. But after that one bad season, he's not able to resume his starting role given to him the previous season when signing his deal. Instead, he’s relegated to backup duty behind Howard, and now he’s expendable? In a contract year when he’s got a $4.1 million qualifying offer coming if he earns it? Yet he’s barely played and Holland WILL retain salary to trade him? Only vets get the preferred treatment package I guess. Damn, after writing that, can’t see how anyone could blame him if he doesn’t care and wants the hell out of Detroit! And hopes the rumours are true. Sounds like real quality treatment of a player. First class.

Hahahahaha That’s hilarious. Why is the team paying a coach then, if Z can just tell the team how things are gonna go? May as well Reg Dunlop it then. Doesn’t look good on either Blash, for getting undermined, or Z, for undermining his coach. Damn Swedish Mafia. I like Z, appreciate the great play and memories, but i’ll be perfectly content when he retires, gets his number in the rafters, and takes Kronwall and Errorsson back home with him. Eliminate the vets and the entitled attitude they have been allowed to develop over time by management. It’s time. Teams been stinking for a few years, kept getting worse to the point where now they are officially cellar dwellers. Despite Holland and his band aid fixes and dumb deadline pickups. Jarnkrok is doing great in Nashville, be nice to have him now instead of just crappy memory of Legwand’s short stint. I know, hindsight.

You think if they make trades for defense (good ones, not Strome at the cost of Eberle LOL), get great goaltending again, and their forwards are scoring like they did last season again, they aren’t a contender? I don’t like the Oilers either, especially after the 4 firsts in 5 years and blatant tanking, but they definitely have the pieces to contend. Either already in place, or in current assets to get them.

Edmonton will be much better off much sooner than Detroit will, and most likely have another Cup before Detroit will. Last season wasn’t some fluke. The talent is definitely there and hasn’t simply dissapeared. They just need to figure some things out. If they don’t soon enough there will be trades and maybe a coaching change coming next season.

I dunno if it was luck. They had the same solid Cam Talbot last season that was in NY before. Despite not having a great D, he was a standout. He’s struggling this season. They got great production from McDavid, Draisatil, Lucic, Maroon, etc. Only McDavid is really doing much now. It could be regression, or it could be that other teams have them figured out and they need a new game plan to get some goals from their top players, and better goaltending from Talbot. If Mrazek is traded, I’d like to see him go there and thrive. If he does, he can easily have a Cup before the Wings do. Imagine a few more years of bottom feeding and Howard being finished and him retiring cup-less in Detroit with Mrazek already having one or two under his belt in Edmonton? I’m not sure if that scenario would be sad or funny right now. It’s a toss up.

We’re already stuck with Helm, Nielsen, and Errorsson for years to come. Unmovable contracts. Nielsen may get interest if his contract wasn’t so bad for what he brings. Holland just threw money, term, and an NMC at him without considering that, although quite talented, he’s more of a high end complementary player, and he didn’t have the players to compliment him as a centre. Might be able to ditch Helm or Nielsen at the deadline in their final season, bout it.

Yeah, retain salary and get a half assed pick for Mrazek? FFS. Lol Theres a few teams interested despite him not playing much and his numbers being bad (but those numbers are inflated by s***ty D, much like Howard’s are). That should tell something. The teams see potential in him if they give him the chance to play. One part of me would hate to lose him for crap, but another part of me wants him to get a shot elsewhere and succeed on a great scale just to stick it to Holland. Honestly, I see Howard as the one who should be traded, if there’s interest in him. If they got Howard out of Detroit, I think Mrazek would thrive. Yes he was bad last season even without Howard on the bench, but bad seasons happen. Smart thing would be trade Howard, let Mrazek have at it. If he does no better, then the Wings are closer to that top pick. Don’t qualify him, pick up a goalie in the off-season. If he does, then you re-sign him and have your new young starter for the future. Teams not doing s*** with Howard or Mrazek in goal. Now is the time to start the true rebuild. Trading the younger goalie is a step backwards. But, Holland won’t trade Howard. He thinks he still needs him, even though he woulda taken anything he could for him at one point. Just trade all the vets you can. Yes, even Z if he asks!

Blash just needs to stfu.

I’m not hoping Jimmy blows it. I have given credit where it was due so far this season, but he’s been trending downwards. Jimmy being unwanted in a trade (which at the time probably would have been a formality for whatever little Holland could get), and Mrazek not being taken in the expansion are different things. Maybe Vegas wanted Nosek? Maybe there was an agreement with McPhee to take Nosek after Holland originally was going to protect him, but wanted to expose Mrazek for the “wake up call”. None of us know the behind the scenes chats. Howard would have went unclaimed as well, so it is what it is. Howard is 33 yes. Not finished by any means, but It’s not unheard of for rebuilding teams to move on from their oldest goalie and roll with youth. Mrazek and Coreau are 8 and 7 years younger. How many years does Howard have left? How many times will he be injured? How many times will he flake out? Is it worth losing one of your two best younger options to keep him around past next season? All good questions.

3 left? This poll is pretty close. 14 to 13 for Howard. I guess many are thinking of the future, not the present. Good mindset to be in when your team sucks and you need a rebuild stat. Like it or not, Howard is getting older, and has had injury and mental breakdown problems for a few seasons now. Even if he was moved and Mrazek still didn’t step up, there’s younger goalies kicking around the league who could step right in and do his job for cheaper. It wouldn’t screw the team or anything. He’s not some irreplaceable piece that needs to be kept around until he retires. He’s Jimmy Howard, not Martin Brodeur. Some here seem to think he’s the Wings equivalent of that though. The guy was on the trade block one season ago and they couldn’t give him away. Would there even be any takers today at the cap hit?

And out of all the players they had to choose they chose Nosek. A few Vegas picks were questionable.

It’s OK, Jittery Jimmy will show up again. We all know it. And it has nothing to do with proving anyone wrong. It only shows by how much of a margin Blash favours Howard. Constant pats on the head,no matter the performance. It’s hilarious. I compared it to a minor hockey dad and his son before. And yes, he’s been quiet, but he can’t be too happy. Probably hoping he gets moved somehow to somewhere where he gets starts.

Holland doesn’t stand pat though. Still signed his usual band aid fixes in the off-season. I’m not against the Daley signing, but proper rebuilding doesn’t usually include hitting the cap limit just because you can. This team would still suck with or without him. Start saving some money.

Yeah, I laughed when I saw Howard was starting last night after the game he had saturday. If your not gonna give Mrazek a start after that, may as well waive him. No wonder he had “attitude issues”. I would too. And I say waive, because why not? He’s obviously useless to this franchise the way he’s handled. If he gets picked up for nothing, all the better. Right? If he doesn’t, then he gets another “message”. Nothing like breaking a young goalie down while fluffing the ego of your veteran. Then if he gets picked up, the Howard/Coreau show can begin. If Howard gets hurt, Jared can lay prone on the ice while players shoot pucks over him again.

But what’s the alternative? Middle of the pack non playoff team, or squeaking in and not doing squat? The lower they finish, the better. Finish last, they’re still guaranteed a top 4 pick. Plus Vegas isn’t guaranteed a certain spot in the order this season to gum up the works again. I’ll take it. Only way to rebuild is through the draft. Holland has shown us perfectly why ‘rebuild on the fly’ doesn’t work in the cap era.

Turn down the suck knob Wings. No need to crank it and break it off tonight. Cause veteran.

One can hope. Put some grit into this bunch of flakes along with Bert.

No. At the start of the season I was hunting down a good stream every game night. Now I just rely on phone updates.

Of course Howard starts. Lol Called it after the last game. Well hopefully he does well tonight. Hopefully they all do. Hammer down!

Bah. DeKeyser and Helm could get us Burns. Throw in Booth and a 7th as a sweetener. Calgary isn’t getting that pick from the McCollum deal anyways. How could SJ resist?

Hahaha I don’t doubt this. Loyalty. The only people talking about Blash being on a short leash are media. I bet he at least finishes the season.