Bill Berzeench

Should have been 2

Well said. Smith and Kindl are getting better at recognizing the serious pressure. Seems like they are making the safer plays.

Jurco is doing just fine, and Larkin throws this thinking right out the window. Wish we had been watching Nyquist and Tatar 2 years earlier instead of Samuelsson and Cleary on their last legs. But since we had such deep post season success over the last 5 years, I guess you're right. Oh wait...

Yes. Green had a great game. Saved a break away, which is a goal on Howard more than likely, and had a lot of nice defensive stick checks. His takeaway/giveaway was extremely positive last night.

We are 0 for the last 7 years using this approach. Athanasiou for Miller. Mantha for Franzen. It's that simple.

I dont buy all this. Sorry. A player is good, or he isnt good. You're not going to get some guy who stinks, have him "develop" in the AHL, and then bring him up after 5 years. Nyquist, Tatar, Smith, Ouellet, Mantha, Larkin, Kindl - these guys are all top draft picks and they all have mad skills. Sure, they need to add muscle and weight, but a player is going to choose whether he wants it bad enough or not. Larkin put on 20 lbs over the last 18 months to get himself NHL ready. Nyquist is still 165 lbs soaking wet. Larkin will be effective in the playoffs, where the checking gets tight. Nyquist wont. If you call adding weight "development", then ok. Our young guys should be conditioning and getting their bodies to where they are effective against a physical opponent at the NHL level. But that doesnt have to happen in the AHL. That can be an ongoing process in the NHL.

Cool. Thx!

Mind if i steal this for my wallpaper on my comp? It's a cool pic.

Sorry. I just get irritated when common fans talk about a player's "development" as if they actually know anything about it and/or have a hand in it. Larkin played one playoff series in the AHL. Why the hell would you want to "develop" him any further in the AHL? It's clear to the EYE that he is top talent on our team. Athanasiou, Mantha, and Nosek are all showing signs of this, as well. If you watched the camps, watched the preseason, and watch the Griffs games, you can easily SEE this. So why are we burying them in GR? So we can have a career minus 4th line player playing 3,000 straight games for us? No thanks. Bring up the kids and take the trash out!!!

I'm so sick of this STUPID argument!!!! If we had Lindros, Gretzky, Lemieux, and Yzerman all 19 years old, half of Red Wings fans, so drunk on Ken Holland's idiotic excuse for not knowing when players are ready = "over ripening", would say they want them getting first line minutes in Grand Rapids. mIt's the dumbest thing I've ever heard! I swear to God I think Drew Miller gives half the fan base free lower bowl tickets to keep everyone saying how every good young player should develop in Grand Rapids three more years!! Exactly!! Can you imagine Edmonton fans saying McDavid should get first line minutes in the minors vs. 2nd line minutes in the NHL. Why dont people like youth, energy, and speed around here? You think Larkin would have crushed this thinking by now. SMH

I bet Smith and Kindl will platoon. But that's not Smith's fault. Our GM is an ass hat who only works 2 days a year. We have 10 NHL defensemen right now and there isnt a whisper of a trade in the works.

And? We just played the stanley cup runner up. You don't expect him to have a mistake or 2 against the best teams in the league. I think expectations are a little too lofty for Smith. People seem to want him to be flawless, ala #5.

Why all the hate on Smith. He and Kindl have looked like the best 3rd pairing in the NHL so far. Is it because he was a first rounder and people want more points out of him? He covers a lot of ice and breaks up a lot of plays out there. A turnover here and there is no reason to crucify him.

I get it. I dont want to see every veteran we have bumped. We have some good veterans. If you are watching the games, can u honestly tell me you'd send Dylan Larkin to GR so you wouldnt have to waive Drew Miller? I would play Jurco, Ferraro, Athanasiou, Nosek, and Mantha all ahead of Drew Miller and have ZERO issues with him getting picked up off waivers if he didnt clear.

Athanasiou-Helm-Glendening. That's a kick ass 4th line.

Im in 100% agreement with you.

Those players you mention are in decline, but they are still damn good. Franzen and Richards - just blaugh. I hope they prove me wrong, but they have just looked blaugh so far.

That stuff is dangerous, bro. Out 2-4 weeks with upper molar decay. You know how bad that can stimg.

Greeter!

I just want to see 22 year old developing instead of 35 year olds declining. Jurco and Athanasiou bring more to the table than Franzen and Richards, imo.

Jurco is a good player. He should be playing. Same with Athanasiou.

That would be nice, though. Speed speed speed.

Larkin will not be going down. He's awesome.

Good benchmark game here.

If he can get 6 mil on the market, wings should be happy for him and let him go. He's worth 4.5 -5 mil per. No more.