ChristopherReevesLegs

Oh the liberals here vote yes on everything. That's coming.

Howard is far and ahead the better goalie. Mrazek is literally the worst goalie in the NHL lol. This teams fans are more delusional than garth snow

f*** u anti buffalo idiots. Yall dont know how to have fun. Bars stay open till 4 am in buffalo. The city is hella fun if you know how to party.

Seattle is due for a team. This city prints money. Growing by close to 2,000 residents a month. All young with disposable cash. Would be foolish not to capitalize. THANK YOU UNCLE GARY

I like ur new profile pic. Is that an iron cross?

Lol a couple years ago i was the only one standing in for howard against mrazek. If you called me crazy then, you had some ground to stand on. Thats gone now. Mrazek may not even be in the NHL next year lol and some of you srill think of taking him over Howard. I love it. This is why i routinely find myself trusting the franchise over the irrational pitchforks of the fans. Ill be here to i told ya so soon. One love.

Holy s***, we have literally nothing that even approaches the value of Karlsson on the Red Wings. Karlsson is one of the mot dominant Dmen seen in 20 years. Mantha and Larkin are super n all, but nowhere near his level. If they are dumb enough to trade him to us you bite.

If we don't qualify him before FA opens this year, he becomes a UFA. Pretty sure qualifying offers are almost never accepted and are more just a formality that is required to keep the player an RFA while you continue to negotiate. Kinda like a deposit on a large purchase. Shows good faith and retains your spot at the front of the line. So say we do qualify him... we would then continue to own his RFA rights, and can negotiate with him until December 1st of next year. He's already been to arbitration once in his career, so he cannot go again. If the parties do not reach an agreement by December 1st, Mrazek is barred from NHL for the remainder of the season. At that point he would jet to Europe... Not sure if he would remain our RFA the next season, or if he becomes a UFA at that point. Someone smarter than me probably knows. Either way, he'd probably be finished in the NHL at that point and everyone would go home with nothing. We'd also look like real jerks to other players and the union. Depending on what we want to accomplish with him, If we qualify him, we essentially want one of two things to happen: 1. He accepts a very low offer and we retain him as our goalie. 2. Another team submits a predatory offer sheet on him, which we accept and then receive draft pick compensation. The problem with #1 is that that only makes sense if you actually want to keep him. If you'd rather sign a different backup on the open market, then be the classy one, tell him thank you for his time in Detroit, and cut him loose by not qualifying him and allowing him to become UFA. You don't want him anyway, why play games with the mans career? But what about compensation??? That leads to #2... The problem with #2 is we are not guaranteed to receive a predatory off sheet from another team. They rarely ever happen, and typically only happen with big impact players. So basically Mrazek will not get an offer sheet. AA didn't even get one. So essentially we would end up wasting a roster spot on a player that doesn't play, and the Red Wings would look like stupid idiots who jerk players around. It would be bad. Also I believe that in order to receive draft pick compensation on a predatory offer sheet the offer needs to be over $1.3 million. If someone offered him $1.25 we could either say ok and get nothing, or we say no and give him the $1.25 ourselves. Maybe if you want to keep him that's ok for you. It comes down to: if you want him, qualify him. If you don't want him, be the classy one and just let him walk away as UFA. He's not valuable enough to simply retain his rights and only his rights. Remember this is a player we exposed at the expansion and no one wanted him. His value has only dropped further since then. My guess is Mrazek will go unqualified and probably join a team in Europe, unless he's able to find a team that's willing to take him on as a reclamation project like the Rangers did with Pavelec. Problem for us is, no one trades for reclamation projects.

Jimmy only has next year left on his contract. I don't see the need to move Jimmy at all, because his cap hit will go down after next year as a 35+ player. We will need him in order to shelter our young goalies as well. If Jimmy is traded, it wouldn't be till next years deadline None isn't an option because it would be silly. Going from 2 goalies to no goalies would be foolish, and we all know this organization wouldn't make that drastic of a move anyway. I guess the real question should be, do we even bother qualifying Mrazek as an RFA? With the amount of money we need to re-sign other players, it will just be nice to have his $4 mil off the books. The Conklin/Gustavsson option is probably better at this point. We can pick up a career backup like Peter Budaj or something for next to nothing. Use him as a backup for Jimjam until a new kid can make the roster. Re-signing Mrazek to a cheap deal is an option, but it just doesn't seem feasible. The relationship has soured. As a young man who's career is trending backwards, he'll want to make a lateral move to a new team to right the ship and save his career. And from the teams perspective, he's not providing even backup quality numbers, so why continue with that headache at even $1 million? I see both parties shaking hands and walking away after this year. Coreau and McCollum are not playing super great in GR so far this season. Petruzzelli was great in the USHL, but he's struggling in college now. Larsson is having a fantastic year, but like with Petruzzelli, he's in the USHL, so who can say. Van Pottelberghe is having a down year so far in Switzerland. Machovsky is having a good year in Toledo, but it's Toledo... Do we even own the rights to Chase Perry or Jake Paterson anymore? Red Wings don't seem interested in either. Personally, I'd hold onto Howard and let Mrazek walk after this season. Sign no new goaltenders in the offseason. Call up Coreau and Machovsky at the same time and let them duke it out for the backup spot beneath Jimmy. Re-sign Jimmy after next year for an agreeable 3-4 million on a shorter contract, unless there's a big fish we can reel in, then we can let Howard go. But realistically I see the organization exercising the Conklin/Monster option, and leaving the kids down in GR next year, none have really pulled away as clear NHL options. Mrazek flopping is a real situation. Howard's gonna age out completely in a few years, and when that happens there is no definite young gun to pull up... at least not yet. And roll 6 skaters? Daring plan sir...

Janik played 9 games in Detroit while Smith was here...where are u getting the fact that Janik was his most consistent partner? From their time in GR? You honestly think playing in GR with Janik ruined Smith? You say im misrespresenting your argument but then go on to talk about how Janik was a low quality partner lol very similar to the "im done done discussing"... but then you keep discussing. I like that weve abandoned the silly PK argument at least

Ah the shifting of the argument to his partners. Now its their fault i assume for not propping up Smith? Doug Janik played all of 7 games for the Wings while Smith was here. And I got in an argument with you about Brian Lashoff about a month ago where you defended the great influence that Brian Lashoff is on our young D. So which is he? Never the less your claim that he always had bad partners is false, Smith spent plenty of time up and down the lineup with different partners. The organization even partnered him with Lidstrom his first 7 games. Im not aware of another Dman who recieved that special courtesy in their first stint.

If I have misrepresented your argument please quote it. I have not taken the stance that the organization was a positive factor. You have assumed and inserted that yourself. I have been neutral. I see no evidence of mishandling or of special treatment by the organization. By the looks of it he was given normal treatment just like Kindl and 99% of our prospects get. You are the one taking a stance suggesting the organization was not neutral, suggesting the organization mishandled him and was a negative in his development. You do know most Dmen have to play the PK right? Very rarely does a Dman never play the PK. And Smith played about 1 minute and 30 seconds on the PK a night. So, correct me if im wrong, youre saying that Smith is so heavily leaned in the offensive direction that he is the rare outlier Dman that cant or shouldnt kill penalties? And that 1 minute and 30 sec of PK each game (less than 10% of his career playing time) effectively ruined the other 90%+ of his time on the ice? I am understanding you?

Look, the childish kicking and screaming isn't gonna get you anywhere with me. Not sure why youre doubling down on it. If you truely dont want want to discuss and want to "move on" DONT DISCUSS AND MOVE ON. Ive given you that out, but you instead write a book, again exaggerating and misrepresenting my stance. You say one thing, and do another. I've stated Babcock put Smith in a very normal position to succeed. Was he given the moon? No. Was he "mishandled"? IMO, no... Im still waiting for you to post evidence to that claim despite your repeated wails to the contrary. And no, having to play the PK as Dman is not mishandling.

Dont be silly. The organization wanted E to play a more defensive forward game, so they switched him to D for the past 10 years. Some say it destroyed his confidence, i say wait to you see his foward game 4 years from now. Hollands dog gives me all the inside scoops. Yeah i get it lol you dont seem to. Im making fun of you for claiming to have any sort of semblance of whats happening in Smiths head. Get it?

Do you want to actually discuss and address my argument? Or are you just going to fallaciously exaggerate my stance? Your acting childish, and if you simply have nothing to rebuttal with just bow out now and quit discussing. Im here to actually talk about it, not play silly games. I know this is a sensitive issue for you so I'm giving you that respect, i expect the same from you.

I think Babcock wanted Ericsson to not play physical. Babs wanted to prove how smart he was by molding him into a well rounded Dman, instead of letting him play to his strengths (pun intended). Ericsson had to think about playing non physical so much, that it destroyed his confidence. Cause thinking is bad in hockey. Rational?

Only reason? Feel free to point out more reasons. I havent seen any evidence of Smith being mishandled by management posted by you yet. Or are you saying he wasnt mishandled now? Maybe Smith would have turned out differenly if he was given 1st pair duties day 1 after he was drafted. Maybe he would have turned out differently if we had kept him in GR until he was 28. The fact of the matter is he was given pretty normal treatment. The guy hardly deserved much PP time, as he couldnt even generate offense at even strength. Still cant with the Rags. Except he did suceed early in his career.

Lol rational? What he posted was complete conjecture. Brendan had to learn, learning made him think, thinking made him less confident. Like what? Which other of Brendans emotions are you guys privy too? Please share.

So because Smith had to start one season behind Ian White and play PK time the organization ruined him? Im not saying 100% of this is on Smith, but what your pointing out is not evidence at all of "mishandling". From what I can see the organization gave him ample oppurtunity to make waves in the NHL, especially since our D corps was thin. Same goes for guys like Kindl. Now he's playing in a new system and Smiths style is still as ineffective as it was here.

Like Smith too

Sure, but that begs the question, how was he mishandled?

Howard is healthy. Daley + Green (only 2 decent dmen we have) Kids have taken the reigns

Ericsson is frkin garbage. As a low paid 6th man he would be acceptable. But even then hed just be a placeholder until someone better comes along. He adds nothing to the team. Slow, unskilled, and non physical. My suspicion is hes kept around because hes literally the only big shutdown style Dman we have. Just like how the team wants an Abdelkader power forward type to compliment the top 6, they want a big net front shutdown type to compliment the D. Hes not sitting anytime soon and will probably play out the overpaid contract. Hes looked better this year, but not enough so to change my mind on him. Green and Daley being our best dmen speaks to how poor this team has become at drafting D. RIP Kronnwall.

Oh please. No one is unfairly picking on anyone. Yall need to buck up. KR, you argued left and right for the better part of 5 years that Smith not only had the potential to be a top 4 puck moving Dman, but at times you argued he already was one. Now things have shook out... the waiting to see what he becomes is over... and now suddenly when these results are in we cant revist the argument? I find that down right silly Smith and Jurco were both extremely hyped prospects. Had there not been a big hype train, we wouldnt be here discussing their failures to live up to that hype now. Yall can say thats face rubbing, but to that id just say yall made your beds, time to lay in em. Remember the amount of s*** Eva took for hyping Hudler night and day? Guy took it like a champ. If youre not mature enough to discuss gtfo. Thats directed at all you sensitive snowflakes KR, you know your s***, and I respect your opinion, even though we disagree sometimes. And as resident Smith fanboy I'm most interested to hear what you think about Smith at this point of his career. Regardless of how it got to this point for him I think we can both agree 1. Hes not top4. 2. Hes not a puck mover (at least not an NHL caliber one). Am I wrong?

He is a Leafs fan and Babs knows him. Gotta think NYR wants to get out from under that contract