Neomaxizoomdweebie

So they need defense, goaltending, and their forwards to score. Where have I heard this before?

What's with all the D's? I love D's! I am surrounded by D's! It's like I'm at a strip club!

Edmonton could dig up Terry Sawchuk, recover some of his DNA, splice in some Roy and Brodeur chromosomes, and the frankenstein clone that results is still not winning them a cup.

LOL, I think we'd still be ranked 29th. And it would still represent "animal cruelty".

Just out of curiosity, who do you consider "more deserving kids"? I can't think of one NHL ready prospect who is not on the Wings roster except for maybe Bertuzzi. And his being reassigned to GR might have more to do with conditioning following his return from his wrist injury than anything else. Bringing up kids and throwing them to the wolves before they are ready is never a good strategy. It will only damage their development. I want to see Hicketts, Rass, and Svech in the D as much as anyone else, but I don't believe they're ready yet (although HIcketts is close). And IF they aren't ready yet, why rush it? It's a rebuild, let's do it right. I mean, if we're talking about the Cleary situation, or keeping Nyquist down longer than he should have been, I totally agree. But that was during "the streak"- different circumstances. The Wings are in rebuild mode now. It is no longer necessary to keep the kids down in favor of veterans anymore. And I don't think they are. Larkin and Mantha are perfect examples of that. They were never "overripe", they made the team because they were ready. They weren't held back by any "undeserving" player. Neither is anyone else that I can see.

Based on the title and the timing I thought this thread was going to be about Episode 8. I've never been either unfortunately, but it sounds like it would be fun. After you go, make sure to let us know how it went, so that the rest of us know.

Jenny Blasholland: "I like our team, but we really just need them to trust the process. We're kicking some tires on some different strategies and gameplans that we think can make us a playoff team."

I think Holland has decided that Mrazek has no future in Detroit. If he trades him and retains some salary then at least Holland's getting something for him as opposed to not qualifying him this summer and losing him for nothing. Plus, as kliq said the salary retention does nothing to effect the cap after July 1st. It's actually a smart move if Holland's not planning on re-signing him. But I can see how you would disagree if you want to keep him.

Not to mention the team was trying to maintain the streak at the time IIRC. They needed Howard to do that. That is not the case now. I agree, no bias, just different circumstances.

So The Hockey News ranked the 29 existing NHL mascots in their latest issue. They ranked the Wings' Al the Octopus at 29th and had this to say about it: "The only mascot without an actual human operator-and it glorifies animal cruelty. Doubling down on ineptitude." What? Animal cruelty? Are you seriously comparing throwing dead, leftover seafood onto the ice to running a dog fighting ring? By that logic, throwing an uneaten hot dog or chicken wing onto the ice would also be "animal cruelty". That kind of ignorant propaganda is exactly why I'm not renewing my subscription.

Perhaps I was too harsh. I shouldn't have said "delusional", as those who support/still believe in Mrazek are not. Just a difference in opinion. Poor choice of words there. That said, I don't dislike Mrazek. I actually WANT to be wrong about him. I just don't think it will happen in a Winged Wheel jersey, if at all.

Dahlin is going first overall. The only way he is coming to Detroit is if they win the lottery and get the number one pick. No matter what, even if they finish dead last, the best chance for that to happen is like18%. So if you're strategy is to tank to get Dahlin, its not likely to payoff. So its probably not the best strategy. Where the Wings sit right now, they have a better than 25% chance to pick in the top 3. http://www.tankathon.com/nhl/pick_odds

It's sad. Sometimes we as fans tend to believe that these guys live wonderful lives, getting paid millions of dollars to play a sport they love at a level the rest of us can only dream of. What we so often overlook is the sometimes brutal honesty of life for some NHL players. So frequently forgotten is the physical, mental and emotional sacrifice that these guys make on behalf of their teams and us, the fans, in a sometimes gladiatorial occupation. Johnson's is only one such story, among many others, that remind us that playing this sport, in this league, isn't always a dream come true. No matter how famous, how wealthy, how idolized they become, these guys still suffer from the same life problems, the same traps, vices, and anxieties as the rest of us. And no matter how successful they might become on a 200' x 85' sheet of ice, they still deserve the same dignity, respect and sympathy as the rest of us. Just something to remember (myself included) when we are so often quick to ridicule them for their mistakes and meet their struggles with hostility or indifference.

I would post my "Amen Brother" meme, but that worked out so well last time...Anyway, I totally agree. All of the defensemen on this roster are NHL caliber for sure. But, when you have 3 2nd pairing dmen and 3 bottom pairing dmen (I can't decide what Kronwall is) going up against other teams top lines, they're going to look outclassed.

Nevermind

Uh huh...

That's because you have to be that drunk to take the women home there. I KID! I KID! I KID! Hanging curveball! Don't hate me! In all seriousness, I am sure the women there are lovely. It's nothing personal. They are divisional rivals of both my NHL and NFL teams. It's kind of my obligation as a fan to dislike them. I mean...they have a nice waterfall?

I was once one of those fans. I fell victim to the Mrazek Hype Machine. I never turned on Howard tho, at least. That said, I'm not so delusional that I can't see the proverbial writing on the wall for Mrazek. Nor am I so stubborn that I can't have my opinion changed. I am now convinced that Howard is the better of the 2. If we're talking about the future, then the answer is "none of the above". Neither of them are long term options for this team. If we're talking about the "now", the answer is Howard. He has better numbers and stats in every category but age. Mrazek may be around longer than Howard because he's younger, but he'll still never be a regular starter in the NHL, IMO. Howard is that now, Mrazek is not. So I chose Howard.

Wow...just...wow If this is true, I find it really hard to blame Blashill for this team's poor performances. If your coaching is being undermined by your team captain, you can't fairly be held accountable for it.

If that's true, you have bigger problems.

If I thought that was a possibility, I would agree with them because he's younger. Unfortunately, I can't see keeping him, getting rid of Howard, then paying Mrazek 4 mil annually to be the starter going forward. I don't have enough faith in him i guess. If he was an UFA and he was being brought in cheap to be a backup, I would be OK with it. BTW, the only way Mrazek is getting traded is if some other team sees him as a potential starter. Because he is becoming a RFA, the CBA requires a minimum that he can be re-signed for and its over 3 mil. I don't see anyone paying him that to be a backup with his track record.

Too late.

You forgot #3. A system that is actually good so that the players WILL buy into it. This team has some #1, just not enough. They lack #3, which leads to #2. Insert potty jokes now.

Carlson=Niskanen 2.0 Holland will do his due diligence by inquiring and maybe even making an offer, but in the end someone overpays for Carlson expecting him to be their 1D. Then if he ends up on a weaker team, he looks more like a 3D. Pass.

He's got 10 games to make up for.