LeftWinger

I like the idea of the Panthers just moving there. Why have an expansion, when you have a franchise that is struggling to stay afloat? I like the idea of Las Vegas having a team, but if they continued to struggle, they would have more "fans" in the concourse playing the slots and watching TV monitors, than actually sitting in the arena.

Hell, why enter the draft when you can further your education (hockey doesn't last forever) and then just choose where you'd like to play? Not saying that players should just start doing this, but the guys who feel their education is more important than the NHL have the right idea. Then they also can stay an amateur and develop more, ie. Danny D. and possibly win that NCAA title in the process. It's a fine line to cross risking a payday when you could very well injure yourself and be done before you step foot in pro sports.

exactly, IMO, Mantha is a non discussion. I think that most of the kids are as well. Screw it. Build from within. If you must trade something, trade a pick for a rental. Within the next two years, players than will not be re-signed and they should be gone IMO (not bashing them, but it's just time for the youth) are: Cleary, Miller, Andersson, Quincey, Kindl, Lashoff and Gustavsson...if they cannot be traded before, then let their contract expire and bid adieu. We have far too much talent in GR to keep behind the curtain anymore.

does anyone know if Mantha has laced them up for GR yet? If he is ready and gets his legit shot in Detroit after a few weeks of GR work, and IF indeed Datsyuk and Weiss are ready, I would be intrigued to see lines that look like this: Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Mantha Franzen - Weiss - Helm Nyquist - Sheahan - Tatar Miller - Glendening - Abdelkader Sending Jurco back to GR (because he can be) and sitting Cleary, Nestrasil and Andersson. I am not quite sure if that is compliant with the roster limits ( I may be over) but if we are going to give Mantha the shot then something will have to give. I do know that next off season, players are going to have to be cleared out to make room. There are a few high end kids that will not clear waivers next season. Then there's the likes of Jensen, Oullet, Sproul and Marchenko who are coming on like gang busters. Not to mention exposing Ferraro, Callahan and Aubry to waivers again. This is why I mentioned in another thread that I think its ok if we start offering up some draft picks with players in order to maybe fill some needs. We have so many very talented kids that will be here next season or the next and we have too many contracts that will not be expiring in the next two years either. I am not writing this to bash anyone, but Holland will need to make roster room and make some moves in order to protect his young players. Your most tradable forward(s) are Franzen, Andersson, Helm and Weiss. Weiss has the NTC and Helm seems to be getting to where he needs to be. Franzen is himself this season and that is good at times. But, obviously we CANNOT re-sign Cleary. I am not sure of the waiver status of the defensemen I mentioned above, but Holland MUST look to ridding this team of players like Kindl, Lashoff and Quincey. Smith has to be re-signed. I know there isn't going to be much we can get in return for those guys, and Lashoff is a very good 7th guy to keep around. Then again, with the log jam coming up, how can we acquire anybody? Where will they play? You'd have to give someone two players and a pick for one guy if you are picking someone up. It's just too bad that other GM's all want our top prospects and not our picks or players not named Datsyuk or Zetterberg. I seriously wonder what kind of player we could get in return if we offered a package of Franzen, Andersson and a 1st round pick. Probably nothing that could help us immediately anyhow, so may as well keep them. How about dumping players next summer for some mid round picks? We have to re-sign Jurco, Nyquist, Nestrasil, Smith, Jensen and Pulkkinen and like I stated that is going to create even a larger jam in Detroit...but if we could get a bushel of 3rd-5th round picks, we could replenish our prospect pool a bit, to go along with our own picks (if Holland doesn't trade any of them.) IMO Franzen could very well get us a 2nd round pick, if not a 1st from a team looking to get someone who just may help them over the hump. I still think Vancouver or Dallas is a nice fit for him. Andersson could get a 4th or 5th, Kindl a 5th, Q maybe a 3rd. It's going to be tough, but I would rather trade those players than any one of our kids that are going to be here next season.

Too Funny! I guess the nickname "Demolition Man" takes on a whole new meaning now! I cannot help but picture all the old episodes of Home Improvement while watching those! He and Tim Allen could give each other a run for the money!

well, this team is going nowhere with its current makeup. There are a few tradable players currently on the team, a few in GR, a couple guys that need to be waived. I do think that we are nicely stocked with young talent and I'd hate to lose another prospect, I think that this could be a year that maybe we could dangle a 1st rounder out there either in this years or next years draft. We are amassing a plethora of young talent, and pretty soon there will be no room for them...just look at the kids that are out of options next season, we have a lot of kids here now and a few more with no options next year with only a couple of spots opening up...it may be time to let loose of a couple older guys for the greater good along with a 1st rounder. A nice combo trade package of maybe 2 NHL players and a 1st could solve a huge gap in our defense. I do understand your point about making too many trades, but sitting still and hoping one day the team is 100% healthy (which will never happen this year) or hoping that certain players return to their former (WAY former) glory, is NOT making this team any better. We having gaping holes up front and on D. Hoping doesn't win Cups, doing does. Maybe nobody wants to dance with us, we all know nobody wants our scraps, but maybe up the offering. Include established NHL'rs and some high draft picks. I am all for winning with the players I know and love (well, love most of them.) But if a trade is made for the greater good (and I don't mean a 1st rounder for KFQ) and I have to say goodbye to an established player to better my team? It has to be done... Ya, and all Holland does re-sign washed up players and refuse to cut losses where losses need to be cut even when better players become available, he still keeps the worse ones in hopes that they haven't already peaked....but they have. But that is fine, he is the greatest GM of all time and he will bring us a Cup.

Damn, if someone could just start a Wings prospect website and get sources that he used on RWC to rank and talk about the prospects, that would be rockin!

at least Nill is trying to improve his team...he could just sit on his hands and not do a damn thing to inject a bit a of life in his team. Sometimes you need to make a deal for a shakeup. Not saying I would take Moen, but Gonchar would be an improvement over Kindl...but so would a lot of defensemen out there. But, other than that, again, at least Nill is attempting to make his team better by adding players that he needs to improve positions, not holding on to the same garbage hoping that on some miraculous day they return to their form from years ago... Kudos to Nill for trying.

absolutely...the shooters are making bad decisions, but when those shots go in at practice, then they think its all good. Spectacular start, hardly. He has played well, and I have acknowledged that before. But he does need to get better a shootouts. If you don't pose a challenge to your teammates at practice, how can they get better? And vice versa...

they are practicing against a goalie who is horrible at shootouts...they probably have no problem scoring in practice and they get that false sense of being good.

same results...different year. its time for change. Shake it up.

they do practice SO's...problem is, they practice them on Jimmy Howard who is never a challenge to beat in a SO. The shooters are given a false sense that they can actually score in a SO. also, f*** Franzen for ***** footing the potential game winner at the goalie. I will never be over the fact that Hossa has reached 1000 points and we are stuck with this "serious contract." Serious hot garbage.

crap....cleary in. This team takes two steps back with this guy in the lineup. What a waste of money... ok, obligatory Cleary bash...that being out of the way, Lets Go Wings!

wait....so, Datsyuk is injured? Sorry, was commuting all night last night and just read. Ray Sheppard?

I will miss the prospect rankings and draft analysis the most!

nobody called this one back in July.

need help up front and on D. Its time.

another soft one. Same place the first goal was. Jimmy played "solid" but two soft goals IMO. Luckily Jimmy has kept this game within reach.

helm, hands of cement. Slow pass, then open net and cannot pull the trigger. Open net too. Missed opportunities, that's our Achilles heel...

nice line juggle, before Dats came back Z, Nyquist and Franzen had some good chemistry.

honestly this team needs a constant threat up front and in back. I truely believe that we have enough prospects, quality ones at that, that we can maybe start dangling some first round draft picks out there to try to get what we desperately need.

if a package that included Helm could get us that difference maker on the blue line, do it.

nice to see Alex Chiasson following in dads footsteps. He was 10, I believe when Steve died.

for as "solid" as jimmy has played, that was a pretty soft one...nonetheless, he has kept this team alive all game.

one thing I am soooo sick of is our D's pass first mentality in the PP. Shoot the fracking puck Kronwall. Nobody falls for the fake shot pass anymore...