mackel

Grim but accurate... the time is now to clear the decks. Trade any players we can other than AA and Mantha.... I'd trade Larkin well before either of those guys.

Under no circumstances should a protected spot be used on either of Zetterberg or Kronwall... they both are great players with a legacy here. BUT that was then this is now, at this point in their careers we should be looking to get either one of them off the books. This team needs some creative, forward looking management to clear the decks and start a rebuild. We have exactly 0 star caliber players and I do include Larkin and Mantha in that statement, one or both may get there but I feel both will be really good players but not stars.

I don't this Towes is over rated at all. He is THE player that makes that Chicago roster go. He's a complete player and consumate leader. He's exactly the type of player the wings need a talented Canadian with an abundance heart and leadership. Something we've not had since Stevie.

I think Blash is a dead man walking but will finish out the season... I think we may see a new GM thanks to a Holland promotion and the new GM will have the latitude to hire "his guy" as coach. This is the only logical scenario I can envision.... other than that we see basically the same management, coaching and player personnel next season that are an abysmal failure this year.

Anyone on this roster other than Larkin, Mantha and AA that can be traded by the deadline should be traded. But with so much money and term commited to marginal NHLERS it likely can't happen.

Watching this team is painful. How about a forward or lateral pass on a PP breakout? Back passes have their place but not on every breakout.

I did read your post and your condescending attitude aside you didn't, make those points until this post. Sorry bro I can't read your mind.

So are we just not replacing those players or do their replacements intend to play for free... their contracts come off the booKS but someone's gotta fill those skates.

That's a legitimate concern, with the way Holland over pays in both dollars and term for infinitely replaceable players. Helm, Glendening, Ericsson, Howard and the like. All decent NHLERS who are over signed, the thought being they would or will turn out to ge bargins a year or two into the deal, hasn't happened yet and likely won't.

As I read this the two names that came to mind were AA and Mantha.

Watching the world cup, man I wish we had a guy like that Tatar..... oh wait... we do he's just misused by our coaching staff.

^^^ THIS

Interesting question isn't it... assuming the Wings were interested in Trouba and had the assets to trade for him, our cap situation makes keeping him or anyone else difficult. With a number of over commitments to replaceable players like Big E, Helm, Howard, etc. Holland's cap and roster management skills are questionable, is Helm really a core player? I ask because we've committed to him as though he is.

He wasn't a top guy, he was our top guy... these are two very different things.

This is where we disagree, I see Larkin as a very good player... maybe OUR best center. BUT not a top center in the league. Much the way Kronwall is our #1D but isn't a true #1D, and as time passes he may not even be a true #2D at this point.

Larkin is a better version of players we already have fast, smallish, skilled. Mantha has a skillset our is lacking... size and natural scoring ability. I would trade Larkin for a clear #1 or soon to be #1 D. But I'd want a sweetener thrown in. I don't hate Americans but if I have two players of more or less equal quality I'll take the Canadian every day of the week.

Manta is exactly the type of player this team needs. A big bodied, canadian power forward. I'd overpay with Larkin and get a pick/prospect to even it out from WPG in a deal for Trouba. That said I'd rather get Tyson Barrie... but that's unlikely.

I understand Windsor is in Canada. Notice how I acknowledged that in my original post... he does however play for the US internationally... likely in part because he couldn't come close to making a Canadian squad and has dual citizenship. And yes Michigan connections, either being from or playing college in Michigan has been a factor for players signing with the wings.

What I think we need and what we can get are two totally different things. As far as Holland is concerned... his love of past their prime longtime/former wings is legendary.

Fowler (born in Windsor, I know) would be a mistake.... the Wings should be targeting a high end Canadian defenceman. This team needs an elite Canadian or two. In recent years their has been far too much focus on Michigan connections when looking at/signing players.

You're assuming.... 1. That the wings would have drafted Mike Green. 2. That he would have developed in the same way in our system, which is unikely since he would likely not have made the NHL as early as he did in Washington.

This Rosie outlook aside he could but Setagouchi, Cheechoo, or Barker good. Which is to say he may be playing in Europe 2-3 years from now.

Some food for thought... this was posted in a slightly different context. Many of us react crazily to the notion of trading AA or Mantha, etc... but we often forget you have to give to get and their is risk in making trades. Below are two links surrounding the trade of Brent Burns, the first article is from 2011 and the second from 2015. The outlook on the trade changed considerably in just 4 years. What looked like a good trade for the wild, turned out to be a major blunder. You never know with prospects and unproven players. http://www2.tsn.ca/tradecentre/story/?id=369904 http://thehockeywriters.com/revisiting-the-brent-burns-trade/ Bottom line for me I'd trade any player on the roster including Larkin in the right deal, even Larkin may flame out in a couple of years.

Am I the only one who sees a pretty graph but has no clue how to read it?

If this happened Holland would be in deep crap with the ASPCA first for bagging all of those pugs and secondly for using them as a weapon.... the poor pugs. For the love of God think of the pugs!!!