Dabura

I dunno. I'm jonesing for a big trade, but if Helm and Franzen are our most expendable forwards, then we're in pretty good shape. And, realistically, Holland couldn't get much for those two even if he wanted to. I mean, that's not me trying to knock them, I'm just saying - I can't imagine there's much trade value between the two of them. And are we really that eager to move Helm so we can bring in...Mitch Callahan? A fourth-line winger who can't play center, can't skate like Helm, probably can't work like Helm can in a top-six role, isn't significantly bigger than Helm or Glendening, and has all of nine minutes of NHL experience? I get that Helm being pushed into a winger role is maybe less than ideal, and I get that Franzen is streaky and way past his prime, but replacing those two with Callahan and Pulkkinen doesn't really make us a better team. I know the idea is we'd be getting Yandle or Green, but, again, little trade value. If we're being honest, Yandle is going to cost at least one of Nyquist/Tatar/Mantha, and giving Franzen and/or Helm to a conference rival for a rental who's almost inevitably going to make a killing in free agency (and/or circle back to the Caps, meaning we will have given the Caps Franzen and/or Helm for nothing, unless we manage to win the Cup) doesn't strike me as smart asset management. I think if we're going to get anything of real worth for a guy like Franzen, our trade partner probably needs to be very short on high-end goal-scorers but good enough that they're maybe one goal-scorer away from being one of the few truly elite teams in the league. So...Nashville? Ryan Ellis?

From a Sens blog: From NHL.com: The slump sucked, but this is still a very good team. And guess what: aside from Gustavsson, everyone's healthy. I'm pumped.

Larkin looked very good against Finland in a two-way shutdown role. I didn't really notice Vahatalo.

Teemu Pulkkinen scores game-winner in shootout

Oh, c'mon. You're smarter than this,

Hey, remember February of '08?

Nope. We're in the throes of regression, which is to be expected, but - and here's my concern - we're compounding the issue by playing shoddy hockey. Granted, you can play shoddy hockey and win some games, but it's going to catch up to you (see: the Leafs). It's almost like a morality play. "Be as Good as you can as regularly as you can and you'll get into Heaven The Playoffs."

Gotta score more than one goal. Everything needs to come up a level. Passing is wretched, transition game has no flow or rhythm, hanging around the perimeter in the o-zone. Not nearly good enough. Also, the one-goal lead is the new two-goal lead.

I like the returrn of ZDA and the kid line. I think it's the right call. I might try swapping Abdelkader and Jurco, though. Tatar-Sheahan-Abdelkader was a damn good line for a couple games back in November, and Jurco's a possession monster no matter who he's playing with and against.

"Please leave a message at the tone." [beep] "Hey. It's Scott Thornton. Just thought I'd send you a message. Call me."

Sending a message, lol. "HEY MAN. YOU CROSS-CHECKED MY CAPTAIN AND I AM REALLY MAD ABOUT IT. THAT'S WHY I'M GETTING ALL UP IN YOUR FACE. TELL YOUR FIGHTER I WANT TO FIGHT HIM TO SHOW HOW MAD I AM."

Let's trade Mantha.

I still like Iiro Pakarinen. I don't think I've given him the full pump-the-tires treatment yet, and now would seem as good a time as any. Hockey's Future Eliteprospects Edmonton Journal (Jonathan Willis)

Really bad game. Need to manage the puck way better, shoot it way more. Just awful, awful decisions with the puck. This is no longer just a slump. This is the players not bringing their A game and really bearing down.

And a hooker. Don't forget the hooker.

Worth a read, even if you're not big on possession stats: Shot suppression - Babcock's secret weapon [Winging It In Motown]

So, basically, Kindl and Lashoff for Oshie. This is why we can't have (other people's) nice things.

Mantha, baby!

I actually like Keith Jones as an NBC guy because he doesn't really have a shtick. He just calls it like it is. Dreger, on the other hand, will go on TSN radio and say his sense is that Babcock wants to sign in Toronto, because reasons. But don't quote him on that, because he admittedly doesn't know what Mike Babcock is thinking, so speculating about Babcock's true motives is a fool's errand. But his sense is Toronto is at the top of Babcock's list. But, to be clear, he's not saying Babcock has a list. Admittedly, he doesn't know if Babcock has a list, so speculating about his true preferences is a fool's errand. But certainly you have to ask: If Babcock wants to stay in Detroit, why hasn't he re-signed? It's a valid question. But, we just don't know at this point. So, long story short: Babcock's going to Toronto. (Maybe.)

Friedman: "In the right situation, T.J. Oshie is available" But then, I'm a big believer in "In the right situation, anyone is available."

Re: Hall, Again: "Where there's smoke, there's Dreger." https://twitter.com/RomulusNotNuma/status/544711479937601537 https://twitter.com/ThomasDrance/status/544878354089119745 (...I may or may not be "Taro Tsujimoto"...) Even if they do trade Hall (HUGELY unlikely), it won't be to Detroit. I'm way more interested in Arizona's situation. Actually, I could see the Oilers being interested in Hanzal and Ekman-Larsson...

We always lose to the Isles. Well, except for that one time last season. Kinda dreading this one. BTW - The Isles are 6-0 in the shootout.

Backman's pretty much behind Kindl, Lashoff, Ouellet, Marchenko, Jensen, Sproul (and probably Hicketts, if he were in the AHL right now); he's the lowest man on the totem pole. If Ouellet - who's already better than Kindl - isn't going to be a true regular on the parent club until next season (and even then, tell me you can't see him starting next season on the farm), I can undersand why Backman might be feeling a little disillusioned with The Process. Why should we care? Because he's an asset with good potential. We used a draft pick on him. We picked him, not the other way around. Do we want this to start becoming a thing? D prospects saying, "Y'know, I'd rather take my chances elsewhere"? Maybe the Blackhawks can afford to lose a number of very good prospects for nothing, but the Wings can't. I'm not saying Holland needs to panic because O NOES BACKMAN IS UNHAPPY, but he can't take the "OK, well, have fun in Europe. We don't need you anyway" approach. Lord knows UFAs aren't dying to play for the Wings, so prospects becoming disillusioned with our over-long Process is kind of the last thing we want right now.

I get staying positive and not getting down on yourself, but...that rubs me kinda wrong.

I'm starting to fear that GMs are going to look at our record, look at who's leading the charge for 3-on-3 (our GM), and say, "Oh eff that, we're cool with anything that could cost the Wings a playoff spot." And I'm sure a team like the Isles secretly loves the shootout. What are they now, 6-0? Bastards.