DSM

That's a very good point too. Nyquist can still go to GR next season without hitting waivers, Tatar and Andersson can't. They might as well get the best look at them they can get this season before they leave them on the big club next season. That way they don't find out that they aren't NHL players AFTER they did not resign/traded/waived a better player to make room.

So having too many NHL players is a bad thing? Holland disagrees wholeheartedly.

I'm sure he's still in the teams future plans, he just hasn't been what the team has needed to fill spots opened by injuries. They needed scoring, so they called up Tatar, and they needed size so they recalled Andersson. I'm sure if the right spot opens up, they will recall Nyquist to fill it. I'm sure he'll also have a chance to win a spot next season when the Wings get a real training camp. If he doesn't, I'm sure he'll be #1 on the call-up depth chart followed by Sheahan and Ferraro.

I figured that next season Andersson and Tatar would be the Kopecky and Hudler of 06/07 and Emmerton and Mursak of 11/12. Good players that seem like they have something to offer, but have run out of minor league options so lets keep them on the team and see what they can do by using them to fill spots here and there.

I think Nyquist making the team hinged on having a full season with a training camp and exhibition games. They would've needed to move a forward (probably Emmerton or Mursak) in order to make room for Nyquist. Without a full camp and preseason, it made it difficult to gauge who should move. Once the shortened season came around, depth was going to be important because of the injuries were being forecasted. Holland could keep Nyquist in GR and not have to risk losing any of his depth. I don't see how everyone thinks Nyquist is going to turn the team around playing with Datsyuk. The guy had 1 goal in 22 NHL games coming into this season. I don't think he is going to be a big scorer at the NHL level. He's going to be a smaller version of Filppula.

I'm betting most teams are going to wait till the end of March to start making moves. Technically, every team is still in the playoff race at this point and won't be willing to sell just yet.

I think he has attitude issues or something. IIRC, he was coming to practices late or something like that and Vigneault put him on a short leash. After Vancouver traded him to Nashville, he bagged on Vigneault the first opportunity he got infront of the media.

I agree. I'm not dogging Gusteve Nyzerman, I think he has a future with the team, but right now there is no place where he would fit in and help the team. He needs all the AHL he can get, so he can add a little edge to that 5-11 185lb game.

-Eaves is a #12/13/14 forward on this team, why would they put a prospect in that spot, when that prospect can go play every night in Grand Rapids? Eaves is just fine in that spot and is UFA after next season. -Kindl makes more than league minimum now, so he certainly wouldn't re-sign for it... If the Red Wings offered him league minimum, he'd probably just go over to the KHL... Holland didn't F the organization last summer. The UFA market was thin, which inevitably drove up the cost of trades as well. Not much he could've done... He arguably made the offense better by replacing Hudler with Brunner, and Holmstrom with Samuelsson, and adding a physical element in Tootoo. He also made the goaltending better by adding a potential #1B guy. Definately not F-ing the organization. The only way anyone could've done better, would've been on NHL13. You have to put players on waivers to buy them out anyway...

He's not "over ripening". It's only his second season in GR, if the Red Wings thought he would be "ripping it up with Datsyuk" he would be on the team right now.

Or they could just sign a couple of experienced depth guys to keep in GR to call up (a la Garrett Stafford, Doug Janik, Garnet Exelby, etc.)

Nyquist has another year of waiver exemption, and I'd bet large amounts of money that he'll atleast start the season in GR next year. No way the Red Wings don't make any upgrades on the blueline. There won't be any #1 top teir dmen available, but I can see Kenny trying to bring in a #3/4 guy for an affordable price. I doubt the Red Wings will make any amnesty buyouts. They don't have any bad contracts really. All of the players you listed have a year remaining on pretty affordable contracts. They don't have any need to either, they have enough cap space to resign their guys, and bring in some UFA's as well. Technically, if he's still hurt this summer they won't be allowed to buy him out. That's why Boston and Philly can't buy out Savard or Pronger, even though those guys are more or less retired. Once again, I doubt the Red Wings will buy anyone out.

Illusions of grandeur? Nowhere did I state that he should be a Vezina finalist... I merely pointed that he is a serviceable NHL goalie. Numbers don't lie either, his GAA and Save% from the past couple of seasons were better than a lot of other backup goalies. They had planned to hang on to him, but I don't think they anticipated getting an upgrade for such a low price, which made him expendable. I certainly didn't lose sleep over it...

So if I catch your logic... Make the team way worse for draft picks, which have no guarantee of giving the Red Wings any impact players... Smart. On paper, Quincey was a top 4 dman. That was the going rate for a top 4 guy. Look what Nashville paid for Gaustad, who is a 3rd/4th line forward.

The problem with Kindl however, is that the Red Wings have a crowded blue line going into next season with 5 guys under contract (Kronwall, Ericsson, Quincey, Colaiacovo and Lashoff) and 2 RFA's (Smith and Kindl). That gives the Red Wings 7 dmen. That's a crowded blue line for a team that will be looking to make an upgrade via UFA this summer. Based on Kindl rotating as a #6/7 guy and Lashoff pretty much being in the top 6 every game on a team that has seen a boatload of injuries, this is how the depth chart probably looks to the organization going into next season: 1. Kronwall 2. Ericsson 3. Smith 4. Quincey 5. Colaiacovo 6. Lashoff 7. Kindl I'm guessing the Red Wings will probably want to make an upgrade that will fit somewhere between Kronwall and Colaiacovo on the depth chart, which would push Kindl down to #8. With so many forwards already, and the need to make space for Tatar and Andersson and possibly a UFA next season, I doubt they will want to carry 8 dmen. Based on this, Kindl would seem to be the odd man out. Sure Kindl hasn't reached his prime yet, but after 3 seasons he still has not proved he belongs in the Red Wings top 6. They can't just keep burning a roster spot waiting for him to hit his prime. Maybe a change of scenery would be helpful to him. He has looked better this season, but I am solely basing this on how the team has been using him.

No one was doubting that Boston is looking for forwards. I'm sure Boston wouldn't mind adding Franzen to their team, either. However, Boston would not be able to take on his salary. I hope Holland goes shopping at the deadline too, and I'm sure he will if the Red Wings are in position to make the playoffs. With that said, I just hope he doesn't overpay. He never has, so I'm sure we'll be ok.

C'mon now. You said you've been a long time fan, you should know by now that Holland isn't going to overpay.... He's never traded away players of Tatar, Nyquist, Sheahan or Lashoff's ilk in a deal for a rental player, and I doubt he would start now. Sure he isn't "needed", but like I said, it wouldn't hurt adding an extra top 6 forward for the rest of the season if the Red Wings are poised to make the playoffs. I personally wouldn't be opposed to Holland trading a 1st rounder for Ryder. Once again, if the Red Wings go after Ryder it's going to be because they expect to make the playoffs which would put their 1st round pick between #15-30. Ryder would make an immediate impact on the club. On the other hand, the first rounder probably won't make any sort of impact on the team for atleast 4-5 years. And there's also no guarantee that it will turn into an impact player, could end up being another Kindl or even McCollum. EVEN in a so called "deep" draft. Why does everyone seem to have such "dellusions" of gradeur about young players? The ultimate goal of an NHL club is to win the cup, not breed young players. I would rather watch the Red Wings compete in the playoffs, than see the season go down the drain because "they wanted to let young players play".

That would actually probably just get the negotiations going. Phoenix would probably push to get Smith instead of Kindl.

I wouldn't mind a guy like O'Brien, especially for his size. However, it always seems like he has a "falling out" with the coaches of his teams. Vigneault didn't want him in Vancouver anymore, and I just read somewhere that he is having the same issue in Colorado.

I just can't see the Red Wings putting that kind of faith into signing the kid. The only opening they'll have on the blueline is Whites spot. If this Dekeyser guy doesn't pan out, the Wings are back to square one, just without White. I'm sure the Wings would love to have him, I just doubt they would guarantee him a spot on the main roster like some other teams might.

Exactly. Holland knew that the team was going to lose two dmen going into an offseason with a very thin selection of UFA dmen. Holland did what he could to try and alleviate the loss. On paper Quincey looked good. He had been a solid top 4 dman in LA and was familiar to the Red Wings organization. The Red Wings needed immediate help on the blueline. Keeping the 1st rounder would've given the Red wings a prospect that realistically wouldn't be making an impact for 4-5 years, who might end up turning into another Kindl... or worse McCollum... Fixed.

Oh, sorry!

I'm not saying he woul get sent packing for nothing. But it wouldn't be unrealistic if he did end up getting packaged at the deadline for a good playoff rental player.

I think if you looked at all of richdg's posts, about 90% would be dumb unrealistic trade ideas that wouldn't even work on NHL13.

McCollum was supposed to be a #1 goaltender too. Should he eat up a roster spot while we wait for him to reach his prime too?