Echolalia

So should fans be angry at the media for posting the story when it happened, or should Holland have waited a few days and risked losing the player to another location for our sake?

Stuart's career hasn't been what it used to be with us. I'd rather have Quincey.

It sucks to see that other players don't want to play here. That says a lot about what the nhl community thinks about the direction that the Wings are headed. I hate trades as a way to acquire a player, because it's by far the least efficient way to add to the roster, and it helps the opposition, but I think a solid groundbreaking trade or two is going to be necessary to change the perceptions about where we are as an organization. That or put all the money into the kids and hope we have a franchise player or two in the pipeline to build around (unlikely). I can't blame Holland for not getting much done today if players genuinely were going elsewhere for less lucrative contracts, but IMO this summer, up through the trade deadline are crucial in determining whether he's really the GM that the apologists believe him to be, or whether he's the GM that the critics see. How is he going to respond to today? What is his plan to make Detroit a place that valuable free agents will actually be willing to play for, and is he willing to pull the trigger on any plan to change the image of the Wings? Whatever needs to be done is going to be costly. Is he willing to part with Mantha? Is he willing to part with Nyqvist?

well you may get your wish to let the kids play after all

I found that video too, but it gave my computer a virus

This is good. He struggled early on in his pro career, but McCollum has really settled in and could still make something of himself. The Wings are pretty saturated in net for the foreseeable future, but if he can keep developing the way he has, this kid could be a decent trading chip down the road.

I would prefer Erhoff. I don't know that Niskanen can repeat his offensive success in Detroit (as we don't have a Crosby, Malkin, or Neil), and Erhoff has made a career out of producing those numbers from the back end. He's older and shoots left, but he's also a known commodity. I also think defensively Erhoff is more well rounded. Also, Erhoff was never beaten in a fight by Crosby:

I'm so lost right now. Edit: literally, I can't find my car.

Wow I didn't see that coming. I wonder what Tampa ends up with

If we do end up with Erhoff and Niskanen, that's two less spots for our defensive prospect pool to take, so in addition to Kindl and Lashoff (who have pretty low trade value), Marchenko, Sproul, Ouellet all become movable assets, because there won't be any room in Detroit. Sproul I think we need to hold onto, because of his offensive capability and he shoots right, but I don't know how he would break into the lineup if Erhoff and Niskanen are here.

I only got 15 right, and spent like 7 minutes trying to figure out how to spell Robitaille

for the record i believe everything that 55fan has and will ever say. On a separate note, did you know that Kronwall is the descendant of a god and his favorite animal is the guinea pig?

maybe it will drive the price down for other defensman a bit, now that the market is getting a bit more saturated, although this guy might call it a career...

The bottom line is we need a defensman who can get the puck out of our zone efficiently, has some offensive ability, and can run a powerplay. Erhoff is getting older (although I wouldn't say 32 is old these days), but he still provides the offense abilities that the Wings sorely lack. Niskanen does also, and he's younger, but he's also unproven, so I guess the question comes down to what you think the lower risk is: signing a long contract to someone who only had one successful year but younger, or signing a long contract to a proven commodity who is older. Frankly I want both of them.

I was born and raised in Michigan in a strong hockey culture, and I can definitely see the appeal of sunny and warm 10 months out of the year. Just cuz you're raised in a cold climate and play hockey doesn't mean you have to prefer it to Cali or Florida weather.

I think Wisniewski did this also

I wonder if Holland can land both of them Kronwall Erhoff NIskanen Dekeyser Smith Ericsson

I really don't want this guy for more than 5.5/year. It would be a nightmare if he had his one solid year, and turned into Ian White. At the same time, we need to upgrade, and pickings are (and likely always will be) slim.

Clearly Holland and co are thinking success in the future will be on the shoulders of big, strong centers who can play a 200 ft game. After losing repeatedly to the Sharks, and being forced to the outside against Boston, I can't say I disagree with management.

Yah!! This kid has all sorts of scouts and professionals saying he's going to be an excellent player, and if history has taught me anything, it's that good scouting repots equal bad players! We should have taken the kid who all the scouts say suck. That's gonna be the next Stamkos.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/06/red_wings_coveted_local_produc.html Here is some more of what our organization sees in this kid. I like that this is the second time I've heard 'captain material' be tossed out there, and I keep hearing about his compete-level, and how he plays a complete game. I'm pretty excited to watch him develop over the next 2-3 years. He's going to turn 18 this summer, so even with the Red Wings' classic over-ripening philosophy, if this kid is who we hope and expect him to be, he'll only be in his early 20s when he finally breaks the roster.

lol did he just snub Bettman on the handshake?

niiiiiiiiice

whoa Neil to the Preds??

Bill Peters was hired by the Carolina Huricanes for their head coaching gig. http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2014/06/carolina_hurricanes_hire_detro.html http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/bill-peters-named-carolina-hurricanes-head-coach--seeking-red-wings-feel-211935719.html Two things: I wonder how Peters will be steering the ship over in Carolina, and what kind of success he can earn over there. Also, who do the Wings pick up to fill the vacancy at Babcock's side on the bench? As the article mentions, Peters was primarily responsible for the defensive side of the game, working with defense and PK units. Considering Babcock's obsession with defense first, and playing defensively responsible at all ends of the ice and at all times, I can't imagine the Wings would pick up just anybody to fill Peters' old role. I'm not familiar with whom the top candidates may be, so hopefully someone with a little more knowledge of the coaching scene can chime in with their opinions.