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blind

Let the Kids Play

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How did Anaheim win? They trusted the youth on their team and let them develop. They gave them top minutes and responsiblities and watched them grow. From McDonald to Penner to Getzlaf. Seriously who knew anyone on Anaheim's offense other than selanne before the last two years.

Hudler showed he can score with the limited time he had and in the playoffs, he definitly wasn't afraid to jump into the scrums. Sure, he isn't great defensively but neither was Datsyuk. They challenged Datsyuk with the responsibly of playing on the PK and on the defense and Datsyuk learned. Put him next to Z or Datsyuk for a few games, with the passes he would get, he can get at least 30 or so goals in a season.

Flippula was one of the best surprises the wings had in the playoffs. He is ready for top two line duty.

Franzen has turned into a nice forechecker and with more development on the offensive end, he can become the next Holmstrom. It seems they were already preparing him in that role during the playoffs. The wings also have Grigorenko coming over. We'll see what he can do. And lets not forget the offensive juggernaut named Dan Cleary (ok, i kid, but he didn't do all that bad last year and definitely performed in the playoffs as to deserve some top two line consideration).

Put these kids together with Z, Datsyuk, and Homer and you might have more than you think in your top two lines.

The wings can also fill in the 4th line with some energy guys like Ellis, who play impressively during the time he was up here. The playoffs are about those energy guys that want it the most. It was Moen and Rob Niedermayer that made a lot of difference just like it was Maltby and Draper for us. And maybe Bootland might finally be in the line up providing the wings with that fighter everyone wants to see.

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Putting faith in Getzlaf, Perry, Penner, etc is a little different than putting faith in the guys you're talking about. This isnt meant to knock someone like Flip mind you, I just dont think its a good comparison.

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Great, first the "vent" thread, now the "non-panic" thread. We've gone full circle.

round and round we go..im already getting dizzy

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I say, Hear Hear! on letting the kids play. Why panic? I think Filppula ought to be rewarded with major minutes, I think we ought to find out if Hudler really is the goal-scoring threat he's worked up to be, I think we ought to see what Kopecky can do when not handed the 13th forward role, and I think we've waited long enough for Grigorenko. Plus I badly want to see Ericsson take a job too. Bring on the youth movement. It's not really even a movement so much as it is an evolution.

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I'm with you...

The players we "lost" made the team younger, healthier, and maybe hungrier.

Lang- 36yo floater, prone to coughing up the puck who doesn't like the coaches style

Schneider-38 yo one dimensional D-man prone to coughing up the puck who doesn't like the coaches style

Bertuzzi- 33 yo w/ bad back and neck and a load of baggage (although I would have liked to have seen him return)

Calder- doesn't bring much that we don't already have

So why not give the young guys a chance to play until they prove they can't...then you have tons of cap space to make moves later. Only huge problem is forward depth if your lineup looks something like this...

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Cleary-Filpulla-Samuelsson

Maltby-Draper-Franzen

Kopecky-Hudler-Grigorenko

Ellis

Nobody else in the system is ready for a call-up

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Putting faith in Getzlaf, Perry, Penner, etc is a little different than putting faith in the guys you're talking about. This isnt meant to knock someone like Flip mind you, I just dont think its a good comparison.

Maybe it won't be. But you won't know in two year would you. You know what happened in case of Getzlaf, Perry, and Penner after the fact when they were given playing time. The kids on the wings can as well turn out to be them or they might not. You won't know unless you play them.

Hudler is no Getzlaf , Penner or Perry.

Hudler might not be the same type of player as those three but it doesn't mean he won't have the impact of those 3. There is no doubt Hudler can shoot as his 14.02 shooting percentage this year shows (only Penner had higher this year out of those 3 and only at 14.22). The wing sorely needed a shooter this year for Z and Dat to pass to. How else does a scrub like samuelson score so many goals? As Hudler beginnings to be more responsible defensively, he will make a difference. It's definitely not energy he needs. He is like a little kid out there and he is not afraid to go to into the scrums.

It'll calm down in a few days... it's Detroit, we're funny and whiney that way

We live too much with our sports. hehe

if we sign guerin and markov ... we probably become the best team in the nhl

Really? After how well Guerin did with san jose?

Edited by blind

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I'm with you...

The players we "lost" made the team younger, healthier, and maybe hungrier.

Lang- 36yo floater, prone to coughing up the puck who doesn't like the coaches style

Schneider-38 yo one dimensional D-man prone to coughing up the puck who doesn't like the coaches style

Bertuzzi- 33 yo w/ bad back and neck and a load of baggage (although I would have liked to have seen him return)

Calder- doesn't bring much that we don't already have

So why not give the young guys a chance to play until they prove they can't...then you have tons of cap space to make moves later. Only huge problem is forward depth if your lineup looks something like this...

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Cleary-Filpulla-Samuelsson

Maltby-Draper-Franzen

Kopecky-Hudler-Grigorenko

Ellis

Nobody else in the system is ready for a call-up

I like it. Except, I think there's enough money to re-sign Hasek and also sign a 2nd or 3rd line forward....I'd prefer not to have to use Ellis regularly as the 13th forward. Gotta count on injuries happening, so that 13th guy will get plenty of use. It ought to be Grigorenko until he gets accustomed to the North American game, and then, whichever forward is contributing the least. Let Ellis play in Grand Rapids, I think he's suited to a Mark Mowers back-and-forth role but not much more.

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I like it. Except, I think there's enough money to re-sign Hasek and also sign a 2nd or 3rd line forward....I'd prefer not to have to use Ellis regularly as the 13th forward. Gotta count on injuries happening, so that 13th guy will get plenty of use. It ought to be Grigorenko until he gets accustomed to the North American game, and then, whichever forward is contributing the least. Let Ellis play in Grand Rapids, I think he's suited to a Mark Mowers back-and-forth role but not much more.

A shooter would be nice but looking at what's out there, going with the line up might be better. Ellis is a UFA as well, he seems pretty high energied guy in the games he played last year. They could platoon Grigorenko and Ellis like they did this year with Kopecky and Filpulla early in the season last year.

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if we sign guerin and markov ... we probably become the best team in the nhl

I wouldn't mind seeing BIlly the Butcher here and I have always liked Marvkov. And as a Wings fan with a hardcore bias I will go ahead and agree with your statement. :D:D

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Kenny will probably sign a forward and a grittier defense men by the begging of the summer. Its not like just because we lost Bert we now rely on our youngsters.

The reason we lost Bert is because we can rely on our youth. We let him go because we have young guy that can handle it so we aren't so needy to sign him for 4 mil a year.

Edited by blind

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The reason we lost Bert is because we can rely on our youth. We let him go because we have young guy that can handle it so we aren't so needy to sign him for 4 mil a year.

No the reason is because he wanted too much money and didn't want a contract for 1 year. Believe me if Bert was asking only 3 million for 1 year he would be with us right now. Detroit needs grit, Holland knows that. None of our young players provide that....

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No the reason is because he wanted too much money and didn't want a contract for 1 year. Believe me if Bert was asking only 3 million for 1 year he would be with us right now. Detroit needs grit, Holland knows that. None of our young players provide that....

Grit doesn't necessarily mean size. It's combination of how much will you have and how tough you are, as in how much you can take a hit and bounce back or dish out hits. Its the scratching and clawing and doing the dirty work in the corners. The wings had been under estimated in that all playoffs in that and they had plenty. Zetterberg isn't good just because he is skill, he is good also because of his strength on the puck, doing the job in the corners and the wall and not letting up. And they are not afraid of scrums, not even little hudler who was in the middle of a few in the games he played during the playoffs.

I'm not saying Bertuzzi wouldn't have added to it, but clearly the wings didn't need what he could bring enough to give out $8 mil for 2 years. That has to mean the wings are confident with what they have in those areas.

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i agree that the players we let go wern't much more than dead weight, but we still need something.

i'm just not comfortable with the idea of having... well

Homer - Z - Samuelsson

Franzen - Datsyuk - Grigenko

Cleary - Draper - Maltby

Kopeky - Flippula - ?

we need to sign Hudler, it's not as if we don't have the cap space now

and another fa. preferably someone without hands of stone.

have the rangers signed sean avery yet? maybe we could do an offer sheet for him. he wouldn't cost much as he was undrafted

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Its going to have to happen eventually. I know that many people are uncomfortable with the idea, but we have some kids in our system that need to get up to the big show. We can't leave the in Grand Rapids forever.

Even if we just call them up to showcase their skills as trade bait, we need to get them up and going.

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Guest LivingtheDream

Grit doesn't necessarily mean size. It's combination of how much will you have and how tough you are, as in how much you can take a hit and bounce back or dish out hits. Its the scratching and clawing and doing the dirty work in the corners. The wings had been under estimated in that all playoffs in that and they had plenty. Zetterberg isn't good just because he is skill, he is good also because of his strength on the puck, doing the job in the corners and the wall and not letting up. And they are not afraid of scrums, not even little hudler who was in the middle of a few in the games he played during the playoffs.

Yes! Didn't Babcock prove this last year. Man, you are my hero for this post.

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I'd like to see the kiddies play a little bit more next season.

With Hudler specifically, I don't think Babcock is out to get him really. Understand his brief stint where he didn't do much with the Wings in 2003 or 2004, he was only 19. So now he's just reaching his mid-20s. Still PLENTY OF TIME for him to establish himself. And I have little doubt Hudler has little trouble motivating himself, that's why Babcock continues to make him work, and work, and work.

Hopefully he's proven to deserve some more ice time, and hopefully we'll see guys like Kopecky and Quincey get more PT, although we shouldn't expect them to get 2nd/1st line minutes night-in/night-out.

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So if this is our team...

Z - Dats - Homer

Flip - Grigs - Hudler

Flip - Franzen - Sammy

Cleary - Maltby - Draper

Lids - Kronner

Rafalski - Lebda

Chelios - Lilja

Quincy

Hasek/Ozzie

What is the payroll on that team?

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