Wing's worst offseason in years

[thrice11rc 0]

it's posts like these that sometimes makes me question the hockey knowledge of some of posters on this board. there is really nothing i can say that hasn't already been said already by the people that seem to have paid attention this past season.

lang? calder? honestly. they contributed nothing when it mattered, save for 2 goals by lang in the playoffs. bertuzzi was a novelty player. it was nice just to say we had him out there, but he hardly contributed much on the offensive end and was a liability at times with his slow skating.

bertuzzi has yet to show that he can adapt to the new style of the NHL, and NONE of the players we lost would have been welcomed here had they signed the same contracts to play for us.

4 million for lang and bertuzzi? you have to be kidding me. 2+ million for calder? excuse me while i vomit real quick.

it's shrewd moves like these that make holland one of the better gm's in the NHL. it's yet to be seen whether markov is going to be resigned, but even still, there is lidstrom, rafalski, kronwall, lebda, chelios, lilja, and quincey on the roster. a depth signing would be nice, but there are still many capable 5th or 6th defenders left in free agency.

chill out folks, we'll compete this year and be in a comfortable spot to acquire a player if need be at the trade deadline.

[Salviaman 104]

Wing's worst offseason in years? lol no, not by a long shot. I remember when Fedorov left Detroit everyone was like OMGZZZ!!!11!1111!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DAMN HOLLAND AND SUCH!!!!!!!! WORST GM EVER!!!!! AND WORST OFFSEASON EVEr!!!!!!!!!!! BLAH BLAH BLAH....rabble rabble. STFU please or if need be press the "PANIC" button.

[Vancouver Wings Fan 0]

Great job by Holland!

People also forget that we had UFA's unsigned BEFORE the off-season. Holland was prudent and signed the likes of Dats and Holms beofre we even got to this point! Is it fair to say our biggest UFA signed was Dats....he is better then anyone signed for the ridiculous amounts in this past week!

Time to give the youth a shot, tweak/trade as needed as we go, prep for the trade deadline when the next crop of UFA will be on the block (ie. Dany Heatley) Shrewd and logical move!

This is what makes the Wings and the front office the elilite of the NHL!

[Guest Crymson]

Great job by Holland!

People also forget that we had UFA's unsigned BEFORE the off-season. Holland was prudent and signed the likes of Dats and Holms beofre we even got to this point! Is it fair to say our biggest UFA signed was Dats....he is better then anyone signed for the ridiculous amounts in this past week!

Time to give the youth a shot, tweak/trade as needed as we go, prep for the trade deadline when the next crop of UFA will be on the block (ie. Dany Heatley) Shrewd and logical move!

This is what makes the Wings and the front office the elilite of the NHL!

Good call.

[kylee 727]

i think it would have been a terrible off-season if Hasek DIDNT resign.

let's just look at Henrik's contract in a few years.

then we'll see how good or bad this off season was.

Henrik's gotta get paid, and that's worth it to me for this off season rather than seeing Kenny do something in haste with short term vision.

trust me,

im not happy Bertuzzi is gone and all that, but it could definitely be a whole lot worse. (we could have lost Rex!)

[interminded 1]

At least Kenny didn't sign Yashin.

That's something, right ?

[lfd250 1]

I do recall us looking that good on paper for the last I don't know how many years, and yet we have only one cup. It's hard to breath in some of those locker rooms due to the big heads on some of those guys. We'll be fine. We have lots of money for renting players again for the playoffs. Beisdes, I do recall A LOT of "let the kids play" during last year.

[StevieY9802 6]

yeah its a terrible offseason. They got back the goalie who had a great season, they replaced the offensive defenseman who was missed it the playoffs with someone who was younger, they didn't over spend on the likes of Bertuzzi at 4mil(wasn't worth it sorry guys), Kariya wasn't what the team needed and sure wouldn't be worth it at 6mil, or how about Zubrus or Yashin? People bitched about Lang being lazy how about the biggest under-achiever in Yashin? Guerin at $4.5mil with the great playoff he had would have been totally worth it. Damn people are never happy. Last year no one thought they would do anything in the playoffs and then they lose in round 3 and thats not good enough.

People got spoiled in 01-03. The last two offseasons they have done even less in my mind and how did they do in those two seasons? Where are the people who thought the Blue Jackets would be challenging the Wings in the central in 06? They were really close to that central division championship in 06 too. Only 40 points behind the Wings.

[DaWingsin071 4]

WOW all I have to say is some of you are just plain retarded, how can you say this is the worst off-season ever??? We lose Lang who sucks ball sack, we lose schneider and gain a better D in Rafalski, we lose Calder who lost his game back in May. And yes as it may hurt to lose Bert ,come on, no one recovers from back surgery 100%, no one ever recovers from any injury. I broke my arm playing hockey back in 99 pretty much in half and have a plate and screws and I cant lift as much as you to. Thats just the facts of life. So Bertuzzi I feel will never be the same again. If he does great, but I dont see it. We have Grigs a kid who was supposed to be the next Kovalchuck, the kid is nasty and hits 5-11 215. That has mack truck written all over it. I am 6'4 220 so that means something. Plus we have Cleary, Franzen, Homer who all play a grind it out type of game, so stop worrrying about grit. Plus I would rather have Zetterberg down the road. Again quit bashing Holland, again hes cutting a way the dead meat.

GO WINGS

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

Worst offseason in years? Don't be so dramatic.

Last time I checked, most of the people on the Wings almost made it to the SCF last year.

The panic factor in this thread is a wee bit ridiculous.

[Opie 308]

I got to tell you the more I see of Kenny's moves and how slick and "Lack of Buzz" they are, he is the Stevie Y, the Lids of the front office. SO to speak.

Everything he does is done the same way Stevie and lids played on the ice.

He is respectful of the game (in this analogy the game being the GM Game), he goes at it with determination, never sells out the team. Does he make a bad move or a mistake every once and a while yes. But all in all he usually turns up money.

I have been holding back on this opinion until this thread:

I think the moves made by Ken Holland ranks in the best of any GM out there.

Wait don't crucify me yet, he didn't over pay for anyone. Hasek and Rafalski were both great deals, he left room for Z to be resigned early (Mark my words contract extension), the defense is going to be great this year, oh like last years. Remember the only real difference on D going into the season is Markov, a healthy Kronvall could be that guy (fingers crossed). The one thing the team is missing right now is a 2nd line rw. The players that were available to him to fill this need were way over priced.

This happened in Football, a couple of years after the cap a bunch of teams went hog wild filling their roster thinking they had the cap figured out, only in two years to lose all of the young franchise guys on their teams due to lack of money.

Just like you and I, I am sure Ken realizes that the central is all but sewn up (yeah yeah injuries and other stuff, that is why they play the game, blah blah)!!

He is mixing in a great amount of character guys, hard nosed hockey players. There are still some guys who don't go to the corners as hard as others, but the team is shaping up to be pretty damn good.

As of right now the team has 3 of the top 15 d-men from last year (IMO), Lids, Cheli, Rafalski, plus three very capable young guys. (I put Cheli in their because his play in the wings zone is effin awesome!!!)

The first line will be great, even if they split up D and Z you end up with two very good lines. The third and fourth lines are going to be great this year. For third and fourth lines.

I don't usually post lines, because I couldn't coach a pee wee team let alone NHL team, so for the sake of argument:

Homer - Dats- Grigorenko (I know a lot of expectations but Flip and Grigs can be switched in this scenario)

Samuelson- Zetterberg- 2nd RW

Maltby- Draper - Cleary

Flip - Mule- Hudler

Lids - Kron

Rafalski - Chelios

Lebda - Lilja

Who knows I could be right could be wrong, "but I can't pay attention cuz I am on that dust" sorry felt the need to quote House of Pain there!!

[redwingfan19 293]

Kenny know's what he's doing im glad he didn't overpay. We have tons of flexibility now. If only Kenny could find a new home for Sammy, I don't think he really brings much to the Wings.

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

I got to tell you the more I see of Kenny's moves and how slick and "Lack of Buzz" they are, he is the Stevie Y, the Lids of the front office. SO to speak.

Everything he does is done the same way Stevie and lids played on the ice.

He is respectful of the game (in this analogy the game being the GM Game), he goes at it with determination, never sells out the team. Does he make a bad move or a mistake every once and a while yes. But all in all he usually turns up money.

I have been holding back on this opinion until this thread:

I think the moves made by Ken Holland ranks in the best of any GM out there.

Wait don't crucify me yet, he didn't over pay for anyone. Hasek and Rafalski were both great deals, he left room for Z to be resigned early (Mark my words contract extension), the defense is going to be great this year, oh like last years. Remember the only real difference on D going into the season is Markov, a healthy Kronvall could be that guy (fingers crossed). The one thing the team is missing right now is a 2nd line rw. The players that were available to him to fill this need were way over priced.

This happened in Football, a couple of years after the cap a bunch of teams went hog wild filling their roster thinking they had the cap figured out, only in two years to lose all of the young franchise guys on their teams due to lack of money.

Just like you and I, I am sure Ken realizes that the central is all but sewn up (yeah yeah injuries and other stuff, that is why they play the game, blah blah)!!

He is mixing in a great amount of character guys, hard nosed hockey players. There are still some guys who don't go to the corners as hard as others, but the team is shaping up to be pretty damn good.

As of right now the team has 3 of the top 15 d-men from last year (IMO), Lids, Cheli, Rafalski, plus three very capable young guys. (I put Cheli in their because his play in the wings zone is effin awesome!!!)

The first line will be great, even if they split up D and Z you end up with two very good lines. The third and fourth lines are going to be great this year. For third and fourth lines.

I don't usually post lines, because I couldn't coach a pee wee team let alone NHL team, so for the sake of argument:

Homer - Dats- Grigorenko (I know a lot of expectations but Flip and Grigs can be switched in this scenario)

Samuelson- Zetterberg- 2nd RW

Maltby- Draper - Cleary

Flip - Mule- Hudler

Lids - Kron

Rafalski - Chelios

Lebda - Lilja

Who knows I could be right could be wrong, "but I can't pay attention cuz I am on that dust" sorry felt the need to quote House of Pain there!!

Opie, you and I don't typically agree on much but that was a great post.

As for the original poster, just another example of somebody defecating all over themselves. Clean that s*** up man or it'll stain!

[Opie 308]

GordieSid&Ted

Opie, you and I don't typically agree on much but that was a great post.

Yeah well once and a while a lay a golden nugget!!!

[maltbymaniac 13]

it's posts like these that sometimes makes me question the hockey knowledge of some of posters on this board. there is really nothing i can say that hasn't already been said already by the people that seem to have paid attention this past season.

lang? calder? honestly. they contributed nothing when it mattered, save for 2 goals by lang in the playoffs. bertuzzi was a novelty player. it was nice just to say we had him out there, but he hardly contributed much on the offensive end and was a liability at times with his slow skating.

bertuzzi has yet to show that he can adapt to the new style of the NHL, and NONE of the players we lost would have been welcomed here had they signed the same contracts to play for us.

4 million for lang and bertuzzi? you have to be kidding me. 2+ million for calder? excuse me while i vomit real quick.

it's shrewd moves like these that make holland one of the better gm's in the NHL. it's yet to be seen whether markov is going to be resigned, but even still, there is lidstrom, rafalski, kronwall, lebda, chelios, lilja, and quincey on the roster. a depth signing would be nice, but there are still many capable 5th or 6th defenders left in free agency.

chill out folks, we'll compete this year and be in a comfortable spot to acquire a player if need be at the trade deadline.

could not put it any better,i just wish more peoplle thought the same instead of bitching about losing slow and gumpy ass bertuzzi ,if we dont have all big name guys were in trouble and buy the end of next season its the same people sayin i told ya so we didnt need so and so to make into the playoffs.some people just need to vent there frustration else where. to good ol' kenny holland

[Dominator2005 558]

Holland's goals for this offseason were resign Bert, and add a couple of defensemen.

The idea was to get us a few games further and into the finals.

Losses

-Bertuzzi

-Schneider

-Cadler (and Williams)

-Lang

Additions

+Rafalski

Same

=Hasek resigns

Unfortunatly the wings have become a less talented team, losing what helped get them to the Conference finals.

To make it worse, the team that eliminated us took two of our biggest names.

Sorry, but I have to be pessimistic about this season seeing that holland says shopping is done.

Wtf? He completly bombed in all of his goals. We have Hasek, but that's it. Rafalski replaces Schnieder.

But we don't add a couple of defensemen. And, we had more $ to do it too, with the cap!

Mine as well just let the ducks, sharks, or rangers win it all. The Wings are practically handing them the cup.

I agree 10000%

[OsGOD 3]

^^ hmmmm but yeah I have to agree.... Although a few more defensemen need to be signed... then I think Holland will have ended this offseason on a high note.

[motorcitykid 42]

We have Zetterberg, Datsyuk, and Holmstrom, so we really don't have room for another high scoring forward.

I think that's a typo.

Great job by Holland .. tweak/trade as needed as we go, prep for the trade deadline when the next crop of UFA will be on the block (ie. Dany Heatley) Shrewd and logical move!

This is what makes the Wings and the front office the elilite of the NHL!

Pull up Holland's comments the last few years during offseason. Last year he was saying stuff like "We are positioning to add some big names." "We are saving money for later in the year." "We don't want to overpay like everyone else." Again this year, here we are, being told the same nonsense, and told to wait until later in the season or the next trade deadline. If you are familiar with Hollandspeak, you know guys like Heatley etc, aren't in his plans.

It's cool to be careful, but Holland always leaves the impression that, as the saying goes, "he's a day late, and a dollar short".

Edited July 6, 2007 by motorcitykid

[Wildwings44 5]

blah blah complain never satisfied blah blah

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Holland basically demonstrated why the Wings are a franchise that would've survived without a salary cap. Because he didn't participate in the ridiculous overspending that other teams did.

$4 mill for Lang? I still can't get my mind around that one.

Though actually I think Lang was the main lost opportunity for Holland. He shed some salary and a declining player on the second line, a line that never really got going in the postseason, but no moves were made to improve it.

My only other frustration, as I've been saying, is watching the Red Wings become the incredible shrinking team year after year...

Edited July 6, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[BringHomeTheCup! 0]

Holland's goals for this offseason were resign Bert, and add a couple of defensemen.

The idea was to get us a few games further and into the finals.

Losses

-Bertuzzi

-Schneider

-Cadler (and Williams)

-Lang

Additions

+Rafalski

Same

=Hasek resigns

Unfortunatly the wings have become a less talented team, losing what helped get them to the Conference finals.

To make it worse, the team that eliminated us took two of our biggest names.

Sorry, but I have to be pessimistic about this season seeing that holland says shopping is done.

Wtf? He completly bombed in all of his goals. We have Hasek, but that's it. Rafalski replaces Schnieder.

But we don't add a couple of defensemen. And, we had more $ to do it too, with the cap!

Mine as well just let the ducks, sharks, or rangers win it all. The Wings are practically handing them the cup.

Wow, I can't believe this post. Did you actually think this through?

Let's go over the basics.

LOST: GAINED:

Bert Rafalski

Matty

Calder

Lang

How does this make the Wings a less talanted team? And exactly what or rather, who did they lose that had such a big impact in getting them to the CF?

Rafalski is better than Matty. Hands down. And he is a bargin at $6 per, he easily could have gotten $7.

Bert didn't do ANYTHING for the Wings. Why is losing him any kind of real loss? The real loss would have been in signing him to a $4 per contract, and having to give up an additional first round pick.

Calder, big deal. The guy is the posterchild for wasted potential. He had about 8 good games for Detroit, and then dissappeared just like he has on every other NHL team he has played for.

Lang, now this one I don't get. I'm not sure who it was, but in another post someone claimed that while lazy, and largely ineffective Lang still potted 20 goals, and then something about letting guys go who can put up 50 points. I'm sorry, but for $4 per I'd think that any NHL GM would expect more than 20 goals and 50 points. Lang is done in the NHL.

If anything, losing those 4 guys made the Wings a stronger team; addition by subtraction. Example, if the Wings sign Bert and Lang, there is no way you see Rafalski and Dom come back.

What's laughable about saying Lang should have been resigned is that as soon as Kenny announced Lang wouldn't be back, everyone was full of joy. Now that Kenny didn't get one of the marquee names to replace him, you see people saying things like 'Lang should have been resigned.'

Sometimes I read threads, and I can do nothing but shake my head in disbelief.

[WingsZR2 1]

Has anyone scene the Old Spice commercial where the guy talks about experience? "If you don't have it now you probably won't ever get any".

Well guess what, we have a lot of young, talented players who now have it. We may lack size but we sure as hell don't lack heart. The kids got thrown into it last year and a few bonehead plays aside they did better than I (and most of us for that matter) expected. Remember that it was Flip on the ice with Lang when he scored a clutch goal against the Sharks. So what, we didn't sign any big name players. We've got homegrown talent, excelled at late round picks. There are 29 other teams out there that WISH they would have drafted Z and Dats, and soon there will 29 other teams that wish they had drafted Flip, Franzen, and Kindl. The future for the Wings will always be bright, we've got a good owner (I'd call him great if he dropped ticket prices), a great GM and THE CAPTAIN as his right hand man. There is no need to panic, after all, we've got experience.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I hate, hate, hate this off season...

[bringback91 2]

Worst offseason ever? Nah, one word.....Krupp. Some more jems.....Hatcher, Not sure if this was offseason or not, but remember the time they mortgaged the farm traded away half the team for Jimmy Carson? It could always be worse.

[yankeebaddabing 0]

You don't really know much about hockey for posting this, We have made some good moves to free some cap for the future as well, Nicky's contract is up next year as well, we needed to get rid of all the overpaid underachievers anyways. Good Job Holland keep it up...