Blake Article, "Could be good fit for Wings"

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

Good pre-GDT Article

[OsGOD 3]

He is broke... he is the perfect fit for a trade deadline pick up.

Hey robby.... Petr just said no.... PLEASE FOLLOW SUIT!

[Zion 93]

Unfortunately, he may be ineffective for the rest of the season. If not, he would be the perfect depth defenseman we need.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

He is broke... he is the perfect fit for a trade deadline pick up.

Hey robby.... Petr just said no.... PLEASE FOLLOW SUIT!

So was Bertuzzi. Whats your point?

Undoubtedly his injured status only benefits the Wings. We're probably the only team in the league that doesnt need to make any improvements ASAP. We dont need him to step in immediately. And the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of Blake coming here, especially now that hes got his game back. Big? yes. Physical? yes. Strong? yes. Experienced? yes. Can he clear the crease? yes. Can he take a hit? yes. Not only is he exactly what we need in terms of physicality, but he also fits into a puck possession style, is good offensively, and has a bomb from the point. Hes a really complete defenseman despite his age, and its not like were asking him to come here and be our #1. At best, hell eat up #3 minutes, possibly #4. And honestly, how sick would it be if we could follow up Lids and Raffi on the PP with Kronnic and Blake??

[OsGOD 3]

And how effective was this said big Bert?

I don't know how sick it would be... but i know how sick i would be.

JUST SAY NO.... to Blake, Kenny!

Two of my top five most disliked players would be on the Wings... Boy that would be exciting times for me on here

Edited February 7, 2008 by OsGOD

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

And how effective was this said big Bert?

I don't know how sick it would be... but i know how sick i would be.

JUST SAY NO.... to Blake, Kenny!

Two of my top five most disliked players would be on the Wings... Boy that would be exciting times for me on here

So because you dislike a player the Wings brass should just look past him?

I didn't like Forsberg for a long time (and still don't really care for him), but he could help the Wings greatly come playoff time. You just need to put your ego aside, sometimes.

[Zion 93]

What do you have against Rob Blake? Are you sure you're not thinking of Chris Pronger? Claude Lemieux?

Lidstrom/Rafalski

Kronwall/Blake

Lilja/Chelios

Lebda

Sounds pretty good to me.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I was not a fan of the Blake to Detroit trade before for one reason and one reason only - What he would cost us.

Lets look at this logically, he would be a PERFECT fit for us and if anything, his injury only helps, because it means we will get him for cheap.

As already said, he does not need to come in and play right away, which gives him plenty of time to heal and come on, DO NOT COMPARE HIM TO BERT - Blake will be coming off a broken leg, Bert was coming off of FREAKING SEASON ENDING BACK SURGERY - Blake will be out 6 weeks at the most and it wasn't a horrible break to start...

Baring that there is some unforseen condition to his break, this move makes PERFECT sense.

[OsGOD 3]

Blake just annoys me... hell the entire we need so and so rent-a-player aspect of this time of year annoys me. We don't need anybody... we need our current lineup to learn how to STEP IT UP instead of always knowing there will be a "Moses" waiting at the trade deadline that is supposed to lead us to some said promise land.

It just gives the rest of the players the ability to sit back and let so and so do it without stepping up their game.

Nope It Blake for sure, i never liked the guy.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Blake just annoys me... hell the entire we need so and so rent-a-player aspect of this time of year annoys me. We don't need anybody... we need our current lineup to learn how to STEP IT UP instead of always knowing there will be a "Moses" waiting at the trade deadline that is supposed to lead us to some said promise land.

It just gives the rest of the players the ability to sit back and let so and so do it without stepping up their game.

Nope It Blake for sure, i never liked the guy.

This is the exact type or rationale that costs teams in the playoffs. We *need* depth, otherwise you might end up losing 2 of your top-4 defensemen when you need them the most.

[Booster313 138]

Rob Blake would be a valuable asset given the right price. Does anyone think Meech might be on the trade block? We have Quincey and Ericcson ready to come up. I would say Lilija but he's also a free agent after this season so he wouldn't really hold much value for the Kings

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Sidenote: If you don't like a guy...fine, but that's not a valid reason for not bringing him in.

[OsGOD 3]

This is the exact type or rationale that costs teams in the playoffs. We *need* depth, otherwise you might end up losing 2 of your top-4 defensemen when you need them the most.

Nope... not being able to score... i.e. players given a free pass becuase we got the savior at the dead line is what costs us the playoffs.

Letting players that do score in the playoffs leave the team (feds, kozlov and lang) is what costs us teh game...

Continuing to put duck tape over the real issues to hide them is what makes us lose the playoffs

what happened when zeta went down last season and this season... other guys stepped up because our "leader" went down. they learned how to play as a team and make up for his lack of offense.

Scoreing is the #1 issue we have lost the last several playoffs. The D is fine, we have guys in the minors just chomping at the bit to play for a lot less cash and cost than bringing in a rent-a-player.

Edited February 7, 2008 by OsGOD

[Opie 308]

This is the exact type or rationale that costs teams in the playoffs. We *need* depth, otherwise you might end up losing 2 of your top-4 defensemen when you need them the most.

NFM,

you are telling me that if Nick and Kronner go down, Blake without one of Lilja or Lebda (one of them will probably go to LA) but with Meech, Quincey, Cheli, Lilja or Lebda, and Rafalski that the wings win the cup.

Or an even worse case scenario, the kings ask for Flip or Huds in return, now the wings hand is forced into signing a top 6 forward, which will cost them prospects or one of the D-men. Which puts the wings back in the same scenario that if Lids or two of the other top 4 go down, they are again screwed, especially if this turns out to be a more severe ankle injury than what is being let on. Remember it is known that they are shopping this guy and that there are suitors out there, if his ankle is going to be a problem all year why would the Kings say a damn word about it. It may be playable but in a lot of pain. It could turn into a nagging injury, or lets say arthritis sets into the ankle (happen to my knee and I am a lot younger than Blake), now it hurts every time he pushes off.

An injured asset is not something the Wings should chase.

Sorry to tell you this, but if this team loses 2 of its top 4 (especially if one of them is Lids) it will not win the cup unless the offense can score 3-4 ES goals a game, and then they would need Dom or Osgood to play absolutely out of their minds. Mainly for the same reason as last year, the loss of Two pp defencemen will destroy the pp, thus the team will go 0-for on the PP and on 5-3 like last year.

Yes Blake can QB a pp, but not nearly as well as Lids and Ralf, he is older than he was when he was traded to COL. He is not the same player he was two years ago even.

Do you ever wonder why Dom just didn't look sharp in the ANA series last year, maybe because 2 of his main d-man were down with injuries and he was very accustomed to playing behind them. One of them happened at the end of a series (Shnieds), then you tell him, hey you have two days of practice to get acquainted with completely new guys. Oh and by the way our O is gonna suck because we have Kopecky, Bert, Calder getting minutes but they haven't played with this team for more than a couple of months, and even then Kopecky and Bert only played a couple of weeks with the big club (Games not practices) just before the end of the season.

major injuries (top 3 forwards, top 3 D) would dismantle any team, then you add in the factor that a 7 game series is a toll on the players and really anybody could win the series.

I am not saying that Blake wouldn't make the odds of a miracle happening, but if 2 of the top 4 go down, it will take a miracle to win the cup.

My recommendation is get a top 6 winger (my choice Rolston) and try to find a #4-6 d-man for depth. Blake is not a depth acquisition, a top 3 d-Man is not depth that is rearranging your line up and bringing in a big name.

Edited February 7, 2008 by Opie

[b.shanafan14 733]

If the Wings need anything, its a reliable physical stay-at-home defenseman, if for nothing else then to give us blueline depth so we don't run into injury trouble like last post season when we lost two top 4 D-men to injury (Schnieder, Kronwall) which I think proved to be the difference. I really wish the Wings would have kept Markov, I liked him on the back end, and now the Wings are nearing deadline on top of the league with a few million burning a hole in their pocket, imagine if we would have kept Markov...

OH WELL! too late now, as far as Blake: Pass, too injury prone, too old, not his old self

[rick zombo 3,739]

Nope... not being able to score... i.e. players given a free pass becuase we got the savior at the dead line is what costs us the playoffs.

Letting players that do score in the playoffs leave the team (feds, kozlov and lang) is what costs us teh game...

Continuing to put duck tape over the real issues to hide them is what makes us lose the playoffs

what happened when zeta went down last season and this season... other guys stepped up because our "leader" went down. they learned how to play as a team and make up for his lack of offense.

Scoreing is the #1 issue we have lost the last several playoffs. The D is fine, we have guys in the minors just chomping at the bit to play for a lot less cash and cost than bringing in a rent-a-player.

OK, not much of this makes sense.

First off, are you saying that letting Lang go this past summer cost us "teh" playoffs before that, in May, when he was still on the team???

Also, you say that when a player like Henrik goes down, that other players step up to fill the void and play as a team to make up for him not being in the line-up. But then you add that scoring was the #1 issue? How can this be, if other guys "stepped up".

The Wings lost to Anaheim because they had no Schneider and no Kronwall, hence an extremely weak PP, hence LACK OF SCORING.

Here's to hoping that Holland adds enough depth to cover for any injuries up front and on defence.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

NFM,

you are telling me that if Nick and Kronner go down, Blake without one of Lilja or Lebda (one of them will probably go to LA) but with Meech, Quincey, Cheli, Lilja or Lebda, and Rafalski that the wings win the cup.

Or an even worse case scenario, the kings ask for Flip or Huds in return, now the wings hand is forced into signing a top 6 forward, which will cost them prospects or one of the D-men. Which puts the wings back in the same scenario that if Lids or two of the other top 4 go down, they are again screwed, especially if this turns out to be a more severe ankle injury than what is being let on. Remember it is known that they are shopping this guy and that there are suitors out there, if his ankle is going to be a problem all year why would the Kings say a damn word about it. It may be playable but in a lot of pain. It could turn into a nagging injury, or lets say arthritis sets into the ankle (happen to my knee and I am a lot younger than Blake), now it hurts every time he pushes off.

An injured asset is not something the Wings should chase.

Sorry to tell you this, but if this team loses 2 of its top 4 (especially if one of them is Lids) it will not win the cup unless the offense can score 3-4 ES goals a game, and then they would need Dom or Osgood to play absolutely out of their minds. Mainly for the same reason as last year, the loss of Two pp defencemen will destroy the pp, thus the team will go 0-for on the PP and on 5-3 like last year.

Yes Blake can QB a pp, but not nearly as well as Lids and Ralf, he is older than he was when he was traded to COL. He is not the same player he was two years ago even.

Do you ever wonder why Dom just didn't look sharp in the ANA series last year, maybe because 2 of his main d-man were down with injuries and he was very accustomed to playing behind them. One of them happened at the end of a series (Shnieds), then you tell him, hey you have two days of practice to get acquainted with completely new guys. Oh and by the way our O is gonna suck because we have Kopecky, Bert, Calder getting minutes but they haven't played with this team for more than a couple of months, and even then Kopecky and Bert only played a couple of weeks with the big club (Games not practices) just before the end of the season.

major injuries (top 3 forwards, top 3 D) would dismantle any team, then you add in the factor that a 7 game series is a toll on the players and really anybody could win the series.

I am not saying that Blake wouldn't make the odds of a miracle happening, but if 2 of the top 4 go down, it will take a miracle to win the cup.

My recommendation is get a top 6 winger (my choice Rolston) and try to find a #4-6 d-man for depth. Blake is not a depth acquisition, a top 3 d-Man is not depth that is rearranging your line up and bringing in a big name.

We can't trade Lilja no matter what. Since Downey probably won't play in the playoffs, we need a legit enforcer in there that can also give us good minutes, so Lilja staying on the team is an absolute must.

[Grittzkey 1]

We need a physical defencemen, who is reliable.

Yourright, that is not Rob Blake at all.

[rick zombo 3,739]

OH WELL! too late now, as far as Blake: Pass, too injury prone, too old, not his old self

Sounds like Larry Murphy in Toronto in 1997, a minute before he came to Detroit. Eventually he logged #2 minutes with Lidstrom during the cup run.

[DEVILSWATERBOY 10]

How bad is his ankle? Can he keep up with the Wings on the ice? If he is healthy and back on the ice before trade deadline maybe he is 38 and is -27 +- career if he is healthy and cheap go for it

[Opie 308]

Rick Zombo

I guess I am missing this cover up for an injury that could happen thing.

Because your post is the one to me that doesn't make much sense it seems like you are telling me the wings should trade for a depth defenceman in case of injury but that they should trade for a currently injured and not playing D-man?

How is that anywhere near sensible or logical?

I agree the PP is what kept the Wings from beating the Ducks, but if the QB from the top PP line goes down this year how is that any different than last year. Last year players were bumped up from either the second PP unit or were brought on to the PP. If Ralf goes down how is that any different, do you honestly think that Blake will seamlessly transition to the style the Wings play?

Now if you were saying he could replace Sammy or Lilja on the pp point, than yes he is an upgrade has a booming shot and could make a substantial difference, but he is a downgrade from Ralf, Lids, and even Schnieder. Which would bring us back to last year's situation, correct?

[rick zombo 3,739]

My recommendation is get a top 6 winger (my choice Rolston) and try to find a #4-6 d-man for depth. Blake is not a depth acquisition, a top 3 d-Man is not depth that is rearranging your line up and bringing in a big name.

I agree with this statement. #4, 5, or 6 Dman would be perfect. And he should be a physical stay at home guy. Like Staios, Skrastins, or even Gill.

And as much as I agree that a top trading for a top six winger would be huge, I don't think it will be Rolston. Although he is a UFA in July, there is as much chance that Minnesota (currently 3rd in the West) will trade him as there is that Detroit would trade Cleary.

[rick zombo 3,739]

Rick Zombo

I guess I am missing this cover up for an injury that could happen thing.

Because your post is the one to me that doesn't make much sense it seems like you are telling me the wings should trade for a depth defenceman in case of injury but that they should trade for a currently injured and not playing D-man?

How is that anywhere near sensible or logical?

I agree the PP is what kept the Wings from beating the Ducks, but if the QB from the top PP line goes down this year how is that any different than last year. Last year players were bumped up from either the second PP unit or were brought on to the PP. If Ralf goes down how is that any different, do you honestly think that Blake will seamlessly transition to the style the Wings play?

Now if you were saying he could replace Sammy or Lilja on the pp point, than yes he is an upgrade has a booming shot and could make a substantial difference, but he is a downgrade from Ralf, Lids, and even Schnieder. Which would bring us back to last year's situation, correct?

Except if you read my post I never said the Wings should get Blake. Rather, just pointing out a few things that didn't make sense to me.

As far a sensible and logical goes, it would seem less sensible to assume that Blake won't recover from a small break in his ankle (one that should only sideline him for 5 more weeks) than it would be to assume he'll remain unhealthy.

If Detroit can get Blake without giving up the farm then great. Do they need Blake? No. Do they need depth on the blueline? Yes? And it would be nice if said player could remove Sammy from the 2nd PP unit.

What's so hard to understand/agree with?

Edited February 7, 2008 by rick zombo

[wingslogo19 281]

Just because we don't like a player isn't really a valid reason.. If the player is going to give us depth and give us that much more of a chance to win the cup im all for it, that's as long we don't give up to much in return for the player

[OsGOD 3]

As Opie stated adding blake is not a "depth" move unless our team sucks that bad that a #3 d-man is a depth....

We need scoring in order to win. We can pitch shut outs left and right all playoffs long, but without a goal scorer past April 7th we ain't doing s***... just like the last several years. And we tend to focus all moves around the D that we lose more and more of the those able to score past April 7th... Enough with focusing on the D... between the goalies we can put out there and the D we have on our team and in our system we don't need anymore on the back end.

Down with the D.... Up with a forward if anything.

Btw i am all for adding a "forward" like Forsberg (because even partially healthy he is MUCH better than many of our players in the GOAL SCORING category) however the vast majority on here think he is a ****** so they don't want him...

You don't have to talk to me about not liking a player as being not a valid reason for not signing him.

I don't feel Blake addresses ANYTHING as to why we were ousted the past years.... the side note is I don't like him.

Edited February 7, 2008 by OsGOD