Howard Poll

[Zata fan 40 6]

The kid has put in the time and has looked solid in Training Camp and a few call ups. You have invested this much into him at this point why not at the very least see what he can do in a backup role. Personally, I think he will be fine.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I think he is ready for 20 games with Ozzie. He looked solid positionally and quick to me last season.

[Shaman 713]

as ive said, give him 25-30 games, and if he cant cut it, cut him lose, go after Miller failing that give Larrson or Mccollen a shot.

[Outsider 42]

Howard is not ready.

If he WERE ready, he'd be up. You don't leave your "Goalie of the Future" down in the Minors out of sheer caprice if he's clearly shown that he belongs in the NHL.

He. Is. Not. Ready. He may never be ready.

Management and Coaching has been saying it, without ACTUALLY saying it, for the past 3 years.

Wings fans simply refuse, quite obstinately, to read between the lines.

I know some Wings fans think the kid has enough "talent", or "skill" to be a Player.

But at HIS position, "talent" and "skill" are NEVER enough. Not here. Not in this city. Not for this Team. Not if he's expected to play goal with the Winged Wheel on his chest. Takes a HELLUVA lot more to be a goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings. If he doesn't have "It", all the "talent" and "skill" in the world won't help him one jot.

Management and Coaching haven't seen "It". That's why he's still playing in Grand Rapids, and THAT is why there is even a discussion amongst Management and Coaching as to whether or not to go out and sign a veteran back-up at all.

Once again....

Read Between The Lines.

Edited June 24, 2008 by Outsider

[VM1138 1,921]

Howard is not ready.

If he WERE ready, he'd be up. You don't leave your "Goalie of the Future" down in the Minors out of sheer caprice if he's clearly shown that he belongs in the NHL.

He. Is. Not. Ready. He may never be ready.

Management and Coaching has been saying it, without ACTUALLY saying it, for the past 3 years.

Wings fans simply refuse, quite obstinately, to read between the lines.

I know some Wings fans think the kid has enough "talent", or "skill" to be a Player.

But at HIS position, "talent" and "skill" are NEVER enough. Not here. Not in this city. Not for this Team. Not if he's expected to play goal with the Winged Wheel on his chest. Takes a HELLUVA lot more to be a goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings. If he doesn't have "It", all the "talent" and "skill" in the world won't help him one jot.

Management and Coaching haven't seen "It". That's why he's still playing in Grand Rapids, and THAT is why there is even a discussion amongst Management and Coaching as to whether or not to go out and sign a veteran back-up at all.

Once again....

Read Between The Lines.

Is there actually discussions in management about going after a veteran goalie? I haven't seen or heard anything other than fan gossip and baseless rumor.

The only commitments I've heard from management is to sign Stuart and go after a replacement for Drake.

[Outsider 42]

Is there actually discussions in management about going after a veteran goalie? I haven't seen or heard anything other than fan gossip and baseless rumor.

The only commitments I've heard from management is to sign Stuart and go after a replacement for Drake.

From the Freep

"We've got Chris Osgood," Holland said. "Who is going to be the goaltender with him? We like Jimmy Howard. Do we sign more of a veteran guy? I want to talk to our people about that. I want to give Jimmy Howard a chance to make the team."

Also from the Freep

"Do we pursue a veteran guy if there is one? Do we pursue a trade? Do we just decide that we're comfortable with Ozzie and Jimmy Howard?"

There's audio, as well.....although I can't remember where off the top of my head.

[Dabura 12,232]

From the Freep

"We've got Chris Osgood," Holland said. "Who is going to be the goaltender with him? We like Jimmy Howard. Do we sign more of a veteran guy? I want to talk to our people about that. I want to give Jimmy Howard a chance to make the team."

Also from the Freep

"Do we pursue a veteran guy if there is one? Do we pursue a trade? Do we just decide that we're comfortable with Ozzie and Jimmy Howard?"

There's audio, as well.....although I can't remember where off the top of my head.

I fail to see anything particularly damning about these statements. If management truly has no confidence in him as a backup or a starter, he wouldn't be with the organization right now. After all, what's the point of keeping a faulty fallback around for a number of seasons? Don't you think they would have shipped him off by now? No GM wants a goalie pipeline that nosedives right after the backup position, so the fact that Howard's held down that spot for a few seasons says to me that the brass has a lot of confidence in him. After all, Holland does say, "We like Jimmy Howard," in that first excerpt....

[Echolalia 2,961]

Howard is not ready.

If he WERE ready, he'd be up. You don't leave your "Goalie of the Future" down in the Minors out of sheer caprice if he's clearly shown that he belongs in the NHL.

He. Is. Not. Ready. He may never be ready.

Management and Coaching has been saying it, without ACTUALLY saying it, for the past 3 years.

Wings fans simply refuse, quite obstinately, to read between the lines.

I know some Wings fans think the kid has enough "talent", or "skill" to be a Player.

But at HIS position, "talent" and "skill" are NEVER enough. Not here. Not in this city. Not for this Team. Not if he's expected to play goal with the Winged Wheel on his chest. Takes a HELLUVA lot more to be a goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings. If he doesn't have "It", all the "talent" and "skill" in the world won't help him one jot.

Management and Coaching haven't seen "It". That's why he's still playing in Grand Rapids, and THAT is why there is even a discussion amongst Management and Coaching as to whether or not to go out and sign a veteran back-up at all.

Once again....

Read Between The Lines.

it sure does take you a lot of words to say absolutely nothing

[Outsider 42]

it sure does take you a lot of words to say absolutely nothing

I'm not the one saying it. Holland is saying it. Babcock is saying it. They've BEEN saying it.

Some people just refuse to "listen". Either that, or they only hear what they want to hear.

[Outsider 42]

I fail to see anything particularly damning about these statements. If management truly has no confidence in him as a backup or a starter, he wouldn't be with the organization right now. After all, what's the point of keeping a faulty fallback around for a number of seasons? Don't you think they would have shipped him off by now? No GM wants a goalie pipeline that nosedives right after the backup position, so the fact that Howard's held down that spot for a few seasons says to me that the brass has a lot of confidence in him. After all, Holland does say, "We like Jimmy Howard," in that first excerpt....

While you may fail to see anything particularly damning, do you see anything particularly encouraging?

The Wings HAVE invested a lot of time and effort into developing Howard. Just as they did with MacDonald. Just as they did with Liv.

Again.....

Do you see anything in ANY statement made, (recently), but ANYONE in the Wings Organization which would lead you to believe that they truly consider this kid to be the "franchise" netminder they thought he could be when they drafted him?

As for Jimmy Howard "earning" a shot.....

That's what everyone said about Legace, too. He'd "earned" a shot at being the Starter. "Earned" a chance to Start in the Play-Offs.

<shrug>

[Dabura 12,232]

What do you want Kenny to do, jump out of a birthday cake dressed as a French maid at Jimmy's next b-day party?

Bottom line: Howard's been held back because we've been fortunate enough to reap the benefits (and, for a stretch, the consequences) of a veteran goalie-go-round. Again, if management had a serious problem with him, he would've been shipped off a long time ago. Having a weak link at the #3 spot on the goalie depth chart is a big no-no. Having a weak link at the #3 spot for several years in a row is an even bigger no-no.

With Dom's retirement, there's now an opening. Howard will be eased in, but he's not going to be patted on the back at every turn. Motown eats goalies alive, and Howard will need to learn that, fair or not, he'll need to go above and beyond people's expectations if he's going to be this team's #1 guy for years to come.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Howard is not ready.

If he WERE ready, he'd be up. You don't leave your "Goalie of the Future" down in the Minors out of sheer caprice if he's clearly shown that he belongs in the NHL.

He. Is. Not. Ready. He may never be ready.

Management and Coaching has been saying it, without ACTUALLY saying it, for the past 3 years.

Wings fans simply refuse, quite obstinately, to read between the lines.

I know some Wings fans think the kid has enough "talent", or "skill" to be a Player.

But at HIS position, "talent" and "skill" are NEVER enough. Not here. Not in this city. Not for this Team. Not if he's expected to play goal with the Winged Wheel on his chest. Takes a HELLUVA lot more to be a goaltender for the Detroit Red Wings. If he doesn't have "It", all the "talent" and "skill" in the world won't help him one jot.

Management and Coaching haven't seen "It". That's why he's still playing in Grand Rapids, and THAT is why there is even a discussion amongst Management and Coaching as to whether or not to go out and sign a veteran back-up at all.

Once again....

Read Between The Lines.

Haha. Good one. You think the Wings are going to bring in a rookie goaltender when they have 1, potentially 2 Hall of Fame goaltenders that can still play at a high rate and are similarly playing for peanuts? Give me a break. Osgood and Hasek were both stellar in their 2006-2007 campaigns. Osgood played incredibly well as back-up and Hasek took us three rounds deep. So now all of a suddent they were supposed to throw Howard into action when both those goalies were wanting to come back for another year and when we had our best chance to win the cup in years?

Read between the lines. Youre an idiot.

Holland and Babcock ALWAYS make comments about their young guys, and their veterans that are low on the depth chart. Filppula, Hudler, Kopecky, Ericsson, Downey, Drake, Chelios etc. How many comments has Holland made over the years similar to "we'll see where they are at training camp." or "we need to see if our young players are ready" or "we'd like to see him take on a bigger role, but its really up to him whether or not he plays to his potential."

What you think you are "reading" between the lines is nothing more than an organization founded on merit. There are no hand-outs in this organization. There is no rush to "see what the kids can do." They have always and forever taken their time with young kids and because of that, the Red Wings are always a team that is characterized by experience, smarts, and maturity. They're not about to change that.

Oh and, by the way....I suppose since Johnathan Ericsson is pushing 25 years old and still hasn't cracked the regular lineup....he'll NEVER BE READY. NEVER. NEVER I SAY.

You know its not like.....goaltenders...take longer to develop...than other type of player...no....its not that.

Edited June 24, 2008 by YoungGuns1340

[Outsider 42]

Hey, no worries. And certainly no need to take it personally.

I guess we'll ALL just have to wait and see, won't we?

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Hey, no worries. And certainly no need to take it personally.

I guess we'll ALL just have to wait and see, won't we?

I'm not taking it personally. I just think its funny that you take one little run of the mill comment and took it as if it were god's word.

And youre exactly right that we'll wait and see. Thats exactly what this organization is founded on.

[Outsider 42]

I'm not taking it personally. I just think its funny that you take one little run of the mill comment and took it as if it were god's word.

And youre exactly right that we'll wait and see. Thats exactly what this organization is founded on.

Firstly, when one refers to someone they don't even know as an "idiot" based upon an opinion they don't agree with, I'd tend to call that "personal".

Secondly, it's not "one little run of the mill comment", it's comment after comment, year after year.

Thirdly, if you ask a woman out, and she says:

"Oooooh.....sorry. I'm washing my hair tomorrow night."

Then you ask her out again.....

"Hmmmm.....pedicure....I'm getting a pedicure."

Then you ask her out AGAIN....

"Sorry. I'm having a bunion removed."

At what point does it finally sink in that, (as the saying goes): "She's just not that into you."?

To wit:

"We like Jimmy," said Holland. "We like Jimmy's potential. I can't tell you he's established himself as the premier goalie" in the American Hockey League.

Sounds rather lukewarm for a GM talking about his future franchise goalie. Especially in light of the fact that he clearly stated that he'd match "any offer" made for Flip. I don't recall any "wishy-washy-ness" over Helm, either.

What has Babs been saying the past three years? "You have to go and dominate there before you can be a Player here."

Look up Howard's numbers in the AHL the past three seasons. Not only has he clearly NOT dominated, he's been well below average in all but his first year.

[Dabura 12,232]

"We like Jimmy," said Holland. "We like Jimmy's potential. I can't tell you he's established himself as the premier goalie" in the American Hockey League.

Sounds rather lukewarm for a GM talking about his future franchise goalie.

Dude, give it a rest.

[Opie 308]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/news;_ylt=ArJw...ype=team_report

“I think Jimmy Howard is very close, if not there, to playing in the NHL,” Holland said. “I’m guessing Ozzie can play 50 games, maybe more. The 20-30 games that Chris doesn’t play … in a parity league, those are key points. We’re trying to continue to be a Cup contender. How do you move young people into your team at a key position?”

“I definitely know I can play in this league, and I think I am ready,” Howard said. “I’m in the same situation as last year, still have a lot to prove. I’m just going to continue to try to improve my game.”

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Asking prices could be high at the deadline especially if your in need and other teams know it. Wonder if there are any rejuvinate your career goal tenders the wings would consider.

Not for a backup goalie, they aren't. That's all the Wings would be in the market for unless an injury were to hit Oz.

[jvxp 0]

Jimmy Howard will start the season as the backup and he is going to surprise a lot of the doubters around here. He was very good in his brief stint this past season and had a pretty decent season at GR. Don't worry about him.

I agree. Howard is a good goalie and there is no reason to bring someone else in. He was good with G.R. I have seen him many many times.