No one left on the free agent crop really wows me

[stevkrause 1,247]

Unless we make a trade to bring in that 12th forward, there's really only a small handful of free agents that I'd be ok with and none that seem like slam dunks... with that said, we got Ryno (who almost made it out of camp 2 years ago), Ritola, Oulahen and Tardif all in GR that I'd almost rather let fight it out in camp for the final roster spot...

keep in mind, this is with the idea that we can lock up Hulder... otherwise, we'll need a top 6 forward and then there are a few FA's I'd take a shot at... but as far as the 12th forward spot... let the GR boys fight it out!

[Echolalia 2,961]

I'm a bit apprehensive with the idea of having up to four rookies on our team next year, but we don't have much space to work with so it might be our best option.

[Scotty 0]

If Hudler can't get re- signed then Holland will go out and get somebody (who it would be, I have no idea). On the other hand if Hudler comes back next season then Kenny will probably just let all the kids from G.R. fight it out and battle for roster spots in training camp.

[Opie 308]

I am less worried because they are not 18 year olds and almost all of them will have had Playoff experience. Helm and Ericsson have been NHL ready (IMO) so two of them you have to take with a grain of salt and say at most it would be 2 rookies.

1) Howard will be the back up and barring injury will have minimal impact or be gone if he can't handle back up.

2) Abdelkader I don't believe will be highly relied on to score, any thing from him will be bonus. He will have to run over people, that and defense will be what Babs asks of him.

Again, all my opinion but take it for what it is worth, about 15 seconds of your time!

EDIT:

Sorry and Leino is a 25 year old proven talent, not proven in the NHL but the Wings know what he is capable and if not for the depth of the Wings could have played last year. He was considered consolation prize for the Brunnstrom chase, even though I think that was a smoke screen and the Wings got their guy.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Opie

[Snazzy 0]

"No one left on the free agent crop really wows me"

This can not be said enough. Holland doesn't need a player that 'wows' you or other GM / Scouts. He needs the (unknown) player that fits. Holland is the master at getting players that doesn't "wow" anyone and finding the diamond in the rough. See Cleary.

[stevkrause 1,247]

"No one left on the free agent crop really wows me"

This can not be said enough. Holland doesn't need a player that 'wows' you or other GM / Scouts. He needs the (unknown) player that fits. Holland is the master at getting players that doesn't "wow" anyone and finding the diamond in the rough. See Cleary.

and sometimes that diamond in the rough is already in your system and just needs his chance full time with the big boys to prove it.

See Helm.

[stevkrause 1,247]

I am less worried because they are not 18 year olds and almost all of them will have had Playoff experience. Helm and Ericsson have been NHL ready (IMO) so two of them you have to take with a grain of salt and say at most it would be 2 rookies.

1) Howard will be the back up and barring injury will have minimal impact or be gone if he can't handle back up.

2) Abdelkader I don't believe will be highly relied on to score, any thing from him will be bonus. He will have to run over people, that and defense will be what Babs asks of him.

Again, all my opinion but take it for what it is worth, about 15 seconds of your time!

EDIT:

Sorry and Leino is a 25 year old proven talent, not proven in the NHL but the Wings know what he is capable and if not for the depth of the Wings could have played last year. He was considered consolation prize for the Brunnstrom chase, even though I think that was a smoke screen and the Wings got their guy.

to the person that said the thing about worried about rookies - I could repeat EXACTLY what Opie said, but just quoting this seems easier

[sean 19]

"No one left on the free agent crop really wows me"

This can not be said enough. Holland doesn't need a player that 'wows' you or other GM / Scouts. He needs the (unknown) player that fits. Holland is the master at getting players that doesn't "wow" anyone and finding the diamond in the rough. See Cleary.

Yup, Cleary, Lebda, a few other near misses.

Look for these types at camp. Undrafted free agents, undrafted euros, there will be a few of them at camp, I'd bet.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Holland faired miserably this year.

I'm anxious to read his solid "we're very solid at the core and happy with our team overall" quotes.

Meanwhile, defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy signing free agent(s).

[egroen 384]

Holland faired miserably this year.

I'm anxious to read his solid "we're very solid at the core and happy with our team overall" quotes.

Meanwhile, defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy signing free agent(s).

Is this a serious post?

The Penguins were outscored by, and barely beat a Wings team that suffered from freak injury after freak injury.

There is no doubt in my mind this team would have beaten Pittsburgh with nothing more than Lilja healthy.... never mind a healthy Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Cleary, Holmstrom, Draper and Rafalski.

Any team with less depth than Detroit would not have made it past the second round with all those injuries.

Detroit had *4* rookies playing at one point.

Edited July 6, 2009 by egroen

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

Holland has gone to arbitration once in the past 10 years. The one player that went to arbitration was awarded a great deal of money and Holland traded him for Larionov.

So Hudler sounds like a lock.

And yes the f/a pool is full of players that will be overpaid or enforcers .. We have no need for either.

I was hopeing Holland would bring up someone from in-house and it's looking that way.

[Casey 145]

Holland faired miserably this year.

I'm anxious to read his solid "we're very solid at the core and happy with our team overall" quotes.

Meanwhile, defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy signing free agent(s).

Yes, because randomly signing free agents without any plan is brilliant. I'll take the guy who's taken the team to 4 Cups and 6 Finals appearances since 1995 over the team that was built by sucking for years.

[titanium2 867]

Is this a serious post?

The Penguins were outscored by, and barely beat a Wings team that suffered from freak injury after freak injury.

There is no doubt in my mind this team would have beaten Pittsburgh with nothing more than Lilja healthy.... never mind a healthy Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Cleary, Holmstrom, Draper and Rafalski.

Any team with less depth than Detroit would not have made it past the second round with all those injuries.

Detroit had *4* rookies playing at one point.

They did their part and they played hard and in the end deserved to win. It's just that sometimes I wonder where the Pens rank in terms of championship luck. Perhaps the 2004 Marlins?

[Snazzy 0]

Holland faired miserably this year.

I'm anxious to read his solid "we're very solid at the core and happy with our team overall" quotes.

Meanwhile, defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy signing free agent(s).

Really? Second guessing the best GM in the league? Second guessing the man who made Detroit the powerhouse of the millenium, the man who, despite the post-lockout, found a way to beat the salary cap that was expected to destroy the Detroit Red Wings?

You're really second guessing that guy?

[titanium2 867]

Really? Second guessing the best GM in the league? Second guessing the man who made Detroit the powerhouse of the millenium, the man who, despite the post-lockout, found a way to beat the salary cap that was expected to destroy the Detroit Red Wings?

You're really second guessing that guy?

There's nothing wrong with questioning a GM. Holland does make mistakes. There are many on here who still wish we had Matthias.

However, the poster you're responding to is just bored. Kenny resigned Zetterberg and Franzen for much less than market value this year. He resigned Ville Leino to a contract that many of us thought wasn't possible. The poster is just bored because they haven't signed any new blood.

[VM1138 1,921]

I'm fairly certain Hudler will sign before his arbitration hearing

That said I don't expect Holland to do much (if anything) this summer.

Well, he's already stated he's looking for a forward in mid-July and later will trade a defenseman.

But I agree that training camp is going to be the main battleground.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Last I checked, nobody will remember the 2009 Red Wings as the team that ALMOST won the Stanley Cup. That means nothing, not even in highschool sports for the trophy.

Kenny this year has been too busy on the links. He let Laperriere, Neil, and several other quality 'gritty forwards' skate into another team's lineup.

Am I bored? Never. Am I right? Always

[StevieY9802 6]

"No one left on the free agent crop really wows me"

This can not be said enough. Holland doesn't need a player that 'wows' you or other GM / Scouts. He needs the (unknown) player that fits. Holland is the master at getting players that doesn't "wow" anyone and finding the diamond in the rough. See Cleary.

Yup, Cleary, Lebda, a few other near misses.

Look for these types at camp. Undrafted free agents, undrafted euros, there will be a few of them at camp, I'd bet.

Right on for both of you. The Wings don't need someone who wows anyone. If they sign Hudler they'll need a 3rd/4th line guy. I love how a lot of people are so worried because the Wings lost a few free agents. Could they struggle a little bit? Maybe. Will guys need to step up? Totally. But lets not forget they have Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Cleary, Franzen, Filppula, Helm and Holmstrom. Not including everyone else. And yeah the Wings made some good late signings a few years ago and guys on tryouts.

And for the guy saying the Pens are signings free agents?? You mean the whole 2 guys they signed who were already there and neither who were going to get huge money, like Hossa, on the market. Guerin and Fedotenko signed for a total of 3.8mil. They lost Scuderi which will hurt them. I'm not worried at all because Holland's mistakes have been few and far between. And Holland has done nothing?? He signed Zetterberg and Franzen to contracts worth much less in cap hits than they would get as UFA's. Those were his two free agent signings.

[Opie 308]

Right on for both of you. The Wings don't need someone who wows anyone. If they sign Hudler they'll need a 3rd/4th line guy. I love how a lot of people are so worried because the Wings lost a few free agents. Could they struggle a little bit? Maybe. Will guys need to step up? Totally. But lets not forget they have Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Cleary, Franzen, Filppula, Helm and Holmstrom. Not including everyone else. And yeah the Wings made some good late signings a few years ago and guys on tryouts.

And for the guy saying the Pens are signings free agents?? You mean the whole 2 guys they signed who were already there and neither who were going to get huge money, like Hossa, on the market. Guerin and Fedotenko signed for a total of 3.8mil. They lost Scuderi which will hurt them. I'm not worried at all because Holland's mistakes have been few and far between. And Holland has done nothing?? He signed Zetterberg and Franzen to contracts worth much less in cap hits than they would get as UFA's. Those were his two free agent signings.

I agree with the bolded 100% however I said that about Malone last year so what do I know really?

[Guest E_S_A_D]

...so what do I know really?

Is this a rhetorical question, Opie? =)

[StevieY9802 6]

I agree with the bolded 100% however I said that about Malone last year so what do I know really?

i think that did hurt them, until Guerin and Kunitz stepped in. Shero went from a total moron to genius real quick last season.

[Opie 308]

i think that did hurt them, until Guerin and Kunitz stepped in. Shero went from a total moron to genius real quick last season.

Ahh good point, Touche!

I think the coaching change did wonders for them as well and will for years to come, unfortunately!

[dat's sick 1,002]

Holland faired miserably this year.

I'm anxious to read his solid "we're very solid at the core and happy with our team overall" quotes.

Meanwhile, defending Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins have been busy signing free agent(s).

worst post ever. have you even taken a look at what the Pens have been doing?

[Snazzy 0]

There's nothing wrong with questioning a GM. Holland does make mistakes. There are many on here who still wish we had Matthias.

However, the poster you're responding to is just bored. Kenny resigned Zetterberg and Franzen for much less than market value this year. He resigned Ville Leino to a contract that many of us thought wasn't possible. The poster is just bored because they haven't signed any new blood.

It would be much better if a posters (aka couch GM) second guesses the Red Wings GM when they have merit. i.e. Tallon is the perfect example of a GM who should be second guessed and micromanaged, not Holland.

[StevieY9802 6]

Ahh good point, Touche!

I think the coaching change did wonders for them as well and will for years to come, unfortunately!

totally that change helped too. Bylsma and his system seem like the perfect fit for them. He actually has some class too. Amazing how I can respect someone who isn't an a$$ hole.