What to do with Lebda?

[The Mule 0]

Does anyone else remember reading an article on the Wings' website 2 or 3 years ago about Lebda being groomed for success? In hindsight, it's actually kind of funny how very, very wrong that article turned out to be.

[hak 21]

Does anyone else remember reading an article on the Wings' website 2 or 3 years ago about Lebda being groomed for success? In hindsight, it's actually kind of funny how very, very wrong that article turned out to be.

i remember watching a tv reportage about him a few years ago where the reporter followed him home and they visit his old hockey rink, talking about hockey and life, even signing a few autographs to some kids at the rink.

does anyone remember? it felt like they were trying to hype him up as the next big defenseman in detriot showing some highlights and getting people on the team say nice things about him etc. pretty funny when you look back at it

Edited November 8, 2009 by hak

[skyphoenix 153]

Ericsson is making a lot of mistakes too, but he doesnt have a defense partner to learn from anymore. Put him with Lidstrom and Im sure Ericsson will be playing a lot better. Ericsson makes a lot of rookie mistakes, but Lebda makes the same mistakes is nowhere close to being a rookie and they cant cover each other when one does make a mistake. This forces the forwards to worry too much about playing defense instead of playing offense and that is why no one is producing right now aside from Holmstrom.

[Broken 16 381]

Put Lebda on waivers. If nobody takes, send him to GR. Don't resign him at the end of the year. Done.

As far as the "He makes $xxx,xxx" this season...

Lebda makes $650k, not $850k. And his value for that money is well worth it. Why?

Because he is paid less than $750k, and for only that much he is willing to be a healthy scratch many times and to stay off the ice most of the game when he IS dressed. How much better can he help the team when he's one of our alleged top-six? Lebda being OFF the ice certainly helps the team more than Z, Dats, or Nick being ON the ice helps. Make him the 7th defenseman for the rest of the season, and give him the Hart!

Last thing I would want on my team, at any price... even a buck, is a player that is just as content in the press box. I really love your spin on how that makes him valuable. I almost bought it.

[Miss Wing Queen 154]

i remember watching a tv reportage about him a few years ago where the reporter followed him home and they visit his old hockey rink, talking about hockey and life, even signing a few autographs to some kids at the rink.

does anyone remember? it felt like they were trying to hype him up as the next big defenseman in detriot showing some highlights and getting people on the team say nice things about him etc. pretty funny when you look back at it

I remember it too. They started the piece off by saying something like "Detroit believes it's found its next rising start in Brett Lebda." I think they mistakenly said "star" when they meant to say "black hole."

[FedorovMan91 1]

You cannot compare Ericsson and Lebda because Ericsson is challenging the first regular season of the NHL while Lebda is not. Be honest, I never saw any Wings player playing worse than Lebda on the same position. I would just put Kindl on Lebda's spot. Waive him up.

[dragonballgtz 273]

I don't think people are expecting Lebda to bail out the Wings. We just want him to not screw up in so many major ways. We're not talking about a few bad decisions. It's consistently awful play. This is his 5th season in the NHL, and he plays like a callup from Grand Rapids, at best.

As I've said before, now that Lebda is paired with a rookie, he's being exposed for the mess that he is.

OK. I try to make my stance more clearly.

If Lebda plays his best season of his career and top 2 lines in both O and D continiue to play like "Lebda now", that is exactly what they are doing ( with some exceptions), this team competes for lottery no 1 pick.

If Lebda plays his worst season but top line play their best, they can win the Cup.

Lebda is exposed,I fully agree, but this team has far bigger problems than Lebda

Solve THE REAL issues first and then let's talk about Lebda.

Inconsistent play is the biggest issue but with players like Lebda I am starting to see why it is an issue. He cannot make a simple play and tends to over think. He needs to go end of story,

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I got some tar and feathers.

[stevkrause 1,247]

well, in NHL10, I traded him to Boston for a 3rd rd pick and since most of the trades people suggest on this board are based off of a skewed view of player worth based on video games - let's do that![/sarcasm]

[russianswede919293 95]

honestly lebda is somebody i would love to see go...only he is here until Lilja is back.

Personally I would rather Janik or Kindl have his spot though.

[FinWing 26]

Unfortunately, yes. I saw one a few rows down from me at the game Thursday night.

Must have been someone in his family...

[Learn2LuvIt 245]

If...and I say if, we make it in the playoffs...seeing Lebda take the ice in a Wings jersey will envoke such a violent rage within me that my wife will have no choice but to flee the house and call the police.

O: "911-what's your emergency?"

My wife: 'My husband just spotted Brett Lebda taking the ice for the Wings playoff game tonight and he's gone insane with anger...please help, he is foaming at the mouth and has destroyed every piece of furniture in the house, now he's pouring gasoline all over the tv set screaming something about Ken Holland'

O: "Mam..please stay calm we will get units out there as soon as we can. Please be patient as it may take a while for a unit to get over there,...this is the 20th call in the past five minutes concerning "Brett Lebda" rage. I'll stay on the phone with you until they arrive"

End scene.

[hokeychik22 17]

Waive Lebda and send him to the minors. If he gets picked up, oh well. Play Meech or Janik in his place.

i'd say janik or some other minor league d. io dont like seeing meech or lebda on d. they both screw it up. meech plays better forward in my opinion.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

at this point in time i'd give lebda to edmonton for their towel boy. pretty even trade i think.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

every time lebda joins the rush, a newborn baby dies

[Dimaline312000 51]

I would love to be able to get rid of Lebda but I don't know what we would get in exchange for him. Maybe a 7th round pick or another mid-age or even older player for him. I don't see the Wings being able to get a nice young prospect or any higher pick than a 5th round pick and even that might be a steal. How many more season's do we have Lebda? If he's an FA after this season than I just say keep him for this season and just don't resign him. If he has a few more seasons than maybe buy out his contract. I'd prefer a draft pick for him but given our rep with what we've been able to pull out late in the draft I don't see to many teams willing to give us any picks unless it's for a much better player that Lebda.

[titanium2 867]

If...and I say if, we make it in the playoffs...seeing Lebda take the ice in a Wings jersey will envoke such a violent rage within me that my wife will have no choice but to flee the house and call the police.

O: "911-what's your emergency?"

My wife: 'My husband just spotted Brett Lebda taking the ice for the Wings playoff game tonight and he's gone insane with anger...please help, he is foaming at the mouth and has destroyed every piece of furniture in the house, now he's pouring gasoline all over the tv set screaming something about Ken Holland'

O: "Mam..please stay calm we will get units out there as soon as we can. Please be patient as it may take a while for a unit to get over there,...this is the 20th call in the past five minutes concerning "Brett Lebda" rage. I'll stay on the phone with you until they arrive"

End scene.

Nice.

I'd rather have Sammy playing the point on the PP than Lebda in a Wings jersey.

[russianswede919293 95]

Brett Lebda is sick http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/11/si..._in_for_wi.html

[55fan 5,133]

Brett Lebda is sick http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/11/si..._in_for_wi.html

Wow. Sick in the way we old people understand the word.

Hope it's nothing contagious.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Well, I hope that illness doesn't affect his stellar play of late.

[skyphoenix 153]

I dont think hes sick. Hes probably just scratched and Babcock doesnt want to stir any discussions.

[useyourillusion 0]

lebdas a joke

[Feldmarschall 9]

Here's hoping this "sickness" is an excuse to keep him off the ice until a trade partner can be found. If not, I hope he's waived and Janik takes a full-time spot.

[ilmickeyli 40]

hmm lol @ this comment from above link:

bradley97

Here's a thought:

Lebda and Meech are basically the same defenseman, with Meech two years younger and becoming an RFA this summer. Lebda becomes a UFA this summer.

Since the Wings seem to need a veteran defensive shutdown defenseman to kill penalties, rough some players up, and work with Ericsson so he can just play, how about trading Lebda (a fast puck mover who will likely get an offer the Wings cannot afford to match in the off season) to Carolina for former Wing Aaron Ward?

I know what people will say: "Are you nuts?! The Wings let him go for a reason!"

But he was key in winning a Cup with Carolina, is a right hand shot, is a veteran in his mid thirties, has oodles of experience, is familiar with how to play puck possession as he was here when it started, and is also a UFA this summer. Plus, with the injuries the Wings should be able to absorb his $2.5 M prorated contract even when Filppula and Franzen return if they don't waste the additional per day cap space, which Holland is doing his best to maintain.

As the Wings have already brought back two former players, why not complete the hattrick? Add in the possibility of Ward killing penalties with Lidstrom, providing a physical edge, and the ability of spending time on the right side of Lidstrom who always plays best with a right hand defesneman opposite himself so that Rafalski can work with Ericsson here and there to mix things up, and that Kronwall could also benefit from playing with Ward at times, and I see the possibility of a real win/win for both teams.

End Quote

______

We can't do that with the cap, correct?

Edited November 10, 2009 by ilmickeyli

[hokeychik22 17]

I would love to be able to get rid of Lebda but I don't know what we would get in exchange for him. Maybe a 7th round pick or another mid-age or even older player for him. I don't see the Wings being able to get a nice young prospect or any higher pick than a 5th round pick and even that might be a steal. How many more season's do we have Lebda? If he's an FA after this season than I just say keep him for this season and just don't resign him. If he has a few more seasons than maybe buy out his contract. I'd prefer a draft pick for him but given our rep with what we've been able to pull out late in the draft I don't see to many teams willing to give us any picks unless it's for a much better player that Lebda.

his contract ends at end of season.