Ville Leino Appreciation Thread

[Broken 16 381]

I'm actually rooting for Leino. It's crazy. I'd actually get a certain amount of satisfaction if Leino managed to stick it to the Blackhawks. In fact, it would be awesome.

He's playing great hockey over there living up to his potential. Detroit will be just a footnote in his career.

I'm still holding out judgment until next season, but yea, Leino has looked pretty good in a Flyers uniform.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

How is $800k a high salary?

So you think DRW scouts cannot find late round steals anymore? You do realize Datsyuk and Zetterberg were late round picks don't you?

Our drafting has been pretty mediocre of late. I know you can't pick up franchice players every draft, or once every 5 years even, but we certainly haven't drafted anny gems since D/Z and we've barely even drafted any 3rd line standard forwards. Our drafting of defencemen has been even worse, but Kindl and Smith are chances to be something.

[ShanahanMan 473]

Based on his s***ty season, lack of improvement and high salary?

You mean based on 60% of a season? And 900,000 isn't that high comparatively speaking.

Detroit didn't have "a little bit of time". If they weren't up against the cap Leino would have stayed.

There are always options. Despite a rough season, Holland shouldn't have turned his sights right to one of our most valuable prospects.

How much was he making?

900,000. Okay....? You do know Kris Draper makes more than that and Kirk Maltby just made a tad less that season.

13 games doesn't make a career.

Oh okay, but 60% of a rookie season does.

Brett Lebda is a defenseman. Not much of a point in getting rid of a defenseman for a forward to replace when you still have to put a defenseman in the lineup anyway.

We have a log jam of defensemen. One (whether it be Lebda or Meech) could have easily been moved. And even if we didn't move a defenseman. Why not get rid of guys we know won't be coming back next year? Maltby? Williams? I would have been fine with either one over Leino who at WORST was a question mark.

Edited June 4, 2010 by ShanahanMan

[DXFlyers 0]

BTW, thank you Holland for Leino. We appriciate the support from Hockeytown on the demise of the Blackhawks like we had your back again Crosby and the Pens.

Congrats on re-up with Holmstrom and Lidstrom on the semi-cheap.

Get ready for 2-2

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

You mean based on 60% of a season? And 900,000 isn't that high comparatively speaking.

It was needed to bring players back. And if you don't show any improvement during the season then you are going to be on the chopping block.

There are always options. Despite a rough season, Holland shouldn't have turned his sights right to one of our most valuable prospects.

He was not very valuable considering how s***ty he was playing.

900,000. Okay....? You do know Kris Draper makes more than that and Kirk Maltby just made a tad less that season.

Point being?

Oh okay, but 60% of a rookie season does.

More definitive than the 13 games you latch on to.

We have a log jam of defensemen. One (whether it be Lebda or Meech) could have easily been moved. And even if we didn't move a defenseman. Why not get rid of guys we know won't be coming back next year? Maltby? Williams? I would have been fine with either one over Leino who at WORST was a question mark.

Perhaps Williams should have been moved. Perhaps he tried that and didn't get any offers. Getting rid of a player (Maltby) who was a veteran on the team is completely ass-backwards.

It is hillarious how people magically came out of the woodwork in hate of this deal when Leino suddenly started scoring in Philly.

[Aussie_Wing 354]

It is hillarious how people magically came out of the woodwork in hate of this deal when Leino suddenly started scoring in Philly.

I hated this deal the second I heard it, my post in the thread would prove just that.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I hated this deal the second I heard it, my post in the thread would prove just that.

That's fine. It would've been cool to keep him. But getting worked up for just getting a minor-league/NHL fringe defenseman when Leino's trade value was just so ridiculously low at the time of the trade is ridiculous. The trade was never going to net much gain from minute one because Leino's value wasn't much to begin with. Out of "errors" that management makes, this is way down in the bottom of the pile in most glaring or one to "regret".

[Jaymz99 2]

The point is, he was a rookie. Not every rookie comes out of the gate blazing. They pitched him after half a season and he really didn't give him a chance. This is like when Howard played one game last season and everyone s*** on him after the game even though it was a complete lack of defense that cost them the game. Leino played during the worst part of the worst season in 20 years. He got the short end of the stick. Plain and simple.

[Rivalred 630]

The point is, he was a rookie. Not every rookie comes out of the gate blazing. They pitched him after half a season and he really didn't give him a chance. This is like when Howard played one game last season and everyone s*** on him after the game even though it was a complete lack of defense that cost them the game. Leino played during the worst part of the worst season in 20 years. He got the short end of the stick. Plain and simple.

And this is the same dood who threatened to go back to Europe if he played another year in the AHL.

If anything, Detroit did Ville a favor by trading him to a team where he could get more ice time, develop more, and get use to the North American type hockey.

And on an up swing, he has a shot at the Stanley Cup; what more can he ask for?

Edited June 4, 2010 by Rivalred

[Frozen-Man 144]

That's fine. It would've been cool to keep him. But getting worked up for just getting a minor-league/NHL fringe defenseman when Leino's trade value was just so ridiculously low at the time of the trade is ridiculous. The trade was never going to net much gain from minute one because Leino's value wasn't much to begin with. Out of "errors" that management makes, this is way down in the bottom of the pile in most glaring or one to "regret".

That's the absolute truth. If this was such a horrible trade and Leino was such a valuable asset Holland could have gotten more for him. The very fact that the best Holland could get was a minor league player and a 5th shows that no one else thought that much of him either. A player HAD to be moved, it wouldn't help to be a d-man, and Leino's cap hit was large enough to get our injured guys back in the lineup. A trade was forced because the Wings had so many injuries that they had to bring in new guys to fill the roster spots, when the injured players were ready to come back something had to give. Holland got rid of one of the most underachieving players, I don't see where he made a bad decision and the fact that Leino is now playing in a way completely different than he did in Detroit doesn't change that.

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

The point is, he was a rookie. Not every rookie comes out of the gate blazing. They pitched him after half a season and he really didn't give him a chance. This is like when Howard played one game last season and everyone s*** on him after the game even though it was a complete lack of defense that cost them the game. Leino played during the worst part of the worst season in 20 years. He got the short end of the stick. Plain and simple.

They gave him plenty of chances, but he dug his own grave when he had the audacity to only sign a contract with Detroit as long as he wasn't playing in the minor leagues for more than one year.

He could have developed but he was more interested about getting to the big show than his long term success with Detroit.

[Guest Heaten]

I hated this deal the second I heard it, my post in the thread would prove just that.

99.999% of the DRWs fans were satisfied with the trade. In fact, most were downright happy. I don't feel like digging through your posts in the original trade announcement thread to see what your feelings were at the time, perhaps you were the exception... but I doubt it. My guess is you were for the trade at the time just like everyone else.

I supported Leino for as long as I could, but he was hurting the team and no way Detroit would have made the playoffs with the roster we had at the time.

Leino isn't THAT big of a loss, really. I suspect that 5th rounder Wings draft with the pick will be a superior player based on DRWs late round draft success.

That said, what did we, as fans, learn from this? Not to give up on Ericsson or Kindl... or other struggling rookies that showed spurts of brilliance (Ericsson had a great '09 playoffs and Kindl had a solid training camp in 08).

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Good post.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I would appreciate it if Ville scored again tonight.

[Broken 16 381]

I would appreciate it if Ville scored again tonight.

I'd root for a hat trick if we could still get some curly fries out of it...

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I'd root for a hat trick if we could still get some curly fries out of it...

Text Flyers 22 tonight to receive discounts from Mickey D's

[Finnish Wing 110]

And this is the same dood who threatened to go back to Europe if he played another year in the AHL.

Threatened? There's one comment about something like that andi it's only a quote, not even a video interview or anything like that. I've seen many writers twist a few words for quotes in their articles.

I think it's pretty natural that he got that one-way deal at the age of 25 after first being the MVP in Finnish Elite League and then coming to the AHL (even when he was given much bigger offers from KHL etc.) to work his way to the NHL and play a good season there.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Leino's fame link on yahoo.

Ville's fame

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

He just keeps on truckin'.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

I mean I can let by gones be by gones... But this.is.ridonkulous!

[Wings_Toledo 233]

Honestly, why get upset about the trade? I'm glad to see him doing well now but there is no way anyone could predict the way he is scoring in the playoffs. The guy has minimal skating ability at best and makes up for it with some nice hands. The way he played here, who can blame Holland for at least getting something for him?

[Jaymz99 2]

99.999% of the DRWs fans were satisfied with the trade. In fact, most were downright happy. I don't feel like digging through your posts in the original trade announcement thread to see what your feelings were at the time, perhaps you were the exception... but I doubt it. My guess is you were for the trade at the time just like everyone else.

I supported Leino for as long as I could, but he was hurting the team and no way Detroit would have made the playoffs with the roster we had at the time.

Leino isn't THAT big of a loss, really. I suspect that 5th rounder Wings draft with the pick will be a superior player based on DRWs late round draft success.

That said, what did we, as fans, learn from this? Not to give up on Ericsson or Kindl... or other struggling rookies that showed spurts of brilliance (Ericsson had a great '09 playoffs and Kindl had a solid training camp in 08).

99.99% of LGW.com fans maybe.

[jeff48109 474]

Roenick just said that Leino "is playing with a lot of grit and playing very hard".

[Doc Holliday 1,888]

99.99% of LGW.com fans maybe.

Says something about you when you post here as well.

[Guest Lidstromboli]

see what leino does when he isn't surrounded by a bunch of old men . the wings were just holding him back from soaring