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Dominator2005

Toughening Up?

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http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=386420

Toughening Up?

The Detroit Red Wings open the second half of the season as the top team in the league, and not surprisingly they're looking to add some talent at, or before, the trade deadline.

Gregg Krupa of the The Detroit News reports that the club is looking to get tougher with the playoffs looming, and head coach Mike Babcock revealed his wish-list.

"To me, if we could get another heavy winger, or heavy forward, or D - those would all be good things to help you," Babcock told the News.

Read the full report here: http://m.detnews.com/sports/article?a=2012201300303&f=1209

Note to Kenny: Tuomo Ruutu.

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Link Gaetz?

Link was a defenseman.

In all seriousness, I don't know what Holland/Babcock's definition of a "heavy" winger is.

After all, this is the team that gave us phrases like "team toughness" and "our powerplay is our enforcer", although the latter may have been a LGW created phrase (I don't remember anymore).

Edited by GMRwings1983

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Link was a defenseman.

In all seriousness, I don't know what Holland/Babcock's definition of a "heavy" winger is.

After all, this is the team that gave us phrases like "team toughness" and "our powerplay is our enforcer", although the latter may have been an LGW created phrase (I don't remember anymore).

Babs said heavy D. (I can already see the rapper pictures).

And no, unfortunately, the "Our powerplay is our enforcer" mantra was a pure 100% Detroit Red Wings company line. I remember Maltby saying that to a reporter and me sensing very little genuineness out of him.

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If we can pluck these two from the stars I think we will be one of the hardest teams to play against in the playoffs:

imagine kronwall, stuart, and fistric all out there to destroy someone on any given shift.

also think of the drake factor that morrow has, a gritty guy who will take runs at anyone, fight, and even has some talent offensively and is a great leader.

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Babs said heavy D. (I can already see the rapper pictures).

And no, unfortunately, the "Our powerplay is our enforcer" mantra was a pure 100% Detroit Red Wings company line. I remember Maltby saying that to a reporter and me sensing very little genuineness out of him.

At least it wasn't McCarty who said it.

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How "heavy" are we talking about?

Maybe we can shift around some finances for the Spring?

Screenshot2012-01-30at10451PM.png

Morrow or Ruutu would both be nice additions, though. Even as someone who isn't 'enforcer-crazy' - we could definitely use the grit.

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At least it wasn't McCarty who said it.

I don't know how anybody can say that and believe it with an unwavering heart. Especially guys who have been around the game as much as Holland.

But in terms of team toughness I feel like Commodore is closer to reserving a playoff roster spot than Kindl or E for that matter.

I think a guy like Tuomo Ruutu would be a great fit for the Wings.

He's a big, gritty winger with offensive upside. Plus he's younger and would likely cost us less prospects/picks than Brenden Morrow.

He would be good in the sense that he can take a hit to make a play and he has good skills to compliment skilled players and bottom six players. However, I wouldn't expect him to deliver the extent of toughness that Morrow can bring.

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He would be good in the sense that he can take a hit to make a play and he has good skills to compliment skilled players and bottom six players. However, I wouldn't expect him to deliver the extent of toughness that Morrow can bring.

I was thinking more in terms of what the team would have to give up to acquire him.

Ruutu is a UFA after the season whereas Morrow has a year left on his contract so he'd likely cost much more than Ruutu. That being said, I'd love to see Morrow in red and white this season.

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I would really actually rather one more scorer and have our boys who can throw their weight around to do so. I would LOVE to see us pick of Grabovski from the the Leafs (his salary is currently 2.9mil), he plays aggressive to the net and has awesome speed.

EDIT: I also love my boy Colton Orr and would love to see him in a wings wheel too...is he playing again or still out?

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I would really actually rather one more scorer and have our boys who can throw their weight around to do so. I would LOVE to see us pick of Grabovski from the the Leafs (his salary is currently 2.9mil), he plays aggressive to the net and has awesome speed.

EDIT: I also love my boy Colton Orr and would love to see him in a wings wheel too...is he playing again or still out?

Colton Orr and Grabovski would be nice, but who do we loose do get them?

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I would really actually rather one more scorer and have our boys who can throw their weight around to do so. I would LOVE to see us pick of Grabovski from the the Leafs (his salary is currently 2.9mil), he plays aggressive to the net and has awesome speed.

EDIT: I also love my boy Colton Orr and would love to see him in a wings wheel too...is he playing again or still out?

morrow has hit 30 goals twice and had 33 last year, grabovski has yet to score 30 but has more upside offensively one would think, but if you add in all of the other factors that morrow has it adds up to morrow being a much more valuable player to this team

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morrow has hit 30 goals twice and had 33 last year, grabovski has yet to score 30 but has more upside offensively one would think, but if you add in all of the other factors that morrow has it adds up to morrow being a much more valuable player to this team

I do love Morrow but Grabby is only 27 and is currently 1.2 million less, don't get me wrong if I read we signed Morrow Ill do a little dance as well but I really love the raw freaking talent Grabovski has and believe he doesnt get the kudos he deserves in toronto.

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The fact that TSN has been talking about the wings so much makes me really excited for the trade deadline, there must really be fire for them to be reporting this much on a non canadian/non penguin team.

It seems Babs has wanted another heavy winger for a while now and he should finally get his wish. The obvious one is his former player Travis Moen. Hes a playoff type player, good defensively, great PKer and tough. Dreger said Detroit has kicked the tires with Montreal about him. Gaustad is also a very solid centerman that could bump Helm down to the fourth line and move Abdelkader to the wing

But the thing is that with physical bottom line types, pretty much anyone could be available, not just free agents. Columbus could possibly part with Boll or Dorsett which would be awesome and give the wings another guy who is tough to play against, preferably Dorsett. My dream player would be to get Matt Martin out of New York. The kid is a hitting machine, young and can scrap as well. He is a complete wrecking ball and always near the top of the league in hits. He could provide a physical presence noone on this team does. Thorburn or Slater out of the peg would be solid additions to the bottom of the lineup.

Make Matt Martin happen Kenny!

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I do love Morrow but Grabby is only 27 and is currently 1.2 million less, don't get me wrong if I read we signed Morrow Ill do a little dance as well but I really love the raw freaking talent Grabovski has and believe he doesnt get the kudos he deserves in toronto.

but he doesn't throw massive hits, fight, and isn't a leader

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"Toughening up" is something that should of been addressed when the Wings were trying to repeat, after Drake retired, when Kopecky kept falling on his ass while Downey was relegated to Grand Rapids. Yeah, that season was fun to watch... Thanks, Kenny.

But as to this season, have to wait and see who the buyers and sellers are. I'd love to add a player like David Clarkson, but NJ won't deal him if they are in a playoff position come the deadline, and maybe not even if they aren't. Chris Neil would be a good addition, and I'd be more than willing to give up Abdelkader in a package for him, and I don't care if he IS 8 years younger. I can't stand Abby! But again, would Ottawa part with Neil if they are fighting for positioning? I also like the idea of adding Morrow, even though I think he hates the Red Wings. He's a more talented Dallas Drake. But what would Dallas want in return? He's an unrestricted free-agent next season.

Detroit does need to get a little harder to play, but the days of Holland fleecing other teams is long over.

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Link was a defenseman.

In all seriousness, I don't know what Holland/Babcock's definition of a "heavy" winger is.

After all, this is the team that gave us phrases like "team toughness" and "our powerplay is our enforcer", although the latter may have been a LGW created phrase (I don't remember anymore).

Well, comsidering the article says "ANOTHER HEAVY WINGER" I guess that means someone like Franzen or Bertuzzi, since Babcock seems to think we already have a heavy winger and he would like ANOTHER one...if that is the case, we will be seeing more of the same type of player...

...I would be excited if he would have left out the "another." I hope he feels that Moen and Morrow are heavy wingers, because I am all for that, but I am not all for another Franzen or Hudler...

If we can pluck these two from the stars I think we will be one of the hardest teams to play against in the playoffs:

imagine kronwall, stuart, and fistric all out there to destroy someone on any given shift.

also think of the drake factor that morrow has, a gritty guy who will take runs at anyone, fight, and even has some talent offensively and is a great leader.

Ya, Morrow and Fistric would be great. But, lets stop saying the "Drake" factor. He wasn't really that big of help in winning, but he did add grit and toughness as would Morrow, but it seems that most folks around here feel that if it weren't for Drake, we wouldn't have won.

Who would go back to Dallas in your trade scenario? A d-man obviously, but who and who else? Just curious...

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A name flying under the radar...Robyn Regehr. Buffalo will be sellers, and they have a bunch of big contracts that are IMO a little too big considering the players abilities. I have heard Regehr has lost a step( I havent watched him for a bit), but even if he has, he still has to be a very good shutdown Dman, and he is quite physical. He would solidify our defense IMO. Hes at 4mil and under contract for next season only. Its a thought many haven't looked at.

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Well, comsidering the article says "ANOTHER HEAVY WINGER" I guess that means someone like Franzen or Bertuzzi, since Babcock seems to think we already have a heavy winger and he would like ANOTHER one...if that is the case, we will be seeing more of the same type of player...

...I would be excited if he would have left out the "another." I hope he feels that Moen and Morrow are heavy wingers, because I am all for that, but I am not all for another Franzen or Hudler...

Ya, Morrow and Fistric would be great. But, lets stop saying the "Drake" factor. He wasn't really that big of help in winning, but he did add grit and toughness as would Morrow, but it seems that most folks around here feel that if it weren't for Drake, we wouldn't have won.

Who would go back to Dallas in your trade scenario? A d-man obviously, but who and who else? Just curious...

Concerning your comment about Drake, I think the exact opposite. Would that Red Wings team have won the cup without him? Maybe, but he sealed the deal. He brought a level of nastiness that the previous Red Wings teams under Mike Babcock lacked. Big hits fire up your team, and he delivered a lot of them in those playoffs, and it seemed like the rest of the team followed his lead. Players don't like playing against guys like Dallas Drake, because, well, they don't like getting smoked. You want to make your team as difficult to play against as possible, something all of the Detroit teams since then have not been. I think next years team, which, on paper, was a better team with the addition of Hossa, suffered because there was no attempt to replace the snarl Detroit lost with the retirement of Drake. It also didn't help that Detroit played the whole season without an enforcer, and that pretty much every team they played against took as many liberties as they so pleased. Downey only played in about 40 or so games that championship season, but pests and agitators knew that there was somebody who would hold them accountable if they misbehaved. The extracurricular stuff was limited in the games he played in. Even having Mac, as limited as his diminishing skills were, helped team morale. So I believe that adding a tough-nosed forward who is not afraid to muck it up, like Drake and unlike Abby, would go a long way to strengthening Detroit's chances, and that Dallas Drake was more valuable than you're giving him credit for. Some of the most important plays in a game are the ones that don't always end up on the stat sheet.

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