193 replies to this topic

[Drake_Marcus]

If the Wings had offered $6 mil for one-year two weeks ago, Semin would be here, but that's just an opinion.

I agree with setting the market for your team, because that's what I said when we signed Ericsson for too much, which didn't seem to phase Holland then. As far as Semin, there is a big difference between bidding on a rental with capspace to burn, and signing a legitimate contract with term. Datsyuk will get a raise, most likely significant given how the cap has climbed. Filppula, same thing. Smith and Nyquist could be anything from top forward/d-man to roster footnotes, the jury is still out.

I think the Wings are right to drop out of Doan because its going to be too much cash and term, but I've said that for some time now. Semin on the other hand would have been an experiment, not a precedent.

The other thing with Semin is the Datsyuk factor. Datsyuk's played with Semin on more than a few occasions... you've got to assume that Holland spoke to Dats about Semin to see what he thought about the guy.

So we're not counting LA trading with Howson for Carter's blimped contract?

Not really because the cap hit was more manageable and in the end that's what matters. I agree that Carter was a risk, though. But props to LA for making the bold moves and having them look brilliant 12 months later.

[The Axe]

Let me repeat: tootoo, samuelsson, gustavson, bertuzzi, quincey, and more than likely holmstrom soon. 10 mil + down the can. If anyone truly believes that these 5 or 6 guys would have been better than Suter and 4 or 5 other prospects/rookies, they're high. Holland should have gone for broke on suter and parise. Everything after that is moot.

[b.shanafan14]

The other thing to realize here is that this team has a whole lot more to worry about than a top six winger. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are the only superstars left on this team and both are leaving the window for their prime years.

That's my biggest problem with this and the previous off-seasons BY FAR: D and Z are special, special players who have gotten no help and have put on some hard miles of the last few seasons because Holland has failed to provide them with dangerous wingers, or even decent work horses. Their prime has come and gone during a period of stagnation, and that stagnation continues...

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

Let me repeat: tootoo, samuelsson, gustavson, bertuzzi, quincey, and more than likely holmstrom soon. 10 mil + down the can. If anyone truly believes that these 5 or 6 guys would have been better than Suter and 4 or 5 other prospects/rookies, they're high. Holland should have gone for broke on suter and parise. Everything after that is moot.

Holland should've gave both Parise and Suter 13-year contracts worth over $100 million each? No, thanks. There comes a point when you have to take a step back and think about what you're doing. Neither Suter or Parise will live up to those contracts. They were the beneficiaries of a weak free agent pool. Both those contracts will be biting Minnesota in the ass in about 3 years, if not earlier.

This coming from a fan who is extremely critical of Ken.

Edited by Bring Back The Bruise Bros, 26 July 2012 - 09:29 PM.

[Crymson]

more than likely holmstrom soon

With the glut of forwards the team has, the departure of Lidstrom, and the fact that Holmstrom can't play a top-six role anymore, I have no idea why you're saying that Holmstrom will most likely be back.

I don't know what would even be called an overpayment anymore? Seems like everyone is getting overpaid.

Maybe the Wings should start "overpaying" too.

That habitual overpayment on free agents will likely end with the next CBA.

Holland is curled up in the fetal position sucking his thumb crying out "why wont anyone take less money to come to.Detroit anymore!?!?"

The fact that he barely even spoke with Semin's agent is a very clear indication that you're on a very incorrect track of thought.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

With the glut of forwards the team has, the departure of Lidstrom, and the fact that Holmstrom can't play a top-six role anymore, I have no idea why you're saying that Holmstrom will most likely be back.

I've never read a positive post written by him. We can win the Stanley Cup next year, and he'll complain that we should've swept the opposition to get it. Then, he'd point that out as a sign that we're gonna be less competitive in years to come, because we didn't sweep our way to the Cup.

[The Axe]

Not gonna be positive for no reason. Hooray! A bunch of prospects who have scored 12 combined NHL points and 3 othet rejects from other teams have been slated to start for us instead of an assistant captain from one team and a captain from another who are both nhl all stars in their primes! Hooray! Holland says we're good, so hooray!

Come on.

Semin is now not on our team too! Hooray! Who needs snipers and all stars? Hooray!

Sorry, cant do it.

[dragonballgtz]

Good, we don't need another lazy "maybe I'll show up" player on the roster. We need to get away from these players.

[Rivalred]

Good, we don't need another lazy "maybe I'll show up" player on the roster. We need to get away from these players.

More we had the better we seemed to play

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros]

Not gonna be positive for no reason. Hooray! A bunch of prospects who have scored 12 combined NHL points and 3 othet rejects from other teams have been slated to start for us instead of an assistant captain from one team and a captain from another who are both nhl all stars in their primes! Hooray! Holland says we're good, so hooray!

Come on.

Semin is now not on our team too! Hooray! Who needs snipers and all stars? Hooray!

Sorry, cant do it.

I'm not happy with the way things look right now, either. However, jumping down Ken's throat after every FA signing is annoying.

$7 million for a lazy, streaky player that has clear attitude problems?! Quit being a cheapass Holland, sign him!

13 year, $100 million contracts for players overvalued on a weak FA market? WTF you doing Kenny?!?!?!

An over-the-hill 35 year old wants a 4-year contract at $6.5-7 per? WTF YOU WAITIN FOR KENNNNNNY?!?! I LOAAAATTTHEEE YOU!!!!!!!

To be honest, I'm not a big fan of having Samuelsson back, especially with a NTC. Brunner is gonna be hit-or-miss. Not exactly confident about him. Keep in mind that the calendar hasn't even turned to August yet. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt for now and reserve my freakout for when the season rolls around, if substantial moves aren't made.

[kipwinger]

Looks like we're playing with the team we've got. Maybe, just maybe we can trade a top six forward and a prospect or pick for a better top six forward, but no way does Holland trade for a defenseman now. Our top six is already a little weak, no way does he move Franzen or Flip out and not bring another top six back in. And considering those two are about the only really valuable trade assets we've got, I'd say we're playing with the roster we've got now, plus one bottom pair defenseman (from somewhere, UFA?). So be prepared for a really exhilarating season if all the kids step up, we get better than average play from our veterans, and Datsyuk and Zetterberg play like they did four years ago. Short of that, my guess is another playoff appearance, another early exit, another chance to get what we need in free agency next year, and another year older.

Could be worse, but then again, since when was losing in the playoffs good enough in Hockeytown?

Edited by kipwinger, 26 July 2012 - 10:34 PM.

[Barrie]

I bet NBC Sports can't wait for the season to start and try and sell commercial advertising space! All the big named free agents signed with small market teams.

So $7 Million for one season? If Semin has a big year, what will he ask for next off season?

[joesuffP]

Our bottom 6 is a huge improvement and our top 6 is upper end in the NHL with two rookies playing in the top 6 anything can happen... If they perform well we could have a deadly top 6 with tons of depth on every line... Our forwards are fine. Everyone is basing our offensive ability based on the worst streak heading into the playoffs of memory. The wings have had one of the better offenses in the leaugue for a long time and we have only gotten better. That streak and the first round of the playoffs have made you forget about the other 60 games.

[Barrie]

Holland is curled up in the fetal position sucking his thumb crying out "why wont anyone take less money to come to.Detroit anymore!?!?"

Holland....if you dont land Doan and trade for Ryan, you need to quit.

I don't understand why people want Doan. He's already 36, and we'd have to over pay and sign him for 3 years, no thanks. We already have a player like Doan in Bertuzzi, and a lot of people don't like Bert.

Let the kids play!

Our bottom 6 is a huge improvement and our top 6 is upper end in the NHL with two rookies playing in the top 6 anything can happen... If they perform well we could have a deadly top 6 with tons of depth on every line... Our forwards are fine. Everyone is basing our offensive ability based on the worst streak heading into the playoffs of memory. The wings have had one of the better offenses in the leaugue for a long time and we have only gotten better. That streak and the first round of the playoffs have made you forget about the other 60 games.

Yea our forwards are fine. I think people should go over to a website that shows the depth chart. Our forwards have a good mix of experience and styles of play. We can play 12 forwards with 10+ goal potential, there will be no let up!

What we need is another defenceman, that is all.

[MabusIncarnate]

Better them than us. At 7 million he can stay far away, I get that we have the money to spend but there's no way i'd drop that much into Semin. I'd rather sit on the money, have an average season and spend it next offseason on someone who's gonna play like they want to be here. With a one year contract Semin's give-a-s***ter will be at a low like it has for the past couple seasons, and i'd be very surprised if he broke 60 points in Carolina.

He just wasn't the guy we needed and Holland recognized that and didn't dump an ungodly amount of money into him out of panic. I say +1 for Holland on avoiding this one.

[The Axe]

Optimism is one thing. Homerism is another. We need a #1 dman and 2 wingers who can bury it. All preferably right handed. Problem now is that they have to come thru trade. And that means we only make monor improvements when we need major ones. Unless Brunner and Nyquist turn out to be Shanahan and Larionov & Smith turns out to be Fetisov , we are gonna watch a lot of losses this year.

[jroc86]

Our bottom 6 is a huge improvement and our top 6 is upper end in the NHL with two rookies playing in the top 6 anything can happen... If they perform well we could have a deadly top 6 with tons of depth on every line... Our forwards are fine. Everyone is basing our offensive ability based on the worst streak heading into the playoffs of memory. The wings have had one of the better offenses in the leaugue for a long time and we have only gotten better. That streak and the first round of the playoffs have made you forget about the other 60 games.

Truth. Dats, Zett, Franz, Filp, Nyquist, Bert, Sammy, Brunner, Cleary (healthy) are ALL guys that can slot in an have success as a top 6 role. We should have 3 offensively potent lines up front with a hell of a grind line with Miller, Abby, and Tootoo.

1 steady UFA dman (preferably a shutdown instead of a s***ty offensive guy) and big years from rookies or guys expected to be given longer leashes (Quincey + Ericsson) and we could all be pleasantly surprised. Im not walking around with my chest puffed out this summer but we shouldnt throw the towel in on Kenny - OR the team just yet.

Im getting stir crazy as anyone - but Im gona try and relax for now. If were out of the playoffs in december then I wont throw Kenny under the bus ... Ill drive it!

[MabusIncarnate]

Even as we sit we aren't a non-playoff team and i'm confident in that. Thrash me all you want if the playoffs roll around and we fall short, but I think all the disappointment this offseason is sparking a bit of panicky delusions that we are now a bad team. Only thing that would have changed if we had Semin is Franzen would have gotten some of the heat taking off of him from being lazy and we would now have a new whipping boy to replace Hudler. I hate to say "I Guarantee" but I bet at the end of next season some people around here will be breathing a sigh of relief that we didn't piss away 7 million on Semin.

Optimism is one thing. Homerism is another. We need a #1 dman and 2 wingers who can bury it. All preferably right handed. Problem now is that they have to come thru trade. And that means we only make monor improvements when we need major ones. Unless Brunner and Nyquist turn out to be Shanahan and Larionov & Smith turns out to be Fetisov , we are gonna watch a lot of losses this year.

We don't need Smith, Brunner, and Nyquist to all be superstars, they just need to get the job done, and I think they will. Nothing wrong with being optimistic in our youth for once and not take the spoiled path of signing a superstar to replace one that just retired all the time. This isn't pre-cap hockey anymore.

[Crymson]

Optimism is one thing. Homerism is another.

Oh, this old, tired, arrogant argument again. Believe it or not, it's possible for people to disagree with you without straying into the realm of delusion.

[arag]

No Semin is a good thing.