signed Red Wings sign D Kent Huskins to 1-year, $750k contract

[Dabura 12,206]

Please don't give me

*wah our gm sucks" crap either when he has no control over injuries or how someone who has played great in GR but just cant get it going in the NHL.

Let me guess Holland should of done more to land suter right?

You're being childish. I clearly stated that I'm not complaining about this signing - rather, I'm confused (and, yes, concerned) re: Holland's Plan re: our blue line (if he has one). You got a whiff of negativity, I guess, and some alarms went off in you brain and your knee jerked. Granted, my knee jerks a lot, and I have definitely been known to get on Holland's case. But in this case, I don't see how I'm in the wrong.

Our blue line was super-thin heading into this season. Add to that the fact that we have, as I said, terrible luck with injuries. Compound that with the fact that Nick's retirement clearly caught Holland with his pants down, so to speak. Taken together, this all worries me.

As I've said numerous times, my beef with the Suter thing is not so much that we lost him - but, rather, that we were so hard after him in the first place. It should never have gotten to that point. Ken Holland - The Man Who Can Do No Wrong - had no plan in place re: Nick's looming retirement, beyond thinking, "Ah, we'll just throw a bunch of money around and someone will sign here, because this is the Detroit Red Wings. And even if we do strike out, well, then I'll just talk up the importance of building from within and drafting well and cultivating prospects."

Also, Carlo Colaiacovo is the most injury-prone player in NHL history.

[hillbillywingsfan 792]

I'm sorry that I don't agree with you yet again. But I would never resort to petty name calling. I will bow out of this one. Thanks.

I think it's a ok depth signing for some size and a decent defensive D-man. We haven't even seen him play yet on OUR team. Who knows.

Edited January 22, 2013 by hillbillywingsfan

[Dabura 12,206]

I haven't called you anything. I said you're being childish. Didn't mean to offend.

We can continue via private messages, if you'd like.

(Sorry, mods.)

[DSM 114]

I love how everyone thinks Holland was supposed to have some sort of back up plan in place for Lidstrom's retirement. You can't exactly just stockpile NHL worthy Dmen in the AHL....

[kipwinger 8,498]

I love how everyone thinks Holland was supposed to have some sort of back up plan in place for Lidstrom's retirement. You can't exactly just stockpile NHL worthy Dmen in the AHL....

Nobody said anything about that. You can't replace Lidstrom, and you certainly can't stock pile people in the AHL. But the off season after Rafalski retired you could have signed Wisniewski for the price of his current contract and still saved money (as Rafalski made more). Or, you could have signed Allen AND Carle this offseason for the same amount as you were willing (and did) offer Suter. No need to stockpile anyone. They would have walked straight on to our team, and straight into our top four, no AHL stockpiling necessary.

Edited January 22, 2013 by kipwinger

[Dabura 12,206]

I love how everyone thinks Holland was supposed to have some sort of back up plan in place for Lidstrom's retirement.

Yeah, I know, right? He was only the cornerstone of our team, second greatest defenseman in history. Bringing in one or two really solid guys to cushion the blow and help the transition woulda just been silly. It's much better that we went into this season the way we did, with Ericsson on our top-pairing, and the most injury prone player in NHL history in the #6/7 slot. (Ericsson, by the way, is a third-pairing defenseman. People are only saying stuff like "It's time for him to make the jump" and "There is no reason he can't be a #2 on our blue line" out of, essentially, sheer necessity. And his contract.)

[LeftWinger 4,936]

This is a no lose situation...as long as Babcock plays him, and not treat him like he treated Commodore...

[kipwinger 8,498]

I agree Lefty, it's not that this is necessarily a bad signing given the current situation, but that it should never have come to this.

[DSM 114]

Nobody said anything about that. You can't replace Lidstrom, and you certainly can't stock pile people in the AHL. But the off season after Rafalski retired you could have signed Wisniewski for the price of his current contract and still saved money (as Rafalski made more). Or, you could have signed Allen AND Carle this offseason for the same amount as you were willing (and did) offer Suter. No need to stockpile anyone. They would have walked straight on to our team, and straight into our top four, no AHL stockpiling necessary.

Saying that we could've signed any certain UFA is moot. What if Wisniewski didn't want to play in Detroit? Why would Holland want to play Carle or Allen anywhere near what he offered Suter. Suter blows both of them out of the water. And again, maybe they also didn't want to come to Detroit. They both got huge paydays with struggling teams. Especially considering that Carle is a turnover prone one dimensional offensive dman and Allen is AT BEST a 2nd/3rd pairing stay at home dman.

[Carman 387]

Decent move. If Huskins can play like he did with Demers then Smith or Quincey might be able to start developing offensively. He's a safe, shot blocking defenseman, which is what we need. I still believe Holland is biding time to work out a deal to get a top 4 defenseman.

There haven't been that many defenseman moved the past few years that would have helped for the right price. Wisniewski would be a better offensive version of Quincey, but more expensive and arguably more negative considering he'd have to play on the top pairing and play more often.

[mmamolo 287]

This signing really makes me re-evaluate passing on Wade Redden. I still think Redden had more upside after playing two years in the AHL than taking a journeyman like Huskins.

I can't be alone on this...

I thought at the time Holland should have signed Redden. I know that there wasnt a roster spot available at the time but the depth on the blueline was bad.

In his defense, the need for another body on the blueline wasn't nearly what it was this morning. At that time only Kindl was on day-to-day.

[xtrememachine1 795]

Reading his scouting report it says the Huskins "gets injured a lot". Man, does Holland get some sort of bonus everytime someone gets injured?

[up2here 41]

I have to say. I was thoroughly entertained by all the wild guessing as who the Wings were going to sign today. Nothing quite like a bunch of guys with no insider connections(Myself included)randomly guessing names and trying to sound smart. Keep up the good work boys!

[cupforwings 138]

Solid signing, given the situation. People here will hate Holland no matter what. THe guy is top 3 GM in hockey, and he proves it year in and year out. We will be competitive this year.

[Guest The Axe]

Now we are up to 14 mil + in uselessivity. Bertuzzi, Quincey, Sammuelsson, Gustavsson, Tootoo, Colo, Brunner (he's ok, actually), Huskins. I told you we should have paid 9-10 mil per 2 great players instead. Holland is fumbling bad.

[luvmnger 125]

i like this signing.

i would have also been in on redden.

considering the price, pro-rated season, injuries potential.

defense is the single most expensive piece of real estate to move for in the league.

if you can get decent quality for cheap, get it.

speaking of our gm,maybe kenny has a line on dekeyser coming....

[number9 3,297]

We signed a washed up Blues d-man to replace our other washed up blues D-man. Joy. No wonder we lost to the Blues

[kipwinger 8,498]

Saying that we could've signed any certain UFA is moot. What if Wisniewski didn't want to play in Detroit? Why would Holland want to play Carle or Allen anywhere near what he offered Suter. Suter blows both of them out of the water. And again, maybe they also didn't want to come to Detroit. They both got huge paydays with struggling teams. Especially considering that Carle is a turnover prone one dimensional offensive dman and Allen is AT BEST a 2nd/3rd pairing stay at home dman.

You're misunderstanding me, we could have signed BOTH Allen (3.5 mil) and Carle (5.5 mil) to their current contracts and still spent the same money as we DID offer for just Suter. Both of those guys are playing top four roles on their respective teams. Allen is averaging 20 minutes a night, Carle is playing 22 minutes a night. Turnover machine or no, he's better than Quincey, White, or Colaiacovo. Wisniewski is a top pair guy for Columbus, who traded for his rights, and then over paid him. Are you telling me we COULDN'T have traded for his rights and overpaid him too. Rather than overpaying for Ericsson in the same off season. The roster spots were there, the money was there, the will on the part of our management sadly, was not.

[DSM 114]

Yeah, I know, right? He was only the cornerstone of our team, second greatest defenseman in history. Bringing in one or two really solid guys to cushion the blow and help the transition woulda just been silly. It's much better that we went into this season the way we did, with Ericsson on our top-pairing, and the most injury prone player in NHL history in the #6/7 slot. (Ericsson, by the way, is a third-pairing defenseman. People are only saying stuff like "It's time for him to make the jump" and "There is no reason he can't be a #2 on our blue line" out of, essentially, sheer necessity. And his contract.)

So then who should Holland have gotten?

[Dabura 12,206]

Now we are up to 14 mil + in uselessivity.

Ha, +1.

[shoobiedoobin 138]

I think we want to complain so badly that we'll turn a Huskins signing topic into a debate on whether or not Holland prepped enough for Lidstrom's potential retirement. Aren't there enough threads about that, and aren't there enough hijacked topics too? Huskins signing has nothing to do with Lidstrom.

This isn't a bad deal no matter how bad we want to get that rush from judging our GM.

[vladdy16 2,154]

You don't have to like the signing, but bitching about it seems silly when most people don't even know who he is. This is definitely a perfect "wait and see" moment.

And realistically, what else is Kenny supposed to do? Seriously, what else is out there right now? Unless you have a better, viable suggestion, maybe read sentence number 2 again.

[DSM 114]

QUICK. Sign Brian Burke!

[evilzyme 769]

this thread has officially gone off the hinges. seriously boys? we're complaining about a signing that we haven't even fkn seen. we complain all night about the quincey and smith pairing, the injuries, etc and then Holland wakes up and does something about it. He doesn't tie our hands with a huge signing, no he gets a CHEAP (750k damn near entry level contract) stay-at-home defensemen that can be an asset to them around him. Like I said earlier, Quincey and Smith are BRUTAL together. We've seen it the past 2 games, they just can't play together. Holland gets a straight up stay-at-home defensemen who could possibly be our next brad stuart. Is he going to be Brad Stuart? No. But my GOD from everything i've heard, the guy plays a VERY clean game and did some damage with Demers. Pair him with Smith, allow Smith to play his offensive game and Huskins play his defensive game. "OH MY GOD HOLLAND HOLLAND HOLLAND" REALLY?! We're supposed to be talking about KENT HUSKINS. FFS, get your s*** together LGW.

[Dabura 12,206]

So then who should Holland have gotten?

Ah, yes, this familiar dance. This is where I suggest two or three people and you shoot them down one by one because "Yeah, but" and "Well, but" and so on and so forth.

I don't think Holland is stupid. Actually, I think he's bloody brilliant. That, my friends, is why I'm so WTF-ish over his recent decisions (or lack thereof) re: our D corps. I almost feel like, if someone had just punched him in the face and said, "KEN. REMEMBER WHAT IT IS WE DO. WE WIN," a light bulb would've gone on in his head and he would've worked out some insanely incredible deal for an all-star defenseman. But, as it is, he seems almost like an imposter these days. This whole build-from-within line - so transparently contrived it almost boggles my mind.

Edited January 22, 2013 by Dabura