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Jedi

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

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What Holland "should have done" regarding potential dmen this offseason (and others) is real simple. Offer more money.

esteef

Wouldn't have worked with Suter anyway. He wanted to play with Parise and Holland couldn't afford both without significantly dismantling the team.

I love how everyon thinks Holland was supposed to have some grand scheme for when Lidstrom and Stuart left. He can't stock pile top 4 dmen in GR, so he had limited options:

1. Pursue the limited UFA's available, which he did. Didn't work, there are 29 other teams in the league they get to choose from. You can't win them all. If you can't get over it, put Suter on the Red Wings in a season on NHl13.

2. Try to shore up the bluline with a trade or two. He did. Unfortunately it was for Quincey, but John Edwards wasn't able to let Holland know that Quincey as going to blow it after the trade.

3. Fill the holes with cheaper UFA's and give some of the dmen on the team a chance to step up. He again, took this option. Colaiacovo and Huskins are both reliable NHL dmen that came for cheap. He's also giving guys like Smith, Kindl, Ericsson and now Lashoff to step up their play into a bigger role. The approach worked for the Red Wings offense in 06-07, who to say it can't for the D this year?

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^ Kenny's missed more than a "few" opportunities for couple of years now. And do "we" really need to spend the better part of a year and a half constantly defending even the slightest criticism of Holland? Maybe it's you who should "get over it".

esteef

There's only so much room on a roster and under the cap. At most we have room for a couple big upgrades or a handful of small ones. I suppose you could consider every player around the league that we might have had a shot at to be its own separate mistake, but in the end there just isn't room to make more than a few significant changes.

If we're only supposed to say positive things about the Wings then it's not really a discussion forum, it's more of a cheerleading club. And frankly I'm not interested in that. I like talking hockey and of course a part of that is going to be speculation. So if reading posts where people complain about this or that with the Wings upsets you, then I'm afraid you're going to be upset a lot of the time you're here.

No one needs to get over it to satisfy you. We're the ones talking hockey, even if it seems like whining to you. You're the one trying to quell discussion on a discussion forum and steer it to content you approve of.

Not to mention we're 3 games into the season. This is the first time in 20 years the Wings haven't had Lidstrom in the lineup, so now seems like a completely appropriate time to talk about the moves management did or didn't make to prepare for this day because we're finally getting to see them actually play games.

I certainly don't expect Holland to be perfect either, but two of the biggest challenges and priorities of his career as GM are/should have been transitioning to the cap world and preparing for the day the Wings blueline no longer has a 7 time Norris winner playing 25 minutes a night.

Climb off the cross, Harry. I'm not trying to quell anything. You want to ***** about Holland, fine. I want to express my opinion that you're overreacting. Sorry if "get over it" was too offensive of a way to phrase that sentiment. I don't want a cheerleading club any more than you want a "We suck club". I'm not upset by contrary opinions, just occasionally compelled to respond.

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Wouldn't have worked with Suter anyway. He wanted to play with Parise and Holland couldn't afford both without significantly dismantling the team.

I love how everyon thinks Holland was supposed to have some grand scheme for when Lidstrom and Stuart left. He can't stock pile top 4 dmen in GR, so he had limited options:

1. Pursue the limited UFA's available, which he did. Didn't work, there are 29 other teams in the league they get to choose from. You can't win them all. If you can't get over it, put Suter on the Red Wings in a season on NHl13.

2. Try to shore up the bluline with a trade or two. He did. Unfortunately it was for Quincey, but John Edwards wasn't able to let Holland know that Quincey as going to blow it after the trade.

3. Fill the holes with cheaper UFA's and give some of the dmen on the team a chance to step up. He again, took this option. Colaiacovo and Huskins are both reliable NHL dmen that came for cheap. He's also giving guys like Smith, Kindl, Ericsson and now Lashoff to step up their play into a bigger role. The approach worked for the Red Wings offense in 06-07, who to say it can't for the D this year?

I love how everyone doesn't think a GM should be prepared for three of his top 4 D leaving with advanced notice.

This s***'s been going on for years dude, way before the Suter "attempt". As has been par for the course for a while now Holland low-balled his way to bringing back average d-men at best and then lip services the media/fans that he "tried" (see Holland quotes thread for more fun and exciting excuses). And God forbid he have to actually trade some talent to bring in actual talent. I mean that's not possible right?

BTW, no one has a problem with the Huskins signing.

esteef

There's only so much room on a roster and under the cap. At most we have room for a couple big upgrades or a handful of small ones. I suppose you could consider every player around the league that we might have had a shot at to be its own separate mistake, but in the end there just isn't room to make more than a few significant changes.

OR trade some players? Not possible right? This s*** isn't that hard to figure out.

esteef

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I don't know, I'm still kind of hung up on this whole plan thing. I'm trying to think of a situation where a team had to prepare for some of their best players to leave and was able to successfully replace them just like that.

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I don't know, I'm still kind of hung up on this whole plan thing. I'm trying to think of a situation where a team had to prepare for some of their best players to leave and was able to successfully replace them just like that.

Not only that, but to replace them only through trades and free agency. The Wings were successful replacing Fedorov/Yzerman with Datsyuk/Zetterberg. I think your best chance to do that is from within, and get the best players you can through trades and free agency.

Holland should be criticized for the things he's done in my eyes, namely Quincey, or signing an injury prone Colaicavo. That still has time to heal, but it's not looking good. If we are going to be critical of Holland wouldn't make sense to judge him on the decisions he did make, that we have evidence of, rather then a blank roster spot that we have to fill in the circumstances and situations with our imagination?

Did you want us to overpay for Brent Burns? That's about the only top pairing guy that's moved teams, and he was had for the equivalent of Filpulla, Smith and a first round pick. That would be trading talent for talent right? That would also put us in a situation if Helm went down where Abdelkader might be a second line center, and Emmerton and 3rd liner. Also we would be without Smith, whose ceiling might even be higher than Burns. Then add in the first rounder, I fail to see how that trade would have made us better. But hey it would have solved the top pairing problem right?

Edited by Carman

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...

OR trade some players? Not possible right? This s*** isn't that hard to figure out.

esteef

Trade or UFA doesn't matter. As a rule, better players make more money. Sure, we could have 23 different names on the roster but that in no way means they'd all be better names than we have now. Not to mention that throwing in every decent prospect and pick we have isn't enough to bring in more than a few significant upgrades anyway.

Now, you could go around the league and cherry pick bargains, and assume we get them in good trades, and further assume they all perform just as well or better here, but that seems a bit unfair a standard. If being a good GM requires matching the best results of any hypothetical scenario you can imagine, how can anyone ever live up to that?

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Guest The Axe

Trade or UFA doesn't matter. As a rule, better players make more money. Sure, we could have 23 different names on the roster but that in no way means they'd all be better names than we have now. Not to mention that throwing in every decent prospect and pick we have isn't enough to bring in more than a few significant upgrades anyway.

Now, you could go around the league and cherry pick bargains, and assume we get them in good trades, and further assume they all perform just as well or better here, but that seems a bit unfair a standard. If being a good GM requires matching the best results of any hypothetical scenario you can imagine, how can anyone ever live up to that?

Offering Parise and Suter 9 mil each is what Holland should have done. We'd be in the elite teams right now if he had done that. He got cheap and now we are in the middle of the pack. We are talking about missing the playoffs instead of what seed we are going to get. Thats ridiculous.

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Guest The Axe

Same old story by the apologists, anything Holland might have/should have done differently wouldn't have worked in their eyes. The only right/good move was what he did.

Same as it ever was.

esteef

Yup. "Tiger wanted to visit Dubai." No. He gets paid 2 mil to play in that tourney. Suter and Parise would have taken 20% more from Detroit. Holland just didnt get it done.

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Offering Parise and Suter 9 mil each is what Holland should have done. We'd be in the elite teams right now if he had done that. He got cheap and now we are in the middle of the pack. We are talking about missing the playoffs instead of what seed we are going to get. Thats ridiculous.

Even if those two were replacing Franzen and Quincey, that would put us around $2M over the cap. Ok, so take out Cola. Works this year. Next year we're left with around $11M to resign/replace Flip, Brunner, Cleary, Miller, White, Kindl, Smith, a 7th defenseman (Huskins/Lashoff), and Howard. Pretty tall order.

Same old story by the apologists, anything Holland might have/should have done differently wouldn't have worked in their eyes. The only right/good move was what he did.

Same as it ever was.

esteef

Once again, it's not that things couldn't have been done better, just whether or not it's fair to expect that they should have. Though I would also say that you can't always assume that whatever you might imagine is actually possible nor that it would necessarily improve the team in the way you think.

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Even if those two were replacing Franzen and Quincey, that would put us around $2M over the cap. Ok, so take out Cola. Works this year. Next year we're left with around $11M to resign/replace Flip, Brunner, Cleary, Miller, White, Kindl, Smith, a 7th defenseman (Huskins/Lashoff), and Howard. Pretty tall order.

Once again, it's not that things couldn't have been done better, just whether or not it's fair to expect that they should have. Though I would also say that you can't always assume that whatever you might imagine is actually possible nor that it would necessarily improve the team in the way you think.

Yeah might be tough to sign all those guys, but then the wings would have under 30 year old elite talent locked up and could find a way to build around. Put some prospects in earlier on ELC's and the cap isnt so bad.

Holland sat on his ass for 3 years basically, the only big decision he made was deciding to keep Franzen over Hossa and he muffed that as well. He needs to be better, he makes millions to do his job. Its getting to the point where guys like Datsyuk are going to have to be traded or the wings fall into Calgary mediocrity or terrible Toronto style rebuild

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If we're only supposed to say positive things about the Wings then it's not really a discussion forum, it's more of a cheerleading club. And frankly I'm not interested in that.

I just wish this didn't lead to forced, contrived BS from people. Frankly we look dead scared to look like homers so we hate and rip on our team more than we would normally. Such is the way when we're judgmental and afraid to be judged.

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He's been exactly what we need for the third pairing. Experienced and stays at home, blocks shots, can clear a crease and be physical enough. Most importantly he doesn't make mistakes. You don't notice the guy. Kinda like Stuart minus the occasional huge hit.

I like him a lot.

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He's been exactly what we need for the third pairing. Experienced and stays at home, blocks shots, can clear a crease and be physical enough. Most importantly he doesn't make mistakes. You don't notice the guy. Kinda like Stuart minus the occasional huge hit.

I like him a lot.

for sure great pick for his price im imprised with his play so far still alot to go but so far great

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[quote name="shoobiedoobin" post="

I like this signing for the money. he is very dependable and is a physical guy. Our D is getting killed and I thin he is a veteran guy who can calm the waters back there. For under a million, this was a good choice given we need someone RIGHT NOW. I hope Kenny is looking for a Top D man, but until that gets done, I am happy to embrace a defensively responsible player wearing the winged wheel. We need some stability....so welcome to Motown Huskins!

I liked this signing last week....I love it now! He has been a whole lot more than I expected!

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I think part of it is that he knows his role. He's been around the block and doesn't expect to be any higher on the depth chart. Or if he does he knows it's not likely and is alright with it. Thus allowing him to just play how he needs to play. Whereas a guy like Kindl looks sometimes like he's trying too hard to play himself into the second pairing. I think we saw Ericsson doing the same thing a few years ago. When you feel like you have something to lose, or something to gain, and you let it get in your head you will screw up big time. It's when you let go and play loose that everything flows smoothly. When you hear the ol' saying that sports is mostly mental, that's accurate as hell. It is.

Look at E when he came up from GR in that playoff run-he had nothing to lose, he knew he was going back down soon. He just played loose and it showed. Look at Lashoff-he has to know his time here may be limited. It's more realistic that he gets sent to GR soon and I think he's playing loose. I love that he's been so steady and his quick feet have impressed the hell out of me, but I want to see what happens when he's up full time and has something to lose.

Time will tell, as always.

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