90 replies to this topic

[esteef]

Let's look on the bright side.  In the off-season, our offense needed an infusion.  For all the bashing of Holland, he has addressed that.  Brunner has proven to be exactly what we needed on the second line.  Would more be nice? Sure, but you can never have too much firepower.  But I think we need to keep things in perspective.

 

The offense could be better, but overall what needed to be done last summer was done.  Holland did address those needs in a clever way.  However, our defense is atrocious (mostly because of lack of options other than Suter last summer).  Let's not forget that as frustrating as last summer was, it was mostly because of a crappy UFA market and no tradable players.  There are circumstances outside of Holland's control.

 

That being said, I fully expect him to do something about the defense.  We need a top pairing addition in order to ice a decent defensive corps.  Ideally he would find two defensemen to fill in the top 4, but that's unlikely.  

 

Ah yes, the classic "It's not Holland's fault!" excuse.  Like there were no better d-men to be had via trade or free agency that were better than Quincey or Colieakmsxkndnhdsvo.  Poor old Holland.  I mean Lids and Stuart leaving were a complete surprise to him.  As you said though, at least Brunner has worked out so far, which again is because of a scout and not through Holland's trade prowess or draft genius.  Holland's real good at finding pieces that nobody really wants and hoping they turn it around in Detroit, but he hasn't competed against other teams for a top talent and won in a long time, and it's become painfully obvious.

 

esteef

[GMRwings1983]

You have to be realistic. You can't stay at the level we were at forever. It isn't possible. That so many fans are too young to remember the time before we reached that level is all the more reason to accept it now.

 

Having a realistic goal like just making the playoffs this year doesn't mean we'll always be satisfied with that. But sometimes, most times if history is any indication, you have to get bad before you find the right pieces to get good again.

 

I'd feel better if we had one star player under the age of 30, who I could see leading the Wings into the future.  

[Euro_Twins]

I'd feel better if we had one star player under the age of 30, who I could see leading the Wings into the future.  

 

brunner?

Who are these 3 players of all star caliber that we're missing?

 

I believe Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart. Although I don't agree with Stuart being an all star

[GMRwings1983]

brunner?

 

He comes the closest.  But it helps playing with Zetterberg.   

 

Nyquist has good potential too, but he hardly ever plays, so it's hard to judge what he can be in his prime.  

[CrimsonFlame]

brunner?

 

I believe Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart. Although I don't agree with Stuart being an all star

I think it's a little too soon to call Brunner a star player yet. 

[GMRwings1983]

brunner?

 

I believe Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart. Although I don't agree with Stuart being an all star

 

I thought he was referring to current injured players.  Seemed to be written in the present tense to me.  

[Red Crazy]

After losing three in a row its funny to see Ken Holland yapping in the press about all the injuries in the NHL and that it will be the healthy teams that make it this year. While I agree all of this is true I think he is already using his excuse card for the Wings s***ty performance this far. When you are up 2-0 and quit playing and lose the game it IS not because of who is out of your line up. If Ken Holland thinks the return of Smith, Bert, Helm and Colo will somehow make this team a cup contender he should be checked for a pulse.

Is it time to panic? no. The time to panic was last summer when Ken Holland replaced the best d-man to ever play the game with Colo and then picked up Sammy instead of a sniper. Holland will not make any moves and will resign Cleary for 2 more years. Count on it.

[Dabura]

Is it time to panic? no. The time to panic was last summer when Ken Holland replaced the best d-man to ever play the game with Colo and then picked up Sammy instead of a sniper. Holland will not make any moves and will resign Cleary for 2 more years. Count on it.

 

Pretty much.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing)]

I really hope Holland doesn't resign Cleary. Not in a panic mode but more in a worried mode.

[chrisdetroit]

I'd feel better if we had one star player under the age of 30, who I could see leading the Wings into the future.  

 

Brunner has the potential to be a start.  In fact if he wasn't 26 he'd be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Smith has the potential to be a star.

Nyquist

Tartar

Mrazek

 

All of these guys are under 30 and highly rated by the "experts"  but I don't mean to ruin your pessimism with facts.

I think it's a little too soon to call Brunner a star player yet. 

Huh?  Other than not meeting the age requirement, Brunner is in the running for Rookie of the Year.  WHEN exactly is it time to decided he has potential?  When it agrees with your point?

[beachwing]

Do you really think Holland is going to come out in his pressers and say exactly what you want him to say? GM's dont answer to us , they answer to their boss.

He's GM for a reason and whether you like his decisions or hate them the bottom line is that without him, we wouldnt have cup expectations year in and year out.

The Wings brass know what the pulse of the team and their needs are and we all have our opinions as to that as well.

Its fun to rant and expouse all of our personal NHL GM experience but we could be 15-0 right now and plenty of you debbie downers would still be moaning and wanting Hollanfs head on a stick and ***** how hes doing it by luck or others peoples hard work.

Way I see it is that the 'rules' keep changing and the field of play has been leveled and still the Wings are in the hunt.

60 minutes of hockey is all this team needs....I dont have the answer as to how to get it...Players decide how hard and if they want to compete...bot GM's.

[chrisdetroit]

Ah yes, the classic "It's not Holland's fault!" excuse.  Like there were no better d-men to be had via trade or free agency that were better than Quincey or Colieakmsxkndnhdsvo.  Poor old Holland.  I mean Lids and Stuart leaving were a complete surprise to him.  As you said though, at least Brunner has worked out so far, which again is because of a scout and not through Holland's trade prowess or draft genius.  Holland's real good at finding pieces that nobody really wants and hoping they turn it around in Detroit, but he hasn't competed against other teams for a top talent and won in a long time, and it's become painfully obvious.

 

esteef

If he went chasing the flavor of the month every year like San Jose does you'd be happy.  BUT look at San Jose, they have depleated their prospects to the point where their prosepect are LAST in the NHL.  But hey, they always seem to land the hot commodity.  A hell of a price to pay.  Mortgage the future for the flavor of the month..  LOL

 

We could probably get a top D man for Nyquist, Tartar, Smith, etc.

 

No thanks.

[Euro_Twins]

Brunner has the potential to be a start.  In fact if he wasn't 26 he'd be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Smith has the potential to be a star.

Nyquist

Tartar

Mrazek

 

All of these guys are under 30 and highly rated by the "experts"  but I don't mean to ruin your pessimism with facts.

Huh?  Other than not meeting the age requirement, Brunner is in the running for Rookie of the Year.  WHEN exactly is it time to decided he has potential?  When it agrees with your point?

 

I agree with everything you said but the last point, crimson never said Brunner doesn't have potential, he just said it is too soon to classify him as a star player, which I agree with, but if he continues playing this well, he will be a star player

[CrimsonFlame]

Brunner has the potential to be a start.  In fact if he wasn't 26 he'd be in the running for Rookie of the Year.

Smith has the potential to be a star.

Nyquist

Tartar

Mrazek

 

All of these guys are under 30 and highly rated by the "experts"  but I don't mean to ruin your pessimism with facts.

Huh?  Other than not meeting the age requirement, Brunner is in the running for Rookie of the Year.  WHEN exactly is it time to decided he has potential?  When it agrees with your point?

It's not his age.  It's that he's only played 16 games so far.  Let's wait at least a full (half lol) season at least before we start declaring people young stars.  He could very easily fall off the map for the next two months 

[AtomicPunk]

Maybes and opinions of experts only go so far. The jump from non-NHL talent to NHL talent is a big one, and then becoming a dominating, All Star team leader type player is another huge jump. Lots of players are supposed to be good or great and then don't pan out. I wouldn't bet too much on "the future".

Edited by AtomicPunk, 18 February 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[CrimsonFlame]

Do you really think Holland is going to come out in his pressers and say exactly what you want him to say? GM's dont answer to us , they answer to their boss.

He's GM for a reason and whether you like his decisions or hate them the bottom line is that without him, we wouldnt have cup expectations year in and year out.

The Wings brass know what the pulse of the team and their needs are and we all have our opinions as to that as well.

Its fun to rant and expouse all of our personal NHL GM experience but we could be 15-0 right now and plenty of you debbie downers would still be moaning and wanting Hollanfs head on a stick and ***** how hes doing it by luck or others peoples hard work.

Way I see it is that the 'rules' keep changing and the field of play has been leveled and still the Wings are in the hunt.

60 minutes of hockey is all this team needs....I dont have the answer as to how to get it...Players decide how hard and if they want to compete...bot GM's.

Two things I need to point out.  One "We could be 15-0 right now".  Yes and we could also bey 0-15 right now.  That kind of argument doesn't work because the opposite is just as likely. 

 

Two, we're not being debbie downers.  We're being REALISTS.  It's easy to sit up and say that your favorite team looks good and is just having bad luck  It's a lot harder to try and look at the situation objectively.  The fact is, Holland's plan the last four years has been try and mimic the 09 success and that we are right there and maybe only a small piece or two a way.  Look where that's gotten us.  13 playoff wins in 3 years.  That's 3 games a year. 

 

Right now the Wings are suffering from Pistons syndrome.  The 08-09 course has run it's course and the rebuild needed to be started a while ago.  IF not two off seasons ago then last off season for sure.  And Holland hasn't which is a big mistake. 

 

*edit* 4.33 wins per year, not 3.  I apparently suck at math. 

Edited by CrimsonFlame, 18 February 2013 - 01:31 PM.

[Euro_Twins]

Two things I need to point out.  One "We could be 15-0 right now".  Yes and we could also bey 0-15 right now.  That kind of argument doesn't work because the opposite is just as likely. 

 

Two, we're not being debbie downers.  We're being REALISTS.  It's easy to sit up and say that your favorite team looks good and is just having bad luck  It's a lot harder to try and look at the situation objectively.  The fact is, Holland's plan the last four years has been try and mimic the 09 success and that we are right there and maybe only a small piece or two a way.  Look where that's gotten us.  13 playoff wins in 3 years.  That's 3 games a year. 

 

Right now the Wings are suffering from Pistons syndrome.  The 08-09 course has run it's course and the rebuild needed to be started a while ago.  IF not two off seasons ago then last off season for sure.  And Holland hasn't which is a big mistake. 

 

Your math is off 13 wins in 3 years is 4.33 wins per year, still unacceptable, but I had to correct you

[CrimsonFlame]

Your math is off 13 wins in 3 years is 4.33 wins per year, still unacceptable, but I had to correct you

 

Lol thanks I was doing that while taking notes in class simultaneously.

[58Miles2Joe]

I'm not panicking....

 

 

 

As for the struggling power play, Babcock said, “I thought Samuelsson was impressive on the power play, he really shot the puck, so we'll put him on that first unit and get them shooting and getting it back.''

 

 

.... OK. Now I'm panicking.

[puckbags]

If he went chasing the flavor of the month every year like San Jose does you'd be happy.  BUT look at San Jose, they have depleated their prospects to the point where their prosepect are LAST in the NHL.  But hey, they always seem to land the hot commodity.  A hell of a price to pay.  Mortgage the future for the flavor of the month..  LOL

 

We could probably get a top D man for Nyquist, Tartar, Smith, etc.

 

No thanks.

 

Exaclty..and the Sharks still haven't and won't win a cup !

I'm not panicking....

 

 

 

As for the struggling power play, Babcock said, “I thought Samuelsson was impressive on the power play, he really shot the puck, so we'll put him on that first unit and get them shooting and getting it back.''

 

 

.... OK. Now I'm panicking.

 

Whats wrong with shooting the puck on the PP? Our PP has been terrible..shooting the puck would be a good start.