How much of the current trouble is attributable to injuries?

[Phil Lesh 93]

According to the Free Press, through Tuesday's Nashville game, the Wings have lost 104 man games to injury, they'd played 16 games. That's an average of 6.5 players out, every game.

Only ten guys had played in every one of the first 16 games...

Abdelkader

Brunner

Cleary

Emmerton

Filppula

Miller

Kronwall

Quincey

Tootoo

Zetterberg

So how much success can you expect when less than half your lineup has played each of the first 16 games? I know you don't use injuries as an excuse but when I look at it like this it seems to be a serious contributor. Thoughts?

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

If not for injuries, we'd finish as a 5-8 seed and lose in the first round.

Thanks to these injuries, we're unlikely to make the playoffs if the injury bug keeps up.

[Richdg 267]

Of course we will never know. Most of us fans and the talking heads in the media were not expecting a SC or even a deep PO run. I figured we would finish between 6 and 10 oin the WC, with the team we had. Now with a few less players available, we are going to be lucky to make it to the PO's. Not a bid difference one way or the other to me. My fear is, Holland will right off whatever failures we have as a team to the injuries and not make big changes because of it.

[Tr!PoD#19 524]

The injuries hurt. The problem is that it's every year with this team. It's the same guys, too. There's no cure for this.

[Yak19 303]

tonight's game should have a been a W injuries or not

only players i want back are Helm, Smith and Bert he has good chemistry with Datsyuk

Franzen only shows up once every 8-10 games anyway

Edited February 22, 2013 by Yak19

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Some of these injuries were predictable.

I mean Colaicovo? That guy graduated from the Sami Salo Institute of Health.

Samuelsson? He's old and was hurt last year.

Bertuzzi is like 50. He's been heallthy here in the past, but the old tank has to run out of gas eventually.

Edited February 22, 2013 by GMRwings1983

[dat's sick 1,002]

If we had Helm, Franzen, Coliacovo and Smith back in the lineup I think we would make the playoffs with 'relative' ease. So yes I think injuries are a big issue. The team hasn't been able to become a cohesive unit, with guys rotating in and out of the lineup every game.

Of course if Sammy comes back and replaces Tatar that actually makes us worse, so the injuries haven't been all bad.

And there are some things that can't be blamed on injuries however:

Filppula stinking. I'm severely disappointed in him.

Kronwall god awful defensively. Sooo disappointed.

And Babcock's mental illness and manlove for Dan Cleary.

So in the end what GMR said is probably about right. Unless we can start getting and staying healthy, real soon, we're a long shot to make the playoffs. Sucks that Helms seems to be far from ready. Definitely the most important player missing at the moment, he's a key player.

[Number19 159]

I'd say we'd have 3-4 more wins with a fully healthy lineup. But that team still isn't getting to the 2nd round.

If not for injuries, we'd finish as a 5-8 seed and lose in the first round.

Thanks to these injuries, we're unlikely to make the playoffs if the injury bug keeps up.

This^

[IllinoisRedWingsFan 49]

Helm is the biggest loss IMO.

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Helm wouldn't fix this powerplay.

He's important to this team, but there's no reason a 3rd liner getting hurt should be the biggest loss your team takes.

[Nyquistfan14 489]

I think injuries are a huge reason why this team is struggling. But I think some of it has to do with coaching and the way we use our resources (resourcing being players) in the system. If this team was totally healthy I would love to see the lineup look like this.

Mule- Z- Brunner

Fil-Dats- Bert

Nyquist- Helm- Tatar

Abby- Anderson-Tootoo

Emdog, Mursak

Defense I would have Kronwall, Big E, Smith, and White in the lineup for sure. The others are a toss up. Go with the hot hand.

As well my PP lines would be...

Nyquist- Datsyuk- Mule

Brunner- Kronwall

Tatar- Fil- Bert

Smith- Zetterberg

Edited February 22, 2013 by Flipper51

[Number19 159]

Exactly, Helm is great but our bottom 6 has been surprisingly good lately. We need top 6 players (MULE, Bert, .. Nyquist). Maybe inserting Helm will force Babcock to move Tatar up in the lineup.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Number19

[wings_fanatic 677]

No doubt these injuries have been a HUGE factor into playing bad. Each game someone new is getting hurt, causing Babs to have to change the lines and just look at who Pavs is playing with now. To top that off, our D is really struggling at times... losing Smith was a huge loss because of his skating ability and ability to move the puck.

With that said, the powerplay MUST be fixed. No more loading up on the one unit because it is not working anyways. When everyone is back (if ever) babs needs to start REWARDING players and PUNISHING players because they need to be more motivated. WIth that said, once Smith is back, and Kronners continues to not impress, I would bump Kronners off to the 2nd PP unit until he can get his s*** together.

[Yak19 303]

the problem is no accountability, if someone plays bad they get to stay in there next game and play bad again

Kindl has been in and out of the lineup and he is not anywhere near our biggest problem

[martinezsvsu 240]

having helm and smith would be huge for the wings, also we need mule so abs isnt a line 2 guy and on the powerplay

[Ram 240]

Missing the specific players hurts the actual play but the inability to develop as a cohesive unit with identity is what hurts most about injuries. Example, Tatar, Tootoo, etc. have excelled since jelling together with others in the bottom six, where the rest of the team needs to do the same, which is impossible when everyone is hurt.

Edited February 22, 2013 by Ram

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

Injuries are a factor and are causing this downswing yes I agree.. Yes we have the injury plague. However I still don't like using it as an excuse. Blowing 2 goal leads and whatever else isn't due to injuries.

Our PP imo has done us in a lot games on not capitalizing to put the puck in the net.

[thegerkin 189]

70%

[Nev 1,085]

If not for injuries, we'd finish as a 5-8 seed and lose in the first round.

Thanks to these injuries, we're unlikely to make the playoffs if the injury bug keeps up.

Pretty much this.

[toby91_ca 620]

Very, very little. I don't think they'd be doing much better with everyone healthy...that's normally how things work out. When injuries occur, other players step up.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

Very, very little. I don't think they'd be doing much better with everyone healthy...that's normally how things work out. When injuries occur, other players step up.

Agreed this team is not missing their superstars - well only 2 of them reamining... - the Wings are missing depth guys so not over the top roster players. Injuries can't be an excuse here, the Senators without Michalek, Spezza and Karlsson did beat the Rangers so injuries can't be used as an excuse here a team like the Wings has to be able to beat the Blue Jackets simple as that.

[Red Crazy 201]

Injuries have little to do with this teams problems. Getting Mule and Helm back would help but not very much. This team needs a big shake up and when I say that I don't mean a rebuild I mean roster players changes. Jimmy,Z and Pavel are the only players safe to me.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I would say the injuries have been impactful, but by no means completely to blame. I thought going into the season this was maybe a 6-8 seed team if things went right. Needless to say, almost nothing outside of a couple players has gone well and now it appears just getting in at all will be quite challenging.

I think the biggest problem in relation to the injuries is the sheer number of them. A couple at a time you can maybe survive, but 7-9 guys out on average is unbelievable and would be tough to overcome for even more talented teams. For the Red Wings, it has completely put players in positions and roles where they don't belong.

Helm, Franzen and Smith are major losses IMO. With even just those three playing, I think it puts the Red Wings closer to in the playoffs than out. One of Bertuzzi or Samuelsson being healthy would be nice too since Babcock won't use Tatar in the top-six and either of those two is better than Cleary and Abdelkader. Granted, that's why you don't rely on multi-year contracts to spare part veterans to fill important roles.

Overall, I don't see the Red Wings making the playoffs without some good fortune in the health department very soon. Even if that's the case, I doubt they get out of the first round anyways. Being a borderline mediocre playoff team is the worst spot to be in the parity driven NHL. The Red Wings have a lot of work to do this summer/years ahead attempting to infuse some new talent onto the roster and creating an identity going forward.

Edited February 22, 2013 by GoWings1905

[StormJH1 231]

This is an interesting topic, and I actually agree with much of GoWings1905's take on it. My first impulse is not to blame the injuries for how we are playing. There are several reasons for this:

• Everybody knew injuries were going to happen in the shortened season/no real preseason
• The injuries, by and large, have not been happening to key players like #13, #40, #55, and #35
• While the Wings lead in "man games lost", that statistic is a little deceiving when much of it is a backup goaltender and other bit players who are frequently injured
• This team had anticipated shortcomings on the blueline even if we didn't have a single injury

A few people up above said "Helm was the biggest injury" and then got jumped on. I actually agree with that. I'm not saying we have a significantly better record with him in the lineup, necessarily, but you can't name a single other guy whose prolonged absence has had more of an effect on this team. Our penalty kill has been terrible, and until recently, any line that didn't have Datsyuk or Zetterberg on it couldn't create anything.

Still, even if I'm not stunned at where we are now, I WILL be stunned and devastated if this team does not make the Playoffs. It's one thing for spoiled Wings fans to expect Kenny to deliver them a Cup every year - but it's a whole other thing to ask if a team with this level of talent should be among the 16 best teams in a 30-team league. The answer is yes. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are aging, but they are not playing "old". You could argue they're both as good as they've ever been. The difference is the number of games we're dropping to teams like Columbus and Calgary that we used to win 80% of the time.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

 

Helm wouldn't fix this powerplay.

He's important to this team, but there's no reason a 3rd liner getting hurt should be the biggest loss your team takes.

The thing Helm would help with though is momentum and holding leads, which are 2 things the Wings lose more than anything else.