Shocking, Wings aren't active as trade deadline expires

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Zetterberg and Datsyuk will finish their careers playing for an average team, just like Lidstrom did.

Sad, but true.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

I did not expect the Wings to be buyers, but for sure sellers.

Filpulla is believed to command 5m per so why not trade him for a first? At that price it would be desastrous to bring him back.

White is sitting more than playing, if not a second a third should have been possible.

I am glad Holland stood pat but these two guys should have been dealt today! Prices will never be that high again for Filpulla and this ladies and gentlemen is a lost first round pick.

[Esquire 324]

Zetterberg and Datsyuk will finish their careers playing for an average team, just like Lidstrom did.

Sad, but true.

The way Jiri Fischer's career ended was sad. What you described is just simply mildly annoying.

[Barrie 900]

There are only a few ways to get players onto a hockey team. Draft them, acquire them through free agency, pick them up off waivers, trade for them. Only one of these options requires you lose something (RFA also I suppose, but that's still a rarity in this league). The salary cap makes draft picks, prospects, and roster players that much more valuable, so trades are that much less desirable an option to collect players for your team. I understand that its frustrating to get your hopes up every trade deadline expecting to land some star, but in today's hockey league its more important than ever to be economic. That means developing your talent, holding onto your picks, and making big roster changes through free agency, not through trades. Its boring, but its also a smart way to go.

I'm in the minority which believes Holland did not make a mistake this deadline by not making any moves.

I've said the same thing about 50 times on here. Some people don't seem to understand how the salary cap works and how over inflated the trade and ufa markets are, despite how many times this type of information is posted.

If people want to cheer for a team that makes short term, front page "sexy" moves at the deadline or sign over valued UFA, they should find a new favorite team. Holland isn't going to trade prospects or 1st round picks for 35 year old player, or sign free agents for 13 years.

[brandon27 111]

Fine...then he should have been a seller. It would appear that they are afraid to offend the fan base by being a seller, yet do not have the moxy to make the moves to make them a legit Cup contender. So we are entering limbo

Agreed. I woudlnt have wanted him to go full blown sell off mode like Calgary did. But, surely there's a team out there that could have used Franzen. Cleary. Samuellson. At least get us some extra picks, or maybe a prospect here or there to help for the future. Those guys arent exactly a big part of this average team we're putting on the ice. I don't think we'd miss them much.

I would have at least liked to have seen some effort to try and improve a team, that clearly by their performance on the ice this season needs some improving.

[Lazerbeam 13]

Agreed. I woudlnt have wanted him to go full blown sell off mode like Calgary did. But, surely there's a team out there that could have used Franzen. Cleary. Samuellson. At least get us some extra picks, or maybe a prospect here or there to help for the future. Those guys arent exactly a big part of this average team we're putting on the ice. I don't think we'd miss them much.

I would have at least liked to have seen some effort to try and improve a team, that clearly by their performance on the ice this season needs some improving.

Sammy was given a NO-TRADE CLAUSE in his contract by Ken Holland----what a genius Kenny is!

[SaCkaveli20 275]

While it's not too big of a deal Holland didn't make a move at this deadline (I was REALLY pushing for Gaborik) you all have to remember this years FA pool is pretty shallow. This would have been an ideal time to stock up on picks or at least try and make a move to help with our scoring issues.

What Columbus gave up for Gabby was NOTHING. We have PLENTY of youngsters who will more than likely be quality NHLers, but do you think any of them will be a proven 40 goal sniper? Maybe...but more than likely not.

Anyway we look at it, we all bleed red. Go Wings Go.

Cinderella team this year

Edited April 4, 2013 by SaCkaveli20

[lomekian 201]

It strikes me that the majority of complainents on here have little understanding how reality works.

I would agree that not doing more at last years deadline was a mistake, and perhaps if Holland had realised that Lids was going to retire he would have made a trade splash to give us our last go at the cup. This year we are not cup contenders in all reality, but probably will make the playoffs. The only players on the market that would have made a significant impact, either went for very big prices and/or have very big salaries or were rentals for high picks in a draft with at least one and a half deep rounds. Unless they pull off a miracle, the wings will have their highest 1st round pick in over two decades, and in a draft where the first 2/3 of the first round are thought to be pretty exciting. After the first half of the second round the draft drops off a fair bit, and early comparisons with 2003 are wide of the mark. With this in mind trading top 2 round picks away was not likely to be a great idea, and trading players like White for 3rd rounders is not worth a great deal.

Another key element is that with so many injuries and rookies, its hard for the GM or coach to really know where things stand. Will Cola stay fit or play well so soon back? Will Quincy return effectively? Will Dekeyser be able to step up straight away? Can lashoff cope with the playoffs if called on? Will bert or helm come back? Can Sammy play more than 2 games in a row? Holland doesn't need how many pieces he needs to get the team into the playoffs, and maybe a round or two in. Equally lots of rookies bring unpredictability. Not to mention the fact that the griffs are in line for the playoffs, and it could be valuable for a borderline NHL press boxer to get 20+ mins a night down there if the injured players do return.

I agree with those who said that we should have done more last year and seen more of smith then. I also liked what tatar brought to the big club, but I'm not sure it was much more than a fit sammy, and certainly not enough to get rid of flip, especially since for the first time in two decades we are short at centre.

Another consideration is that our most exciting prospects, in terms of high end potential and fitting needs of the NHL line-up are just too far away to gain masses in a trade or justify trading the likes of Nyquist or Tatar unless in a really sweet deal.

As for the pending UFAs,..we want to keep flip. He knows the club, is defensively sound and can put up on average 50 ish points a year. He'll get more money than he deserves, but wont have a NTC so it wont be a disaster. Also with the possibility of dats leaving and it being too soon for Jarnkrok, Sheahan or Greek lightning to be relied upon in that eventuality, we need to keep flip, even if its just for 2-3 years. Also if he re-signs he'll be worth more in a trade than as a pending UFA. White has been underwhelming and has 3rd round value at best, and would not have been a great fit in any of the trades that took place. Miller is worth more to us on current performance level than to anyone else in a trade. If Bert and Helm were fit, he'd probably be gone, but he's been one of the best of our plugs of late, and probably wouldn't have secured more than a 6th rounder.

Anyone trading with us would have wanted Smith, Nyquist, Tatar or someone like Sproul as a prospect, and I think they will be worth more to the wings than we'd have got for them.

[lomekian 201]

While it's not too big of a deal Holland didn't make a move at this deadline (I was REALLY pushing for Gaborik) you all have to remember this years FA pool is pretty shallow. This would have been an ideal time to stock up on picks or at least try and make a move to help with our scoring issues.

What Columbus gave up for Gabby was NOTHING. We have PLENTY of youngsters who will more than likely be quality NHLers, but do you think any of them will be a proven 40 goal sniper? Maybe...but more than likely not.

Anyway we look at it, we all bleed red. Go Wings Go.

Cinderella team this year

Not sure I agree. Moore has a fair amount of upside, Brassard is almost as good as flip and Gaborik has a hefty salary. Our saleable non core assets are UFAs, totally unproven kids or scrubs. Had white and Flip both had a year more on contract, it would have been worth pushing for him with them in a deal, but I just think the timing was wrong for the wings on that one. Also the Rags and the BJs already have their trade love-in going on, so I'm not sure we would have been as popular as trade partners.

Also part of the wings problem is finding willing trade partners. West Conf teams don't want to trade with us unless it favours them because of this years playoffs and old rivalries, and the East are worried about the impact the wings may have this year.

Rentals or bad deals only I think...

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Tatar isn't a center. While Filppula plays a lot of wing his face-off, and defensive value is something that Tatar does not have at this time.

I do agree Tatar is NHL ready, but not as a Filppula replacement.

I meant stats wise. And I'd bet money that Nyquist could play centre just as good as Flip. He seems more like a centre to me than wing anyways.

[Guest Crymson]

What Columbus gave up for Gabby was NOTHING.

Completely untrue.

In other news, apparently the word of just about every single hockey analyst---all of whom praised Holland's decision to not move prospects or high picks at this juncture---means nothing to all of the experts on this board. The team is re-tooling on the fly, and throwing away prospects for short-term, expensive players would be foolish.

[Number19 159]

Completely untrue.

In other news, apparently the word of just about every single hockey analyst---all of whom praised Holland's decision to not move prospects or high picks at this juncture---means nothing to all of the experts on this board. The team is re-tooling on the fly, and throwing away prospects for short-term, expensive players would be foolish.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-2013-nhl-trade-deadline-report-card-001335069--nhl.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[Number19 159]

Almost every player on the open market last season who was able to score goals was given an NTC last year. Given the feeding frenzy for free agents, it was a necessary step for everyone involved.

That said, your post appears to have absolutely no point; if you think he's so horribly awful a player, why on earth would any other team want him?

What a genius you are!

If you have a list of teams currently interested in Sammy please make a list and send it to Ken Holland asap.

[Hutts11 3]

I am the BIGGEST Sammy hater in Michigan(or I like to think I am). I was not a fan of him when he was with us on our cup run in 08 and when he went to Vancouver in FA I was glad he wasn't here anymore. But as far as being a hater this year, I just hate the fact that he is very injury prone this year because he could fit well on a line with the young guys.

Someone else also posted that the wings aren't a cup contender this year, and if anyone disagrees with that statement they are in true denial. Our D is way to banged up for a long playoff run and Jimmy would have to play out of his mind for the Wings to make it far. Which brings me to my next point, this off season, Holland needs to do something durring FA, something better than last year. (Which is tough when the guys everyone thought we were going to sign ended up going other places.)

FIl, Cleary, Brunner, Miller, White, and Howard are all UFA's at the end of the season, sources say that they are trying to get a extension for Howard done before the end of the season. Andersson, Nyquist, Kindl, and Smith are all RFA's. There is going to be a lot of work that needs to be done, and Holland really hasn't been in "rebuilding" mode as a GM. Hopefully that this offseason, for us fans sake, he's going ot make some noise and realizes Hank, Pav, Mule, and Kronwall are all on the wrong side of 30.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

List of expendable players:

Bertuzzi

Abdelkader

Cleary

Miller

Eaves

Emmerton

White

Cola

Samuelsson

You cannot be serious about putting Abdelkader on this list! That is just silly.

[dat's sick 1,002]

You cannot be serious about putting Abdelkader on this list! That is just silly.

You think he's vital to the future success of this team? You wouldn't send him away in a package for a top 6 winger?

It's not the "players who suck" list, I just think Abby is very expendable. Doesn't mean he's the first player I'd want to see moved, far from.

[e_prime 1,936]

Agreed. I woudlnt have wanted him to go full blown sell off mode like Calgary did. But, surely there's a team out there that could have used Franzen. Cleary. Samuellson. At least get us some extra picks, or maybe a prospect here or there to help for the future. Those guys arent exactly a big part of this average team we're putting on the ice. I don't think we'd miss them much.

I would have at least liked to have seen some effort to try and improve a team, that clearly by their performance on the ice this season needs some improving.

Cleary, unfortunately, is a marginal NHL player at this point. His value is zero to other teams. His only worth to this team is his perceived "hard work attitude" and that he knows the system. Why would anyone take him at this point??

Sammy. Injured. Oft injured. NTC. Good luck moving him.

Number 19 - Wysh isn't an analyst... or should I rephrase that and say, he's not a reputable one. (He's there for the jokes and jersey fouls.) Especially if he's not giving a F to Calgary who got fleeced for two of their top players.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

You think he's vital to the future success of this team? You wouldn't send him away in a package for a top 6 winger?

It's not the "players who suck" list, I just think Abby is very expendable. Doesn't mean he's the first player I'd want to see moved, far from.

Vital? No but compared to the players on your list I see him as a future Red Wing and a solid role player. I would trade him if the return was right but to me that is very different from being expendable.

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

I would have liked to see Pominville here but Minny paid a huge price for him.

[ogreslayer 1,069]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/puck-daddy-2013-nhl-trade-deadline-report-card-001335069--nhl.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Wyshynski is hockey's equivalent of Skip Bayless.

[Spongewingredpants 75]

The Jackets acquire Gaborik...

The definition of irony would be if they made the playoffs as the 8th seed and the Wings came in 9th place.....

[ogreslayer 1,069]

The Jackets acquire Gaborik...

The definition of irony would be if they made the playoffs as the 8th seed and the Wings came in 9th place.....

No, the definition of irony would be the now Columbus "Rangers" making the playoffs while Rick Nash & the New York "Blue Jackets" don't.

[Spongewingredpants 75]

No, the definition of irony would be the now Columbus "Rangers" making the playoffs while Rick Nash & the New York "Blue Jackets" don't.

LOL!

Indeed!

[stillwater 186]

It's pretty clear that the inmates have taken over the asylum ... really unfortunate.

[Nightfall 871]

I don't know why people seem to keep forgetting this key point I bolded. As it sits we are in the playoffs, what's the problem here? Why are we in such a catastrophic scenario that we need to make an enormous move on deadline day? No reason to make a trade just to make a trade, these aren't the days of stacking with no concern of a spending cap. Sure it's fun and exciting to bring in a big name player at the deadline but why force it and damage our future if the deal doesn't make sense?

The issue that many Wings fans have is that they are not the front runner for the Stanley Cup. Not that the front runners have won the cup the last few seasons, but I digress....

We are not in a catastrophic situation at all, but fans who are used to having a dominating team in the playoffs with better players than everyone else is just now starting to realize that the cap world sucks a big one.