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Motown4013

Watching Ericsson mature

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I have always been a supporter of Johnny...even when he struggled to find his game I always thought he could elevate. I thought last night that the Big E had the VERY best game of his career. I think it was overlooked by Pashas unbelievable shot and Bruns OT winner, but he has really impressed me in the playoffs and especially last night. He used his size to punish the quacks over and again. He has been a difference maker on the PK. He also made some really good decisions with the puck. Like a few guys on this team, he stepped up.

After being the goat on this roster, I wanted to give props where they are due. We are watching Ericsson turn into a legit shut down Dman and it's very cool to watch!

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Guest Crymson

I've always said he has all of the tools to be a first-rate defensemen. My main criticism of him has always been his occasional boneheadedness. He's gotten himself together this season. If he can continue to improve, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in coming years.

I wish he'd use that booming slapshot of his more often. Did you see that rocket he sent toward the net in OT?

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I've always said he has all of the tools to be a first-rate defensemen. My main criticism of him has always been his occasional boneheadedness. He's gotten himself together this season. If he can continue to improve, he'll be a force to be reckoned with in coming years.

I wish he'd use that booming slapshot of his more often. Did you see that rocket he sent toward the net in OT?

Totally agree Crym....he has a cannon. His shot in OT was so heavy...i think the NBC announcers even commented on it. I want him to shoot it more as well, especially if we continue can get a ton of traffic in front of Hiller.

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I'll agree Ericsson has improved, but I don't think he is a top two D man! He still turns the puck over too frequently, generally doesn't think the game all that well, and doesn't use his big body effectively in most situations. And when you think about it, this is his sixth season playing with the big club! I expect more from him for the salary he is paid and for the years of experience he has! He has developed too slowly, and in my opinion, the Wings should look at trading him while they still might get something for him, rather than letting him walk as a free agent!

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I've always been a supporter of E's, or at the very least someone who didn't bash him regularly and thought he deserved to be in the lineup, but he's stepped in to an even bigger role than I would've guessed.

I figured he'd be a decent middle pairing guy, but he's second in TOI to Kronwall and has become the Wings key PK defenseman.

He's always had a good first pass but he's had more and more good stretch passes. And the part I'm happiest about is him being physical around the net and along the boards. More than once I've seen him bury a guy after Jimmy freezes the puck. The only thing more I'd want in that regard is him to beat the hell out of a player when they crash into Howard.

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Guest The Axe

I posted at the beginning of the season that Rig deserved his props. Glad to see others think so as well. He is good.

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I'll agree Ericsson has improved, but I don't think he is a top two D man! He still turns the puck over too frequently, generally doesn't think the game all that well, and doesn't use his big body effectively in most situations. And when you think about it, this is his sixth season playing with the big club! I expect more from him for the salary he is paid and for the years of experience he has! He has developed too slowly, and in my opinion, the Wings should look at trading him while they still might get something for him, rather than letting him walk as a free agent!

We can agree to disagree on where he should be in terms of lines but I do disagree with not using his body effectively- that's one of the features of his game that has become a weapon. He lead ALL defenseman in hits by a landslide ( 26 more in the regular season that Kronwall)

As for trading him.....we just signed him in the summer so he isn't slated to become a UFA for 3 years. At a 3.25 million cap hit, I would also disagree with your assertion that he is overpaid. Quincey makes more!

Anyway, I am not arguing that he is the next Bobby Orr or that he should win the Norris....I simply wanted to give Kudos where they are due. We dog the guys when they don't show up...I think we should also praise when they excel.

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I'll agree Ericsson has improved, but I don't think he is a top two D man! He still turns the puck over too frequently, generally doesn't think the game all that well, and doesn't use his big body effectively in most situations. And when you think about it, this is his sixth season playing with the big club! I expect more from him for the salary he is paid and for the years of experience he has! He has developed too slowly, and in my opinion, the Wings should look at trading him while they still might get something for him, rather than letting him walk as a free agent!

His first full season was 09/10 prior to that he played 8 games in 07/08 and 19 games in 08/09. He was drafted 291st the last player drafted in '02 which was the year he switched from center position to defense.

I'd say he has done quite well.

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haven't been a big fan of Ericsson in the past as he was waaay too mistake-prone and at times very Franzen-like in terms of effort. but I gladly admit he's taken the last step forward this season and matured to become a very stable defender. with his big frame and focus he's now a very solid player for the Wings.

I've never been negative about Kindl as he had already had this steady, focused attitude and attention to playing sound defense.

I kinda think it was departure of Nick Lidstrom which made those guys realize they don't have the comfort of being sloppy anymore but need to work twice as hard and think twice as much as they did with #5 before. as a group I think our defense AD 2013 is better than it was AD 2012. perhaps less talented altogether but working really efficient as units. if Smith and DeKeyser round up as nicely as Kindl we're in really good situation.

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I have always been a supporter of Johnny...even when he struggled to find his game I always thought he could elevate. I thought last night that the Big E had the VERY best game of his career. I think it was overlooked by Pashas unbelievable shot and Bruns OT winner, but he has really impressed me in the playoffs and especially last night. He used his size to punish the quacks over and again. He has been a difference maker on the PK. He also made some really good decisions with the puck. Like a few guys on this team, he stepped up.

After being the goat on this roster, I wanted to give props where they are due. We are watching Ericsson turn into a legit shut down Dman and it's very cool to watch!

You're damn right it was. Ericsson showed everyone what he is capable of and that he's a legit big time shutdown Dman. He kept his game simple and he showed a lot of poise picking up the puck and just making the right plays. Good outlet passes and really good D zone coverage on guys. He was using his size and pushing guys around a lot last game and it was a thing of beauty.

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Guest The Axe

haven't been a big fan of Ericsson in the past as he was waaay too mistake-prone and at times very Franzen-like in terms of effort. but I gladly admit he's taken the last step forward this season and matured to become a very stable defender. with his big frame and focus he's now a very solid player for the Wings.

I've never been negative about Kindl as he had already had this steady, focused attitude and attention to playing sound defense.

I kinda think it was departure of Nick Lidstrom which made those guys realize they don't have the comfort of being sloppy anymore but need to work twice as hard and think twice as much as they did with #5 before. as a group I think our defense AD 2013 is better than it was AD 2012. perhaps less talented altogether but working really efficient as units. if Smith and DeKeyser round up as nicely as Kindl we're in really good situation.

Well said. And if Lashoff and Almquist turn out to be studs, we are going to have a Vezina winner on our team within the next few years. Id like to be Mike Babcock right now. Not a lot of coaches have a well of defensen to choose from. We have Ian White on the bench. This guy was a top 2 dman just a year ago.

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The whole year has just been a coming out party for Ericsson. Alot less mental mistakes, yes he'll make the odd turnover, but years ago it was a turnover twice as often as a tape to tape pass. The ice time and responsibility have made him slow the game down and make the right decisions. I'd like to see him beat up guys like Perry and Backes regularly when they crash the net hard and make contact with Howard, but other then that he's been a pleasant surprise and it's good to see. He's taken alot of heat from fans, myself included.

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It's been the first time in a long time where Ericsson was pinching and I wasn't wincing. He cut that out for about a year or so, really buckled down on his defensive play (especially along the boards) and now he's rounding out his game the right way. When he's pinching now, he's creating chances - not being a defensive liability. I personally believe they signed him to that deal thinking he'd be the guy to replace Stuart, and aside from the open ice hits, he has been that guy.

Edited by Jesusberg

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Yes E has played well. But Kronwall has played poorly this year from a defensive stand point, which makes E look even better. He is playing on a top pair, but he really is a 3/4 not a 1/2 Dman.

The real question with E is, can we afford to keep him. He is a UFA after next season, and the market is 5 million per year. Is E worth it? That one is a tough choice. We do have 4/5 young Dman pushing for time: Kindl, Dekeyser, Lashoff, Smith, and Sproul. Maybe this summer is the time to flip him for a top 2 line forward-something we don't have.

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I will admit I was wrong about E, I thought he peaked 2 seasons ago. At times especially down the stretch he has been our best Defenseman. Its nice to see the great growth internally of E, Smitty, Kroner,Kindl, I think the foundation is well set for more playoff pushes. Now lets wok on the front end.

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Yes E has played well. But Kronwall has played poorly this year from a defensive stand point, which makes E look even better. He is playing on a top pair, but he really is a 3/4 not a 1/2 Dman.

The real question with E is, can we afford to keep him. He is a UFA after next season, and the market is 5 million per year. Is E worth it? That one is a tough choice. We do have 4/5 young Dman pushing for time: Kindl, Dekeyser, Lashoff, Smith, and Sproul. Maybe this summer is the time to flip him for a top 2 line forward-something we don't have.

*sigh*

Sproul has yet to play a game at the AHL level, let alone the NHL level. What makes you think he will be pushing the big club anytime soon?

Sproul, Oulette, Backman, Jensen, Marshall, McKee, Nedomlel, etc, all light years away from playing any kind of role in Detroit, IMO.

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Before the season began, back when all the media types were beating the "Lidstrom is gone" horse to death, Babcock talked about how this year would be an opportunity for some guys to make a spot their own. We got pretty much the same or a little less from Kronwall and Quincey, and White and Smith underperformed expectations. But thanks to Ericsson, Kindl, Dekeyser, and Lashoff over performing, our defense is better than a year ago. Although, to be fair, Jimmy made them look real good far more often than he should have.

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Yes E has played well. But Kronwall has played poorly this year from a defensive stand point, which makes E look even better. He is playing on a top pair, but he really is a 3/4 not a 1/2 Dman.

The real question with E is, can we afford to keep him. He is a UFA after next season, and the market is 5 million per year. Is E worth it? That one is a tough choice. We do have 4/5 young Dman pushing for time: Kindl, Dekeyser, Lashoff, Smith, and Sproul. Maybe this summer is the time to flip him for a top 2 line forward-something we don't have.

Most #1 Dmen are #1 cause they have a #2 like Ericsson.

Keith and Seabrook. Leddy and Hjalmarsson.

Seidenberg in Boston comes to mind, as well as Boychuk.

The Kings have guys like Scuderi, Mitchell and Greene that fill that role.

We have Ericsson, Lashoff and DeKeyser to compliment Kronwall, Smith and Kindl. I still don't know what exactly Quincey is, but it's not necessary.

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*sigh*

Sproul has yet to play a game at the AHL level, let alone the NHL level. What makes you think he will be pushing the big club anytime soon?

Sproul, Oulette, Backman, Jensen, Marshall, McKee, Nedomlel, etc, all light years away from playing any kind of role in Detroit, IMO.

Wrong. Sproul played the last couple of games in GR this year, including some PO time. he is the real deal from a offensive stand point. he is also 6-3/4 and around 200 pounds. Not to mention RHed with a booming shoot. yes he needs some more AHL time. but that could be 20 games. or it could be a year.

But that isn't the point. The point is, to trade for value you have to give up value. We don't have many options to move and get a good return. Dmen is a position of strength for the organization, while forward is the black hole. Even if we get the perfect draft, those guys are 2-5 years away. We need forwards now. So the question becomes are we a better TEAM with E and no proven forward additions or with a proven forward/no E. Of course the answer is: depends. depends on who we would be picking up. If the choice is E vs Ryan, we need Ryan more.

Edit. No PO time for Sproul. I thought I heard his name on the radio, but that is incorrect.

Edited by Richdg

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We can agree to disagree on where he should be in terms of lines but I do disagree with not using his body effectively- that's one of the features of his game that has become a weapon. He lead ALL defenseman in hits by a landslide ( 26 more in the regular season that Kronwall)

As for trading him.....we just signed him in the summer so he isn't slated to become a UFA for 3 years. At a 3.25 million cap hit, I would also disagree with your assertion that he is overpaid. Quincey makes more!

Anyway, I am not arguing that he is the next Bobby Orr or that he should win the Norris....I simply wanted to give Kudos where they are due. We dog the guys when they don't show up...I think we should also praise when they excel.

This post wasn't about Quincy, but I agree, he is way overpaid for the talent level he brings!

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