Tsn:Off-Season Game Plan: Detroit Red Wings

[puckbags 863]

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Ericsson

Franzen-Helm-Smith

Tatar-Andersson-Nyquist

Miller-Emmerton-Abdelkader

Tootoo-Shehan

Kronwall-Quincey

Kindl-Dekeyser

Lashoff-Colo

Almquist

Howard

Gustavsson

Thats a killer squad.

Let all the UFA's walk. Buy out Sammy and Bert. Save 10 mil in cap space for a great deadline deal or two that moves Rig and Smith back to D in April, if the strategy isnt working. Good skaters can play multiple positions. Fedorov, Dandenault, and Ericsson all have played D and F during their careers. The transition is only hard if a player cant skate well.

Are you for real with this? lol...not everyone can just go d to forward like Burns can and have modest success. If Vince McMahon ever decides to go XFL style with the NHL I want you to be first in line for a GM job.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65.

dats got a 79.96 rating, and Z with the 78.13... according to tsn dats and Z are just top 6 forwards, not even stars, let alone anywhere near Crosby's 93.65...

[LeftWinger 4,949]

The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65.

dats got a 79.96 rating, and Z with the 78.13... according to tsn dats and Z are just top 6 forwards, not even stars, let alone anywhere near Crosby's 93.65...

well, because according to all NHL media outlets, there is Crosby and then there is everybody else... For my money, I take Datsyuk over Crosby everyday and twice on Sunday... Complete players are better than one way players...

[Guest DeGraa55]

The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- plus-minus, hits, blocked shots, giveaways, takeaways, penalty differential and faceoffs. (Stats are listed in this format: G-A-PTS, +/-, PIM, GP). Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be 70-plus, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013 regular season ratings with a 93.65.

dats got a 79.96 rating, and Z with the 78.13... according to tsn dats and Z are just top 6 forwards, not even stars, let alone anywhere near Crosby's 93.65...

I think a big part has to do with the sexy stats. Like goals and assist. Dats and z don't carry a team by scoring goals. Let's not forget their age and decline. A better comparision would be like at crybaby now and then look at z and DAT at the same age.

well, because according to all NHL media outlets, there is Crosby and then there is everybody else... For my money, I take Datsyuk over Crosby everyday and twice on Sunday... Complete players are better than one way players...

Crosby is a complete player lol. Crosby and Malkin now are what DAT and z used to be. Get past your hate.

[Guest Johnz96]

I think a big part has to do with the sexy stats. Like goals and assist. Dats and z don't carry a team by scoring goals. Let's not forget their age and decline. A better comparision would be like at crybaby now and then look at z and DAT at the same age.

Crosby is a complete player lol. Crosby and Malkin now are what DAT and z used to be. Get past your hate.

I don't think they have declined at all, just had better teammates before. Datsyuk finished 10th in league scoring and is superior to everyone above him defensively and he did with a 4th liner as his linemate and no sexy linemates. Crosby takes chances to score leaving more opportunities for their opponents to score, he cheats offensively to create chances for himself but they also create chances for the opposition and he is a terrible leader with h9s hissy fits when things are going his way. Those things affect your teammates. We were 1 goal shy of beating the team that beat the team that beat the Pens 4 straight.

[Guest DeGraa55]

I don't think they have declined at all, just had better teammates before. Datsyuk finished 10th in league scoring and is superior to everyone above him defensively and he did with a 4th liner as his linemate and no sexy linemates. Crosby takes chances to score leaving more opportunities for their opponents to score, he cheats offensively to create chances for himself but they also create chances for the opposition and he is a terrible leader with h9s hissy fits when things are going his way. Those things affect your teammates. We were 1 goal shy of beating the team that beat the team that beat the Pens 4 straight.

Do you watch hockey at all? Just the eyeball test proves with 100% fact they have declined. Now DAT being older has actually declined less than z(helps having so.much more skill).

[Guest Johnz96]

Do you watch hockey at all? Just the eyeball test proves with 100% fact they have declined. Now DAT being older has actually declined less than z(helps having so.much more skill).

Actually yes.

Maybe you should eyeball the TSN plays of the year. You replace Abby with someone with a modicum of hockey sense (Tatar or Iginla or Horton for example) he would score significantly more and your eyeballs would see a whole different story.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

To me it's about the team, not whether or not 1 or 2 players win the cup

I wasn't saying Holland should make a move so Datsyuk and Zetterberg can win the Cup again before they retire. I'm saying like with Lidstrom, two great players on the team are nearing the end of their prime years so he should take advantage before there's two huge holes in the lineup where they used to be.

[LeftWinger 4,949]

I think a big part has to do with the sexy stats. Like goals and assist. Dats and z don't carry a team by scoring goals. Let's not forget their age and decline. A better comparision would be like at crybaby now and then look at z and DAT at the same age.

Crosby is a complete player lol. Crosby and Malkin now are what DAT and z used to be. Get past your hate.

When Crosby and Malkin are nominated for the Selke along with being in the top 10 in the league in scoring, then they will be complete players... Show me where Crosby is even considered a top two way forward... Datsyuk may not score as much as Crosby, but I will take to 70-100 points and be the best defensive forward over an Art Ross everytime....anytime...

[LeftWinger 4,949]

Do you watch hockey at all? Just the eyeball test proves with 100% fact they have declined. Now DAT being older has actually declined less than z(helps having so.much more skill).

I don't think Dats has declined anywhere near as much as you would like to have had him decline. It has a TON to do with the linemates. When he was nearing 100 points for a couple of seasons he had a Franzen who didn't yet decide to coast the rest of his career and he had Hossa, oh then there was the line of him, Zetterberg and Holmstrom...

Who has he had the last couple of seasons? He has had a ghost of Franzen and that is it, this year he had Cleary and Abby for a stretch. When he was reunited with Zetterberg he got his points a little more often, but not as much as he would if he would have a legit sniper on his line... You get someone who can score 40-50 goals to play with him and watch his point total's inflate to 100 points again... I do not know why you are so quick to write both of these guys off...

[Guest Crymson]

Crosby is a complete player lol. Crosby and Malkin now are what DAT and z used to be. Get past your hate.

Crosby and Malkin do not come close to equaling the defensive prowess of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Aside from EA Sports, nobody has ever called Crosby an excellent defensive forward, nor Malkin either.

[Guest Johnz96]

I don't think Dats has declined anywhere near as much as you would like to have had him decline. It has a TON to do with the linemates. When he was nearing 100 points for a couple of seasons he had a Franzen who didn't yet decide to coast the rest of his career and he had Hossa, oh then there was the line of him, Zetterberg and Holmstrom...

Who has he had the last couple of seasons? He has had a ghost of Franzen and that is it, this year he had Cleary and Abby for a stretch. When he was reunited with Zetterberg he got his points a little more often, but not as much as he would if he would have a legit sniper on his line... You get someone who can score 40-50 goals to play with him and watch his point total's inflate to 100 points again... I do not know why you are so quick to write both of these guys off...

People's perception of what they see are influenced by the numbers. In 2011-12 after we won the first 4 or 5 we lost the next 4 or 5 (one of them a blowout to Washington, with a terrible game by Conklin)to start the season. During the losing streak people were talking like we won't make the playoffs, Datsyuk and Zetterberg are washed up, we can't score, serious changes need to be made, the team sucks (check out the threads in late October early November 2011, it was ridicKulous)... Meanwhile, I kept arguing that we played great and that sometimes the better team doesn't win. We went on a winning streak after that and everything was hunky dory again for everybody but we played just as well during the losing streak, got stoned by some great goaltending, had bad goaltending from Conklin, had bad calls work against us and just didn't have the puck luck, we were just as good during the losing streak as we were during the winning streaks before and after.

Datsyuk is as good as ever.

Edited June 26, 2013 by Johnz96

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

Crosby and Malkin do not come close to equaling the defensive prowess of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. Aside from EA Sports, nobody has ever called Crosby an excellent defensive forward, nor Malkin either.

I'm sure Bettman would

[Dabura 12,207]

This is the heart of it:

Holland certainly didn't have that sense of urgency regarding Lidstrom's retirement. Will he with Dats and Z? Or will he be content to tweak and keep the Wings good but not great, hoping Babcock and some younger players can pull off something special in the next couple seasons?

Agreed. Thankfully, (and, honestly, this has me pretty excited), it seems like he gets it.