X Factor Part Deux

[wingedominance13 112]

Ok so we did it with the forwards; now lets look at the D

Who is crucial to this teams success?

[Opie 308]

Dekeyser, after he left the Hawks series it was different Wings Defense.

[Rick D 350]

If Kronwall would have left we wouldn't have had a defense.

[Opie 308]

If Kronwall would have left we wouldn't have had a defense.

While I agree with you, he is also the steadiest most dependable D-man the team has.

So I don't really think of him as an X factor.

But if he sucks ass this year, or gets injured, this team will suck.

To me Kronner is more important than Dats or Z is, mainly because if Dats has a bad year, Z can step up or vice versa, but Kronner really has to be the anchor.

[Dabura 12,207]

Smith or DeKeyser, either one really.

I'm going with Smith. The Smith we saw this past season was nowhere near what Smith can bring to the fold, even at this early stage.

[Din758 371]

Im taking Kindl. Was starting to break out offensively towards the end of last season. If he can run the 2nd PP, that could be the key to our power play woes. Being able to apply pressure for the entire 2 minutes is the key to me for PP success.

[Dave 324]

Dekeyser, after he left the Hawks series it was different Wings Defense.

He didn't play in the Hawks series at all. I do agree, though. He did leave a noticeable hole.

I went with Ericsson. If he can have a Norris worthy year, then the D will be perfectly fine.

[Opie 308]

He didn't play in the Hawks series at all. I do agree, though. He did leave a noticeable hole.

I went with Ericsson. If he can have a Norris worthy year, then the D will be perfectly fine.

My bad!

[dobbles 252]

i think there are several different ways to look at this.

but to me it has to be smith or dekeyser. we need one of them to permanently earn a top 4 spot to solidify the 2nd pairing. the first pairing was good last year. and since both ericsson an kronwall are veterans, there is no reason to think their play will slip significantly. so both just need to play this season like they did last year and our top pairing is solid. additionally, for whoever ends up in the 3rd pairing, they just need to play to that role. much less is expceted. but whoever ends up on the 2nd pairing will need to grow a lot.

because right now we hav 4 guys that all have question marks. quincey has played a lot of top 4 minutes in the nhl, but has just struggled so much since coming back. i am a quincey backer, and he did play well down the stretch last year, but i still worry if he is relied on as the 3rd defenseman. kindl had a great year last year and really showed his offensive side off. but i still worry that defensively he might be best suited for a 3rd pairing role long term. i hope i'm wrong as i really like kindl, but he would have to have another breakout year to legitimately become a 2nd pairing guy. and then smith and dekeyser i lump together. both have tons of upside. smith has yet to really look solid in the nhl, while dekeyser looked great but only for a very small sample size. so while either of them could grow into a legitimate 2nd pairing player (even as fast as this year) it is also possible they both struggle and are on the 3rd pairing or in the case of dekeyser, down in the ahl.

so thats why one of them would have to take it. as they have the biggest ability to make this years D corps a success or failure. personally i voted for smith. because we have seen such a variety in his play. so that makes him the x factor because he out of anyone has the most wide open season for expectations.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

It's hard to say because frankly them all playing well is crucial to the Wings success this season. There's somewhat of an x factor up and down the blueline, though less so with Kronner and E.

I voted Dekeyser though because if he stepped up and played great it could have the biggest change on the defensive corps. as dobbles said, it could really solidify the second pairing.

Smith is a close second for me.

[amato 3,210]

Im taking Kindl. Was starting to break out offensively towards the end of last season. If he can run the 2nd PP, that could be the key to our power play woes. Being able to apply pressure for the entire 2 minutes is the key to me for PP success.

this is the reason I am going with kindl as well. While I agree that our dmen as a whole are a huge x factor, if kindl keeps improving at the rate he is and carries the pp2, that'd be clutch (esspecially since we had such trouble scoring last season).

[TheDetroitRedWings 286]

Without a doubt Dekeyser is our biggest defensive x-factor. The kid has so much potential, and if he lives up to the expectations he could easily be a game changer for a team that is somewhat lacking on the blue line. I'm still hoping we can snag a top 4 d-man before the trade deadline. But for now Dekeyser could quite possibly move into a #2 spot at some point this season (if not right away).

[martinezsvsu 240]

kindl because dat offense.

[Nev 1,085]

Smith. He has to play with confidence and show his undoubted talent. If he continues to treat the puck like a hand grenade, and panic every time he is forechecked, his NHL career will be short. Both the ducks and the Hawks realised this and pressured him relentlessly, and the teams in the East will continue to do the same until he learns to calm down.

[Z Winged Dangler 2,082]

Kindl. Will run the 2nd PP and likely play with DeKeyser so he needs to keep heading in the right direction and help DD out on the blue line if the going gets rough. He's earned what he's now got on his plate with an awesome job last year. Time to see if he's legit.

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

Smith. He has the biggest gap between proven ability and potential ability. If he steps it up, it will completely change the dynamic of our defense.

[Jesusberg 1,256]

It's Smith for me, but DK is a close 2nd. I actually feel like Kronwall, Ericsson and to a lesser extent Quincey (defensively) and Kindl (offensively) are going to play as expected - Smith and DK are the guys who are going to dictate how much better the team is offensively and/or defensively on the back end. I really hope Smith meets expectations when Babcock "frees" him to play his offensive game.

[thegerkin 189]

Q. If he's 'on', the D is a lot better.

[13dangledangle 958]

In terms of success I'd say, oh I don't know...ALL OF THEM?!

[GoWings1905 2,694]

This one is easier for me than the forwards. For me, it is DeKeyser easily. I think the Red Wings beat the Blackhawks with a healthy DeKeyser. Their forecheck gave the Red Wings fits and DeKeyser's speed/puck-moving ability was something the Red Wings really lacked in that series defensively. His poise and steadiness really solidified the defense at the end of last season.

[Motown4013 350]

I could have went with the youth movement- Danny D would have been my rookie X factor but honestly, the key to a young defensive Corp is leadership. Keeping with that theme, I chose the guy that needs to be leader on that back end so Kronner got my vote.

I think Kronwall has all the skills to be a great defenseman. I don't think I am off the mark by saying the majority on the boards, including myself saw 55 fall a bit short on taking over the number 1 last year. If he can be the player everyone is waiting him to become, Kronwall has to be the X factor. He needs to lead my example and to do that, he has to find his natural game again. That means generating a solid breakout pass, quick puck movement, contributing offense and the" super kronwalls" that put a little fear in the opposition who like to skate with their head down.

Last year he had a tendency to hesitate. He also let the puck get behind him a bit too much which lead to unfortunate penalties. He has to be better....and I think he will.

Imagine if you take the best Kronwall And allow him to teach a guy like Smith use his body and his hockey sense? If he can teach Q to find that tiny opening in the slot. Teach Kindl how to take a hit and not give away the puck. If that happens, I don't think we have an issues with the back end. That's why I think Kroonner is the x factor this year.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

I would be surprised if Dekeyser played as well this year as he did right after he was signed. He was coming in with no pressure or expectations. This year he may try to do too much, and now that other teams have seen him his weaknesses will be known and exploited more than they were before. Couple that with the overly high expectations some people have of him, and there are going to be a lot of people disappointed with his play this year, and by the all star break you're going to be seeing "send him to GR" and "trade him now" demands.

[Rivalred 630]

The entire D to be honest, if they play to their potential, watch out

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Smith. I expect he will be saddled with a bigger role than Dekeyser, and the Wings ultimate success will depend on whether or not Smith can actually be a #3 defenseman. Kronwall and Ericsson will be similar to what we've come to expect, Kindl should be something like what we saw late in the season and in the playoffs (though I think a case can be made for him being an x-factor too), Quincey will be his typical mediocre self, and I think Lashoff will be used sparingly. Just look at the minutes Smith got last year and imagine what the D would look like if he just performed a bit better.

[TheDetroitRedWings 286]

Smith. I expect he will be saddled with a bigger role than Dekeyser

Jesus, I sure hope not. Smith was garbage (not giving up on him yet tho), DeKeyser is clearly the better overall d-man. It's not even close.