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OldTimeWinger

Who and What are the Detroit Red Wings?

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The glory (Cup) years, character and signature play are history, leaving what appears to be a wandering identity with team management and players equally unsure.

Every organization has a “formula for success”. Just a handful, however, can claim their system works – wins championships. The Wings were one of those teams. New more offense-oriented NHL (goals at measly 2.66/game), 3 on 3 OTs and rules package has the Wings searching for answers and a clear path to more consistency, competitiveness and wins.

“You are what your record says you are.” Today, they are a .500 team and probably a bubble team to make the playoffs. But more unsettling and costly is the lack of effective attention to the back end. The Wings neither have a “stopper” on defense nor in goal. Last night’s game against the Caps is perfect example: Evgeny Kuznetsov skates by Zetterberg, Kronwall’s late to the party and Mrazek is not sure what to do.

It was a 3 on 3 situation, but the scenario and outcome have been replicated during regulation in many games … and will continue to be repeated throughout this season.

No one on the current roster has stepped up to the challenge. Grand Rapids’s D-core: Ouch! The 2016 UFAs roster is underwhelming on defense. Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill will have to leave their comfort zone and part with some of the young assets.

I suggest the first place to look is Anaheim. What will it take to get Hampus Lindholm?

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Mrazek has the 8th highest save% in the league, and when you filter out goalies who have played in less than 5 games this season, he's top 5 league-wide. I'm not sure what your definition of "stopper" in goal is, but clearly there are only four teams at most in this league who have one.

I do agree that our defense needs work, but I think that's more a function of the coaching (and more specifically adaptation to new coaching), and not so much the personnel, and even that is steadily improving from the beginning of the season.

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The glory (Cup) years, character and signature play are history, leaving what appears to be a wandering identity with team management and players equally unsure.

Every organization has a “formula for success”. Just a handful, however, can claim their system works – wins championships. The Wings were one of those teams. New more offense-oriented NHL (goals at measly 2.66/game), 3 on 3 OTs and rules package has the Wings searching for answers and a clear path to more consistency, competitiveness and wins.

“You are what your record says you are.” Today, they are a .500 team and probably a bubble team to make the playoffs. But more unsettling and costly is the lack of effective attention to the back end. The Wings neither have a “stopper” on defense nor in goal. Last night’s game against the Caps is perfect example: Evgeny Kuznetsov skates by Zetterberg, Kronwall’s late to the party and Mrazek is not sure what to do.

It was a 3 on 3 situation, but the scenario and outcome have been replicated during regulation in many games … and will continue to be repeated throughout this season.

No one on the current roster has stepped up to the challenge. Grand Rapids’s D-core: Ouch! The 2016 UFAs roster is underwhelming on defense. Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill will have to leave their comfort zone and part with some of the young assets.

I suggest the first place to look is Anaheim. What will it take to get Hampus Lindholm?

Fresh take (sarcasm)

But welcome to LGWs (serious)

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I dont see it this way at all. I like our defense and goalie. We are allowing very few goals. I think we need better forwards. One more Larkin, and this team is seriously legit.

agree the problem is the scoring we need legit guys who can hit the net on a nightly baises not behind the net or off the boards bury it thats what we lack right now goaltending is great and d is alright

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Regardless of what sport you are talking about, pretty much every team in the world has high points, and low points. To keep a team a contender literally EVERY single year is pretty much impossible. The only franchises that I have seen even come close to this, are the Detroit Red Wings, San Antonio Spurs, St. Louis Cardinals, and New England Patriots. All 4 of these franchises are outliers in their respective sports. Most teams before they become good, have a very very very bad period, just look at the Blackhawks and Kings. Before leading the league the hawks didnt make the playoffs 9 times in 10 years, the Kings didnt make it 6 straight years, and 11 times in 15 years.

My point is, it is unrealistic to expect any team to be a championship contender forever. In my lifetime (I am 33) I have seen 3 era's of Wings, lets call it the Yzerman era, the euro twins era, and the current era. I think because Detroit made a seamless transition between the Yzerman era and Euro Twins era, people have that expectation moving forward, but with the cap that is pretty much impossible.

I have seem a team being run poorly (I am a Lions fan) and the Wings are not that. Our worst case scenario/lowest point has been losing in the first round 3 times in 4 years. When you compare that to what most teams have to go through during any type of transition, that is not bad at all. I guess if you are in a mindset that Nyquist, Tatar, Larkin, Mrazek, DD and company are nothing special and not the players you want moving forward, I get the disappointment, but for those who believe in the core lets just wait and see what the kids can do. Especially with a new coach, we are not just going to become contenders again overnight. Like I have said a million times on this board, we are going through a re-build and to give up a Larkin or Mantha etc. for a rental to get us a round further in the playoffs now is silly IMO. Its not like a player like Jurco is going to get us a Shea Weber. If people want us to trade for a superstar, we are going to need to get rid of a package of kids, I would rather be great later, then a bit better now.

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You shouldn't be expecting this team to be seriously contending for a Stanley Cup at this point. Our next wave of elite talent is being developed, once Larkin and co. are in their prime I will be concerned if we're not one of the very best teams in the league. Until then we still have a shot, like most teams in the league. I think everybody in the organization still strives to be the very best that they can but they're more focused on the future

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We do have an identity. We're a .500 team. Been that way for several years now. That's called a consistent identity. Not a phase. We'll win some games, lose some games, battle for the last playoff spot, and likely get eliminated in the first round.

The really good teams have a solid identity built on a playing style that results in wins more often than not. The really bad teams are the exact opposite.

We're mediocre. That's our identity.

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We do have an identity. We're a .500 team. Been that way for several years now. That's called a consistent identity. Not a phase. We'll win some games, lose some games, battle for the last playoff spot, and likely get eliminated in the first round.

The really good teams have a solid identity built on a playing style that results in wins more often than not. The really bad teams are the exact opposite.

We're mediocre. That's our identity.

Being a .500 team is not a bad thing as long as you are trending in the right direction.

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Being a .500 team is not a bad thing as long as you are trending in the right direction.

We are the same team for 5 seasons now. So that wouldn't be trending in the right direction. Yes we need to make some moves. For the first time in several years we actually have pieces we can move to improve if Kenny wants to. Will he? Stay tuned.....

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Well, we sure could use some better players in certain positions, but adding Hampus is not what this D needs. This is an ongoing discussion in the thread I made, and I think we all agree they need a big punishing d-man like Byfuglien.

Offense-wise, I am not sure who we could get or afford to get to make the scoring better. But this team better flip the switch or make a deal soon, or we will be sellers come deadline.

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Well, we sure could use some better players in certain positions, but adding Hampus is not what this D needs. This is an ongoing discussion in the thread I made, and I think we all agree they need a big punishing d-man like Byfuglien.

Yes. Defensemen take time to develop. A long time. Prime is around 30 for them. So we can't get any "D man Larkin" using the draft unless you want to wait 7 years to see if he's the real deal.

So I'm all for trading for good defensive players while raising forwards in our system. Right now, big ole Dustin fits us well, he has size and grit, something this team lacks right now. He got some forward game aswell.

Anyway, he's probably too expensive, but the point made about some nice D needs stands.

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I've said a few times that IF Holland were to acquire Byf, he would not only slot right in on the top combo with Kronner, but put him in front of the net on the PP and he would help there as well. Byf is a win-win for Detroit, depending on the cost and depending on re-signing him.

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I've said a few times that IF Holland were to acquire Byf, he would not only slot right in on the top combo with Kronner, but put him in front of the net on the PP and he would help there as well. Byf is a win-win for Detroit, depending on the cost and depending on re-signing him.

exept the part of Buff actually playing defense......... As for the cost, who really knows? We have the luxary of having to many young F's-det + Gr. More than we can keep. Same is true on mid level Dmen and D prospects. Next summer Jensen, Sproul, and Oullett all have to stay up or be exposed to waivers. No way we are going to keep all 3 of those guys. Plus the extra Dmen in Kindl and Smith. 2 of those 5 will stay to be the 7/8 dmen next season. Then we have 1 hole that we want to add a #1 or #2 Dman via trade. Way more than we can keep.

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We are the same team for 5 seasons now. So that wouldn't be trending in the right direction. Yes we need to make some moves. For the first time in several years we actually have pieces we can move to improve if Kenny wants to. Will he? Stay tuned.....

My interpretation of trending in the right direction is not based on record, but rather the overall direction of the team. I feel that just looking at record is a very simplistic way of evaluating the direction of the team.

In the 2010 playoffs our starting 18 + goalies were the following:

Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Todd Bertuzzi, Valtteri Filppula, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, Drew Miller, Darren Helm, Daniel Cleary, Kris Draper, Justin Abdelkader, Jason Williams, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson, and Andreas Lilja, Jimmy Howard, and Chris Osgood

In 2010 this was a team that was build to win in the now, and in hindsight was headed towards a decline. There is nothing wrong with this, every team has an ascent, a peak, and a decline. Of those 20 players, 8 are still playing, and next year with the likely loss of Miller and Helm probably 6. If we still had most of those players playing and no talented young players to replace them and were not getting better, then I agree we would be the same team and I would not say we are headed in the right direction. However this is not the case, we have a ton of young players who have a history of winning together (calder cup) and have a ton of promise. Led by Larkin and DD, I believe that this team is on it's way of becoming a force in the league....hence, trending in the right direction.

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The glory (Cup) years, character and signature play are history, leaving what appears to be a wandering identity with team management and players equally unsure.

Every organization has a “formula for success”. Just a handful, however, can claim their system works – wins championships. The Wings were one of those teams. New more offense-oriented NHL (goals at measly 2.66/game), 3 on 3 OTs and rules package has the Wings searching for answers and a clear path to more consistency, competitiveness and wins.

“You are what your record says you are.” Today, they are a .500 team and probably a bubble team to make the playoffs. But more unsettling and costly is the lack of effective attention to the back end. The Wings neither have a “stopper” on defense nor in goal. Last night’s game against the Caps is perfect example: Evgeny Kuznetsov skates by Zetterberg, Kronwall’s late to the party and Mrazek is not sure what to do.

It was a 3 on 3 situation, but the scenario and outcome have been replicated during regulation in many games … and will continue to be repeated throughout this season.

No one on the current roster has stepped up to the challenge. Grand Rapids’s D-core: Ouch! The 2016 UFAs roster is underwhelming on defense. Ken Holland and Jeff Blashill will have to leave their comfort zone and part with some of the young assets.

I suggest the first place to look is Anaheim. What will it take to get Hampus Lindholm?

I totally disagree in black. That's what is the bright spot on this team.

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My interpretation of trending in the right direction is not based on record, but rather the overall direction of the team. I feel that just looking at record is a very simplistic way of evaluating the direction of the team.

In the 2010 playoffs our starting 18 + goalies were the following:

Johan Franzen, Henrik Zetterberg, Todd Bertuzzi, Valtteri Filppula, Pavel Datsyuk, Tomas Holmstrom, Drew Miller, Darren Helm, Daniel Cleary, Kris Draper, Justin Abdelkader, Jason Williams, Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson, and Andreas Lilja, Jimmy Howard, and Chris Osgood

In 2010 this was a team that was build to win in the now, and in hindsight was headed towards a decline. There is nothing wrong with this, every team has an ascent, a peak, and a decline. Of those 20 players, 8 are still playing, and next year with the likely loss of Miller and Helm probably 6. If we still had most of those players playing and no talented young players to replace them and were not getting better, then I agree we would be the same team and I would not say we are headed in the right direction. However this is not the case, we have a ton of young players who have a history of winning together (calder cup) and have a ton of promise. Led by Larkin and DD, I believe that this team is on it's way of becoming a force in the league....hence, trending in the right direction.

Good point. And other young players are knocking on the door. I think AA has proved that he is NHL-ready. We might also see Mantha up here next season.

Anybody here remembers the 2011 season ? We were one of if not the slowest and oldest team in the league. It was painful to watch sometimes. This team we have now is lightning fast and pretty young. So it's not that Holland doesn't change anything.He is just not doing it through trading but rather through drafting.

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They've been pretty much on the verge of missing them since they moved to the East.

They have and because of it they've made some minor moves that I haven't liked that I believe hurts the team long term (They've been minor changes but I think it shows the wrong philosophy with what direction this team should be heading).

An example would be the David Legwand trade. We realisticly had no Cup equity that year and gave away a draft pick. I know a lot of people would say, who cares about a 3rd round pick, but we should've been on the other side of that type of deal IMO.

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They have and because of it they've made some minor moves that I haven't liked that I believe hurts the team long term (They've been minor changes but I think it shows the wrong philosophy with what direction this team should be heading).

An example would be the David Legwand trade. We realisticly had no Cup equity that year and gave away a draft pick. I know a lot of people would say, who cares about a 3rd round pick, but we should've been on the other side of that type of deal IMO.

5% of me agrees with you.

95% of me remembers a Kings team sneaking in as the 8th seed, winning 3 seven game series, and taking home lord stanley. You need a goalie who can get hot to do that. We gave Jimmy a try. Nothing wrong with that.

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5% of me agrees with you.

95% of me remembers a Kings team sneaking in as the 8th seed, winning 3 seven game series, and taking home lord stanley. You need a goalie who can get hot to do that. We gave Jimmy a try. Nothing wrong with that.

Oh, lord, not this again. Hasn't the Cinderella myth been debunked already? Teams get hot in the playoffs, goalies stand on their heads, but teams that don't deserve to win the "hardest trophy to win in sports" don't win the Cup. LA was built for the playoffs, gelled just in time, and had good goaltending.

That said, the Red Wings are going to sneak into the playoffs for as many years in a row as possible. People need to accept this, like it or not. There will always be a Legwand trade if management believes it will keep The Streak™ alive.

Edited by Internet.Unknown

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So eighth seed teams should just give up unless you're the LA kings? Hockey more than any other sport, all 16 teams have a real shot. Eighth seed go deep all the time and every single extra playoff game makes the young guys that much better. If Larkin played with us last year against Tampa he would be a much better player at this point despite us not making it out of the first round. You start missing the playoffs it changes the environment around the team and guys like Dats probably wouldn't have stuck around

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So eighth seed teams should just give up unless you're the LA kings? Hockey more than any other sport, all 16 teams have a real shot. Eighth seed go deep all the time and every single extra playoff game makes the young guys that much better. If Larkin played with us last year against Tampa he would be a much better player at this point despite us not making it out of the first round. You start missing the playoffs it changes the environment around the team and guys like Dats probably wouldn't have stuck around

This is a great post. Team culture sets the tone for everyone.

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The Detroit red wings are a hockey team(what)comprised of people from various places in the world including(but not limited to) America, Canada, Sweden, Russia, the Czech republican, etc. Who are all between the ages of 19-37, with various family members and other interests I'd assume.(who)

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