2021 Off-Season (Too Soon?)

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

14 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

If you have complaints about my reporting just dial 1-800-top-titz and f*** off

well you should have know if it was "Elmer" it wouldn't be "an NHL team". It would very specifically be the DRWs. 

 

[Gniwder 168]

21 hours ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

well you should have know if it was "Elmer" it wouldn't be "an NHL team". It would very specifically be the DRWs. 

 

>ARVID Soderblom chose Chicago (f*** him)
>McIsaac sprained his AC joint again...
>Brian Leetch resigns from hockey ops in NYR
>Drury is interviewing Gerard Gallant for HC
>Sam Reinhart has refollowed the Sabres on insta

[AtlantaHotWings 983]

43 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

>ARVID Soderblom chose Chicago (f*** him)
>McIsaac sprained his AC joint again...
>Brian Leetch resigns from hockey ops in NYR
>Drury is interviewing Gerard Gallant for HC
>Sam Reinhart has refollowed the Sabres on insta

it will be Blash or Lambert come Oct 1 

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

49 minutes ago, Gniwder said:

>Drury is interviewing Gerard Gallant for HC
 

Stubborn head coach vs volatile management vs bat-shat crazy owner? 

This book starts on the last page. 

Edited May 14, 2021 by The 91 of Ryans

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

8 hours ago, Gniwder said:

>ARVID Soderblom chose Chicago (f*** him)
>McIsaac sprained his AC joint again...
>Brian Leetch resigns from hockey ops in NYR
>Drury is interviewing Gerard Gallant for HC
>Sam Reinhart has refollowed the Sabres on insta

It's so weird to think there are GMs interviewing guys for HC that they could have played for.

It'd be like Yzerman interviewing Babcock.

Edited May 14, 2021 by Neomaxizoomdweebie

[kipwinger 8,521]

Mantha, on playing for Detroit, and why it's absolutely necessary to get back to winning as soon as humanly possible:

"It sucks," Mantha said. "You're playing hockey because you want to play in the playoffs. And when you don't have the chance, and you just pack every summer to go back home, and you're like, 'I'll just take two weeks off and start training again.' I mean, there's no motivation in that."

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

1 hour ago, kipwinger said:

Mantha, on playing for Detroit, and why it's absolutely necessary to get back to winning as soon as humanly possible:

"It sucks," Mantha said. "You're playing hockey because you want to play in the playoffs. And when you don't have the chance, and you just pack every summer to go back home, and you're like, 'I'll just take two weeks off and start training again.' I mean, there's no motivation in that."

Translation: I really like being on a team where I'm not expected to do any heavy lifting. 

I mean, I agree about the winning thing. But it's not like throughout Mantha's career here in Detroit I thought, "now if only everyone worked as hard as Anthony, this team would be a lot better". 

[Akakabuto 1,749]

2 hours ago, kipwinger said:

Mantha, on playing for Detroit, and why it's absolutely necessary to get back to winning as soon as humanly possible:

"It sucks," Mantha said. "You're playing hockey because you want to play in the playoffs. And when you don't have the chance, and you just pack every summer to go back home, and you're like, 'I'll just take two weeks off and start training again.' I mean, there's no motivation in that."

From the same interview:

"It's all about puck possession here," Mantha said. "They want us to keep the puck as long as we can, make the plays at the right time, and if it's not there, they want a lot of shot attempts or to get the puck back. They want to control the play basically for the whole game. Compared to Detroit, which lately was more of trying to dump a little more, and obviously the confidence wasn't as high as over here."

Having to play Blashills brand of hockey probably kills what little is left of that motivation too. Especially for a skill player like Mantha. 

The biggest winner of that trade was Mantha. 

[kipwinger 8,521]

53 minutes ago, Akakabuto said:

From the same interview:

"It's all about puck possession here," Mantha said. "They want us to keep the puck as long as we can, make the plays at the right time, and if it's not there, they want a lot of shot attempts or to get the puck back. They want to control the play basically for the whole game. Compared to Detroit, which lately was more of trying to dump a little more, and obviously the confidence wasn't as high as over here."

Having to play Blashills brand of hockey probably kills what little is left of that motivation too. Especially for a skill player like Mantha. 

The biggest winner of that trade was Mantha. 

I think you're right, but I don't think it's Blashill's "brand" as much as it's the only way you can win with a talentless roster. I'm sure he'd prefer to gain the zone with possession, all coaches would, but he's probably got one line that's skilled enough to do that consistently. And one defenseman capable of jumping into the play and helping. I'll continue to beat the drum that it's hard to judge Blash off what this roster can/can't do. He's got loads of talent coming the next two years, extend him and let's see what he can do for those two seasons before cutting bait.

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

Your motivation is earning the millions of dollars you're being paid and challenging yourself to always get better.

 

[marcaractac 3,962]

Remember when Jurco said the same s*** when he went to Chicago? That sure was the problem with his play in hindsight, wasn't it?

[F.Michael 4,590]

5 hours ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

Translation: I really like being on a team where I'm not expected to do any heavy lifting. 

I mean, I agree about the winning thing. But it's not like throughout Mantha's career here in Detroit I thought, "now if only everyone worked as hard as Anthony, this team would be a lot better". 

lol - and he hasn’t scored in what - 10 games?

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

11 minutes ago, F.Michael said:

lol - and he hasn’t scored in what - 10 games?

that's someone else's fault too. 

 

2 hours ago, Neomaxizoomdweebie said:

Your motivation is earning the millions of dollars you're being paid and challenging yourself to always get better.

 

[Wings3:16 318]

His comments really show what he's all about...no wonder he's gone.

[LeftWinger 4,951]

Quote

Perhaps it was a wake-up call. Perhaps it was just plain, old honesty.

Either way, it’s hard to ignore what longtime Red Wings executive Jim Devellano had to say about winger Anthony Mantha, Detroit’s first-round draft pick from 2013.

“Very, very, very disappointing,” said Devellano, per FOX Sports Detroit. “And I say that with a lot of sadness. Coming out of junior, we had such high hopes for him.”

-Jimmy D

I trust our executives. BTW, Jakub Vrana

[LeftWinger 4,951]

so....D.

Djoos gone, Biega (will be) gone, Cholowski or Lindstrom to Seattle.

re-sign Staal, Seider comes in, sign UFA Hamilton.

(no particular order)

Staal - Seider

Stecher - Hamilton

Cholowski/Lindstrom - Hronek

Dekeyser

 

A lot of RH'ers but, we'll have some more LH'ers in GR waiting to come up as Staal retires and Dekeyser/Stecher contract expires in a year.

Of course I like Erik Gustafsson too. He could slot in the left side of the D.

Gustafsson - Hronek

Cholowski - Seider

Staal - Stecher

DeKeyser

Edited May 18, 2021 by LeftWinger

[Neomaxizoomdweebie 3,083]

3 hours ago, LeftWinger said:

so....D.

Djoos gone, Biega (will be) gone, Cholowski or Lindstrom to Seattle.

re-sign Staal, Seider comes in, sign UFA Hamilton.

(no particular order)

Staal - Seider

Stecher - Hamilton

Cholowski/Lindstrom - Hronek

Dekeyser

 

A lot of RH'ers but, we'll have some more LH'ers in GR waiting to come up as Staal retires and Dekeyser/Stecher contract expires in a year.

Of course I like Erik Gustafsson too. He could slot in the left side of the D.

Gustafsson - Hronek

Cholowski - Seider

Staal - Stecher

DeKeyser

I don't think Hamilton is even on Yzerman"s radar. He's the highest profile D available, which means he'll get the biggest contract. A 6+ year term at 8+ mil per is not out of the question. This is not the type of deal a rebuilding team should make with a 28 year old defenseman. Dougie probably returns to Carolina anyway. Pass.

Staal was only here as a salary dump. I don't think Yzerman brings him back as a free agent when better options are available. 

Assuming we'll have Hronek, Seider, and Stecher doen the right side, I expect SY will go after left handed dmen that compliment those 3.

DeKeyser and Cholowski will most likely be on the roster. I would pair Cholowski with the more defensively reliable Stecher on the 3rd pairing. DeKeyser could be a fit with Seider (assuming its not top pair duty), but I would rather put him farther down the lineup, perhaps as a 7th D or partnering him with Stecher when it's time to sit Cholowski.

As far as free agents, Stevie should be looking at under 30, left handed D, who could be signed to 2-4 year contracts.

As a defensive partner with Hronek, I would take a serious look at Adam Larsson or Ryan Murray. Neither will come cheap, but I don't think either will need to be signed long term. Considering they'll be playing top pair to start the season, I don't think it would be a bad idea to bring on at least one high end LD.

Seider being more physical and defensively adept, I would look for some help by bringing in a defensive partner with some offense. My choices here would be Alec Martinez or Mike Reilly.

Obviously, Martinez is long in the tooth, but he is a solid 2way dman coming off of a career offensive season. Might be worth a 1 or 2 year deal as partner for Seider until a prospect moves up to replace him

Mike Reilly is a late bloomer. But he's also cheap. He's played well with rookies in the past and has proven himself a solid puck mover over the last season. Could be a relatively cheap signing if Yzerman goes big with Larsson or Murray.

Larsson/Murray - Hronek

Martinez/Reilly - Seider

Cholowski/DeKeyser - Stecher

 

[Gniwder 168]

Theyre already turning on Mantha in capland

Basically i see caps saying "what detroit warned us about is true"

1. He doesnt always motor hard enough

2. Stands around and watches the play

3. Tries to get too fancy

4. Stands netfront, when the caps game is more about getting shooters open and keeping possession instead of crowding the net in deep

[kipwinger 8,521]

7 hours ago, Gniwder said:

Theyre already turning on Mantha in capland

Basically i see caps saying "what detroit warned us about is true"

1. He doesnt always motor hard enough

2. Stands around and watches the play

3. Tries to get too fancy

4. Stands netfront, when the caps game is more about getting shooters open and keeping possession instead of crowding the net in deep

He hasn't scored in what, 13 games or something? Must be his bum linemates...wait (checks notes)...his linemates are Backstrom and Tom Wilson. Right. Mantha sucks. 

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

1 hour ago, kipwinger said:

He hasn't scored in what, 13 games or something? Must be his bum linemates...wait (checks notes)...his linemates are Backstrom and Tom Wilson. Right. Mantha sucks. 

You mentioned you're watching the series. Does he look like the same old giant pud? 

[kipwinger 8,521]

1 minute ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

You mentioned you're watching the series. Does he look like the same old giant pud? 

Much as I hate to admit it, he looks fine. So far that has been the best series of the playoffs IMO. It's unbelievably tight and both teams are playing their asses off. Oddly, I'd argue that Boston is playing a little bit more offensively and Washington is playing a little tighter defense. But all in all it's a good series. Mantha hasn't stood out, but he's not been bad either. Oshie and Hall have been the only marquee players that have been especially noticeable through two games. As with most really close series, the depth players are really the ones that are making and breaking this one.

[marcaractac 3,962]

7 minutes ago, The 91 of Ryans said:

You mentioned you're watching the series. Does he look like the same old giant pud? 

Looks like it yeah. Not that he is terrible or anything, just streaky as far as scoring goes. Wouldn't say he is taking games off or anything. Sure he has his moments. At least when Franzen was cold, he was still useful in other aspects of the game.

Edited May 20, 2021 by marcaractac

[The 91 of Ryans 3,014]

11 minutes ago, kipwinger said:

Much as I hate to admit it, he looks fine. So far that has been the best series of the playoffs IMO. It's unbelievably tight and both teams are playing their asses off. Oddly, I'd argue that Boston is playing a little bit more offensively and Washington is playing a little tighter defense. But all in all it's a good series. Mantha hasn't stood out, but he's not been bad either. Oshie and Hall have been the only marquee players that have been especially noticeable through two games. As with most really close series, the depth players are really the ones that are making and breaking this one.

 

11 minutes ago, marcaractac said:

Looks like it yeah. Not that he is terrible or anything, just streaky as far as scoring goes. Wouldn't say he is taking games off or anything. Sure he has his moments. At least when Franzen was cold, he was still useful in other aspects of the game.

I noticed in Game 2 (I think) he had like 7 shots. And I believe he has 2 assists. Not terrible. 

[LeftWinger 4,951]

https://www.nhl.com/redwings/news/red-wings-jonatan-berggren-entry-level-deal/c-324868392?fbclid=IwAR2Qjh_qis5ob4QOG9y_RlDnM-tZy9WNQmQxdCEmL4T5c3KfBB5EHpuEupo

Berggren and Viro

 

Edited May 20, 2021 by LeftWinger

[Gniwder 168]

Options for the LHD we need:

• Jake McCabe - 28 years old - 6'1" 205lbs - 0.218 scoring rate - BUF 3rd pair and PK
• Slater Koekkoek - 27 years old - 6'2" 193lbs - 0.179 scoring rate - EDM 7th Dman - Drafted by Yzerman
• Jamie Oleksiak - 28 years old - 6'7" 225lbs - 0.195 scoring rate - DAL 2nd pair and PK
• Mike Reilly - 28 years old - 6'1" 200lbs - 0.308 scoring rate - BOS 1st pair and PP and PK
• Ben Hutton - 28 years old - 6'2" 206lbs - 0.240 scoring rate - ANA 3rd pair and PK
• Nikita Nesterov - 28 years old - 5'11" 191lbs - 0.218 scoring rate - CGY 3rd pair and PK - Drafted by Yzerman
• Patrik Nemeth - 29 years old - 6'3" 228lbs - 0.158 scoring rate - COL 3rd pair and PK - Former Red Wing
• Erik Gustafsson - 29 years old - 6'0" 197lbs - 0.524 scoring rate - PHI 7th Dman and PP
• Jordan Oesterle - 29 years old - 6'0" 185lbs - 0.258 scoring rate - ARI 3rd pair and PP and PK - Michigan Native
• Derek Forbort - 29 years old - 6'4" 220lbs - 0.196 scoring rate - WPG 2nd pair and PK
• Jon Merrill - 29 years old - 6'3" 195lbs - 0.163 scoring rate - MTL 7th Dman - Former Red Wing and Michigan Native
• Dimitry Kulikov - 31 years old - 6'1" 204lbs - 0.240 scoring rate - NJD 3rd pair and PK
• Michael Del Zotto - 31 years old - 6'0" 195lbs - 0.351 scoring rate - CBJ 3rd pair
• Brendan Smith - 32 years old - 6'2" 200lbs - 0.209 scoring rate - NYR 3rd pair - Former Red Wing
• Ian Cole - 32 years old - 6'1" 225lbs - 0.245 scoring rate - MIN 3rd pair - Michigan Native
• Thomas Hickey - 32 years old - 6'2" 186 - 0.258 scoring rate - NYI 3rd pair
• Marc Staal - 34 years old - 6'4" 210lbs - 0.209 scoring rate - DET 2nd pair and PK - Former Red Wing
• Niklas Hjalmarsson - 34 years old - 6'3" 200lbs - 0.209 scoring rate - ARI 7th Dman and PK
• Alec Martinez - 34 years old - 6'1" 210lbs - 0.360 scoring rate - 2nd pair and PP and PK - Michigan Native

*Bold = positive
*Red = negative
*Blue = special note
*Not included = AHL Dmen and Dmen 35 or older

I think there are three tiers here:

Tier 1
Alec Martinez
Derek Forbort
Mike Reilly
Jamie Oleksiak

Tier 2
Jake McCabe
Marc Staal
Ben Hutton
Nikita Nesterov
Jordan Oesterle
Dimitry Kulikov
Michael Del Zotto
Brendan Smith
Ian Cole
Thomas Hickey

Tier 3
Slater Koekkoek
Patrik Nemeth
Erik Gustafsson
Jon Merrill
Niklas Hjalmarsson

I think the only top tier Dman we may be able to snag is Derek Forbort. Former #15 overall pick, but he kinda flies under the radar in the league. Solid defensive LH Dman. We could impress him with salary and play time. I doubt we have a realistic shot at the other 3. 

In tier 2 we have Staal, Oesterle, and Cole I could see us shaking a stick at because of connections to Michigan. Yzerman also knows Nesterov and Smith well. Was rumored Holland was interested in Hickey back in the day.

Probably avoid tier 3. But any of those could be solid pick ups for depth 7th dmen.