JoeBuddy

A bit of perspective.  Our big rivals from the free-spending years.  Colorado - what happened to them after Roy, Foote, Sakic, Forsberg et al retired?  They've sucked ever since.  What about Dallas after Modano, Belfour, Zubov etc went?  They've sucked.  What happened to us after we lost Yzerman, Fedorov, Shanahan, Larionov, Hull, Robitaille etc?  Ken Holland went out and built another Stanley Cup roster.  And now most of that roster has retired or left and he's rebuilding the team again.  How many GMs out there have sucessfully rebuilt Cup winning rosters? Lou Lamoriello, and uh, I think thats about it.

 

This is all it took for me to read to know that Ken Holland is the best GM in the NHL. You are 100% correct. I'm sure it wasn't easy to fire Dave Lewis after he had been with us throughout the dynasty years. He hired a great coach (despite what some of LGW things) in Babs and has put this team in a position to win. He has no control over how well our goaltending is in the playoffs, or if we score goals or not. He puts the players that are capable of helping us win on the roster. It is up to them to play well. Kenny is the best GM in the league and I wouldn't prefer anyone over him.

You have to consider his forsight to not make any reactional signings or trades. Teams like NY, Philly, and even Pittsburgh this year went "all in" to try to win The Cup. If none of them do, then it was a failed season by their expectations (Philly fell flat early). This season without a doubt is a rebuilding year. However, look at where we currently are in the standings. We are 8th in the WC and 15th in the league. To me, it's incredible that we are rebuilding and are still competing for a playoff spot.

 

In our worst season in a long time, we can still see hope and potential that we can be a serious contender within the next few years. We are only a top 6 player or two away from that. We lost the best defensemen ever to play, along with Brad Stuart and our defense hasn't struggled nearly as much as everyone expected. We have competed and almost beat the best team in the Western Conference twice this season, all while injury riddled.

 

The losses of Helm and Bert (not so much Sammy) have really caused us to force guys who don't belong in the top 6 to step up and play top 6 minutes. Holland could have made a move to land a guy like Iginla or Bouwmester, but why would he at the expense of our future? Holland is as level-headed as a GM can be. He realized right after the last lockout that teams now need to build through the draft and not through free agency.

 

Look at all of the teams who have won Stanley Cups in the past years and there is a trand that their superstars are drafted, while their role players are picked up through trade or free agency.

 

06 Hurricanes - Eric Staal

07 Ducks - Perry, Ryan, Getzlaf, McDonald

08 Wings - Datsyuk, Zetty, Filp, Franzen, Lidstrom, Kronwall

09 Pens - Crosby, Malkin, Fleury

10  Blackhawks - Toews, Kane, Staal, Keith, Brouwer

11 Bruins - Lucic, Krejci, Berjeron, Marchand, Seguin

12 Kings - Quick, Kopitar, Brown, Doughty

 

For the most part, since the 04-05 lockout, all of the teams who have won Stanley Cups have built their core through drafting while adding one or two other pivotal players through other means. Ken Holland was the first person to say that this is the new trend after that year. He didn't trade any draft picks this season in order to gain a rental player. He is a very smart man and I don't think that any of us on the internet could do a better job than him.

 

edit: grammar

Got the email today and just bought my tickets. Can't wait to go!

I don't think he is at all. If anything, he has been more active this offseason than most during the salary cap era. He went after both Parise and Suter. He made a bid for Rick Nash. It has also been reported that we are interested in Shane Doan, and possibly Alex Semin. He spoke with Weber's agent to see what could be done to bring him to Detroit.

Unfortunately for us Wings fans, we are in the same division as the teams most of these players are coming from. Columbus and Nashville would have a really hard time trading their respective stars to their division rival. Suter had narrowed down his list of teams to Detroit and Minnesota. Too bad for us Zach Parise wanted to move back home while convincing his pal to join him. The Doan sweepstakes has been said to start at 4 years at 7.5 mil per year (more than both Dats and Z get paid annually). Semin has been said to be a locker room 'cancer' that some wings players, "don't think to highly of." What can Kenny do? The man has reportedly attempted to bring every name on the market this offseason to Detroit. He is the victim of unfortunate circumstances this offseason.

The allure of joining the Red WIngs organization is not fading away. Ken Holland has tried as hard as any other GM in the league to land the Wings a player of significance this offseason. Eventually, he will succeed. If he sees a player that will help us win, rest assured that he will do everything within his power to bring them here.

We still have a ton of money to spend through free agency and trade this offseason. No one knows what the cap will look like after this new CBA. We still have to save for the raises that Jimmy and Filp will be getting. The trade deadline may also have a few 'sellers' that may want to unload. He knows our D isn't as good on paper as it has been in the past. He knows that we need another top 6 forward to help support our main guys. When the oppurtinity arrives, the Wings will be make their move. Don't worry. In Kenny I trust.

As much as I'd love to have Parise or Suter, I just don't think it'll happen. Brandon Prust would be a nice, gritty additition. What scares me is the defense and the inconsistency we may see with a realistic lineup of:

Lidstrom - White
Kronwall - Smith
Quincey - Ericsson

I didn't really see much out of Quincey this year, but knowing that we spent a 1st round pick on him means that Kenny wants to keep him. Also, Smith may bring high hope along with him, however, at this point in his early career is he really any better than Stuart defensively or on the PK? That learning curve might hurt us and could cost us a few points in the standings. I would love to get the two most coveted FAs this offseason, but realistically I'm not holding my breath.