The Axe

 
Yes, and that is why Holland has kept hold of almost all his draft picks since 2006, because he knows you need a constant pipeline of good, young, cheap players coming through.

We don't play any of them, so who cares?

This.
 
It's great to beat an opponent on the scoreboard, but also fun watching our beloved Red Wings beating the snot outta them as well...Especially when it was against the Avs.

It was cool cause the wings never went looking for trouble.  They just ended all the trouble.

Well - I cannot argue with the facts you provided...
 
That said - Holland would've traded away that 1st rounded for an additional 2nd/3rd round picks, and would've used those picks on Emmerton clones...
 
Holland's only excuse is that Quincey was playing better while a member on other teams...Also he has a bad habbit of picking up players whom were once Red Wings in the past (see Bertuzzi, and Sammuelson).


Good point...
 
Stewie's best years were in Detroit; a solid stay @ home Dman.

Other than the Stanley Cup he cost us.  Stuart is mediocre.

Zetterberg was fantastic early in the season. Six of his goals and 19 of his assists were from January and February.  He's had double digit stretches of games where he hasn't scored.  He's the captain of the team and should be a difference maker out there most games.  The last half of the season, he has not produced, which has coincided with the Wings plummeting in the standings.  Leading a low scoring Wings team is not much of an accomplishment.  Neither he or Datsyuk is in the top 20 in league scoring.  All 9 of his goals (3 in 1 game)  came in Wings victories.  So when he scores, the Wings win. 

If it were up to me, I'd rearrange the whole forward corps.  

Z-Dats-Flip
Nyquist-Andersson-Tatar
Sheahan-Emmerton-Ericsson
Franzen-Abdelkader-Kronwall

Dekeyser-Kindl
Quincey-Lashoff
Smith-Colo

Howard
Gustavsson


Cleary can pound sand.

I miss Kocur the most.  I liked it when the Wings could kick the shyte out of the other team if necessary.

 
I believe it comes down to not the "willingness" to reload but the "ability" to reload.  The salary cap has prevented the Wings from doing that like they have in the past.  Oh, and if you think the past 3 years have been "unbearable", just wait.  Its going to get worse before it gets better.

More FALSEness.  The Wings play with the same cap as the other teams.  Its just that other teams spend money on great players and fill in the rest of the lineup with their low paid young guys.  We sign a bunch of old, crappy guys and let our prospects waste away.  

I love Tatar

I have 5 Tatar jerseys:

Home
Away
Chicago Winter Classic
Toronto Winter Classic
75th Anniversary

I don't know if you love him as much as I do.

Holland brings Homer out of retirement and inks him to 5 years with a no trade clause.  So don't forget about him.

Yes but those line swappings actually produced chemistry man.. Wings had some legitimate players in the mid to late 90s and early 2000s. I remember when he put Federov on defense, it actually worked. But nothing Babcock has done this season has worked.

We have a few gaping holes at forward.  Can you imagine if we removed our 2 goal scoring wingers from the cup teams?  

McCarty - Yzerman - Cleary
Kozlov - Larionov - Abdelkader

Come on.  Cleary and Abdelkader with Datsyuk says it all.  That's simply bad management.  And note to Babcock: spreading talent only works if you have some.  Put Flip, Days, and Hank together and hope.

We need the Stars and Blue Jackets to Lose Out.  Ha!

Zetterberg and Datsyuk need a Stamkos.  Until Holland pulls his head out and ponies up, why even get on these guys?  Datsyuk has played with Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, Clearly and Abdelkader.  This is hideous.  I liken it to punishment.  Imagine what it would be like if he had Z and a sniper.  Oh wait.  I don't have to imagine.  It was fricken awesome when Z and Hull were his wingers.  Holland should be doing everything possible to pry Bobby Ryan away from the Ducks and put him on a line with Z and Dats.  That will help Zetterberg's output.

Some of them are injured.  Yes, you've specifically chosen some of the injured players.  Now what happens when we lose 6 players for 1 and start getting injuries next year?

The thing is that the guys who are injured are the guys you could have predicted would be injured.  Old, injury prone, or both.  Ever think that maybe the reason Wings fans are always griping about man games lost Is because Holland is always icing a team of old guys and guys that can't stay healthy?  We can't stop the Quincy and White type injuries.  Accidents happen.  But Bert, Sammy, and Colo are a joke.  Those signings look so bad right now.  Those guys were finished when we signed them.  Holland needs to be a bit more shrewd in the future.

But you do actually have to have players filling roster spots...
 
It's not like you can subtract all of those players, add a star and then think your roster is fine.  You're talking about losing 6 players for 1.  One of which is our backup goalie.

But these guys aren't playing!!  That's my whole argument!  We are paying them AND the other guys that are actually filling the roster spot/playing.

 
Fisher showed some big promise defensively, his struggles came with confidence with the puck, not so much hockey IQ. Smith is different in the regard that he's not shown to play a basic defensive style. He's trying to run before he learns to walk, and he's stuck trying to make difficult plays, and it's hurting our defense.
 
Also have to take into account that he's been leapfrogged by a rookie with 6 games. Smith has all the ability in the world, but he's never shown the defensive apititude needed to play the big minutes. I don't think they're asking him to shut anyone down, but he just really lacks in the decision making department, and while it could develop, it very well might not. If he had showed previously at every level to not have a propensity to pinch at bad times, lose his guy in the defensive zone, try to force a pass etc. then I'd feel good about his future as a top 4 guy on our team.
 
He'll get at least another year, and hopefully he can work on his game, but it's not developed in 2 AHL seasons, and 43 NHL games and there really hasn't even been a bright spot were he's played well for 3-4 games defensively.

Carman, you know better.  Defenseman prime is 26 to 34.  Kindl and Quincy sucked up until this year.  There is a much steeper learning curve for an NHL d.  Give Smith time, and he is going to be great.  That Anaheim game where he put Ryan on his ass gave me a lot of hope for #2.  He just needs seasoning and good coaching.  And we have a good coach.

 
In the new salary cap era, Kenny doesn't have room to just buy goal scorers at 10 million a season.  They made plays for Suter and Parise, but both those guys went to Minnesota.  So they got plugs this season and they have to build through the draft, which is going to take time.  I bet they make a play for a elite player next season, but who knows how that is going to go.
 
Wings fans who have been spoiled over the last 20+ years of success are in for a rude awakening.  The best thing we can do now is to support our team the way it is.  Its going to get worse as time goes on thats for sure.  Dats and Zetterberg are in decline, and no elite players are in the wings right now to take over for their production.  Prepare for a rebuild and it won't be without pain.

This is the bogus argument that upsets me.

Tootoo = 1.5
Sammy = 3
Colo = 2
Gustavsson = 1.5
Bertuzzi = 1.5
Huskins = .5

There's 10 mil right there.  Don't tell me we don't have the money or room.  We just spend it unwisely.  Mind you, this is hindsight for most people.  But a good GM, and certainly the proclaimed BEST GM, should have been able to predict that the 35 plus guys and historically fragile guys might not provide a worthwhile ROI.  

That being said, the lockout can work to Hollands advantage.  If he dumps the garbage, then we will have a chance to jump to light speed just like the imperial fleet.