Detroit Red Wings

I'll play...

I agree here on your take of Montreal and New York, especially if they continue getting the goaltending they both have as of late. They both remind me of the type of teams that can grind it out over several series. I also agree that Detroit is a piece or two away from being on the same level.

This is where it get's tricky. With the pieces they have and have brought up, they have managed to stay a top the East and I think Kenny and company sorta have developed a love affair with their young home cooking types. On the other hand, if their going to get a plug-in here and now guy, they are going to have to invest. Ive just become so used to them lately of just getting by with what asset's they have now and with this years success it's hard to argue with that technique.

Is it just me, or is the market so screwed up, there's hardly no room for making a move? It seems everybody needs the same type of players and no one wants to give up much, which makes it a dead in the water market. Teams that are at the bottom and dont have a chance at making a playoff push are exactly the ones who would be interested in prospects, but every one wants to hang on to their precious core's. lol, nothing is going to get done by March.

 

I think thats just his style. He lives in the mindset of getting top production from lesser paid, dont have to be a star, types. ...and in some ways it's working and paying off.

 

It is tricky. No doubt about it. Mantha could be a top line player for 12 years and Yandle may go in and out of his prime in 3 without giving the Wings results since they're in such a different system.

Too many extensions to vets and too many older vets have been targetted in FA for me to believe they're in love with anything other than putting the best team together, as they see it. I don't think they're enamored with age, I think it had more to do with shifting emphasis in team construction.

There's much to be said for just sitting back.

I'm with you, it's crazy. You can just compare a trade list from 20 years ago until today. Keenan threw his roster in the blender in NY in 94. Now it's hard to get one change in the top6/top 4 in more than half the league. I think much of it has to do with so many franchises actually having useful front offices now and a cap to deal with. Money is less of an issue than capspace and development/depth pipelines.

That's one reason why I said now is the time to try to deal, if they are going to. Overpayment is a forgone conclusion, it's so tough for everything to line up where a team can actually acquire a real roster changer (favorably) that I think reasonable efforts have to be made to try.

That about sums it up. I would also add that nobody wins without having cost controllled players playing above their cap hit so too much value is placed on them and/or high picks anymore.

 

I really think they want elite players, they're just tougher than ever to get. Only a handful move in a given calendar year.

 

I thought this was a very good question:

 

i'm opposed to moving tinky winky. i think he's a proven commodity, and i want him here. he's a rock solid #2 center, and becoming a star wouldn't surprise me at all. i like his game everywhere on the ice.

i don't think it's his style to avoid FAs - we've seen him go after some big ones lately and not land them. but i suspect there's something else going on there, especially when boyle turned down his offer and accepted less in new york.

but in any case, i'm real happy with what's happened this season. we've got 4 guys that were "god i hope he can do something if we call him up"s last season who are bona fide pros now - nyquist, tatar, sheahan and glendening. this defense, while still funky, is light years beyond what it was last season, with the same people, and imo, danny dekeyser was a real coup that slid under the radar. this team is very close to being DOMINATE.

 

I agree 100%... I think he will be a great player and is someone I would put the untouchable label on. I like his play in front of the net too when they decide to play him there. He's a big strong kid with plenty of potential.

 

Heading into the All-Star break. Very impressive if I do say so myself...

Standings
Atlantic Division
W L OTL Pts
Tampa Bay 30 14 4 64
Detroit 27 11 9 63
Montreal 29 13 3 61
Boston 25 16 7 57
Florida 20 14 10 50
Ottawa 19 18 9 47
Toronto 22 23 3 47
Buffalo 14 30 3 31

 

He with the most structure is going to win the East. Detroit is definitely one of the contenders, and Dominate is within their grasp. I think they can even absorb and injury or two outside of Datsyuk too. NYR is still has issues up front and MTL needs to clean up. I don't think Pit or TB can play 60 minutes of solid defensive hockey when push comes to shove. Boston is a wild card. If the Clode figures out his lines OR the blueline pairs, they're right in the mix, otherwise they're below the Wings too imo.

I already miss talking about Toronto.

 

I forgot the Caps. If Barry gets his dman and his wing, they're going to be really tough to get by. Backstrom is teh awsum.

 

No, I didn't forget the Isles. I don't think they're built for the postseason.

 

The NYI are built to get to the postseason, or more precisely, to avoid being a draft lottery team in 2015. They've done well toward that goal, but I agree that they are not built to win in the postseason.

Garth's plan is all based on a trade starting in Oct. 2013, the net effect of which is this:
The NYI have these assets: Sebastian Collberg, (2nd rnd/#33 in 2012, by MTL), and Josh Ho-sang (1st rnd./#28 in 2014)
(That is two prospects.)

What they gave up is quite a bit:
Matt Moulson, two 2nd rnd. 2014 picks (#35 & 57), a 5th in 2014 (#125), a first and a second in 2015.
(That's one first, three seconds, a fifth, and Matt Moulson.)

The first round pick in 2015 is what stings, and Garth was determined to not see BUF use that as a lottery pick. It appears as his team will make the playoffs, but I will be extremely surprised if they advance very far once they're there.

 

If you may, could you elaborate on this? I wonder why if this is what you see, why didnt they when the made some moves? How does a team win their majority of their games in the regular season, but land up getting out worked in the playoffs? Is it a scheme thing, or just personal on the ice?

Do you also think that teams float during the regular season and then kick it into another gear of tighter checking and defensive play come playoff time? Seems like the defensive teams are winning the Cups as of late, not the offensive shoot'em up types.

Not quite 20 questions, but I tried.

 

I'm not going to address the question about why teams can have a great season yet are postseason losers. I'd rather leave that, for now, to those with a more finely tuned understanding of the game.

I will say it is predictable, and it's based on the different style of play and intensity once the "real" season starts. I can add my thoughts on this, but am better qualified to respond to what others say. I think the topic deserves it's own message thread.

 

by all means, start one *DRINK*

 

I thought i would share these. This is Part 1 of a 4 part series. It's a behind the scenes look at the Wings Western Canada road trip...

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-...yer_detailpage&v=5dyzoiOr4mg&x-yt-cl=84503534[/video]

 

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?featu...-ts=1421914688&v=jJYvRsvRvMs&x-yt-cl=84503534[/video]

 

NHL makes it official: Red Wings, Avalanche to play at Coors Field next season in Stadium Series

Sounds like fun.

 

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-...r_detailpage&v=AgOYFByEuis&x-yt-ts=1421914688[/video]

 

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ui...&x-yt-ts=1421914688&feature=player_detailpage[/video]