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My fourth “summer reading” showed Chelios find he was missing an ACL. that’s a shocking bit of news, and more shocking that he played up to 10 more years in the NHL without it. Cheli is a credit to toughness, for sure.
Today seemed to open up some of those big moves that GMs have been chewing on. A bit of a surprise from Minnesota as two steep contracts were bought out with Parise and Suter. Guerin is giving the franchise a big shove in a new direction. Parise wasn’t as much a surprise, but both at once is a gutsy move going forward.
The past week has led to a great deal of pondering. Last season it seemed that the core was established in Larkin, Bertuzzi and Mantha. Those three were tight and wanted to see things turn around. Yzerman made a deal at the very end of the trade deadline acquiring Vrana and a first round pick to see the big Frenchman head to Washington.
Ok, swap in Vrana ( assuming the extension gets done). Hronek has worked his way into the conversation and done a lot to be Detroit’s current top defenseman. Zadina, if he can add offense into the defense gave he developed, could be part of that conversation as well. Rasmussen grabbed a spot on the third line (and kudos to the hard work). Seider is coming in as the most exciting defensive prospect in a long, long time. But, how many players are really “the core”? At this point, we still need a goalie of the future, right?
Enter the Bertuzzi chatter. There’s a part of me that tries to create a gap in getting attached to a particular player. according to multiple GMS, Yzerman’s “don’t ask” list last season had Larkin, Raymond and Seider on it. That’s it. It doesn’t mean he’s shopping anyone, but he’s listening. That’s the job of a good GM. Part of the slow road to rebuild has been overvaluing players. Yzerman came in and ripped that bandage off. He’s been efficient, almost surgical, in how he allowed players to leave via expiration, buyout and trade. From over-nostalgic under one regime to focused and forward looking with the Captain’s return to Motown.
Mantha and Bertuzzi had very different receptions. Mantha’s first round pick had GMs calling Ken Holland almost immediately. Bertuzzi’s second round selection had people mocking Detroit for way overvaluing the scrappy young prospect. Both ended up on the top line, and only the bulldog remains. Bertuzzi turned heads in Grand Rapids, came up and worked his way up. From “way too soon” to “very good pick” Tyler started getting attention around the league.
In some ways, if there is a deal in place, this is a much harder transaction from a “fan” standpoint. Bertuzzi outperformed expectations. Mantha was sidelined at times with injury and often drew ire for not producing more. Bertuzzi seemed to give everything on every shift. Even when the team was hopelessly behind, he would be out there trying to turn things around. With a team flailing so badly, Bertuzzi embodies the attitude it’s going to take from everyone to turn this thing around. If he is traded, it feels like losing a lot more than just a player.
But, Yzerman has shown that he can build. He’s proven that. Make no mistake, the core value is creating a winner. Yzerman lived through that as a player, and then a GM in Tampa. He’s seen two sides of what that looks like. Decisions made that send very good players out the door (and good friends). And so, I’m bracing myself. Keep in mind that all the “buzz” right now is from outside the organization. The beat writers, those few reporters that are on all the calls, aren’t touching this. Right now, it’s a slow time news wise so everything gets blown up. And, any time Toronto is in a rumor, it’s a tankard of gasoline on the fire for rumors.
So we’re fast approaching people vs philosophy. Looking to Tampa, Stamkos is no longer the most important piece of the core that he was when drafted. Other players were drafted in that became the “front and center” look of the franchise. When Detroit return to serious post season contention, Larkin could be on the other side of 30. It could be Zadina, Seider and “goalie of the future” that form the untouchable pieces. Raymond, or this year’s first round pick(s) could also find themselves high on the list of important players.
For 2 decades every player seemed important. As things wound down, it was clear that Lidstrom was really the lifeline that kept things together. Zetterberg and Datsyuk made a lot of lesser players look good. The “grind line” mentality (helped by Yzerman and the leadership) put high value on depth players. That proved necessary in the post season. But, there were panicking fans each time a player retired or moved on. The players were the culture once the cups started coming.
Right now, there is a divide. The culture is a goal. It isn’t fully in existence yet. The attitude is leaps ahead of where it was heading into Yzerman’s 3rd season at the wheel. The on ice expression in terms of excellence is not. The players need to be molded, acquired, and in some cases moved to get the right pieces in place. The “untouchables” feels like a shifting scale as time passes. Be that as it may, a part of me can’t help but be a little sad if Bertuzzi is moved. The return will be fantastic, no doubt. But it’s hard to completely move away from valuing the players that come in and try to make things better.
There’s no guarantee, one way or the other. So, I’m staying wide open in terms of expectations. At this point, I’m learning to be a blank slate when it comes to deals to be made or players to be drafted. Yzerman is seeing a future vision of the sport. He’s functioning accordingly. In Tampa, he combined skill and toughness while there were many who thought skill alone would rule the day. His balanced vision turned out to be dead on. Whatever it is that “the captain” sees, it’s based on a lot of learning, a lot of winning, and a lot of losing. For nearly 40 years he’s seen the sport evolve and transform and reached impressive heights on the bench, and in the office. He’s also smart enough to keep some things close to the vest. We’ll know it when we see it, to be sure.
Let me know where you’re at. Is it “business as usual”, players in, players out? Or is there a part of you that can’t help but get attached to some of the men who proudly wear the Winged Wheel? As always, I’ll see you in the comments.
Check out some of my previous posts
My fourth “gear corner” focused on equipment for special events.
The Canadiens have to get down to business after the post season ended.
my previous article covered some of the top UFA right shooting forwards available.
The expansion draft is swiftly approaching.
In my third installment of Summer Reading, Chelios found out exactly what Yzerman was like as a leader..
My third “Gear Corner” focused on helmets.
Alex Tanguay is a new assistant coach in Detroit.
I posted about the state of the Wings being at about half of the team it needs to be..
Frank Seravalli’s top 20 list has some options for Detroit.
My second summer reading post took a look at the world’s funniest bar fight.
My second “Gear Corner” talked a bit about gloves.
The Golden Knights are out of the playoffs.
Updated mock drafts have Detroit looking at Wallstedt, Eklund and Edvinsson.
Helm and Filppula could be moving on.
Jared McIsaac may finally be healthy enough to have a solid pro year.
My first “summer reading post” covered Chelios’s career defining fib.
Friday was my first gear corner with Doug Todd from Warrior Hockey.
Albert Johansson won’t be competing for a spot in North America this season
I will be featuring the writings of Kevin Allen for a summer reading program this year. It’s tough to break up the summer months, and the one on one formats that Kevin has perfected is not only a pleasure to read but gives insight that isn’t easy to come by. I’ll be starting with Chris Chelios “Made in America”.
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