Detroit has been struggling to scrape its way into the playoffs for the last couple of seasons. Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, and Kronwall are/will be 36, 34, 35, and 33 this upcoming season. Alfredsson, if he comes back, will be 42.

I just don't think it makes much sense for a team in Detroit's position to trade talented guys in their early-to-mid-20s (both of whom still have one more RFA round to go) for older players, even if the deal is "fair" or "fits a need" in hockey terms. It might provide a little boost in the short term, maybe, but it's not going to transform the Red Wings into a title contender and it'll give them even less to work with should a rebuild become necessary a year or two down the line. The last thing we need is more Jarnkrok-for-Legwand short-term thinking.

I think Detroit needs to figure out what they're going to get out of Jurco, Pulkkinen, Mantha, and all their promising AHL blueliners before they can seriously entertain the idea of flipping youth for veteran fixes. Ultimately the problem is that Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall (not to mention Lidstrom) will need to be replaced sooner rather than later, and a Nyquist-for-Martin-plus type deal moves them further from that, not closer.
- Sven22

This. If the Wings are going to make a trade it has to be for an under 30 player that fits a need that isn't a rental. I also agree that the Wings need to find out sooner rather than later what they have in their system by giving them spot duties during the seasons instead of just waiting for their waivers to run out or getting hit hard by injuries. Holland signs way too many average players that gives those youngsters no chance of making the team or playing games in the NHL unless injuries hit hard.

This Martin deal makes no sense for the Wings for the reasons already mentioned by others and the fact that once DeKeyser (and probably Alfie) are signed the Wings wouldn't have the cap space to fit Martin on their team unless they moved as much salary back.

This. If the Wings are going to make a trade it has to be for an under 30 player that fits a need that isn't a rental. I also agree that the Wings need to find out sooner rather than later what they have in their system by giving them spot duties during the seasons instead of just waiting for their waivers to run out or getting hit hard by injuries. Holland signs way too many average players that gives those youngsters no chance of making the team or playing games in the NHL unless injuries hit hard.

This Martin deal makes no sense for the Wings for the reasons already mentioned by others and the fact that once DeKeyser (and probably Alfie) are signed the Wings wouldn't have the cap space to fit Martin on their team unless they moved as much salary back.
- dcz28

I'm kind of hoping that doesn't happen.

I'm kind of hoping that doesn't happen.
- YzermanIsTheMan

I'm fine with it since he can still produce when healthy. My problem is with Cleary, Lashoff and Glendening being on the roster and also wish Quincey and Gus were let go instead of giving them all raises. Wings have a serious lack of right handed shots not just on defense but forwards too. Alfie, Glendening, Callahan and maybe Ferraro are the only right handed shooters they have that might be on the team. Most of those guys are not scorers.

I would be ok with something like this:

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Jurco/Tatar
Franzen - Weiss - Nyquist
Jurco/Tatar - Sheahan - Alfie
Abdelkader - Helm - Callahan
Miller, Andersson as spares or rotate them on the 4th line.

Kronwall - Ericsson
Smith - DeKeyser
Quincey - Marchenko (or rotate some of the prospects during the season)
Kindl

Howard
Mrazek

I'm fine with it since he can still produce when healthy. My problem is with Cleary, Lashoff and Glendening being on the roster and also wish Quincey and Gus were let go instead of giving them all raises. Wings have a serious lack of right handed shots not just on defense but forwards too. Alfie, Glendening, Callahan and maybe Ferraro are the only right handed shooters they have that might be on the team. Most of those guys are not scorers.


- dcz28

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Nyquist
Franzen - Weiss - Alfie
Jurco - Helm - Tatar
Abdelkader - Andersson/Glendenin - Cleary/Miller

Kronwall - Ericsson
Quincey - DeKeyser
Smith - Lashoff/Kindl

Howard
Gustavsson

That's more like what Babcock will stick with for the start to the season and probably most of it if everyone stays healthy.

Frk did benefit from playing with Drouin and MacKinnon but they all did from playing with each other. To me Frk thought the transition to AHL would be easy and that he didn't have to work hard. He probably thought his skills and shot would be enough for the next level...he was wrong and I think he knows it now. I expect him to be much better prepared for this season and I expect a breakout season from him.

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Nyquist
Franzen - Weiss - Alfie
Jurco - Helm - Tatar
Abdelkader - Andersson/Glendenin - Cleary/Miller

Kronwall - Ericsson
Quincey - DeKeyser
Smith - Lashoff/Kindl

Howard
Gustavsson

That's more like what Babcock will stick with for the start to the season and probably most of it if everyone stays healthy.
- YzermanIsTheMan

No what we will see is this:

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader
Franzen - Weiss - Nyquist
Cleary - Helm - Alfie
Tatar - Glendening - Sheahan/Miller

No what we will see is this:

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader
Franzen - Weiss - Nyquist
Cleary - Helm - Alfie
Tatar - Glendening - Sheahan/Miller
- dcz28

I really like the idea of Abdelkader floating between 2nd and 3rd lines. Nyquist, Jurco, Tatar.. those three would benefit/compliment the Eurotwins so much better than Abdelkader. Especially Jurco with his size and style of play.

I really like the idea of Abdelkader floating between 2nd and 3rd lines. Nyquist, Jurco, Tatar.. those three would benefit/compliment the Eurotwins so much better than Abdelkader. Especially Jurco with his size and style of play.
- YzermanIsTheMan

I want Abdelkader where he belongs on the 4th line with maybe some 3rd line once in a while.

I agree that all 3 kids would be better options for the 1st line.

I want Abdelkader where he belongs on the 4th line with maybe some 3rd line once in a while.

I agree that all 3 kids would be better options for the 1st line.
- dcz28

I like abby. But yeah. Keep him off the 1st line at all costs.

I like abby. But yeah. Keep him off the 1st line at all costs.
- YzermanIsTheMan

I like him too but not in the top 6...he just doesn't have the offensive skills to play a top 6 role. He's also not tough enough to look after Datsyuk and Zetterberg when other teams take cheap shots at them...proof is when Cowan elbowed Datsyuk in the head and gave him a concussion, Abby did nothing and neither did the rest of the team. That is another part of the Wings team I don't like...lack of toughness to deal with cheap shots. Powerplay isn't good enough to scare anyone anymore.

dont know about Frk our Patterson. tough to say if they will turn out.

Anthisou (spelling) will be the best player in this class. i think hes a eventual top 6 forward.


rest of the class will take years to play out if we even see them at all.

Cleary is not making this (frank)ing team. Jurco over him anyday. but we all know Jurco is going to the griffins just because he can. last season of eligibility for him.

i believe that kenny would have some of these guys down in GR till their 30. thats a young and in his prime player to Kenny.


one last thing. they should trade some of these forward prospects for help on defense.

How is Sproul progressing. Wanted the Rangers to draft him in the worst way. Think that's another gem you guys might have found.

I like him too but not in the top 6...he just doesn't have the offensive skills to play a top 6 role. He's also not tough enough to look after Datsyuk and Zetterberg when other teams take cheap shots at them...proof is when Cowan elbowed Datsyuk in the head and gave him a concussion, Abby did nothing and neither did the rest of the team. That is another part of the Wings team I don't like...lack of toughness to deal with cheap shots. Powerplay isn't good enough to scare anyone anymore.
- dcz28

Cowan..

The Wings haven't had tough really since 2010ish. Tootoo is the closest thing we had, but he was limited in any particular skills was benched a ton during his two years with us.

How is Sproul progressing. Wanted the Rangers to draft him in the worst way. Think that's another gem you guys might have found.
- tomburton99

Personally I am really high on Sproul since he could be everything the Wings have needed in a defenseman for so long...right handed booming shot, good passer, good skater with good size. He still needs to fill out more although he's gotten a bit bigger since being drafted and still needs some work on the defensive side but he has made progress in that area too. I was very happy when the Wings drafted him.

Cowan..

The Wings haven't had tough really since 2010ish. Tootoo is the closest thing we had, but he was limited in any particular skills was benched a ton during his two years with us.
- YzermanIsTheMan

Hopefully McKee can be that tough guy on the 4th line in the future. Guy is already freaking huge and does have some mobility for a guy his size plus he loves to scrap. I only caught one game of his last season but he looked ok...he was taking runs at players almost every shift and seems to love using his size.

Nedo might be another option if he continues to improve his game. Big guys that likes to be physical and fight when need be.

Also hope Callahan gets a chance. He isn't big but he has balls...still remember him trying to get his full face cage off in the playoffs to get into a fight after coming back from the horrible shot in the face injury.

Hopefully McKee can be that tough guy on the 4th line in the future. Guy is already freaking huge and does have some mobility for a guy his size plus he loves to scrap. I only caught one game of his last season but he looked ok...he was taking runs at players almost every shift and seems to love using his size.

Nedo might be another option if he continues to improve his game. Big guys that likes to be physical and fight when need be.

Also hope Callahan gets a chance. He isn't big but he has balls...still remember him trying to get his full face cage off in the playoffs to get into a fight after coming back from the horrible shot in the face injury.
- dcz28

I could see McKee getting a few dozen NHL games during his professional career. Haven't really heard much of Nedo. Yeah, those pics of Callahan after that shot were pretty

I could see McKee getting a few dozen NHL games during his professional career. Haven't really heard much of Nedo. Yeah, those pics of Callahan after that shot were pretty
- YzermanIsTheMan

Plenty of his fights on youtube. Due to the surplus of defensemen in Grand Rapids and the fact they already have one big tough fighting defenseman there in Evans, Nedomlel spent the season in Toledo and likely will do so again unless injuries happen. He has made some improvements to his game but still needs more to beat out all those other talented prospects the Wings have.

I know it's still relatively early, but really there's not much to get excited about with the 2012 draft class.

Athanasiou certainly has the most upside, but I'm a little bit skeptical of his chances at becoming a true impact scorer at the NHL level. Granted I'm no pro scout but I would tend to project him more as a third-line guy. He is reasonably big (6'2, 200) and has great wheels, so I'm hoping he turns into, essentially, Kris Draper With Size. If he can play decent two-way possession hockey and chip in say 25 points a year (maybe 30-40 at his absolute peak), I'd be pretty happy.

After that, for pretty much everyone else I'd be surprised if they got more than a handful of games at the NHL level. Paterson could get there (projecting junior goalies is basically impossible) but I doubt it. And Frk is just ponderous. I think it's pretty clear that MacKinnon and Drouin were driving the bus in Halifax. Both were much better players and put up much better numbers despite also being much younger than Frk.

Yes, it's still early and a lot can change yet. There's still time. But right now it's not looking so hot for the class of 2012.

To follow up on yet another rambling topic on this thread: I would rather see almost anyone (anyone besides Glendening basically) get a top-six winger audition than see Abdelkader try and fail for the third straight season.

It's not that Abdelkader is awful or anything (I think he's a useful player in the right role), I just think we've seen enough of him on a scoring line now to know that he isn't very good at it. He's 27, he's been a regular in the lineup for 5 years, he's been given plenty of opportunities to step into a bigger role and run with it ... and he's never cracked 30 points.

I just don't think it makes sense for him to keep being the first choice to ride shotgun on Datsyuk's line whenever a spot opens up when we already know that he isn't going to be particularly effective. If you lose a couple guys to injury and need to promote someone to spot duty in the top six, why not give, say, Joakim Andersson a shot? Or call up Jurco (or even one of the other AHL scorers)? Or even Drew Miller?

Maybe those guys wouldn't be any better than Abdelkader. At least some of them probably wouldn't. But we don't know for sure because they haven't gotten the opportunity. What we do know is that Abdelkader HAS been given that opportunity and has done zilch with it.

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Nyquist
Franzen - Weiss - Alfie
Jurco - Helm - Tatar
Abdelkader - Andersson/Glendenin - Cleary/Miller

Kronwall - Ericsson
Quincey - DeKeyser
Smith - Lashoff/Kindl

Howard
Gustavsson

That's more like what Babcock will stick with for the start to the season and probably most of it if everyone stays healthy.
- YzermanIsTheMan

I think lines will look something like this...

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Nyquist
Jurco-Sheahan-Tatar
Franzen-Weiss-Helm
Abdelkader-Glendening-Miller

Cleary/Andersson

Kronwall-Ericsson
DeKeyser-Quincey
Smith-Kindl

Lashoff

Oullette and Sproul will be up with the big club by the half way point.

I think lines will look something like this...

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Nyquist
Jurco-Sheahan-Tatar
Franzen-Weiss-Helm
Abdelkader-Glendening-Miller

Cleary/Andersson

Kronwall-Ericsson
DeKeyser-Quincey
Smith-Kindl

Lashoff

Oullette and Sproul will be up with the big club by the half way point.
- RedDog18

This is the first lineup I've seen on this site that I can 100% agree with and would love to see. Hopefully they go with this and 2/3 of our first line and our whole 3rd line aren't injured all season.

So ESPN has recently listed a list of their top 100 prospects.?? Tried to view it but you have to pay for a membership

Anyone know who from our system is in there?

Number Name Position Drafted Team 2013/14 League
1 Jonathan Drouin LW Tampa Bay Lightning QMJHL
2 Aaron Ekblad D Florida Panthers OHL
3 Sam Bennett C Calgary Flames OHL
4 William Nylander RW Toronto Maple Leafs SHL
5 Sam Reinhart C Buffalo Sabres WHL
6 Nikolaj Ehlers LW Winnipeg Jets QMJHL
7 Kevin Fiala LW Nashville Predators SHL
8 Leon Draisaitl C Edmonton Oilers WHL
9 Michael Dal Colle LW New York Islanders OHL
10 Evgeny Kuznetsov C Washington Capitals NHL
11 Filip Forsberg RW Nashville Predators NHL
12 Teuvo Teravainen C Chicago Blackhawks NHL
13 Haydn Fleury D Carolina Hurricanes WHL
14 Curtis Lazar RW Ottawa Senators WHL
15 Kasperi Kapanen RW Pittsburgh Penguins Liiga
16 Brandon Gormley D Arizona Coyotes NHL
17 Mikhail Grigorenko C Buffalo Sabres NH
18 Josh Morrissey D Winnipeg Jets AHL
19 Bo Horvat C Vancouver Canucks OHL
20 Griffin Reinhart D New York Islanders WHL
21 Nikita Zadorov D Buffalo Sabres NHL
22 Andre Burakovsky LW Washington Capitals OHL
23 Darnell Nurse D Edmonton Oilers AHL
24 Nicolas Petan C Winnipeg Jets WHL
25 Pavel Buchnevich RW New York Rangers KHL
26 Jake Virtanen RW Vancouver Canucks WHL
27 Max Domi C Arizona Coyotes OHL
28 Alexander Wennberg C Columbus Blue Jackets SHL
29 Derrick Pouliot D Pittsburgh Penguins WHL
30 Sonny Milano LW Columbus Blue Jackets USHL
31 Hunter Shinkaruk C Vancouver Canucks WHL
32 Jakub Vrana LW Washington Capitals SHL
33 Anthony Mantha LW Detroit Red Wings QMJHL
34 Jacob de la Rose LW Montreal Canadiens SHL
35 Robby Fabbri C St. Louis Blues OHL
36 David Pastrnak RW Boston Bruins SHL-2
37 Riley Barber RW Washington Capitals NCAA
38 Brendan Perlini LW Arizona Coyotes USHL
39 Rickard Rakell C Anaheim Ducks NHL
40 Mirco Mueller D San Jose Sharks AHL
41 Ville Pokka D New York Islanders Liiga
42 Johnny Gaudreau LW Calgary Flames NHL
43 Dmitrij Jaskin LW St. Louis Blues NHL
44 Hudson Fasching RW Buffalo Sabres NCAA
45 Mathew Dumba D Minnesota Wild NHL
46 Oscar Klefbom D Edmonton Oilers NHL
47 Chris Bigras D Colorado Avalanche OHL
48 Mark Stone RW Ottawa Senators NHL
49 Vincent Trocheck C Florida Panthers NHL
50 Ryan Spooner C Boston Bruins NHL
51 J.T. Compher C Buffalo Sabres NCAA
52 Artturi Lehkonen LW Montreal Canadiens Liiga
53 Tanner Pearson LW Los Angeles Kings NHL
54 Scott Harrington D Pittsburgh Penguins AHL
55 Alexander Khokhlachev LW Boston Bruins NHL
56 Steven Santini D New Jersey Devils NCAA
57 Brett Ritchie RW Dallas Stars AHL
58 Calle Jarnkrok C Nashville Predators NHL
59 Xavier Ouellet D Detroit Red Wings NHL
60 Joel Armia RW Buffalo Sabres AHL
61 Ty Rattie RW St. Louis Blues NHL
62 Nathan Beaulieu D Montreal Canadiens NHL
63 Mike Matheson D Florida Panthers NCAA
64 William Karlsson C Anaheim Ducks AHL
65 Vladislav Namestnikov C Tampa Bay Lightning NHL
66 Ryan Hartman RW Chicago Blackhawks AHL
67 Ivan Barbashev C St. Louis Blues QMJHL
68 Nick Ritchie RW Anaheim Ducks OHL
69 Gustav Possler LW Buffalo Sabres SHL
70 Adam Erne LW Tampa Bay Lightning AHL
71 Andreas Johnson LW Toronto Maple Leafs SHL
72 Jake McCabe D Buffalo Sabres NHL
73 Scott Laughton C Philadelphia Flyers NHL
74 Jason Zucker LW Minnesota Wild NHL
75 Sebastian Collberg RW New York Islanders AHL
76 Rocco Grimaldi C Florida Panthers NCAA
77 Jared McCann C Vancouver Canucks OHL
78 Jamie Oleksiak D Dallas Stars NHL
79 Valentin Zykov RW Los Angeles Kings QMJHL
80 Slater Koekkoek D Tampa Bay Lightning OHL
81 Teemu Pulkkinen RW Detroit Red Wings NHL
82 Ryan Pulock D New York Islanders AHL
83 Nikolai Prokhorkin C Los Angeles Kings KHL
84 Josh Ho-Sang C New York Islanders OHL
85 Adam Clendening D Chicago Blackhawks AHL
86 Oliver Bjorkstrand RW Columbus Blue Jackets WHL
87 Brayden Point C Tampa Bay Lightning WHL
88 Robert Hagg D Philadelphia Flyers AHL
89 Alex Tuch RW Minnesota Wild USHL
90 Miikka Salomaki RW Nashville Predators AHL
91 Adrian Kempe LW Los Angeles Kings SHL
92 Nikita Scherbak LW Montreal Canadiens WHL
93 Adam Pelech D New York Islanders OHL
94 Roland McKeown D Los Angeles Kings OHL
95 Marko Dano C Columbus Blue Jackets AHL
96 Ian McCoshen D Florida Panthers NCAA
97 Madison Bowey D Washington Capitals WHL
98 Martin Reway LW Montreal Canadiens QMJHL
99 Dylan Larkin C Detroit Red Wings USHL
100 Travis Sanheim D Philadelphia Flyers WHL

Ken Holland was just resigned as VP/GM for 4 more years.