Actually, Killer would also keep some of the pests off of Larkin if put on his line.......
- HenryHockey

"Killer" used to be Doug Gilmour's nickname. He was a very good player especially for the Leafs. But I always figured he gave himself that nickname. My standards are different I guess. I could see Mark Messier or Scott Stevens having that nickname. But Doug Gilmour? No.

I'd keep our top line intact. It's very effective. The key for the Red Wings this season will be to stop getting our faces caved in when our #1 line isn't on the ice. It's been mismatch central. Adding Ryan and Namestnikov helps to give Blashill less excuses from the mainstream hockey media. I'm sick of the "no talent" crutch.
- gergeswillems

Yes, I like our top line as well, but it would be switched up only if during a game that Larkin is taking too much punishment. A deterrent has to be fashioned from time to time. I am thankful that the Wings probably will not face Calgary and Matty Tkachuk!

"Killer" used to be Doug Gilmour's nickname. He was a very good player especially for the Leafs. But I always figured he gave himself that nickname. My standards are different I guess. I could see Mark Messier or Scott Stevens having that nickname. But Doug Gilmour? No.
- gergeswillems

Headhunter Stephens could not be as effective in today's league, Thank goodness!

Headhunter Stephens could not be as effective in today's league, Thank goodness!
- HenryHockey

Nope. He'd be suspended all time. Same goes for Derian Hatcher and Chris Pronger. I really miss those days. ☹️

I'd keep our top line intact. It's very effective. The key for the Red Wings this season will be to stop getting our faces caved in when our #1 line isn't on the ice. It's been mismatch central. Adding Ryan and Namestnikov helps to give Blashill less excuses from the mainstream hockey media. I'm sick of the "no talent" crutch.
- gergeswillems

I would also like to keep that line intact, but the middle six is so leaky. Namestnikov is a huge improvement in that we now have one middle sixer who is legitimately good defensively, as opposed to zero. But it's not nearly enough.

Splitting Larkin and Mantha might be the only way to make two lines that aren't constantly getting caved in. The question is whether having two mediocre lines and two awful ones is better than having one good line one and three awful ones.

I would also like to keep that line intact, but the middle six is so leaky. Namestnikov is a huge improvement in that we now have one middle sixer who is legitimately good defensively, as opposed to zero. But it's not nearly enough.

Splitting Larkin and Mantha might be the only way to make two lines that aren't constantly getting caved in. The question is whether having two mediocre lines and two awful ones is better than having one good line one and three awful ones.
- Sven22

Give me the line I can count on the most. The one which is consistent. Force our opponents to use their top lines and best D pairing to match up with Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi. Why mess with chemistry?

That's one of Blender Blashill's worst traits as a head coach. He mixes his lines too much. He's too busy pretending he's Scotty Bowman. He isn't. Far from it. Bad teams need to keep things simple. Red Wings are a bad team.

If we still can't show any kind of offensive production after the #1 line then that's embarrassing. There's no reason why Zadina, Fabbri, Namestnikov or Ryan can't provide something better than what we've seen the past few years.

Filppula, Neilsen and Abdelkader? Glendening, Helm and AA? I'll take my chances with this year's group. If it fails it fails. But I'm not going to make it easier on my opponents. I'm going to force them to matchup their best players with my best players.

Then I just have to at least break even with my opponents secondary players. Too many times (pretty much everytime) we lost these matchups which led to ugly losses. Let's be good at the one thing we're good at. Playing a very good scoring line.

We don't have much to brag about on this team. But the Mantha-Larkin-Bertuzzi line is one of them. I don't want to punish these 3 players. It's not their fault the roster lacks depth.

I don't see Boston splitting their big line up. Probably the best line in the NHL. We have a poor man's version of this. Why break it up? It makes zero sense me. It's like putting in the backup QB in the second quarter so he's fresh for the 4th quarter.

I say this knowing full well that Blender Blashill will do exactly what you're suggesting. Mix the lines up. Everyone plays with everyone and nothing changes. Frans Nielsen and Val Filppula playing with Larkin. More ugly losses. Can't wait.

Can you tell that my excitement has been heightened?
- HenryHockey

The last time someone said that the dude was wearing sweatpants. Here come the nightmares again....

"Killer" used to be Doug Gilmour's nickname. He was a very good player especially for the Leafs. But I always figured he gave himself that nickname. My standards are different I guess. I could see Mark Messier or Scott Stevens having that nickname. But Doug Gilmour? No.
- gergeswillems

Man, kids today would think Messier and Stevens were serial killers in those old clips. I could never believe how strong Scott Niedermeyer was. When you see him he is a lean guy. But man, he could tear you apart. Shanny send Patrick Roy helicopter style was also insane to watch (many times in slo mo).

It is so good to see some back and forth guys. It feels like it’s coming back to life, we may actually have hockey....

Man, kids today would think Messier and Stevens were serial killers in those old clips. I could never believe how strong Scott Niedermeyer was. When you see him he is a lean guy. But man, he could tear you apart. Shanny send Patrick Roy helicopter style was also insane to watch (many times in slo mo).
- Jeremy Laura

Vladdy...😊

https://youtu.be/6dcwfD5ApYY

Chris Johnson is reporting that NHL start date of Jan 1 will not happen:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/

Give me the line I can count on the most. The one which is consistent. Force our opponents to use their top lines and best D pairing to match up with Larkin, Mantha and Bertuzzi. Why mess with chemistry?

That's one of Blender Blashill's worst traits as a head coach. He mixes his lines too much. He's too busy pretending he's Scotty Bowman. He isn't. Far from it. Bad teams need to keep things simple. Red Wings are a bad team.

If we still can't show any kind of offensive production after the #1 line then that's embarrassing. There's no reason why Zadina, Fabbri, Namestnikov or Ryan can't provide something better than what we've seen the past few years.

Filppula, Neilsen and Abdelkader? Glendening, Helm and AA? I'll take my chances with this year's group. If it fails it fails. But I'm not going to make it easier on my opponents. I'm going to force them to matchup their best players with my best players.

Then I just have to at least break even with my opponents secondary players. Too many times (pretty much everytime) we lost these matchups which led to ugly losses. Let's be good at the one thing we're good at. Playing a very good scoring line.

We don't have much to brag about on this team. But the Mantha-Larkin-Bertuzzi line is one of them. I don't want to punish these 3 players. It's not their fault the roster lacks depth.

I don't see Boston splitting their big line up. Probably the best line in the NHL. We have a poor man's version of this. Why break it up? It makes zero sense me. It's like putting in the backup QB in the second quarter so he's fresh for the 4th quarter.

I say this knowing full well that Blender Blashill will do exactly what you're suggesting. Mix the lines up. Everyone plays with everyone and nothing changes. Frans Nielsen and Val Filppula playing with Larkin. More ugly losses. Can't wait.
- gergeswillems

I think I do agree with you that Larkin / Mantha / Bertuzzi should be kept together as L1.

I don't think we're particularly close to the break-even point on lines two and three. I am actually less concerned about their offensive production (which should, hopefully, be noticeably better than last year's group) and more concerned about the fact that as a group they flat out stink in their own zone.

The middle of the lineup is pretty one-dimensional in my opinion. Fabbri and Filppula are awful defensively. Gagner is bad defensively. Zadina is below average at best defensively. Ryan is okay and Namesnikov is better than okay in their own zone. There's not a lot of two-way responsibility in that group. That's also why I don't want Tyler Johnson, who is another guy who can sorta score but can't defend to save his life.

The good news is that the defense and goaltending should be quite a lot better. So hopefully with Greiss instead of Howard and Stecher / Merrill instead of Bowey and Daley they can cover more mistakes from the forward group while also allowing them to score a few more goals.

Long story short, this team should be much improved but it's still pretty bad. Which I think we all pretty much agree about.

Chris Johnson is reporting that NHL start date of Jan 1 will not happen:
https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/
- HenryHockey

Yeah, I’ve been avoiding another “state of insanity” blog, i hate all the diving and digging. But there is no way they can pull that off (last time i was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen). Allan Walsh is trying to use Twitter to negotiate and it turns my stomach. “Nothing has changed since June”, and I’ve beaten that horse to death too. The playoffs were a revenue DOG. A 1.5+ billion dollar shortfall with projections of 2 billion for this season (3 billion short). The 50/50 revenue has to be met at some point, and Walsh is just acting like it doesn’t exist. Players threatening to sue if there’s a cancellation, etc.

Remember when Daly said “at least 65 games”, I said that was the ceiling. Now they’re saying 48. There’s no schedule, no approved venues or format, and NBA games are being booked. The numbers and reality have been there for months. I take crap for presenting them (and it sucks) but I’d rather have a slice of reality than a bullsh*t buffet

Yeah, I’ve been avoiding another “state of insanity” blog, i hate all the diving and digging. But there is no way they can pull that off (last time i was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen). Allan Walsh is trying to use Twitter to negotiate and it turns my stomach. “Nothing has changed since June”, and I’ve beaten that horse to death too. The playoffs were a revenue DOG. A 1.5+ billion dollar shortfall with projections of 2 billion for this season (3 billion short). The 50/50 revenue has to be met at some point, and Walsh is just acting like it doesn’t exist. Players threatening to sue if there’s a cancellation, etc.

Remember when Daly said “at least 65 games”, I said that was the ceiling. Now they’re saying 48. There’s no schedule, no approved venues or format, and NBA games are being booked. The numbers and reality have been there for months. I take crap for presenting them (and it sucks) but I’d rather have a slice of reality than a bullsh*t buffet
- Jeremy Laura

Thanks Jeremy for an almost thankless job!

Yeah, I’ve been avoiding another “state of insanity” blog, i hate all the diving and digging. But there is no way they can pull that off (last time i was fairly sure it wouldn’t happen). Allan Walsh is trying to use Twitter to negotiate and it turns my stomach. “Nothing has changed since June”, and I’ve beaten that horse to death too. The playoffs were a revenue DOG. A 1.5+ billion dollar shortfall with projections of 2 billion for this season (3 billion short). The 50/50 revenue has to be met at some point, and Walsh is just acting like it doesn’t exist. Players threatening to sue if there’s a cancellation, etc.

Remember when Daly said “at least 65 games”, I said that was the ceiling. Now they’re saying 48. There’s no schedule, no approved venues or format, and NBA games are being booked. The numbers and reality have been there for months. I take crap for presenting them (and it sucks) but I’d rather have a slice of reality than a bullsh*t buffet
- Jeremy Laura

I know this is probably a dumb question but
if the season is cancelled the players don't get paid, correct?.. Lol

I think I do agree with you that Larkin / Mantha / Bertuzzi should be kept together as L1.

I don't think we're particularly close to the break-even point on lines two and three. I am actually less concerned about their offensive production (which should, hopefully, be noticeably better than last year's group) and more concerned about the fact that as a group they flat out stink in their own zone.

The middle of the lineup is pretty one-dimensional in my opinion. Fabbri and Filppula are awful defensively. Gagner is bad defensively. Zadina is below average at best defensively. Ryan is okay and Namesnikov is better than okay in their own zone. There's not a lot of two-way responsibility in that group. That's also why I don't want Tyler Johnson, who is another guy who can sorta score but can't defend to save his life.

The good news is that the defense and goaltending should be quite a lot better. So hopefully with Greiss instead of Howard and Stecher / Merrill instead of Bowey and Daley they can cover more mistakes from the forward group while also allowing them to score a few more goals.

Long story short, this team should be much improved but it's still pretty bad. Which I think we all pretty much agree about.
- Sven22

Yeah, I am beginning to say "stay away from TJ", that is unless Stevie has a plan in place to jettison him to another team. I just wanna see some hockey!!! Like all of us, this waiting for something to happen is excruciatingly painful!
I comb all the hockey news I can, and it is refreshing to hear that many of our prospects are performing well. Veleno is doing well too, but they have been playing him on the wing but have him taking quite a few face-offs. He was 100% on FO's the other night.....I did not see how many he took though.... Maybe I will have to see about streaming Euro-hockey

I know this is probably a dumb question but
if the season is cancelled the players don't get paid, correct?.. Lol
- JetFuel

Actually the owners may have a legal obligation to pay them...The courts may have to decide how much!

Actually the owners may have a legal obligation to pay them...The courts may have to decide how much!
- HenryHockey

They don’t. That’s why Walsh is threatening legal action. He wants to define the shutdown as a lockout which violates the CBA. it’s posturing. Owners can show the drop off of revenue is so steep that the players can’t meet the 50/50 requirement. They still get paid for 82 games even if only 48 are played. If the season cancels, so are all other salary payments.

They don’t. That’s why Walsh is threatening legal action. He wants to define the shutdown as a lockout which violates the CBA. it’s posturing. Owners can show the drop off of revenue is so steep that the players can’t meet the 50/50 requirement. They still get paid for 82 games even if only 48 are played. If the season cancels, so are all other salary payments.
- Jeremy Laura

Ok, I was reading the players argument....either way it is going to cause a lot of anger and resentment. If no games are played, will the players' contracts advance to the next year with no more payment? Seems as if there will be a whole pile of UFA's. All those players that signed 1 yr deals will have to either re-sign with their team or become a UFA again. And more RFA's that ....it could be offer sheet Armageddon!

Ok, I was reading the players argument....either way it is going to cause a lot of anger and resentment. If no games are played, will the players' contracts advance to the next year with no more payment? Seems as if there will be a whole pile of UFA's. All those players that signed 1 yr deals will have to either re-sign with their team or become a UFA again. And more RFA's that ....it could be offer sheet Armageddon!

- HenryHockey

By golly Ek was right all along!

Ok, I was reading the players argument....either way it is going to cause a lot of anger and resentment. If no games are played, will the players' contracts advance to the next year with no more payment? Seems as if there will be a whole pile of UFA's. All those players that signed 1 yr deals will have to either re-sign with their team or become a UFA again. And more RFA's that ....it could be offer sheet Armageddon!

- HenryHockey

The biggest issues the players are ignoring:

No games are scheduled, a number hasn’t been decided. If 41 games are played, salaries will need to reflect that. They’re at 72% (8 % will be refunded) and the league is looking at 50-60% games played. After the deferment is repaid, they’re at 80%. At some point common sense has to set in with a matching percentage. (Every new contract signed going forward will shift more % to the players).

Also, there is still last years 1.5 billion shortfall. Based on the CBA 50/50, it has to be addressed and fulfilled. If Walsh wants the owners in court they can counter sue for that lost revenue. If this ends up in a shut down, I don’t see the PA being able to recover any of their pay once it’s shut down.

They can vote to have contracts carry over, but players with bonuses have already gotten a big chunk of this years pay. They would have to forego salary next year and everyone who was paid would have to look at refunding what they received. It’s already pretty messy

Thanks Jeremy for an almost thankless job!

- HenryHockey

You’re the best H2! You guys all make this an awesome place to be

Eric Duhatschek has a Red Wings/Tampa trade suggestion...

https://nhltradetalk.com/...ing-3-player-trade-rumor/

Eric Duhatschek has a Red Wings/Tampa trade suggestion...

https://nhltradetalk.com/...ing-3-player-trade-rumor/
- gergeswillems

I believe I suggested something similar several weeks ago, but did not think it had to be a 1st to get done. Retaining a million on each of Johnson and Killorn would give enough to sign Cernak to a 2-3 year bridge deal if it was at $2.1 AAV. Because they would retain on both, maybe a 2nd and Cernak is enough sweetening......

I guess leaving Timashov unsigned and playing in Europe would preserve him to be signed next season??????

I believe I suggested something similar several weeks ago, but did not think it had to be a 1st to get done. Retaining a million on each of Johnson and Killorn would give enough to sign Cernak to a 2-3 year bridge deal if it was at $2.1 AAV. Because they would retain on both, maybe a 2nd and Cernak is enough sweetening......

I guess leaving Timashov unsigned and playing in Europe would preserve him to be signed next season??????
- HenryHockey

Looking at the roster, it looks as if Biega and Erne would be waived, and maybe a 3rd forward be waived or traded (Gagner ?) then Sveth could come up.