Jeremy Laura: Wings vs Preds VI - flip the script?

I'm hoping Yzerman buys Nielsen out this summer. We don't need the cap space but we do need his roster spot going forward.

I'm getting that winning feeling again. I don't know why. But my Nostradamus self predicts a Red Wings victory tonight. Mainly because I don't think the Preds are very good. I mean the Red Wings suck. This just in. But the Preds aren't much better to be honest.

I don't see how playing Smith or Rasmussen on the Red Wings hurts us. Are we waiting until they both turn 30? We're losing anyway. Why not play these guys? The Ken Holland "over ripening" method is archaic.

Is it better to play 2 dinosaurs each game named Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble? Are we developing Sam Gagner? Ek says he's an Underrated Difference Maker. 0 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Better increase his ice time.

At this point in the Wings season i agree with playing the kids, ice time is so important at every level. Just having a strong positive leader behind the youth is very important also. Let’s see what happens at the trade deadline, maybe Stevie can pick up a few more youngsters with potential.
if Winnipeg is still looking at Bobby Ryan then I’m hoping Wings snag Leon Gawanke a young Defenseman with future upside.

I'm hoping Yzerman buys Nielsen out this summer. We don't need the cap space but we do need his roster spot going forward.

I'm getting that winning feeling again. I don't know why. But my Nostradamus self predicts a Red Wings victory tonight. Mainly because I don't think the Preds are very good. I mean the Red Wings suck. This just in. But the Preds aren't much better to be honest.

I don't see how playing Smith or Rasmussen on the Red Wings hurts us. Are we waiting until they both turn 30? We're losing anyway. Why not play these guys? The Ken Holland "over ripening" method is archaic.

Is it better to play 2 dinosaurs each game named Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble? Are we developing Sam Gagner? Ek says he's an Underrated Difference Maker. 0 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Better increase his ice time.
- gergeswillems

I hope not, but there may be a financial side of this. If you waive a veteran to GR, you’re still paying all but $1 mil of their salary. I do want to see Rasmussen sooner rather than later, but he’s getting top minutes and those reps are important. I would not be heartbroken to see that buyout after the season. There’s still some sort of internal “budgeting” for the year. I don’t know what it is, but having veterans on the taxi squad keeps from calling up additional salaries that go against the Detroit payroll.

As for your prediction, man I hope you’re right. I don’t know if I could do another night like Tuesday

At this point in the Wings season i agree with playing the kids, ice time is so important at every level. Just having a strong positive leader behind the youth is very important also. Let’s see what happens at the trade deadline, maybe Stevie can pick up a few more youngsters with potential.
if Winnipeg is still looking at Bobby Ryan then I’m hoping Wings snag Leon Gawanke a young Defenseman with future upside.
- Tee56

Yeah, I have no clue on deadline. The three names I’ve read about teams asking for are Glendening, Ryan and Staal. Glenny could be a huge depth add. Special teams faceoffs in the playoffs are really important. I’m surprised about Staal, but defensive depth is an issue for sure.

Yeah, I have no clue on deadline. The three names I’ve read about teams asking for are Glendening, Ryan and Staal. Glenny could be a huge depth add. Special teams faceoffs in the playoffs are really important. I’m surprised about Staal, but defensive depth is an issue for sure.
- Jeremy Laura

Is the salary retention rule still in place? A team can only retain salary on a maximum of 2 players per season? So Stevie could retain 50% on Helm and Staal let's say. But then it would be tougher to trade Bernier and Nemeth. Glenny and Ryan should be easy to move. Would any team want Filppula? He'd have to be dirt cheap. Torts loves Gagner. I'd call Jarmo.

I hope not, but there may be a financial side of this. If you waive a veteran to GR, you’re still paying all but $1 mil of their salary. I do want to see Rasmussen sooner rather than later, but he’s getting top minutes and those reps are important. I would not be heartbroken to see that buyout after the season. There’s still some sort of internal “budgeting” for the year. I don’t know what it is, but having veterans on the taxi squad keeps from calling up additional salaries that go against the Detroit payroll.

As for your prediction, man I hope you’re right. I don’t know if I could do another night like Tuesday
- Jeremy Laura

Little Caesars is selling enough pizzas to pay for the Nielsen buyout lol

Looking like a mix up in the lines tonight

Fabbri - Larkin - Mantha
Ryan - Namestnikov - Zadina
Erne - Glendening - Helm
Brome - Filppula - Gagner

Defense seems unchanged, Stetcher still out, Bertuzzi still considered week to week and isn't nearing a return like previously thought.

I'd rather see Helm on the 4th and Brome on the 3rd but it is what it is, at least Helm is off the top line.

Looking like a mix up in the lines tonight

Fabbri - Larkin - Mantha
Ryan - Namestnikov - Zadina
Erne - Glendening - Helm
Brome - Filppula - Gagner

Defense seems unchanged, Stetcher still out, Bertuzzi still considered week to week and isn't nearing a return like previously thought.

I'd rather see Helm on the 4th and Brome on the 3rd but it is what it is, at least Helm is off the top line.
- Datsyuks_Dangle

Well at least Nielsen isn't playing. I'd rather have Smith than Filppula. We're not the same team without Bertuzzi creating those greasy goals. ☹️

Jurco: This was the same year that when Blake Comeau was with CBJ, Comeau cross checked Jurco as he crossed the blue line (w/o the puck!) and broke a couple of his ribs. No penalty called! Jurco sat a lot in the press box after, as ribs are not always agreeable to healing. And even though he was practicing, I imagine his ribs still bothered him. I was a Jurco fan and was anxious to see him play. But as you know, he just never progressed. At least Ville Leino progressed to a big contract, and then did a nose dive.

Well at least Nielsen isn't playing. I'd rather have Smith than Filppula. We're not the same team without Bertuzzi creating those greasy goals. ☹️
- gergeswillems

Whatever Bertuzzi’s got, it’s not good. Still not practicing. I miss that bulldog

Is the salary retention rule still in place? A team can only retain salary on a maximum of 2 players per season? So Stevie could retain 50% on Helm and Staal let's say. But then it would be tougher to trade Bernier and Nemeth. Glenny and Ryan should be easy to move. Would any team want Filppula? He'd have to be dirt cheap. Torts loves Gagner. I'd call Jarmo.
- gergeswillems

No clue on the retention clause. For sure, if Glenny and Ryan want to play somewhere else they’ll have their pick.

I'm hoping Yzerman buys Nielsen out this summer. We don't need the cap space but we do need his roster spot going forward.

I'm getting that winning feeling again. I don't know why. But my Nostradamus self predicts a Red Wings victory tonight. Mainly because I don't think the Preds are very good. I mean the Red Wings suck. This just in. But the Preds aren't much better to be honest.

I don't see how playing Smith or Rasmussen on the Red Wings hurts us. Are we waiting until they both turn 30? We're losing anyway. Why not play these guys? The Ken Holland "over ripening" method is archaic.

Is it better to play 2 dinosaurs each game named Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble? Are we developing Sam Gagner? Ek says he's an Underrated Difference Maker. 0 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Better increase his ice time.
- gergeswillems

The Wings are hoping a couple of these vets go on a tear so they can trade them at the TDL. That is all I see here. Then the kids play the rest of the season.

That may have been one of the hardest working goals scored this year. Glenny is all heart

Not a bad period. Glendening goal was a nice boost. PK failed to fend off Preds (again). Power play is horrible, still. Larkin’s shot off the pipe was a nice setup. Better looks for Detroit in this game for sure

Regarding the continued use of players like Gagner (who is not terrible!) and Nielsen and Filppula (who are) while guys like Svechnikov, Smith, Rasmussen, etc. continue to sit or play in the minors --

This comment (by Micah Blake McCurdy, one of the hockey statisticians I follow) really sticks with me:

If you wait until your young players prove they are good you will have wasted ~half of their best years.

I honestly don't know if Smith, or Svechnikov, or even Hirose will ever be better than borderline NHLers. Quite possibly not.

But chances are if they have enough talent to stick in the NHL long-term, they are probably already able to do so. The average NHLer peaks at age 24. By 22 they're probably already ~90 percent as good as they're ever going to be. Whether they suck at the NHL level or they're actually pretty good, you are far better off finding out sooner rather than later.

Play. The. Kids.

Regarding the continued use of players like Gagner (who is not terrible!) and Nielsen and Filppula (who are) while guys like Svechnikov, Smith, Rasmussen, etc. continue to sit or play in the minors --

This comment (by Micah Blake McCurdy, one of the hockey statisticians I follow) really sticks with me:



I honestly don't know if Smith, or Svechnikov, or even Hirose will ever be better than borderline NHLers. Quite possibly not.

But chances are if they have enough talent to stick in the NHL long-term, they are probably already able to do so. The average NHLer peaks at age 24. By 22 they're probably already ~90 percent as good as they're ever going to be. Whether they suck at the NHL level or they're actually pretty good, you are far better off finding out sooner rather than later.

Play. The. Kids.
- Sven22

I disagree. Most players hit their stride around 25. It just takes that long to develop. Putting the kids who aren’t good enough to be top players in the AHL isn’t going to help anyone. Hirose is the invisible man in Detroit. Save for his 7 points in 10 games when he first came up, he’s not doing much. I want Svechnikov playing somewhere. But his development, due to injury, is more like a 1 or 2 year player. Smith is a depth player. Get him minutes and let him keep working. Throwing these kids into the fire when they’re not ready can ruin their development. Those kids have shown they’re not ready. One good game followed by several bad, and their back check is worse than the old guys on the way out. It makes the whole team suffer

Regarding the continued use of players like Gagner (who is not terrible!) and Nielsen and Filppula (who are) while guys like Svechnikov, Smith, Rasmussen, etc. continue to sit or play in the minors --

This comment (by Micah Blake McCurdy, one of the hockey statisticians I follow) really sticks with me:



I honestly don't know if Smith, or Svechnikov, or even Hirose will ever be better than borderline NHLers. Quite possibly not.

But chances are if they have enough talent to stick in the NHL long-term, they are probably already able to do so. The average NHLer peaks at age 24. By 22 they're probably already ~90 percent as good as they're ever going to be. Whether they suck at the NHL level or they're actually pretty good, you are far better off finding out sooner rather than later.

Play. The. Kids.
- Sven22

That comment is absolutely untrue. Detroit got the most out of many guys by letting them develop. It’s arrogant to think that. Most kids can’t make the jump ever. It’s long odds getting to the NHL. You need to find a better quote and use that one as toilet paper

Regarding the continued use of players like Gagner (who is not terrible!) and Nielsen and Filppula (who are) while guys like Svechnikov, Smith, Rasmussen, etc. continue to sit or play in the minors --

This comment (by Micah Blake McCurdy, one of the hockey statisticians I follow) really sticks with me:



I honestly don't know if Smith, or Svechnikov, or even Hirose will ever be better than borderline NHLers. Quite possibly not.

But chances are if they have enough talent to stick in the NHL long-term, they are probably already able to do so. The average NHLer peaks at age 24. By 22 they're probably already ~90 percent as good as they're ever going to be. Whether they suck at the NHL level or they're actually pretty good, you are far better off finding out sooner rather than later.

Play. The. Kids.
- Sven22

Final thought. Steve Yzerman is at the helm. If he wants a player in the lineup, they will get in the lineup. If you want me to believe that you or any writer know more about player development than a hall of fame player who’s built a Stanley Cup team as a GM, it’s not going to happen. He’s got more knowledge than any of us could hope to possess. Things stink, but “the kids” aren’t the answer yet. They will be, eventually

Terrible Sam Gagner became Sam Gagner "differnce maker".

Terrible Sam Gagner became Sam Gagner "differnce maker".
- HenryHockey

Ek was right! Even though he said Gagner was still playing for Edmonton. 🤣

Ek was right. Even though he said Gagner was still playing for Edmonton. 🤣
- gergeswillems

Lol best line Frankie flintstone and floppy rubble. Had a good laugh at that one. I see Blashill has a new coaching technique playing 4 line on power play Erne, Fipulia he is like a mad genius

Sven... I agree 100%. God help us if Stevie follow's Holland's method of keeping your top prospects buried in the AHL until they are almost in their mid 20's. We saw it with both Nyquist and Tatar as prime examples. That is lunacy. You can afford to do that when you've got elite players on the ice like Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, etc... You sure as heck can't with this awful lineup.

I heard a quote from former NHL coach Bob Hartley once... "old players get older, young players get better". I think it rings true with this Wings team as well. It's time to give Smith and Rasumussen more ice time. Wings don't have much to lose at this point in at least giving them some extra ice time to see what they can do. I say play the kids... at least more than what they are now.

Sven... I agree 100%. God help us if Stevie follow's Holland's method of keeping your top prospects buried in the AHL until they are almost in their mid 20's. We saw it with both Nyquist and Tatar as prime examples. That is lunacy. You can afford to do that when you've got elite players on the ice like Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, etc... You sure as heck can't with this awful lineup.

I heard a quote from former coach Bob Hartley once... "old players get older, young players get better". I think it rings true with this Wings team as well. It's time to give Smith and Rasumussen more ice time. Wings don't have much to lose at this point in at least giving them some extra ice time to see what they can do. I say play the kids... at least more than what they are now.
- Vladdie_Kon1

And if we do play them? Play them for more than 2 minutes on the 4th line. Just because they don't score a hat trick each game doesn't mean we have to bury them in Grand Rapids for 4 years. Oh he made a mistake! Send him down! But the 2 dinosaurs can screw up as many times as they like and never miss a shift.