Jeremy Laura: Wings sweep 2 game set, Bernier brilliant, Erne keeps rolling

team looks just the same without Mantha...

I am firmly in the "this was a good trade for Detroit" camp, but that doesn't mean I won't miss Mantha tremendously. Watching your favorite players get traded away always sucks hard, regardless of whether or not it's a "good deal."

I hope Mantha absolutely lights it up for Washington, and I hope Vrana does the same in Detroit.

Seems like a great trade for the Wings but I wonder why Washington soured on Vrana?

Vrana was in the coachs' dog house.

Seems like a great trade for the Wings but I wonder why Washington soured on Vrana?
- JetFuel

Not sure how much stock you put in it, but according to “pundits” it was a combination of lack of scoring and lack of “intensity”. Oddly, on the Wings broadcast they said the same thing about Mantha. During one of Rasmussen’s shift, they noted how he was driving hard, and that was the “knock” on Mantha. What pique’s the curiosity is, if both are right, Mantha’s never going to be as fast as Vrana. Their scoring over the past 3 seasons is fairly close. I just shake my head at this point.

One long shot possibility, Vrana is an RFA. He may have let them know he wanted more ice time etc and the negotiations may not have been going very smoothly. Outside of that, it’s fair game to guess pretty much everything at this point

Vrana was in the coachs' dog house.
- HenryHockey

This is what i've gathered also. I did some reading about him today and basically it seems like his only opportunities were when Ovechkin was injured, otherwise he was getting buried in the bottom 6, sometimes on the 4th line and getting 10 minutes a night. He didn't have a role there, and it does seem like there was an issue there between him and the coach. It reminds me a bit of Fabbri in St. Louis before they dealt him, he didn't have a role at all, and didn't even make it into the lineup frequently. Given a chance here, he's been very solid and a great return for De La Rose.

He will get ice time here, and will likely be in the top 6 consistently. We only get to see him for a few games because the shortened season, but things are looking intriguing for next year with a healthy Bertuzzi back (hopefully) and who they may decide to put on the team, hopefully Seider.

I'm a big fan of Mantha. I took him in many fantasy drafts. I was the one who said I'd be shocked if his contract came in under $6M per, and it did. He's not playing up to that level; and Jakub Vrana just finds a way to score, despite rarely (if ever) playing with Ovi or Backstrom.

Washington writer says Vrana disappears in the playoffs. Not really a problem for Detroit, because he's RFA and they can move him before this team is a playoff contender. What he will provide is 5-on-5 offense and speed, which you can never have enough of.

Add to all this the fact that this draft class hasn't played much this year and you might get a really good player because he's progressed, and no one had a chance to scout him. Even the 5th for Merrill could turn into something good, so another (late) first round pick is super tasty to a team that's rebuilding.

It really was not that he was in the doghouse. When you have to watch OV play almost the entire pp game in and game out it must get frustrating for a sniper like Vrana to be getting mop up pp time. I watch a lot of Cap hockey and truthfully Vrana runs red hot or ice cold. When he is on he is a serious threat with his speed and deadly shot. I do think there is a good chance Vrana will be very good in Detroit especially if he lines up with Larkin , both have wheels. Good luck, Mantha seemed to hurt a lot despite his size and your gonna love Vrana if he decides to play.

Long term, with the picks, if this deal ends up adding LW Simon Roberttsson and RW Chase Stillman to your long term forward corps, or Roberttsson and D Roman Schmidt, I’d say you guys absolutely fleeced WSH. And that’s before flipping Vrana for some assets in the offseason....

Not sure how much stock you put in it, but according to “pundits” it was a combination of lack of scoring and lack of “intensity”. Oddly, on the Wings broadcast they said the same thing about Mantha. During one of Rasmussen’s shift, they noted how he was driving hard, and that was the “knock” on Mantha. What pique’s the curiosity is, if both are right, Mantha’s never going to be as fast as Vrana. Their scoring over the past 3 seasons is fairly close. I just shake my head at this point.

One long shot possibility, Vrana is an RFA. He may have let them know he wanted more ice time etc and the negotiations may not have been going very smoothly. Outside of that, it’s fair game to guess pretty much everything at this point
- Jeremy Laura

I watched the game last night (again, MUCH tot he wife's chagrin...). SHE was even shocked!!! This'll take a while to flush out: Who "won"? I think you hit the nail on the head above. It's going to take some time. I like Mantha, truly like him. And I do hope he ignites in DC. As we look at some the reasons "why", I have to go back to coaching, and how much of a role that played in Mantha's 'tude...... Ya'll know I'm not a pro hockey coach, nor a pro player, but from the outside, there are just too many things identified in the "system". That means 2 places: Coach & GM. One of them is new. The other.....

I have always considered Wings fans to be the greatest fans in hockey and this is due to the passion, loyalty and hockey knowledge that is evident in most. The reaction to this trade truly confirms this as I see the loyalty to a former first-rounder who has suffered through some down times with the franchise on full display. The hockey knowledge shines through as well as you see the majority of non-Wing fans commenting that this is a one-sided trade in Detroit's favour but the Wings fans see what Mantha has brought to this team over a number of years in ways that go beyond just the statistics that the outsiders see.
All of that being said, I absolutely love this trade from a Wings perspective. I don't believe we are putting enough stock in the value of the first-round pick. The fact that Buffalo was unable to squeeze a late first for Taylor Hall shows the value of this and how much the other teams value these picks as well. I know Hall's value has declined significantly but a first-round pick is cost-controlled for a long time which increases the value of it in a salary cap world. The growth curve of a pick this year will also align better with our competitive window. As we can clearly see, Yzerman is not simply building a competitor, he is trying to build a winner and that takes time to be done properly. Not all GMs have the courage and patience to ride that out as they feel the pressure to succeed right away and how that impacts their own job security. Obviously, Yzerman has one of the longest leashes in the league which definitely helps.
When it comes to Mantha, I think we can all agree that we wanted a little more out of him at times but he is a heck of a player that deserves the contract he has earned. His size and skill set are incredibly impressive. He has been a big piece of this team for a long time now and I think I speak for most of us when I say we truly wish the best for him in Washington. However, due to his contract status and where he fits within our cap, we have to consider what type of production we would need to see from him to consider him to be a huge salary cap value asset moving forward. This is where a younger, cost-controlled first-rounder could possibly be huge if the drafting and development processes are successful.
This brings me to the Vrana piece. I will be the first to admit that I have not seen him play to the extent that many of you have. However, I will say in the times I have watched, his speed and level of engagement have always stood out and until this trade, I actually did not realize has put up some of the offensive numbers that he has. Here is hoping that the increased opportunity he is about to receive allows for continued growth. As an RFA, he will likely command fair market value but likely for a lower number than Mantha's deal.
Considering these factors, I absolutely love the first-round pick in a draft that is definitely going to have its mistakes in the early going due to the lack of play and scouting. Let's hope Yzerman's team can take advantage of that rather than fall victim to it. If so, this pick will provide greater value in our competitive window than we would have received from Mantha. The fact that Vrana could actually be a top-line contributor for us for years to come (fingers crossed) is just the icing on the cake.

I have always considered Wings fans to be the greatest fans in hockey and this is due to the passion, loyalty and hockey knowledge that is evident in most. The reaction to this trade truly confirms this as I see the loyalty to a former first-rounder who has suffered through some down times with the franchise on full display. The hockey knowledge shines through as well as you see the majority of non-Wing fans commenting that this is a one-sided trade in Detroit's favour but the Wings fans see what Mantha has brought to this team over a number of years in ways that go beyond just the statistics that the outsiders see.
All of that being said, I absolutely love this trade from a Wings perspective. I don't believe we are putting enough stock in the value of the first-round pick. The fact that Buffalo was unable to squeeze a late first for Taylor Hall shows the value of this and how much the other teams value these picks as well. I know Hall's value has declined significantly but a first-round pick is cost-controlled for a long time which increases the value of it in a salary cap world. The growth curve of a pick this year will also align better with our competitive window. As we can clearly see, Yzerman is not simply building a competitor, he is trying to build a winner and that takes time to be done properly. Not all GMs have the courage and patience to ride that out as they feel the pressure to succeed right away and how that impacts their own job security. Obviously, Yzerman has one of the longest leashes in the league which definitely helps.
When it comes to Mantha, I think we can all agree that we wanted a little more out of him at times but he is a heck of a player that deserves the contract he has earned. His size and skill set are incredibly impressive. He has been a big piece of this team for a long time now and I think I speak for most of us when I say we truly wish the best for him in Washington. However, due to his contract status and where he fits within our cap, we have to consider what type of production we would need to see from him to consider him to be a huge salary cap value asset moving forward. This is where a younger, cost-controlled first-rounder could possibly be huge if the drafting and development processes are successful.
This brings me to the Vrana piece. I will be the first to admit that I have not seen him play to the extent that many of you have. However, I will say in the times I have watched, his speed and level of engagement have always stood out and until this trade, I actually did not realize has put up some of the offensive numbers that he has. Here is hoping that the increased opportunity he is about to receive allows for continued growth. As an RFA, he will likely command fair market value but likely for a lower number than Mantha's deal.
Considering these factors, I absolutely love the first-round pick in a draft that is definitely going to have its mistakes in the early going due to the lack of play and scouting. Let's hope Yzerman's team can take advantage of that rather than fall victim to it. If so, this pick will provide greater value in our competitive window than we would have received from Mantha. The fact that Vrana could actually be a top-line contributor for us for years to come (fingers crossed) is just the icing on the cake.
- Diller

I agree with your statement on Stevie's building process and he also has the backing from one of the best ownership groups you could ever ask for. The Wings ownership has always supported and listened to their manager’s.