Jeremy Laura: Red Wings call up Watson ahead of Montreal game, thank you for 1400!

Wings need to come out swinging tonight... this is the game that will make or break any shrinking playoffs hopes alive. Petry back in the lineup tonight on the 2nd pairing with Edvinsson. That makes no sense. Petry is awful and should be sitting on the bench. Johansson on the 3rd pairing with Holl now.

On Watson... I'd take him over any of our current 4th line players of Rasmussen, Motte or Smith. He's been fantastic in GR putting up points and adding toughness to the lineup. He's exactly what the Wings need... a big gritty tough forward who can chip in some offense / points. I like the fact he'll stick up for his teammates and drop the gloves with anyone. He's earned the opportunity to take a job in Detroit.

from the previous thread... if Augustine does not make a commitment for an ELC from Yzerman by late fall then they need to trade his rights to somebody else immediately. And Yzerman should tell him that up-front. This dumb game of losing a top prospect because he wants to finish college and be a UFA is going to handcuff the Wings. He will do exactly that if he's not ready to commit at this point. Let him go... just like that last jackass goalie Petruzzelli... who got too arrogant for his own good. He's now stuck in the minors at age 26. Augustines value is still high right now... I say make him choose now... then we'll find out what his real motives are with Detroit.

Wings need to come out swinging tonight... this is the game that will make or break any shrinking playoffs hopes alive.

On Watson... I'd take him over any of our current 4th line players of Rasmussen, Motte or Smith. He's been fantastic in GR putting up points and adding toughness to the lineup. He's exactly what the Wings need... a big gritty tough forward who can chip in some offense / points. I like the fact he'll stick up for his teammates and drop the gloves with anyone. He's earned the opportunity to take a job in Detroit.

from the previous thread... if Augustine does not make a commitment for an ELC from Yzerman by late fall then they need to trade his rights to somebody else immediately. And Yzerman should tell him that up-front. This dumb game of losing a top prospect because he wants to finish college and be a UFA is going to handcuff the Wings. He will do exactly that if he's not ready to commit at this point. Let him go... just like that last jackass goalie Petruzzelli... who got too arrogant for his own good. He's now stuck in the minors at age 26. Augustines value is still high right now... I say make him choose now... then we'll find out what his real motives are with Detroit.
- Vladdie_Kon1

I agree on Montreal game. It’s a 4 point game. For Augustine, he obviously can’t sign and stay in college so even if he says, “I’ll sign”, we can only hope that’s sincere. The NCAA needs to recognize the difference of being a drafted hockey player in college and a football/basketball player that can’t be drafted until they leave. For Petruzzelli, he learned what Vesey learned. You think you’re making your situation better but it’s a ruthless world. It also speaks to the tampering effect that was there before money could be thrown at athletes. They need to communicate and you’re right, a verbal commitment is the best they can hope for and if they can’t get that to a satisfying degree, his value will drop if he commits for that 4th year and turns down a 3rd offer. I’d give him til December and start fielding calls unless GMs are already calling and something too good to pass on pre draft comes up. I really want him in Detroit, so hoping this is just a kid getting everything out of the situation he can and then moving on to Wings org.

I just want to say that DeBrincat is my fav RedWing, and the guy gives everything he has, every shift.

Wings need to come out swinging tonight... this is the game that will make or break any shrinking playoffs hopes alive. Petry back in the lineup tonight on the 2nd pairing with Edvinsson. That makes no sense. Petry is awful and should be sitting on the bench. Johansson on the 3rd pairing with Holl now.

On Watson... I'd take him over any of our current 4th line players of Rasmussen, Motte or Smith. He's been fantastic in GR putting up points and adding toughness to the lineup. He's exactly what the Wings need... a big gritty tough forward who can chip in some offense / points. I like the fact he'll stick up for his teammates and drop the gloves with anyone. He's earned the opportunity to take a job in Detroit.

from the previous thread... if Augustine does not make a commitment for an ELC from Yzerman by late fall then they need to trade his rights to somebody else immediately. And Yzerman should tell him that up-front. This dumb game of losing a top prospect because he wants to finish college and be a UFA is going to handcuff the Wings. He will do exactly that if he's not ready to commit at this point. Let him go... just like that last jackass goalie Petruzzelli... who got too arrogant for his own good. He's now stuck in the minors at age 26. Augustines value is still high right now... I say make him choose now... then we'll find out what his real motives are with Detroit.
- Vladdie_Kon1

First, we don't know anything about Augustine's intentions, the conversations he's had with the team, or the status of that relationship.

You could be right that he's planning to finish college and go UFA. You also could be very, very wrong. Solid NHL prospects playing 3 years of NCAA and then signing their ELC before senior year is extremely normal -- see Copp, Compher, Motte, Nyquist, Petry, Jeremy Swayman, Thatcher Demko, etc. (to name a few). Just because Keith Petruzzelli did something doesn't mean Trey Augustine will.

I think this is one case where we have no choice but hope that Yzerman reads the situation correctly and does the right thing.

Second, even if it turns out Trey Augustine decides to bide his time and hit the market as a college graduate UFA, I don't think he's the guy you should be mad at.

Hockey is a business, as they say. Owners and GMs are always going to do what they think is best for the team, even if it means playing hardball on salary negotiations or unexpectedly trading a guy to the other side of the continent and separating him from his family. That's just how it goes.

So I think it's hypocritical to vilify players for exercising whatever control they do have over their careers and making the decisions they feel are in their best interests. Yeah it sucks as an organization (and as a fan) when your team loses a quality prospect for nothing, but Augustine doesn't owe us or the Red Wings anything. If Detroit hadn't taken him, someone else would have. Careers are short. Players have relatively little control over their careers. He's gotta look out for himself.

I encourage you to put yourself in his position rather than only seeing this from the team/fan point of view. I also think that if you want to prevent players from using the "NCAA loophole" the answer is going to be structural, i.e., changing the CBA so that teams retain exclusive negotiating rights for college players longer. Getting mad at NCAA athletes for acting in their own rational best interest is not it.

I just want to say that DeBrincat is my fav RedWing, and the guy gives everything he has, every shift.
- NC_Scott

I think this has been his best stint as a Wing and he’s added physicality and can go on a nice scoring tear. Very cool to see

First, we don't know anything about Augustine's intentions, the conversations he's had with the team, or the status of that relationship.

You could be right that he's planning to finish college and go UFA. You also could be very, very wrong. Solid NHL prospects playing 3 years of NCAA and then signing their ELC before senior year is extremely normal -- see Copp, Compher, Motte, Nyquist, Petry, Jeremy Swayman, Thatcher Demko, etc. (to name a few). Just because Keith Petruzzelli did something doesn't mean Trey Augustine will.

I think this is one case where we have no choice but hope that Yzerman reads the situation correctly and does the right thing.

Second, even if it turns out Trey Augustine decides to bide his time and hit the market as a college graduate UFA, I don't think he's the guy you should be mad at.

Hockey is a business, as they say. Owners and GMs are always going to do what they think is best for the team, even if it means playing hardball on salary negotiations or unexpectedly trading a guy to the other side of the continent and separating him from his family. That's just how it goes.

So I think it's hypocritical to vilify players for exercising whatever control they do have over their careers and making the decisions they feel are in their best interests. Yeah it sucks as an organization (and as a fan) when your team loses a quality prospect for nothing, but Augustine doesn't owe us or the Red Wings anything. If Detroit hadn't taken him, someone else would have. Careers are short. Players have relatively little control over their careers. He's gotta look out for himself.

I encourage you to put yourself in his position rather than only seeing this from the team/fan point of view. I also think that if you want to prevent players from using the "NCAA loophole" the answer is going to be structural, i.e., changing the CBA so that teams retain exclusive negotiating rights for college players longer. Getting mad at NCAA athletes for acting in their own rational best interest is not it.
- Sven22

I agree on the business end of things. The balance of power from owner/GM to Athlete is a pendulum. Agents and players, just like GMs and owners, find loopholes. This NCAA loophole was huge when NIL was approved and the giant payout awarded. Immediately, one player who was denied entry to the NCAA (after signing for a tournament at 14) was made the face of the lawsuit that involved 10 colleges (I believe it was 10) and it looks like smaller conferences were targeted. The Big 10 could fight it, so you go to where the funds are limited. One coach told me the NCAA is afraid to touch NIL regulations because they don’t want to lose another lawsuit in such a public stage. So 4 things happened: NIL, the “infinite” transfer portal where before you could only transfer once as a student athlete, the erasure of the rule that you had to wait a year to play after transferring, and the CHL lawsuit. The NHL wasn’t ready and didn’t sit down. If teams changed the draft due to tampering, this is going to hit the CBA somehow. But, there was a time without agents where players got screwed. As of 2021 they still have to play 820 games to get a full pension with COLA. https://transcanadawealth...nagement.com/nhl-pension/ So the average NHLer who plays 5 years or less has to find work. Larkin passed 700 games this year. It’s tiered, so he’s getting close, but that’s an idea of how long it takes to get there.

Caitlin Clark played her senior year at Iowa. She had a $1m deal w Nike knowing the WNBA salary was sub 100k for rookies. To her credit she got 50m in sponsorship over the next 10 years. But, she wasn’t drafted. Hockey is different. The blame is on Bettman and the GMs for not getting ahead of this, regardless of how it turns out with Trey. What will be interesting is how many CHL and Euro pro prospects come to the NCAA in the next 2 years. What I don’t want to see are the Michigan Tech and Ferris teams lose players because they developed into a player that U of M will pay for and those schools can’t match it. That’s what football and basketball are seeing take over. But I do not blame a player for having leverage and using it, as they can have a coach or GM just shut them down and bury their career. Just fix the ability for teams to sign 1 top nCAA prospect per year. I don’t think that’s a huge ask, and the GMs should be embarrassed that it wasn’t negotiated

My thoughts on the current game. (frank)ing hit them. My god

First, we don't know anything about Augustine's intentions, the conversations he's had with the team, or the status of that relationship.

You could be right that he's planning to finish college and go UFA. You also could be very, very wrong. Solid NHL prospects playing 3 years of NCAA and then signing their ELC before senior year is extremely normal -- see Copp, Compher, Motte, Nyquist, Petry, Jeremy Swayman, Thatcher Demko, etc. (to name a few). Just because Keith Petruzzelli did something doesn't mean Trey Augustine will.

I think this is one case where we have no choice but hope that Yzerman reads the situation correctly and does the right thing.

Second, even if it turns out Trey Augustine decides to bide his time and hit the market as a college graduate UFA, I don't think he's the guy you should be mad at.

Hockey is a business, as they say. Owners and GMs are always going to do what they think is best for the team, even if it means playing hardball on salary negotiations or unexpectedly trading a guy to the other side of the continent and separating him from his family. That's just how it goes.

So I think it's hypocritical to vilify players for exercising whatever control they do have over their careers and making the decisions they feel are in their best interests. Yeah it sucks as an organization (and as a fan) when your team loses a quality prospect for nothing, but Augustine doesn't owe us or the Red Wings anything. If Detroit hadn't taken him, someone else would have. Careers are short. Players have relatively little control over their careers. He's gotta look out for himself.

I encourage you to put yourself in his position rather than only seeing this from the team/fan point of view. I also think that if you want to prevent players from using the "NCAA loophole" the answer is going to be structural, i.e., changing the CBA so that teams retain exclusive negotiating rights for college players longer. Getting mad at NCAA athletes for acting in their own rational best interest is not it.
- Sven22

First... let me say I'm not mat at Augustine and trying to vilify him.... That's not my point... nor what I even implied here. I don't personally know him. I never implied he owes Detroit anything. My frustration is the system that allows talented college players to exploit the loophole. I'm not assuming which way Augustine will go... but the fact he's now a high profile prospect does not work in Detroit's favor. We'll see what happens and hope for the best.

Yes it's a busiunes... agree on that. And as a fan I don't want to see Yzerman waste a draft pick and/or prospect for nothing. If Yzerman hasn't played his cards right and read the situation correctly with this player and/or agent this hurts the organization. This team needs every asset it can get.

Who is being held accountable for continuing to play Holl We have better options in Grand Rapids yet the Yzerplan continues to play Holl

By keep dressing Holl the red wings were never serious about making the playoffs. The red wings under Yzerman are a joke. Montreal in playoffs after out 3 Detroit going on 10. Only Gm worse than Yzerman is the numerous GM S in Buffalo.

Mtl’s 2nd happened because AJ decided it was more important to skate away from the play to pick up his helmet, than it was to cover a forward up front. He had his helmet in one hand, stick in the other and paid no attention whatsoever to the only man he was responsible for. The Wings didn’t lose because of that mistake. They lost because they didn’t have a single scoring chance in the entire 3rd period. They didn’t have a single scoring chance in the 3rd because they don’t have a single player on their roster who is willing to play net front. They’ll hang in the corners and hope the D misses an assignment, but they aren’t willing pay the price that has to be paid to create havoc up front. Every goalie they face looks like an all-star because they have a perfectly clear view of every shot, and every cover of the puck goes unchallenged. I’d take a Watson or Shine any day of the week over players not willing to play with grit or play in the dirty areas.

The only certainty we have now is that they’ll easily win their last five to guarantee they won’t get a top 10 pick. Edvinsson was the only player on the ice tonight who didn’t deserve to get benched.