GDT: 9/27/13 Toronto Maple Leafs @ Detroit Red Wings 7:30EST

[SoupNazi]

Franzen was excellent tonight, I guess having Alfie with him makes a HUGE difference... Thought Kindl was really good as well. PP1 looks like it could be the best unit in the league. Gonna be some real tough decisions for the front office. I really have no clue what they are gonna do outside of Helm going on LTIR. If it was up to me I'm waiving Eaves and Miller. Solid 4th line players but they are a dime a dozen. Sammy, Bert and Tootoo all bring more to the table.

Also solid PKers, one of whom just signed a new contract.

 

[Heaton]

Also solid PKers, one of whom just signed a new contract.

Miller brings more to the table than both Bertuzzi and Tootoo, you can play him without worrying. Tootoo is a good regular season threat and I liked the idea when we signed him. But he's overpaid and underproduced last year - I didn't see his impact on the forecheck like I thought I would. And you can't play him in the playoffs.

 

[Henkka]

Eaves is as good as gone, but Miller will be at 1st PK with Andersson.

 

[PullHard]

Miller brings more to the table than both Bertuzzi and Tootoo, you can play him without worrying. Tootoo is a good regular season threat and I liked the idea when we signed him. But he's overpaid and underproduced last year - I didn't see his impact on the forecheck like I thought. And you can't play him in the playoffs.

I'm curious where this idea came from. I've seen it a bunch on our board over the course of the last season. What particularly makes Tootoo unplayable in the playoffs? I remember quite a few times he would score on us when he was with the Preds in the playoffs, and was generally a thorn in the Wings' side in those series. How come Tootoo is unplayable in the playoffs?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Why would the Wings waive Miller when they just resigned him to a 3 year contract, That would be stupidity right there.

It was stupid to give him that contract in the first place. One of the two (Miller and Eaves) needs to be waived and their replacements are in the pipeline. So honestly I would waive the guy on the longer term and it is more likely Miller gets claimed. He isn't a vital piece to this team, just cannot convince me of it. He arrived here after being waived twice, he is an underweight PK guy, the obsession with Miller surprises me every time it comes up around here.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I'm curious where this idea came from. I've seen it a bunch on our board over the course of the last season. What particularly makes Tootoo unplayable in the playoffs? I remember quite a few times he would score on us when he was with the Preds in the playoffs, and was generally a thorn in the Wings' side in those series. How come Tootoo is unplayable in the playoffs?

Tootoo was a big reason along with Joel Ward they eliminated the Ducks a couple years back if I remember right.

It was silly that Tootoo never demanded to be a part of the pk, he has a lot of the tools to play it, that is probably going to cost him a couple million dollars and a couple years off his career.

 

[Frk It]

It was stupid to give him that contract in the first place.

The same could be said for Cleary and Samuelsson

 

[Heaton]

I'm curious where this idea came from. I've seen it a bunch on our board over the course of the last season. What particularly makes Tootoo unplayable in the playoffs? I remember quite a few times he would score on us when he was with the Preds in the playoffs, and was generally a thorn in the Wings' side in those series. How come Tootoo is unplayable in the playoffs?

It may have worked in the Preds system, but for the Wings, the 4th line has to have a specialty and play on the special teams. Miller - Emmerton - Samuelsson - they all have a purpose beyond limited ES IT.

 

[PullHard]

It may have worked in the Preds system, but for the Wings, the 4th line has to have a specialty and play on the special teams. Miller - Emmerton - Samuelsson - they all have a purpose beyond limited ES IT.

Yeah, that makes sense, so that leads me to:

if your team has a certain approach/ philosophy to roles and IT, etc. why give him that money and term, or even, a contract at all?

 

[Frk It]

I never thought much of it at first. But I really believe that what RWN says is true about our 4th line.

Our 4th line really has no purpose. It's legitimately just a collection of spare parts and left-overs.

 

[Heaton]

Yeah, that makes sense, so that leads me to:

if your team has a certain approach/ philosophy to roles and IT, etc. why give him that money and term, or even, a contract at all?

I'm guessing Babcock and/or Holland thought he would fill a Dallas Drake type role, not necessarily play on the PK, but have a bigger impact on the forecheck than he did.

 

[PullHard]

I'm guessing Babcock and/or Holland thought he would fill a Dallas Drake type role, not necessarily play on the PK, but have a bigger impact on the forecheck than he did.

Disappointing how it's worked out so far.

 

[Frk It]

If Tootoo is a disappointment, what is Samuelsson?

Tootoo has scored more goals for the Wings than Sammy since they both signed last year, plus Sammy is getting paid more.

 

[Heaton]

If Tootoo is a disappointment, what is Samuelsson?

Tootoo has scored more goals for the Wings than Sammy since they both signed last year, plus Sammy is getting paid more.

Samuelsson has been injured, it's not really a fair comparison. I've said for a while now I'd rather have Sameulsson, Bertuzzi, Cleary off the roster, add Tootoo to that.

But if they're going to be here, Samuelsson is better than Tootoo for this team.

 

[mindfly]

Eaves is as good as gone, but Miller will be at 1st PK with Andersson.

Holland doesn't strike me as a person who waives players...especially not players who've been here for several seasons

 

[HTT3*]

If Tootoo is a disappointment, what is Samuelsson?

Tootoo has scored more goals for the Wings than Sammy since they both signed last year, plus Sammy is getting paid more.

That's a very odd comparison. Using your logic, I remember a few years ago Cleary scored more goals than Sidney Crosby... plus Crosby is getting paid more.

 

[Kyleftlx]

Holland doesn't strike me as a person who waives players...especially not players who've been here for several seasons

If the guys aren't healthy when the season starts, and Nyquist plays those 2 games, it'll be pretty tough for Holland not to have to waive a guy who has been on the team for several seasons... if the group can get healthy in a few weeks, months, whatever, eventually- he'll have to make a tough decision like that unless he's going to trade.

The other thing that could happen is that he waives Lashoff when Lashoff disappoints, and that would be more of a Holland move than waiving a veteran. With the emergence of Almquist, he may be more inclined to roll with 6 dmen and call up Almquist when injuries happen. With that being said, I doubt they'd be comfortable with waiving a d-man when there's only 7, and about 50 forwards on the roster, so it may just really have to end up in a tough call like an Eaves type.

 

[newfy]

I never thought much of it at first. But I really believe that what RWN says is true about our 4th line.

Our 4th line really has no purpose. It's legitimately just a collection of spare parts and left-overs.

Its been like that for a while. People say you have to play special teams but come on, how good are Miller Emmerton and Eaves on the PK? Since theyve been the PK regulars the teams PK hasnt been great. If they want a purpose on that fourth line they should bring up Ferraro and Sheahan/Glendening to center it. Wont score a tonne of goals but theyre much better PKers. Play Tootoo on the wing.

Ferraro and Tootoo would be some killer speed that can draw penalties and forecheck like crazy. Tootoo provides some toughness but Ferraro and Glendening will mix it up too.

Then have Ferraro in a Helm type role when he came up for playoffs. PK like crazy and fly aronud full speed with Tootoo. Glendening is great defensively as well.

Instead we have Miller, Eaves and Emmerton who are average PKers on the fourth line and thats literally all they provide. They dont provide any more offense than Tootoo and I doubt they would over Ferraro either

 

[ChadS]

Any word on tonight's lines?

 

[Chance on Chance]

Its been like that for a while. People say you have to play special teams but come on, how good are Miller Emmerton and Eaves on the PK? Since theyve been the PK regulars the teams PK hasnt been great. If they want a purpose on that fourth line they should bring up Ferraro and Sheahan/Glendening to center it. Wont score a tonne of goals but theyre much better PKers. Play Tootoo on the wing.

Ferraro and Tootoo would be some killer speed that can draw penalties and forecheck like crazy. Tootoo provides some toughness but Ferraro and Glendening will mix it up too.

Then have Ferraro in a Helm type role when he came up for playoffs. PK like crazy and fly aronud full speed with Tootoo. Glendening is great defensively as well.

Instead we have Miller, Eaves and Emmerton who are average PKers on the fourth line and thats literally all they provide. They dont provide any more offense than Tootoo and I doubt they would over Ferraro either

Tat would be nice to see. An Ya I agree our 4th line us very meh. I'd like to have a 4th line that's either speed or likes to hit

 

[Frk It]

Its been like that for a while. People say you have to play special teams but come on, how good are Miller Emmerton and Eaves on the PK? Since theyve been the PK regulars the teams PK hasnt been great. If they want a purpose on that fourth line they should bring up Ferraro and Sheahan/Glendening to center it. Wont score a tonne of goals but theyre much better PKers. Play Tootoo on the wing.

Ferraro and Tootoo would be some killer speed that can draw penalties and forecheck like crazy. Tootoo provides some toughness but Ferraro and Glendening will mix it up too.

Then have Ferraro in a Helm type role when he came up for playoffs. PK like crazy and fly aronud full speed with Tootoo. Glendening is great defensively as well.

Instead we have Miller, Eaves and Emmerton who are average PKers on the fourth line and thats literally all they provide. They dont provide any more offense than Tootoo and I doubt they would over Ferraro either

Yeah, I agree with all that 100%

 

[Frk It]

That's a very odd comparison. Using your logic, I remember a few years ago Cleary scored more goals than Sidney Crosby... plus Crosby is getting paid more.

Well Samuelsson getting hurt shouldn't come as a surprise.

Paying a 35 year old Sammy that only played 48 games the year prior 3 million on a multi year deal is pretty stupid. Kind of like paying Tootoo 2 mil for a 4 th liner you're not going to use on the PK or in the playoffs is pretty stupid.

People are talking about how bad the tootoo signing was, but I think the Samuelsson signing was worse. I don't really want either on the team, I'm just saying.