How do you fix the Wings?

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I can’t remember which thread I said it in so sorry if this is a repeat but an actual #3 Dman would make a big difference.

Next year Petry is gone (as is Lalonde I assume). Chiarot slots down to #4 and gets his TOI down where it should be well under 20 minutes. Then play mix and match with the remaining Dmen and prospects for the bottom pair. ASP I assume will be in Grand Rapids but maybe could make the jump to the Wings. If he does then there’s the possibility of ASP on the second pair and Chiarot gets to be #5/pk and looks even better.

The trick is who is that 3D and then getting them to sign with the Wings. And they’re gonna have to shed some contracts.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

1. Improve the second pair. My hope is that ASP would be part of this. You also need to find an above league average vet to play with him. I think he probably needs to be acquired in the trade market. We can improve as a team even if the third pair is a couple of also rans. Just focus on finding an above average No. 3 defensemen.

2. Add more offense up front, both from within and outside of the organization.

3. Repeat No. 2 until successful.

 

[lilidk]

It's 11 already , wakeup Yzerman, let's start doing something

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

And with all those contracts expiring , in 2027 the Wings are looking at an all new blueline regardless, minus Ed and Mo.

 

[Chris Langlois]

And with all those contracts expiring , in 2027 the Wings are looking at an all new blueline regardless, minus Ed and Mo.

We can't wait another season. Petry is off the books after this year. But chiarot, gustufsin and holl also need to be moved this off season.

 

[Gniwder]

And with all those contracts expiring , in 2027 the Wings are looking at an all new blueline regardless, minus Ed and Mo.

2026.

CHiarot, Gus, and Holl's contract all expire next season. Petry's expires after this one.

Copp has 2 years left, Compher has 3. By that time Larkin will be 32 and on the decline.

We can't wait another season. Petry is off the books after this year. But chiarot, gustufsin and holl also need to be moved this off season.

So many bad contracts, there's no way Stevie can get rid of all of them.

Next year is more of the same except with a couple of rookies mixed in.

 

[minimal]

I think realistically the most that can be done about the team is control just how ugly this season could get. Even if it was possible, I wouldn't advocate for stripping the team down. There's a real tradeoff at this point between going hard for 1OA and how that's going to affect the players that matter. Besides, the way they're playing right now--without an important injury, mind you--is pretty apparently bottom five worthy.

I can deal with this season being a lost cause since I didn't expect playoff contention, but I really do worry about the mentality of the players. I don't think I've ever seen Larkin so depressed until last night's post-game. What's it going to take for someone to become the emotional spark plug this team needs? Silent professionals aren't cutting it, so what's it going to take for Seider or Raymond (for example) to step up? In that sense, I wonder if rotating the A around this season isn't just a symbol for no one else consistently stepping in.

If Detroit ends up bottom five at the end of this season, I do think this kind of thing can't happen again for at least the next two or three seasons without Yzerman's mandate getting seriously challenged. At least for me, there needs to be a serious attempt to make this team playoff contenders next season--dumping contracts, buyouts, trades, anything proactive--or I'm going to start tuning out as well.

 

[saska sault]

It's 11 already , wakeup Yzerman, let's start doing something

Went to bed hoping to see "Steve Yzerman media availability at noon" by the time coffee break rolled around at work.

 

[Snuggs]

I think realistically the most that can be done about the team is control just how ugly this season could get. Even if it was possible, I wouldn't advocate for stripping the team down. There's a real tradeoff at this point between going hard for 1OA and how that's going to affect the players that matter. Besides, the way they're playing right now--without an important injury, mind you--is pretty apparently bottom five worthy.

I can deal with this season being a lost cause since I didn't expect playoff contention, but I really do worry about the mentality of the players. I don't think I've ever seen Larkin so depressed until last night's post-game. What's it going to take for someone to become the emotional spark plug this team needs? Silent professionals aren't cutting it, so what's it going to take for Seider or Raymond (for example) to step up? In that sense, I wonder if rotating the A around this season isn't just a symbol for no one else consistently stepping in.

If Detroit ends up bottom five at the end of this season, I do think this kind of thing can't happen again for at least the next two or three seasons without Yzerman's mandate getting seriously challenged. At least for me, there needs to be a serious attempt to make this team playoff contenders next season--dumping contracts, buyouts, trades, anything proactive--or I'm going to start tuning out as well.

I'm starting to feel bad. Fans around here actually will point to him as a problem. It's hilarious.

Spend over 15 million on Copp/Compher/Chariot wasting literally years of play/people's life and a guy doesn't even get his job questioned... A random poster suggests trading a 1st rdp for Josh Norris and it's insane. Not that I'm saying Yzerman should even been on the hot seat... I'm just saying...

I'll be honest, you don't need a 2025 1st round pick to be good in 2027. IF you do, a lot more went wrong than right in the years prior.

IF Red Wings don't get better in 2026 it's because Yzerman didn't do things like buyout Copp saving 4 million, waive guys like Holl/Gustafsson saving over 2 more million, let them earn their money in the AHL. More important all three positions can be upgraded by not icing... said player(s).

Gotta tries hard to dump Veleno/Rasmussen/Tarasenko. Pick one of these three players, and the three players above, replace them with literally ALMOST anyone you like if UFA and the teams better, imo. It'll be hard for the team to look worse than this year's team, next year, if you actually try and bring decent players in.

 

[Euro Twins]

I can’t remember which thread I said it in so sorry if this is a repeat but an actual #3 Dman would make a big difference.

Next year Petry is gone (as is Lalonde I assume). Chiarot slots down to #4 and gets his TOI down where it should be well under 20 minutes. Then play mix and match with the remaining Dmen and prospects for the bottom pair. ASP I assume will be in Grand Rapids but maybe could make the jump to the Wings. If he does then there’s the possibility of ASP on the second pair and Chiarot gets to be #5/pk and looks even better.

The trick is who is that 3D and then getting them to sign with the Wings. And they’re gonna have to shed some contracts.

I can't see asp not being in Detroit next season. Even if for some reason he starts in gr. I think they move him right to the big club like they did Raymond though. He's that good.

Having a top 3 of mo Ed and asp is very exciting get a solid #4 and we will be all good

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

We can't wait another season. Petry is off the books after this year. But chiarot, gustufsin and holl also need to be moved this off season.

I think Chiarot can be a serviceable #4 Dman or below. Then I think you make the best of the bottom pairing based on who's left and if you can move Gus or Holl.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Yzerman is not going to make any crazy moves. He is very similar to Ken Holland in that regard.

I would do a fire sale and trade Larkin and restart the rebuild. Which is what I would have done prior to Larkin's contract extension. I never had any faith in the roster with Larkin as the Wings best player. Great player, but he just isn't enough. I do understand why Yzerman didn't do that though. I don't live in a fantasy world...most of the time.

Watching the goals the Wings gave up against Philly (minus EN goals), the Wings blueline has been making the same low IQ mistakes since Lidstrom retired and then to a lesser extent, when Kronwall retired. The game against Philly was just a microcosm of everything wrong with the Wings defense.

Whether it's a bouncing puck or a pass that is just slightly behind, it results it gives the opposing defense that split second to cause a turnover or break down a clean entry into the zone and the Wings revert to dump and chase mode. Which they have been really bad at over the last decade. They are great at dumping and really good at chasing, but the last step of puck retrieval is what eludes them. Wings offense looks really dynamic when they can make a clean zone entry and take advantage of their speed.

The Wings have one good forward line that can generate offense this season. The last time the Wings had an offense that you could legit argue they had three scoring lines was way back in 2012-2013 with Damien Brunner. Now, the bar has been set so low, that simply having two competent forward lines is almost asking for too much.

The Wings problem is that that their top tier talent isn't good enough to elevate their role players and their role players aren't good enough to make the opposing teams have to work hard every shift. People have mentioned you don't need superstar talent to win in the NHL, which is technically true, but the Wings roster is in no position to build via that method.

We can keep waiting and hoping that FA will allow Yzerman to fix their problems, but nobody is going to want to come to Detroit because the roster is ass. So, you are left with the draft, and the post Edmonton era draft changes have made it virtually impossible to build via the draft (with any consistency). Your 1st round pick needs to be in the NHL right away. The Wings simply cannot afford to draft players that might be decent after 2-4 years in the AHL. Some teams can get away with that, but most can't.

 

[mikerooooose]

I get so upset everyone is always ok with this. Like we can't do anything or fire anyone I do get it but man.

Franchise is hardly trying (it's why they didn't make a TDL move last year). They've got this "plan" that they seem ready to ride or die by, and they're going to die by it. The train is going way off the tracks and idk if IT's Yzerman but the management group as a whole seems to have a HUGE discount from the fans and what they want.

Ownership has clearly said you've got X amount of time before anything is expected and it seems like they are milking that timeline for every single drop. They're operating worst than Buffalo/Ottawa imo, those two teams are at the least TRYING to get out of their ruts with trades, etc. Yzerman doesn't make moves for players unless THEY want to come HERE. *DeBrincat/Kane* Which honestly, I'm not giving him a ton of credit for bringing in because it's easy to bring in talent that wants to be here. lol.

I'm not Ok with it, but what is Yzerman suppose to do? Demand teams make good players available to sign?

 

[GoBoltz56]

Yzerman is not going to make any crazy moves. He is very similar to Ken Holland in that regard.

I would do a fire sale and trade Larkin and restart the rebuild. Which is what I would have done prior to Larkin's contract extension. I never had any faith in the roster with Larkin as the Wings best player. Great player, but he just isn't enough. I do understand why Yzerman didn't do that though. I don't live in a fantasy world...most of the time.

Watching the goals the Wings gave up against Philly (minus EN goals), the Wings blueline has been making the same low IQ mistakes since Lidstrom retired and then to a lesser extent, when Kronwall retired. The game against Philly was just a microcosm of everything wrong with the Wings defense.

Whether it's a bouncing puck or a pass that is just slightly behind, it results it gives the opposing defense that split second to cause a turnover or break down a clean entry into the zone and the Wings revert to dump and chase mode. Which they have been really bad at over the last decade. They are great at dumping and really good at chasing, but the last step of puck retrieval is what eludes them. Wings offense looks really dynamic when they can make a clean zone entry and take advantage of their speed.

The Wings have one good forward line that can generate offense this season. The last time the Wings had an offense that you could legit argue they had three scoring lines was way back in 2012-2013 with Damien Brunner. Now, the bar has been set so low, that simply having two competent forward lines is almost asking for too much.

The Wings problem is that that their top tier talent isn't good enough to elevate their role players and their role players aren't good enough to make the opposing teams have to work hard every shift. People have mentioned you don't need superstar talent to win in the NHL, which is technically true, but the Wings roster is in no position to build via that method.

We can keep waiting and hoping that FA will allow Yzerman to fix their problems, but nobody is going to want to come to Detroit because the roster is ass. So, you are left with the draft, and the post Edmonton era draft changes have made it virtually impossible to build via the draft (with any consistency). Your 1st round pick needs to be in the NHL right away. The Wings simply cannot afford to draft players that might be decent after 2-4 years in the AHL. Some teams can get away with that, but most can't.

The tough thing about this roster is that it's made of guys we either desperately need, or guys/contracts that are total garbage that nobody else will touch. I don't see trading our best player as realistic, though, slightly to your point..you gotta kinda wonder if the "core/leadership" could be part of the issue here.

 

[The Flying Octopus]

Can LalalalalaLonde get fired now.

Please and thanks.

If not, I hope he gets boat-raced by the maple syrup’s tomorrow & again & again & again, until he is no longer.

Go get Gallant. For F sakes

 

[Shaman464]

And with all those contracts expiring , in 2027 the Wings are looking at an all new blueline regardless, minus Ed and Mo.

I wonder what over the hill plugs will replace the current crop.

 

[Gniwder]

I'm not Ok with it, but what is Yzerman suppose to do? Demand teams make good players available to sign?

TRade.

 

[gritdash60]

Giving the boot to Lalonde isnt a fix, but at this point its necessary. Then bench every clown who is just "doing their job" and play rookies instead. There has to be a culture of giving it all or sitting out, Raymond didnt give it all after 3 back against Flyers, a place where you can put the pedal down.

Dont even care who it is, coaching needs to change, and whenever big boys are just "coasting" the need to get benched. Possibly for next game as well.

Edit: right now i would bench Raymond.

 

[Gniwder]

Giving the boot to Lalonde isnt a fix, but at this point its necessary. Then bench every clown who is just "doing their job" and play rookies instead. There has to be a culture of giving it all or sitting out, Raymond didnt give it all after 3 back against Flyers, a place where you can put the pedal down.

Dont even care who it is, coaching needs to change, and whenever big boys are just "coasting" the need to get benched. Possibly for next game as well.

Edit: right now i would bench Raymond.

So many players that need to be benched before Ray.

Regardless of who's coaching, the team needs to start setting up for next season come January. That means sending Motte to GR, calling up Lombardi, Danielson, Mazur (when healthy), etc and benching the vets one at a time starting with Tank and Compher. The kids need to play on the second and third lines, otherwise I'd include Joey as well.

 

[19 for president]

I don't see us dealing Larkin because now you are saying well we plan to tank for another 3-4 seasons, because top 30 centers don't make it to FA and are rarely dealt.

I don't think the Wings need to raze it to the ground go forward they just need to raze most of the current vets off this team. There isn't much to save this season because we didn't address the defense. With that said if Stevie decides to be aggressive you could shape this roster up pretty quickly.

This Season:
Deal Tank, Kane, Veleno, Lyon for whatever you can get at the deadline. Honestly I'd try to deal Kane even sooner, his play is just not right for this team. Fine to hold 2 mil per for Tank.

Retain on one of Copp or Compher. Assuming Copp as he has less years, but at 3 mil per for 2 years we should be able to find a buyer for him. He's a fine 3rd C for a defensive shut down role, he just isn't a scorer. We just don't need 2 of those players on the team.

Draft top end offensive player hopefully in top 5. A future Larkin replacement would be best but BPA from a forward perspective is probably necessary.

Likely Offseason:
#1 secure at least 1 if not 2 top #4 dman. I'd lean LD because you are banking on ASP joining that top 4 sooner rather than later. I'd use the plethora of mid D prospects as trade bait. Some decent UFA options, but they might price themself out of our range. We can either go big short term or get someone more mid longer. Probably going to need to make a trade here. Doesn't need to be a world beater just solid defensively to hopefully play with Seider.

Buyout Gus's last season. I'd rather hang onto Holl as the pinch 6th/7th D. He at least bring some PK ability.

Let Mott and Petry walk. If you land 2 top 4s, deal Chia but if not we're stuck for 1 more season.

Even if we say hold on to 4.5 mil to move Tank and Copp. That still gives us 24 mil (90 mil cap) to make a deal with to bring in another top 6, bottom 6, a top 4, and a bottom winger.

I mean not to say I'd do any of these, but you could sign a guy like Rantanen, Marner, Ehlers, Boeser for up to 12 mil long term. Spend up to 8 mil short term on a dman (need to have space for Ed soon). Chychrun, Pionk, Provorov, Ekblad, Pettersson. Sign someone to a 2 mil 3rd line deal and bring in a physical 4th liner even if its a Watson type.

DBC-Larkin-Ehlers (10x7) [Rantanen is my pref. but he might go for crazy high numbers]
Buch/Ammo/MBN-Kasper- Ray
Compher-Danielson-Berg or new (2)
Mazur-Rasmussen-New (1.5)

Petterson (6.5x5)-Seider
Ed- Chia
Aljo/Wally- Holl

Talbot
Cossa

It isn't a perfect lineup (still a bit small overall for my liking) but I do think it could be a competitive one. A lot more youth, speed, and even grit compared to now. It also has quite a few rookies but we've cut down the "old vets" to just Chia, Talbot, and Holl.

We can probably package one of our small winger prospects and mid range d for an upgrade as well (Not same value but: Wally, Buium, Antjo, Aljo, Buch, Ammo, Berg, DBC).

This would set us well for Ed's next deal as the Chia/Holl contracts would pay for most of that. ASP will probably join the top 4 d the following season. DBC could possibly be deal if one of the smaller guys take off besides Ray. MBN definitely joins 26/27 as well which adds a nice physical presence. Our hopeful top 5 pick joins the team. Cossa takes over as the starter.

Now you are looking at something like: 26/27

Martone-Larkin- Ehlers
MBN-Danielson/Kasper-Ray
Ras-Kasper/Danielson-Buch/ Ammo
Mazur-Compher-Savage

Now you have a really nice mix of size, skill, youth, and defensive awareness.

Petterson-Seider
Ed- ASP
Wally- UFA

Cossa
UFA/Talbot

 

[Winger98]

I think I'd rather go crazy high for Rantanen/Marner than $10m for a guy like Ehlers.

 

[wingsfannn919191]

Wtfff I doubt this true but man if Mason mctavish is actually available yzerman should call his buddy and be all over this

NHL trade tiers Big Board: Kreider, Rossi, Provorov among players generating buzz

While the trade deadline isn't until March 7, significant trades have already happened. Here are 68 players who could join a new team.

www.espn.com

 

[13to40]

Can LalalalalaLonde get fired now.

Please and thanks.

If not, I hope he gets boat-raced by the maple syrup’s tomorrow & again & again & again, until he is no longer.

Go get Gallant. For F sakes

Get a new coach, new voice; who can motivate his players. This team comes out flat almost every game. Proper line deployment would be nice too. A team with a real offensive break out and zone every strategy.

It’s pathetic to say, but I think Blashill coached the team better than Lalonde and I really, really, really didn’t like Blashill.

Yzerman being loyal is a good quality to have, but enough is enough. Get this guy out of here. Still lots of the season left to go. It’s not completely wasted yet.

The standings are still very close. A little winning streak and this team is within striking distance of a playoff spot again