Lalonde is fired! NOW what do you do with this team for the rest of the season?

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Lalonde is Laldone. McClellan is now the coach and will bring with him a new structure.

The roster makeup still has a lot of holes but I think we're going to see McClellan give young guys like Rasmussen, Veleno, Kasper and maybe even AlJo bigger roles. I'd also expect some GRG callups.

What *I* would do;
Trade Gustafsson as soon as possible. Future considerations or a conditional 6th or 7th round pick. Chicago, San Jose, maybe NYI, or BUF?
Trade Tarasenko with retention to maybe get a 2nd or 3rd for him. There has to be a team that is a middle of the pack playoff team that could use a vet for their 3rd line.
Trade Kane with retention. He's not getting a 1st anymore but a 2nd + a B prospect or a bottom 6er? He could be useful to a contender like DAL, EDM, VGK, NJD, FLA.
Trade Copp. With retention if you have to. Move an asset if you have to, but the guy needs to go. He's possibly the slowest skater in the NHL and an offensive black hole. He's years ahead of his timeline to become the next Frans Nielsen.
Trade Husso and/or Lyon closer to the TDL. Bring up Cossa and see what he's made of.

Put feelers out to other trade partners for players that can improve the middle of the lineup;
Look at pending RFAs like Alexander Romanov (LD) that would be a pretty awesome partner for one of Seider or Axel Sandin Pelikka. NYI have to pay Dobson big soon and will need to make sacrifices. Would they want a 2nd + Buium or Wallinder or AlJo?
Consider moving the team's 1st in 2025 (with top 5 protection) for young, immediate help. Who are some 2019 to 2021 draftees that could be of use? Cozens? McTavish?
Look at pending UFAs that have some life left in the tank. Jason Zucker would be a fixture on the 2nd line this year to replace some of the dead weight like Tank and Kane, but he plays a game that would be fine for the 3rd line next year and beyond.
Look for a guy that can reliably play a shutdown/PK role. David Savard, Luke Schenn, or someone like that. Give Seider less PK time and more ES/PP time as a result.
Bring up Soderblom. He genuinely looked better in the NHL 2 years ago than he has in the AHL.

Well, that's what I would do. What about YOU?

Click to read more...

 

[lilidk]

Id pay attention in next couple of games for time on ice players.
Hope Seider not getting abused. If other defansman need to shelter against top competition, they should not be on the team . Hope Kane, Tarasenko, Gus gone before season ends

 

[HoweFan]

I want them to make the playoffs.

 

[SCD]

Re-set the Seider game plan to 2021.

Need to bring up Sodorblom, Wallinder, Buium, and Toumisto for a stretch of games to better evaluate their abilities.

Don't crush Edvinsson's desire to carry the puck. Try him on the PP.

Evaluate for next season, don't try to salvage this season. We really don't have the roster to make a difference in May.

 

[19 for president]

I'd love to say we turn it around and go full tilt towards the playoffs, but my realistic wants are a little different.

1. I want to see a definable system employed. I want to see supported breakouts, good decisions on when to hold the puck vs dump it, dmen and forwards knowing who to cover and when.
2. A legitimate PK. There is zero reason our PK should be as bad as it is this season. We returned the same guys as last season that delivered a middle of the pack pk. I'm not sure why we didn't get back to that deployment when we were struggling.
3. Young players getting ice time and developing positively. I felt Seider took a step back under Lalonde and some of the young guys simply weren't getting the ice time they should. Berg, Kasper, Seider, Ray, Ed, Aljo, etc should be getting a lot of minutes to see what we have. I want to see as many of these guys take good steps forward in the last part of the season and I want Todd & team to have some patience when young guys make a mistake as long it isn't a lazy mistake.
4. Better coaching from a game management level. Using a timeout to change momentum. Being willing to change up ice time/ lineups if people aren't performing.
5. Willingness by the staff to demote or bench vets that aren't playing the right way. If you aren't back checking hard, going into the hard areas (within reason), then you need to sit.
6. Increased physicality, forechecking, and willingness to shoot.

Todd isn't going to be able to instantaneously change anything. I expect a solid 10 games before we really see changes in system. We also still haven't addressed the lack of top 4 dmen on this team. Without adding at least one, this team is still going to struggle defensively overall.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

if we play the rest of the season at mclellan's career point percentage we will end up with 86, good enough for 12th in the east and 22nd in the league last year. that would give us a 3% chance at the 1st pick and 3.2% at the 2nd. that's not good enough (or rather, that's too good) i still want that top 4 pick, g dang it!

i would wait and see who's play rebounds under mclellan... and then trade their a**! get as much value out of the guys that aren't going to be here long term. then, at the deadline trade off all expiring contracts. kane, fischer, motte, husso, lyon. get as many kids up as possible to see who is ready and to get them acquainted so we don't have so many nubes on the roster over the next 2 years

shl season ends in march. we play the blues on april 1st. this is how i would like our lineup to look

debrincat - larkin - raymond
rasmussen - kasper - berggren
lombardi - danielson - tarasenko
soderblom - copp - compher
veleno

johansson - seider
edvinsson - sandin-pellikka
wallinder - chiarot
holl

talbot
cossa

after the season we should have a good idea which guys are ready and who isn't. we'll also have a ton of assets and cap space to plug holes. throw the bag at rantanen. make a blockbuster trade for a young, top 4 d (unless we get schaefer) byram maybe? if we're going to have to pay to move bad contracts i'd rather wait until wait the offseason or even the start of next season

edit: today we are currently tied for 28th in the league. i swear to god, if we improve and whoever finishes in that spot wins the lottery, i will take mclellan's mother out for a nice seafood dinner AND NEVER CALL HER AGAIN

 

[SantosHalper]

Just finish the season, drive in the system. Youth movement for next season. Vets will know the structure when the next season starts.

 

[Winger98]

I just want the team to look like they have some idea what they're doing and are actually working to do it. They have looked like such a lethargic mess this year and it needs to stop.

 

[ShanahanMan]

Entertaining hockey that we continue to lose. More games like we had against Van and NJ. 4-3, 5-4 games. But yeah, Tank is the best option and keep Draper away from the pick.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Youth movement needs to start now, not next year.

Implement @OgeeOgelthorpe moves (although I'm less concerned about Copp and think that's less likely)

But I agree with clearing out: Kane, Tarasenko, Lyon, and Gus starting now.

That should open up two middle six forward spots as well as a bottom 4 D spot starting now. Get a healthy rotation of Danielson, Mazur (when healthy), Lombardi, and Hanas rotating in and around Kasper, Compher, Berggren, and Rasmussen to see where they are at, and decide who to call up full time next season. We don't want to start next season with 6 prospects on the roster with no experience.

I would see what value Chiarot, Holl have on the open market (YES, veteran D on short contracts making less than 7M dollars a year always have trade value), and move one of the two out, and roll up Wallinder and Buium in a similar fashion as the forwards. Our D will be terrible, it might as well be terrible while our prospects are learning how fast the NHL is. AlJo - Holl / Wallinder - Petry, when Wallinder looks like he's ready to die, swap in Buium and back and forth.

Agree with @19 for president and @SantosHalper and @SCD ; basically all forms of the same "Can we see some structure in our coaching, a system, and some semblance of a strategy and effort?"

If we can leave this season with a team that looks like it's trying, the prospects are getting some ice time but not so much they are going to be mentally caved in, and the team is working on learning a clear and coherent system of play AND we get a Top 5 pick?

I would be absolutely thrilled

 

[Shaman464]

The multiyear deal to me is evidence that Yzerman understands the rebuild has stalled or is failing and knows he needs to retool over the next season and a half. The team is still lacking major concrete pieces that a team needs to contend and this is as good as time as ever to try to solidify the team over the long term.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

The multiyear deal to me is evidence that Yzerman understands the rebuild has stalled or is failing and knows he needs to retool over the next season and a half. The team is still lacking major concrete pieces that a team needs to contend and this is as good as time as ever to try to solidify the team over the long term.

Why would a multiyear deal for a coach make you think the rebuild failed?

I just want the team to look like they have some idea what they're doing and are actually working to do it. They have looked like such a lethargic mess this year and it needs to stop.

Entertaining hockey that we continue to lose. More games like we had against Van and NJ. 4-3, 5-4 games. But yeah, Tank is the best option and keep Draper away from the pick.

I'd like that as well. But I think this team needs an injection of personality just as much as an injection of talent. By all reports we have too many introverted, quiet types in the locker room. Nobody that is a firebrand.

 

[Shaman464]

Why would a multiyear deal for a coach make you think the rebuild failed?

Its a safety net for him because the next season and a half the Wings won't be a winning team. It gives them time to retool the rebuild and give him a chance to build a system. If Yzerman thought this team was significantly underperforming where it should be and a coaching change was needed to correct this season there would be no reason to offer a guy who had no demand (fired twice now for underperforming expectations) a multiyear deal. You'd give him a contract till the end of the season then reassess.

 

[Winger98]

I don't like the idea of yo-yoing kids between GR and Detroit. Watching them in GR, you can tell when they are ready to move up, when the development returns are diminishing. If a kid is at that point, yeah, bring him up. But keep him up.

 

[WestlakeWingFan]

Getting rid of all the bad contracts would be great, but is unrealistic. If McLellan can get some guys playing better there's a chance you can unload a couple guys (Kane, Compher, Chiarot?), but for the most part we're stuck with these guys unless you want to part with draft picks to trade them or buy them out in the offseason.

At best, we see Mazur (if he plays well in GR once he's healthy) and Danielson for a few games at the end of the season. I'd just like to see more players playing well if that makes sense. Most of the roster is playing well below what we think their "average" level should be. If we can get Ras, Compher, Copp, Gus, Tarasenko, whoever playing at or above their expected level I'll be happy.

(I wouldn't hate a top 4 pick either)

 

[Shaman464]

Getting rid of all the bad contracts would be great, but is unrealistic. If McLellan can get some guys playing better there's a chance you can unload a couple guys (Kane, Compher, Chiarot?), but for the most part we're stuck with these guys unless you want to part with draft picks to trade them or buy them out in the offseason.

At best, we see Mazur (if he plays well in GR once he's healthy) and Danielson for a few games at the end of the season. I'd just like to see more players playing well if that makes sense. Most of the roster is playing well below what we think their "average" level should be. If we can get Ras, Compher, Copp, Gus, Tarasenko, whoever playing at or above their expected level I'll be happy.

(I wouldn't hate a top 4 pick either)

Copp and Compher aren't underperforming, they're playing at, or near career averages. They were just signed with unrealistic expectations. They're both 3rd liners and both on the wrong side of their primes. Pretty much all the other names are dudes that are past their prime and its not weird that they would see declining production/level of play.

 

[SoupNazi]

What would I do? I'd give them until the end of January to see what McLellan does and the reassess whether or not I'm selling. But I'd probably be looking at selling as many vets as possible.

I'd give him some time, however, to see if we can get some of the vets going and increase their value slightly before trading them off.

 

[Shaman464]

What would I do? I'd give them until the end of January to see what McLellan does and the reassess whether or not I'm selling. But I'd probably be looking at selling as many vets as possible.

I'd give him some time, however, to see if we can get some of the vets going and increase their value slightly before trading them off.

This season is cooked. If I were Yzerman I would use this season to get as many assets as possible at the TDL., assess anyone over 25 who isn't moved for long term fit, then take the off season to trim as much fat as possible. McLellan's jobs are to keep the locker room from becoming toxic and to give players time and space to show if they're part of the future or part of the fat.

 

[TCNorthstars]

Lalonde is Laldone. McClellan is now the coach and will bring with him a new structure.

The roster makeup still has a lot of holes but I think we're going to see McClellan give young guys like Rasmussen, Veleno, Kasper and maybe even AlJo bigger roles. I'd also expect some GRG callups.

What *I* would do;
Trade Gustafsson as soon as possible. Future considerations or a conditional 6th or 7th round pick. Chicago, San Jose, maybe NYI, or BUF?
Trade Tarasenko with retention to maybe get a 2nd or 3rd for him. There has to be a team that is a middle of the pack playoff team that could use a vet for their 3rd line.
Trade Kane with retention. He's not getting a 1st anymore but a 2nd + a B prospect or a bottom 6er? He could be useful to a contender like DAL, EDM, VGK, NJD, FLA.
Trade Copp. With retention if you have to. Move an asset if you have to, but the guy needs to go. He's possibly the slowest skater in the NHL and an offensive black hole. He's years ahead of his timeline to become the next Frans Nielsen.
Trade Husso and/or Lyon closer to the TDL. Bring up Cossa and see what he's made of.

Put feelers out to other trade partners for players that can improve the middle of the lineup;
Look at pending RFAs like Alexander Romanov (LD) that would be a pretty awesome partner for one of Seider or Axel Sandin Pelikka. NYI have to pay Dobson big soon and will need to make sacrifices. Would they want a 2nd + Buium or Wallinder or AlJo?
Consider moving the team's 1st in 2025 (with top 5 protection) for young, immediate help. Who are some 2019 to 2021 draftees that could be of use? Cozens? McTavish?
Look at pending UFAs that have some life left in the tank. Jason Zucker would be a fixture on the 2nd line this year to replace some of the dead weight like Tank and Kane, but he plays a game that would be fine for the 3rd line next year and beyond.
Look for a guy that can reliably play a shutdown/PK role. David Savard, Luke Schenn, or someone like that. Give Seider less PK time and more ES/PP time as a result.
Bring up Soderblom. He genuinely looked better in the NHL 2 years ago than he has in the AHL.

Well, that's what I would do. What about YOU?

I think you can

if we play the rest of the season at mclellan's career point percentage we will end up with 86, good enough for 12th in the east and 22nd in the league last year. that would give us a 3% chance at the 1st pick and 3.2% at the 2nd. that's not good enough (or rather, that's too good) i still want that top 4 pick, g dang it!

i would wait and see who's play rebounds under mclellan... and then trade their a**! get as much value out of the guys that aren't going to be here long term. then, at the deadline trade off all expiring contracts. kane, fischer, motte, husso, lyon. get as many kids up as possible to see who is ready and to get them acquainted so we don't have so many nubes on the roster over the next 2 years

shl season ends in march. we play the blues on april 1st. this is how i would like our lineup to look

debrincat - larkin - raymond
rasmussen - kasper - berggren
lombardi - danielson - tarasenko
soderblom - copp - compher
veleno

johansson - seider
edvinsson - sandin-pellikka
wallinder - chiarot
holl

talbot
cossa

after the season we should have a good idea which guys are ready and who isn't. we'll also have a ton of assets and cap space to plug holes. throw the bag at rantanen. make a blockbuster trade for a young, top 4 d (unless we get schaefer) byram maybe? if we're going to have to pay to move bad contracts i'd rather wait until wait the offseason or even the start of next season

edit: today we are currently tied for 28th in the league. i swear to god, if we improve and whoever finishes in that spot wins the lottery, i will take mclellan's mother out for a nice seafood dinner AND NEVER CALL HER AGAIN

Now lets see what roster moves you make to fit 5 guys from the AHL and one from the SHL.

 

[stillwater]

Every time I see Dylan Larkin with the press, he comes across about as lively as someone consoling a grieving family at a funeral. Wake up son, it's not THAT bad! You don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders ... AND, your teammates could use a little life and positivity from their f***ing captain!!

Play better. Stop whining to the referees every time someone comes near you. Brighten up the room a little bit and have some fun while you're at it. You're making tons of money to play a pretty simple game, and you're really good at it. Let's go!!!

And if not, I'd prefer Stevie move him at the deadline if things remain the same and install Mo or Razor as the captain.

I like Dylan Larkin as a player, but he's got to share a good share of the responsibility for this shit show.

I think you can


Now lets see what roster moves you make to fit 5 guys from the AHL and one from the SHL.

He already did. Not that I concur, but he did.

 

[Shaman464]

Every time I see Dylan Larkin with the press, he comes across about as lively as someone consoling a grieving family at a funeral. Wake up son, it's not THAT bad! You don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders ... AND, your teammates could use a little life and positivity from their f***ing captain!!

Play better. Stop whining to the referees every time someone comes near you. Brighten up the room a little bit and have some fun while you're at it. You're making tons of money to play a pretty simple game, and you're really good at it. Let's go!!!

And if not, I'd prefer Stevie move him at the deadline if things remain the same and install Mo or Razor as the captain.

I like Dylan Larkin as a player, but he's got to share a good share of the responsibility for this shit show.

Dude is on the other side of his prime most likely with what's looking like mounting injuries and on a team with no clear time frame for when they'll be a yearly bubble team, let alone a contender. Even if everything goes perfectly he's going to be in his 30s before he will have a chance to get a cup and every year the odds of him having a cup ring decreases. I feel bad for him.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Every time I see Dylan Larkin with the press, he comes across about as lively as someone consoling a grieving family at a funeral. Wake up son, it's not THAT bad! You don't have the weight of the world on your shoulders ... AND, your teammates could use a little life and positivity from their f***ing captain!!

McClellan referenced this during his presser and he said he'd take on some of the responsibility that Larkin seems to be shouldering all on his own. It really seems like Lalonde was not cut out to be a head coach. At least we know McClellan can do the job, I think the guys will rebound pretty quickly.

While Larkin was doing his funeral director bit, Kane and Mo were talking about this being a spark to get the team on the right track.

 

[stillwater]

Exactly. It's like Dylan figures the Red Wing world wants to see that he's suffering.

The Wings could always cut back on his media availability. Doesn't always have to be him.

 

[SCD]

I don't like the idea of yo-yoing kids between GR and Detroit. Watching them in GR, you can tell when they are ready to move up, when the development returns are diminishing. If a kid is at that point, yeah, bring him up. But keep him up.

That is nice in theory, but keeping GR competitive so they get a run in the playoffs is important for these kids development. There are only so many contracts that can be moved up and down, especially after the trade deadline, that rotating some of these kids to Detroit has developmental value. Cossa spoke of this in several of his interviews. It needs to be done for a stretch of games for each player, not the random one game call-up.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

He already did. Not that I concur, but he did.

just out of curiosity, which part do you not concur with?