Playoff Chase

[Gniwder]

yeah but have you considered that actually it's Yzerman's first year next year? obviously everything was Ken Holland's fault at first, but then also when he went to Edmonton he was still a GM in the league so he was still having a psychological impact that it isn't fair to discount even though he wasn't here anymore

and then of course the grace period once he did stop being a GM

I acknowledge that Stevie did not have a lot to work with, but the record 6 years without playoffs was set by MacLean in CBJ. It's not like they've ever had a lot to work with.

6 years without playoffs is the cut point for a GM, regardless of situation. Usually it's 4, so Stevie already got a 2 year grace period.

 

[ricky0034]

I acknowledge that Stevie did not have a lot to work with, but the record 6 years without playoffs was set by MacLean in CBJ. It's not like they've ever had a lot to work with.

6 years without playoffs is the cut point for a GM, regardless of situation. Usually it's 4, so Stevie already got a 2 year grace period.

I think it's also easy to forget sometimes with the stability that the Wings have had at the position that 6 years is actually a relatively long time to even be a teams GM

right now Yzerman is actually the 8th longest tenured GM in the league and there's only 3 guys that have even been around for a decade(4 if you're generous and add an extra couple months to Sweeney's tenure) and 0 that have been around for 15 years(1 if you're generous and add an extra few months to Armstrong's)

 

[Chris Langlois]

Of course montreal somehow beats florida in florida. Guarantee u florida brings their A game against us though next week the 2 times we play them!

 

[Run the Jewels]

Yeah, should have gotten rid of him instead of Walman. Picked up better players than Tank and Motte.

If Yzerman wasn't the fan favorite as a player, he would've been fired by now. We were all afraid that we'd be stuck as a perennial bubble team, and STevie can't even get the team that far. The NHL playoff drought record for a GM is 6 seasons, Stevie is just one shy now.

The team had shown clear improvement 4 years in a row prior to this season. Should Lalonde have been fired sooner? 100% yes. The coaching change has the team back on track, albeit likely too little, too late, but largely due to the fact they still lack depth down the middle and cannot withstand injuries to Larkin last year or Copp this year. But Kasper is showing signs of being able to hack it as a scoring line center.

Next year the lineup could easily be:

1C: Larkin
2C: Kasper
3C: Copp

1DP:Edvinsson - Seider
2DP: X - ASP

No idea why you would think moving on from Yzerman is the play. I'd expect that from delusional Sens fans.

 

[FMichael]

Going to also mention that the 4 nations break also killed off any momentum we had at the time, and removed the ability for this team to keep playing/practicing basically every day. Coming out of that we basically had to start from zero, and the long we went without winning, I think it just kept pounding away at the team's confidence. Losing confidence, losing Copp, the goalies going a bit cold...it's all just a lousy combination.

I could be way off here…I wonder if McLellan didn’t employ a system prior to the tournament thus allowing the guys to do their own thing?

Once over a system was established and these are the results?

 

[GarlicbreadTB]

The team had shown clear improvement 4 years in a row prior to this season. Should Lalonde have been fired sooner? 100% yes. The coaching change has the team back on track, albeit likely too little, too late, but largely due to the fact they still lack depth down the middle and cannot withstand injuries to Larkin last year or Copp this year. But Kasper is showing signs of being able to hack it as a scoring line center.

Next year the lineup could easily be:

1C: Larkin
2C: Kasper
3C: Copp

1DP:Edvinsson - Seider
2DP: X - ASP

No idea why you would think moving on from Yzerman is the play. I'd expect that from delusional Sens fans.

Possibly Danielson will be able to play C later on during the season like Kasper have this one.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Possibly Danielson will be able to play C later on during the season like Kasper have this one.

True, but I was looking at things we are reasonably sure are going to occur. Based on how ASP has performed in Sweden, there's every reason to expect him to spend the majority if not the full season in Detroit.

 

[DanielMarois]

Of course montreal somehow beats florida in florida. Guarantee u florida brings their A game against us though next week the 2 times we play them!

It was pretty much all Lane Hutson, 3 assists and 23 mins of ice time, what a player.

 

[Chris Langlois]

It was pretty much all Lane Hutson, 3 assists and 23 mins of ice time, what a player.

That'll be asp for us. If only we would grow a pair and play our youth like montreal.

 

[Winger98]

That'll be asp for us. If only we would grow a pair and play our youth like montreal.

You mean like how two rookies were our 2nd pair? Or how a rookie has been our 2C? We'd have Soderblom and Mazur in the lineup, too, if they didn't get hurt, but they'll probably be every day guys next year.

 

[Gniwder]

The team had shown clear improvement 4 years in a row prior to this season. Should Lalonde have been fired sooner? 100% yes. The coaching change has the team back on track, albeit likely too little, too late, but largely due to the fact they still lack depth down the middle and cannot withstand injuries to Larkin last year or Copp this year. But Kasper is showing signs of being able to hack it as a scoring line center.

Next year the lineup could easily be:

1C: Larkin
2C: Kasper
3C: Copp

1DP:Edvinsson - Seider
2DP: X - ASP

No idea why you would think moving on from Yzerman is the play. I'd expect that from delusional Sens fans.

If the team doesn't make the playoffs NEXT season, Stevie absolutely needs to be fired. He literally ties the NHL record for incompetence.

I dunno if the Sabres are the only other team you watch, but the Wings are starting to set records for futility. Of course, Buf has teh number one spot for virtually everything right now.

 

[nbwingsfan]

The team had shown clear improvement 4 years in a row prior to this season. Should Lalonde have been fired sooner? 100% yes. The coaching change has the team back on track, albeit likely too little, too late, but largely due to the fact they still lack depth down the middle and cannot withstand injuries to Larkin last year or Copp this year. But Kasper is showing signs of being able to hack it as a scoring line center.

Next year the lineup could easily be:

1C: Larkin
2C: Kasper
3C: Copp

1DP:Edvinsson - Seider
2DP: X - ASP

No idea why you would think moving on from Yzerman is the play. I'd expect that from delusional Sens fans.

When you’re starting at the literal bottom, the only way is up. He will have had 7 drafts/free agencies/deadlines to improve the team by the end of next season.

If they don’t make the post season during that kind of time frame then yes he absolutely needs to be fired

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

He doesn't need to be fired. He needs to have what happened to Harbaugh happen to him. Where Harbaugh had to renegotiate his contract to not be fired after the COVID year. It's the exact same shit. "Oh, he didn't get us back to where we wanted fast enough, so let's run him out on a rail"... as if having a few more RW last year and the Wings making the playoffs would have made a difference.

Yzerman's problem is that he's too comfortable. That was evidenced by trading for Petr Mrazek. "Of course I'll be here next year, so I need to lock up a terrible option so I don't have to sign a goalie.

I still think he's by far the best option to be a GM that Detroit would have even if they went to open market with the role... but he needs to be forced into some kind of aggressive action. We've been patient and let him rebuild. Time to shit or get off the pot now.

 

[Run the Jewels]

That'll be asp for us. If only we would grow a pair and play our youth like montreal.

Been playing our youth (Kasper) more since Copp went out. Been struggling to win but also seeing some strong production from Marco. With youth, there's going to be less certainty than with a vet, you just need to accept that.

Here is the core:

Center
Larkin (28)
Kasper (20)
Danielson - we hope, anyway (20)
Copp (30)

Wing
Raymond (23)
DeBrincat (27)
Berggren (24)
Söderblom (23)

Defense
Seider (23)
Edvinsson (21)
Sandin-Pelikka (20)

Not including goalies just yet because I'm not sure Cossa or Augustine are going to be core players, hopefully both will. I think once the center position is solidified the Wings will truly see their window open up. I'd love to make the playoffs this year and get Danielson into that 3C spot next season and then slot Copp down into the 4C spot.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I still think he's by far the best option to be a GM that Detroit would have even if they went to open market with the role... but he needs to be forced into some kind of aggressive action. We've been patient and let him rebuild. Time to shit or get off the pot now.

It's also super easy to get overly aggressive at this point in time. No secret the pressure is mounting to make something happen. This is the time when a GM can easily get stressed and start trading away the wrong prospects and picks. 6 months ago large parts of the fanbase viewed Söderblom and Johansson's as busts and Kasper as a 3C ceiling guy. Would have been easy to move them in a package for Dylan Cozens which would have looked potentially rebuild-killing now.

 

[GMR]

If we win 7 straight, including the last game, are we getting in the playoffs?

Probably still not since the teams we're competing against for the last spot aren't the teams remaining on our schedule.

 

[saska sault]

It's also super easy to get overly aggressive at this point in time. No secret the pressure is mounting to make something happen. This is the time when a GM can easily get stressed and start trading away the wrong prospects and picks. 6 months ago large parts of the fanbase viewed Söderblom and Johansson's as busts and Kasper as a 3C ceiling guy. Would have been easy to move them in a package for Dylan Cozens which would have looked potentially rebuild-killing now.

Agreed. Also why some fans should relax on Danielson and MBN. Let them develop along with ASP. They will make an impact when they are ready. Trading prospects and picks before the team is ready just extends the rebuild/build up of the roster.

 

[Leadzedder]

Money puck has us with a 2.9% chance at making the playoffs.

It also has us at a 2.9% chance of getting 1st overall pick.

Right in that sweet spot.

 

[Axel Sandy Pelikan]

It's also super easy to get overly aggressive at this point in time. No secret the pressure is mounting to make something happen. This is the time when a GM can easily get stressed and start trading away the wrong prospects and picks. 6 months ago large parts of the fanbase viewed Söderblom and Johansson's as busts and Kasper as a 3C ceiling guy. Would have been easy to move them in a package for Dylan Cozens which would have looked potentially rebuild-killing now.

I agree. However… that is quite literally Yzerman’s job to thread that needle.

I’ve been very supportive and patient and understood the logic of most of his moves. I did not see the logic (outside of I have all the time in the world) in trading to get Mrazek now to make it so goalie wasn’t a need next summer. You’re paying at least double, possibly triple what you’d pay an equivalent goalie to Petr in getting him with that $4M paycheck. He will be one of the worst pay/performance goalies next year.

He’s not responsible for the team going into the tank whenever someone gets hurt. He built teams with enough talent if all healthy to make the playoffs. But eventually the injury stuff ceases to be a reason why you didn’t make it and instead becomes an excuse

 

[14ari13]

I just hope the NYR don't make it

 

[jkutswings]

Money puck has us with a 2.9% chance at making the playoffs.

It also has us at a 2.9% chance of getting 1st overall pick.

Right in that sweet spot.

Detroit is chasing a playoff spot like Bill Buckner chased that ground ball.

 

[Hockeyfan2390]

Montreal is beating Boston (not surprising), and are about to be a full six points ahead of Detroit.

Maybe March hockey will be fun again in 2028.

 

[Winged Wheel Willy]

I think it is time to morph this thread into "8th OA Chase"

 

[RedWingzz]

I think it is time to morph this thread into "8th OA Chase"

Who would you pick between Eklund, McQueen and O'Brien if all are available when we pick?

 

[jkutswings]

Who would you pick between Eklund, McQueen and O'Brien if all are available when we pick?

None. I'd trade the pick as part of a package to land top half of the lineup NHL talent.