So, if Holland's actually going to sign a UFA defenseman or two...

[Henkka]

It would need a better defenceman than Green or Dekeyser to land Duchene.

We don't have it.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Agreed. People dont realize that while Smith was never a big point producer, he consistently got the puck up ice into the offensive zone in the transition game. His advanced stats show this as well. He was one of Detroits better dmen (which isnt saying much) and played tough. On a team like New York where he could play as the number 4 with a good partner he looked terrific.

Un****ing believable. Smith in Detroit and Detroit fans are like "This guy is a piece of **** who doesn't know how to hockey and it would be embarrassing to offer him even $3M per year.

Smith in New York, "Oh, he was always a good offensive defenseman and the advanced stats say x. Man, 4.35M seems alright."

Smith is still the same troglodyte who will draw the ire of the Rangers' faithful when he inevitably costs them several goals with ridiculous misplays. Guy with all the tools in the world, but the hockey IQ of a scone. If Holland signed him for 4.35M, I think about 50% of the board would literally tromp down to LCA and light it to the ground. A scorched earth rebuild might actually become a literal thing.

I mean, the Wings wanted him for almost a million less than NYR paid and people used that as a fireable offense for Ken Holland.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Anyone else get the sickening feeling that Holland is going to make a play for Duchene?

Nope we don't have the pieces that Sakic would want for Matt Duchene, At least not without getting a 3rd team involved any ways. And besides there hasn't even been any mention what so ever of Detroit having any interest in Matt Duchene any ways.

 

[HockeyinHD]

Tatar is getting 5m/yr minimum.

Nah. He'll be lucky if he gets Nyquist's deal.

 

[HockeyinHD]

It has nothing to do with picks and everything to do with the fact that there isn't a defenseman available who would:

a) sign with Detroit
b) sign a contract Detroit can afford without major contract movement
c) improve the team in a meaningful way

Nah. There are lots of options to improve the team. You set a trap there with 'meaningful', because to you that means improved enough to be a top 3 or 4 seed.

Obviously, their intent is different, in that they want to improve the team enough to make the playoffs.

Are you, the defender of all that is the Illitch's collective pocketbook, really advocating they just throw away a few million dollars on an irrelevant piece?

 

[HockeyinHD]

Yeah, initial views of Smith in NYR doesn't look good for us. At some point we're going to have to wonder if the Wings didn't horribly misuse the guy, or if everyone judged him far too severely for what he wasn't rather than for what he was.

1 goal in 30 games.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Four years though? And the Rangers fans seem to love him.

Something doesn't add up.

Yes, one opinion is based on five years of watching him underperform his expectations and only look like a viable middle pairing guy in the playoffs series the Wings made it to. Smith is good when everything is go go go and pinballing around when he doesn't have to make decisions. He has good instincts but is very lacking in hockey smarts.

When you rely on him to hold down a defensive spot over the long term, you see his flaws. Basically, he's the hockey version of Ramon Santiago or Mikie Mahtook. They'll look very good when sprinkled in to the point you're like "maybe we should give them more time", and then they get exposed and you're reminded why you didn't play them all the time.

This will end up being a god awful contract that the Rangers fans will complain about by January 2018.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Nah. There are lots of options to improve the team. You set a trap there with 'meaningful', because to you that means improved enough to be a top 3 or 4 seed.

Obviously, their intent is different, in that they want to improve the team enough to make the playoffs.

If they are gonna put a continually bad product n the ice with no end goal they should reduce the ticket prices

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

1 goal in 30 games.

Danny dekeyser

5 million dollar cap hit

1 goal in last 31 games

 

[lhsgolf19]

Pierre LeBrunâ€ÂVerified account @PierreVLeBrun 13m13 minutes ago

Boston and Detroit both contenders for the services of UFA D Trevor Daley.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Yup looking like it might be down between Boston and Detroit, For Trevor Daley's service.

 

[HockeyinHD]

Danny dekeyser

5 million dollar cap hit

1 goal in last 31 games

And people said DK had a bad season, and he did have a bad season.

Same people are saying Smith earned a 4 year deal and almost 4. Are you saying if DK played like he did last year for a whole whopping mil less you'd have been fine with it?

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

And people said DK had a bad season, and he did have a bad season.

Same people are saying Smith earned a 4 year deal and almost 4. Are you saying if DK played like he did last year for a whole whopping mil less you'd have been fine with it?

I don't think Smith is worth his new deal whatsoever

But his last deal was fantastic

I think dekeyser didn't just have a bad year, I don't think he is all that good in the first place and is overpaid for what he brings or can provide

 

[Winger98]

Yes, one opinion is based on five years of watching him underperform his expectations and only look like a viable middle pairing guy in the playoffs series the Wings made it to. Smith is good when everything is go go go and pinballing around when he doesn't have to make decisions. He has good instincts but is very lacking in hockey smarts.

When you rely on him to hold down a defensive spot over the long term, you see his flaws. Basically, he's the hockey version of Ramon Santiago or Mikie Mahtook. They'll look very good when sprinkled in to the point you're like "maybe we should give them more time", and then they get exposed and you're reminded why you didn't play them all the time.

This will end up being a god awful contract that the Rangers fans will complain about by January 2018.

This isn't entirely his fault, though. He was built up as a 30+ point, offensive catalyst who would anchor our blueline. Instead, he might just be a 10-15 point guy who logs 20+ minutes a night, skates the puck out of trouble, and adds some grit.

I think it's just as likely we didn't utilize him well, and put unrealistic expectations on the guy, as it is he's Ramon Santiago. We'll find out in a year or two, probably.

 

[HockeyinHD]

If they are gonna put a continually bad product n the ice with no end goal they should reduce the ticket prices

Are they forcing you to buy a ticket?

Look, man, I don't know what to tell you. I stopped regularly buying pro sports tickets a loooong time ago, so maybe my perspective on this is just different. I think last year I went in on a suite for a UM MSU game the might Mike passed and that was the only time I went to the Joe all year. Didn't do a Lions or Pistons game. Went to one Tigers game.

That's about average, I'd guess.

The point being, pro teams don't owe you jack. Outside of the NHL, most teams make wildly more from everything else than they do from gate now, anyway. They make 30 mil a year just from FSD. I don't think they're going to chase you away from the arena with a stick, but driving butts to seats isn't going to be top of list, either.

One thing that will absolutely keep people from showing up? Being bad. In effect, the degree the team actually cares about in-person attendance is the degree they're going to avoid tanking.

 

[njx9]

Nah. There are lots of options to improve the team. You set a trap there with 'meaningful', because to you that means improved enough to be a top 3 or 4 seed.

Not at all. I'm happy to concede that a meaningful contribution means 8th seed, in this case, and based on the clear FO intent of just making the playoffs. There's still not a defender (who fits a & b) who changes the 2018/19 destiny of this team in that, much broader, 'meaningful' way.

I'm also presuming that nothing that hasn't happened yet actually happens - i.e. a Kronwall/Ericsson LTIR might change the need for additional bodies, simply because the team would need those bodies to ice a full team.

 

[HockeyinHD]

I think dekeyser didn't just have a bad year, I don't think he is all that good in the first place and is overpaid for what he brings or can provide

Nah. If he plays like he did in 15-16, ~22 a night on the ES/PK, 20 ES points, solid defensively, that's a 5 mil guy in the NHL anymore.

If he plays like he did in 16-17, the deal is going to be disastrous.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Are they forcing you to buy a ticket?

Look, man, I don't know what to tell you. I stopped regularly buying pro sports tickets a loooong time ago, so maybe my perspective on this is just different. I think last year I went in on a suite for a UM MSU game the might Mike passed and that was the only time I went to the Joe all year. Didn't do a Lions or Pistons game. Went to one Tigers game.

That's about average, I'd guess.

The point being, pro teams don't owe you jack. Outside of the NHL, most teams make wildly more from everything else than they do from gate now, anyway. They make 30 mil a year just from FSD. I don't think they're going to chase you away from the arena with a stick, but driving butts to seats isn't going to be top of list, either.

One thing that will absolutely keep people from showing up? Being bad. In effect, the degree the team actually cares about in-person attendance is the degree they're going to avoid tanking.

Now while all that is true to one degree or another

I believe they do and should care about what the people who generate that current and future revenue think

Being bad for a long time keeps people away but so does indifference and apathy towards the fanbase

People will support a long term plan, they will rally behind it but they typically dont support endless mediocrity.

Perhaps i expect too much and that's my fault I guess

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

One thing I'd like to address is how Holland seems to be inferring that

1) we will have a large amount of cap space available to make these moves (conservatively 3.5 even for two bargain bin specials like Campbell and Hansey), but also spots.

It really leads me to wonder if Kronwall is planning on playing next year. These statements don't seem to be consistent with the reality of our cap

 

[Frk It]

We got a 2nd + 3rd round pick for Brendan Smith. I take that all day, every day.

Unless he goes on to be a 30-40 pt defenseman, I really could care less. And I always liked Smith and had hope for Smith. But he's not hard to replace.

As far as did we mess up his development? Idk, he should have been in the NHL sooner. Would it have made a difference? Idk. If we messed up anyone's development, to me it was Kindl. I've never seen anyone get benched for doing less than Jakub Kindl. 1 mistake and that guy was literally in the press box for a month. But I also don't know if you can develop into a good player when you are scared to take a hit.

 

[Mlotek]

This isn't entirely his fault, though. He was built up as a 30+ point, offensive catalyst who would anchor our blueline. Instead, he might just be a 10-15 point guy who logs 20+ minutes a night, skates the puck out of trouble, and adds some grit.

I think it's just as likely we didn't utilize him well, and put unrealistic expectations on the guy, as it is he's Ramon Santiago. We'll find out in a year or two, probably.

Agreed, but he is also a turnover machine and routinely out of position.

 

[Nat006]

One thing I'd like to address is how Holland seems to be inferring that

1) we will have a large amount of cap space available to make these moves (conservatively 3.5 even for two bargain bin specials like Campbell and Hansey), but also spots.

It really leads me to wonder if Kronwall is planning on playing next year. These statements don't seem to be consistent with the reality of our cap

I agree. I cant figure out how we could sign anyone after we sign our RFA's unless both Mule & Kronwall are on LTIR.

 

[Ezekial]

If Trevor Daley is our signing I will feel a whole lot better than some of the other options available. Seems like a player that's getting 2-4 years though.

 

[chances14]

the analytics say campbell would be the best guy to target.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Wings use their own analytics to determine which players to sign.

Oldest + slowest + most useless = perfect fit