It's always interesting, how in this case, "the family wants to go to Nashville", on a team without a single playmaker, and see his goal totals to dip from 40+ level to 27. And now he looks like an overpaid bust.
Steven Stamkos, as a hockeyplayer, if he is smart enough, should want to go teams with great playmakeks, like Detroit was with Raymond and Kane.
That was kind of the most stupid summer move to make from a player's side. Staying at Tampa (with superior Kucherov) after a low-ball offer would have been better too.
If money and family are more important that than the player himself, then, he is not a needed player.
That's just the friendly talk to keep our next season trade baits as positive.
But I agreed with Gustafsson, he was great after McLellan came in, and the defence weakened after his injury, because Holl jumped in from healthy scratch. Gustafsson was playing very well before that injury, that's the only time of the season, when our 3rd pair wasn't a weakness. He struggled bad under Lalonde.
Yeah, it's the term thing, because he likes to have Pellikka there. Long-term plan first, as always.
The group was good enough under McLellan... 96-point pace.
That's what we build for, after getting some better players.
I would say Pettersson is definitely more talented and skilled player than Larkin.
But what comes to LEADERSHIP issue, Pettersson definitely is not the the answer, and especially as a double negative affect, if traded for Larkin. We would lose leadership, and not get anything.
This is really funny how Red Wings are making tens of millions of profit, even if against the cap, and some idiots think Chris Ilitch is hindering some money.
If money matters (for Ilitches), you guys should look on baseball, but not on Red Wings.
Usually sadness or getting angry is relative to your expectations.
He expected more, and the team went a bit of south (from a last season 91-point team). But there are reasons (like Lalonde-struggles early, PK issues, Larks/Ray wear after 4Nations instead of normal All Star break), he didn't maybe understand early on that season-ending presser.
They should next time give players more time before those pressers, to think and get over the disappointment. Get more analytical approach.
Or, I hope the next time will never happen (and we are at the playoffs).
Robert Thomas was NHL-leading scorer after 4 Nations with 40 points, something to think about.
And anyways, it was their own boys who carried the team at the playoffs.
Thomas, Kyrou, Buchnevich, Neighbours, Bolduc, Schenn, Sundqvist, Toropchenko etc. are pretty much their own boys and draft picks who did it.
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