What's Next for the Red Wings?

I really dont see any gaps at all though... where are they weak? Defense? They are still stacked with young and old. Forward? Deepest in the league with 2 of the best centers in Datsyul and Zetterberg. Goaltending? Maybe an issue but Osgood was solid all playoffs.

I dont see any holes just a team that has gone deep into the playoffs 3 straight years and injuries finally hurt them. Cup or not, when healthy, or even 90%, still the best team in the league.

Neely4Life wrote:I really dont see any gaps at all though... where are they weak? Defense? They are still stacked with young and old. Forward? Deepest in the league with 2 of the best centers in Datsyul and Zetterberg. Goaltending? Maybe an issue but Osgood was solid all playoffs.

I dont see any holes just a team that has gone deep into the playoffs 3 straight years and injuries finally hurt them. Cup or not, when healthy, or even 90%, still the best team in the league.

Neely, what Caputo said is worth reading again.

If the Wings were the best, they'd be Champions right now.

That's all there is.

And that's what Ken Holland and the Red Wings organization use as their standard.

What makes a 'best in class' organization, no matter what the area of endeavour, is the ability to look critically at one's own organization.

Holland is one of the best at that, as is his coach and the rest of the staff.

It does, and thats why they are the best. An outsiders, unbias point of view, there are not many, if any holes on that Wings team. If injuries hit like that again, they probably wont win again.

I cant go and look at their lineup and go, right there is where they need some depth, or they could use an upgrade there.

I also dont but the "if they were the best team they would be champs" thing either. Pitts had TONS of luck in the final series and throughout the playoffs. Everything went there way as opposed to The Wings who had basically everything happen to them in a negative sense, and stil got to game 7 of the cup finals. A normal team would fold with those injuries, Detroit still somehow managed to get there.

Going into next year, Detroit is still the favorite to win the cup.

davetherave wrote:

Neely4Life wrote:I really dont see any gaps at all though... where are they weak? Defense? They are still stacked with young and old. Forward? Deepest in the league with 2 of the best centers in Datsyul and Zetterberg. Goaltending? Maybe an issue but Osgood was solid all playoffs.

I dont see any holes just a team that has gone deep into the playoffs 3 straight years and injuries finally hurt them. Cup or not, when healthy, or even 90%, still the best team in the league.

Neely, what Caputo said is worth reading again.

If the Wings were the best, they'd be Champions right now.

That's all there is.

And that's what Ken Holland and the Red Wings organization use as their standard.

What makes a 'best in class' organization, no matter what the area of endeavour, is the ability to look critically at one's own organization.

Holland is one of the best at that, as is his coach and the rest of the staff.

They were dang close to being winners again, even with those insane injuries. They have undeniably one of the top-2 rosters in the league, kids coming up at every position prospect-wise, a top coach, the best scouting staff in hockey, and a savvy, experienced managment team.

Absolutely nothing needs to change. That's all there is.

Absolutly nothing has to change in Detorit. They are taking the loss like Champs, saying all the right things. Detroit knows their better, so does most of the league, but they refuse to make excuses.

Detroit is still an elite club, anyway you slice it. Although I'm pretty interested to see what they get up to next year if they lose a couple of guys like Hossa and Hudler.

Amen to that. Looking at the likes of Helm, Ericsson and Abdelkader, while Zetterberg and Datsyuk are still in their prime. Wow. Lidstrom played like his age for once -- but now we find out he had some private surgery. Earlier I was thinking he may be retiring, but he's still got a couple of good years, at least. The future is bright for the Wings, but they need to look for a goalie. Osgood needs an apprentice, someone who can take over in 2-3 years.

asq2 wrote:[

They were dang close to being winners again, even with those insane injuries. They have undeniably one of the top-2 rosters in the league, kids coming up at every position prospect-wise, a top coach, the best scouting staff in hockey, and a savvy, experienced managment team.

Absolutely nothing needs to change. That's all there is.

Dang close, eh. Not close enough, eh.

That's all there is, eh.

ASQ--just joking.

Mr. Holland's the GM. Let's see what he does next.

Oh, and ASQ, are you still a Wings fan, or do you go back to being a Sens fan now?

ASQ, as you are no doubt in the midst of an off season decision as to who you will support next year...



Reserve yours now. Quantities are limited.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090614/SPORTS05/906140554/0/SPORTS05

Looks like Detroit's gonna offer Hossa a 10 year, 40 million dollar deal. I can't see him signing that, but hey...you never know...

Well, he took less term last time.. you never know.

I suggest they clean house. Tough loss, time to rebuild. I say they take a once accomplished sniper from a team up north and say forward to us Zetterberg and Kronwall... that is how you run a franchise said Milbury to Holland....

Well, he took less term last time.. you never know.

I suggest they clean house. Tough loss, time to rebuild. I say they take a once accomplished sniper from a team up north and say forward to us Zetterberg and Kronwall... that is how you run a franchise said Milbury to Holland....

Well, he took less term last time.. you never know.

I suggest they clean house. Tough loss, time to rebuild. I say they take a once accomplished sniper from a team up north and say forward to us Zetterberg and Kronwall... that is how you run a franchise said Milbury to Holland....

Things will need to change - they always do. To stand still is to allow others to catch you.

The question is how well will they mitigate the loss of some of the established talent, as it will take serious maneuvering to manage the cap issues, with the UFA/RFA signings due, and the expected drop in the cap for the next year(s).

MurderOnIce wrote:Well, he took less term last time.. you never know.

I suggest they clean house. Tough loss, time to rebuild. I say they take a once accomplished sniper from a team up north and say forward to us Zetterberg and Kronwall... that is how you run a franchise said Milbury to Holland....

They'd need a defenseman back as well. I'd be willing to let them have Smith and Lee for another pick pr two.

if hossa accepts that deal that is a cap hit of 4 million that pushes the wings up to 55 million cap wise next year it would be safe to say huddler and samualsson wont be returning especially with the wings still needing a backup signed and are going to have to get helm and Abdelkader to come up and play full time and that is still going to be 1.4 total puts them already over this years cap and it is expected to go down next year i dont know how they are going to sign hossa without trading away a larger contract

SpezDispenser wrote:http://www.freep.com/article/20090614/SPORTS05/906140554/0/SPORTS05

Looks like Detroit's gonna offer Hossa a 10 year, 40 million dollar deal. I can't see him signing that, but hey...you never know...

I can't see it, he will run to greener pastures to the next team he thinks will win that is not the Penguins, they would laugh at him.

Hockeyhero22000 wrote:if hossa accepts that deal that is a cap hit of 4 million that pushes the wings up to 55 million cap wise next year it would be safe to say huddler and samualsson wont be returning especially with the wings still needing a backup signed and are going to have to get helm and Abdelkader to come up and play full time and that is still going to be 1.4 total puts them already over this years cap and it is expected to go down next year i dont know how they are going to sign hossa without trading away a larger contract

Holland has already denied those rumors, hasn't he? I'd definitely keep Helm over Hossa, not that it's one or the other, but I hope you get my meaning. Hossa got paid $7.4M and did not deliver. He led the team in goals, but in light of the playoffs "performance", that's really just an indication that he is not buying into the team game. There are no 50-goal scorers on the Wings because they play a balanced, team-first style. Hossa does not really fit in.

They could try moving Rafalski.