Freep: Expected Holland moves during off-season?

[InjuredChoker]

Original article.

Don’t expect Red Wings GM Ken Holland to set the world on fire with a dozen moves this off-season

[W]e learned that the Wings have a ton of young talent. And now that young talent has something that is even better – playoff experience.

"I think the most important thing is they are pros, not potential,” Holland said.

Next year will be fascinating. The Wings will get a full season of Danny DeKeyser. And they should get several injured players back.

“Next year, we hope to have Darren Helm back,” Holland said. “We hope to have a healthy Todd Bertuzzi. We hope to have a healthy Mikael Samuelsson. You can look forward to September 2013, and think we are going to have a real good competition” at training camp.

This is a new look for the Wings. This team is not as dominant as in the past, but it is homegrown, and it’s the culmination of a plan that started back in 2005.

“In ’05, we made a decision to be way more conservative,” Holland said.

To hoard draft picks.

“Now, we traded a second-round pick in ’08 for Brad Stuart, and I’d do that all day long,” Holland said. “But for the most part, we have tried to spend most or all of our money in the summer with the thought that we didn’t want to get to the trade deadline and trade a high draft pick and a prospect. Now you are starting to see the fruits of that philosophy.”

As expected.

Click to read more...

 

[Spitfire11]

Well sounds like Sammy's not getting bought out

 

[Heaton]

Well sounds like Sammy's not getting bought out

Nothing is gonna happen. The team we have now is the team that will go into training camp and the season. Cleary may not come back, but he'll be replaced by Samuelsson. Filppula may not be back and he'll be replaced by either Helm or Bertuzzi. I don't see Tatar and Nyqusit in the lineup at the same time next year.

 

[bababooeyII]

I can get with a plan that relies more on youth and use some money to sign some ufa's like Clarkson. But it burns me up when he talks about Samuelsson and Bertuzzi making any bit of difference, especially in the Eastern Conference. But I knew he would sit on his hands its comical.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

if he dosent clear money and roster space for nyquist and tatar but instead says "competition in camp will decide who plays where" then he should honestly be fired on the spot.

that is completely unacceptable

 

[fimoknete]

lol ken holland. that will be the second season in a row i will not go to a single game and spend some dollars. this organisation doesn't deserve my dollars.
i am on strike. i refuse paying money until the wings get rid of sammy, bert, quincey, tootoo, abdelkader, cleary, lashoff, ericsson, white, kindl and most important ken holland.

 

[Kronwalled55]

2013 was the opposite of what Holland intended, and it nearly got us to the Western Conference finals and past the top 2 seeds in the conference.

Now we're back to square one... useless veterans and "we like our team."

 

[Brodie]

oh christ

welp

 

[Vladdy84]

Sounds like beating the Ducks and taking the Hawks to 7 was the worst thing that could happen for the future of this organization.

Fire Ken Holland.

 

[Heaton]

Sounds like beating the Ducks and taking the Hawks to 7 was the worst thing that could happen for the future of this organization.

Fire Ken Holland.

If we missed the playoffs it would be the same thing. I don't know why anyone would think differently.

 

[mindfly]

Sounds like beating the Ducks and taking the Hawks to 7 was the worst thing that could happen for the future of this organization.

Fire Ken Holland.

Not because I enjoy this but...

 

[bababooeyII]

2013 was the opposite of what Holland intended, and it nearly got us to the Western Conference finals and past the top 2 seeds in the conference.
Now we're back to square one... useless veterans and "we like our team."

My point exactly, but instead we're reading about what a genius he is for "rebuilding on the fly". A better question by someone who's not a media lapdog would be "Kenny, in spite of your off season acquisitions not panning out, sitting on your hands at the deadline and being forced to play the rookies against your will and intentions, what do you attribute your playoff success to?"

I doubt you'll ever even see a question close to that

 

[Heaton]

Not because I enjoy this but...

You can believe that if the Wings missed the playoffs or got swept by Anaheim it would be different. But I think you're wrong. There's zero evidence to support the idea that Holland would've become aggressive had things gotten way worse. He would've pointed to parity, growing pains and the 'rebuild'. Big changes were never coming, even if we finished dead last.

 

[Vladdy84]

Not because I enjoy this but...

Not quite. You mentioned it a lot. But I've echoed the same sentiments about the possibility of this happening. I was in denial and trying to be optimistic. Just got wrapped up in beating Chicago.

 

[Hckytwn]

1. I don't want to see Filp play for this team any longer. He has absolutely no heart and brings nothing to the table come playoff time.

2. Smith is looking like a fantastic bust

3. Let Tatar play the entire season.

#1 and #3, yes, definitely. #2 is true, but it's really too early to pass judgement.

Someone else said he couldn't possibly play that bad again; he's at the bottom of the well. Lets hope that's true.

 

[mindfly]

The best thing would have been if that streak of 21 straight playoff appearences broke, that would send serious signals to management.

 

[Heaton]

The best thing would have been if that streak of 21 straight playoff appearences broke, that would send serious signals to management.

Why? The past two years the Wings management (Holland and Jimmy D) have been tempering expectations. If the Wings only cared about making the playoffs they would've made some trades or signings. This is the plan from the beginning, whether we won the cup or finished dead last.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Another wasted season coming right up.

I can't believe he isn't going to buy out/not resign all the useless garbage.

Ken Holland never ceases to not surprise me.

Ken Holland has probably dropped his golf handicap from a 72 to a 62 since 09-10.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Why? The past two years the Wings management (Holland and Jimmy D) have been tempering expectations. If the Wings only cared about making the playoffs they would've made some trades or signings. This is the plan from the beginning, whether we won the cup or finished dead last.

Have to agree with this, they are following the plan they laid out in 2005, Holland says as much. We will see what they do moving forward, but making this little run is encouraging for the younger guys, hopefully with Andy and Gus down in Grand Rapids they get one of the next two in OKC and handle home ice responsibilities and get a championship at that level.

This team took steps this year, they look to have some answers moving forward, it will be interesting to see what they do or don't do this summer. Not always having a knee jerk reaction is important and something as fans that is much harder to not do, but ultimately can be beneficial if the right ground work is in place and Holland believes it is.

 

[mindfly]

Why? The past two years the Wings management (Holland and Jimmy D) have been tempering expectations. If the Wings only cared about making the playoffs they would've made some trades or signings. This is the plan from the beginning, whether we won the cup or finished dead last.

Simply because they have always been there, and if they're not, why would they react with "status quo", THAT makes no sense. Something different would be happening.

 

[Heaton]

Simply because they have always been there, and if they're not, why would they react with "status quo", THAT makes no sense. Something different would be happening.

Nope. Holland and his management have a plan and they stick to the plan. They aren't reactionary to what happens, they follow the status quo. There is no evidence to back up the idea that things would change if they missed the playoffs.

If they were so concerned about making the playoffs, why didn't they try to improve the team at the deadline instead of having to win the last 4 games in a row?

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

The best thing would have been if that streak of 21 straight playoff appearences broke, that would send serious signals to management.

Finishing 9th or 10th and missing the playoffs by a point or two in a 48 season wasn't going to change the organizational philosophy.

Finishing in the bottom 5 or so may have, but that's not/wasn't happening on a team that has Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

 

[bababooeyII]

Why? The past two years the Wings management (Holland and Jimmy D) have been tempering expectations. If the Wings only cared about making the playoffs they would've made some trades or signings. This is the plan from the beginning, whether we won the cup or finished dead last.

Absolutely right! This playoff run just allowed Holland to do a victory lap with the press and fan base saying "See? re-building on the fly, trust me".

 

[bababooeyII]

Have to agree with this, they are following the plan they laid out in 2005, Holland says as much. We will see what they do moving forward, but making this little run is encouraging for the younger guys, hopefully with Andy and Gus down in Grand Rapids they get one of the next two in OKC and handle home ice responsibilities and get a championship at that level.

This team took steps this year, they look to have some answers moving forward, it will be interesting to see what they do or don't do this summer. Not always having a knee jerk reaction is important and something as fans that is much harder to not do, but ultimately can be beneficial if the right ground work is in place and Holland believes it is.

I would be more willing to believe this if he didn't sign wastes of space like Samuelsson. This youth movement was forced upon him, this is contrary to his initial plans from this offseason. Even now, with the proof that you have youngsters ready to play, how you can not buy out Samuelsson is beyond me. With Bertuzzi I get it in that he is essentially the only guy with size and intimidation on this team. Samuelsson is a waste

 

[TatarTangle]

“Next year, we hope to have Darren Helm back,†Holland said. “We hope to have a healthy Todd Bertuzzi. We hope to have a healthy Mikael Samuelsson. You can look forward to September 2013, and think we are going to have a real good competition†at training camp"

Can't wait to hear what Tatar says to the media once he learns that he won't have a spot on the team after training camp. Hopefully it's requesting a trade. Enough is enough already.