I will send you 50$ if Abdelkader hits 50 points. 5 goals and a bunch of secondary assists does not necessarily make an "effective" forward. Here's a stat for you: Abdelkader is 11th in shots, just above Glendening and Ericsson lol. That says a lot more about his actual effect. I see moronic turnovers, way too many off side plays, giveaways, and lost battles a lot more than anything productive. I literally cannot remember a remarkable shift or chance he's helped create. His hands are garbage, worse than a 4th liner like Martin. It's disgusting to stare at our roster vs. Nashville's and realize Josi makes 4mil the next 2 seasons and Ekblad 3.75 the next 4! It's called managing, something Holland has not a clue about.
This leads to a point about Mantha. On a bottom dweller with the 29th most anemic offense full of ridiculous, overpriced contracts, I have no idea why AM would be singled out and broken away from the top 6. EVER! He's our top goalscorer in his sophomore year- what the hell do people expect? The real problem is this team. Tatar is a phantom 5-5 and Nyquist/Z are just as invisible against other top lines. How much cycling or possession do you ever see the Wings sustain? There's no hope of chemistry with a roster full of followers and imposters.
Mantha was fine vs. Toronto. My only criticism lately is he needs to get the puck away quicker. He's trying to hold possession and deke through guys but his passes and attempts are getting broken up. Gotta be quicker making decisions. Still, there's nothing to be gained by embarrassing Mantha on a line centered by the ghost of David Booth while Puke Glendening plays 17 minutes a night.
I can't wait until Blashill is gone.
Also, Nielsen was demoted and he's a veteran. Plenty of the people who get blasted have spent time on the 3rd and 4th lines.
