News Article: ESPN: Front office spending/competitive advantages across the league

[Bench]

But if I understand correctly I feel like the overall mindset of teams is to give the players the tools to succeed, then it’s on the player to see those things through. (Which in my eyes is mostly how it should be.)

Quite right. Because there's not enough time to do that kind of development during a regular NHL practice schedule. So if players are going to put in the hours needed, and to improve over how good these guys already are it's going to take countless hours, that kind of work happens on their own time.

This is how that kind of training looks in the off-season.



And it's worth pointing out, it requires a team of guys to help a single player with these skills. Look at all the help Crosby is getting. You need a compliment of skaters and goalies to be there if you're going to practice anything remotely resembling a game scenario. So it's not like you can just pop on down to the local rink in the off-season and get better at "puck control" without a fair amount of coordination and resources.

All of this is to say, so much depends on the individuals commitment and willingness to do this kind of work.

Now, should the Wings help set up this kind of environment? Absolutely. And I'd be stunned if they didn't. Because it's a god damn pro NHL team with freakin' Steve Yzerman, a guy who knows a little about hockey, running the show.

 

[saska sault]

I mean I watched Tom Wilson play junior... He was a man amongst boys, but he had skill. He was a classic example of a player who could make an impact with his physical abilities and you hope his skill transfers over to the next level at some point.

 

[Gniwder]

Yes I'm sure that's exactly why he was a consensus middle first round pick. Because he had "no puck skills" and "looked like an AHL enforcer."

But I obviously didn't watch him and don't have your trained eye for talent evaluation.

Come on, dude. You've cemented yourself into this wild stance and you're tripping over yourself to prove something you're barely able to articulate in a meaningful and quantifiable way.

He looked horrible his first 3 seasons. I wasn't even exaggerating.

In any case, this argument is funny only because I forgot that Stevie already poached the Caps skills coach, lol.

Wings Make Additions To Hockey Ops Staff

The Detroit Red Wings have added some new personnel to their hockey operations staff. Dan Kosinski has been hired as a hockey operations data analyst, while Dwayne Blais will be filling the title of player development assistant. Blais, 44, is a Hockey Canada Certified Skills Coach. He’s been...

detroithockeynow.com

(Sept 4th of last year)

So there you go. This was Blais' first offseason to work with the players (or set them up with consultants), and it seems both Raz and Zadina made some progress. Either that or they just look good in preseason games, we'll find out.

I mean Stevie has already made the move I said was necessary, I brainfarted and forgot about it. Feel free to continue bashing me though, lol.

And going back to Wilson, Blais was his skills coach when his career started to take off. That would have been Blais' second season, much like this is his second season in Detroit.

 

[Gniwder]

Lalonde summed up my argument pretty well:
(this is regards to Ed)

"Seven, eight years ago it’s a no-brainer, he starts in the American Hockey League,” Lalonde said. “Today’s day and age, the cap era, there is that develop on the fly, which is reality. That’s something we talk about daily. "

As such, the team needs to expand the staff to accommodate the new philosophy with guys like Blais and Kronwall taking new positions that were created last season. I think they'll get more staff under them as time goes on.

Article:

Red Wings’ difficult roster decisions like assembling jigsaw puzzle

Several players have two more preseason games to show why they deserve to start season in Detroit.

www.mlive.com

 

[Bench]

I mean Stevie has already made the move I said was necessary, I brainfarted and forgot about it. Feel free to continue bashing me though, lol.

It's less so bashing and moreso asking you to quantify exactly what you expect. I know nothing will stop you from feeling vindicated, so take your victory lap, but I already addressed that I thought Yzerman had a handle on things. And look at that he did. So I'll feel vindicated, too.

Everyone wins, baby.

 

[newfy]

I would be curious to know who/what the skill coaches we use are. I know Yzerman utilized a skating coach when was in Tampa that he got good results from.

Here is one guy we hired as a skills coach/consultant: Wings Make Additions To Hockey Ops Staff

They had that Nauruto guy who left to be Michigans head coach with the Pearson scandal. Not sure who they replaced him with but the wings do have these skill development coaches