Finishing 8th and 1st round exit isnt a bad thing

[HTT3*]

First off, props to Kenny Holland for keeping this team somewhat competitive through this transitional period. I hope they make the playoffs, for sure!

That said, Ken said something last night during the Chicago game that resonated with me. He reminded us how bottom dwellers of the recent past are now some of the best teams in the league... and have the better chance of winning the SC in the post-cap era.

I like Holland's approach to try to keep this team competitive while stashing prospects and picks like gold (i.e. not willing to trade the 1st for Bouwmeester).

Now lets look at how Chicago became such a good team:

In 2005 finished 61 points behind Detroit. They won a top 3 pick to acquire one of my favorite players in the league, Jonny Toews.

The follow up the next year to 42 points behind Detroit to acquire the #1 pick to select Patty Kane.

When I see teams like Kings, Chicago, Pens win Stanley Cups, I realize they had to suck for a very, very long time to get players like the Crosby's, Malkin's, Toews, and Kane's... To me that is less impressive than our victories. I really appreciate the way this team re-tools without throwing in the towl and making things miserable for us fans.

Right now this is an exciting time of year, our playoffs have already begun. We are fighting tooth and nail to make the playoffs, and it makes standing watching fun. It makes watching other teams play even more fun because we are rooting for Yotes, Blues, CBJs to lose so it gives us a better chance.

Best of all, IMO, is going to be the 2013 draft selection. This weekend will be epic, because Holland is going to have decent picks and lots of nice players to choose from! I have high hopes for the 2013 draft!

I know many are hung up on the 1st Holland gave up for KFQ, but the 2012 draft was so thin. The first he gave up was probably no better than a 3rd rounder. I don't expect many players to make the NHL from the 2012 draft. The 2013 draft, I think will produce lots of quality NHLers!

Anynow, I think this is a fun time of year. The playoffs already begun! And draft day will be epic!

Enjoy the rest of the season folks, because it is going to be a roller coaster!

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[PullHard]

While I agree with the overall approach you're presenting, some of your points are so homerific that it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. We could've had a really, really promising guy with our 1st last year. But yeah, I've already acknowledged all of these things myself. Would've been better with our upcoming UFAs gone for picks as well. I would've buried myself in prospect rankings and mock drafts.

 

[Syckle78]

While I agree with the overall approach you're presenting, some of your points are so homerific that it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. We could've had a really, really promising guy with our 1st last year. But yeah, I've already acknowledged all of these things myself. Would've been better with our upcoming UFAs gone for picks as well. I would've buried myself in prospect rankings and mock drafts.

After reading the op I can't help but think you should give him your username.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

There is also the chance that you don't become a Pens/Hawks/LA and instead you're left looking like the Panthers/Jackets/Islanders.

The one thing we're lacking in our pool is that sure shot high end prospect. You can only get them by picking in the top 5 of the draft or getting a bit lucky with a later pick. We've got a lot of guys that look like they'll be great 1/2 line tweeners who will give you 50-60 points, unless one of them exceeds our expectations we're going to be lacking that Star on Forward.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Detroit isn't taking the rout that you're describing though. Chicago tanked and got top draft picks, Detroit isn't. Like the enthusiasm, but its going to be a rough few years IMO.

 

[HIFE]

First off, props to Kenny Holland for keeping this team somewhat competitive through this transitional period. I hope they make the playoffs, for sure!...

Why is a transitional period? Because 40 year olds Lids and Homer were retiring? Somehow Holland and Co. have missed the mark. With our "elite" scouting why is Smith a letdown? Why resign an injury prone Samuelsson? That has really killed us this year. I've been a fan with blind loyalty but the more I study and read here I have to question how much thanks we owe our management. Does it all come down to higher draft picks?

 

[Flowah]

We are fighting tooth and nail to make the playoffs, and it makes standing watching fun.

You think we're having more fun than Pens, Hawks fans? It takes a special kind of Kool-aid to make watching a mediocre and inconsistent team "fun" as compared to top-end teams.

Did you have fun when Columbus took the season series against the Wings for the first time ever?

Did you have fun when the Wings blew multiple 2 goal leads and found a way to lose the game?

I guess it was fun to watch. It would have been even more fun if they had won. It would have been even more fun if we could beat the Hawks, you know, just once maybe.

 

[JmanWingsFan]

While I agree with the overall approach you're presenting, some of your points are so homerific that it is leaving a bad taste in my mouth. We could've had a really, really promising guy with our 1st last year. But yeah, I've already acknowledged all of these things myself. Would've been better with our upcoming UFAs gone for picks as well. I would've buried myself in prospect rankings and mock drafts.

What the heck? There wasn't anyone left when Tampa Bay picked, and they ended up committing the cardinal sin of picking a goaltender in the first round. Let's get real here, that 1st isn't going to do much.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

What the heck? There wasn't anyone left when Tampa Bay picked, and they ended up committing the cardinal sin of picking a goaltender in the first round. Let's get real here, that 1st isn't going to do much.

They picked a goaltender who is widely considered the best goaltender not in the NHL. Who has played very well in the KHL.

Or the Swede Henrik Samuelsson who I thought was destined to be a Red Wing. Really big right-handed kid who can play C or RW.

Or a big talented center in Brandon Gaunce.

 

[InjuredChoker]

They picked a goaltender who is widely considered the best goaltender not in the NHL. Who has played very well in the KHL.

Or the Swede Henrik Samuelsson who I thought was destined to be a Red Wing. Really big right-handed kid who can play C or RW.

Or a big talented center in Brandon Gaunce.

Lol, he's no THAT good.

One of the best NHL goalie prospects but not that good man, come on.

I'd take him over Q, that's for sure. As well as Laughton and Määttä.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

They picked a goaltender who is widely considered the best goaltender not in the NHL. Who has played very well in the KHL.

Or the Swede Henrik Samuelsson who I thought was destined to be a Red Wing. Really big right-handed kid who can play C or RW.

Or a big talented center in Brandon Gaunce.

Well Gaunce didn't exactly light it up this past year but you are right as there were/are quite a few talented players taking after 18th. How would a Laughton, Maata, Matheson or Matteau look if they were in our pool. Laughton would give us 3 guys that could be #2 centers in the future if, not imagine how good our bottom 6 centers would be with Sheahan, Laughton & Helm.

While there weren't many great picks made in the next 20 or so picks there were quite a few god value picks made by some of the smarter teams. I was a supporter of the trade at the time and I still support the reasons why we made the trade, it's just with hindsight we know it's a bad trade.

 

[GT500x]

What the heck? There wasn't anyone left when Tampa Bay picked, and they ended up committing the cardinal sin of picking a goaltender in the first round. Let's get real here, that 1st isn't going to do much.

You sure we couldn't have used that 1rst rounder? I'm serious. Actually think that over.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Lol, he's no THAT good.

One of the best NHL goalie prospects but not that good man, come on.

I'd take him over Q, that's for sure. As well as Laughton and Määttä.

You sure? I swear I've heard that being said about him all the time. Maybe I'm mixing him up with someone else? Regardless, he's one of the best goalie prospects in the league and worth more than Q.

 

[InjuredChoker]

You sure? I swear I've heard that being said about him all the time. Maybe I'm mixing him up with someone else? Regardless, he's one of the best goalie prospects in the league and worth more than Q.

1000% sure.

Right now he's not even the best goaltender in Tampa prospect pool that isn't in NHL.

That would be Jaroslav Janus.

 

[InjuredChoker]

That is right now.

I think Vasilevskiy will be stud in the future. Top5 in the league wouldn't surprise me. But he still needs more seasoning. As goalies do at 18 yrs old.

 

[Bench]

You think we're having more fun than Pens, Hawks fans? It takes a special kind of Kool-aid to make watching a mediocre and inconsistent team "fun" as compared to top-end teams.

They suffered a lot worse than this for longer than this to get where they are today.

It's your turn to suffer.

 

[Flowah]

They suffered a lot worse than this for longer than this to get where they are today.

It's your turn to suffer.

Dead Wings weren't that long ago.

I'm okay with suffering if the talent's not there. But from where I stand, there's enough talent. They just aren't using it.

My beer league team wasn't that great. Came in last or second to last pretty much every season for 5 seasons. (With a record of something like 5-18 every season) I didn't care. We just weren't that good, we never practiced. We still had fun because it was still hockey.

But if we were good and just weren't playing right? Every game for 5 seasons? That would get incredibly frustrating.

 

[joe89]

I thought this thread would be about the very small difference of just missing the playoffs and going out in the 1st round, draftwise. Which is my main argument to try and keep the streak alive. Picking 13 or 17 in the draft(or close enough), knowing Detroit probably will go for the outsider high-upside pick anyway, doesn't mean much to me. Playoffs & 17th pick > 13th pick.

 

[Bench]

Dead Wings weren't that long ago.

Maybe in Chicago Cubs years.

 

[PullHard]

What the heck? There wasn't anyone left when Tampa Bay picked, and they ended up committing the cardinal sin of picking a goaltender in the first round. Let's get real here, that 1st isn't going to do much.

I would quickly and easily take Maatta, Laughton, Subban, Gaunce, Samuelsson, and Matteau over Quincey and I honestly don't even have to stop and think about it. Like, really easy decision to make.

I'm really trying not to put you on ignore. Are you related to Holland?

 

[Sadekuuro]

Being mediocre for a couple years is fine if you have some direction and a plan for the future, but evidence of those is lacking lately. That's way more frustrating than being an 8/9 seed.

 

[Bench]

Being mediocre for a couple years is fine if you have some direction and a plan for the future, but evidence of those is lacking lately. That's way more frustrating than being an 8/9 seed.

The plan is to work the home grown prospects into the team.

It should probably be faster for a handful of them, but that's the only explanation for why none of them have been traded. It's pretty clear the Wings want to rely on their own guys and see what they have, but don't want to throw them all to the wolves at once.

 

[TheMoreYouKnow]

The OP is Holland fanboyism at its purest and worst. Some of the best teams are the best teams now because they stockpiled elite talents when they were bottom-dwellers, okay, that's accepted.

But how does that justify keeping the team in the murky waters of what I call the "dead zone" - too good to get elite prospects, too bad to be a contender? It doesn't. Maybe KH is deluded enough to think his scouts are so good his 15th overall pick is worth as much as another team's 1st to 4th overall pick..but there's absolutely no basis for that.

 

[BinCookin]

Maybe in Chicago Cubs years.

LOL awesome Bench

P.S. I started a new thread to discuss our rebuild (2002 vs 2008 red wings)
http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1403129

 

[Point Shot]

Why is a transitional period? Because 40 year olds Lids and Homer were retiring? Somehow Holland and Co. have missed the mark. With our "elite" scouting why is Smith a letdown? Why resign an injury prone Samuelsson? That has really killed us this year. I've been a fan with blind loyalty but the more I study and read here I have to question how much thanks we owe our management. Does it all come down to higher draft picks?

Smith is a letdown because he's a rookie defenceman on a bubble team.

We all thought Kindl was a bust and he's rounded into a decent second-pairing d'man with size. Give it time.