Holland Interview On TSN

[Frk It]

Audio can be found here: http://iphone.tsn.ca/tsnpodcasts/TD_KenHolland_Sept3.mp3

Transcript of some of the main talking points

--Holland "I look at the core as Pav, Z, Kronwall & Ericsson."

--Holland "I think there is no doubt that we're in a transition. I look at it similar to where we were in the early 2000s"

--Holland "we're trying to move younger players onto our roster in the hopes that they are going to be here for awhile"

--Holland "we have to hope that some of these players, with opportunity, become better than projected when we drafted them"

--Holland "I like where we're at. I like our veteran leadership & our youth. We have some guys in their prime"

--Holland "anybody that makes the playoffs in my mind can make a playoff run."

--Holland "do we need everything to go our way to make a long run? Yeah, but that's the same for about 20 teams."

--Holland "Mantha is going to have a chance in camp to make our team"

--Holland "we were looking for a guy on the backend that could provide offense."

--Holland "Mantha is going to have a chance in camp to make our team"

--Holland "Kronwall is the one guy that can produce O. We like the rest of our guys back there. We were 5th in the league 2 years ago in GA"

--Holland "when we couldn't land 1 of the 5 or 6 D that we pursued we made the decision to re-sign Quincey"

--Holland "kids like Ouellet & Sproul aren't that far away."

--Holland "I'm going to sit down here with Mike in September. At the same time, Mike is a UFA in the summer..."

Click to read more...

 

[Frk It]

Some of the transcript is paraphrased, I took the comments from twitter.

 

[ArGarBarGar]

I see this thread going the same as it always does. Posters get angry because Holland puts up his standard GMspeak, the same jokes are made, and it becomes a Cleary/Hossa/Lang/Oates/Hudler/Lilja thread.

Nothing we haven't heard before with these quotes.

 

[Frk It]

I like how he says looking for offense on the back end, and then talks about Sproul.

Gives me some (false) hope that they give him an opportunity to fill a void back there that we have had for some time.

Also was somewhat surprised to have him include Ericsson in the "core".

 

[Chance on Chance]

Audio can be found here: http://iphone.tsn.ca/tsnpodcasts/TD_KenHolland_Sept3.mp3

Transcript of some of the main talking points

--Holland "I look at the core as Pav, Z, Kronwall & Ericsson."

--Holland "I think there is no doubt that we're in a transition. I look at it similar to where we were in the early 2000s"

--Holland "we're trying to move younger players onto our roster in the hopes that they are going to be here for awhile"

--Holland "we have to hope that some of these players, with opportunity, become better than projected when we drafted them"

--Holland "I like where we're at. I like our veteran leadership & our youth. We have some guys in their prime"

--Holland "anybody that makes the playoffs in my mind can make a playoff run."

--Holland "do we need everything to go our way to make a long run? Yeah, but that's the same for about 20 teams."

--Holland "Mantha is going to have a chance in camp to make our team"

--Holland "we were looking for a guy on the backend that could provide offense."

--Holland "Mantha is going to have a chance in camp to make our team"

--Holland "Kronwall is the one guy that can produce O. We like the rest of our guys back there. We were 5th in the league 2 years ago in GA"

--Holland "when we couldn't land 1 of the 5 or 6 D that we pursued we made the decision to re-sign Quincey"

--Holland "kids like Ouellet & Sproul aren't that far away."

--Holland "I'm going to sit down here with Mike in September. At the same time, Mike is a UFA in the summer..."

I dont think E is a core player. He's good but not a core guy

Who are the guys in their prime?

"anybody that makes the playoffs in my mind can make a playoff run.

they can and they cant, a lot of thing have to go good/team build for a 7th or 8th seed.

I'm more concerned about Jurco on the team then Mantha. 1 year in the AHL for Mantha wouldnt be bad in my eyes.

 

[Bench]

Also was somewhat surprised to have him include Ericsson in the "core".

I'm not. Ericsson remains the #2 defender on the team. Which I'm aware isn't the greatest of accolades among his Red Wing peers, but I think it stands to reason that the Wings view him as an Orpik or Stralman level player, both of which got "core" contracts this off-season.

And while I'm probably one of the larger Ericsson fans on the forum, I think they are right in their assessment. He's a big bodied minute cruncher who can skate and pass. That's terrific. He'll never get a Norris vote, but he's the kind of guy you hope is in your top 4 and on your top PK unit.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I am surprised he didn't include Gator or the ticket usher in section 218 as part of the core.

Ericsson is part of the core because the defense has so few competent players. It can't just be Kronwall. Under normal circumstances (a better team)Ericsson should not be included.

90% of those quotes have been said at least 1-2 times a year since 2010.

It's just Kenny being Kenny.

 

[Bench]

I am surprised he didn't include Gator or the ticket usher in section 218 as part of the core.

Ericsson is part of the core because the defense has so few competent players. It can't just be Kronwall. Under normal circumstances Ericsson (a better team) should not be included.

Given the term and money given to players similar to Ericsson, it seems GMs are willing to make guys like him part of the core. They all get over 6 year deals and over $4 million per.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Given the term and money given to players similar to Ericsson, it seems GMs are willing to make guys like him part of the core. They all get over 6 year deals and over $4 million per.

I view Ericsson in the same light as Hjalmersson (spelling?). Certainly tradeable if the price is right.

 

[Bench]

I view Ericsson in the same light as Hjalmersson (spelling?). Certainly tradeable if the price is right.

That's an apt comparable. And Hammer (I'm not going to bother looking it up either) was given a generous offer sheet by San Jose but Chicago deemed him too important to let go. Meanwhile they cut loose Campbell and Buff. I'd say they made the right call.

Part of that was financial considerations, which is why guys like Ericsson are important. They don't break the bank but they provide a key defensive element to your blueline.

Lost in all the noise over the Boston series is that Ericsson, our biggest and most physical defender, didn't play. He would have made life a lot harder on their forwards than Smith, no disrespect to him, as he put in a sound effort all things considered.

 

[Vladdy84]

I am surprised he didn't include Gator or the ticket usher in section 218 as part of the core.

Ericsson is part of the core because the defense has so few competent players. It can't just be Kronwall. Under normal circumstances (a better team)Ericsson should not be included.

90% of those quotes have been said at least 1-2 times a year since 2010.

It's just Kenny being Kenny.

Legitimate LOL there. Well done sir.

Agree with others that this is just typical Holland GM Speak. Still think Mantha has about a 5% chance of making the team. And Cleary will be in the top 9 to start the year. I'd rather see what XO, Marchenko and Sproul can do insteaod of Kindl/Lashoff. But I wouldn't mind giving Kindl one last chance if he's healthy.

 

[Bench]

Mantha has about a 5% chance of making the team.

I think it will be most dependent on injuries. If a couple of the top 6 guys go down (as they did last year), his odds go way, way up.

 

[Vladdy84]

I think it will be most dependent on injuries. If a couple of the top 6 guys go down (as they did last year), his odds go way, way up.

I know it's the Wings, but I expect our top 6 guys to make it through training camp healthy and preseason healthy.

 

[Bench]

I know it's the Wings, but I expect our top 6 guys to make it through training camp healthy and preseason healthy.

The odds favor us having one good year with injuries soon.

Then again, every guy on this team has a groin made of hand blown artisan glass.

 

[Claypool]

"I like our team."

 

[icKx]

--Holland "I look at the core as Pav, Z, Kronwall & Ericsson."

Kind of interesting considering the contracts given to Franzen, Howard and Weiss. Maybe there is hope for Mrazek after all.

--Holland "I think there is no doubt that we're in a transition. I look at it similar to where we were in the early 2000s"

Minus a young D & Z and the best defenseman in a generation...

The rest is boilerplate Holland.

 

[Kronwalled55]

DeKeyser is part of the core, not Ericsson.

6 years younger and the better player. No idea what team Holland is watching.

 

[RayMoonDoh]

DeKeyser is part of the core, not Ericsson.

6 years younger and the better player. No idea what team Holland is watching.

Its worth noting that negotions with DeKeyser are ongoing. I dont expect Holland to be overly gushy about DK until the his name's signed on the dotted line. Then come the prodigal son stories.

 

[Bench]

Its worth noting that negotions with DeKeyser are ongoing. I dont expect Holland to be overly gushy about DK until the his name's signed on the dotted line. Then come the prodigal son stories.

That sounds about right.

It's going to be really interesting to see how DeKeyser plays this year. He's got a full season under his belt now. Can he produce at a 29 point pace as he did last season?

That would put him in around the top 60 for defender scoring.

 

[jkutswings]

Blah blah blah...

Going into every season, every GM says they like their team. What else CAN they say?

But this nonsense (boilerplate rhetoric, but nonsense nonetheless) that anybody who gets into the playoffs has a legit shot to hoist the chalice just has to stop. The last team to win it all that wasn't a top 3 seed was the 1995 New Jersey Devils, and that was as a 5 seed in a lockout-shortened season. THAT'S 20 YEARS OF RELATIVE FAVORITES. Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin a long time ago, Kenny.

 

[Frk It]

The last team to win it all that wasn't a top 3 seed was the 1995 New Jersey Devils, and that was as a 5 seed in a lockout-shortened season. THAT'S 20 YEARS OF RELATIVE FAVORITES. Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin a long time ago, Kenny.

Where are you getting that from?

The Kings won as a #6 seed in the conference this year.

They won as the #8 seed in the West in 2012.

Now I agree with your overall point (to a degree), but your evidence is off.

 

[Bench]

The Kings won as a #6 seed in the conference this year.

Playing the #5 seed.

I think it's more important to look at why a team was a particular seed. The Wings were the 8 seed last year because they limped into the playoffs without their 2 best players. Nobody was expecting them to make any real noise.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

Additionally, a 5 seed, two 6 seeds, two 7 seeds, and an 8th seed have made it to the Finals since 03, with three of those series coming down to a Game 7.

 

[Tomas W]

Wow Ericsson "a core player". Really? Well feel no pressure Ericsson, but it's time to prove yourself worthy of that title.

I would call Z,D,'wall and Howard the core.

 

[Tomas W]

Blah blah blah...

Going into every season, every GM says they like their team. What else CAN they say?

But this nonsense (boilerplate rhetoric, but nonsense nonetheless) that anybody who gets into the playoffs has a legit shot to hoist the chalice just has to stop. The last team to win it all that wasn't a top 3 seed was the 1995 New Jersey Devils, and that was as a 5 seed in a lockout-shortened season. THAT'S 20 YEARS OF RELATIVE FAVORITES. Cinderella turned back into a pumpkin a long time ago, Kenny.

We're aiming at McDavid