Confirmed with Link: Holland signed to 2-year extension

ShanahanMan

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Jan 31, 2009
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I take this to mean Chris Ilitch is going to sell the team, which is fine by me. There's been a total lack of leadership for a few years now. My guess is they will play up the rebuild angle while shedding what salary they can to make the franchise as attractive as possible. I don't expect this brain trust to draft well so unfortunately we're likely looking at a solid 15 years since our last title to potentially start being competitive again.

Hopefully Ilitch sells. There last thing we need is to let Holland dither for another two years and then task Ilitch with starting from scratch since, you know, he is the guy who has fully supported Holland the past five years and just gave him an extension and will apparently keep Blashill around as well.

He simply doesn't care. That kind of owner is deadly, hopefully he's actively shopping the franchise for a new owner.
Don't agree. Build a new arena just to sell a team? I just don't see it....

I do agree though theres a huge lack of leadership and we would be better off if he sold it.
 

The Zetterberg Era

Ball Hockey Sucks
Nov 8, 2011
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Truth.
And that's not to take away from what Bertuzzi did.
But when Bertuzzi was promoted, it was after a spell during which Mantha was struggling with Zetterberg.
Bertuzzi was going to play with Z and Mantha with Larkin.
But Mantha got hurt.
So AA took his place.
AA played the next 8 games on line 1/2 with Larkin. He went 5-4-9 and the Red Wings went 5-3-0 on that stretch.
After AA went 1-1-2 in a 4-2 loss, that was it.
Mantha replaced him.
AA spent most of the rest of the year on Line 3 and line 4
In his last 10, he skated less than 12:32 5 times.

Blashill - a chump of a coach- will tell you he went with who gave him the best chance to win.

AA's top 5 icetime games? Detroit was 5-0.
AA's top 15 icetime games? Detroit was 9-4-2.
AA's bottom 5 icetime games? Detroit was 1-3-1.
AA's bottom 15 icetime games? Detroit was 6-7-2.


AA should stop back-talking his coaches and work harder. This is the story clear back to junior and you don't seem to get why it continues. Simply put AA isn't a player any coach likes, get ready the next guy won't like him or the new team he is dealt to will get tired of his act. It is who he is, for all that flash there isn't a whole lot of substance to wanting to be better. He wants to do things his way, good for him but he isn't going to be what he could be in my opinion. Hopefully something changes, but you don't meet entitlement by enabling it further.

I hope AA can be dealt for defensive help this off-season. That should be one of Holland's goals this off-season. His indifferent second half makes that a little tougher.
 
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Run the Jewels

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Don't agree. Build a new arena just to sell a team? I just don't see it....

I do agree though theres a huge lack of leadership and we would be better off if he sold it.
It increases the franchise value much higher than if they were in JLA. I think Mike Ilitch truly believed in the concept, however there's nothing to indicate Chris Ilitch has any real desire to ice a competitive team. Signing a bunch of mediocre vets to long term contracts probably suckered some gullible fans into buying season tickets but those days are gone. Now they needed to clean up the awful cap number. The only good thing is they will likely start selling which was the case with Tatar. If you decide to go with a rebuild and allow a guy who said he's 100% opposed to a rebuild oversee the rebuild my guess is they have some sort of agreement and it sure as hell has nothing to do with rebuilding the franchise. Holland clears as much cap space as he can before he heads off to Seattle and Ilitch makes a fortune selling the team.

We're probably going to be staring down a 20+ year drought if Ilitch doesn't sell. This is looking more and more like the end of the Norris era.
 

Claypool

Registered User
Jan 12, 2009
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Don't complain. This is what people wanted. Losing hockey. Enjoy the next decade putrid hockey.
 

WingedWheel1987

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Jan 11, 2011
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I take this to mean Chris Ilitch is going to sell the team, which is fine by me. There's been a total lack of leadership for a few years now. My guess is they will play up the rebuild angle while shedding what salary they can to make the franchise as attractive as possible. I don't expect this brain trust to draft well so unfortunately we're likely looking at a solid 15 years since our last title to potentially start being competitive again.

Hopefully Ilitch sells. There last thing we need is to let Holland dither for another two years and then task Ilitch with starting from scratch since, you know, he is the guy who has fully supported Holland the past five years and just gave him an extension and will apparently keep Blashill around as well.

He simply doesn't care. That kind of owner is deadly, hopefully he's actively shopping the franchise for a new owner.

You read this part of his quote?

"Ken has been integral part of four Stanley Cup championships," team governor Chris Ilitch said in a statement. "He started out as a scout. Many of the players he scouted became integral to our success. He is tremendous evaluator of talent at our core. When I fly in an airplane, I love doing it with a pilot who has done it before. Ken has done it before."

It's like hiring a 97 year old pilot who retired 30 years ago to fly your plane, but now he is also legally blind and suffers from dementia. He did it a bunch of times before!!!!!!!!
 

Claypool

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Jan 12, 2009
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We used to be the gold standard, now the only thing we are the gold standard of is complacency.

They've already moved assets this year and will do so again next season. They have more draft picks this upcoming season probably in the franchise's history. There's nothing complacent about what they've been doing.
 
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jkutswings

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They've already moved assets this year and will do so again next season. They have more draft picks this upcoming season probably in the franchise's history. There's nothing complacent about what they've been doing.
Fair enough. But all those picks still need to include some real hits - particularly on defense - if this thing is going to eventually turn around.

Part of my concern with retaining Holland is that I don't like the way Tyler Wright drafts. This June is a huge opportunity, and I really don't want these guys to screw it up. Hopefully things go well.
 

Claypool

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Jan 12, 2009
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Fair enough. But all those picks still need to include some real hits - particularly on defense - if this thing is going to eventually turn around.

Part of my concern with retaining Holland is that I don't like the way Tyler Wright drafts. This June is a huge opportunity, and I really don't want these guys to screw it up. Hopefully things go well.

What don't you like about his draft picks? Nearly all of them have been great respective to their position. I think Svechnikov can still develop into a top 6 player.
 

HIFE

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May 10, 2011
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Don't complain. This is what people wanted. Losing hockey. Enjoy the next decade putrid hockey.

For the thousandth time you've repeated this, it's not what many people wanted. Losing with young players yeah is to be expected. But the boat-load of mediocre, washed up patches Holland and his management team actually thought could be useful players are disgusting to watch. And then to hear the youngest players thrown under the bus by Blabhill and Fox Sports after every game is also twisted.

The complacency comments are correct. It's sad to see the passion hockey fans have compared to someone like Chris Illich; the disconnect. RTJ has a great point, I really hope he plans on selling the Wings.
 
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Redder Winger

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May 4, 2017
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AA should stop back-talking his coaches and work harder. This is the story clear back to junior and you don't seem to get why it continues. Simply put AA isn't a player any coach likes, get ready the next guy won't like him or the new team he is dealt to will get tired of his act. It is who he is, for all that flash there isn't a whole lot of substance to wanting to be better. He wants to do things his way, good for him but he isn't going to be what he could be in my opinion. Hopefully something changes, but you don't meet entitlement by enabling it further.

I hope AA can be dealt for defensive help this off-season. That should be one of Holland's goals this off-season. His indifferent second half makes that a little tougher.

Give me one example of backtalking his coaches.

FAIL.
You can't.
 

Cyborg Yzerberg

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Nov 8, 2007
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How do you look at the last six or so years and think this is okay? How do you look at the drafting and contracts handed out in recent years and think: this is fine?



Either way, the franchise will be punished with lack of fans and it’ll be what it is.
 

JustJokinenAround

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Feb 5, 2018
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I think ideally we need a new guy at the helm, but it is what it is. Keep stockpiling us some picks and then take the Seattle job and be close to home. I’ll live with that.

In the mean time... Go Vikings :)
How second rate is that though. Probably going to Seattle so lets just keep him until then. The only way this is good if he takes half of his ludicrous signings with him to the west coast as far away from us
 
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jkutswings

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What don't you like about his draft picks? Nearly all of them have been great respective to their position. I think Svechnikov can still develop into a top 6 player.
Not a fan of Cholowski. Or Rasmussen. Or Svechnikov. Basically, for every early pick he's made, there was either another guy(s) I definitely preferred, or he ended up taking the one guy I wanted no part of (Rasmussen). It's been one great selection in Larkin, and then a resume of disappointments.
 

HIFE

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May 10, 2011
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Detroit, MI
I'm thankful they let a "source" leak the news a few weeks ago. Holland and Blashill returning is somewhat depressing thought but at least the public had time to digest it before being made official.
 

Claypool

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Jan 12, 2009
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Not a fan of Cholowski. Or Rasmussen. Or Svechnikov. Basically, for every early pick he's made, there was either another guy(s) I definitely preferred, or he ended up taking the one guy I wanted no part of (Rasmussen). It's been one great selection in Larkin, and then a resume of disappointments.

It's fine if you think that way. I would suggest we wait until they play a number of NHL games before judging how these picks turned out. Rasmussen is the best player in the WHL playoffs right now, Hronek made the AHL all-rookie team, and Cholowski had a very good year offensively and has been praised by his coaches. Svechnikov had a down year, but looked to get better and better each game in the NHL.
 
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