Is this team lacking a true identity?

[Filppula]

What are we exactly? I mean even Blashill came our recently and said last season guys weren’t really embracing their roles. Maybe that can be attributed to the fact this team doesn’t really know what it’s trying to do, and how it’s trying to achieve success.

Quick? Not really. Larkin and Athanasiou provide much needed speed, as does Helm, who may be on his way out. The rest are average speed, with a few guys who would even be classed as slow.

Gritty? No. Abdelkader definitely but besides him who else? Possibly Helm. We're not a hard-nosed team who will make you count the cost.

Skilled? Used to be our calling card, not really these days. Too many grinders, not really enough skill. Look at our PP, abysmal. With Datsyuk gone our skill takes a huge hit. Nyquist is skilled but inconsistent, Tatar has skill but like Nyquist, has flashes rather than game in, game out consistency.

Youthful? I suppose so, but you need the right balance, with everyone understanding their role. AA getting 6 minutes is an example of being unsure where to place him, Jurco/Pulkkinen getting scratched for Andersson who is now gone still baffles me.

What direction are we trying to go in?

Click to read more...

 

[HisNoodliness]

Based on drafting, I think we're trying to become big and fast at forward with skilled defenseman that can supply the puck for quick rushes and then cycle it in zone.

Right now we're in a transition period with the youth embodying that style but too many older players that don't fit the mold. Still sometimes a team needs guys who don't quite fit the team identity (ie a small skilled forward like Nyquist could find a niche with our new identity) but our defense as a whole does not fit very well (Green, DK and Smith while not ideal would be fine in the intended model, Ericsson is the embodiment of what we don't want).

 

[Filppula]

Based on drafting, I think we're trying to become big and fast at forward with skilled defenseman that can supply the puck for quick rushes and then cycle it in zone.

Good post, I agree. But the biggest issue and thing that needs addressing is identifying defencemen who can play with this plan. Right now we're miles off. And can this identity include both Gus and Tats?

 

[Reddwit]

Good post, I agree. But the biggest issue and thing that needs addressing is identifying defencemen who can play with this plan. Right now we're miles off. And can this identity include both Gus and Tats?

Of course it can. Name one team that has had a fully uniform identify. Every big team has small guys. Every skilled team has lugs. Every fast team has slowpokes.

With respect to the question posed, yeah, we lack identity. We're transitioning. At least Holland has a plan, which is to be "hard to play against."

 

[Frk It]

with skilled defenseman that can supply the puck for quick rushes and then cycle it in zone.

Where they at though?

 

[HisNoodliness]

Where they at though?

Saarijarvi and Green are all we've got so far.

 

[Heaton]

Saarijarvi and Green are all we've got so far.

We have no idea if Saarijarvi can even play in the NHL. Plenty of us thought Sproul was going to be a beast early on and he hasn't amounted to anything.

 

[Frk It]

Saarijarvi and Green are all we've got so far.

That may be the identity we are hoping for, but it's definitely not what we are.

Probably would help if we, you know, draft defenseman.

 

[Retire91]

The short answer is yes

When your stars have retired, moved on, or otherwise aged to irrelevancy and you don't replace them with younger versions and you keep bringing in veteran patchwork by UFA or trading picks and prospects that is the text book definition of a team with no identity. See Calgary and Rangers back in the day.

Mrazek and Larkin give the team a future shot at an identity but they have to be surrounded by some additional elite talent that is their age. Then an identity will emerge. Its why draft picks are the most valuable asset in this organization and why I throw a tantrum when Holland trades them.

 

[TheRatPoisoner]

How many other teams actually have an "identity?" Can't think of too many that would fit that bill.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

We can't have puck moving dmen if you give Ericsson 4 years at 2nd pair money

 

[Pavels Dog]

How many other teams actually have an "identity?" Can't think of too many that would fit that bill.

This.

Also we're a team in transition, that's our identity. Looks like our future team will have plenty of size and speed up front at least.

 

[Retire91]

Our identity is washed up vets insuring the streak.

 

[izlez]

This seems to imply that having a balance of speed, grit, skill, youth, and veteran leadership isn't an option in building a good team.


The key is having good players in either one of those "identities" or in being balanced...which is certainly in question if we do right now

 

[Fear]

You don't need an identity, you just need elite talent. What's Chicago's identity? Do Toews and Kane play a similar game? Do Keith and Hjalmarsson play the same style?

They have size, skill, speed, grit, so their identity is just "good team"

 

[mindfly]

Team lacks everything

End of.

 

[Bench]

You don't need an identity, you just need elite talent. What's Chicago's identity? Do Toews and Kane play a similar game? Do Keith and Hjalmarsson play the same style?

They have size, skill, speed, grit, so their identity is just "good team"

They all move the puck tremendously well. Their passing is insane as a group. Also they make high percentage plays routinely (well, outside of Kane who makes low percentage plays work routinely) and make other teams earn their puck time.

It's no one thing, but yeah, I'd say puck movement really is what jumps out on their teams.

 

[FlashyG]

I'd say the Wings identity is it's speed.

Larkin breaking the speed record, Athanasiou seems to be even faster, and if he's resigned Helm also brings blinding speed to the table.

It's pretty rare for a team to have 3 guys that fast at one time.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I think it's more that the Wings are transitioning to a new identity. I think they've decided that the Babcock-style net front puck possession strategy is just not in the cards for this player group. They seem to want to be a hard-working team with speed to burn and puck-moving defensemen to complement that.

They're missing the defensemen, but I assume that'll start to work itself out in the next few years.

 

[Bench]

I'd say the Wings identity is it's speed.

Larkin breaking the speed record, Athanasiou seems to be even faster, and if he's resigned Helm also brings blinding speed to the table.

It's pretty rare for a team to have 3 guys that fast at one time.

Hey, that's true! Good point.

 

[MrTaterSalad]

Our identity is washed up vets insuring the streak.

Yeah, our identity has been chained to a marketing gimmick to sell tickets, apparel and hype interest in a new arena. We aren't so much a sports franchise as much as we are a marketing vehicle for the Illitch's new arena and Holland is their puppet keeping things going.

 

[Flowah]

You don't need an identity, you just need elite talent. What's Chicago's identity? Do Toews and Kane play a similar game? Do Keith and Hjalmarsson play the same style?

They have size, skill, speed, grit, so their identity is just "good team"

Puck possession is their identity.

Other teams are more big, bruiser types.

There *is* a pretty clear difference in play style between San Jose and the Hawks. SJ loves to chip and chase and use their size to get the puck back. They did it like every single time in the playoffs when I was watching their games. The Hawks are more like the Wings of the 1998-2008 variety. Lots of skill, cycling, neutral zone passing, controlled zone entry.

That said, TALENT is far more important than identity. You can try to get all the identity you want you won't go anywhere without talent. But you can definitely an identity around talent.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

An identity comes from having good hockey players. We don't have a lot of those atm.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Yeah, our identity has been chained to a marketing gimmick to sell tickets, apparel and hype interest in a new arena. We aren't so much a sports franchise as much as we are a marketing vehicle for the Illitch's new arena and Holland is their puppet keeping things going.

So the Wings are now the Dallas Cowboys?

 

[TheOtherOne]

They all move the puck tremendously well. Their passing is insane as a group. Also they make high percentage plays routinely (well, outside of Kane who makes low percentage plays work routinely) and make other teams earn their puck time.

It's no one thing, but yeah, I'd say puck movement really is what jumps out on their teams.

Is that a "team identity" or is that just having players who are good at doing hockey things?