Ansar Khan: Offseason over

[Ricelund]

Khan:

The Detroit Red Wings no longer are exploring the free-agent market for bargains, and trade talks have slowed down.

General manager Ken Holland anticipates a quiet summer.

The Red Wings are still hoping to acquire a top-four right-handed shooting defenseman through a trade. And they might sign right wing Daniel Alfredsson next month.

Other than that, their roster is set. They have 14 forwards, seven defensemen and two goaltenders (including restricted free agents Tomas Tatar and Danny DeKeyser) – the same players as last season.

"Had the odd call, but for the most part it's slowed down," Holland said. "It goes slow now for July and August. In past years once (top) free agents are off the market and money is spent things get slow."

"I explored trades through June, couldn't find a fit," Holland said. "Now I sense a quiet three, four, five weeks. In the meantime I'll reach out to some of those (GMs)."

Overpay Quincey and Cleary and close up shop. It really is amazing. This is the sort of stuff we were joking about a month ago.

Who wants to place bets on when the first "we like our team" of the season takes place? Or how about "Stephen Weiss is our free agent acquisition"?

Click to read more...

 

[InjuredChoker]

may not have been the best season ever but i like our team and am excited for the future.

we have plenty of veteran leadership so we don't have to throw kids into mens league until they are ready and when they do, they get the right guidance.

 

[Chance on Chance]

Join us next season for the never ending quest for a RH Dman

 

[The Geelee]

Holland's 2012 off season was one of his worst during his tenure as GM. It was utterly horrid.

I think 2014 tops it though. Excitement of Ehrhoff buyout, with several free agents who could really help this team. What happens? Detroit is shunned, Holland panics and signs Quincey. Week later he re-signs veteran garbage.

I was excited for the 2013 season, even after those horrible signings. I can confidently say I feel no excitement for next season. This off season was demoralizing as a wings fan.

 

[Vladdy84]

I'll say it again. After Monster signed. Someone jokingly said, "Alright now we just have to re-sign Quincey and Cleary!" I give that person all the hats.

 

[crashman]

Good. The further away from a phone Ken Holland is, the better off the team will be.

 

[Roy S]

Good. He'd just make a bad trade anyway.

Keep him away from trading away any under 25 talent or more draft picks. Aside from Z, D and Kronwall hopefully aging gracefully, its the only thing the organization has going for them.

 

[icKx]

Prices too steep, like our team, the kids are great but no I won't play them. What else is new.

 

[Reality Check]

I'm fine with tanking.

Don't let me down, Quincey and Cleary.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

I'm fine with tanking.

Don't let me down, Quincey and Cleary.

I guess Holland is too.

 

[Fugu]

Damn. I forgot Alfie was still waiting in the Wings. 15 forwards then...

 

[Frk It]

Damn. I forgot Alfie was still waiting in the Wings. 15 forwards then...

No cap room, and no roster space once again. Going to be unable to call guys up again. Sheesh.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

I guess Holland is too.

Yet Detroit really is light years ahead of where they were last season.

The biggest downer of the offseason was missing out on a legit top 4 defencemen. But we should still be better than the first half of last season just by the virtue of not having the Quincey-Smith pairing together. In the Bruins series we were without E and our bottom pairing was Kindl and Lashoff. One of the kids will likely play if that becomes the case again.

Up front, as much as we all want to punch things in regards to the Cleary signing, we're still greatly improved from where we were to start last season. Not only was Cleary in the lineup, but so were Sammy, Bertuzzi and Emmerton while we were without Nyquist, Tatar, Helm, and Sheahan.

You add all of this to the extreme unlikelihood that the injuries will be compatible to last season and Detroit will be in fine shape. They're nowhere near tanking. They're closer to the 4 seed than they are out of the playoffs IMO.

The biggest goals are to stay healthy, quickly eradicate Cleary, improve our defensive unit (especially the bottom pairing), and to hope Howard doesn't start the year like a dumpster fire again.

 

[drw02]

Worst offseason ever....

Why even have a training camp at this point? No spots up for grabs, roster is already determined....mine as well just hold practices at the Joe until the preseason starts....

 

[InjuredChoker]

Ansar Khan ‏@AnsarKhanMLive 1 min
Wings announce they've signed goalie Tom McCollum to one-year contract.

savior.

offseason rescued from disaster.

 

[jkutswings]

For those who say the Wings are greatly improved, I guess I just don't understand.

Let's say all the kids take a modest step forward, & there's some addition by subtraction for dropping Bert and Sammy. How far do you really think that will take them? Second round?

It doesn't change the likelihood that, by the time the kids are worth leaning on for a legit Cup run, Datsyuk and Zetterberg will be shells. At this point, I'd actually prefer trading #13 and #40, because to win it all, the franchise simply doesn't have time to be conservative with this core.

Reload, rebuild, or retire.

 

[aar000n]

The team will be better the problem is it could be much more.

 

[SirloinUB]

So when do Tatar and Dekeyser resign?

 

[DanZ]

Yet Detroit really is light years ahead of where they were last season.

The biggest downer of the offseason was missing out on a legit top 4 defencemen. But we should still be better than the first half of last season just by the virtue of not having the Quincey-Smith pairing together. In the Bruins series we were without E and our bottom pairing was Kindl and Lashoff. One of the kids will likely play if that becomes the case again.

Up front, as much as we all want to punch things in regards to the Cleary signing, we're still greatly improved from where we were to start last season. Not only was Cleary in the lineup, but so were Sammy, Bertuzzi and Emmerton while we were without Nyquist, Tatar, Helm, and Sheahan.

You add all of this to the extreme unlikelihood that the injuries will be compatible to last season and Detroit will be in fine shape. They're nowhere near tanking. They're closer to the 4 seed than they are out of the playoffs IMO.

The biggest goals are to stay healthy, quickly eradicate Cleary, improve our defensive unit (especially the bottom pairing), and to hope Howard doesn't start the year like a dumpster fire again.

Yup. Detroit was battling for the division before the injury bug hit us last season, and that was with garbage like Sammy, Bertuzzi, and Emmerton on the roster. Disappointed we're still stuck with Cleary, but having Nyquist, Tatar, Helm, Sheahan, and hopefully Jurco (eff you Cleary) to start the year should be a huge boost to our lineup. Remember all those OT/SO losses last year? There's no way adding a couple 20 goal scorers to start the year wouldn't have made a huge difference in those extremely close games.

 

[Tomas W]

If Howard can have a bounce back season he'll save Hollands ass.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

This team is a first round exit team even if it's healthy. Probably lose in 6-7 games instead of five, but that's about it.

Defense is abysmal and will continue to be abysmal. There won't be any trades to fix that. If you want to hope it's going to magically get better, feel free to do so.

Offense is going to be anchored down by human garbage and still won't get any help from the blue line.

The 2014-2015 season is already a complete failure. They failed to address the flaws that killed the team every night, and Danny Cleary is going to play more than ten games. Feel free to delude yourself into thinking otherwise.

We all know how this story ends.

 

[Flowah]

Who wants to place bets on when the first "we like our team" of the season takes place? Or how about "Stephen Weiss is our free agent acquisition"?

He's become so predictable at this point that no one will take that bet. It's like clockwork. He's been replaced by a robot. I'm having trouble coming up with any other explanations for his behavior these past few years.

If Howard can have a bounce back season he'll save Hollands ass.

Not really.

We're still just another playoff bubble team. We're not worse than last year, slightly better. Cleary played 52 games last year and we still made the playoffs. Z/D played only 45 games a piece and we still made the playoffs. Quincey was on the team and so was Kindl and Lashoff, we still made the playoffs. Howard had his worst year and we still made the playoffs. Nyquist was buried for 24 games and we still made the playoffs.

But even if everything goes right this season and Cleary goes down early and Jurco comes up quickly, and all our defensemen play about as well as can be realistically expected, and Howard plays like he can, and Z/D stay healthy, we're still just a playoff bubble team. We're going to be 6 or 7 instead of 8 at best. We're going to be bounced first or second round. Howard playing well this season isn't going to make a whole lot of difference to what we do.

We have deep deep problems on our back end which are still not addressed and until they are we are not making it past the second round.

 

[SoupNazi]

The 2014-2015 season is already a complete failure. They failed to address the flaws that killed the team every night, and Danny Cleary is going to play more than ten games. Feel free do delude yourself into thinking otherwise.

I guess we should just forfeit then, eh? No need to play the games at all.

 

[silkyjohnson50]

This team is a first round exit team even if it's healthy. Probably lose in 6-7 games instead of five, but that's about it.

Defense is abysmal and will continue to be abysmal. There won't be any trades to fix that. If you want to hope it's going to magically get better, feel free to do so.

Offense is going to be anchored down by human garbage and still won't get any help from the blue line.

The 2014-2015 season is already a complete failure. They failed to address the flaws that killed the team every night, and Danny Cleary is going to play more than ten games. Feel free do delude yourself into thinking otherwise. We all know how this story ends.

I really look forward to once they start round 2 so you can jump back on the bandwagon and talk about how much you love this team just like in 2013.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I really look forward to once they start round 2 so you can jump back on the bandwagon and talk about how much you love this team just like in 2013.

When was i ever off the bandwagon?

Management is occupied by morons.

Sorry if i don't blindly support my team when the GM of the team is giving out best friend contracts, and improving the team is a secondary concern.

Your argument is laughable. It basically boils down to me not being a "true fan", and that's why i'm wrong.

I love the Red Wings. I don't love the idiots destroying the Red Wings.

I didn't think they were going to beat Boston last year, but i still cheered for them. I turn my brain off when the game starts.