Post-Game Talk: Pens

[SoupNazi]

Did you watch it? They didn't even try and it is still 5-1. We are miles behind middle-of-the-pack teams. And playoffs.

Did you watch it? Apparently not since the Pens played quite hard.

 

[DamonDRW]

My point is that it doesn't matter for your camp.

Play well and win? Wings are dum and fans are dummerer because Lottery!
Play well and lose? Wings are dum and fans are dummerer because No Improvement!
Play poorly and win? Wings are dum and fans are dummerer because Team Worser and Lottery!
Play poorly and lose? Wings are dum and fans are dummerer because Worser and No Improvement!

You don't want the Red Wings to win. You want the DamonDRW Wings to win.

My point is that this team is poorly structured, managed, and doesn't have a clear direction for improvement.

 

[dalem177]

My point is that this team is poorly structured, managed, and doesn't have a clear direction for improvement.

Oh, I think you've made your point very clear.

 

[TheOtherOne]

My point is that this team is poorly structured, managed, and doesn't have a clear direction for improvement.

Direction ----> better players, better team, more wins

What's complicated about that?

 

[aar000n]

How can people think we are not improving?

 

[jkutswings]

How can people think we are not improving?

There wasn't a 50 point improvement in the standings, and they don't look at anything else.

The Wings will have a productive summer and make the playoffs next season. Book it.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

My point is that this team is poorly structured, managed, and doesn't have a clear direction for improvement.

This is a bad take. You're not able to see the forest through the trees.

Poorly managed? What makes this team poorly managed? Yzerman has cleared out the bad contracts, signed vets to team friendly deals to help out the kids, drafted incredibly well over the last 4 seasons, and hired a coach that brought in an actual defensive structure.

Poorly structured? The framework for this team has been being built the last 2 seasons after being torn down the 2 seasons prior to that. Next season when we insert Kasper we're not giving him Brendan Perlini and Anthony Mantha as his wingers as a result of the improved structure. Edvinsson isn't being thrown in as the #1 defender as a result of the structure.

No clear direction for improvement? The team goes into the offseason with a boatload of cap space (28.8 mil), 5 draft picks in the first 42, and the glaring holes are a top 6 winger (free agents/trades available) a bottom 6 winger (free agents/trades available/maybe Mazur), backup goalie (free agents/trades available) and a 2nd and 3rd pair RD (free agents/trades available). None of these are insurmountable. I think it is entirely possible to effectively fill these roster gaps and be a better team than the Senators, Sabres, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins next season.

Under Yzerman the wings have gone from last place to 6th worst, to 8th worst, and are going to finish somewhere between 9th and 12th worst. It's not as big an improvement as I had hoped for but like I said in my last post here, injuries/unavailability due to PAP to 3 top 9 scorers and 2 backup goalies giving away points played a major part in that. Unless Yzerman sits on his hands next season or there is a catastrophic injury to either Larkin or Seider this team will be better next season.

 

[Detroit Knights]

This is a bad take. You're not able to see the forest through the trees.

Poorly managed? What makes this team poorly managed? Yzerman has cleared out the bad contracts, signed vets to team friendly deals to help out the kids, drafted incredibly well over the last 4 seasons, and hired a coach that brought in an actual defensive structure.

Poorly structured? The framework for this team has been being built the last 2 seasons after being torn down the 2 seasons prior to that. Next season when we insert Kasper we're not giving him Brendan Perlini and Anthony Mantha as his wingers as a result of the improved structure. Edvinsson isn't being thrown in as the #1 defender as a result of the structure.

No clear direction for improvement? The team goes into the offseason with a boatload of cap space (28.8 mil), 5 draft picks in the first 42, and the glaring holes are a top 6 winger (free agents/trades available) a bottom 6 winger (free agents/trades available), backup goalie (free agents/trades available/maybe Mazur surprises) and a 2nd and 3rd pair RD (free agents/trades available). None of these are insurmountable. I think it is entirely possible to effectively fill these roster gaps and be a better team than the Senators, Sabres, Islanders, Panthers, and Penguins next season.

Under Yzerman the wings have gone from last place to 6th worst, to 8th worst, and are going to finish somewhere between 9th and 12th worst. It's not as big an improvement as I had hoped for but like I said in my last post here, injuries/unavailability due to PAP to 3 top 9 scorers and 2 backup goalies giving away points played a major part in that. Unless Yzerman sits on his hands next season or there is a catastrophic injury to either Larkin or Seider this team will be better next season.

Honestly, Neddy has not been that bad since his call up. He looks loose and played with calmness. I really wouldn't mind him back up and then just trade bait him towards the deadline if the reasons permit it. At that point, we could move Cossa up as the backup a few games here and there to get him to NHL speed.

Then you have Cossa going from ECHL starter to AHL starter and hopefully he continues his success like it seems like he will be continuing it. Then, in Husso's contract year, Cossa could be backing him up full time.

Of course....after all that, we have literally no goalie prospects that are worth it. May need to draft a goalie this draft and definitely next.

 

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Honestly, Neddy has not been that bad since his call up. He looks loose and played with calmness. I really wouldn't mind him back up and then just trade bait him towards the deadline if the reasons permit it. At that point, we could move Cossa up as the backup a few games here and there to get him to NHL speed.

Then you have Cossa going from ECHL starter to AHL starter and hopefully he continues his success like it seems like he will be continuing it. Then, in Husso's contract year, Cossa could be backing him up full time.

Of course....after all that, we have literally no goalie prospects that are worth it. May need to draft a goalie this draft and definitely next.

Ned shit the bed in 6 of his 9 starts in the first half of the season and is a big part of why Husso has been playing so much while hurt and why Ned was full on demoted. He's unreliable dating back to the 2nd half of 2021-22. Unless a lot changes, the guy is not a full time NHLer.

Here's a list of available UFA goalies:

Quick
Varlamov
Andersen
Korpisalo
Jarry
Talbot
Blackwood
Hill
Raanta
Jones
Halak
Rittich
Stalock

And that's exempting several others who were better than Ned. Any of the 5 bolded names I throw money at to get them to tandem with Husso.

Do you honestly believe that Cossa will be backing up Husso next season? Because to me that's crazy talk.

 

[theYman]

Did you watch it? They didn't even try and it is still 5-1. We are miles behind middle-of-the-pack teams. And playoffs.

But we did beat them 7-4 a few weeks ago. So no

 

[Henkka]

Pens out of the playoffs...

When looked on their star core, they are now ~1year younger than Wings stars were, when they still got to playoffs at last time,

At 2015-16 season, Datsyuk was 38y, Zetterberg 36y, Kronwall 35y olds. They went to playoffs, with Blashill.

At 2022-23 season, Malkin is 36y, Crosby 35y and Letang 35y old. They are out of the playoffs.

So they did fall out 1 year earlier and 1 year younger.

Seems to be, that our highest was always higher than them.

End of story.