Possible trade and roster fixes for the Wings, Part IV

[Run the Jewels]

I think you gotta move Mrazek up, he is completely owning the AHL and I just don't think he has anything more to learn up there in GR - I mean he has backstopped a championship team and will get another crack at the playoffs this year, he is leading the league by a quite comfy margin in GAA and his save % is top 3 or maybe top 2. He needs to be with the men sooner rather than later, and it is not like his NHL numbers are bad in the games he has been in so far.

Yep, you can't continue to make the same dumb decisions Kenneh has become a joke for making. Seriously, last year Mrazek was arguably Grand Rapids' MVP and he started the year in Toledo. Enough of this ****.

Mrazek needs to be in Detroit competing with Howard for the #1 spot.

 

[aar000n]

Yep, you can't continue to make the same dumb decisions Kenneh has become a joke for making. Seriously, last year Mrazek was arguably Grand Rapids' MVP and he started the year in Toledo. Enough of this ****.

Mrazek needs to be in Detroit competing with Howard for the #1 spot.

I agree KH is wasting his talent.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I agree KH is wasting his talent.

Is this sarcasm? We're talking about a goalie. You have to slow bake goalies.

 

[SimplySolace]

Yep, you can't continue to make the same dumb decisions Kenneh has become a joke for making. Seriously, last year Mrazek was arguably Grand Rapids' MVP and he started the year in Toledo. Enough of this ****.

Mrazek needs to be in Detroit competing with Howard for the #1 spot.

Decided to look up his stats right now for the hell of it:

2012-13 - 42 GP, 2.33 GAA, .916 SV%, 23 wins, 16 losses, 1 shutout
2013-14 - 29 GP, 2.00 GAA, .928 SV%, 22 wins, 6 losses, 3 shutouts

Impressed by his amount of wins. Is GR better or worse this year?

 

[MTU hockey]

Is this sarcasm? We're talking about a goalie. You have to slow bake goalies.

Everyone's different. Mrazek is better than Howard was at the same age. Not every goalie needs to sit in the AHL for 4 years. Mrazek has looked very good in all the NHL games that he's played in and he is doing extremely well in the AHL. He really doesn't have much to work on with his game, he just needs experience playing against the best competition in the world.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Everyone's different. Mrazek is better than Howard was at the same age. Not every goalie needs to sit in the AHL for 4 years. Mrazek has looked very good in all the NHL games that he's played in and he is doing extremely well in the AHL. He really doesn't have much to work on with his game, he just needs experience playing against the best competition in the world.

Let Mrazek do his thing in Grand Rapids, he'll probably back up Howard next year at the very least.

 

[aar000n]

Is this sarcasm? We're talking about a goalie. You have to slow bake goalies.

Hes done KH isnt slow baking he is waiting way to long.
The ONLY reason out best player on the team is here is because of injuries. How about the last playoff. I bet Tartar could have made the difference vs Chicago. but yeah lets play cleary and eaves instead.

 

[SoupNazi]

Hes done KH isnt slow baking he is waiting way to long.
The ONLY reason out best player on the team is here is because of injuries. How about the last playoff. I bet Tartar could have made the difference vs Chicago. but yeah lets play cleary and eaves instead.

Choking away a 3-1 series lead is on the team as a whole and the coaching staff.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Hes done KH isnt slow baking he is waiting way to long.
The ONLY reason out best player on the team is here is because of injuries. How about the last playoff. I bet Tartar could have made the difference vs Chicago. but yeah lets play cleary and eaves instead.

I don't know he must be pretty good never heard of him, seriously how long is this going to take people on our own board to get right?

 

[aar000n]

Choking away a 3-1 series lead is on the team as a whole and the coaching staff.

more on the gm that doesnt put the best team out.

 

[SoupNazi]

more on the gm that doesnt put the best team out.

More on the coaching staff that doesn't make adjustments with what it has when the opposing staff does.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

more on the gm that doesnt put the best team out.

How do they get to 3-1 then with same said team?

Could Tatar have helped, I don't know, often forgotten was he wasn't playing well when demoted or upon his return for a while.

Also wonder if we would be sniffing the playoffs without the confidence that run gave the likes of Jurco, Sheahan and Tatar.

 

[Bench]

Choking away a 3-1 series lead is on the team as a whole and the coaching staff.

Is it really choking when you're the heavy underdog? Chicago had one of the most dominant seasons in recent memory, even with the shortened schedule. Weren't they the Vegas favorites from the very start of the year? They went 36-7-5. That's pretty insane only losing 7 games in regulation out of 48. Next lowest was 12.

Anyway, I don't really have a point here other than Chicago was pretty strong and I'm still super bitter the Wings couldn't find a bounce in OT in game 7 and spoil their stupid good year.

 

[detredWINgs]

Mrazek has another year left on his contract. If you bring him up next season and he plays ~20 games and does well, then you're looking at giving him twice the amount you'd give him if you keep him in the AHL for another season and have him as the 3rd string goaltender.

Now, I've never advocated for that kind of cap strategy before (i.e. keeping a player down in the AHL in order to keep their realistic salary demands constrained), but there is at least some trade off when it comes to a goalie given that they can play 20+ more games in the AHL as starter than they can in the NHL as back-up.

In the end, I don't care that much what happens because I don't think Mrazek's development will be hurt either way. The only thing I don't want to see is a veteran signed to a 2-year contract. Its either Mrazek as back-up or a veteran on a 1-year deal. Wouldn't even mind if it were Nabby or the like either.

 

[MTU hockey]

Is it really choking when you're the heavy underdog?

The short answer would be yes, It's still choking. It doesn't matter how big of an underdog a team is, if you have a team down 3-1 in a series you have to finish them off.

 

[SoupNazi]

Is it really choking when you're the heavy underdog?

Yes and no. Yes because you have the 3-1 lead; no because you were such a heavy underdog. Either way, I am still bitter almost a year later.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

More on the coaching staff that doesn't make adjustments with what it has when the opposing staff does.

When Babcock had total control over matchups the fact he stopped chasing Toews with Zetterberg was pretty infuriating. I know Pavel is Pavel, but still Zetterberg was very clearly in Toews head. Though I do think Chicago could just hit another level in general and if people think Tatar last year was the difference sorry just not going to see it that way. The Hawks started playing better which was the biggest problem, Howard's play dipped a little and we got beat. Unfortunate, one good bounce in game six or seven and we survive, but they didn't come and I have a hard time putting that on Holland, they were very much in both games with the team they were icing. Babcock had a pretty phenomenal series, he did build the lead, but seemed to get caught out the last two games but at the end of the day they were beaten by a better team and nothing the GM or coach could have really done about that at that point.

I would have still liked Babs to chase the matchups a little harder and make better use of his last change and really timeout (something he has generally been found wanting in, but a hard thing to really get all over a coach for) to stem the tide after the tie goal in the third of game six.

 

[Yzerman1919*]

I'd really like a Konopka type guy honestly. He signed for around 1M if I remember correctly. He would fight 20 times a year for us (He even stepped up to Gazdic this year), he's a solid faceoff guy, and will stand in front of the net or block shots whenever. Ottawa in the playoffs a couple seasons ago was using him a ton on special teams. He's been banged up since though but would be reasonable to get this team some sandpaper.

I'd also like to see Derek Morris in a Wings jersey. He's a big guy with a mean streak and has a cannon of a shot.

 

[we like our team*]

konopka is only good at faceoffs and getting punched in the face

 

[detredWINgs]

I'd really like a Konopka type guy honestly. He signed for around 1M if I remember correctly. He would fight 20 times a year for us (He even stepped up to Gazdic this year), he's a solid faceoff guy, and will stand in front of the net or block shots whenever. Ottawa in the playoffs a couple seasons ago was using him a ton on special teams. He's been banged up since though but would be reasonable to get this team some sandpaper.

I'd also like to see Derek Morris in a Wings jersey. He's a big guy with a mean streak and has a cannon of a shot.

I would've agreed with adding a guy like Konopka months ago when our 4th line was as vanilla as they come, but having the kids proving themselves as bona fide NHLers changes everything. In particular, if we start out next season with Zetterberg/Datsyuk-Legwand-Sheahan down the middle, our 4th line becomes elite just by nature of the fact that Helm will be heading up that unit. Having a motor like that as your 4th line center will energize just about anyone on his wings. Moreover, with how many offensive threats we have when healthy these days, Babs doesn't need Abby to pretend hes a top 6 power forward anymore. At best, he'll be Jurco's replacement on the kid line (assuming Jurco gets Nyquist'd) and might even have to make-do on the 4th line. In short, Abby's role switches back to being the agitating, grinding, middleweight punching-bag he used to be, making a guy like Konopka superfluous.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

trade for a solid dman and thats it

 

[Winger98]

When Babcock had total control over matchups the fact he stopped chasing Toews with Zetterberg was pretty infuriating. I know Pavel is Pavel, but still Zetterberg was very clearly in Toews head. Though I do think Chicago could just hit another level in general and if people think Tatar last year was the difference sorry just not going to see it that way. The Hawks started playing better which was the biggest problem, Howard's play dipped a little and we got beat. Unfortunate, one good bounce in game six or seven and we survive, but they didn't come and I have a hard time putting that on Holland, they were very much in both games with the team they were icing. Babcock had a pretty phenomenal series, he did build the lead, but seemed to get caught out the last two games but at the end of the day they were beaten by a better team and nothing the GM or coach could have really done about that at that point.

I would have still liked Babs to chase the matchups a little harder and make better use of his last change and really timeout (something he has generally been found wanting in, but a hard thing to really get all over a coach for) to stem the tide after the tie goal in the third of game six.

Zetterberg is just better at going out and putting a glove on someone. And if he doesn't do it, we're generally in trouble. I don't think it's a coincidence that SJ and Anaheim have given us so much trouble and Thornton and Getzlaf are guys z doesn't match up well against.

I would've agreed with adding a guy like Konopka months ago when our 4th line was as vanilla as they come, but having the kids proving themselves as bona fide NHLers changes everything. In particular, if we start out next season with Zetterberg/Datsyuk-Legwand-Sheahan down the middle, our 4th line becomes elite just by nature of the fact that Helm will be heading up that unit. Having a motor like that as your 4th line center will energize just about anyone on his wings. Moreover, with how many offensive threats we have when healthy these days, Babs doesn't need Abby to pretend hes a top 6 power forward anymore. At best, he'll be Jurco's replacement on the kid line (assuming Jurco gets Nyquist'd) and might even have to make-do on the 4th line. In short, Abby's role switches back to being the agitating, grinding, middleweight punching-bag he used to be, making a guy like Konopka superfluous.

An Abdelakder-Helm-Glendening fourth line would be the closest we've gotten to the classic grind line in a long time. And it looks like they could be used in a very similar way. I'd like to see them take the body a bit more, but they could go out against pretty much anyone, and set a tone.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Zetterberg is just better at going out and putting a glove on someone. And if he doesn't do it, we're generally in trouble. I don't think it's a coincidence that SJ and Anaheim have given us so much trouble and Thornton and Getzlaf are guys z doesn't match up well against.



An Abdelakder-Helm-Glendening fourth line would be the closest we've gotten to the classic grind line in a long time. And it looks like they could be used in a very similar way. I'd like to see them take the body a bit more, but they could go out against pretty much anyone, and set a tone.

i think a miller-helm-glendening line would be even better

despite the fact abby is bigger and more aggressive then miller, miller is a more cerebral player and is so damn good on the pk he has to be in the lineup

unfortunately for jurco, if healthy abby should take his spot on that kid line and jurco sent back to GR

 

[nickyno72]

So realistically, does anyone think that the Wings will add or subtract that many pieces from the 13-14 team to the 14-15? I'm expecting a 90% carryover from this team to next year's team. I just don't see Kenny signing anyone especailly after the emergence of Sheahan, Tatar and Gus The only significant thing I could see would be resigning Aflie and Legwand causing Jurco to start the year in the AHL.

 

[Adityase]

How can anyone want Mrazek up now? Monster's had a great season and Howard is playing his best right now. Why would anyone want Mrazek to sit in a press box? Or in the hallway?

Weird.