Speculation: So who goes?

[KJoe88]

Hopefully Nesty. I like his attitude, but that's all he brings to this team.

He protects the puck well and has defensive instincts, but he needs more than those two aspects of hockey to be a top nine player. Jurco and Weiss whould play over him.

Also Cleary.

 

[Winger98]

If Cleary wasn't still miraculously employed by the team I think sending down Jurco would be the consensus. If Jurco was playing better and got sent down because of Cleary we'd all be pissed. But at this point Jurco probably needs a month or so in GR and I guess Cleary isn't hurting anyone as long as he's in the press box.

I still think we need to get Weiss in the lineup, and Top 6. He does us no good in the bottom 6 and they're paying him $5m to sit in the press box. When Franzen's back, send down Jurco, sit Andersson or Nestrasil and at least give Weiss the opportunity to play himself out of job, unless he's really been that atrocious in practice that he's doing already. He looked ok vs. TOR the other night.

Franzen-Zetterberg-Nyquist
Helm-Datsyuk-Weiss
Tatar-Sheahan-Abdelkader
Miller-Glendening-Andersson/Nestrasil

I was banging the drum for Weiss as loud as anyone until he got into the game a bit ago. Guy just looked flat out bad, and it still makes me wonder if something else is going on. How do you still look that out of it if you've been healthy and training all summer, and came to camp healthy?

Really wish Alfredsson's back hadn't acted up. A healthy Alfie really changes the look of our lineup.

Nestrasil needs to go. don't get me wrong, i like the kid, but im also tired of seeing him on the PP and just not being effective. Im sure that could all change with more experience but i just dont see anything special with him.

My thoughts exactly. I just don't see Nesty doing anything special for us.

The kid shouldn't be on the powerplay, and other than his having good size, I'm not sure why they are putting him there. I think the kid could be a career depth player, who can go out, win board battles, etc. and grind out 10-15 minutes a night on the fourth line. Not overly special, but not a bad thing to have, and with good enough hands and hockey sense to move up the lineup if injuries dictate it.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over losing him, but I don't mind him, either. my problem with the Wings lineup right now is that our options kind of suck. Jurco, who shouldn't be threatened by a guy like Nestrasil, is having a rough start. Weiss is AWOL. Alfie never got to the gate. And the other prospects are either too green (AA, Pulks, Mantha) or not much better (Ferraro, Callahan).

If Jurco or Weiss could show up, or if Alfie had been healthy, we just bump a guy or two out of the lineup and keep going. We desperately need some forwards to step up.

 

[Actual Thought*]

I think at this point it SHOULD be Jurco.

Jurco benefits not at all from sitting in the press box, which he sorta deserves at this point. He's not playing among the best 12 forwards once Franzen is back. Give him a ton of minutes in GR and hope his hands come back because right now they're bouncing all over the place. Cleary's not even playing so waiving him doesn't change diddly with regards to Jurco. It might change something with regards to Ouellet since it opens a roster spot and allows Kindl to sit for him.

Kindl leads the team with a +4 and has gotten better each game. I don't think we want to sit him.

 

[Actual Thought*]

I was banging the drum for Weiss as loud as anyone until he got into the game a bit ago. Guy just looked flat out bad, and it still makes me wonder if something else is going on. How do you still look that out of it if you've been healthy and training all summer, and came to camp healthy?

Really wish Alfredsson's back hadn't acted up. A healthy Alfie really changes the look of our lineup.





The kid shouldn't be on the powerplay, and other than his having good size, I'm not sure why they are putting him there. I think the kid could be a career depth player, who can go out, win board battles, etc. and grind out 10-15 minutes a night on the fourth line. Not overly special, but not a bad thing to have, and with good enough hands and hockey sense to move up the lineup if injuries dictate it.

I wouldn't lose any sleep over losing him, but I don't mind him, either. my problem with the Wings lineup right now is that our options kind of suck. Jurco, who shouldn't be threatened by a guy like Nestrasil, is having a rough start. Weiss is AWOL. Alfie never got to the gate. And the other prospects are either too green (AA, Pulks, Mantha) or not much better (Ferraro, Callahan).

If Jurco or Weiss could show up, or if Alfie had been healthy, we just bump a guy or two out of the lineup and keep going. We desperately need some forwards to step up.

We are 2 points out of the conference lead. We are gonna be fine. I don't think we have seen Nesty's full potential after 7 games.

 

[Flowah]

Kindl leads the team with a +4 and has gotten better each game. I don't think we want to sit him.

Using +/- after 7? games make an already terrible stat even more terrible.

 

[BF3]

Using +/- after 7? games make an already terrible stat even more terrible.

I think he was being facetious...
...
...right?

 

[Winger98]

We are 2 points out of the conference lead. We are gonna be fine. I don't think we have seen Nesty's full potential after 7 games.

Unless Z has his yearly injury sabbatical. Our defense has carried us, which is fine to a degree, but we need some other forwards to start stepping up on a somewhat regular basis.

 

[Hammettf2b]

We have yet to see this team perform fully healthy. If our lack of scoring continues when Mule gets back and Jurco finds his game, then I do think we should look for a scoring winger. I don't think were that far off with contending for a cup.

 

[Claypool]

We have yet to see this team perform fully healthy. If our lack of scoring continues when Mule gets back and Jurco finds his game, then I do think we should look for a scoring winger. I don't think were that far off with contending for a cup.

This Wings have also played some of the best teams in the league. They've basically been playing playoff hockey for the first month of the season. If they can't score powerplay goals against teams like Buffalo or Carolina then i'll worry.

That said, I'm not going to call them Cup contenders yet. There's a long way to go with this season.

 

[Chex LeMeneux]

I understand the hate for having Cleary on the roster still, but this is borderline irrational. Waiving Cleary does not change the fact that Franzen will force someone out. I think most agree we shouldn't touch our 4th line at this point, so that means one of Jurco or Nestrasil is sitting in the pressbox. That does no good for anybody.

Jurco has long been my personal favorite prospect. The day we drafted him I thought we had drafted our next Datsyuk (in my defence, I didn't realize the stylistic differences at the time plus he seems like a completely different player under Babcock.) His occasional slump hasn't diminished my expectations whatsoever. I firmly believe the guy, if developed correctly, can one day be as effective as Mantha. That said, even I think he should be sent down. He just looks like a guy whose still on his first "cup of coffee" and needs a little more time, kind of like what Nyquist, Sheahan and Tatar all looked like during their first call-up. Plus, you put Nestrasil in his place on the Kid Line and maybe Nesty's trade value starts to improve (I don't think he has much of a future here) and we can get something for him.

 

[Flowah]

I think he was being facetious...
...
...right?

I don't know.

Some people in the DRW sub on another site seem to actually think Kindl is pulling it together?

He's made the odd good play, and I have and will continue to point them out when he makes them, but he makes far too many stupid plays. Those two penalties last night are just the perfect example. He's out of position or can't read the play well enough to see the pass and then has to hook or slash to avoid a breakaway. This happens a lot to him.

 

[Hammettf2b]

any word on Franzen's return?

 

[SirloinUB]

any word on Franzen's return?

He is yet to practice with the team according to Khan.

Given that, I'd estimate that Sunday against Buffalo would be his earliest possible return. Maybe Friday against the kings, but that would probably be a long shot at this point.

 

[Big Poppa Puck]

It's definitely more than "leg cramps" for him to still be out.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I think both Nestrasil and Jurco deserve to be sent down. It's almost a shame that only one can be. They need to get scoring.

 

[Frk It]

I think both Nestrasil and Jurco deserve to be sent down. It's almost a shame that only one can be. They need to get scoring.

I think Nesty should stay where he's at, IMO.

 

[Henkka]

I don't know how it's not Jurco. One point in seven games, limited ice time, playing a bit like a guy gripping his stick too tight. Some time in GR to get his game going, get some confidence back, and re-find what he needs to do to be successful wouldn't be a bad thing.

This.

It's a no-brainer. Jurco goes minors to get more ice-time and Cleary and Weiss keep sitting, just like they deserve.

 

[InjuredChoker]

kindl must stay whatever is the case.

he leads all defenseman in corsi!

more, jurco leads all F's in corsi (nestrasil 3rd).

neither matched the eye-test though. both have gotten fairly sheltered mins and/or with good possession drivers like tatar.

 

[golffuul]

It's definitely more than "leg cramps" for him to still be out.

Was pretty sure I read somewhere, perhaps Anser Khan, that said he had a mild groin strain.

 

[detredWINgs]

kindl must stay whatever is the case.

he leads all defenseman in corsi!

more, jurco leads all F's in corsi (nestrasil 3rd).

neither matched the eye-test though. both have gotten fairly sheltered mins and/or with good possession drivers like tatar.

Three of our most average players are leading the team in Corsi. And people wonder why these stats should be taken with a grain of salt.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Three of our most average players are leading the team in Corsi. And people wonder why these stats should be taken with a grain of salt.

No one credible does. Also, incredibly small sample size. Corsi numbers shouldn't even be looked at yet for just that reason.

 

[davecrockburn]

It's definitely more than "leg cramps" for him to still be out.

I thought originally he just had some thigh spasms on the bench and sat out the rest of that game to be careful.

Under Holland the number of times players have conveniently been out then returned once another player got injured is just too many to be coincidence. I'm not saying Franzen wasn't legitimately injured, but If we had room on the roster I think Franzen would be much closer to returning at this point.

What are the chances that Holland would speak to the trainers and have them "take it slow" on certain players' injuries in an attempt to avoid making difficult decisions? Or am I just the only one who has this suspicion?

 

[theYman]

Cleary is the most logical choice. Poll on mlive says 70% Cleary. Who's stupid enough to claim him? Although that would be good.

 

[jaster]

Cleary is the most logical choice. Poll on mlive says 70% Cleary. Who's stupid enough to claim him? Although that would be good.

The problem with waiving Cleary, as others have pointed out, is that now you have to put a kid in the pressbox. I'm not entirely opposed to that being Nestrasil, but only because I don't see him as a long-term Wing. However, I doubt the Wings see it that way.

 

[HeHateMeFrisbee]

I personally dont see how they can keep Cleary on this team and send Jurco down. Yes, i understand that Jurco would get more minutes with the Griffins, but I think he helps this team right now. I agree he hasnt been as effective as last season, but I also think that it is a matter of time. I look at the offensive talent he has and it is in the upper echelon on this team.

Cut Cleary. End the madness.