GDT: Training Camp 2016

[Frk It]

Nosek gonna get picked up off waivers?

He is exempt from waivers for 1 more year.

 

[Bench]

It's Ottoberfest, baby.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

So Miller-Glendening-Ott might be a thing. Yikes

 

[jolly roger]

So Miller-Glendening-Ott might be a thing. Yikes

Yikes indeed.

Prepare to hold your collective noses Detroit.

 

[Heaton]

Got back from camp today and had a couple impressions.

1. It may not mean anything, but I didn't like Howard's body language at all in camp. He seemed extremely frustrated the entire time and was constantly shaking his head after ever single goal (and while it was practice, he was extremely leaky).

2. AA, Larkin and Nyquist were the best players the entire camp, really good skating and they both competed hard.

3. Mantha wasn't very impressive, seemed pretty lackadaisical and disinterested.

4. Camp was really different this year for a myriad of reasons, obviously missing a lot of players, but this was the first camp since Babcock left that looked like Blashill did his own thing, last year was a carbon copy of Babcock's training camps with less precision.

5. Whoever that Lorito kid was looked really good. Maybe he's a career AHLer but he was impressive.

6. No one stood out on defense, even Green didn't look that impressive. Sproul didn't show me anything to think that we have any players ready to make the next step so that we can ignore the signs that tell us that Holland needs to make a trade.

7. Blashill may be wanting to play a fast game, but this team doesn't have the transition game for it.

 

[Mijatovic]

Nice to hear some honest feedback instead of all the rubbish that gets spewed by some of the writers.

The way Mantha was talked about, I thought he had finally turned a corner. Maybe disinterested is his go to.

Was nice to see Sproul pick up two points. Didnt really appeal to you outside of that?

 

[PullHard]

So Miller-Glendening-Ott might be a thing. Yikes

Has that not been obvious? Not trying to sound snarky or sarcastic, but what else could his signing have meant? Like he doesn't belong in the top 9, right?

 

[Winger98]

3. Mantha wasn't very impressive, seemed pretty lackadaisical and disinterested.

I know people are going to say it's not an excuse, but what's really his motivation? There isn't a chance in hell of him making the team out of camp, and whatever he does in GR in actual games will matter a lot more than what he does in camp. Just getting into game shape, not getting injured, and being ready to hit the ground running in Grand Rapids is probably the best thing he can do for himself.

Has that not been obvious? Not trying to sound snarky or sarcastic, but what else could his signing have meant? Like he doesn't belong in the top 9, right?

Yeah, I don't get why anyone would be surprised by this. Barring injuries, the moment he and Miller were signed our fourth line was decided on.

 

[Heaton]

Was nice to see Sproul pick up two points. Didnt really appeal to you outside of that?

I remember when Smith was in camp before getting a shot, he stood out and you knew he could skate and make plays. I didn't see much from Sproul outside of him being a right handed shot.

 

[TheMule93]

I'm going to trust Blashills assessment of Mantha over anyone else tbh

Direct quote from blash regarding Mo

"He’s bigger for certain than he was. As soon as I saw him, I thought wow he’s definitely put the work in. I was curious to see what he looks like on the ice. Sometimes when you put more body mass on you’re a little bit more clumsy and he’s not at all. He’s as fluid as he was but he’s got more body mass and he’s just as quick and fast. He’s had a good first four days, I thought he was good today, I think he’s been good everyday in practice and now he gets a change in exhibition."

 

[Heaton]

That's good, we'll see if those words really mean anything on October 13th.

 

[Claypool]

That's good, we'll see if those words really mean anything on October 13th.

Blashill said he wants to get Mantha in at least five pre-season games. And will probably play the AA-Larkin-Mantha line against Boston Wednesday night.

 

[HIFE]

I remember there was a year the Red-White game was broadcast, I wish the Wings would televise it regularly. I'm excited for the season but it's happening fast, pre-season starts today at JLA it's hard to believe! I have the day off may be end up downtown for the game. All the talk of the summer, the speculation it comes down to this. We'll get several games of looks at all our prospects and players. I hope everybody watches as much as possible. It really raises the discussion when as fans we can relax and watch the games together and see live what is up.

The next order of business is kicking Pittsburgh's ass today. I hope there's some feed we fans deserve it. Go Red Wings!

 

[Henkka]

From Malik report:

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comment...he-red-vs.-white-game-charitable-news-and-dek

“When you have speed up the middle, it probably makes you faster throughout the lineup,” the head coach said. “Guys like that who hunt the puck are better served at center. When you have a fast center, now they have to go up and down the rink and transport the puck. We want transporters in that area.”

Blashill said Larkin has a skill set that better serves him at center instead of at the wing. The area that concerns Blashill, however, is Larkin’s abilities to face off.

So speedy centers are going to carry the puck over neutral zone.

This is a no-brainer idea. We have fastest center core in the league. Nielsen-Larkin-Helm-Glendening (+Athanasiou as a spare part)

how some of the systems have changed. One of the things I was specifically watching, was how the defense was used. Blashill’s system involves activating the defense more, getting them up into the rush, freeing them up to go deeper into the offensive zone if they have a good opportunity, and relying on a forward to cycle back and cover the open point. I’ve talked a lot about this system in the past, because it’s what we saw in Grand Rapids with Blashill as the head coach; we expected to see it last year, but never really did. We saw it in training camp, and especially in the red & white game. Typically there was one defenseman who would join the rush while his partner would stay behind and cover the blue line and be the "safe" guy.

So defencemen are pinching more now in the offensive zone. This should be great for Smith and Green.

"The intensity level was good. The speed was good," Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said. "You're looking at things we can get better at. We made some adjustments in our D zone, so we have to continue to teach that. Overall, I still think we can get better at sprinting out of our end and putting the other team on their heels. But I did think our transition was pretty fast."

Changes at neutral, offensive and also at defensive Zone play. Very interesting to see how this will pan out.

 

[Wood Stick]

From Malik report:

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comment...he-red-vs.-white-game-charitable-news-and-dek



So speedy centers are going to carry the puck over neutral zone.

This is a no-brainer idea. We have fastest center core in the league. Nielsen-Larkin-Helm-Glendening (+Athanasiou as a spare part)



So defencemen are pinching more now in the offensive zone. This should be great for Smith and Green.



Changes at neutral, offensive and also at defensive Zone play. Very interesting to see how this will pan out.

I like it a lot actually. I don't like AA with Larks though as I think they play a similar style and I like them both on the puck. Larks played off it last year too much with double A. I like AA with Sheahan but that's not happening.

Last year the D were supposed to pinch too. Didn't work.

 

[Filppula]

I like it a lot actually. I don't like AA with Larks though as I think they play a similar style and I like them both on the puck. Larks played off it last year too much with double A. I like AA with Sheahan but that's not happening.

Last year the D were supposed to pinch too. Didn't work.

Exactly. And on opening night against Toronto they did, and I was excited. The it was back down to earth with a bang. Simply put, I think we lack defensemen with the skill-set to be able to pull off being able to pinch up, and when they do we get exposed because of it, hence why we saw a ridiculous amount of odd-man rushes.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

From Malik report:

http://kuklaskorner.com/tmr/comment...he-red-vs.-white-game-charitable-news-and-dek



So speedy centers are going to carry the puck over neutral zone.

This is a no-brainer idea. We have fastest center core in the league. Nielsen-Larkin-Helm-Glendening (+Athanasiou as a spare part)



So defencemen are pinching more now in the offensive zone. This should be great for Smith and Green.



Changes at neutral, offensive and also at defensive Zone play. Very interesting to see how this will pan out.

No, probably not, but their speed should open passing lanes and create space to move the puck up the ice quicker.

 

[Flowah]

Exactly. And on opening night against Toronto they did, and I was excited. The it was back down to earth with a bang. Simply put, I think we lack defensemen with the skill-set to be able to pull off being able to pinch up, and when they do we get exposed because of it, hence why we saw a ridiculous amount of odd-man rushes.

I think Marchy and Green are the best pinchers. Smith seems to get burned too often when trying it. His offensive "instincts" are best served when he's carrying the puck, not making pinches. Which makes him sound more like a forward than a defenseman....

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Exactly. And on opening night against Toronto they did, and I was excited. The it was back down to earth with a bang. Simply put, I think we lack defensemen with the skill-set to be able to pull off being able to pinch up, and when they do we get exposed because of it, hence why we saw a ridiculous amount of odd-man rushes.

I think his system has as much to do with stepping up and shortening the neutral zone, as it does with simple, offensive-zone pinches.

Like others have said, I don't see how this defensive group can get up in the rush much apart from Green and Smith.

 

[BinCookin]

That's good, we'll see if those words really mean anything on October 13th.

Quick Question Heaton and others.

When we say a player looks lacksidasical. Could his "skating style" be a part of it?

I mean everyone hated how Franzen "looked" but that man produced for us.

I wonder if Mantha will be similar. Not as in hes a floater, but his skating style LOOKS like floating. Tall people can sometimes seem that way with long strides.

Also sprinting in every direction is not always "better".

 

[Bench]

Big guys get accused of floating way more. Every big bodied goal scorer in the league has faced that critique.

That doesn't mean it can't be true, but it's something to keep in mind.

 

[Henkka]

Big guys get accused of floating way more. Every big bodied goal scorer in the league has faced that critique.

That doesn't mean it can't be true, but it's something to keep in mind.

Yep. This is always hilarious. Big guys with longer stride can have same speed vs. some midgets like Hicketts who only "look" fast.

It's almost like Usain Bolt taking least steps on 100m dash but going it in fastest time.

 

[Henkka]

I like it a lot actually. I don't like AA with Larks though as I think they play a similar style and I like them both on the puck. Larks played off it last year too much with double A. I like AA with Sheahan but that's not happening.

Same here. Don't idealistic like AA with Larkin but I think is a learning process. Adjusting to think and play more defensively.

In future projections I see them separated, more like this:

Bertuzzi-Larkin (toughest matchups, like "marchand-bergeron")

AA-Mantha (scoring responsibility)

 

[Frk It]

Big guys get accused of floating way more. Every big bodied goal scorer in the league has faced that critique.

That doesn't mean it can't be true, but it's something to keep in mind.

Not really. Floaters get accused of floating because they float.

Abdelkader and Franzen are the same height, but I've never seen anyone on here say that Justin Abdelkader floats. Because he skates his ass off every single night.

 

[Claypool]

Not really. Floaters get accused of floating because they float.

Abdelkader and Franzen are the same height, but I've never seen anyone on here say that Justin Abdelkader floats. Because he skates his ass off every single night.

Abby is a crasher and banger that goes to the front of the net. Mantha is a positional player that has to get open to shoot. Very different player. He doesn't chase the puck.