What do you think Ken Holland does if we miss the playoffs?

[Run the Jewels]

The conversation seems to be moving to the idea we will rebuild if/when we miss the playoffs. So I want to get a sense of how aggressive people expect the move to be. So for the sake of the poll let's say we are for all reasonable expectations out of the playoff race before the trade deadline. What do you think Holland will do?

1. Stay the course. Try to tinker to improve the roster for a shot at the playoffs next year. No major trades or moves.
2. No major TDL moves. Maintains roster but becomes a bit more aggressive in trying to acquire a dman via trade in the offseason. Goal is still to make the playoffs.
3. Goes into rebuild mode. Sells assets at TDL and continues to pare down roster over the summer.

Click to read more...

 

[RedWingzz]

What "should" he do?
His job. Manage the team appropriately, make some trades, get some picks.

What "will" he do?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Let's take a quick glance at his recent trade history...

 

[GMR]

None of the options. I think he will resign in shame.

 

[Ezekial]

What "should" he do?
His job. Manage the team appropriately, make some trades, get some picks.

What "will" he do?
Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Let's take a quick glance at his recent trade history...

Not a good reference for what he'd do with his team out of contention since it's never been the case.

 

[Heaton]

He won't do anything, I doubt he even sells at the deadline.

 

[Tatar Shots]

He won't do anything, I doubt he even sells at the deadline.

I'm guessing if we are that far out at the deadline Vanek has a good chance of being traded.

Holland has already talked about how he thinks tear down rebuilds take to long and is a 10 (or so?) year process. He will just draft in the top 10 and continue to try and make the playoffs the following year.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

Signs a bunch of UFA and trades young talent for established pros. Reasoning: we're just one year out of the streak. We're still a good team, we just had a bad year.

It's like the 5 second rule. If you're only out of the playoffs for a little bit, it doesn't really count.

 

[Heaton]

I'm guessing if we are that far out at the deadline Vanek has a good chance of being traded.

Holland has already talked about how he thinks tear down rebuilds take to long and is a 10 (or so?) year process. He will just draft in the top 10 and continue to try and make the playoffs the following year.

I bet he tries to re-sign Vanek to a multi-year deal before even considering trading him. I think he'll be patient and keep Vanek into the offseason.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

I believe he will do nothing

I can see him selling vanek and smith at the TDL but no actual roster players who aren't ufa' s

I don't think he will risk losing a signed long-term DEW to expansion so we will likely lose ouellet or arhansiaou.

We will go after a dman next summer for one more luck at the can next season

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Nothing Holland will stay the course like usual, That's what he does best.

Knowing Ken Holland he will use the Injury excuse as to why we missed the playoffs. Doesn't matter how bad this team is he will continue to blame the Injuries.

Ken Holland only has 1 year left, He will retire as GM and then take a head job there within the organization and leave his mess to the next GM that follows him there probably Ryan Martin takes over any ways we need to embrace the rebuild here.

 

[InjuredChoker]

it depends on how it miss happens.

how many and bad injuries, how the players actually played (will it end up being the scoring, D or goaltending the biggest reason wings miss), by how many points etc.

stay the course is the safe option.

i highly doubt the wings will be sellers at the deadline. maybe if they are like 20 points out of it, vanek wants to be traded and/or he's not in wings plans for next season.

 

[Pavels Dog]

The way this team is trending we will not only be way out, none of our players will have any trade value.

 

[Birko19]

I think it depends, if the team is barely out of the playoffs, he'll probably stay the course, but I think this team is gonna do a lot worse, if so, I can completely see him trade one of Vanek or Green for a 1st rounder.

 

[aar000n]

nothing like normal. Missing the playoffs wont make him a good trader, Missing the playoffs wont make him a good free agent signer, Missing the playoffs wont make him wont make him good at determining who should get long term deals. B-b-but we will have a top 5 pick. So what that's one out of 4 things.

 

[Retire91]

He will try to make deadline deals to patch holes just like he had been doing for 6-7 seasons now. That is what he will do. Just hope we get into the offseason still having with our first and second round pick not that he won't trade down anyway.

 

[Henkka]

Holland will trade at least Vanek, Smith, maybe Mike Green.

Drafts high at 2017 draft with normal 7 + 2-3 extra picks.

At next free agency and when entering to the new arena, he bolsters the cap full again. Free assets are best asset management.

And sees how the younger team will fail at 2017-18 again.

Sells more at the 2018 deadline. Green, if not sold at 2017, Howard goes. Also that 2017 signed 1-year UFA is sold.

Drafts high at 2018 draft with normal 7 + 2-3 extra picks.

Bolsters roster again full in free agency.

And will repeat this as long as the young team becomes better and stops failing again.

 

[lomekian]

Holland will trade at least Vanek, Smith, maybe Mike Green.

Drafts high at 2017 draft with normal 7 + 2-3 extra picks.

At next free agency and when entering to the new arena, he bolsters the cap full again. Free assets are best asset management.

And sees how the younger team will fail at 2017-18 again.

Sells more at the 2018 deadline. Green, if not sold at 2017, Howard goes. Also that 2017 signed 1-year UFA is sold.

Drafts high at 2018 draft with normal 7 + 2-3 extra picks.

Bolsters roster again full in free agency.

And will repeat this as long as the young team becomes better and stops failing again.

This is by far the most likely outcome. Those saying he will buy to try to scrape in haven't been paying attention for the last 18 months of only giving up young assets that he can't trade, and he certainly won't be giving up picks.

Of course the specifics depend on performance of team & individuals between now and then.

 

[Leronziia]

Trade Nyquist or Tatar to Anaheim for one of their overpaid veteran D.

Honestly though, given this is the first time missing play-offs under his tenure, who knows?

 

[Bench]

I bet he tries to re-sign Vanek to a multi-year deal before even considering trading him. I think he'll be patient and keep Vanek into the offseason.

Me too. A guy comes here, does really well, so he's going to want to keep him. He's going to look at free agency and go, "I'd sign a guy like Vanek anyway, maybe one not as good, so why not keep the one I have?"

But I'm open to be surprised. Ironically, a great trading partner and destination for Vanek would be Minnesota.

 

[Sami]

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Where's retire

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I'm guessing if we are that far out at the deadline Vanek has a good chance of being traded.

Holland has already talked about how he thinks tear down rebuilds take to long and is a 10 (or so?) year process. He will just draft in the top 10 and continue to try and make the playoffs the following year.

Agree with all of this. The long gutting rebuild is something Holland hasn't been interested in. He will at least try to make it as quick as possible. If we are totally out of it, I expect him to flip some things if he can.

I don't think Green is going anywhere this year, they would then have to replace their only real proven puck mover next year where he still has a contract. I think he will want to talk to Mike Green in June about staying aboard, not sure Green will but that is when I would expect that move.

Trading Vanek doesn't mean he cannot gauge Vanek's interest in coming back right away on July 1. It's a risk sure, but Vanek has been traded before and not immediately thrown in with the new team. He seems a comfort player and looks comfortable with Detroit. I could see him moved and pulling the Tkachuk/Weight and signing right back with us which would be wonderful in my opinion.

But he is going to try to rebuild as quickly as possible. Unless Holland has totally changed his mind getting rid of every asset he has isn't something he believes in and I know I am in the minority but I agree with that. Intentionally trying to be bad hasn't actually worked out for everyone the way some like to say it has. There are plenty of teams that are perennial losers that can hearken back to a couple of seasons of thinking being intentionally bad and selling off nearly all of their NHL assets was some kind of golden ticket.

 

[RedWingsfan55]

We like our team.

Rebuild on the fly.


Kicked some tires but no trades were a fit.

 

[Go Wings]

He will stay the course and blame missing the playoffs on injuries.

 

[Squirrel in the Hole]

C'mon, this is Ken Holland we are talking about here. The rebuild will not happen under his reign.