Why can't XO get in a game?

[nbwingsfan]

Take Jensen, slow him down, make him smarter and stronger, and actually able to play defense, and you have XO.

Even if you prefer Jensen, you can't honestly believe he's so ****ing much better that he's a ****ing fixture in the lineup.

It really doesn't matter. No chance XO is still with the team next season. Ideally Jensen isn't either.

 

[ShelbyZ]

It really doesn't matter. No chance XO is still with the team next season. Ideally Jensen isn't either.

My money is on them making another "Daley-like" signing with whatever cap room they have outside of re-signing Green and their RFA's, and bringing in a #2 goalie. It'll be two "Daley-like" signings if Green isn't re-signed. It'll likely be Ouellet who is made expendable, likely through waivers and a demotion.

As for Jensen and his continual inclusion in the line-up, maybe their trying to keep his value up in hopes that some contender still obsessed with trying to emulate the speedy 2016 Pens gives up a Brendan Smith like overpayment to add Jensens speed.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

It really doesn't matter. No chance XO is still with the team next season. Ideally Jensen isn't either.

Both XO and Jensen are signed through next season, so never say never.

Also, XO is making $1.3 million?? When did that happen?

 

[Winger98]

Both XO and Jensen are signed through next season, so never say never.

Also, XO is making $1.3 million?? When did that happen?

They've also essentially ruled out Cholowski from next year's team and not bringing up any D from GR for a look at the end of this season says something about where those guys stand. I think XO and Jensen have the inside lane on roster spots next year to fill out the bottom two spots on the blueline again.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I think XO and Jensen have the inside lane on roster spots next year to fill out the bottom two spots on the blueline again.

Didn't we say the same thing last season? That Jensen, Ouellet and Sproul would all have spots rounding out the bottom of the line-up. Then on 7/1 we hear about Holland pursuing a Dman and eventually bringing in Daley.

While I certainly doubt they are looking to have Cholowski or Hronek start on the NHL club next season, I have the same doubt Ouellet (Jensen seems to have more value to the club) has an inside lane to a roster spot. We're talking about a guy that they actively looked to trade and apparently had no takers, who has sat in the Cleary Cabana for two weeks to almost a month on multiple occasions and doesn't even get looks as a 7th dman for 5 minutes a night now even with the season lost.

If he doesn't get traded this offseason, I'm sure Holland or whoever will have no qualms about waiving and burying Ouellet (and facing the $200k or so cap hit) next September/October if they need room for someone who is (or they perceive to be) a better option. And to the FO, that better option is likely another UFA dman.

 

[NickH8]

I can't get on board with this idea that playing a better player doesn't matter just because that player isn't a top line/pair player. I seriously doubt the Wings are playing Jensen while believing he's not their best option. If you believe XO to be a better player than Jensen there is no reason not to play him or to make the argument for him.



Jensen needs that skating to bail him out far more often than XO's lack of skating gets him into trouble. My bigger issue is that this fixation on skating is a bit misplaced, imo. I don't know if it's just an "in" thing around the league right now, if it's forced by a (perceived) lack of puck skills, or if the ice around the league necessitates it, but smart guys who can move the puck - as I think XO can and does - can play a quicker game than guys who skate faster but lack the mental game to move the puck up ice with something other than his feet.

See: Darren Helm

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Not derail the thread, as I think XO blows, but what about trying Jensen at wing?

 

[Redder Winger]

Not derail the thread, as I think XO blows, but what about trying Jensen at wing?

Horrible along the boards.

 

[Voodoo Glow Skulls]

Horrible along the boards.

In the defensive end, yes. At forward, his speed gets him to pucks.

 

[Goalie guy]

And he just answered why he is not in any games.

 

[Redder Winger]

Guy plays once in 3 weeks, shit happens.

Jensen has been doing shit like this all year.

 

[HIFE]

Guy plays once in 3 weeks, **** happens.

Jensen has been doing **** like this all year.

It's surprising what a key fixture Jensen's become. I find myself saying, "man Jensen is out there again", then I look at the box score tonight he led all D with 22:22 minutes. It says a lot when he's your number one defenseman.

 

[TheMule93]

Jensen is the best skating dman we've had in so long. Too bad the rest of his game is a trainwreck.

 

[Redder Winger]

Jensen is the best skating dman we've had in so long. Too bad the rest of his game is a trainwreck.

There's more to the game than skating, or else we'd just hire figure skaters and speedskaters.

 

[Henkka]

There's more to the game than skating, or else we'd just hire figure skaters and speedskaters.

Yeah... this guy wasn't a great skater:

 

[BinCookin]

Sounds like we are debating between 2 pieces of poop.

I think Jensen is doing just fine for a tanking teams #6 D man.
He will be replaced with good players sometime soon.

I do not think it is always productive to just bring young players onto the NHL team just because we do not have anyone better.

If Hronek is still having trouble learning parts of the game we want him to learn at the AHL level, why bring him up?
(I dont know if this is the case).

I guess I am saying they will get a fair look when they deserve one.

Also If they are good enough, Jensen/XO's salaries are buryable,
Also I expect Kronwall to retire after this year (Ltir - unofficially retire)

 

[Redder Winger]

Yeah... this guy wasn't a great skater:

I'm not sure why you keep saying this.
Lidstrom was a very good skater for the first 10-12 years of his career.

As he got older and put on muscle, he slowed down.
But he was a great skater early on.

 

[Redder Winger]

Sounds like we are debating between 2 pieces of poop.

I think Jensen is doing just fine for a tanking teams #6 D man.
He will be replaced with good players sometime soon.

I do not think it is always productive to just bring young players onto the NHL team just because we do not have anyone better.

If Hronek is still having trouble learning parts of the game we want him to learn at the AHL level, why bring him up?
(I dont know if this is the case).

I guess I am saying they will get a fair look when they deserve one.

Also If they are good enough, Jensen/XO's salaries are buryable,
Also I expect Kronwall to retire after this year (Ltir - unofficially retire)

Kronwall didn't sound like it in his recent interview.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Jensen is the best skating dman we've had in so long. Too bad the rest of his game is a trainwreck.

Brett Lebda was a good skating defenseman too.

And a better player imo

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I'm not sure why you keep saying this.
Lidstrom was a very good skater for the first 10-12 years of his career.

As he got older and put on muscle, he slowed down.
But he was a great skater early on.

And was always a great skater in that he was an incredible at having his head up while puckhandling. Lids looking down so rarely I doubt he even knew what his skates looked like.

 

[Run the Jewels]

It's surprising what a key fixture Jensen's become. I find myself saying, "man Jensen is out there again", then I look at the box score tonight he led all D with 22:22 minutes. It says a lot when he's your number one defenseman.

Ken Holland's drafting and development ladies and gentlemen!

 

[Flowah]

Yeah... this guy wasn't a great skater:

Well then it's settled. As long as you're a generational, elite hockey supergenius, you don't need to be fast! XO, come on down!

By the way, Lidstrom's decline was getting more and more obvious near the end of his career. Which seems like a truism, but I think it was more the transition of the league into one that values speed. And for all his hockey IQ, once the players are that much faster than you and you're only getting slower, it's hard for your IQ to compensate. And they're not just fast. They're fast with incredible skill.

Also am I watching the same games as you guys? Jensen is not the first guy that comes to mind when I need to identify a problem on our blueline yet he's basically the only one you guys point to.

 

[TheOtherOne]

I remember when we were a playoff team, and people would argue if Lilja or Lebda should be on the ice, and half the posters here would argue "is our 6th/7th defenseman REALLY going to be the difference between getting to round 3 or round 4?"

This thread is objectively more pointless than that ever was.

 

[Pavels Dog]

Ken Holland's drafting and development ladies and gentlemen!

Getting any NHL games at all out of a 5th round pick is a success, arguing anything else is lunacy.

 

[dragonballgtz]

Getting any NHL games at all out of a 5th round pick is a success, arguing anything else is lunacy.

I guess, but is he in the NHL because he is actually good enough to be in the NHL? Or is it because Holland has failed to put a decent defensive unit together?

If our defense was in decent shape would either XO or Jensen be in the lineup? I personally think not.

Sounds like we are debating between 2 pieces of poop.

I agree