News Article: Wings are Luszczyszyn's most improved team

[MBH]

Didn’t you blast us a year or two ago for not doing more in the off-season.

I thought what we did this off-season was pretty much exactly what you were asking for, no?

Or do you think we should have done more or less than what we did?

I didn't see the need for Perron/Kubalik and I'm still not exactly thrilled with them because I wanted another year of Veleno + Zadina, and some room for Berggren.

But the other 3 main signings were exactly what I expected.

I think, for the most part, this puts us exactly where most of us thought we'd be.

To be honest, my biggest beef with Yzerman (outside of hanging on to Blashill) the last few seasons is that he's done very little with the cap space. I thought he'd do more Staal type deals.

 

[Macoun]

I didn't see the need for Perron/Kubalik and I'm still not exactly thrilled with them because I wanted another year of Veleno + Zadina, and some room for Berggren.

But the other 3 main signings were exactly what I expected.

I think, for the most part, this puts us exactly where most of us thought we'd be.

To be honest, my biggest beef with Yzerman (outside of hanging on to Blashill) the last few seasons is that he's done very little with the cap space. I thought he'd do more Staal type deals.

Perron was brought in for a veteran presence on the top six and Kubalik is low risk high reward. If he pans out, he brings a ton of trade value because his contract is cheap. I like both signings because we can easily flip both players for draft picks if we’re still out of the playoffs

 

[jaster]

I agree.
But it's a different level of UFAs than we got in past years.

Of course it's MBH who would "agree" with the guy who posted an intellectually dishonest and easy-to-refute counter-argument

Really enjoying the posters putting forth stupid ideas, and then when their stupid ideas are called out for being stupid ideas come back with misinformation in defense of their stupid ideas. And then MBH agreeing with them as a cherry on top (MBH never changes). Chef's kiss to all of it.

Please, dear god that I don't believe in, let the 2022-23 NHL season begin already

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

I think people are underselling how big of a game changer a healthy Vrana can be for 70+ games.

Yes, the sample size has been small but 21 goals in 37 games is a 46.5 goal pace for an 82 game season. While I doubt he hits that, I do not think it is outlandish to suggest we have also “added” another 30 goal scorerer.

While a purely optimal situation is unlikely, there is a very real chance we have 4-5 30 goal scorers on this team next year. Larkin, Bertuzzi, Vrana, and Perron all paced healthily above it. Copp can also be a 20 goal guy. Add on the potential of Raymond taking the next step or one of Zadina/ Kubalik/ Rasmussen (Berggren?) getting hot and potting 20+ and this team may very well be the best offensive we’ve seen from any Wings teams in close to a decade. While all of these things going right almost assuredly will not happen, I do not think it is unfair to say any of them are especially outlandish by themselves.

Basically I wouldn’t be surprised if we finished second to last in our division, but I also wouldn’t be surprised if we made the playoffs as a WC and have a top 10-15 offense in the league. Do not discredit the effect of having a better backend too

Edit: second to LAST*

 

[MBH]

Perron was brought in for a veteran presence on the top six and Kubalik is low risk high reward. If he pans out, he brings a ton of trade value because his contract is cheap. I like both signings because we can easily flip both players for draft picks if we’re still out of the playoffs

Yeah, I don't think Flipping these guys is the plan.

Again, I'm not too concerned with it.
Especially with Fabbri out (which I didn't think about pre-free agency).
I also didn't really expect to walk away from Mitchell Stephens.

But any way you slice it, it's hard to see a lineup with Veleno, Zadina and Rasmussen in it - let alone Berggren.

Maybe Stevie saw enough.

 

[Macoun]

Yeah, I don't think Flipping these guys is the plan.

Again, I'm not too concerned with it.
Especially with Fabbri out (which I didn't think about pre-free agency).
I also didn't really expect to walk away from Mitchell Stephens.

But any way you slice it, it's hard to see a lineup with Veleno, Zadina and Rasmussen in it - let alone Berggren.

Maybe Stevie saw enough.

Mitchell Stephens was never anything more than a project. He didn’t work out so we moved on.

 

[SoupNazi]

Mitchell Stephens? Lol.

 

[Ezekial]

Sure, Steve Yzerman drafted him and I get why he brought him in from a crowded Lightning team, but after seeing him not carve out a spot on a very bad red wings team he made it easy on Stevie.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Well lets hope it translates to a lot of wins and points, No reason this team can't be at least a 95 point bubble team if everything goes right and we can stay pretty healthy.

 

[MBH]

Mitchell Stephens was never anything more than a project. He didn’t work out so we moved on.

Never really worked here. Got injured and never showed any of the things some people said he might have.

Mitchell Stephens? Lol.

What's your glitch?
I thought the guy who drafted Stephens 33rd overall and then traded for him might want to give him a real look as a 4C.
I was mildly surprised they walked away from him.
And you think that's worthy of an LOL?

 

[SoupNazi]

What's your glitch?
I thought the guy who drafted Stephens 33rd overall and then traded for him might want to give him a real look as a 4C.
I was mildly surprised they walked away from him.
And you think that's worthy of an LOL?

I don't have a glitch. What's yours, newsy?

Good management is knowing when to walk away from a relationship that isn't working out. Would you rather Stephens have gotten a six year deal with full NMC?

 

[Henkka]

Well, let's take Winnipeg, who failed to make the playoffs despite having:
* one of the best goalies in the league in Connor Hellebucyk
* 47 goal man Kyle Connor
* 3 more players with 28 or more goals (Schiefele, Duboius and Ehlers
* The very same Andrew Copp we have now

Vancouver failed to make the playoffs despite:
* 3 30 goal scorers and two more with 19 or more.

Team which will defend bad

A) lose games
B) have lots of high-scoring games, and goal-scoring is inflated

There was 3 teams at the playoffs, which had only one +30 goal-scorer. Team depth + defence is more important at lower lines, than those "athanaious" getting 30 individual goals, and letting 60 goals scored against.

 

[WaW]

Dom might be hockey media's absolute worst contributor, so this is hardly anything to be proud of.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Nah, none of you ever talk about the Cup, just "playoffs", in the best schmooze of Kenny Holland's legacy.

Because there is a perfectly fine place to be between if you’re not first, you’re last.

The Wings are building and trying to develop some very good young players. If anyone here actually said “try for the Cup” and go all-in this year, we’d rightfully be ignored because that’s crazy.