Wings send Cholowski to GR

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Heard he is scratched tonight?

First he was scratched on his first game in Vancouver. Now he's scratched on his bobblehead night?

Yikes.

Seriously?

It's practically like they're going out of the way to embarrass the kid.

 

[Ezekial]

I still think part of Cholowski’s struggles are tied to the fact that he was saddled with Witowski for that stretch of games. I can’t inagine that was a confidence builder for him.

I've seen you post this a couple times now and it's simply untrue. Not only have they played very little time together, Witkowski has played in 5 games since Jan 1st and one game since 1/8/2019.

 

[GMR]

I've seen you post this a couple times now and it's simply untrue. Not only have they played little (if any) time together, Witkowski has played in 5 games since the beginning of since Jan 1st and one game since 1/8/2019.

To think that Polish players are being discriminated against in Detroit of all places. Need to fire Blashill and hire Oliwa as our head coach.

 

[Ezekial]

To think that Polish players are being discriminated against in Detroit of all places. Need to fire Blashill and hire Oliwa as our head couach.

Kurwa Blashill.

 

[Shaman464]

Seriously?

It's practically like they're going out of the way to embarrass the kid.

His play should embarrass him plenty.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

His play should embarrass him plenty.

Did Cholowski kick your dog or something?

He's a 20 year old defenseman struggling in the NHL. That's not exactly unprecedented.

 

[Shaman464]

Did Cholowski kick your dog or something?

He's a 20 year old defenseman struggling in the NHL. That's not exactly unprecedented.

He's a 20 year old defenseman struggling in the NHL, being scratched isn't exactly unprecedented. People are going nuts over a kid who isn't playing the game at the NHL level getting sit or sent down. This is pretty standard practice.

 

[TheMule93]

He's a 20 year old defenseman struggling in the NHL, being scratched isn't exactly unprecedented. People are going nuts over a kid who isn't playing the game at the NHL level getting sit or sent down. This is pretty standard practice.

there are a grand total of zero people going nuts in this thread, in fact most seem to agree with the decision

 

[Shaman464]

there are a grand total of zero people going nuts in this thread, in fact most seem to agree with the decision

Asking if this move was done to embarrass Cholo is pretty nutty. This wasn't a personal move.

 

[izlez]

It's kind of funny seeing the things people want to focus on in the moment... "Take note of the roster on 2/12/19"... "those couple of games playing with Witkowski"

No one would ever bring that stuff up now, looking into the past
"remember jan 5 2010 when we sat out Abdelkader. He was on pace to be an all-star power forward if not for that"
or "remember that week in 08 when Helm got stuck playing with Maltby. He was JUST on the verge of developing some hands if not for that"

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Asking if this move was done to embarrass Cholo is pretty nutty. This wasn't a personal move.

And who asked that?

Not sure if you're referring to me but here's my post.

Seriously?

It's practically like they're going out of the way to embarrass the kid.

I'm not asking or asserting in any way if this move was actually made to embarrass him. It's just two really crappy times for him to sit. I thought that would be pretty obvious.

Which brings me back to my original question, did Cholowski kick your dog or something? Most people here are agreeing with the move, I make one lighthearted comment and you're saying people are going nuts about it.

 

[Unfriendly Ghost]

I'm low-key convinced that the Wings try to haze their young players when they're doing poorly. They try to toughen them up. Scratching Cholowski on his bobblehead night is a good example. They could easily do whatever they're going to do after this game. But they didn't.

 

[Shaman464]

And who asked that?

Not sure if you're referring to me but here's my post.



I'm not asking or asserting in any way if this move was actually made to embarrass him. It's just two really crappy times for him to sit. I thought that would be pretty obvious.

Which brings me back to my original question, did Cholowski kick your dog or something? Most people here are agreeing with the move, I make one lighthearted comment and you're saying people are going nuts about it.

No, and that comment doesn't come across as like light hearted but the same moaning that happened when was scratched in Vancouver because it was his home town. And honestly, its not really here that people have the issues, it the other subs/sources I've read really loosing their shit. As for my dislike of him? Mostly a side effect of my distaste for Holland and the sequence of events that lead to him being drafted. Add to that him being pretty disappointing in his own end (I did grow up playing defense) and the nature of people to over hype prospects, I tend to be more negative until a player pans out these days (I blame Pookie for making me jaded).

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

No, and that comment doesn't come across as like light hearted but the same moaning that happened when was scratched in Vancouver because it was his home town. And honestly, its not really here that people have the issues, it the other subs/sources I've read really loosing their ****. As for my dislike of him? Mostly a side effect of my distaste for Holland and the sequence of events that lead to him being drafted. Add to that him being pretty disappointing in his own end (I did grow up playing defense) and the nature of people to over hype prospects, I tend to be more negative until a player pans out these days (I blame Pookie for making me jaded).

I just feel bad for the kid. I agree he's been playing poorly and don't mind him sitting. Just unfortunate it turns out to be his hometown and his bobblehead night.

The rest of what you said makes sense and I get it. I'm hardly a Holland fan myself. And I don't know how the Chychrun/Cholowski move will ultimately pan out but I still don't like the events that led up to it either.

And honestly I assume most prospects aren't gonna turn out. Partly not to get my hopes up and partly because I'll end up being right 90% of the time.

 

[Shaman464]

I just feel bad for the kid. I agree he's been playing poorly and don't mind him sitting. Just unfortunate it turns out to be his hometown and his bobblehead night.

The rest of what you said makes sense and I get it. I'm hardly a Holland fan myself. And I don't know how the Chychrun/Cholowski move will ultimately pan out but I still don't like the events that led up to it either.

It's a weird night to pick, and honestly I think it came down to the fact that Holland and Blash think that they can win tonight. I truly believe that they want to go to ownership in the offseason and at least have 'well we weren't last' as a way to keep their jobs. Because honestly they both are on the hot seat, between 3-5 good coaching candidates being available and Yzerman no longer being under contract.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I'm low-key convinced that the Wings try to haze their young players when they're doing poorly. They try to toughen them up. Scratching Cholowski on his bobblehead night is a good example. They could easily do whatever they're going to do after this game. But they didn't.

I don't agree. That's inane.

I don't think that Blashill knows or cares that tonight is Cholo's bobblehead night. Toughen them up, yes. But it has nothing to do with benching a guy on a promotional night. Cholo is scratched and being sent to GR because he's been an abysmal hockey player for a little while here.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I just feel bad for the kid. I agree he's been playing poorly and don't mind him sitting. Just unfortunate it turns out to be his hometown and his bobblehead night.

The rest of what you said makes sense and I get it. I'm hardly a Holland fan myself. And I don't know how the Chychrun/Cholowski move will ultimately pan out but I still don't like the events that led up to it either.

And honestly I assume most prospects aren't gonna turn out. Partly not to get my hopes up and partly because I'll end up being right 90% of the time.

I mean, there is a lot I would fault Holland for... but having to trade 16 for 20 to dump Datsyuk's contract isn't a Holland blunder. That was Datsyuk and Milstein pushing for a longer contract than he actually wanted to play. If Holland did the "smart" thing and offered him a one year deal because of the 35+ thing, Datsyuk would have walked out the door for nothing... because he was asking for 5 and someone else would have given him term. And all things considered, getting Cholo + Hronek's picks for Chychrun was a good deal compared to all the stuff being tossed about with AA+ getting packaged with Datsyuk's dead deal.

 

[Shaman464]

I mean, there is a lot I would fault Holland for... but having to trade 16 for 20 to dump Datsyuk's contract isn't a Holland blunder. That was Datsyuk and Milstein pushing for a longer contract than he actually wanted to play. If Holland did the "smart" thing and offered him a one year deal because of the 35+ thing, Datsyuk would have walked out the door for nothing... because he was asking for 5 and someone else would have given him term. And all things considered, getting Cholo + Hronek's picks for Chychrun was a good deal compared to all the stuff being tossed about with AA+ getting packaged with Datsyuk's dead deal.

Again with one pick I still believe that they pick Hronek over Smith in a world where they only have one 2nd. Beyond that, it was really the last major blunder of the 'we can still be a playoff team' era. Everything I have heard and seen makes me believe that they though Stamkos was going to be a free agent, and that they would need the space to push for him. When it was apparent that that wouldn't be the case they went all in for Nielsen, which only locked 2nd line center money into a guy who had all the signs of being a poor investment. In the end, I think it was the epitome of the Ken Holland long term plan, which until then was to do anything to keep the team in the playoffs.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I mean, there is a lot I would fault Holland for... but having to trade 16 for 20 to dump Datsyuk's contract isn't a Holland blunder. That was Datsyuk and Milstein pushing for a longer contract than he actually wanted to play. If Holland did the "smart" thing and offered him a one year deal because of the 35+ thing, Datsyuk would have walked out the door for nothing... because he was asking for 5 and someone else would have given him term. And all things considered, getting Cholo + Hronek's picks for Chychrun was a good deal compared to all the stuff being tossed about with AA+ getting packaged with Datsyuk's dead deal.

Agreed. To be clear I harp on Holland for a lot of things but I don't put that one on him. They had to use leverage just to get Datsyuk to play the second year of his deal. I actually think people go pretty easy on Datsyuk because of how good of a player he was and how nice of a guy he seemed.

It remains to be seen what any of those 3 D-men will turn into. If Chychrun becomes a stud and the other two wash out, I still can't fault Holland too badly given the hand he was dealt.

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

It's a weird night to pick, and honestly I think it came down to the fact that Holland and Blash think that they can win tonight. I truly believe that they want to go to ownership in the offseason and at least have 'well we weren't last' as a way to keep their jobs. Because honestly they both are on the hot seat, between 3-5 good coaching candidates being available and Yzerman no longer being under contract.

Good point.

I don't love Blashill but at the end of the day I have to remember his job is to win hockey games. Even if it's not necessarily the best long term plan for the franchise.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

It's a weird night to pick, and honestly I think it came down to the fact that Holland and Blash think that they can win tonight. I truly believe that they want to go to ownership in the offseason and at least have 'well we weren't last' as a way to keep their jobs. Because honestly they both are on the hot seat, between 3-5 good coaching candidates being available and Yzerman no longer being under contract.

I find it curious that a lot of this board thinks Yzerman isn't going to like Blashill...

We know he loves his system and will defend it even if they are missing the playoffs, he already did that with Cooper.

It is the same reason US Hockey guys and every announcer has nice things to say about Blashill. I know this board hates that and wants to ignore it, but his standing in hockey circles isn't what it is on this board. The forgone conclusion on the introduction of Yzerman being the death sentence for Blash is amusing and not what I have heard on the scenario at all.

Sending Cholo down is probably the right call at this point. He is really struggling. I think he could use the time down there and putting our kids down in GR for a playoff run is valuable. Especially guys like Cholo that have no prayer of making a World Championship team yet at this point. I want him getting a bunch of minutes, let's rebuild some confidence. I also think he should PK if he goes down, we need to round his game some if he is in Grand Rapids.

 

[HIFE]

I don't agree. That's inane.

I don't think that Blashill knows or cares that tonight is Cholo's bobblehead night. Toughen them up, yes. But it has nothing to do with benching a guy on a promotional night. Cholo is scratched and being sent to GR because he's been an abysmal hockey player for a little while here.

Abysmal is Vanek's idiotic passes intercepted 90% of the time. Or watching Abdelkader stink up the first line. Cholo is not much worse than he was in October.

The reality is there's no room with the plethora of completely mediocre veterans like Daley, Ericsson, and Kronwall. Cholowski makes no more mistakes than Jensen or anyone else- he's simply the odd man out. You think they're going to scratch the mighty pylon Daley in place of a rookie?

It's the veterans who are "abysmal", not Cholo.

 

[lhsgolf19]

There it is

Unreal

 

[Ezekial]

Big minutes and the playoffs sounds good. Cholo-Hronek top pair in GR will be nice to follow.

 

[lhsgolf19]

Vets lol... Where's the Accountability? Ha

 

[Ezekial]

Nice of them to get him an extra couple big game checks before sending him down, I'm sure they knew this before tonight.