OT: Winter Olympics 2014

[Frk It]

USA!

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Was Mrazek expected to make the Czech (or Slovak?) team?

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Was Mrazek expected to make the Czech (or Slovak?) team?

Thought he might get a chance at the three spot, but I think they have a flat out open competition so the KHL guys are going to duke it out with Pavelec. If they had a known starter, maybe they bring him to get an Olympic feeling, because he does look like their long-term stater. Quite frankly the kid in Nashville probably should have gone over one of the KHL guys.

The Czech team really has the most curious selections across the board, whether it be players that don't get along with the coach, the selection of his own son in law (I think that is the case or some relation) to some of the older guys they brought. Heck it might work out great, but right now I have the feeling they are about to get absolutely pounded.

 

[Henkka]

Pretty clear the Detroit brain-trust and coach still has a thing for Rick Nash. Wish they had a thing for Jeff Carter when he was on his way out of Columbus.

Nash is the only guy I firmly believe doesn't belong on Team Canada.

Think a lot of people have forgotten that Kunitz played with Getzlaf before his move to Pittsburgh and is quite familiar with three of the other forwards up front.

Who is the best Canadian scorer ever in big ice tournaments?

Yeah, it's Rick Nash.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Who is the best Canadian scorer ever in big ice tournaments?

Yeah, it's Rick Nash.

Are we talking a single tournament there? If so in any case hasn't been that great since 07-08. Since that point he has had two mediocre WC and two pretty terrible playoff runs.

Rick Nash's three big runs in WC at no point did he lead the team in scoring.

By the way this distinction belongs to Heatley really but obviously his game has fallen completely apart. However, Nash's game has fallen off enough it should be concerning.

 

[reaper]

Sweden will probably be playing with Kronwall - Ericsson at D. Is that Detroits first pairing? How do you rank their season so far?

 

[RedHawkDown]

Ericsson is injured right now so it's Kronwall-Smith, but yes Kronwall-E is usually the first pairing. They work well together and it's normally the only pairing on the team worth a damn, so I'd say it's good.

 

[Henkka]

Are we talking a single tournament there? If so in any case hasn't been that great since 07-08. Since that point he has had two mediocre WC and two pretty terrible playoff runs.

Rick Nash's three big runs in WC at no point did he lead the team in scoring.

By the way this distinction belongs to Heatley really but obviously his game has fallen completely apart. However, Nash's game has fallen off enough it should be concerning.

Watched last Rangers game yesterday and he scored twice and was nothing but great.

 

[joe89]

Sweden will probably be playing with Kronwall - Ericsson at D. Is that Detroits first pairing? How do you rank their season so far?

Kronwall is having a career year when you consider his play at both sides of the puck, imo. Ericsson is starting to hit his prime. Both play kinda conservative, trying to keep it simple this year. Something I hope they'll do at the Olympics aswell. Their collective upside isn't the greatest out there, but it's a steady pairing.

 

[InjuredChoker]

Watched last Rangers game yesterday and he scored twice and was nothing but great.

watch the last 27 and you see what TZE is talking about. or even go back to the playoffs.

but yes, he is babcock type player, good track record and the thing that he was pretty good in checking role in vancouver, probably sealed the deal for him.

 

[ProPAIN]

Tavares looks so psyched.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I suspect this years Olympic hockey won't be as exciting as 2010. Team USA just doesn't look very intimidating. Maybe they will prove me wrong, but Canada should dominate.

The amount of talent Team Canada possesses on and off the ice is scary.

 

[PullHard]

I suspect this years Olympic hockey won't be as exciting as 2010. Team USA just doesn't look very intimidating. Maybe they will prove me wrong, but Canada should dominate.

The amount of talent Team Canada possesses on and off the ice is scary.

Goaltending, though...

 

[crashman]

What kinda irks me is that J-Bo is apparently good enough for the team Canada roster, which Holland and Babcoack both have a say in the selection of, but they didn't think enough of him to outbid St. Louis to get him. We still desperately need a player like J-Bo in Detroit, but instead we have Quincey.

 

[Laser Rayzor]

What kinda irks me is that J-Bo is apparently good enough for the team Canada roster, which Holland and Babcoack both have a say in the selection of, but they didn't think enough of him to outbid St. Louis to get him. We still desperately need a player like J-Bo in Detroit, but instead we have Quincey.

The (rumoured) cost would have been Sheahan+Jurco+ 2013 2nd (Nastasiuk) if Calgary had accepted the offer, if KH outbid St. Louis Jaybo would (again allegedly) cost Jurco+Sheahan+1st (Mantha)

Jaybo is good and I'd like him on the team but I don't think I'd give up our 2 best forward prospects and Sheahan (still promising for a bottom 6 role) for Jaybo when he had a massive caphit and was performing poorly in Calgary.

 

[Detroit Sports*]

So Jurco can make the Slovakian Olympic Team but not full time with DRW?

http://www.mlive.com/griffins/index.ssf/2014/01/griffins_tomas_jurco_credits_t.html

This is a joke.

 

[GoAwayDanCleary]

Its not that big of a deal. Give him the rest of the year in GR as the go-to-guy then bring him up next year. Don't understand why everyone wants him up immediately. He's still got lots to work on and improve.

 

[Vladdy84]

Hate to defend Holland. But he really had no choice but to send Jurco down when he has waiver options. It's a mess he made. Being unwilling to cut players like Sammy and Cleary etc..

 

[crashman]

The (rumoured) cost would have been Sheahan+Jurco+ 2013 2nd (Nastasiuk) if Calgary had accepted the offer, if KH outbid St. Louis Jaybo would (again allegedly) cost Jurco+Sheahan+1st (Mantha)

Jaybo is good and I'd like him on the team but I don't think I'd give up our 2 best forward prospects and Sheahan (still promising for a bottom 6 role) for Jaybo when he had a massive caphit and was performing poorly in Calgary.

I wouldn't give up Jurco and a 1st either, but I still think we could have bested what Calgary got from St. Louis without sacrificing the future of the team. It's all water under the bridge at this point. I'm just frustrated with our defensive corps at the moment. I know Holland has tried to acquire players (Edler, Jaybo, Suter) but he just hasn't got it done. Every move he's made or didn't make recently with trades and FAs has been terrible, except for DeKeyser and Alfie.

 

[SoupNazi]

Helene St. James ‏@HeleneStJames 5m
Stick taps at start of #RedWings practice as Mike Babcock reads off team's Olympians (nine, plus Jurco in minors).

 

[SoupNazi]

This IS NOT a Cleary thread, guys and gals.

 

[Bob Probert Owns You]

Anyone making a Howie Team USA avatar??

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I wouldn't give up Jurco and a 1st either, but I still think we could have bested what Calgary got from St. Louis without sacrificing the future of the team. It's all water under the bridge at this point. I'm just frustrated with our defensive corps at the moment. I know Holland has tried to acquire players (Edler, Jaybo, Suter) but he just hasn't got it done. Every move he's made or didn't make recently with trades and FAs has been terrible, except for DeKeyser and Alfie.

So you would have bested it by doing what, improving an offer by pulling a guy that wasn't even enough?

They wanted a first and they wanted a goalie prospect. If McCollum had looked like he does this year maybe we could have got him still doubt it, basically they wanted Mrazek and first on the table. The first and a goalie prospect near NHL ready was a sticking point, I don't know that they don't still demand Sheahan/Jurco at that point.

They were very high on the goalie they got. This reminds me of the I would have traded for Brent Burns and on and on and on. I don't think you're taking a realistic look at how hard it is to get another team to the table, you would have landed JayBo without Jurco, interesting.....

On the he can make his Olympic team and not the NHL team, while I agree I would like to see him up and the contracts are playing a factor this statement doesn't really hammer home a point. Slovakia has 7 other forwards that probably couldn't make the Wings not including Jurco.

 

[Bench]

Anyone making a Howie Team USA avatar??

I could make some. Both tasteful and funny. As you can see I went with funny on mine.

 

[Chance on Chance]

The (rumoured) cost would have been Sheahan+Jurco+ 2013 2nd (Nastasiuk) if Calgary had accepted the offer, if KH outbid St. Louis Jaybo would (again allegedly) cost Jurco+Sheahan+1st (Mantha)

Jaybo is good and I'd like him on the team but I don't think I'd give up our 2 best forward prospects and Sheahan (still promising for a bottom 6 role) for Jaybo when he had a massive caphit and was performing poorly in Calgary.

That 1st might not have been Mantha though. With Jbow we might have beat chicago. I think our offer was bett the the blues anyway though