Are there even any teams out that want to dump a star player (like Calgary did with Tkachuk last year)? That’s kind of what we are hoping for here.
Nhl loves giving teams not in the bottom lottery luck so maybe we'll actually get it this year. But we have assets and cap space to make moves. Also a lot more depth in organization we can focus on a couple spots v trying to turn over whole roster
Considering Seider is currently on year two of his ELC and played a year in GR that isn't counting, I'd say Simon ELC has not started yet
Honestly, the easiest way to get a superstar might be to hope Michkov falls to 4 or 5, and then trade all our 2023 picks to get him. Of course the reason he’d fall is because he’s under contact in the KHL until 2026, but if you can land him and he becomes our Kaprizov, it’s worth the effort.
Who are the forwards to watch in GR that could get some time in Detroit? Our forward group is so mediocre. I have harped on this before, but our forwards are overwhelming slow/play slow.... Especially our bottom 6.
There are none at the moment. Every GR forward of note has matriculated to the Wings, give or take Elmer. Rest are AHL lifers. There's a lot of D prospects in GR right now but forward is pretty bare. Kasper is in SHL, Mazur in NCAA, Buchelnikov in Russia.
Also I missed this yesterday but Yzerman seemed to unprompted praise Zadina (he’s been solid enough, he just won’t ever be what we want), which has me thinking Zadina is a part of next years team. Going solely off who is under contract right now and on our current roster, I’m going to say this is where we stand: Rasmussen - Larkin - Raymond Fabbri - Copp - Perron Berggren - Veleno - Zadina Kubalik - ??? - ??? ??? Walman - Seider Maata - ??? Chiarot - ??? ??? Lindstrom Husso ???
GR next season will likely feature Kasper, Mazur and Lombardi. Lombardi is the one I am most intrigued by because he’s an overager lighting up the O but he’s fast and skilled and you just can’t teach that. He’s also small but I think he can stick at C. He’s the kind of guy that is a lottery ticket, like Buchelnikov. If either of those guys hit, we are in business. If both guys hit, you might shave 1-2 years off the rebuild.
My current top prospects along with where I anticipate them starting next season: 1. Edvinsson - DET 2. Kasper - GR 3. Wallinder - GR 4. Cossa - GR 5. Johansson - DET 6. Soderblom - DET 7. Mazur - GR 8. Lombardi - GR 9. Buchelnikov - KHL 10. Buium - NCAA 11. Hanas - GR 12. Savage - NCAA 13. Neiderbach - SHL 14. Viro - GR 15. James - NCAA
It’s not like Cossa has had a great developmental path but he’s righted the ship in a big way. Granted, Toledo is a unit right now, but he’s carrying his weight. I don’t know that Cossa will get playoff starts but he’s done his part and no matter what, he should head into GR next year with confidence.
My last post this morning is fire Ben Simon into the sun. Griffins need to have a new HC next season. Jay Varady was a decent AHL coach who is on Lalonde’s staff right now. Giving him the job would make a lot of sense for continuity sake, but otherwise poach a guy from Europe like Cam Abbott. Someone you know can develop young players.
It doesn’t change much. Buchelnikov hurts a bit because he was a second rounder but he was also a second second round pick. Lombardi was taken in the fourth. Those are the players that speed up rebuilds. It’s your top ten picks you can’t miss on, which Holland did with Rasmussen and Zadina. We are in a different place with Necas or Vilardi and Hughes.
I could see Detroit getting wins tonight vs PHI and Wednesday vs Chicago, but lose one (or both) and all of a sudden maybe we could suck enough to end up closer to the 8th best lottery odds.
I think team is good enough to win those games, but the last week had to be deflating for them. Wouldn't shock me if there is a total collapse
A random note, but we currently only have 22/23 roster spots filled, with three spots belonging to goalies. The Griffins play in Cleveland on Tuesday, so I anticipate a call up by Tuesday morning for the Wings game Wednesday. I wouldn’t be shocked if it’a a guy like Newpower or Hirose, but if it’s a kid, I could see it be Johansson.
If the team is pissed at yzerman, I get it. I'm sure it's deflating, but at the end of the day, they're professional athletes. If they're pissed, go full major league on this. I'd be pretty upset if I was a coach or management if they just folded and didn't show any fight.
I think they will show fight, but this team is DOA without Husso. I think shutting Husso down is honestly the best thing for both now and the future. No reason to run him into the ground the remainder of the season.
I agree. I'm conflicted as a fan too and have been since last summer. I was feeling the excitement with the run they went on, but also realized the team is likely better off with as high a pick as they can get. I guess this is what it feels like to be stuck in a bit of purgatory teams in this league seem to wind up in often.
Yea never said the team should be pissed at Yzerman, just going from a playoff race to being beat up badly twice and then having two stalwarts traded in span of a couple days has to take some of the steam out of them, it's just human nature. Not to mention Ras getting hurt in same time frame who was playing well.
Not pissed but upset at selling pieces. It seems only natural that players and management would be at odds/have different outlooks on things
Yup. I remember someone noting that the ASB was maybe the most important for Husso because of his workload. The fall off was inevitable with Husso being human and wearing down. I mean that and also you coming home of course and ruining the vibes ;).
We also don’t know if they are happy or sad that Bertuzzi is gone. He was a selfish teammate, arguably the most selfish in the league, and it directly hurt the team. While they would never say anything to the media because hockey players are robots with the media and controversy adverse, we don’t know how they truly felt in the locker room about him.
Brendan Lemeuix is such an idiot. Trying to fight one of your dads prized clients when he’s a year away from cashing in on a massive deal should get him written out of Claude’s will.
GR is terrible, so I would just let him play the remainder of the season in Toledo. Let him play in the Playoffs.
Seravalli thinks Hronek’s next deal starts with a 7, in case you needed further evidence as to why Hronek was traded.
I was wondering about this and upon review, Edvinsson’s deal is still eligible to slide because he signed his ELC at 19 before the September deadline last season.
woof. they don't look good. Not a lot of talent on this team at the moment (look at that d core outside of Walman-Seider...woof). And they're just not skating, which compounds things