Mark Spizzirri: Red Wings going "ALL IN!"

So far you guys are better off now than before. Weiss is a better player that Filppula. Now get your young guns signed and bring back Brunner.

Mark I know its early but this team has A LOT of depth. I still think they need another defenseman in case of injuries. They need to keep Quincey for now. Theres a ton of defensemen out there that could sign to a 2 way deal if needed.

How do you think the lines shake out right now?

Will Abdelkader still play on the top line?

Helm is looking healthy, reports on his progress are good.

Abdelkader Datsyuk Zetterberg??
Franzen Weiss Alfredsson?

bottom six is a mystery, so many lines could be put together.

Mark I know its early but this team has A LOT of depth. I still think they need another defenseman in case of injuries. They need to keep Quincey for now. Theres a ton of defensemen out there that could sign to a 2 way deal if needed.

How do you think the lines shake out right now?

Will Abdelkader still play on the top line?

Helm is looking healthy, reports on his progress are good.

Abdelkader Datsyuk Zetterberg??
Franzen Weiss Alfredsson?

bottom six is a mystery, so many lines could be put together.
- Jurco_28

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Nyquist (Tatar)
Franzen-Weiss-Alfredsson
Abdelkader-Helm-Miller
Tootoo-Andersson-Eaves

Bertuzzi
Samuelsson

As you mentioned...so many possibilities and as we know, Babcock will have a ball over an 82 game season mixing up the lines.

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Nyquist (Tatar)
Franzen-Weiss-Alfredsson
Abdelkader-Helm-Miller
Tootoo-Andersson-Eaves

Bertuzzi
Samuelsson

As you mentioned...so many possibilities and as we know, Babcock will have a ball over an 82 game season mixing up the lines.
- spity1

this leaves bert,samuelsson,tootoo(replacing him with tatar), emmerton on the bench.

this leaves bert,samuelsson,tootoo(replacing him with tatar), emmerton on the bench.

- Jurco_28

Several moves still to be made....let's see how things play out.

also Mark as you touch on. there are many people out there who still believe the wings want to/will get a deal done for Edler at some point....

I doubt we will see anything happen until training camp or maybe even pre-season.

Right now there are three big question marks up front and those three are Bert , Sammy, and Helm. All were plagued by injuries last season to an extent you have to be wondering if 1) they are available 2) do they still got it?

Bert, has had a history of back problems. I can relate to him on this and I can tell you it gets harder and harder to deal with. He may be able to play a partial season but I would be very surprised to see him be effective for a full 82-game season.

Sammy, was already trending downward when he came to Detroit. Shaking off the rust may be difficult for Sammy and that's assuming he is healthy. Truth is they have no idea if they are getting the 20-goal scorer they thought they had or a washed up shell of himself.

And Helm is probably the most worrying because from everything I've read his back issues are sevre. This is especially worisome for a guy whose contributions rely so much on his skating and athleticism. His offensive skills have always been uninspriring. But he has always been able to produce because he is an amazing skater with a work ethic that is above reproach. What if his back troubles have slowed him down? Is he still the best 3rd line centre in hockey?

For those who think Tootoo is on the chopping block, you might want to slow down a bit. People need to remember that changing conferences matters. Not because the style of hockey is so different, but because most of the Eastern Conference teams have not learned how to play against Detroit. You can expect teams to use some familiar tactics, intimidation, physical play etc. Tootoo might find himself not only being an asset but a valuable one.

I think it's fairly safe to say that there is a high liklihood of at least one of my afore mentioned questionmarks will start the the year on IR. Anyone of them would provide the necesary cap relief. And I don't think its a forgone conclusion that Andersson doesn't split time between Grand Rapids and Detroit this season.

In the unlikely event that this does not happen the Wings would be well advised to package some of there young prospects for some draft picks. They have so many prospects they can afford to take the loss, and if they play there cards right they may even be able to pilfer those players for something they really need, like a Defenseman.

Welcome to the East... It's going to get nasty with Boston, Ottawa and Toronto.

Edler for Franzen

Anybody know the bonuses for Alfie?

Wings got the deal of the day with Weiss, hes going to thrive in Detroit.


http://youtu.be/Al1iM42J4Fc

Mark is it true the wings threw smiths name out there for an edler deal? What do you think it would take to get him? Maybe smith a goalie prospect and a couple picks? Vancouver and their goalie situation is always shaky lol and we have some good prospects ... Coreau, Patterson. Say it gets done I'd expect

Dats zetty Abby
Alfie Weiss mule
Tats helm Gus
Miller Andy ? (Whoever doesn't get dumped lol)

Kronner big E
Edler DD
Kindl Quincey

Jimmy
....monster (preferably a better backup)

I doubt we will see anything happen until training camp or maybe even pre-season.

Right now there are three big question marks up front and those three are Bert , Sammy, and Helm. All were plagued by injuries last season to an extent you have to be wondering if 1) they are available 2) do they still got it?

Bert, has had a history of back problems. I can relate to him on this and I can tell you it gets harder and harder to deal with. He may be able to play a partial season but I would be very surprised to see him be effective for a full 82-game season.

Sammy, was already trending downward when he came to Detroit. Shaking off the rust may be difficult for Sammy and that's assuming he is healthy. Truth is they have no idea if they are getting the 20-goal scorer they thought they had or a washed up shell of himself.

And Helm is probably the most worrying because from everything I've read his back issues are sevre. This is especially worisome for a guy whose contributions rely so much on his skating and athleticism. His offensive skills have always been uninspriring. But he has always been able to produce because he is an amazing skater with a work ethic that is above reproach. What if his back troubles have slowed him down? Is he still the best 3rd line centre in hockey?

For those who think Tootoo is on the chopping block, you might want to slow down a bit. People need to remember that changing conferences matters. Not because the style of hockey is so different, but because most of the Eastern Conference teams have not learned how to play against Detroit. You can expect teams to use some familiar tactics, intimidation, physical play etc. Tootoo might find himself not only being an asset but a valuable one.

I think it's fairly safe to say that there is a high liklihood of at least one of my afore mentioned questionmarks will start the the year on IR. Anyone of them would provide the necesary cap relief. And I don't think its a forgone conclusion that Andersson doesn't split time between Grand Rapids and Detroit this season.

In the unlikely event that this does not happen the Wings would be well advised to package some of there young prospects for some draft picks. They have so many prospects they can afford to take the loss, and if they play there cards right they may even be able to pilfer those players for something they really need, like a Defenseman.
- NikolusMaximus

Wow... Nicely written!


As for not learning how to play against Detroit... You have it backwards. Detroit has to learn to play in not only the east but this division... Expect a lot of injuries.

Welcome to the East... It's going to get nasty with Boston, Ottawa and Toronto.
- Captain_Quiffe

ok, nobody cares what you have to say.

I doubt we will see anything happen until training camp or maybe even pre-season.

Right now there are three big question marks up front and those three are Bert , Sammy, and Helm. All were plagued by injuries last season to an extent you have to be wondering if 1) they are available 2) do they still got it?

Bert, has had a history of back problems. I can relate to him on this and I can tell you it gets harder and harder to deal with. He may be able to play a partial season but I would be very surprised to see him be effective for a full 82-game season.

Sammy, was already trending downward when he came to Detroit. Shaking off the rust may be difficult for Sammy and that's assuming he is healthy. Truth is they have no idea if they are getting the 20-goal scorer they thought they had or a washed up shell of himself.

And Helm is probably the most worrying because from everything I've read his back issues are sevre. This is especially worisome for a guy whose contributions rely so much on his skating and athleticism. His offensive skills have always been uninspriring. But he has always been able to produce because he is an amazing skater with a work ethic that is above reproach. What if his back troubles have slowed him down? Is he still the best 3rd line centre in hockey?

For those who think Tootoo is on the chopping block, you might want to slow down a bit. People need to remember that changing conferences matters. Not because the style of hockey is so different, but because most of the Eastern Conference teams have not learned how to play against Detroit. You can expect teams to use some familiar tactics, intimidation, physical play etc. Tootoo might find himself not only being an asset but a valuable one.

I think it's fairly safe to say that there is a high liklihood of at least one of my afore mentioned questionmarks will start the the year on IR. Anyone of them would provide the necesary cap relief. And I don't think its a forgone conclusion that Andersson doesn't split time between Grand Rapids and Detroit this season.

In the unlikely event that this does not happen the Wings would be well advised to package some of there young prospects for some draft picks. They have so many prospects they can afford to take the loss, and if they play there cards right they may even be able to pilfer those players for something they really need, like a Defenseman.
- NikolusMaximus

isnt Andersson out of AHL options? I do think there will be trades. Theres just no room. If they can get Edler all the better. and u forgot Emmerton

Maliks Overnight Report:

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Maliks Overnight Report:

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- Muskoka88

didnt he say yesterday that he expected the wings to do little to nothing today?
To me he's another hockey fan who thinks hes a expert. I have read his stuff for a while now. Meh, i go to mlive/tsn. he just re-hashes those anyway.

Wow... Nicely written!


As for not learning how to play against Detroit... You have it backwards. Detroit has to learn to play in not only the east but this division... Expect a lot of injuries.
- Captain_Quiffe

Don't underestimate the Wings team toughness.

isnt Andersson out of AHL options? I do think there will be trades. Theres just no room. If they can get Edler all the better. and u forgot Emmerton
- Jurco_28

Andersson - I really don't know about his options to be honest. I wish I knew where to get that information. I suspect you may be right about this.

Emmerton - I know for a fact is out of options, but I didn't forget about him just didn't want to write that much.

Its all really pie in the sky until they find out what whats going on with Helm and Sammy. If Helm is not ready by the start of the season Detroit should be very concerned. He has been out a long time, with no obvious structural damage to his back.

But just for arguments sake lets say that Helm, Sammy and Bert are all 100% at the start of the season... Moving Emmerton doesn't help you very much. He makes 500k and is at best a 4th line/Plug/Reserve. Dropping 500k off your cap helps you very little, and losing an extra centre hurts a little to much.

If Andersson can play in Grand Rapids he probably will. If he cannot Tootoo is probably out of a job. Burying his contract would give Detroit approximately 1m in cap-relief, and burying him would be a worst case scenario. Even though his skill set is needed badly by the Wings the numbers don't add up. And frankly the Wings need an extra Centre more than they need a washed up tough guy.

Andersson - I really don't know about his options to be honest. I wish I knew where to get that information. I suspect you may be right about this.

Emmerton - I know for a fact is out of options, but I didn't forget about him just didn't want to write that much.

Its all really pie in the sky until they find out what whats going on with Helm and Sammy. If Helm is not ready by the start of the season Detroit should be very concerned. He has been out a long time, with no obvious structural damage to his back.

But just for arguments sake lets say that Helm, Sammy and Bert are all 100% at the start of the season... Moving Emmerton doesn't help you very much. He makes 500k and is at best a 4th line/Plug/Reserve. Dropping 500k off your cap helps you very little, and losing an extra centre hurts a little to much.

If Andersson can play in Grand Rapids he probably will. If he cannot Tootoo is probably out of a job. Burying his contract would give Detroit approximately 1m in cap-relief, and burying him would be a worst case scenario. Even though his skill set is needed badly by the Wings the numbers don't add up. And frankly the Wings need an extra Centre more than they need a washed up tough guy.
- NikolusMaximus

yeah, Andersson is out of AHL options. Agree on Helm, if hes not healthy by training camp, big issues. Helm is sort of a free agent addition himself because he basically didnt play last season.

If everyone is healthy at the start of the season this is what I think the roster will probably be like. Like I said though I don't think everyone will be healthy from the start.

Regular Forwards
Abdelkader
Andersson
Alfredsson
Datsyuk
Franzen
Helm
Nyquist
Weiss
Zetterberg

Rotating
Andersson
Bertuzzi
Eaves
Miller
Samuelsson

Defense Top 5
Ericcson
Kronwall
Kindle
DeKeyser
Smith

Rotation
Lashoff
Quincy


Gone
Emmerton - Waived
Tootoo - Waived
Tatar - Traded

Player I'd most like to see gone is unquestionably Kyle Quincy. What a waste of cap space he has turned out to be.

If everyone is healthy at the start of the season this is what I think the roster will probably be like. Like I said though I don't think everyone will be healthy from the start.

Regular Forwards
Abdelkader
Andersson
Alfredsson
Datsyuk
Franzen
Helm
Nyquist
Weiss
Zetterberg

Rotating
Andersson
Bertuzzi
Eaves
Miller
Samuelsson

Defense Top 5
Ericcson
Kronwall
Kindle
DeKeyser
Smith

Rotation
Lashoff
Quincy


Gone
Emmerton - Waived
Tootoo - Waived
Tatar - Traded

Player I'd most like to see gone is unquestionably Kyle Quincy. What a waste of cap space he has turned out to be.
- NikolusMaximus

So you keep Samuelsson over Tatar? Sammy is the biggest waste of cap space on the Wings and has zero future with this team. I would waive Sammy long before anyone else including Tootoo. Emmerton i'm fine if he goes. As much as I like Bertuzzi, I would cut him loose before trading Tatar too.

The one thing that does worry me a bit about the Wings is toughness. Teams like Toronto and Boston are going to be running around going after the Wings top players and who is going to do anything about it? Wings don't have a heavyweight so the other teams heavyweights can do anything they want knowing nobody can do anything about it and even the light heavyweights can do whatever they want...who's going to stop them? Tootoo, Abdelkader and Ericsson (maybe Bert if he's even playing) are the only guy that will scrap but they won't scare anyone.

So you keep Samuelsson over Tatar? Sammy is the biggest waste of cap space on the Wings and has zero future with this team. I would waive Sammy long before anyone else including Tootoo. Emmerton i'm fine if he goes. As much as I like Bertuzzi, I would cut him loose before trading Tatar too.

The one thing that does worry me a bit about the Wings is toughness. Teams like Toronto and Boston are going to be running around going after the Wings top players and who is going to do anything about it? Wings don't have a heavyweight so the other teams heavyweights can do anything they want knowing nobody can do anything about it and even the light heavyweights can do whatever they want...who's going to stop them? Tootoo, Abdelkader and Ericsson (maybe Bert if he's even playing) are the only guy that will scrap but they won't scare anyone.
- dcz28

Its somewhat obvious from your post that you could use an education about the finances of Hockey.

You talk about getting rid of Samuelsson and Bert like they can do that with a magic wand. If buying out Samuelsson was an option I'm sure they would have but the CBA doesn't allow for injured players to be bought out.

In addition Sammy and Burt both have no-trade clauses. In other words, if they are healthy they will be on the Roster whether it makes hockey sense or not.

To get talent you have to give up talent. A trade package of Tatar, Quincy, and a 1st round pick may be enough to upgrade the D-corp. No reason not to do it since they need to shed cap and roster spots anyways.

With the development of Nyquist, Tatar is a surplus to requirements.

Toughness isn't a problem on the Wings either. They don't fight, but they do block shots, get scrappy in the corners and work the front of the net. Toughness isn't about fighting its about persevering through adversity.

Hey if you guys don't want Brunner..we'll take him

Nyquist...no idea what this brings and neither does our blogger. Can you fill us in?