Bob Duff: Quincey's Red Wings days likely done With an abundance of younger defensemen who will need to clear NHL waivers next season, it seems logical that Detroit will part ways with unrestricted free agent defenseman Kyle Quincey.

Wings suck.

Wings suck.
- Feds91Stammer

Excellent contribution, do you excel in life also?

Does he know the Tampa GM is a red wing?

Until the end of the first round a year ago, he toted around as a wings fan living in Tampa.

Wings suck.
- Feds91Stammer

But not as much your stupid posts. You are an embarrassment to all Tampa fans... and too mentally challenged to actually post anything with any intelligence.

I think his quick wit adds much to the forums. Better than arty

Excellent contribution, do you excel in life also?
- the_eye

I use Microsoft excel.

Until the end of the first round a year ago, he toted around as a wings fan living in Tampa.
- JohnnySoze

This guy gets it

I got nothing against Q -- nobody will mistake him for an all-star but I think he's at least been a competent (albeit unspectacular) contributor on the blueline for the last couple of years and still has some gas left in his NHL tank. In a parallel universe where contracts don't matter and anybody can be moved for free, I'd rather have Q on my blueline in 2016-17 than E52, and honestly maybe even Kronwall (who is almost 5 years older than Q and declining hard and fast).

But unfortunately, contracts do matter and the way the Red Wings are currently constructed, there's no room. Holland is choking the life out of this squad by locking up middling vets (who both cost more than young players and have nowhere to go but down skill-wise) on long-term deals, and re-signing Quincey would just compound the problem. He's not the worst regular Wings' D and even if he re-signs he wouldn't have the worst contract, but he's not going to make the team any better either, and unlike E or Kronner the Wings can actually walk away -- they're not stuck with him.

Sven's prescription for the Red Wings this summer:

(1) Re-sign your RFAs.

(2) Let all your UFAs walk. Helm is the only one I'd even make an offer to, and if he wants more than $2.5m AAV he can walk too.

(3) It might be impossible, but at least try to move Datsyuk's contract, Howard, and Ericsson. If you have to throw in a mid-round pick to grease the skids on one or two of those, do it.

(4) Make Stamkos a reasonable offer, and if you're able to move Howard go get a UFA backup. Don't make any other FA moves, regardless of what Stamkos decides.

(5) Explore a trade for Trouba. If you can get him for a package of Nyquist and some spare change, do it. If not, whatever. There might be a few other D you could target as well with that sort of offer, but unless it's somebody under 25 who would provide an immediate, significant upgrade to the top four, forget it.

(6) Fill any remaining open roster spots with internal promotions.

And, you're done. Assuming you strike out on Stammer and Trouba (which is likely), the team probably is decently competitive but misses the playoffs. But you finally allow yourself to see what you have in your young players and give them a legitimate opportunity to grow into front-line roles if they can, get yourself out of as many bad contracts as possible, and put yourself in a much better position to potentially reload yourself 2-3 years down the road.

If the Red Wings have any chance to get back to contender status without completely bottoming out and going through a total scorched-earth rebuild, this is probably how they're going to have to do it. In the end they still might have to blow it up, but if they stay on the post-lockout Ken Holland plan the best they can hope for is a few more quick playoff exits followed by a slide into self-induced cap mismanagement oblivion.

Good riddance! Take Ericcson & Smith with you.

Good riddance! Take Ericcson & Smith with you.
- Hockeytown4life

Smith was phenomenal. He actually had better underlying team rel numbers than that trouba guy everybody wants to trade for.

Smith was phenomenal. He actually had better underlying team rel numbers than that trouba guy everybody wants to trade for.
- Feds91Stammer

I thought for parts of season he was our best defenseman, yet kept getting scratched. Real head scratcher.

Smith was phenomenal. He actually had better underlying team rel numbers than that trouba guy everybody wants to trade for.
- Feds91Stammer

I agree with you that Smith is very underrated and very under-utilized. His underlying numbers very strongly suggest that he has been successful in what the Red Wings have asked him to do and could handle a bigger role. Nevertheless, his numbers were definitely boosted by extremely sheltered deployment (+60% ZS, low qualcomp) and I'd expect his underlying performance to take a bit of a hit with a bigger role.

Trouba's got a much tougher job in the Peg -- more minutes, tougher opponents, less sheltered zone start rate (especially compared to his teammates), and he spends a lot of his time chained to a boat anchor named Mark Stuart. Despite this, he's a positive possession driver for the Jets even in team-relative terms. He's also:

1) 22 years old, fully five years younger than Brendan Smith

2) Right handed, which would give the Wings better balance and a second top-four righty after Green (at least one study found that playing on the correct side for your handedness was worth around 7 Corsi events per 60)

3) Possibly available considering the Jets' budget limitations and current commitments to Buff, Tyler Myers, and Toby Enstrom -- trading Trouba for offensive help (like Nyquist) could be a logical move