Lol best line Frankie flintstone and floppy rubble. Had a good laugh at that one. I see Blashill has a new coaching technique playing 4 line on power play Erne, Fipulia he is like a mad genius
- saintdog44

Damn autocorrect Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble

Damn autocorrect Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble
- saintdog44

There ya go. I might have to start my own YouTube channel and become a ventriloquist. 👍

A much needed break on that Gagner goal. I thought it was Larkin at first. That play, having Larkin rush in for a tip really looks good. These guys are putting in the work. I can see how they’re trying to be creative and change things up. Bernier stood tall, and will have to keep it up for Detroit to take this one

Sven... I agree 100%. God help us if Stevie follow's Holland's method of keeping your top prospects buried in the AHL until they are almost in their mid 20's. We saw it with both Nyquist and Tatar as prime examples. That is lunacy. You can afford to do that when you've got elite players on the ice like Lidstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, etc... You sure as heck can't with this awful lineup.

I heard a quote from former NHL coach Bob Hartley once... "old players get older, young players get better". I think it rings true with this Wings team as well. It's time to give Smith and Rasumussen more ice time. Wings don't have much to lose at this point in at least giving them some extra ice time to see what they can do. I say play the kids... at least more than what they are now.
- Vladdie_Kon1

Again, Yzerman has built an actual winner. I know we all have opinions, but it’s comparing an arm chair GM to a hall of famer. We can disagree, but pitting yourself against a hall of famer isn’t going to do you any favors.

I disagree. Most players hit their stride around 25. It just takes that long to develop. Putting the kids who aren’t good enough to be top players in the AHL isn’t going to help anyone. Hirose is the invisible man in Detroit. Save for his 7 points in 10 games when he first came up, he’s not doing much. I want Svechnikov playing somewhere. But his development, due to injury, is more like a 1 or 2 year player. Smith is a depth player. Get him minutes and let him keep working. Throwing these kids into the fire when they’re not ready can ruin their development. Those kids have shown they’re not ready. One good game followed by several bad, and their back check is worse than the old guys on the way out. It makes the whole team suffer
- Jeremy Laura

Many, many analysts have looked at aging curves in the NHL, and the vast majority of the data-based research suggests that the average player hits their absolute peak at around 24 and "prime years" stretch from about 22 to 26 or 27, give or take a year or two. The vast majority of players are not going to get significantly better than they are by age 25, and if you're waiting until age 24-25 to give them ice time you run the risk of wasting a lot of good years from a guy who could have helped you a lot earlier.

I think that often (though certainly not always!) players that "hit their stride" at age 25 could have hit their stride at, say, 23. In my opinion, there is often a "lag" between what a player is currently capable of doing and what that player's coach or GM trusts them to be able to do.

Granted, maybe Smith, Hirose, and Svech are not the best examples. TBH I don't think any of them will last more than a year or two at the NHL level, if that. But the Wings are so terrible, I would like to see them get more of a chance. If it fails, you don't lose much. If it works, you might gain more than you thought.

If we look at past players that were maybe "overcooked," Gustav Nyquist springs to mind. But the one that haunts me is Jimmy Howard. He was 25 in his rookie season, and that was his best NHL season BY FAR. He was great for four years before that in the AHL. I've often wondered whether Detroit wins back-to-back Cups if Howard got the job in 2009 instead of Osgood / Conklin. I think he was already better than both.

Anyway, you're free to disagree with me. And I am happy to admit that my words are only my opinion, not fact. I'm honestly kind of stunned at how ... extreme your reaction to my post has been.

Again, Yzerman has built an actual winner. I know we all have opinions, but it’s comparing an arm chair GM to a hall of famer. We can disagree, but pitting yourself against a hall of famer isn’t going to do you any favors.
- Jeremy Laura

So why even have a blog then? You're right. Steve Yzerman has forgotten more about hockey than I'll ever know. So I'm not allowed to give my opinion? I've followed NHL hockey for over 40 years. I'm not totally clueless.

So just to be clear, we're not allowed to criticize Steve Yzerman?

Again, Yzerman has built an actual winner. I know we all have opinions, but it’s comparing an arm chair GM to a hall of famer. We can disagree, but pitting yourself against a hall of famer isn’t going to do you any favors.
- Jeremy Laura

We're not allowed to disagree with Yzerman? What?

Look, I'm not saying I would be any better at running a team. I would be way worse, almost certainly. That doesn't mean Yzerman is correct 100% of the time and that I'm automatically wrong if I disagree.

You seem to be taking this very personally, and I'm not sure why. These are some things you said about me and my opinion in the same paragraph where you accused me of acting arrogantly:

That comment is absolutely untrue.

Detroit got the most out of many guys by letting them develop.

You need to find a better quote and use that one as toilet paper

Anyway, it's not my intention to be arrogant, or a bully, or to offend anyone. I apologize if my comment was received that way. I like you, Jeremy, and I like talking hockey in this space. I hope this is just a misunderstanding and we can all cool the temperature a bit.

We're not allowed to disagree with Yzerman? What?

Look, I'm not saying I would be any better at running a team. I would be way worse, almost certainly. That doesn't mean Yzerman is correct 100% of the time and that I'm automatically wrong if I disagree.

You seem to be taking this very personally, and I'm not sure why. These are some things you said about me and my opinion in the same paragraph where you accused me of acting arrogantly:

That comment is absolutely untrue.

Detroit got the most out of many guys by letting them develop.

You need to find a better quote and use that one as toilet paper

Anyway, it's not my intention to be arrogant, or a bully, or to offend anyone. I apologize if my comment was received that way. I like you, Jeremy, and I like talking hockey in this space. I hope this is just a misunderstanding and we can all cool the temperature a bit.
- Sven22

Not exactly Jeremy's character ........I think he must have had a very bad day.

0/40 on the PP

Not exactly Jeremy's character ........I think he must have had a very bad day.
- HenryHockey

That's what I'm thinking too. We all have them.

0/40 on the PP
- wingz4life

This is impressively bad. 🤣

Not exactly Jeremy's character ........I think he must have had a very bad day.
- HenryHockey

Everybody has bad days and deserves a little grace now and then. I know Jeremy's a good guy, so no worries here.

"Difference Maker" gets another!

Speaking of people having bad days ... I give you Pekka Rinne.

Another odd man rush WITH NO SHOT!!!!

"Difference Maker" gets another!
- HenryHockey

Get that trade value up Sammy! Pull the goalie and get a hat trick! 👍

Get that trade value up Sammy! Pull the goalie and get a hat trick! 👍
- gergeswillems

From a 7th to a 6th!

Speaking of people having bad days ... I give you Pekka Rinne.
- Sven22

Yeah, I am tired of opposing Goalies having their best night against the Wings!

Adam Erne scores? Am I seeing things? Is this some kind of weird Bizarro world alternate reality?

Get that trade value up Sammy! Pull the goalie and get a hat trick! 👍
- gergeswillems

Trade value is now a 5th!

Again, Yzerman has built an actual winner. I know we all have opinions, but it’s comparing an arm chair GM to a hall of famer. We can disagree, but pitting yourself against a hall of famer isn’t going to do you any favors.
- Jeremy Laura

I think we get it, but you have to also realize that Tampa when Yzerman took over, was much different than the team he took over in Detroit. He had a cornerstone defenseman (Hedman) and Stamkos. Unless you want to say Hronek and Larkin are comparable. This rebuild is for sure going to take longer. But. I'm still not sure why Smith and Rasmussen are in GR over say Neilson and Filpulla. Their (AHL) season is shorter, and they have been prospects long enough. Plenty of cap space so not sure why that comes into play. Trade bait? Yes. I'm sure a GM will realize the missing piece is Frans Neilson. You're better off digging up Franz Ferdinand and shoving his corpse out there. Agree to disagree. I want to thank you Jeremy. I have never seen the boards as active as I have when you took over, and I enjoy your blogs. You do a great job. Anyway hat trick for Gagne?

Good for Samwise.

I'm hoping Yzerman buys Nielsen out this summer. We don't need the cap space but we do need his roster spot going forward.

I'm getting that winning feeling again. I don't know why. But my Nostradamus self predicts a Red Wings victory tonight. Mainly because I don't think the Preds are very good. I mean the Red Wings suck. This just in. But the Preds aren't much better to be honest.

I don't see how playing Smith or Rasmussen on the Red Wings hurts us. Are we waiting until they both turn 30? We're losing anyway. Why not play these guys? The Ken Holland "over ripening" method is archaic.

Is it better to play 2 dinosaurs each game named Franzie Flintstone and Flippy Rubble? Are we developing Sam Gagner? Ek says he's an Underrated Difference Maker. 0 goals and 2 assists in 13 games. Better increase his ice time.
- gergeswillems

My back hurts from patting it so much! 🤣

Trade value is now a 5th!
- HenryHockey

All hail Sam Gagner! The Underrated Difference Maker!

My back hurts from patting it so much! 🤣
- gergeswillems

Long arms or extremely flexable???