Jeremy Laura: Wings bounce back vs Isles and some catching up

Hi Jeremy,

You have been a trooper, and will be missed. Hopefully your condition improves. On a side note, I always liked Larkin. I purchased his jersey during his first year.

Thanks for working through your pain to give us a new blog Jeremy. I really hope things get better for you in the near future.


The kids are really huge for this team. Seider is already by far the best defenseman on this team. I wish for his sake he didn't have to be partnered with DeKeyser. I can only imagine how good he would be if he had a legitimate top pair guy with him. I mean imagine if the Wings had someone like Victor Hedman paired with him or Lidstrom in his prime. That would be a defensive pair that would give teams nightmares.

One thing i noticed (Mickey on the broadcast even mentioned it) is that Blashill finally has stopped with the 6 goalies in the defensive end. That pissed me off to no end to see the opponent defensemen open with all day to make plays and shoot while the Wings players tried to all play goalie and screen the actual goalie. That type of system is so stupid. You need to pressure the point men so they make mistakes and not have time to think about what to do. Man to man coverage will have mistakes made when someone loses their guy and it can and will cost goals but the benefits will be better over a full season. This also allows players to get to loose pucks faster and more likely to clear the zone instead of acting like a PK.

Love ya for what you have done for all of us.

NOW if Yzerman sees contributions on and off ice as an important part of moving the club forward, then please tell me why we still have an ineffective coach. I do believe this team could be sooo much better that it is with a different head voice.

It seems to me like the playoff picture in the East is basically set at this point. Hard to imagine any of the current top three in either division (Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Rangers, Carolina, Washington) falling out. Then you've got Pittsburgh (seventh in the conference so far despite lots of injuries; now getting healthier) and Boston (still an elite team by expected goals) as pretty clear favorites to start pulling away from the pack.

After that, you've got the likes of Detroit, New Jersey, Columbus, maybe a rebounding Philadelphia or NYI all in the mix for 9th. Obviously lots could happen, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if there are 10+ points separating 8th from 9th by the end of the year. There's really not much of a bubble. The difference between the playoff and non-playoff teams is stark.

It seems to me like the playoff picture in the East is basically set at this point. Hard to imagine any of the current top three in either division (Toronto, Florida, Tampa, Rangers, Carolina, Washington) falling out. Then you've got Pittsburgh (seventh in the conference so far despite lots of injuries; now getting healthier) and Boston (still an elite team by expected goals) as pretty clear favorites to start pulling away from the pack.

After that, you've got the likes of Detroit, New Jersey, Columbus, maybe a rebounding Philadelphia or NYI all in the mix for 9th. Obviously lots could happen, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if there are 10+ points separating 8th from 9th by the end of the year. There's really not much of a bubble. The difference between the playoff and non-playoff teams is stark.
- Sven22

Rangers could fall out if the PP goes cold. They aren’t a good 5v5 team.

Jeremy, whilst I am excited to see you post, I know (and appreciate more than you know), the toll it takes on you to do this. It pains me to see such an amazing guy struggle to do what he values so much. But, any true human being is humbled that your value placed on this blog pushes you to surpass your pain in order to benefit others. “Greater love hath no man that he be willing to lay down his life…”. Whilst some may feel this quote to be over the top, I would offer that (knowing how he efforts take away from his daily life), it is somewhat fitting. So, THANK YOU, Jeremy. If you really understood how much value you bring to the game, and your friends here, you’d be a very humbled man…but I know you, and I know you understand. If you need to only post once a week, so be it. If you feel able to do more, so be it. Do what your mind can handle. Know how much we appreciate you, and all you sacrifice for us. Thank you, Jeremy.

On to the Wings: Larkin may not rise to the performance level some hold in order to be considered 1C material. For the Wings, and the vast majority of NHL teams, ole boy’s a legit 1C. He’s truly the heart n soul of this team. Period. No questions. His sacrifice last season speaks volumes of his true character. Being a “super-star” isn’t just about stats; the holistic impact a player has on his mates counts as well. We have some damn good character guys. Larkin learned from the beat, who learned from the best. He’s a 1C. Full stop.

Signing Fabbri? THANK YOU. Great kid, never say die, never quit. The return on this will be immeasurable.

Amazing to see where this team has come from and to. I watched multiple pre-season BS-artists say the Wings were abysmal. Yeah, they’re not SCPO-bound, but they’re a far sight better than almost any of the talking heads gave them credit for. I said, at the beginning of the pre-season; Give Raymond 8 games, if he’s lost then send him to GR. If not, burn year 1. This kid’s freakin’ legit, gang. I expect a sophomore slump, but he’s going to carry the mail for a very long time. Mo Sides was called a beast by many, very accurate description. The scary thing is, he’s still progressing. His limit is indescribable at this point. I’d expect he’d be a Norris calibre guy in a couple of years….and remain so for a long time. As long as they’re deployed properly, the sky’s the limit. But that leads me to coaching…

I’ve said (too many times to count - as have MANY others) that Blash doesn’t feel like the guy to push us over the top. We missed out on Gallant, who I think would’ve been an excellent choice. That means The Captain has someone else in mind: Lidstrom? Zetterberg? Who knows. But, looking at how this team is being built, there’s a VERY specific skill-set The Captain wants. He went off the rails when he hired Cooper, I’d think he’s going to do the same with our next guy. I just think Blash is over-matched. And he’s made negative statements about players in the past, bad juju for a true leader. Time will tell, but the coaching staff needs to be settled, and it should be someone who lives & breathes Detroit Hockey. Anything less….meh, not even worth assuming because The Captain gets it more than anyone.

Rest, Jeremy. Clear your mind. You’ve blessed us with enough info to run wild amongst ourselves!!

Thanks for all your efforts, Jeremy. It is a supreme effort for you to continue in any fashion, and if you able to post a couple times a week, that is fine by me. We will try to keep a dialogue going the interim and pray for your health.

I still am intrigued with acquiring Jacob Chycrun. I think the bidding war will be too expensive for Stevie's taste, but the Wings have the cap space, draft picks, prospects, but the players the Yotes may want will probably be off the negotiating table. I still would float a 2023 1st, a 2024 2nd, and a defensive prospect not named Edvinsson. I know it is a steep price, but the LD position would be boosted significantly while waiting for other prospects to mature. Stevie likes to bundle, so I have not thought how that might look. Maybe instead of the 2nd, you give them Oesterle, as he has played well for the Yotes before.

Rangers could fall out if the PP goes cold. They aren’t a good 5v5 team.
- Feds91Stammer

I think they're the weakest team of the top eight (including Pittsburgh and Boston) but they've banked enough points so far that I think they're still pretty safe for the playoffs. They can go .500 the rest of the way (i.e. decently below average) and still hit 94 points. More likely they finish somewhere around 100. That's going to be very tough for the likes of NJ, DET, CBJ, or PHI to catch up to.

I think they're the weakest team of the top eight (including Pittsburgh and Boston) but they've banked enough points so far that I think they're still pretty safe for the playoffs. They can go .500 the rest of the way (i.e. decently below average) and still hit 94 points. More likely they finish somewhere around 100. That's going to be very tough for the likes of NJ, Det, or PHI to catch up to.
- Sven22

Maybe they acquire Chycrun to put them over the top!
Kaako + Hajek for JC and Philly's 2nd

Jeremy, whilst I am excited to see you post, I know (and appreciate more than you know), the toll it takes on you to do this. It pains me to see such an amazing guy struggle to do what he values so much. But, any true human being is humbled that your value placed on this blog pushes you to surpass your pain in order to benefit others. “Greater love hath no man that he be willing to lay down his life…”. Whilst some may feel this quote to be over the top, I would offer that (knowing how he efforts take away from his daily life), it is somewhat fitting. So, THANK YOU, Jeremy. If you really understood how much value you bring to the game, and your friends here, you’d be a very humbled man…but I know you, and I know you understand. If you need to only post once a week, so be it. If you feel able to do more, so be it. Do what your mind can handle. Know how much we appreciate you, and all you sacrifice for us. Thank you, Jeremy.

On to the Wings: Larkin may not rise to the performance level some hold in order to be considered 1C material. For the Wings, and the vast majority of NHL teams, ole boy’s a legit 1C. He’s truly the heart n soul of this team. Period. No questions. His sacrifice last season speaks volumes of his true character. Being a “super-star” isn’t just about stats; the holistic impact a player has on his mates counts as well. We have some damn good character guys. Larkin learned from the beat, who learned from the best. He’s a 1C. Full stop.

Signing Fabbri? THANK YOU. Great kid, never say die, never quit. The return on this will be immeasurable.

Amazing to see where this team has come from and to. I watched multiple pre-season BS-artists say the Wings were abysmal. Yeah, they’re not SCPO-bound, but they’re a far sight better than almost any of the talking heads gave them credit for. I said, at the beginning of the pre-season; Give Raymond 8 games, if he’s lost then send him to GR. If not, burn year 1. This kid’s freakin’ legit, gang. I expect a sophomore slump, but he’s going to carry the mail for a very long time. Mo Sides was called a beast by many, very accurate description. The scary thing is, he’s still progressing. His limit is indescribable at this point. I’d expect he’d be a Norris calibre guy in a couple of years….and remain so for a long time. As long as they’re deployed properly, the sky’s the limit. But that leads me to coaching…

I’ve said (too many times to count - as have MANY others) that Blash doesn’t feel like the guy to push us over the top. We missed out on Gallant, who I think would’ve been an excellent choice. That means The Captain has someone else in mind: Lidstrom? Zetterberg? Who knows. But, looking at how this team is being built, there’s a VERY specific skill-set The Captain wants. He went off the rails when he hired Cooper, I’d think he’s going to do the same with our next guy. I just think Blash is over-matched. And he’s made negative statements about players in the past, bad juju for a true leader. Time will tell, but the coaching staff needs to be settled, and it should be someone who lives & breathes Detroit Hockey. Anything less….meh, not even worth assuming because The Captain gets it more than anyone.

Rest, Jeremy. Clear your mind. You’ve blessed us with enough info to run wild amongst ourselves!!
- mcmastermike1968

Bring in David Carle and groom him for head coach, your right we can’t keep talking about Blash, he’s not the X & O guy needed for the job.

The hockey Gods are behind you JL.

no aho
no Svechnikov
no Staal
no Jarvis

16 skaters....

You guys aren't going to get a better chance than this.

no aho
no Svechnikov
no Staal
no Jarvis

16 skaters....

You guys aren't going to get a better chance than this.
- BINGO!

No Datsyuk, no Zetterberg, no Franzen.
Uh,... Thank you?

NO FANS AT THE BELL CENTER TONIGHT!!! The Quebecsters have come down with the lock-down ruling after analyzing the political climate of covid rather than using the science.

Dekeyser is god awful and I am amazed that he keeps playing.

no aho
no Svechnikov
no Staal
no Jarvis

16 skaters....

You guys aren't going to get a better chance than this.
- BINGO!

This is a Red Wings road game... enough said. Merry Xmas... you get two more points.

Thanks for all your efforts, Jeremy. It is a supreme effort for you to continue in any fashion, and if you able to post a couple times a week, that is fine by me. We will try to keep a dialogue going the interim and pray for your health.

I still am intrigued with acquiring Jacob Chycrun. I think the bidding war will be too expensive for Stevie's taste, but the Wings have the cap space, draft picks, prospects, but the players the Yotes may want will probably be off the negotiating table. I still would float a 2023 1st, a 2024 2nd, and a defensive prospect not named Edvinsson. I know it is a steep price, but the LD position would be boosted significantly while waiting for other prospects to mature. Stevie likes to bundle, so I have not thought how that might look. Maybe instead of the 2nd, you give them Oesterle, as he has played well for the Yotes before.
- HenryHockey

Chycrun would likely be an upgrade on the left side for the Wings...at least offensively despite his low numbers this season (his shooting % is really low compared to his career average) but his defensive play is a big concern. He is -29 so far this season good for worst in the entire league with 2nd worst being Eberle/Nick Paul at -15. 2nd worst on Arizona are Beagle/Roussel at -11. Add in his injury history and i'm not sure i would pay the high price they want for him.

If Yzerman can get him without giving up a 1st or prospects like Edvinsson, Cossa, Berggren then fine but that is unlikely. I would obviously be ok with giving them Rasmussen. Zadina i'm not sure. He's playing hard but just can't buy a goal to save his life it seems. I would probably do Zadina if they took DeKeyser with him just so Blashill can't use him anymore. Hell i would rather see Lashoff in the lineup over DeKeyser at this point.

Chycrun would likely be an upgrade on the left side for the Wings...at least offensively despite his low numbers this season (his shooting % is really low compared to his career average) but his defensive play is a big concern. He is -29 so far this season good for worst in the entire league with 2nd worst being Eberle/Nick Paul at -15. 2nd worst on Arizona are Beagle/Roussel at -11. Add in his injury history and i'm not sure i would pay the high price they want for him.

If Yzerman can get him without giving up a 1st or prospects like Edvinsson, Cossa, Berggren then fine but that is unlikely. I would obviously be ok with giving them Rasmussen. Zadina i'm not sure. He's playing hard but just can't buy a goal to save his life it seems. I would probably do Zadina if they took DeKeyser with him just so Blashill can't use him anymore. Hell i would rather see Lashoff in the lineup over DeKeyser at this point.
- dcz28

Let the Yotes play in Joe Louis for a couple years and you can have Chychrun

Let the Yotes play in Joe Louis for a couple years and you can have Chychrun
- BINGO!

Illitch should offer to build them an arena if they agree to become the Wings NHL farm team. Wings would have access to any player they have with trades for future consideration (nothing given) and the Wings choose who they pick with their draft picks They can draft Wright if they win the lottery and send him to Detroit for future considerations...win win

Let the Yotes play in Joe Louis for a couple years and you can have Chychrun
- BINGO!

Uh, Joe Louis is a memory.... and so is the Arena.

Chycrun would likely be an upgrade on the left side for the Wings...at least offensively despite his low numbers this season (his shooting % is really low compared to his career average) but his defensive play is a big concern. He is -29 so far this season good for worst in the entire league with 2nd worst being Eberle/Nick Paul at -15. 2nd worst on Arizona are Beagle/Roussel at -11. Add in his injury history and i'm not sure i would pay the high price they want for him.

If Yzerman can get him without giving up a 1st or prospects like Edvinsson, Cossa, Berggren then fine but that is unlikely. I would obviously be ok with giving them Rasmussen. Zadina i'm not sure. He's playing hard but just can't buy a goal to save his life it seems. I would probably do Zadina if they took DeKeyser with him just so Blashill can't use him anymore. Hell i would rather see Lashoff in the lineup over DeKeyser at this point.
- dcz28

I did not know Chycrun had such atrocious defensive #'s. Wow! And there were others wanting to do a 1 for 1 for him for Dahlin!!

I did not know Chycrun had such atrocious defensive #'s. Wow! And there were others wanting to do a 1 for 1 for him for Dahlin!!

- HenryHockey

His numbers are a lot worst than they have ever been. Some of it has to be because of how bad the team is ( i haven't really watched Arizona) but some of it i assume is because he is not putting up the offense he normally would that would bring his minus down.

With the recent increase in COVID cases around the league, the last few days have had plenty of news about players and staff members entering COVID protocol and it appears today will continue that trend. The Red Wings announced (Twitter link) that goalie Alex Nedeljkovic, winger Carter Rowney and Givani Smith, head coach Jeff Blashill, and assistant coach Alex Tanguay have all been placed in protocol and will be unavailable for tonight’s game against New Jersey.

Detroit has been hit relatively hard by COVID-related absences this season as Tyler Bertuzzi, Marc Staal, and Danny DeKeyser have all missed time recently while Robby Fabbri and Michael Rasmussen are currently in protocol as well. The Red Wings have recalled winger Riley Barber and goaltender Calvin Pickard from Grand Rapids of the AHL in corresponding moves to be able to dress a full lineup against the Devils.

As for their coaching situation, the team announced in a follow-up tweet that assistant coach Doug Houda will be joined by a pair of coaches from AHL Grand Rapids – head coach Ben Simon and assistant coach Todd Krygier. As is the case with all other COVID protocol placements, each individual will need to miss at least ten days if follow-up testing confirms that they have indeed tested positive.

Also, the Red Wings have called up Mazza to fill in for Smith.

Thanks for all you've done Jeremy, it was such a great change when you took over here. Good win tonight, Larkin hat trick, Bert with a couple. Greiss let in a weak one, but he was good enough for the win at the end. Hronek got into a fight and it was so lame they didn't even give them a 5 minute major. Fun game to watch while down a few guys, they need to figure out how to win on the road now.

Thanks for all you've done Jeremy, it was such a great change when you took over here. Good win tonight, Larkin hat trick, Bert with a couple. Greiss let in a weak one, but he was good enough for the win at the end. Hronek got into a fight and it was so lame they didn't even give them a 5 minute major. Fun game to watch while down a few guys, they need to figure out how to win on the road now.
- Datsyuks_Dangle

Larkin's hatty was special! Bert is so sneaky good! And Raymond is just gonna get even better, and Seider doing what a #1D-man does already! I can hardly wait for Eddy to join them for a couple games at the end of the season!