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[son of sam99 10]

April 28th, 2015

 

Wings Bounced by Habs in Gm 7

 

Detroit, MI-     The near silence of the Detroit Red Wings’ locker room after game 7 Monday night was all any observer needed to deduce the outcome of the game. Though Detroit’s roster is stacked with veterans who have been through first round playoff exits before; experience doesn’t lessen the sting of the season suddenly being over.

 

          Game seven appeared to be in the bag for the visiting team as the Canadiens jumped out to a commanding lead with two quick goal in the final five minutes of the first period. Detroit fought back, however, as Gustav Nyquist netted a one timer off of an excellent pass from Stephen Weiss at 5:22 in the second. With less than a minute remaining in the second frame Henrik Zetterberg knotted the contest with an unassisted breakaway goal giving the home team momentum going into the locker room.

 

          The teams battled back and forth in the third with numerous scoring chances at both ends. The Joe Louis Arena crowd nearly erupted with seven minutes remaining in regulation as Pavel Datsyuk drove the net and deked out Habs goaltender Carey Price only to hit the post. Just over two minutes after that Max Pacioretty released a slap shot from the top of the left faceoff circle onto Brian Elliot which gave Montreal the lead they would carry until the final horn.

 

          “Disappointing is really all you can say.” Henrik Zetterberg said after the game. “You know last year we didn’t have any home ice and were able to win it all then we’ve got that advantage this year and we can’t get past the first round… Just disappointing.”

          The Red Wings now enter an offseason riddled with question marks. No one is sure if head coach Mike Babcock will be returning to the club as contract negotiations have broken down. Personnel wise; contributors such as Valdimir Tarasenko, Michael Frolik, Brendan Smith, and Darren Helm have all reached the end of their contracts.

 

          When asked about the impending offseason General Manager Rick Watkins had the following to say; “Just like any offseason there’s going to be a lot of moving parts over the next several months. Ideally we’d have more guys under longer contracts but we’ll make adjustments as we see fit.”

 

 

Series Recap

Game 1: Montreal 3 – Detroit 1

Game 2: Montreal 1 – Detroit 2

Game 3: Detroit 2 – Montreal 4

Game 4: Detroit 2 – Montreal 1

Game 5: Montreal 5 – Detroit 3

Game 6: Detroit 3 – Montreal 2

Game 7:  Montreal 3 – Detroit 2

[son of sam99 10]

[son of sam99 10]

Its looking like this will be my last update in 2015 (going out on a total bummer).

Quick thanks to everyone/ anyone who is reading along, I've really enjoyed making it and am excited for some new update formats to be revealed soon.

In the meantime safe & happy holidays to all!

 

[son of sam99 10]

 

Entry: May 1^st 2015

 

So the playoffs continue but Montreal saw to it that we’re back at home sitting on our butts. The boys played incredibly hard but with the injuries to Ericsson & Tarasenko we were in a bind from the start. Coach Babcock shifted the lines around, putting Zetterberg on the left wing with Datsyuk and Franzen to try to generate some offense but we didn’t have the depth past that top line to compete for sixty minutes with the Canadiens.

 

On the whole I felt good about the regular season as the team worked well with the additions of Michael Frolik and Cal Clutterbuck. The Wolski deal was a disaster and we’ll surly be shipping him elsewhere or just buying out his contract. I feel like a dope having given that guy $2.55 million but I guess you can’t win them all. The Detroit Free Press certainly hasn’t let me hear the end of that deal as his nightlife habits have made page two of the sports section.

     

The biggest benefit to this season will certainly be the growth of Riley Sheahan and Joakim Andersson. Both have developed into solid two way forwards who can win a puck in the corner and pass well in the offensive zone. Sheahan is only 23 and got significant minutes this year when he was healthy and Andersson spent most of his year at Grand Rapids so he could get the most ice time. They’re both natural centers but Sheahan will mostly play the left side since he can’t win a faceoff to save his life.

 

With that all being said those of us in the front office are not resting on our laurels. The day after out game seven loss I called a meeting among all staff to discuss our plans for the offseason moving forward.

 

Out of that meeting we came up with four main goals in descending order of importance:

 

-          Improve skill & size of defense corps

-          Add a top talent goaltender

-          Improve wingers in Grand Rapids

-          Clear cap space

 

Brendan Smith is progressing very well and will be our top defender soon. That being said we’ve got to punch up our last two defenders. I like Danny DeKeyser a lot but he’s not really seasoned enough to be an every night NHLer and as hard as it is to say he may never reach that point. We’re going to look for additional size on our blue line as we’re already blessed with solid speed back there. This is our top priority.

 

It was foolish of me to think we can survive with Brian Elliot while Petr Mrzaek gains the skills necessary to be a top goaltender. Elliot is a talented backup but he proved last season he can’t carry a team through an offensive slump. We’re going to target signing a keeper to a long term deal, specifically one that is in the top half of the league in talent level.

 

 The Grand Rapids roster could use some work. We’ve got a ton of young centers but have traded away our natural wingers. I’d like to add two hopefully, not necessarily skill guys, though that would be nice, but just natural wing players who can move the puck quickly. I don’t like having to move centers onto the wing just to have a balanced line. Though obviously sometimes it is necessary.

 

      Finally we’re carrying some financial anchors. In some ways this is the most important step because if we want to sign a goalie or defender we’re going to need to create some room. This free agent class should be fairly stacked and while we’re going to have to pay a lot of our guys this off season we’re also going to have to be active in going after new faces. Weiss, Ericsson, & Wolski will all be moved for minimal return. 

 

 

 

 

[son of sam99 10]

[son of sam99 10]

May 15, 2015

 

Babcock out as Wings’ Coach, Headed to Toronto

 

Detroit MI - Ending the season long drama Detroit head coach Mike Babcock announced Friday that he would be leaving his post with the Red Wings to take the head job with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

The Red Wings’ top brass and Babcock have been dancing around a possible contract extension since September though the sides weren’t able to come to terms. Rumors have swirled throughout the season, the most popular being that Babcock never intended on resigning with Detroit.

 

In his term with the Red Wings, Coach Babcock lead the franchise to Stanley Cup titles in 2008 and 2013, five division titles, and playoff appearances in each of the nine seasons he served as head coach.

 

Fans of the team are surprised by the sudden change but also relieved that the head coach drama is coming to an end.

 

[son of sam99 10]

[son of sam99 10]

June 12, 2015

 

Blashill in as Wings’ Top Coach

 

Detroit MI – The Detroit Red Wings today made official their promotion of Jeff Blashill to the position of head coach in a news conference held at Joe Lewis Arena.

 

Blashill has been with the franchise since he was brought on as an assistant to the coaching staff in 2011. He was named the head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, The Red Wings’ AHL affiliate ahead of the 2012 season.

 

Thought the Red Wings could have attempted to court a larger name coach or one with more experience behind the bench of an NHL team Blashill is the right guy and below are several reasons why

 

No. 1: Blashill is a winner.

He has won wherever he has coached. He guided the Indiana Ice to the USHL championship in 2009. He led Western Michigan to a berth in the NCAA tournament. And he directed the Grand Rapids Griffins to a Calder Cup.

No. 2: There is a history of successful AHL coaches moving up to the NHL and finding instant success.

The Penguins did it with Dan Bylsma, and it paid off with the 2009 Stanley Cup. The Capitals did it with Bruce Boudreau, who was voted the NHL's coach of the year in 2008. And the Lightning is doing it right now with Jon Cooper.

Quick caveat: Relax. I'm not saying Blashill can do it on his own and I'm not saying he will do it next year. He needs talent — several young players will need to go to the next level to give the Wings a chance — but he has a track record of success.

No. 3: The Wings are in transition, and Blashill learned how to coach several different types of teams, in constant transition, while coaching the Griffins. "Every year in this league (the AHL) is so different," Blashill recently told the Free Press.

Two seasons ago, Blashill coached a roster that stayed relatively consistent, at least for the first half of the season, because of the NHL lockout.

And last season, the Wings had a ton of injuries, which forced several Griffins to move up to Detroit. "It was a revolving door," Blashill said.

Imagine getting a team rolling only to lose the best players to the Wings.

Either way, the Griffins kept winning.

No. 4: Blashill excels at getting his teams prepared to play.

Last March, Bowling Green coach Chris Bergeron spent 36 hours with the Griffins, behind the scenes, watching Blashill prepare for a game. And Bergeron was impressed by how Blashill was able to quickly and efficiently prepare his team. "He knows that professional athletes don't want to sit in a preparation meeting for 45 minutes," Bergeron said.

In a quick, concise pregame meeting, Blashill was focused and prepared. "He's able to communicate so well because he's prepared," Bergeron said. "They were ready and focused."

No. 5: Blashill has been a head coach for only five years, but his bench management continues to improve.

"I've had opportunities, over the years, to watch his bench management and different changes they make," said Ferris State coach Bob Daniels, who coached Blashill in college. "As his experience has grown, his ability to make those adjustments during the game has improved as well."

No. 6: Blashill is consumed with trying to be the best every day.

"Greatness is a daily choice," Griffins equipment manager Brad Thompson said. "He pounds that in their head every day. Either you can come to work every day and be normal and not add value, or you can be great and we'll climb the mountain together and be successful."

No. 7: Blashill is able to get the best out of his players, motivating those who need a kick in the butt. But he also has an ability to help those who are struggling.

In January, defenseman Brian Lashoff was put on waivers and sent down to the Griffins. He met with Blashill several times, getting his head right. "He took me from a situation that could have been very frustrating," Lashoff said. "He made me start playing my hockey again and playing well and making me feel good about how I was playing and helping my teammates. He did a good job of putting my focus solely on this team and winning and it's been good ever since."

No. 8: Blashill has a way of connecting with his players, making each one improve in different ways.

Which brings me to Randy Cleves, the Griffins' public relations manager.

Now, generally, I would never quote a PR guy, because his job is to pour sugar over everything and make Blashill look good.

But Cleves had an interesting observation about Blashill, pointing out how much different he is from other coaches in Grand Rapids. "He's always so focused," Cleves said. "When he's at the rink, he is always on. He's always thinking. There is always that next player to talk to. That's something, with him, that I've never seen with any other coach."

After practice, Blashill would often go in the dressing room and talk to several players.

"After practice, the coaches usually leave the rink and go do their thing," Cleves said. "He would almost work the room. He would go up and talk to a guy for a few minutes. He was always very animated. He's a great teacher. He's always thinking about how he can make each individual player better."

No. 9: Blashill is a straight shooter and players trust him.

"When he has something to say, he doesn't hold back," Lashoff said. "You know where you stand. I think that's a big thing with players."

No. 10: The transition from Babcock to Blashill should be smooth because Blashill runs such a similar system.

"Over time, it has melded," Blashill told the Free Press. "It might be different verbiage. But they are very similar."

No. 11: Blashill seems to be good at everything.

Good with the fans. Good with the front office. Good with the players

No. 12: Blashill holds everybody accountable.

"He makes everybody bring it every day," Lashoff said. "He makes sure guys are working every day to get better. I think that separates him from a lot of people. He doesn't let anybody off the hook."

No. 13: Blashill already has built up relationships with several young Wings.

But that's not surprising because Blashill, 41, has a way of connecting with young players. "It's a different generation," said Enrico Blasi, head coach at Miami (Ohio). "It's not a bad generation. It just means you have to deal with them differently. Blash understands that and does it well. He has a good hockey mind. He understands systems and how to adjust. But at the end of the day, it's communication and process."

No. 14: Nothing seems to rattle him.

Especially in the playoffs. He reached the AHL's Western Conference finals again this season.

No. 15: Blahshill is clear in his expectation.

"You don't get on the ice if you don't play a 200-foot game," Blashill said. "You don't get on the ice if you don't value the puck, you don't get on the ice if you don't play hard every shift."

No. 16: OK. One more thing.

When I asked Blashill to describe himself, he said, "Oh, I describe myself as a good-looking, fun guy," he said, cracking a smile.

His easy-going attitude will endear him to his players, the media and Wings fans.

"I don't know," Blashill continued. "I think life is about passion and enjoying each other and having great moments. I believe in great moments."

And that is what he will be preaching to the Wings. Great moments.

So there are your 16 reasons.

Blashill is the right guy, at the right time.

[son of sam99 10]

June 15, 2015

 

PENGUINS STANLEY CUP CHAMPS AGAIN

 

Winnipeg, MB-          

           

            The Pittsburg Penguins skated the Stanley Cup on their opponent’s ice Saturday evening as the champions of the NHL for the fourth time in franchise history. This time it took a thrilling goal by captain and Conn Smyth winner Sydney Crosby in the final minute of regulation to secure the 3-2 win and a championship for the city of Pittsburgh.

 

            Crosby received the puck immediately after jumping over the boards for the final shift of regulation time and motored up ice across the blue line. The Kid deked Dustin Byfuglien right out of his skates before snapping a wrister right past Ondrej Pavelec’s glove.

           

            “(Crosby is) an amazing player.” Pavelec said after the game about the goal. “he beat Buff but I had a great look at the puck and knew he would go glove side... I just let my teammates down.”

           

            The goal brought a deafening silence on the normally raucous Winnipeg crowd who were wishing for their team to bring a championship to the city of Winnipeg for the first time ever.

 

            The five goals scored in game seven were not indicative of the series as a whole as the Jets superior defense was often too smothering for the Penguins to overcome. The heavy defense, light scoring Jets dictated play for most of the seven games however the skill of Pittsburgh’s superstars broke through enough to secure the victory.

 

            Analysts in and around the NHL are hailing the epic seven game series between the Jets and Pens as one of the best finals since the Bruins bested the Canucks in seven frames in 2011. The quality series has peaked interest among numerous new fans as game seven received 4.6 overnight rating, a monster success for the NHL.

           

Series Recap:

Game 1: Pittsburgh 1 Winnipeg 3

Game 2: Pittsburgh 2 Winnipeg 0  

Game 3: Winnipeg 1 Pittsburgh 0

Game 4: Winnipeg 3 Pittsburgh 0  

Game 5: Pittsburgh 2 Winnipeg 0  

Game 6: Winnipeg 1 Pittsburgh 2  

Game 7: Pittsburgh 3 Winnipeg 2

[son of sam99 10]

[son of sam99 10]

2014- 15 NHL Awards
Award	Player	Pos	Team
Hart Memorial Trophy	Pekka Rinne	G	Nashville Predators
Vezina Trophy	Pekka Rinne	G	Nashville Predators
James Norris Memorial Trophy	Niklas Kronwall	D	Detroit Red Wings
Calder Memorial Trophy	Drew Leblanc	C	Chicago Blackhawks
William M Jennings Trophy	Viktor Fasth	G	Edmonton Oilers
Art Ross Trophy	Phil Kessel	C	Toronto Maple Leafs
Rocket Richard Trophy	Pavel Datsyuk	C	Detroit Red Wings
Frank J. Selke Trophy	Patrice Bergeron	C	Boston Bruins
Ted Lindsay Award	Pekka Rinne	G	Nashville Predators
Bill Masterson Memorial Trophy	Anton Volchenkov	D	New Jersey Devils
Conn Smythe Trophy	Sydney Crosby	C	Pittsburgh Penguins
Lady Byng Memorial Trophy	Claude Giroux	C	Philadelphia Flyers

[son of sam99 10]

Stanley Cup Playoff  League Leaders
Goals		G	Assists		A
	1. S. Crosby	10		1. S. Crosby	15
	2. B. Little	9		2. S. Stamkos	11
	3. M. Halischuk	9		3. B. Wheeler	10
	4. R. Whitney	8		4. E. Malkin	10
	5. E. Malkin	8		5. Z. Bogosian	9
Points		P	Plus/ Minus		+/-
	1. S. Crosby	25		1. S. Crosby	+13
	2. M. Halischuk	18		2. K. Clifford	+10
	3. E. Malkin	18		3. B. Little	+10
	4. B. Little	17		4. C. Kunitz	+9
	5. R. Whitney	16		5. M. Carle	+9

[son of sam99 10]

 

Entry: June 22^nd 2015

                For the second time in as many years I entered draft day with a take no prisoners mentality. With the upcoming potential of a free agent frenzy we needed to cut salary and dump bad contracts. Specifically I wanted to move Jonathan Ericsson, Stephen Weiss, and Wojtek Wolski to give us more flexibility in securing better assets at a better rate.

 

                Most GMs like to use a Surface or iPad but I go low tech with the pre made notes, schedule and an ink pen to keep up with everything that’s going on. Also while a lot of front offices will be relaxing on draft day waiting to field possible offers, I want to attack… during the meet and greet I already know the first person I want to talk to is Peter Chiarelli of the Oilers about taking Woslki off our hands.

 

Below are my notes from the first four stages of draft day. In all my team and I spoke in some capacity with 17 different teams and came pretty close on about five different deals. In the end we made three trades.

 

 

The last part of the draft is easy as I’m not crazy about trying to make deals throughout the draft unless its to dump later round picks which I don’t believe have a lot of value. Or if a great deal jst falls in our lap. Anyway the first order of business for me once the draft started was to march up to the podium and announce The Detroit Red Wings select Connor MicDavid number one overall!

 

 

 

Our scouts were pretty psyched about most of our picks but it will be years before we can be sure if any or all pan out. At the end of the day the key for me will be the $8.13 million we cut in salary.

 

 

[son of sam99 10]

 

Sunrise, FL-    It is now clear, as the dust settles on the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, that Red Wings GM Rick Watkins had two goals for the draft and he executed them both flawlessly.

 

The first goal was easy enough; draft Connor McDavid. The young centerman from Richmond Hills Canada is hailed by most of the hockey world the next ‘once in a lifetime’ prospect. Hockeysfuture.com had the following to say about the top prospect in the draft:

 

It is hard to argue with Connor McDavid being anything other than the top prospect in the hockey world. He has the complete package of NHL skills: strength, creativity, technical ability, skating, puckhandling, physicality, a winning mentality, and a professional approach. There is really nothing he is lacking aside from NHL experience. While a feeling out process for the NHL should be expected, we are looking at perhaps THE premier player in the game for many years to come.

 

That’s quite a lot of praise and the Red Wings obviously are all in as they gave up two very solid prospects and a heap of draft picks to move up for the young forward. The hope in Detroit is that McDavid can emulate the career of another Red Wings top five pick, Steve Yzerman, who ended his career with 1,755 points all of which came while wearing the winged wheel on his sweater.

With their new prized prospect in hand Detroit’s front office attacked their second goal of dumping salary with fervor. The assumption around the league is that with the huge amount of talent potentially hitting the free market in the coming weeks the Red Wings are looking to make space for some new veterans to come in and give a jolt to the roster.

 

The first major trade of the day was a surprise to most teams as Detroit sent Tomas Tatar to Chicago after having just signed the young winger to a 4 year $1.55 million contract in exchange for a first round pick.

 

The second move, however, made the team’s intentions clear as they dump Jonathan Ericsson and his ridiculous 6 year $4.03 million contract on Anaheim in exchange for just a second round draft pick. In defense of the Ducks they do need help on the blue line and Ericsson could end up being a fantastic move given how little they had to trade away.

 

Finally the dust settled after the Red Wings front office dealt Wojtek Wolski plus 2016 6^th & 7^th round picks to receive a 2016 2^nd round pick. Wolski only played in 32 games this past season in part due to injury and also in part due to his falling out with the coaching staff. Nevertheless the Wings successfully got rid of the remaining one year and $2.55 million left on his contract.

 

In the end Detroit opened up an additional $8.13 million in cap space as they enter what could turn out to be a free agent bonanza with the likes of top forwards Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews, Kyle Okposo possibly hitting the open market as well as Goaltenders Craig Anderson, Marc Andre Fluery and Jennings Trophy winner Viktor Fasth.

[son of sam99 10]

 

2015 NHL Free Agent Roundup

 

            With the NHL entry draft now come and passed its time to turn our attention to NHL free agency in which there will be a ton of cash to be spent for any team who has designs on bolstering their roster.

 

            The two teams with the most difficult decisions will be the Ottawa Senators and the Chicago Blackhawks. Ottawa will be looking to reach deals with the likes of defenseman Bobby Ryan, center Jason Spezza and goalie Craig Anderson. The Sens have cap room for all three and the front office has made no bone about wanting to resign the trio, however their collective price tag could top out at over $18 million. Having missed the playoffs by a measly two points we can expect Ottawa to open the checkbook and hope to develop some younger talent that will help push them into the playoff hunt next season.

 

            Chicago is a different story. Both Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane are unrestricted free agents and numerous teams are licking their chops ready to throw tons of cash at both players. Blackhawks GM Stan Bowman has been on a campaign over the last year making it clear to Chicago fans that the team will be unable to resign both super stars. Kane and Toews have been the face of the franchise since they both debuted in 2007 but both have the kind of talent that could turn a struggling franchise around. I’d expect the Blackhawks to sign one of the two during the negotiation period and allow the other to enter the market. From there any team with a lot of cap room could snap them up (I’m looking at you Islanders and Canucks).

 

           

2015 NHL UFAs of Note
Pos	Player	Notes
RW	Vladimir Taresenko	Expect Detroit to resign as they're high in the young scoring talent
D	Mike Green	His odometer reads a lot of miles on the ice & the Caps need scoring, look for him to be on the market
C	David Krejci	Could go either way, Boston coach Claude Julien loves big physical forwards but they'll need scorers to improve on their last place finish in 2015
RW	Kyle Okposo	The Islanders have a ton of cap space but many fans are calling for a reboot as the team moves to Brooklyn
C	Jordan Staal	Carolina loves the Staal brothers and the Staal brothers love Carolina, they've got the cap space so look for a resigning
G	Viktor Fasth	Winning the Jennings Trophy on a losing team is a real feat, with cap space to burn the Sabres would be out of their minds not to resign the best young goalie they've had since Ryan Miller
G	Marc-Andre Fluery	Negociations between Fluery and the Pens have been ongoing and reports are that they aren't close to a deal. Theres time but I wouldn't hold my breath.
G	Jonathan Bernier	It would certainly be a surprise if The Leafs allow Bernier to walk but media in Toronto has released reports that the goalie is unhappy with management and the fans

 

[son of sam99 10]

Detroit Red Wings 2015 Restricted Free Agents
Pos	Player	Previous Contract Sum
LW	G. Nyquist	$840,000
RW	V. Tarasenko	$1,585,000
D	B. Smith	$1,145,000
LW	J. Shalla	$610,000
RW	T. Pulkkinnen	$900,000
RW	T. Parkes	$550,000
C	J. Andersson	$735,000
C	L. Aubrey	$625,000
RW	Callahan	$610,000
D	Nicastro	$925,000

 

 

 

 

 

Detroit Red Wings 2015 Unrestricted Free Agents
Pos	Player	Previous Contract Sum
LW	J. Tootoo	$1,900,000
C	D. Helm	$4,275,000
RW	M. Frolik	$1,630,000
G	P. Mrazek	$790,000

[son of sam99 10]

 

Entry: July 20^th, 2015

 

            The entry draft is done, resigning period over and most of the big names that are going to be signed before the start of the season have inked new contracts. The “free agent bonanza” that all of the pundits were predicting never really came to fruition as most of the big names resigned with their current teams.

 

            For better or worse the NHL has become a league of holding assets. The only way to pry a star from another franchise is to offer up a glut of prospects or draft picks allowing your potential trade partner to cut salary while still promising a bright future to their fans and owners.

 

            I’m not sure if this is because GMs don’t want to take great risk or if they’re too worried about losing a player who could give the team a chance at a deep playoff run. Personally I worry more about missing out on a deal that could bring a new player in that could be the missing piece to bring home another cup.

 

            Anyway just about all of the post season moves we made are broken down below. 

 

 

 

[son of sam99 10]

 

Free Agency Provides Little Change Among Stars

-          Same Team, New Contract:

o   Jonathan Toews (Chicago) 6 years $10.63m

o   Vladimir Tarasenko (Detroit) 3 years $4m

o   Mike Green (Washington) 2 years $5.4m

o   David Krejci (Boston) 2 years $6.33m

o   Kyle Okposo (NYI) 5 years $6.125m

o   Jordan Staal (Carolina) 8 years $6m

o   Carl Hagelin (NYR) 4 years $3.54m

o   Bobby Ryan (Ottawa) 4 years $6.295m

o   Jason Spezza (Ottawa) 7 years $6.2m

o   Craig Anderson (Ottawa) 3 years $6.650m

o   Viktor Fasth (Buffalo) 2 years $5.77m

o   Marc-Andre Fluery (Pittsburgh) 4 years $5.08m

 

-          New Mailing Address

o   Jonthan Bernier (Detroit) 4 years $6.1m

o   Patrick Kane (Dallas) 3 years $9.735m

[son of sam99 10]

September 25th, 2015

 

 

A View from the GM's Box

 

By Larry Wilson

 

Detroit MI-     With the NHL training camps well underway and the puck ready to drop on the 2015-16 regular season in a little less than three weeks I had a chance to sit down with Red Wings General Manager Rick Watkins.

 

Watkins took over the General Manager duties for the Red Wings two seasons ago and has quickly earned the reputation as a shrewd negotiator who never sees his roster as a finished product.

Over an enlightening three hours we covered everything from the current roster to the hot dogs served inside the executive suite at Joe Lewis Arena. Below are the highlights from our conversation.

 

Larry Wilson: Let’s talk about how you came into the job as the top executive in the Red Wings front office. I’m sure that was a shock to one day become the GM.

 

Rick Watkins: It absolutely was. There was so much turmoil because I was excited to achieve basically what I’d set out for and excited for the challenges but nervous for Ken who had really been a mentor for several years and he’d built an amazing franchise that suddenly it’s my job to protect and foster. I just had to have confidence in my decisions and run the team the way I knew best and fortunately it’s worked out well.

 

LW: And now Ken is healthy and has come on as a part time advisor?

 

RW: Yes Ken has gotten a clean bill of health but it’s been his decision to limit his working hours. We’re lucky as an organization to have him involved in any capacity and I’m lucky to have him as a sounding board. When he first came back in the current capacity he told me he was here to help the team, not to run the team and that was a great vote of confidence in my abilities.

 

LW: How do you look at the roster now ahead of the 2015-16 season?

 

RW: I’m extremely excited for the coming season, probably more so than I ever have been at the beginning of any season since I’ve been around the game. The skill and size we were able to bring in… I mean the offseason probably couldn’t have gone any better.

 

LW: So all this talent will be in the hands of a brand new coach, Jeff Blashill. How do you look at his leadership of the team?

 

RW: We’re very excited to have Jeff behind the bench. His leadership, we think, will be a big plus for the team, when we started to develop contingency planning if Coach Babcock didn’t stay with the team, from that moment we had Jeff’s name at the top of the list. While the makeup of this team includes several veterans we also have many young guys, a lot of which Jeff coached directly at the AHL level. And the response from the players has been fantastic, the guys who haven’t played directly under Jeff have certainly worked with him in some capacity as he’s around our franchise for a while now. There will be an adjustment period but everyones been very positive about his promotion.

 

LW: Do you think the team can make a run at the cup?

 

RW: I’m 100% confidant this team can make a cup run! We’ve got the blend I’ve talked about of youth and experience, added to the very talented guys we already had on the blue line, and added a top notch net minder… I just hope the fans are as excited as I am for the coming season.

 

LW: You’ve earned the reputation of a shrewd negotiator, someone who isn’t afraid to make a deal, and someone who isn’t afraid to deal any single player. Is that something you’re proud of?

 

RW: Well I hope people think of me as fair first of all. When I’m working on a deal with another GM I’m not looking to fleece them, I’m looking for an agreeable deal which will benefit both teams. Say if they’ve got some cap space and I’m looking to cut salary for some reason or another then let’s find something that works for both of us. I don’t know if I’m proud of that reputation but if it results in the Red Wings winning a couple more Stanley Cups then yes I suppose I would be proud of it.

 

LW: How do you attract players when trying to get them to resign or come to the team as a free agent?

 

RW: It’s not hard really, the Red Wings as you know have a rich history of winning the fans are knowledgeable about the players and the game as a whole, and they pack the house nightly. And playing in a great building as Joe Louis Arena which is a great facility doesn’t hurt. That being said we’re starting to use the new building as an attraction as well! When we were working this past offseason to get Vlad Tarasenko signed long term I made sure to bring up the new building and the state of the art facility that it will be while at the table.

 

LW: I know fans are excited for the opening of the new arena in 2017, are players and the office staff looking forward to it as well?

 

RW:     We’re all very excited for it. It will be a sad day for sure when the Red Wings play their final game at The Joe but the new building will just be spectacular from top to bottom. It’s going to be a great addition to the city of Detroit and the Red Wings will work hard to make it a place where no other NHL team comes in and thinks they can win!

[son of sam99 10]

October 5th 2015

 

Red Wings Season Preview

Detroit, MI-

Probable Line Parings

 

FWD 1: Abdelkader - Datsyuk - Taresenko

FWD 2: Sheahan -  Zetterberg - Franzen

FWD 3: Nyquist - Andersson - Clutterbuck

FWD 4: Miller – Weiss – Frolik

 

With Vladimir Tarasenko back and healthy after his wrist injury in the playoffs last year we can expect the top line to lead the way in scoring as long as the aging magic man Pavel Datsyuk can stay on the ice most of the season. Riley Sheahan will be expected to step up his game as the young centerman will be skating on the left alongside the captain Henrik Zetterberg and the Mule Johan Franzen. Shehan has been lauded for his high energy level and nose for the puck, he’ll be given a lot of chances to show those attributes this season.

 

Joakim Anderssson is the freshest face among the bottom six forwards as he’ll lead the third line with Cal Clutterbuck and Gustav Nyquist. Drew Miller is maybe the biggest surprise to be active on opening night as he was a healthy scratch nearly all of last season only filling in when injuries required. He’s paird with Stephen Weiss and Michael Frolik.

 

DEF 1: Kronwall - Quincey

DEF 2: Smith - Tinordi

DEF 3: Kindl – Ellerby

 

Two new defenseman will step up into the opening night roster; Jarred Tinordi and Keeton Ellerby add major size to the lineup standing at 6’6” and 6’5” respectively. Beyond the new hires its business as usual for Niklas Kronwall, Kyle Quincey, and Jakub Kindl. Kronwall once again begins the season as a favorite for the Norris Trophy and Brandon Smith will shoot to have a breakout season after the franchise rewarded him with a 4 year $17 million contract.

 

 Goalies: Bernier – Elliot

 

Jonathan Bernier signed a four year $24 million contract with the Wings as an unrestricted free agent and was handed the starting job between the pipes this past off season. To the media the young net minder is excited to have the opportunity to show the team made the right call opening up their wallet to sign a top flight keeper. In the process of acquiring Bernier, former starter Brian Elliot has be slotted into the backup roll and he’s made it clear that he doesn’t want to be in that position very long “I’ve been a backup before and it’s not ideal, you always want to be out on the ice making a difference. I’ll be ready when my number is called to show the league that I should be a starter.”

 

AHLers to Watch For

 

With Sheahan and Andersson in Detroit the Grand Rapids Griffins will look to a new crop of players to carry the squad to another Calder Cup playoff berth.

 

Corey Emmerton and Landon Ferraro are expected to share the roll of leader to the team and team executives are high on both centers, expecting them to be in the NHL sooner than later. Anthony Mantha and Teemu Pulkkinen will be the top call ups when the Wings need spot starts. “Both those guys are right there, ready to contribute at the highest level.” Rick Watkins said about the pair of wingers.

 

Defensive stalwarts Brian Lashoff and Xavier Oulett will start the season in Grand Rapids but it is widely assumed that both will see significant ice time in Detroit as well this year.

 

No McDavid

 

Fans looking to catch a glimpse of the franchise’s most recent super prospect, Connor McDavid, will have to wait another season to see the young star donning the winged wheel. The front office has elected to send the young playmaker back to the juniors to develop for one more year before seeing if he can compete professionally. McDavid will play for the Erie Otters for the fourth year in a row where in 2014-15 he accrued 120 points and won CHL player of the year.

[son of sam99 10]

Detroit Red Wings 2015-16 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 11	at Buffalo Sabres
Oct 14	vs New Jersey Devils
Oct 16	at New York Islanders
Oct 17	at New York Rangers
Oct 21	vs Philadelphia Flyers
Oct 23	at New Jersey Devils
Oct 23	at Vancouver Canucks
Oct 27	vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Oct 29	vs Carolina Hurricanes
Oct 31	at Washington Capitals
Nov 2	at Florida Panthers
Nov 5	vs Florida Panthers
Nov 7	vs Ottawa Senators
Nov 8	vs Montreal Canadiens
Nov 10	vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Nov 12	at Tampa Bay Lightning
Nov 14	at Edmonton Oilers
Nov 16	at Arizona Coyotes
Nov 18	vs Vancouver Canucks
Nov 21	vs Calgary Flames
Nov 24	at Toronto Maple Leafs
Nov 26	at Boston Bruins
Nov 28	at Buffalo Sabres
Nov 30	vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Dec 1	vs Dallas Stars
Dec 3	vs Nashville Predators
Dec 6	vs Winnipeg Jets
Dec 10	at Winnipeg Jets
Dec 12	at St. Louis Blues
Dec 14	at Nashville Predators
Dec 15	vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Dec 18	vs Washington Capitals
Dec 20	at Pittsburgh Penguins
Dec 21	at Philadelphia Flyers
Dec 25	vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Dec 27	vs Boston Bruins
Dec 28	vs Buffalo Sabres
Dec 31	at Columbus Blue Jackets
Jan 2	vs Boston Bruins
Jan 4	vs Buffalo Sabres
Jan 6	at Toronto Maple Leafs
Jan 8	vs Minnesota Wild
Jan 9	vs St. Louis Blues
Jan 12	vs Chicago Blackhawks
Jan 14	at Los Angeles Kings
Jan 18	at Minnesota Wild
Jan 19	vs Dallas Stars
Jan 24	vs ALL STAR GAME
Jan 26	vs Colorado Avalanche
Jan 28	at Calgary Flames
Jan 30	at Anaheim Ducks
Feb 1	at Edmonton Oilers
Feb 5	vs Florida Panthers
Feb 8	at Chicago Blackhawks
Feb 10	at Ottawa Senators
Feb 12	at Montreal Canadiens
Feb 15	at Carolina Hurricanes
Feb 16	vs New York Rangers
Feb 18	at Columbus Blue Jackets
Feb 20	vs San Jose Sharks
Feb 21	vs Anaheim Ducks
Feb 23	at Colorado Avalanche
Feb 29	at San Jose Sharks
Mar 2	vs Arizona Coyotes
Mar 4	vs TRADE DEADLINE
Mar 5	vs Los Angeles Kings
Mar 7	at Tampa Bay Lightning
Mar 9	at Boston Bruins
Mar 10	at Buffalo Sabres
Mar 13	vs New York Islanders
Mar 15	vs New York Rangers
Mar 17	vs New Jersey Devils
Mar 20	at New York Islanders
Mar 22	at Washington Capitals
Mar 23	vs Philadelphia Flyers
Mar 26	at Carolina Hurricanes
Mar 27	at Pittsburgh Penguins
Mar 29	at Florida Panthers
Apr 1	vs Ottawa Senators
Apr 3	vs Montreal Canadiens
Apr 6	at Montreal Canadiens
Apr 8	vs Florida Panthers
Apr 10	at Ottawa Senators
Apr 12	vs Toronto Maple Leafs

[son of sam99 10]

[son of sam99 10]

 

Entry: November 1^st, 2015

 

            It’s been all offense for the team in the first month of the season. Not exactly what I had in mind when we acquired two new defenseman (Ellerby & Tindori) and signed Jonathan Bernier to a $6 million contract in the offseason. We’re winning a lot of 5-4 games which is simply unsustainable.

 

            The good news is that Datsyuk and Tarasenko are soaring out of the gate and we’re also getting very solid help from fourth liners Drew Miller and Stephen Weiss on the scoring end. I feel silly seeing how well Weiss is playing considering we were bending over backward trying to trade the guy all offseason. We’re putting all kinds of pressure consistently on opposing defenses and goaltenders but once again struggling to clear the puck from our own zone which creates more chances for the other team.

 

            Bernier isn’t helped by the inability to get it out of our zone but he’s also letting in a lot of soft goals. I don’t want to complain too much as the team ended the month 7-3 but that’s while allowing an even three goals per game and that number has got to get down.

 

            With a new coach and several new pieces in our defensive zone I’m willing to give the boys a pass for a while. Soon enough though this all offense, no defense style has got to change.

[son of sam99 10]

Detroit Red Wings October 2015-16 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 11	at Buffalo Sabres	Won, 5-2
Oct 14	vs New Jersey Devils	Lost, 5-4
Oct 16	at New York Islanders	Won, 8-2
Oct 17	at New York Rangers	Lost, 5-4
Oct 21	vs Philadelphia Flyers	Won, 4-3
Oct 23	at New Jersey Devils	Lost, 5-4
Oct 23	at Vancouver Canucks	Won, 4-3
Oct 27	vs Columbus Blue Jackets	Won, 5-2
Oct 29	vs Carolina Hurricanes	Won, 3-2
Oct 31	at Washington Capitals	Lost, 4-1

[son of sam99 10]