Early on, Detroit was falling far below it's normal puck possession numbers, while also getting one of the best even strength save percentages in the league. This translated into winning despite being out-shot and out-chanced in most games. So the blown lead in Phoenix, the scoreless game against San Jose, and now the complete spanking at the hands of Ottawa were all overdue.
My hope is this losing streak will finally result in some tough decisions the team has put off. Detroit is over the salary cap and over the roster limit, but has been allowed to exceed those limits due to injuries. And I think that has actually hurt Detroit.
Give the kids a chance
The Red Wings have not dressed their best lineup yet this season.
Being over the roster limit has meant Gustav Nyquist started the season in Grand Rapids. Nyquist was one of the brightest revelations of the playoffs last year and proved he belongs in the NHL. Yet until Detroit moves some players Nyquist is stuck in the minors due to the fact that he's exempt from roster waivers (at least until he plays two more NHL games). So Nyquist continues to dominate the minors, where he has 7 points in 5 games, while Detroit struggles to get secondary scoring.
Another player who should be a staple of the lineup is Tomas Tatar. The 2013 AHL playoff MVP has had to ride the pine most of the year. But in the three games he has played, Tatar has consistently moved the play to the offensive zone, doubling up shot attempts for versus shot attempts against (14-7). And this is despite the fact that his shifts have started in the offensive zone only 27% of the time, third lowest among forwards on the team.
Tatar is 22, the age when most players enter their prime years. He played four full seasons in the AHL. Nyquist is 24! If these guys are not yet ready to play in the big show, then they never will be. Has Detroit kept Tatar out of the lineup simply to showcase other players who will eventually be traded? I sure hope that's the reasoning.
But who needs to go?
When the last season ended I assumed Drew Miller was done with the Red Wings, and I hoped Dan Cleary would follow him out the door.
I've got nothing against Miller really, he's a serviceable fourth-liner. He kills penalties. But the Red Wings fourth line has been getting killed in possession numbers the past few seasons. And our penalty kill hasn't exactly been lights out.
The real reason I thought Miller had to go was because Detroit had Patrick Eaves under contract and they're basically mirror images (right down to one shooting left and the other shooting right). On top of that, Detroit has young players in the system who can fill his role right now. But the Red Wings shocked me and signed Miller for another three years. OK, then!
My fear with Dan Cleary was that the Red Wings would offer him the contract he turned down from Philadelphia. Thank goodness he was tempted by it and waited until Detroit had no cap space left before he re-signed. A one-year deal under $2 million is much closer to fair value. I do think Cleary is taking minutes and power play time from young players, but given that he left around $6 million on the table by coming to Detroit, there's little question he'll be hanging around all season. I'm trying to be OK with this despite the fact that he's on pace to score 14 points for the season.
So with those two guys signed, and Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Alfredsson, and Weiss not going anywhere, who is left?
Cory Emmerton is already back to Grand Rapids where he belongs. And luckily Luke Glendening and Joakim Andersson have pretty much made certain he'll stay there.
I can't see the Red Wings trading Todd Bertuzzi. Although the old gangster is 38 and injury prone, he's still armed with great hands and a no trade clause. Our list is getting shorter.
The only remaining forwards to move are Patrick Eaves, Jordin Tootoo, Mikael Samuelsson. And each presents an obstacle to a trade.
Patrick Eaves is probably the most enticing of the three. He's only got a year left on his deal and is a solid third-fourth line player. But he hasn't been consistently healthy in three years. As I mentioned before, he's also redundant to Drew Miller. So the Wings will probably extend him for another three years.
Jordin Tootoo is a pugnacious energy guy who had ah good offensive year and doesn't seem to mind getting punched in the face by all the much bigger tough guys in the league. But man, he's getting almost $4 million from now until the end of next season. That's a good chunk of change for someone playing 6 minutes a night. If Detroit is able to deal Tootoo, I have a feeling the return will consist of retained salary and a conditional draft pick so conditional that it never actually materializes.
And finally Mikael Samuelsson. At least he's in a contract year? Unfortunately, that next contract is probably coming from the KHL. Sammy also has a no-trade clause, so he might just veto any move. It would not be shocking after the offseason rumors that said he planned to contest a contract buyout if Detroit tried anything.
Basically, what I'm trying to say is, who would want any of these guys? Ken Holland is in a tough spot now because he's cautiously waited and waited to let the prospects get into the lineup. While he waited he just couldn't resist tossing in an extra year for Bertuzzi, Samuelsson and Tootoo, and he couldn't stand parting with Miller or Cleary. But the waiting needs to stop, it's way past decision time.
No comments:
Post a Comment