We have: Bert, Brunner, Dats, Flipp, Z, Mule, Cleary, Helm, Eaves, Miller, Tootoo, Nyqvist, Tatar, Andersson, Emmerton, Mursak and Sammy. I guess Abdelkader will be resigned and Eaves is still injured?
And then we have players like Tatar/Brunner/Mursak/random youngster from AHL that could surprise.
The 1st line is good. Nyqvist i think is ready. Second line aka the swedish connection. Sammy is still good. 28 points in 48 games with Florida and 5 points in 7 playoff games and the season before that he had 50 points in 75 games. 3rd line is one of the best 3rd lines in NHL. Veteran gritty line that can play some hockey also. 4rd line have 2 physical, fast wingers and Emmerton with good defence skills.
Kronwall - White
Quincey - Smith
Ericsson - Kindl
Kronwall is Lidstrom junior and we all known how good White was last season with Lidstrom. Smith needs to get a proper chance, Quincey will be Stuart light. Ericsson and Kindl is a good 3rd paring, two big physical guys with chemistry AND potential.
Howard
Monster
Great starting goalie and great backup.
Our team aren't as bad as it seems.
A thread like this in August is kind of silly, i know. But who cares.
I thought about making some lines but it's just too hard at this point. And I think we're going to see our lines juggled anyway especially early on. There's just too many variables. Can Cleary get over the injury? Because he was awful last year and I fear that even before the injury I saw small signs of a downswing. Can Franzen not ruin every shift he plays with turnovers, poor passing and no effort? Because it won't matter what line he's on if he's still doing that. Watching Pav try to get a decent shift out of him was like watching him plunge a needle into a stone expecting blood. Are Nyquist and Brunner top six ready? Is Tootoo going to play beside Helm and not be wasted with Emmerton and Abdelkader? What about Bert, who will he click with? He's not a third line style guy especially if we try to force him beside a speed player or two.
The biggest thing for us isn't lines, we're extremely skilled and almost any line can work as long as we're moving our feet and trying. All we have to do is look back a few years to as early as even the 08 finals for example. We moved with a purpose, everyone had energy, everyone got open, no one was lazing around. That's absolutely, bar none, no doubt in my mind our hugest issue. Our biggest hurdle to overcome. If we try, we won't have many problems. But all it takes is one guy per line to dog it and we're screwed. Effort and energy can overcome pretty much anything with an adequate level of skill, especially today, and we obviously have more than enough. Look at 02, we busted our ***** and won. 03? Same skill, absolutely no drive at all. 04-06, same deal. Skill out the ass, but no will to move our feet. We won in 08 and came close the year before and the year after (and should've won) because we moved with a purpose. Now we're letting bums like SJ beat us because we can't bring ourselves to skate hard.
People seem worried about Sammy being a top-6 forward, but I really think that between Sammy, Cleary and Bertuzzi...plus Tatar, Nyquist and Brunner potentially being a top-6 talent this season, I think they'll be good. I think our forward depth is pretty solid and a little competition for top-line minutes is always a good thing, so long as Babcock doesn't let things get stagnant.
The negativity brigade likes to bring up how D & Z are one year older, but so are Tatar and Nyquist. Even though we didn't get a top-6 star forward like many of us (myself included) wanted, we're still a deeper team with the additions of Tootoo and the youngsters. Brunner is a total wildcard, but there's always the chance that he's legit.
People seem worried about Sammy being a top-6 forward, but I really think that between Sammy, Cleary and Bertuzzi...plus Tatar, Nyquist and Brunner potentially being a top-6 talent this season, I think they'll be good. I think our forward depth is pretty solid and a little competition for top-line minutes is always a good thing, so long as Babcock doesn't let things get stagnant.
The negativity brigade likes to bring up how D & Z are one year older, but so are Tatar and Nyquist. Even though we didn't get a top-6 star forward like many of us (myself included) wanted, we're still a deeper team with the additions of Tootoo and the youngsters. Brunner is a total wildcard, but there's always the chance that he's legit.
The 6th man in our top 6 is a pure wild card. Might as well call that spot 'the joker'. As far as the depth comment. I wouldn't say we've got depth, but we've got warm bodies. I'll wait and see how the kids produce before saying we're a deep team.
We potentially have a good top 6 line up. Datysuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Filppula are all proven to be top 6ers. Then Nyquist if he added some lower body strength I think we can say he is a 2nd line player and Brunner is the guy who could be also. I think not, but hey if he is great! Only problem with that top six is only one player with size. It'd work for now.
Filppula- Datsyuk- Brunner
Nyquist- Zetterberg- Franzen
Cleary- Helm- Samuelsson
Abdelkader- Emmerton- Tootoo
Bertuzzi, Eaves, Miller and Mursak all rotate in.
People seem worried about Sammy being a top-6 forward, but I really think that between Sammy, Cleary and Bertuzzi...plus Tatar, Nyquist and Brunner potentially being a top-6 talent this season, I think they'll be good. I think our forward depth is pretty solid and a little competition for top-line minutes is always a good thing, so long as Babcock doesn't let things get stagnant.
The negativity brigade likes to bring up how D & Z are one year older, but so are Tatar and Nyquist. Even though we didn't get a top-6 star forward like many of us (myself included) wanted, we're still a deeper team with the additions of Tootoo and the youngsters. Brunner is a total wildcard, but there's always the chance that he's legit.
You're going to be in for a rude awakening when Nyquist starts the year as a healthy scratch then is used by Babcock on the 4th line with 6 minutes a night. Nevermind Tatar getting extended time. Not saying I agree with it, but there are already articles saying Nyquist may be a callup again. If true, I feel like it would be an absolute slap in the face, but not unsurprising given how the Wings have operated the past few years.
Last edited by CloneHakanPlease*: 08-08-2012 at 12:39 AM.
You're going to be in for a rude awakening when Nyquist starts the year as a healthy scratch then is used by Babcock on the 4th line with 6 minutes a night. Nevermind Tatar getting extended time. Not saying I agree with it, but there are already articles saying Nyquist may be a callup again, which if true, would be an absolute slap in the face, but not out of the reach given our past few years...
I really hope that Kenny and Babs are not that stubborn to start Nyquist in the 'A' next year...especially if he has a great camp again.
This team needs more skill and speed in our top-six. I dread watching another minute of Pav trying to work his magic while Bert and Mule float around on his wings.
I really hope that Kenny and Babs are not that stubborn to start Nyquist in the 'A' next year...especially if he has a great camp again.
This team needs more skill and speed in our top-six. I dread watching another minute of Pav trying to work his magic while Bert and Mule float around on his wings.
I know, I'm having nightmares too. I may **** on Babcock's lawn if Nyquist isn't getting top 6 minutes by game 20. And I'm only semi kidding, he lives in the sub over lol.
I seriously want to see these articles about Gus starting in the minors...I haven't seen anything...
99% sure it was posted in the offseason thread, but it was a Mlive article around 2 weeks ago. I'll try to find it. Babcock's wording in it suggested that he may want Nyquist to get top minutes in the AHL instead of getting 8 a night in the big show. I'll look for it and edit it.
We lost Stuart, Lidstrom, and Hudler. We added Tootoo, Samuelsson, and Brunner.
Going into the offseason we needed an additional top 6 forward, a top 2 defenseman, and a pk specialist. None of those holes were plugged.
Our team was a 5th seed team who was dominated in the first round last year.
We got worse. Unless our rookies step up in a big way, and/or if Babcock is able to rally this team in a big way, next year will likely only continue the signs of regression we've seen from our roster the gradually over the last three seasons.
I predict we'll finish as a 6th seed. Behind Chicago, St. Louis, and possibly Nashville, depending how they do with the loss of Ryan Suter.
We lost Stuart, Lidstrom, and Hudler. We added Tootoo, Samuelsson, and Brunner.
Going into the offseason we needed an additional top 6 forward, a top 2 defenseman, and a pk specialist. None of those holes were plugged.
Our team was a 5th seed team who was dominated in the first round last year.
We got worse. Unless our rookies step up in a big way, and/or if Babcock is able to rally this team in a big way, next year will likely only continue the signs of regression we've seen from our roster the gradually over the last three seasons.
I predict we'll finish as a 6th seed. Behind Chicago, St. Louis, and possibly Nashville, depending how they do with the loss of Ryan Suter.
We got deeper up front by adding Sammy, Brunner and Tootoo (also will have Nyquist up full-time hopefully) which was a goal going into the off-season.
We brought in a very intriguing back-up for Jimmy which was another need.
I think we will finish ahead of Nashville and Chicago. St. Louis likely will maintain their pace that they had last season.
We are now deeper and more balanced than NSH and CHI and the Hawks still don't have a goalie. Let's not forget that they didn't do anything at all this off-season after getting knocked off in the first round for the second consecutive season in a row. Nashville downgraded, assuming that their youngsters don't set the world on fire.
Nyquist is ready. We're not exactly in a cushy enough position to let him play top minutes against AHLers. He's ready and we're worse in the top six than we were last year.
I have a feeling we're going to stubbornly shoehorn someone less talented but more experienced into the top six. I've been patient with this for years, I've understood the purpose, but I think now is the time to change.
We got deeper up front by adding Sammy, Brunner and Tootoo (also will have Nyquist up full-time hopefully) which was a goal going into the off-season.
We brought in a very intriguing back-up for Jimmy which was another need.
I think we will finish ahead of Nashville and Chicago. St. Louis likely will maintain their pace that they had last season.
We are now deeper and more balanced than NSH and CHI and the Hawks still don't have a goalie. Let's not forget that they didn't do anything at all this off-season after getting knocked off in the first round for the second consecutive season in a row. Nashville downgraded, assuming that their youngsters don't set the world on fire.
I see us as a 4-5 seed again.
Sammy = Hudler
Brunner may not be ready for the NHL, may need a year in Grand Rapids.
Tootoo is another bottom 6 player, albeit some sandpaper we needed, a marginal improvement.
The monster won't bolster our flawed team which has regressed severely defensively and with our offensive woes not addressed that we needed addressed last season.
It's possible we finish ahead of Chicago and Nashville who either stagnated or regressed as we have, but I have a feeling we will be behind at least one of those two. 6th is still my prediction.
99% sure it was posted in the offseason thread, but it was a Mlive article around 2 weeks ago. I'll try to find it. Babcock's wording in it suggested that he may want Nyquist to get top minutes in the AHL instead of getting 8 a night in the big show. I'll look for it and edit it.
IMO this speculation could have been based on a scenario where we would have got some big name TOP6 forwards from free agency.
As for now, we didn't get anybody, so there's a big role open for Nyquist in NHL. Give him big minutes at Detroit and give the big AHL-minutes for some other prospect and everybody wins.
99% sure it was posted in the offseason thread, but it was a Mlive article around 2 weeks ago. I'll try to find it. Babcock's wording in it suggested that he may want Nyquist to get top minutes in the AHL instead of getting 8 a night in the big show. I'll look for it and edit it.
In the interview that was posted on FSNDetroit's website, Babcock said that the only guys he expects to make the team are Smith and Nyquist, but anyone else is welcome to earn a spot on the roster. That was before free agency opened, but we really didn't add much, so I doubt much has changed.
I don't hate that forward lineup. Bit short on PKers though, and the idea of playing Z and Dats regularly on shorthanded shifts doesn't thrill me. At the very least I'd sub out Emmerton for Miller, even though it means moving Abdelkader back to C.
The one guy I hate seeing on the roster at this point is Bertuzzi. That spot would be much better used to get a proper look at Brunner or Mursak IMO.
I'm not a fan of having Franzen with Datsyuk. I've always remembered him playing better with Z. Filppula and Z had great chemistry last season, so I don't see why they would break something up that works.
Nyquist looked good with Datsyuk, he just needs a consistent amount of games to develop something. There is no reason why Brunner and Nyquist could both play if the prove themselves. Brunner isn't a rookie who has no pro experience, so he just needs to adapt to the NA game. If Brunner doesn't work, just put Samuelsson and Bertuzzi on RW.
I agree with the 3rd line.
For the 4th line, I wonder if they can include Abdelkader in a deal for Volchenkov. I don't see it happening, but Andersson and Sheahan could easily replace him as 4th line C. And we need one more D.
With no moves:
Nyquist - Datsyuk - Brunner
Filppula - Zetterberg - Franzen
Bertuzzi - Helm - Samuelsson
Cleary - Abdelkader - Tootoo
Miller, Eaves (IR?), Mursak, Emmerton (at least one or two need to go. Waivers? Trade?)
Kronwall - White
Quincey - Smith
Ericsson - Kindl
Lashoff?
