OT: Wings key players reveal injuries during Chicago series
the criticism of Holland in this thread is insanity.
Look around the NHL and look at all the teams that are Elite. All of them have had MULTIPLE YEARS of futility because of cap hell or waiting for their kids to develop. Ken Holland has kept this team competent and at least treading water WHILE developing the next crop. In an ideal world no, you don't sign Carlo or Sammy or Tootoo but right now those were their options. they're in between talent waves and we're making due until the next wave is in their prime and NHL ready. Lots of teams try to fill holes with FAs and trades...that doesn't work. The NHL model is approaching the NFL model: draft and develop your talent or wallow in the depths of the standings. The Wings are AWESOME at those two...Free Agents and trades are nice additions but if you're looking to secure your future through that avenue, you're failing.
In the next few years we're going to see (hopefully) the core of Z/Pasha/Nick/big E/Howie joined by Frk, Ferraro, Tatar, Mursak, etc. Right now we've got a year or two (including this one) of biding time until those guys are ready. Taking the #1 seed in the playoffs to the brinks and losing because of a deflected OT winner is hardly anything to be upset about.
Flash back to two years ago: the Wings were the old, slow, but experienced and savvy team in the playoffs that teams could out speed and out muscle. Now they're the fast, young, inexperienced but difficult team to play against. They did this on the fly without missing a beat. No one in this game has done that. Listen to NHL Network Radio or CBC or anyone who understands hockey and is plugged into the league. Holland has created the model that other teams are trying to follow. He drafts better, he manages the cap better and he's got coaches and scouts in place to develop better than anyone else. Ken Holland is a fucking wizard and if you can't see that then I'm sorry, I have nothing else I can say to you.
You hit the nail on the head. Look at the two best teams in the nhl right now, the Hawks and Pens. They both SUCKED from about 2002 to 2006. In fact, in the two seasons surrounding the lockout season, Pittsburgh finished in last place in the East both seasons while the Hawks were last in the West in 04 and 14th in 06. The Hawks didn't make the playoffs between 2003 and 2008. Who did these teams use their high draft picks on during these years of futility? Penguins: Marc-Andre Fleury (2003 1st overall) Evgeni Malkin (2004 2nd) Sidney Crosby (2005 1st) and Jordan Staal (2006 2nd). Hawks: Brent Seabrook (2003 14th), Jonathan Toews (2006 3rd) and Pat Kane (2007 1st), with David Bolland and Duncan Keith as 2nd round picks. Not a bad list of players. And if you look up and down the rosters of these teams, most of their players (stars or role guys) came out of the draft.
The lesson here is that in today's salary cap drafting and developing players is the most important aspect of your program. It's well documented how good the Wings are at this, with Z, Datsyuk, Franzen, and Ericsson all being very low picks. Gone are the days when the Wings could sign Luc Robitaille to the 4th line. In fact, I believe the Wings payroll in that 2002 season was around $65 million, which is more than the salary cap will be 11 YEARS later.
Going out and pulling in the big free agents or trades isn't a guarantee for success, just ask the Rangers, Wild, or Flyers (yes I know they made the Finals in 2011, but they've been madly inconsistent and their goaltender situation is a disaster). Doing this often mortages the future, and we've seen the last month or so, the Wings have some pieces coming in that make the future pretty bright.