These “analysts” have no idea what’s about to happen!

We’re gonna be sneaky this year. Sure we got Gibson, but we essentially (imho) added three difference makers within the last week with ASP, MBN, and Finnie. Which also allowed us to dump dead weight (Holl and Gus).

I’m not knocking the NHL-wide analysts, I’d also not be paying attention to the preseason of a perennial playoff missing team… but just very interesting to see how discounted we are!

One more sleep!

46 comments

  3. Tell me you have no ability to identify talent without telling me you have no ability to identify talent.

  5. In some ways all of these doomsday predictions by these “analysts” is a real motivator to prove these assholes wrong. Fuck ‘em. I think it’s definitely a good time to lay down some money with the bookmakers. Say $250 the Wings make the Stanley Cup finals. I think it’s currently 40 to one odds. Clear a cool $10 grand. Of course it’s very unlikely. Reward is commensurate with risk.

  8. I love the enthusiasm, but calling 3 unproven players “difference makers” is wild.

  9. I was bearish on the Red Wings over t he summer but the kids have gotten me excited again, as well as weakened Toronto and Florida teams. Steal enough points from them and we just might be able to squeeze into a playoff spot. I certainly don’t think NYR or the Caps are locks, for example, and Montreal and Ottawa are teams that could simply regress.

  10. Look, I’m more hopeful for the season if the rookies have some impact… But realistically this is the most accurate assessment. The team hasn’t changed dramatically from last year, and Gibson does seem always to be hurt.

    There’s reasons to be more hopeful, but we’ll see.

  11. I know it’s their job to be knowledgeable as a sports writer but outside of rostering like a top 3 pick sports writers are not gonna get hyped about adding 3 rookies to the roster no matter how well Stevie’s track record is for drafting talent.

  12. I mean, this is exceedingly the most likely scenario. a lotta you guys are beer-bonging the Kool aid right now. idk where you’ve been for the last decade but you might be setting yourselves up for tremendous anguish.

  13. This is about the most average, milquetoast opinion of the Wings you could get. Nothing they wrote is new, interesting, or *wrong.*

    Gibson has talent but has also not had the starts recently in his career for a variety of reasons. They named the big young bright spots in the lineup but yeah they’re absolutely right, if they don’t take steps this team just ain’t good enough. And when teams like Chicago and the Sharks exist it’s not bad enough either. 

    I’m excited about the three rookies but c’mon let’s be realistic. These are *rookie* rookies. I don’t think it’s realistic or fair to think they’re gonna come in and be big difference makers right away. I’m excited about them because of their potential and because they guys they’re replacing have none. They are what they are and what they are is not good. 

    This is a bubble team at best. For this season. You can’t really expect the Wings to beat out Tampa, Florida, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal for the divisional seeds.

  14. I love the position they are in. Nobody of the press seems to believe they are any good. They will raise some eyebrows imo. This team found some missing pieces in Finnie, ASP and MBN. They have grown mature, they have a great tandem in net and a coaching team willing to win. We need some PK and I don’t even think they need the wildcard. The 3rd spot is pretty much possible.

  15. These rookies are being underestimated. There is no way they will be as bad as the guys they replaced. The upside here is the veteran core is now in place, Larkin, Cat, Kane, Seider, Ed, Chariot ( yea I’m including him) Just who did they replace? Tarastinko, etc. all you guys will be on the bandwagon. It’s a shame wings didn’t get a lottery pick when they deserved it, so Stevie had to build it thru guys that were 2-3 years out. This season will be the most exciting in years. Enjoy it.

  16. If Detroit can get consistent goaltending, get their PK to at least middling, and continue to have an upward trajectory from their young players, I can see Detroit making the playoffs. Detroit’s atrocious PK sank their season.

  17. I guess sort of a fair analysis, lacks any meat on the bones though. I do take offence when Seider and Raymond aren’t talked about as legitimate stars. I think they’ve both proven that this is their level at a minimum. Kasper and Edvinsson, sure. Maybe one or both or neither of them could have a sophomore slump. Gibson’s injury proneness is a fair point too. Failing to mention the youth movement in Detroit shows that the writer doesn’t really follow the Wings that closely but following all 32 teams intensely is impossible.

    The Wings aren’t Tampa or Florida or Toronto, they aren’t a lock for the playoffs. Would be fun to compare what the writer had to say about Ottawa and Montreal. Those are the teams that Wings are competing against for a playoff spot.

  18. It almost seems like this guy has a grudge against us lol. I do hesitate to call the rookies difference makers, they are good they hustle but 82 NHL Games is a lot on unseasoned rookies. Our blue line will be the major factor in our possibility to show up in the playoffs this year.

  19. Even if you don’t know about the rookies, I think just getting rid of Tarasenko deserves a mention as an enormous step up for the team.

  20. These takes are akin to putting Goff at 8 or lower on best QB lists.

    Just paid shit posts by “analysts”

  21. We have what? 5 Yzerman first round picks on the team? Not enough talent my ass.

    Now there is no guarantee that talent translates to standings points, but that’s a whole different conversation.

  22. I’m not predicting how the season will go, but Espn doesn’t know shit about hockey.  

  23. Gibson’s inability to stay in the lineup:

    He’s played 40 or more games every single year except his rookie season, 2020-21 (Covid so basically played the equivalent of 51 GP), and last season. I believe he missed some games last season because of an appendectomy. So really don’t understand that argument.

    Don’t have enough talent to make the playoffs:

    Teams like Minnesota and St Louis have arguably similar talent and made the playoffs. Columbus and Calgary have arguably worse talent and almost made the playoffs. Heck, you can say Washington’s roster is middle of the pack but they made the playoffs because of great coaching and goaltending.

    Larkin, Raymond, Kane, DeBrincat, and Kasper are a solid top 6 group. Seider is a stud and Edvinsson is already a top 2 defensemen and one of the best young ones in the game. Expect Johansson to take a step and you have ASP as a wildcard. Plus you add in Gibson and the rookies’ potential.

    I get the defense core depth is suspect, but I feel like all these arguments are just poor surface level analysis just regurgitating what talking heads (who are trying to go viral) say.

  24. The wildcard(s) will be the rookies. I’m glad the youth movement is starting to take over and equally happy that some dead weight is gone as a result, but their impact over the course of a long season will be the biggest question mark. I’m optimistic though, especially now that we have a full season of Maclellan behind the bench.

  26. My issue is it seems no hockey writer wants to give any amount of critical thought on what Detroit could be, they just see a team, that is down the standings, not winning draft lotteries, and assume they stay there.

    No one thinks a full season of McClellan will change anything (they were a .583 Points % after the coaching change) If nothing has changed on the team as all writers say, why are we not talking about this team how it finished, not how bad they were to start the year.

    Detroit is the most under the radar team this year to the hockey world, and i really want to see what they can do over a full 82 games this season. Making the Playoffs is not a crazy belief to have

  28. I feel comfortable with Gibson in there, and if he does have to miss a stretch it gives Cossa to get more games in the NHL. So I’m not scared of how the season may play out for him with injuries.

  29. I think it’s always important to remind yourself that these days these analysts exist to drive clicks and engagement. That’s it. The quality of content is secondary, at the very best.

    Having said that, they are always going to favor the “known commodity”. The reality is that Florida is worse without Barkov and Tkachuk and Toronto is worse without Marner. There’s points to be had there. Boston will probably be better with a healthy McAvoy and Lindholm.

    As far as I’m concerned this division got less top heavy and both Boston and Buffalo SHOULD be better, leaving pretty much everything up for grabs. So it’s mostly accurate up until the last two sentences.

  31. >added three difference makers within the last week with ASP, MBN, and Finnie

    to be fair, we don’t know what kind of difference they will make at the NHL level yet

  32. I never take anything Greg says seriously. I like him because he’s a goofball but he has very surface level takes.

  33. There have not been amendments to the Yzerplan. It was and is a plan without a definite timeline. The plan was to build through player development and the draft. That is exactly what is happening. ESPN should stick to basketball.

  36. Looks like he wrote that “article” before training camp began. No mention of the youth infusion, or how much difference an entire season under Todd “Play Fuckin’ Hockey” McClellan will make. What a joke ESPN’s hockey coverage has become… I like The Athletic much, much more.
    LGRW 🐙

  37. Its hard to predict what will happen when they have rookies who they cant predict very precisely what kind of year they might have.

  38. 40% chance – That’s what I would give for the Red Wings making the playoffs. It’s also the same odds that ESPN will be renamed after some kind of online sports betting thing by the end of the season as well.

  39. We barely missed the playoffs with an older roster (none of which were valuable that were lost) than we do now, and rotating goalies with Cam Talbot who no longer be “the guy” nor has he ever truly been that in his career. All of that, without even factoring in we had the Idiot Uncle Fester behind the bench for the first half the season.

    If the Wings make it out of October and the tough schedule this month, with around or above .500 record, I’m all in on the playoffs. They absolutely cannot start slow however and dig themselves out of a hole.

  42. Spicy

    Sounds very lazy and cliché.

    I think that the real possibility is that people flip a switch on their Yzerplan bashing if the rookies come out like gangsters.

  44. Potential doesn’t equal results. And look at it from the outside: The Wings are putting a 20-year-old, 7th-round pick with a dozen or so pro games on their top line. That usually doesn’t scream “talented roster.”

  45. They forgot about when Todd took over how hot we got. I honestly blame a part of Larkin, Raymond disappearing to the Four Nations. I think while we have the Olympics, they know how to adjust and come back and stay hot now.

    Also, this made no mention of MBN, ASP or Finnie who I think will be more impactful than people think. Cossa being a third goalie for injuries has me more comfortable than most probably. I think he’s ready to take the next step.

    We were almost a playoff team with a week left. We cut dead weight, added youth and more consistent goaltending when healthy.

    LGRW 🔴🪽

  46. fuck I hate the forced use of ‘yzerplan’ and making it out to be like he promised a cup in Detroit within 10 years on his kid’s lives

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