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Wings heavy on blue line
General manager Ken Holland said this morning that the Red Wings will carry eight defensemen again next season. Holland said that if unrestricted free agents Brad Stuart and Andreas Lilja both sign with Detroit, the Red Wings will have "10 NHL defensemen." That figure includes the eight that Detroit had on its roster through this season -- Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Stuart, Lilja, Brett Lebda, Chris Chelios and Derek Meech. Holland also labeled prospects Kyle Quincey and Jonathan Ericsson as NHL defensemen, then said that prospect Jakub Kindl will be an NHLer, but is "young."
On signing top-four defenseman Stuart, Holland said that he'll make the blue-liner an offer between now and the draft in Ottawa, June 20.
"Ultimately, a determining factor has to be money," said Holland. "In most times when I announce a contract, I say that the player could have gotten more on the open market. People take less because they want to be here. ... People who like playing with good players are prepared to sacrifice financially, they're prepared to sacrifice ice time. Certainly my indications are that Stuey is prepared to make some sacrifices to come here."
"I've got to get his thoughts, he's got to get my thoughts. Are we in the same ballpark? My feeling is the minute I go out and step out of the team philosophy, we no longer have a team philosophy. We've got to come up with a new philosophy. We'd like to keep him, but he's got to buy into the Red Wing philosophy."
That, to me, sounds like something has to change before Brad Stuart signs with the Red Wings. And on the same day that Ken Holland says that he has 10 NHL defensemen and another in the wings (so to speak), I'm thinking that Stuart won't be back. Just a guess.
On signing top-four defenseman Stuart, Holland said that he'll make the blue-liner an offer between now and the draft in Ottawa, June 20.
"Ultimately, a determining factor has to be money," said Holland. "In most times when I announce a contract, I say that the player could have gotten more on the open market. People take less because they want to be here. ... People who like playing with good players are prepared to sacrifice financially, they're prepared to sacrifice ice time. Certainly my indications are that Stuey is prepared to make some sacrifices to come here."
"I've got to get his thoughts, he's got to get my thoughts. Are we in the same ballpark? My feeling is the minute I go out and step out of the team philosophy, we no longer have a team philosophy. We've got to come up with a new philosophy. We'd like to keep him, but he's got to buy into the Red Wing philosophy."
That, to me, sounds like something has to change before Brad Stuart signs with the Red Wings. And on the same day that Ken Holland says that he has 10 NHL defensemen and another in the wings (so to speak), I'm thinking that Stuart won't be back. Just a guess.
posted by Chuck Pleiness at
6:33 PM
4 Comments:
:*(
I want stewie.
I dont want lilja.
I want Bg Rig and Quincey.
it looks like i may not get any of this.
I think the Stuart/Kronwall pair looked great on the ice together. I'd like to see Stuart back. Look at his stats — he had a "career few months" in Detroit. I think that translates into a "career career" for the future if he stays, and I hope he thinks the same.
I hope Holland's "indications... that Stuey is prepared to make some sacrifices" is the key. Detroit will be ok without him, but I think they'll be more ok with him.
I would like him to come back, too. I think he played well as a Wing and excelled in the role given to him, but I think it's the non-hockey factors that are the biggest influence on his decision to stay (i.e., does he want to move his family to Detroit, does he want to be a No. 4 defenseman, is the price too low, etc.?).
That's troubling because i really thought that Stuart was the final peace to the puzzle on D. I would try and get rid of Lilja...
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