Red Wings Rumblings
Happy Friday everyone — hope your Halloween was spooky and enjoyable. You know what’s really spooky right now? The Detroit Red Wings. They got their asses whooped by the Jets Wednesday night, and while Winnipeg is the NHL’s top team right now, I found that game to be pretty deflating as a fan.
I’ve seen a whole boatload of discourse on social media. Kinda seems like the hornet’s nest has already been kicked and we’re just starting November. I’m not seeing much nuance from fan opinion — it’s either they want everyone fired and traded or they are blissfully confident that this isn’t what this team is. I’m somewhere in the middle, I guess. I think this team is underachieving but also believe that the culprit to that lies somewhere in the front office. Yes, something needs to change, but I don’t think it’s the GM. Pro scouting has emerged as a major weakness for this team, so I think it could be time for a little housekeeping there. What this team needs right now, especially as we’ve been in a “rebuild” for more than half-a-decade, are new minds and fresh voices that come from OUTSIDE of the franchise.
That’s right — no friends, no family, and no alumni. It’s crystal clear that nepotism is present in this front office and hey, maybe it’s a non-issue at the end of the day… But after swing-and-miss signings like Justin Holl (though to his credit, he has been OK this season), Erik Gustafsson, and underwhelming players like Andrew Copp, it just seems that the approach and ideaology is no good.
Good news is that the Wings have had a lot of time to work out kinks this week before they play Buffalo tomorrow at LCA. Hopefully they can turn the page on October and start November with some momentum and get this mess cleaned up. Otherwise this is going to be a looooooong and less-than-enjoyable season.
Anyway, thanks for coming to my TED Talk. Please enjoy these Red Wings players in their Halloween getup:
Around the NHL
Leafs ship Liljegren to San Jose
Seems like every team is trading its troubled players to San Jose these days!
Projected USA Roster for 4 Nations Face-Off
Dylan Larkin included.
Ovechkin on Pace to Break Gretzky Record
858 career goals — and you know what? I think he’s gonna do it. If anyone can, it’s Alex Ovechkin.
