Leonard recently made his debut for the Capitals and has thus far been pretty noticeable through his first 3 games. He's not a big player but he plays with an edge. He was one of the best college goal scorers in recent years having 61 goals and 109 points in 78 games.

I personally recall that 2023 draft year and being annoyed that we were tied with the Caps in points and that they edged us out by one spot in draft order. I also don't follow prospects much because to me, many fizzle out or never make the show so I don't really care about following them.

However I will remember feeling annoyed that Leonard was hyped up before the draft and was projected to go right before we had a pick at #9.

That 2023 draft seems to be loaded in talent. That was also the year that the Wings made a big jump in payroll which resulted in more points and worse draft picks.

I can't help but think of the "what if" questions had the Wings chose to not sign all those free agents, marginally improving the team, but still resulting in us missing out on guys like Mitchkov and Leonard.

Only time will tell if Danielson becomes as good or better than the guys taken right before him, but I unfortunately can't shake the current disappointment I have with those managerial decisions that eventually resulted in drafting Danielson.

I think we should have sucked for a little longer. The Sharks are imo killing it with their rebuild. They did get much luckier in the draft lotto than we did, but they're also not prematurely speeding anything along the way the Wings have.

I'm mostly venting here, but was curious if anyone else had similar thoughts about that particular draft and those particular players in a "what could have been."

/rant

CAR Carolina Hurricanes (46-24-4) at DET Detroit Red Wings (34-33-7)

Only 2 left - seats 21-22

4 2 tickets for tonight's game available in section 106, row 23, seats 21-2224. Kiddo isn't feeling good which is why I am selling last minute. They have a $191/ea face value. Hat giveaway for opening day if you get there early. $100 each or make me an offer. I have these listed on ticketmaster for the same price, you just avoid the fees this way.

This season is very likely over. I’ve been thinking about what the roster is going to look like next year. Mainly been thinking about our defense. It’s not that I think it will be hard to improve it’s that we will have several more prospects really pushing for NHL time. The only guarantee player to not return is Petry. I think we all be shocked if there isn’t some more players dumped for Stevie Ys favorite player “future considerations”. Sandin-Pelika is a player we need so bad, in order to be elite you need a dman with this skill set. Hudson has allowed Montreal to jump the wings in their rebuild with him (hard pill to swallow). Also, wallinder will push for NHL time also, he’s Stevie y wet dream defenseman. This means we will have MO, Edvinsson, Johonson, ASP, and wallinder as possibles in the top 6. To me this smells of lindgren Signing if we can move on from holl, cause we will need experience in the top 4 d. This is my thoughts right now on who will be available. NHL trade market is always unpredictable but I Stevie seems very reluctant to move on from draft capital still. Overall I think ASP readiness for NHL will be key and big signifier if we will actually improve our dcore next year. Either way it will still be a very young and inexperienced. Thoughts?

Two tickets for tonight's game available in section 115, row 21. Hat giveaway for opening day if you get there early. $100 each or make me an offer. SOLD!

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He’s been a complete non factor since the 4 nations. He has 12 points and is -10 since then. What happened?

This team has been driven by Larks since he’s been the captain, he’s dragged them to countless wins. But he completely disappeared in the most important part of the season. Maybe he’s exhausted without the break? I’m watching the games and I barely notice him, he’s not making plays.

We need him to be a major part of this team moving forward, he’s the captain and 1C.

He's in the top ten for rookie points, goals, and assists since shortly after McLellan arrived. He's not a Calder contestant per se but he totally deserves more chatter about his rookie season (especially if you consider discounting the Lalonde half).

A lot of people (myself included) have been frustrated with Steve Yzerman's endless patience and the seemingly stagnant results of the team the past few seasons. I believe that these particular results are in line with Yzerman's vision for the team and his 10-year plan that began when Yzerman was hired in 2019. Unfortunately, this phase of the plan is the most frustrating as a fan. Here's what I think Yzerman sees:

PHASE I: the "bad years" and building the core (2019-22)

When Yzerman was first hired, the only core member of the team was Dylan Larkin. Other key players like Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Filip Hronek were all complementary players who Yzerman traded away for future assets. Our prospect group was below average as well; only Rasmussen, Veleno, and Berggren have become NHLers, all playing bottom six roles.

Yzerman knew that the next three years would be spent building the core through the next four drafts. Seider (2019), Raymond (2020), Edvinsson (2021), Cossa (2021), and Kasper (2022) were all selected and seem to be a big part of the future. Presumably, Yzerman believed that these players would be coming into the NHL during the next five seasons and gaining valuable experience.

Additionally, Jeff Blashill's contract would be up in 2022. Yzerman decides to ride out his contract and secure top draft picks for Detroit. These three seasons will be bad hockey but key to creating the team's core. This is essentially what happens, with Detroit securing the 4th, 6th, and 8th overall picks, who, so far, have all panned out.

PHASE II: the transitional period (2022-25)

By 2022, the team should be ready for improvements. Yzerman hires a new coach, Derek Lalonde. 2022-23, in particular, is a big transition. If you're Yzerman, you know this season will be the one where you jump from a bottom five team to a team (hopefully) playing meaningful games to at least the mid-point of the season. It's also Lalonde's first season as an NHL coach and Raymond and Seider's sophomore years. Lots of building.

This, of course, is what happens, as the Red Wings finish with 80 points, a 6 point improvement; they play meaningful games until the end of February until they collapse against Ottawa. You then go into the next season optimistically, hoping to be in the hunt for a wild card.

This coincides with Yzerman's offseasons in 2022 and 2023, where, rather than signing below average veterans to one- or two-year deals to fill gaps, he signs longer contracts, guys like Chiarot, Copp, and Compher (4/5 years), to truly improve the team.

2023-24 goes to plan (despite another collapse), as the team finishes with 91 points, only being eliminated on the last day of the season. You've gotten major steps taken by Raymond and Seider, along with Edvinsson getting called up and playing big minutes in big games.

Then, 2024-25, the same is expected, however, there's a snag. The team gets off to a poor start, and Yzerman has to fire Lalonde. However, to keep the plan on track, Yzerman hires veteran coach Todd McLellan instead of going with an interim. Yzerman also states his expectations for the team this season, competing for the wild card. McLellan gets the team back on track (despite recent the collapse), and Detroit is competing into April.

During this time, we've haven't seen Yzerman make any moves that give up future assets for current; the only move similar to that he's made is for DeBrincat, which sent Boston's first round pick, acquired in the Bertuzzi deal, for DeBrincat, so, still not giving up their own futures.

This is the most frustrating part of the "rebuild." The team is in hockey purgatory. Probably not good enough to make the playoffs (although it's not out of the question) but not bad enough for a top five pick.

PHASE III: a consistent playoff team (2025-28)

The next three seasons (2025-26, 2026-27, 2027-28) the team needs to be a playoff team. The previous three seasons were a lot of hoping, and while you'd ideally like to be in the playoffs, it's not off-course to miss. By now, though, you should be past that, and you should have taken the next step.

The team should be a consistent playoff team but they aren't quite yet a Stanley Cup contender. You'll make the playoffs, but you will see some first- and second-round exits. Your young core guys will also gain valuable playoff experience.

During this time, your core draft picks from 2019-22, and most likely 2023 and 2024, will be on the team. The cap also rises significantly and there will be some big name free agents out there. The team will have young players on ELCs and Yzerman has the opportunity to add some high end talent with the projected cap space.

That's why I believe its imperative Yzerman goes after a big name this offseason. It's uncertain if the current core can make the jump. They need help and this offseason is the perfect one to add it.

PHASE IV: Stanley Cup contenders (2028-??)

By this time, Yzerman will be in his ninth year as GM. Players like Seider, Raymond, Edvinsson, and Kasper will all be in their prime. One or both of Cossa and Augustine will be backstopping the team in net. Sandin-Pellikka, Danielson, Mazur, and perhaps Lombardi, Buchelnikov, Wallinder, etc. will have been in the league for around two to three years. Larkin will be 32, certainly out of his prime, but hopefully good enough to continue to be a piece while the younger guys take the torch.

This is where we get to the end of the ten-year plan. Their Cup window will likely open around 2027 or 2028. They'll be in year two-ish of being a Cup contender in 2029, Yzerman's tenth with the team. Of course, a lot of this depends on Yzerman's core guys developing, and, Yzerman having enough confidence in his group to add high end players in free agency.

TLDR: In conclusion, as much as Yzerman sitting on his hands is frustrating, and I think he should've let Lalonde go sooner, it seems clear the direction he sees the team going. Like 2022 was a transitional year from the basement, the 2025 offseason should be a transitional one from being in purgatory to a consistent playoff team. This offseason will be incredibly important. With McLellan at the helm, Yzerman should have more confidence in the team.

My confidence in him as GM is a little shaky, but if he utilizes this offseason correctly, the team should be going in the right direction.

For the third season in a row, we’ve been right there in the playoff hunt, only to seemingly fall apart when it matters most. I know we're not fully out of it, but we probably are not going to make it yet again unless the teams around us collectively collapse. The worst part is expectations weren’t high this year, but somehow, this still stings even more.

The most frustrating part is that the teams that were in last year (NYR, BOS, NYI) are all faltering, leaving playoff spots for the taking. And despite this, we're still on the outside looking in. It really makes you wonder how much longer we'll have to wait to just be a team that makes the playoffs. And to be clear, the bar isn't being set at winning it all, it's just getting into the playoffs.

Instead, we're watching Montreal, Ottawa (who went all-in), a Jack Hughes-less New Jersey, and even Columbus pass us. The Islanders, even after trading away Nelson, remain ahead. These are teams that were supposed to be looking up at us in the rebuild standings, and the fact that they're now the ones in playoff spots is beyond frustrating.

• Bad contracts: Our pro scouting department seems to have lost its way. The long-term, high-money deals we've handed out lately are crippling us, saddling us with players who aren't contributing or even seeing the ice. We used to joke about Kenny's contracts, but honestly, you could argue this current situation is even more damaging to our future.

• Trade deadline: While other teams made bold moves to push for a playoff berth, we've either been sellers or stood completely still for three straight seasons. Ottawa's aggressive approach is a stark contrast to our apparent lack of urgency.

• Underperforming players: What's going on with Larkin and Seider? They've looked a shadow of themselves lately. And Raymond's spark seems to have unfortunately vanished since the tournament. Larkin's struggles are particularly concerning given his past issues in crucial playoff pushes.

• PK and EN decisions: Why is Justin Holl on the PK at all? We have a historically bad PK and yet he's on the ice for nearly every PK goal allowed. And how can Patrick Kane, who seemingly avoids defensive responsibility at all costs, be out there in the dying seconds of a game? These coaching decisions are baffling and feel like repeated self-inflicted wounds. It feels like shades of Lalonde which is outright terrifying.

I understand that rebuilds are a marathon, not a sprint, and that expectations were managed this year. But at this point, the level of disappointment is immense. It's not just that we're missing the playoffs; it's that Montreal, Ottawa, New Jersey, and Columbus are all clearly on an upward trajectory, making the path forward for us look increasingly difficult. This isn't just bad luck anymore. We've been patient. We've bought into the process. But when teams that started their rebuild after us are already playing meaningful late-season hockey, it's not just fair, it's necessary to ask: Why does it feel we are stuck in neutral?

Talk about anything your heart desires. Be polite and upvote everything!

All rules (except #1 and #2) are not applied here. Feel free to post memes, things not related to the Wings, or anything else!

Kasper Larkin Copp Danielson into next season.

Dont overthink it, quick thoughts only, just the good and the bad. How would we feel about this in a land of fantasy?