Return to HockeyTown... A Detroit Red Wings BeaGM

[Son of Sam99]

September 26, 2013

Ken Holland Steps Down as Wings’ GM

Detroit MI- In an emotional press conference on Friday at Joe Lewis Arena, Red Wings General Manager, Ken Holland announced he had been diagnosed with stage 2 toe cancer and would be taking a leave of absence from hockey operations with the team.

“Really it wasn’t a difficult decision. I’ll be working with some of the best doctors in the world to improve my health and get back in the game.” Holland said. Holland has been with the franchise since 1983 and in that time the team has won four Stanley Cups, it is in part due to his leadership that the team hasn’t missed the playoffs since 1990. Holland also orchestrated the drafting of such current stars as Pavel Datsuyk, Henrik Zetterberg, and Niklas Kronwall.

“Ken is an amazing guy to work with. He’ll always tell you the truth, not necessarily what you want to hear. But in the business of hockey that’s the kind of leadership a franchise needs.” Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock said when reached for comment.

“Ken’s health is the most important thing for all parties involved.” Mike Illitch, chairman of franchise owners Olympia Entertainment said on the matter. “We all look forward to his recovery and return to the front office.”

In the interim until Holland is able to return, Rick Watkins, assistant general manager since 2008 will step in. Watkins had the following to say; “Its and intimidating prospect to come in and try to take over for an executive as accomplished as Ken. But I’m excited to meet those challenges.”

The news comes at a difficult time for the team with just two weeks until the season begins with a game against Buffalo.

[Son of Sam99]

Re: Return to HockeyTown... A Detroit Red Wings BeaGM

Author’s Note—

Unfortunately I didn’t decide to fully jump in with the BeAGM story until I had already played up to the playoffs of the first season. So my goal is to move through the regular season fairly quickly and begin to provide more in depth updates beginning in season two.

Also I haven't yet nailed down precisly how I want to format everything so bare with me. Enjoy!

Edit: Also feel free to post at any time

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Entry: September 26th 2013

The presser to announce Ken Holland’s semi retirement was today. Since he told me his situation I’ve been dreading this day, having to tell people about the diagnosis but obviously its come and passed.

I had the nightmare again last night… Again. I’m suddenly in my office on the phone and somehow, someway I just green lit a trade sending Datsyuk, Nyquist, and draft picks away in exchange for Luongo. I know that I would never do that and that Ken has set the franchise up for relative smooth sailing for the season. But what if the production isn’t there? What if we need to make a move and I just botch the deal? These fans expect a winner and if that doesn’t happen the axe won’t fall on Babcock’s neck.

Anyway I’ve just got to be confident in my decisions and if all else fails, ask myself what Ken would do in any given situation. He did pull me aside after the presser to remind me that he believes I’m ready for this. I am excited for the challenges but certainly have big shoes to fill. I’ve got to make my own decision but if I do some thing the way he did it may not be a bad thing as well. That’s why I’ll be keeping a personal journal occasionally.

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Roster Notes

Centers

P. Datsyuk- Playmaker & scorer, 35 years old, $7.175MM, 4 years left on deal. The magic man is the centerpiece of the franchise and should be one of the top 3 goal scorers. When healthy you can rely on him for about a point per game but he’s struggled to play even 50 games a season recently. He’ll have a roster spot as long as he wants one though.

D. Helm- Two way forward, 27 years old, $4.275MM, 2 years left on contract. A reliable center that will pester his check into making mistakes and turnovers but will never net more than 15 goals a season at best. Probably has reached his ceiling & $4+MM may be expensive for what he provides

D. Legwand- Two way forward, 33 years old, $1.975 MM, UFA at end of season. Another defensive center though Legwand is a bargain at under $2MM. Not a scorer and a liability at the faceoff dot, look to play on the wing.

S. Weiss- Playmaker, 31 years old, $4.66MM, 5 years left on contract. A solid skater and good penalty killer who will provide needed depth. Expensive for what he provides and CANNOT be paying him $4.66MM when he’s 35 years old. Look to renegotiate or trade

Left Wingers

H. Zetterberg- Playmaker, 33 years old, $5.8MM, 4 years left on contract. Hampered by injuries recently, we’ll need 75 games out of him for this to be a special season. Still has some gas in the tank and we can expected to retire as team captain like Lidstrom & Yzerman before.

J. Abdelkader- Power forward, 27 years old, $1.665 MM, 3 years left on contract. listed as power forward but with a lot of speed. Works the corners to win the puck and can snipe at times as well. At 27 he should be around for a long time.

D. Cleary- Two way forward, 35 years old, $.55MM, UFA at end of season. A solid depth winger who is most proficient in the defensive end. Cant beat his price tag, will have to reevaluate if he should be pursued at end of season.

D. Miller- Two way forward, 30 years old, $.925MM, 3 years left on contract. He’s purely a depth winger that will start the season in the AHL or remain a healthy scratch. A solid option if injuries necessitate he get ice time.

G. Nyquist- Playmaker, 24 years old, $.84MM, 2 years left on deal. Future superstar… Only 24 years old and ready to play entire NHL season. Still some room to learn & grow his game but we can expect him to score 30+ for the next several seasons. He’s going to get paid after the 2015 season.

Right Wingers

J. Franzen- two way forward, 34 years old, $3.74MM, 4 years left on contract. Mule. Top notch defensive forward and fore checker who can win the front of the net in the offensive zone. A bargain for what he provides on and off the ice. Not totally convinced he’ll play out the remainder of his contract.

D. Alfredsson- Playmaker, 41 years old, $3.5MM, UFA at end of season. Will surly retire at end of season, slow, injury liability, doesn’t provide offense, LOOK TO OFFLOAD.

T. Bertuzzi- Power forward, 39 years old, $1.98MM, UFA at end of season. Likely to retire at end of season but we need his depth & the grit he can provide in the meantime.

T. Tatar- Two way forward, 23 years old, $1.615MM, RFA at end of season. Could be a future superstar. Still needs to learn the defensive side of his game but seems to have a high ceiling. Will look to sign long term deal in offseason.

M. Samuelsson- depth.

Defensemen

J. Kindl- two way defensemen, 27 years old, $2.245MM, 4 years left on contract.
J. Ericsson- defensive defensemen, 30 years old, $4.03MM, 7 years left on contract.
D. DeKeyser- offensive defensemen, 24 years old, $.815MM, RFA at end of season.
N. Kronwall- two way defensemen, 33 years old, $4.515MM, 6 years left on contract.
K. Quincey- two way defenseman, 28 years old, $3.575MM, UFA at end of season.
B. Smith- two way defenseman, 25 years old, $1.145MM, 2 years left on contract.

Goalies

J. Howard- 29 years old, $5.290MM, 4 years left on contract.
J. Gustavsson- 29 years old, $1.375MM, UFA at end of season.

Noteable Minors

C. Emmerton- Center, playmaker, 25 years old, $.53MM, RFA at end of season.
R. Sheahan- Center, two way forward, 22 years old, $.9MM, RFA at end of season.
J. Andersson- Center, two way forward, 25 years old, $.735MM, 2 years left on contract.
Ferraro- Center, two way forward, 22 years old, $.685MM, RFA at end of season.
T. Jurco- right winger, sniper, 21 years old, $.925MM, 2 years left on contract.
T. Pulkkinen- right winger, sniper, 22 years old, $.9MM, 2 years left on contract.
X. Oulett- two way defensman, 20 years old, $.89MM, 3 years eft on contract.
P. Mrazek- goalie, 22 years old, $.79MM, 2 years left on deal.
Mantha- right winger, power forward, 19 years old, $.925MM, 3 years left on deal.

[OliDegu2008]

Re: Return to HockeyTown... A Detroit Red Wings BeaGM

Following...love my Wings! Good luck.

[Son of Sam99]

Re: Return to HockeyTown... A Detroit Red Wings BeaGM

Following...love my Wings! Good luck.

Thanks man! Wings are my fav NHL team as well and I thought it would be too easy since they're already stacked but with the aging talent I'm excited for the challenge of transitioning to younger guys.

Anyway more updates coming Monday or Tuesday

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Entry: September 30th, 2013

We had further talks around the league trying to shop Daniel Alfredsson. San Jose, Edmonton, Phoenix, and Dallas all had no interest. It’s obvious to everyone that we’re trying to free up cap space so they’re all requiring us to pay some portion of his salary which I’m not willing to do. Even Ottawa wouldn’t listen to any kind of deal despite the fact that their fan base wants to see him in a Senator’s sweater before he officially retires. They wanted us to send over Tatar or Jurco and that’s just not going to happen.

In other news we sent our scouts out to look at forwards in the WHL & OHL for six weeks each. Those guys are so amped for this crop of prospects that it’s funny to hear them talk about all the talent abound. We may work to trade up to try to go after Ekblad or Reinhart but not sure yet. Hopefully, we won’t be able to touch those guys honestly.

Ken Holland left our minors in great shape with guys like Pulkkanin and Sheahan likely to soon be making an impact in the NHL and some even younger players who look like they have a very high ceiling.

The season officially starts against Buffalo in two nights and I’ve been trying to collect my thoughts as to what I expect out of the team over the next 82 games for about a week but cant seem to come down on one side or the other. I’d like to add scoring and see if there is any way to add some flash to the lineup but the free agent market is barren. We’ll have to see how the season progresses.

[Son of Sam99]

Detroit Free Press Season Preview

September 30th, 2013

Red Wings 2013-14 Season Preview

Detroit, MI- Despite front office turmoil the Red Wings players and coaches will have to gain their focus as the NHL regular season begins in earnest this week. Head Coach Mike Babcock has made it clear that he expects the team to improve on their 24-16-8 record (over 48 games) from the 2012-13 lockout shortened season.

The roster this season contains a combination of seasoned veterans like scoring leaders Pavel Datsuyk and Henrik Zetterberg as well as promising young prospects like Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, and Danny Dekeyser.

Detroit Red Wings Forwards - 2013-14
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	G. Nyquist	J. Abdelkader	T. Tatar	D. Cleary
C	P. Datsyuk	H. Zetterberg	D. Helm	S. Weiss
RW	J. Franzen	T. Bertuzzi	D. Legwand	D. Alfredsson

There is minimal personnel movement among the top twelve forwards and although fans can expect Head Coach Mike Babcock to shift players around as necessary this is how the lines parings should look on opening night. The first and second lines each have a nice mixture of speed, scoring talent, and grit while the third and fourth lines add depth to the team. We’ll see if anything changes here in the short term as word around the league says that the team is shopping Daniel Alfredsson around in an attempt to clear cap space.

Detroit Red Wings Defensive Parings - 2013-14
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
D #1	N. Kronwall	B. Smith	J. Ericsson
D #2	K. Quincey	J. Kindl	D. DeKeyser

The blue line will once again be anchored by Nicklas Kronwall but youngsters like Brendan Smith and Danny DeKeyser will have to step up and prove that they belong. Kyle Quincey is in a contract year and could potentially cash in after the season if he proves himself to be worth it. Analysts are predicting the defense to be the Wings’ biggest strength coming into the season.

Goalies- Howard - Gustavsson

In the goalie crease the Wings will rely mostly on Jimmy Howard who will be entering his fifth season with the team. Last season Howard posted a sterling 2.13 goals against average and .923 save percentage in 42 games. If he can produce more numbers like that he’ll establish himself as a truly elite NHL goaltender. In the backup role Jonas Gustavsson should carry an expanded role from last season, if he can remain solid then the team should be in great shape between the pipes.

AHLers to Watch For

The Red Wings’ farm system is in great shape thanks to the front office consistently fostering solid young players. This season fans could see the likes of forward Riley Sheahan, Joakim Andersson and Tomas Jurco at Joe Lewis Arena if the big club requires their services. Goalie Petr Mrazek is widely regarded as the franchise’s top prospect though most pundits agree he needs another year in the minors to grow his abilities.

[Son of Sam99]

Red Wings' 2013-14 Schedule

Detroit Red Wings 2013-14 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 2	vs Buffalo Sabres
Oct 4	at Carolina Hurricanes
Oct 5	at Boston Bruins
Oct 9	vs Phoenix Coyoties
Oct 12	vs Philadelphia Flyers
Oct 14	at Boston Bruins
Oct 15	vs Columbus Blue Jackets
Oct 17	at Colorado Avalanche
Oct 19	at Phoenix Coyotes
Oct 21	vs San Jose Sharks
Oct 23	vs Ottawa Senators
Oct 26	vs New York Rangers
Oct 30	at Vancuover Canucks
Nov 1	at Calgary Flames
Nov 2	at Edmonton Oilers
Nov 4	at Winnipeg Jets
Nov 7	vs Dallas Stars
Nov 9	vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Nov 12	vs Winnipeg Jets
Nov 15	vs Washington Capitals
Nov 16	at New York Islanders
Nov 19	vs Nashville Predators
Nov 21	vs Carolina Hurricanes
Nov 23	at Ottawa Senators
Nov 24	at Buffalo Sabres
Nov 27	vs Boston Bruins
Nov 29	at New York Islanders
Dec 1	at Ottawa Senators
Dec 4	vs Philadelphia Flyers
Dec 6	at New Jersey Devils
Dec 7	vs Florida Panthers
Dec 10	at Florida Panthers
Dec 12	at Tampa Bay Lightning
Dec 14	vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Dec 15	vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Dec 17	vs Anaheim Ducks
Dec 19	vs Calgary Flames
Dec 21	at Toronto Maple Leafs
Dec 23	vs New York Islanders
Dec 28	at Florida Panthers
Dec 30	at Nashville Predators
Jan 1	vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Jan 4	at Dallas Stars
Jan 9	at San Jose Sharks
Jan 11	at LA Kings
Jan 12	at Anaheim Ducks
Jan 16	at New York Rangers
Jan 18	vs LA Kings
Jan 20	vs St. Louis Blues
Jan 22	vs Chicago Blackhawks
Jan 24	vs Montreal Canadiens
Jan 26	vs Florida Panthers
Jan 28	at Philadelphia Flyers
Jan 31	vs Washington Capitals
Feb 2	vs Washington Capitals
Feb 3	vs Vancuover Canucks
Feb 6	at Florida Panthers
Feb 8	at Tampa Bay Lightning
Feb 26	at Montreal Canadiens
Feb 27	at Ottawa Senators
Mar 4	at New Jersey Devils
Mar 5	vs TRADE DEADLINE
Mar 6	vs Colorado Avalanche
Mar 7	vs New Jersey Devils
Mar 9	at New York Rangers
Mar 11	at Columbus Blue Jackets
Mar 14	vs Edmonton Oilers
Mar 16	at Chicago Blackhawks
Mar 18	vs Toronto Maple Leafs
Mar 20	vs Pittsburgh Penguins
Mar 22	at Minnesota Wild
Mar 23	vs Minnesota Wild
Mar 24	at Columbus Blue Jackets
Mar 27	vs Minnesota Wild
Mar 29	at Toronto Maple Leafs
Mar 30	vs Tampa Bay Lightning
Apr 2	vs Boston Bruins
Apr 4	vs Buffalo Sabres
Apr 5	at Montreal Canadiens
Apr 8	at Buffalo Sabres
Apr 9	at Pittsburgh Penguins
Apr 11	vs Carolina Hurricanes
Apr 13	at St. Louis Blues

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Entry: October 3rd, 2013

Finally we were able to offload Alffredsson. The LA Kings sent us their first round pick in the upcoming draft. There was criticism in the media about giving up a “solid veteran” for just one draft pick and I wish we had pushed for more. For all we know though it could turn into Ekblad.
With the hole in the lineup it looks like Babcock will move Zetterberg to center and Legwand to RW as he’s a liability in the faceoff dot anyway.
Now that that goal has been knocked out I felt like the roster is where it should be. I wish we could have gotten to this point before the first game but nonetheless we’re ready for the coming 81 games.
I also met with Mike Illich two days ago. He made it clear in not so many words that the results of this team would fall on my head and that he expected the team to win 42 games and make a run into the second round of the playoffs. I’m 100% confidant that the current roster can accomplish this.
The more and more though I look at whom we have, I see this team as a year away from challenging for the cup. I expect Nyquist, Tatar, Jurco, Pulkkinen, Sheahan, and Mrazek to make big strides in their game throughout this season. If all those guys can step up and our veterans can be healthy I expect a serious cup run next season.

[Son of Sam99]

Detroit Red Wings Opening Night Roster

Detroit Red Wings Depth Chart - 2013-14
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
LW	H Zetterberg	J. Abdelkater	T. Tatar	D. Cleary
C	P. Datsyuk	D. Helm	D. Legwand	S. Weiss
RW	J. Franzen	T. Bertuzzi	D. Alfredsson	T. Jurco
D #1	N. Kronwall	B. Smith	J. Ericsson
D #2	K. Quincey	J. Kindl	D. DeKeyser
G	J. Howard	J. Gustofsson

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Entry: November 1st, 2013

I’m not entirely pleased with the way this team is performing right now. I personally don’t believe in the school of thought that you can give a team slack if it’s early in the season. Points count the same in October as they do come playoff time when you need a tie breaker or OTL to win home ice. I will give the guys some time to gel but we started the season 1-4 and were shut out twice!
The positives to take away at this point are that the team is being led by its stars; Datsyuk & Zetterberg are the scoring leaders and Franzen is playing like he’s three years younger at the moment. I’ll look for the youngsters to step up as the season wears on and old legs grow tired.
The other positive is that we’ve been healthy which hopefully continues. Babcock is working the line parings around to find the right combination and I trust his judgment implicitly. I know whether it be line parings or some other form of motivation that he’ll ge the best out of these guys.

[Son of Sam99]

Detroit Red Wings October 2013 Results

Detroit Red Wings October 2013-14 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Oct 2	vs Buffalo Sabres	Lost, 3-2
Oct 4	at Carolina Hurricanes	Won, 4-1
Oct 5	at Boston Bruins	Lost, 2-1
Oct 9	vs Phoenix Coyoties	Lost, 1-0
Oct 12	vs Philadelphia Flyers	Lost, 2-0
Oct 14	at Boston Bruins	Won, 3-2
Oct 15	vs Columbus Blue Jackets	Won, 7-3
Oct 17	at Colorado Avalanche	Lost, 3-2
Oct 19	at Phoenix Coyotes	Lost, 6-3
Oct 21	vs San Jose Sharks	Won, 6-3
Oct 23	vs Ottawa Senators	Won, 5-3
Oct 26	vs New York Rangers	Won, 5-3
Oct 30	at Vancuover Canucks	Lost, 4-1

[Son of Sam99]

Rick Watkins Professional Journal

Entry: December 1st, 2013

The squad finished November one win better than October at 8-7. The division is shaping up that we’re actually not going to have to be much better than that in order to qualify for a playoff spot but of course no one wants to leave our fate in the hands of other teams.

Despite only being one game above .500 Babcock tells me the locker room is in fine shape in that no one is panicking but at the same time no one is satisfied either. With the mix we have of seasoned veterans and young talent it’s important that a tone is set during rough times where guys are saying ‘We’ve got to step up, losing isn’t acceptable’.

That being said I’m heavily considering making a move. Our offensive output is not where it should be and defensively we’re unable to clear the zone all too often. I’m thinking about shopping around for a natural scorer.
I am anxious for this team to start hitting it’s stride.

[Son of Sam99]

Red Wings November 2013 Results

Detroit Red Wings November 2013-14 Schedule
DATE	OPPONENT	RESULT
Nov 1	at Calgary Flames	Won, 5-4
Nov 2	at Edmonton Oilers	Won, 6-1
Nov 4	at Winnipeg Jets	Lost, 5-4
Nov 7	vs Dallas Stars	Lost, 3-1
Nov 9	vs Tampa Bay Lightning	Lost, 4-1
Nov 12	vs Winnipeg Jets	Lost, 8-4
Nov 15	vs Washington Capitals	Won, 5-2
Nov 16	at New York Islanders	Won, 4-3
Nov 19	vs Nashville Predators	Won, 4-2
Nov 21	vs Carolina Hurricanes	Won, 5-2
Nov 23	at Ottawa Senators	Lost, 5-3
Nov 24	at Buffalo Sabres	Won, 5-4
Nov 27	vs Boston Bruins	Lost, 4-3
Nov 29	at New York Islanders	Lost, 6-2