General Wings Comments 2025-26

[1984Echoes]

I feel like we are missing a thread... so here it is.

And I didn't want to lose conversations in monthly game threads so I thought it better to put them here...\

Such as the trade deadline, Griffin call-ups, line combinations, etc...

Speaking of which:

I like Chiarot SOOOOO much better on the 2nd pair with ASP.

I think I had gotten locked into Seider on 1st pair and Edvinsson on 2nd pair (to keep at least one of them on the ice at all times...)

That I hadn't wrapped my head around:

1) Getting Chiarot to lesser minutes and lesser matchups would be a huge plus for the Wings (this I already felt KEENLY) and that that should include pushing Simon up to 1st pair and putting Chiarot to 2ns pair... Why didn't I think like this? I had him locked into 3rd pair in my mind.

2) Simon is still a kid. Making mistakes is still in his learning curve. So, putting him together with ASP turned into... UGGH!!!

3) Chiarot may be slower, but at 2nd pair, he's a better vet presence for ASP. Less exposed. More experience to chat into ASP's ear. I think this is a huge plus for ASP's learning curve.

4) ASP is not big. Chiarot is. I like this pairing.

[buddha]

i think seider played much better last night.  very physical.

unsurprisingly, edvinsson looks much better next to seider than he did next to asp.

the vegas game will be a big test.  vegas is big and physical, the kind of team that has given the wings a lot of problems in the past.

[buddha]

griffins are 7-0.  seems like the vets are driving it, though.

[1984Echoes]

Mazur, Lombardi, Toumisto (surprisingly?), Cossa and Postava (and Wallinder a little bit too) are also huge drivers for that nice start.

Mostly the vets...

But I like the overall team-winning and maybe that helps the kids over their learning curves as well...?

Some of the kids are playing quite nicely. Not that that tells us that they are NHL-ready yet...

 

(corrected a misspelling...)

Edited November 3, 2025 by 1984Echoes

[buddha]

32 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

Mazur, Lombardi, Toumisto (surprisingly?), Cossa and Postava (and Wallinder a little bit too) are also huge drivers for that nice start.

Mostly the vets...

But I like the overall team-winning and maybe that helps the kids over their learning curves as well...?

Some of the kids are playing quite nicely. Not that that tells us that they are NHL-ready yet...

 

(corrected a misspelling...)

mazur is hurt.  tuomisto?  why do you say that?  because he had a goal yesterday?

[buddha]

lombardi is the one young player who has really shone out.  danielson and mazur have been hurt.  mazur got 3 goals on opening night and not much since.

 

[1984Echoes]

12 minutes ago, buddha said:

mazur is hurt.  tuomisto?  why do you say that?  because he had a goal yesterday?

 

8 minutes ago, buddha said:

lombardi is the one young player who has really shone out.  danielson and mazur have been hurt.  mazur got 3 goals on opening night and not much since.

 

 

Are goals truly the only thing that counts with you?

Because...

There's more to hockey than only goals...

Carter Mazur has a goal and two assists in 4 games after his opening night. This is what you call "not much"? Oh, and a plus 7 on the season so far. Probably with some vet help... but a +7 in 5 games tells me he's playing his part in 200-foot hockey. Which, he always has...

I didn't even mention Danielson, because he's only played 4 games. But 5 points and a +2 in those 4 games? Sounds like another "not much" per your standards, amiright? But I'll take it.

Tuomisto: 4 points and a +3 in 7 games. Sounds like another "not much" per your standards, amiright?

But I'll take it.

[slothfacekilla]

Mazur and Danielson are still over a ppg at least

I think it is a good thing they added the vets to the Griffins roster, it seemed like last season the team really suffered from not having that element.  It certainly is a better team in front of Cossa which is what I was hoping for so he'd have a better chance for sustained success.  Danielson not having to literally do everything for the Griffins should allow him to maybe focus on his offense a bit.

[Motor City Sonics]

So Dylan Larkin is playing for Team USA. 

You know what that means, right? 

Here comes the injury, that doesn't end his season, but has him return at less than 100% and here comes the March Dive again.  

I can feel it.  

It's all just a little bit of history repeating.  

 

 

 

That stupid Four Nations thing killed the Wings last year.   Just killed them.  Our guys did not come back the same after that. 

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, Motor City Sonics said:

So Dylan Larkin is playing for Team USA. 

You know what that means, right? 

Here comes the injury, that doesn't end his season, but has him return at less than 100% and here comes the March Dive again.  

I can feel it.  

It's all just a little bit of history repeating.  

 

 

 

That stupid Four Nations thing killed the Wings last year.   Just killed them.  Our guys did not come back the same after that. 

yeah - I really wish the Wings had leaned on him not to go. A team would not normally be on fair ground doing that but given what happened last season the Wings would be completely justified.

[Motor City Sonics]

1 hour ago, gehringer_2 said:

yeah - I really wish the Wings had leaned on him not to go. A team would not normally be on fair ground doing that but given what happened last season the Wings would be completely justified.

Raymond is playing for Sweden

 

I am guessing Seider for Germany.    

[Shinzaki]

Rangers have told Panarin they will not offer him an extension and they're open to trade offers.  Wouldn't mind taking a flier on him to beef up our 5x5 scoring

 

[1984Echoes]

I think this is a good time/ place to put some food for thought in here...:

We've started to struggle the past week... with Simon out and the competition a little higher...

So...

What I am thinking about is the "ideal" for the Wings, which I don't think has been under discussion anywhere that I can see:

"Ideally":

1) I think I would rather have Copp-Cat-Kane as the 3rd line, not the second. I think as we get closer to the playoffs and the play gets tougher... They are the guys who will end up getting pushed around more and lose steam the last couple of months... That doesn't mean I'm trying to steal their minutes... but I want them in the offensive zone, on power play 2nd team... etc. "Protected" so to speak, at least as much as is feasible.

2) That probably has been true of Larkin's line too though. So... Ideally... I want a "heavy" line 2. Guys that can hit and play tougher than Raymond-Larkin-Kasper, but are also significant offensive threats. Sort of a 1B to Larkin's 1A. Can we do that? Internally, that means Danielson and MBN make the jump back up to the NHL and make that type of impact. So... probably not this year. But... can they? Become part of a "Heavy" 1B line? Even if those two make it, we're still short a big bruising power forward with both offensive and defensive skills (another 2-way PF). Who in our system can play that spot? Soderblom? He's not a 2-way player. So... WHO? And from WHERE?

3) A couple more comments on Nate-MBN: If we want to roll 4 lines... I think the Wings have to find a way to develop that "heavy", offensively skilled, line. Call them the 3rd line if you want to... But the Wings are deficient now, have been for the past several years, and will continue to be, IMO, in both the playoffs and the last 30 games of the regular season leading to the playoffs (or out of the playoffs). Because we don't have 3 dangerous lines. I don't mind a 4th checking line. But I think we're short a scoring threat line that is playoff worthy. And that includes Larkin's line too. IMO.

So "ideally", I want that heavy line on this team.

"Ideally":

1) We also need a 2nd pairing. Chiarot-ASP belong on the 3rd pair. Aljo and JBD are useful IMO, but more as the "plug them in" guys (7th and 8th defenseman) when needed, to cover someone. So... IMO, an LHD and an RHD has to come out of Buium, Wallinder, Tuomisto and Anton Johansson. Worthy of being a 2nd pairing.

So again... that isn't this year.

And if we CAN'T get a 2nd pairing out of two of those guys... then the question is: WHERE do we get a 2nd pairing?

Because, IMO, we certainly need one.

 

 

Edited yesterday at 08:46 PM by 1984Echoes

[1984Echoes]

PS: I know this was shot down as unrealistic... but at least it's the logic of what I just mentioned up above... How do we get a heavier/ harder to play against/ offensively skilled and dangerous/ able to withstand the tougher playoff level hitting/ games... 2nd line? 

On 1/30/2026 at 1:46 PM, 1984Echoes said:

Give me Rob Thomas!!!

Also, for harder-to-play forwards with some offense... Could the Columbia Blue Jackets be talked out of Marchenko? Or Voronkov? Or both?

I realize I'm talking significant packages here...

But I would trade Danielson for Thomas. Plus other pieces and draft picks.

And MBN for Marchenko. Plus other pieces and draft picks.

I dream of a 2nd line with Voronkov-Thomas-Marchenko!

Just my 2 cents.

 

PPS: I heard the Blues were listening to offers on Thomas. That's why I asked the question.... and yes, I know it would be crazy expensive in terms of prospects and picks... but I'm still searching for the answers so...

 

 

 

Edited yesterday at 08:53 PM by 1984Echoes

[1984Echoes]

19 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

... I would rather have Copp-Cat-Kane as the 3rd line, not the second. I think as we get closer to the playoffs and the play gets tougher... They are the guys who will end up getting pushed around more and lose steam the last couple of months...

That probably has been true of Larkin's line too though. So...

This blurb out of the Athletic speaks to that:

What’s wrong with Red Wings after winless homestand? Five Thoughts - The Athletic

Larkin talked about the team needing to have more desperation, “especially around the net, and wanting to get there and score goals,” and said he could “probably look in the mirror and could lead the charge on that.” His four five-on-five points since Dec. 1 speak to that, and Detroit will need more offense from its top center down the stretch.

 

Four 5-on-5 points since Dec 1st...

His line doesn't play heavy enough. For the playoffs or playoff success.

IMO.

 

PS: Having 3 scoring lines: a Larkin line, a Cat-Kane-Copp line, and a "heavy" line... Would allow McLellan to adjust minutes up or down as needed... or... accordingly. Probably not a nice thing to say... but necessary (similar to Stevie Y reaming out Larkin after Larkin popped off last year).

IMO.

 

 

 

Edited 5 hours ago by 1984Echoes

[buddha]

20 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

PS: I know this was shot down as unrealistic... but at least it's the logic of what I just mentioned up above... How do we get a heavier/ harder to play against/ offensively skilled and dangerous/ able to withstand the tougher playoff level hitting/ games... 2nd line? 

 

PPS: I heard the Blues were listening to offers on Thomas. That's why I asked the question.... and yes, I know it would be crazy expensive in terms of prospects and picks... but I'm still searching for the answers so...

 

 

 

if they can get thomas, they should do everything to get him.  

[Hongbit]

27 minutes ago, buddha said:

if they can get thomas, they should do everything to get him.  

What if they want Edvinssson?

[gehringer_2]

1 hour ago, 1984Echoes said:

Four 5-on-5 points since Dec 1st...

The Wings roster is what it is, but how many teams have a barely NHL guy like Finnie playing on what is supposed to be their top line with their top center? McLellan hasn't been giving Larkin and Raymond much to work with on the other side. That said, I agree that other than on the PP, Larkin doesn't really look like himself too many nights this season.

 

[buddha]

1 hour ago, Hongbit said:

What if they want Edvinssson?

should they include seider?