Looking Further Ahead For Edmonton
Sheng Peng of San Jose Hockey NOW: Yes, the NHL Trade Deadline came and went but lots of questions remain. One has to be Fabian Zetterlund. What did he want, and what was San Jose actually offering?
Mike Grier remains adamant it was not about the contract. It was about slotting. Some in San Jose believed that Zetterlund was overproducing. An expected regression was coming as other players progressed. That being said, the forward was under team control and producing.
San Jose traded Jake Walman after all and apparently finding a responsible two-way player was more a priority than offensive production. While that may pay off in the future, the aftermath was not pretty among Sharks in the locker room. Zetterlund drives play in reverse. Okay, maybe it is not that bad but the winger will need Tim Stutzle and players of that ilk to thrive in Ottawa.
NHL Rumors: NHL Trade Deadline Fallout!
From what Claude Lemieux and others have said, Zetterlund was not asking for the moon in contract negotiations. San Jose could have signed him on a bridge deal then let the rest of the team catch up. After all, the Sharks have plenty of cap space. What would have been the harm?
Then again, Mike Grier has a plan. Now, the question is what is the Yzerplan?
Detroit Has The Yzerplan But What Is The Plan?
Anthony DiMarco of Daily Faceoff: Besides the Fabian Zetterlund head scratcher, there was what happened in Detroit. Now, many question what exactly is the Yzerplan? Steve Yzerman has a playoff or close to playoff caliber team. Despite this, the Detroit Red Wings arguably went backward.
Anyway, it has been six years since Steve Yzerman came home and assumed the duty of shopping for the groceries (General Manager). Even with an immense pipeline, Detroit is right there. They still may be. However, what message does the trade deadline send to core players like Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat, and others?
NHL Injuries: Cue the maladies of the day.
The problem is that there were players available. Brandon Carlo could have been a good look. Cody Glass would have been something. Acquiring Petr Mrazek only made the goaltending circus that much more chaotic. Detroit’s problems are far worse than goaltending. Special teams, especially the penalty kill, have been historically bad. Detroit gave up two shorthanded goals against Washington and nearly a third in a recent game.
Craig Smith moves no needles, either. Ottawa and Steve Staios took a swing, getting Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund. Detroit fans want to see the playoff,s and these moves pump the brakes on that notion at the least.
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