Ken has made mistakes in the past, but his worst mistakes looked good when he did them (Uwe Krupp is a can’t miss pickup!)

It really starts with him, he finds guys that really seem to fit in the system and of course their drafting ability is second to none.  I agree wholeheartedly, STWWT, this is a team effort.  But without Kenny, we wouldn’t be here in the first place.

Posted by Rae Carruth's Trunk on 06/02/08 at 07:35 AM ET

Ken has made mistakes in the past, but his worst mistakes looked good when he did them (Uwe Krupp is a can’t miss pickup!)

Hey, they can’t ALL be gold. I think it’s a fair assessment, though, that the team salary dynamic is going to change greatly during the summer, and not everything may go the way we want.

Posted by Matt from Tennessee on 06/02/08 at 07:50 AM ET

It never does and I’m sure that we may have to lose a player or two that we don’t want to lose.  But we still have a great core and a seemingly endless supply of top notch players that come out of nowhere.

Posted by Rae Carruth's Trunk on 06/02/08 at 08:02 AM ET

the team salary dynamic is going to change greatly during the summer, and not everything may go the way we want.

How so, Matt?  The only big signings that need to be made are Stuart and Filppula (and he’s an RFA).  The rest are role players, for the most part, and can’t make large demands.  A fair few wouldn’t even want to.

The raises are kicking in for players like Kronner (worth it) and Ozzie (ditto, a million times)-- and Babcock, but coaches aren’t subject to cap restrictions, and come cheaper than great players anyway.  Those raises however aren’t cap-busters.  There’s rumblings even, that if we play this right, we could ink Sundin to a fat one-year deal for his shot at the Cup.

I can see problems next season, with the need for large raises for Zetterberg (obviously) and Franzen (potentially)-- the latter having the possibility of being quite rocky.  But otherwise, I feel pretty good about the upcoming Summer of Salaries (not Ken).  I sure as hell wouldn’t want to be a Pens fan looking into the next few years with half the league salivating over those young players and the day they hit RFA or UFA status…

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from inflating heads to fit bloated salary caps on 06/02/08 at 08:07 AM ET

Should the credit really go to Kenny or Hakan Andersson?  Not trying to kick Kenny, but if you take away his European hidden gems, is he still a top GM?

Posted by millsz on 06/02/08 at 08:10 AM ET

What’s amazing with the Wings is that they’ve gotten amazing players who know they could get more money elsewhere to stay for less because they know they can win here. Even if Z and Mule are up for large raises, I have a feeling that they know they’re in a good place and will come to reasonable, mutually beneficial contracts.

Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 06/02/08 at 08:40 AM ET

Certainly without the gems he has from Europe, Ken doesn’t have the same team as he does now.  But I think it is good to remember that a lot of these guys are reclaimation projects (Cleary, Ozzie, Sammy, McCarty etc).  Others were just flat out good deals (Rafalski, Stuart, and long ago, Malts and Drapes).

Also he has done a hell of a job keeping guys here that need to stay, like Lidstrom and others, while shuffling off others right as their stock began to fall.

I think the entire organization deserves a win tonight, but Ken is a top flight GM, no matter how you cut it.  And to be honest, he is the boss, so to an extent, I credit him with finding the top flight scouts as well.

Posted by Rae Carruth's Trunk on 06/02/08 at 08:57 AM ET

Not enough credit is given to Jim Nill.  He is the head of our scouting department and has last say in all draft choices.  He does, of course, trust his assistants.  He drafted Franzen without ever seeing him play on the advice of Hakan Andersson.  Incidentally, I heard that Andersson was just given a contract renewal for the next two seasons, IIRC, so we still get the top European scout in the NHL on our side.

That being said, Holland has been exemplary in negotiating the contracts of our players.  He has a keen sense of when someone is demanding more money than they are worth, and is not afraid to cut them free; I bet you Markov and Schneider are sorry they left, greedy bastards.

We are spoiled with the best management team in the NHL, without a doubt.  No other team is in better hands than our Red Wings.  And it starts at the top with the best owner in pro sports, the man whose only question to his staff is “what do we need to do to win” and then gets it done.

Posted by VooX from Behind the Bar in the Hasek Club Car on 06/02/08 at 09:00 AM ET

I’m always cautious about taking anything that is said in the media too seriously, but that interview that Zetterberg did with a Swedish magazine a while ago made it sound as if he is really happy playing in Detroit and is motivated to stay and be on a team of winners. That said, somebody’s going to have to go. The only way Stuart comes back is if he gives the Wings a big-time hometown discount. And the Franzen thing will be interesting. As awesome as the Mule is, the future for physical power forwards is always iffy to throw long-term huge money at. Take care of Fillpula. Two-way skill guys seem to work out pretty well here.

Posted by Kris from Grand Blanc on 06/02/08 at 09:04 AM ET

I don’t know who can take credit for individual decisions the Wings have made over the past few years.  I don’t know which particular member of the brain trust thought the Wings would be okay starting the year without a second line (remember those days?) I don’t know who suggested that maybe it’d be okay to let Schneider go and wind up paying more for Rafalski.  I don’t know who looked at Dan Cleary, Chris Osgood, or even McCarty and decided they deserved another chance.  But Holland’s the one who’d get the blame if those decisions went badly, so I don’t mind giving him the credit when they turn out brilliantly.

And there’s been more to the Wings success than just their good drafting.  How many people criticized a $6.7m contract for a guy who hadn’t scored a playoff goal in three years?  The Wings have maintained a remarkably stable identity, even after the sort of playoff exits that would make lesser management go bigger and more Canadian.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 06/02/08 at 09:19 AM ET

Kenny outta follow Scotty....
Lace’em up and take the Holy Grail from The Ass.
It would be nice to at least see him on the ice for this one. It’s literally the team built with him at the mast (with some great help not far off in the “wings").

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 06/02/08 at 09:37 AM ET

I bet you Markov and Schneider are sorry they left, greedy bastards.

Agreed.  And then Schneids is said to be (read it from various sources, actually… unsure of their trustworthyness but still) on the chopping block out in Anaheim… trade bait for the offseason.  That can’t feel too good… leaving your super close to cup caliber team for the last winner just to see your last team get where your current team was last year?

interview Zetterberg did with a Swedish magazine a while ago made it sound as if he is really happy playing in Detroit and is motivated to stay and be on a team of winners

Read that too.  Z seems too honest a guy to say something in Sweden, knowing it would get back here, and in the end not mean it.

Kenny’s done an amazing job, but it does seem like this is the postseason we might lose a few (I won’t hold my breath on who I want to go though).  It seems everything’s just fallen into his lap at once.  Filppula is first and foremost, IMO. That kid’s going to be a wicked player if he ever learns to mimic Datsyuk’s every move, because that’s who I see when I look at him from time to time.  Stuart should be second.  He seems genuine about the organization when he talks (though it could be he’s so soft-spoken he can fool ya easy) so I don’t think it’s out of the realm of possibility to sign him for his current $3.5 or within $.5M either side.  If Kenny could sign him for $3 Mill/year to a (semi-)long term, a hometown discount compared to what he could bring UFA, Kenny would go up a number of bonus points in my book.  We’ve treated the kid like gold, he’s found a team that his style fits with… I’m pretty sure he’s honest.

Posted by movesfan13 from Grand Rapids, MI on 06/02/08 at 09:42 AM ET

Here at A2Y, that should last about two weeks before names like Campbell, Hossa, McCarty, Lilja start to spark conversation anew.

Don’t forget Sundin.  That talk has already started. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/02/08 at 10:38 AM ET

Ask Babs what use he has for aged super star veteran center man before we allow any Sundin talk......
I very much second the notion of Fil becoming one hell of an all around player. It too Pavel & Hank a few years to grow into the roles they excel at now.
IF Stuart wants to stay, the Markov situation should be pretty clear.

Posted by MOWingsfan19 on 06/02/08 at 11:22 AM ET

There was an article recently about Hakan Anderson, where he said Kenny is the best scout he has ever seen. “He sees things in a player that it takes me three or four visits to see"~close paraphrase.

Isn’t the old adage, the greatest genius is that which recognizes its own idiocy?  All the people we want to give credit to in addition to Ken deserve it, but it takes a very smart person to keep all those brilliant people working together.

I wish Nick could walk over and hand it to Ken like Steve did with Mike I. Oh well, I’m sure Ken has a few eightballs and highpricedhookers on the way; that would be “An Evening of Ken”

Posted by Osrt on 06/02/08 at 12:44 PM ET

Don’t forget Sundin.  That talk has already started.

Hey, I’m just passing on the rumors I’ve heard over at Hockeybu...er, from reputable mainstream media sources.  Yeah, that’s the ticket.

Regarding Stuart, I said when the trade was made that it was worth it only if he could prove his top-four chops and could be re-signed; I think he’s done the first.  The latter hopefully will follow, but he has to recognize that if he wants to play for a contender, he can’t be greedy.  His defense partner is slated to make 3.3 million next year.  Anything over 3 million for Stuart is overpaying.

With the cap scheduled to rise again, I think we should be in relatively good shape.  Look at the other teams and their needs in the signing department, and be thankful you’re not a fan of them.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the shady market in underhanded dealings on 06/02/08 at 01:01 PM ET