Another question to consider for everyone:

Ilya Bryzgalov needs to be moved; do you think Kenny should go after him? Any chance the Ducks will actually make a trade with us?

Although I would rather we go after Kipper to set up for next season, I fear Hasek’s fall and ruining Howard’s development by calling up early and putting too much pressure on him.

...Grigs will be back, partly because Downey will remind us that we are a tough *group* and our brand of hockey leaves little room for quasi-enforcers. That said, I hope he proves me wrong and sticks around to beat down all Cali teams…...

Posted by srt on 10/01/07 at 01:15 PM ET

Downie vs. last year’s experiment, Norton. Fight of the year:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=xcllOfwAN54

Downie showing what he really has in him:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=g6OqGLcfAFI

Posted by Chris on 10/01/07 at 01:32 PM ET

Apparently I can’t spell either.

Posted by Chris on 10/01/07 at 01:33 PM ET

As ill-prepared as Dregs is for the NHL, sending him down to Grand Rapids is a dumb move. The Wings don’t have the scoring depth (and understatement) to be sending down a guy who is even remotely capable offensively.

That said, this is funny. Idiot Wings fans have been hailing this loser’s arrival for years. He finally gets over here, and the loser can’t even make a team that only has two legitimate scoring line forwards.

And the pipeline is completely empty other than Kindl because your idiot GM is the worst GM in the league at the draft table over the past decade.

I am loving this. It’s going to be so nice to jam this down your throats. Someone needs to teach you losers not to be such arrogant pricks when you’re up, because that only makes the fall harder.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 01:46 PM ET

my god Thomas, are you Barry Melrose in disguise or something?

Posted by Pharazon on 10/01/07 at 01:50 PM ET

Posted by TeamDub from Toledo on 10/01/07 at 02:08 PM ET

Wow Thom.  Rough weekend, eh kid?  Haven’t seen you in a few days. Probably working on your term paper, the one on the 2003 draft none of us have seen.

Keep those comments coming Thommy.  But be aware, our attention spans are short.  Brief comments are best.  Just giving you a heads up.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/01/07 at 02:08 PM ET

Had a great weekend, thanks.

Re-ran the numbers on Ken Holland and the NHL Draft the other day to get them up to date (my research was done in 2002, so the numbers needed refreshing).

I was simply amazed at the outcome. Holland was worse than I thought.

Maybe I can get Paul to post the results. Mind-blowing how bad Detroit was compared to the rest of the league. Especially Colorado. Just mind-blowing.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 02:27 PM ET

Just send them to me Thommy. I’ll post ‘em for you.  I’m sure your highly scientific research will be enough to betray the winning percentage and the Stanley Cups.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/01/07 at 02:38 PM ET

Do you want the Excel files that were used to generate the data, or just the data and write-up?

If we’re going to do this, let’s do this right. E-mail me and we’ll talk.

Honestly, I think it would be better as a Kukla’s article, because I have the data for every team in the NHL and the numbers become a lot more relevant when put in that context.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 02:46 PM ET

The Demise of the Wings, by Thom.

Attempt 2,176.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/01/07 at 02:52 PM ET

Google spreadsheet, maybe.

Then anyone could have a look at it.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 10/01/07 at 03:39 PM ET

ThomAss,

I know it’s hard in today’s culture but take your gay pride elsewhere.

It’s an obvious ploy to get attention and promote your cause, but thread crapping here isn’t going to get more people your annual Gay Parade.

Posted by Steve from Colorado on 10/01/07 at 03:42 PM ET

Dub,

You are a frighteningly dangerous man with that whole photoshop stuff.  And the speed (-!) of it all, I have no idea what was said (speaking of short attention spans), but it took you 18 minutes to put that beauty together in response.

Tip o the ol CCM hat to ya.

Hoser

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 10/01/07 at 04:00 PM ET

Oh yeah, nice prediction there Chief - I knew there was a reason I hang on your every word.

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 10/01/07 at 04:01 PM ET

Kindl - top 2 potential
Ericsson - top 4 potential
Quincey - top 4 potential
Krownwall - top 2 potential

All expected to be with the team within the next 2 seasons. 

Oops! 

Gonna be funny when Colorado loses JM Liles because Brett Clark is their savior.

Posted by Heaton on 10/01/07 at 04:02 PM ET

Hoser, I’ll tell you. It’s hard being this brilliant.

Dub, speaking of brilliance…that new graphic is juvenile and filthy.  Heroic.

Thom, just send it to me.  I’d recommend an article.  If it’s as misguided as your 226 posts about Holland have been up to this point, I’ll run it.  If it makes sense and Holland is actually proven to be the worst GM in the league through your meticulous research, I’ll delete it and claim it never arrived.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/01/07 at 04:12 PM ET

Thom, just send it to me.  I’d recommend an article.  If it’s as misguided as your 226 posts about Holland have been up to this point, I’ll run it.  If it makes sense and Holland is actually proven to be the worst GM in the league through your meticulous research, I’ll delete it and claim it never arrived.

Yep, that’s why I said you should e-mail and and we can talk. If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it right.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 04:22 PM ET

That’s nice Thom.  I have a feeling you and I are going to have different opinions of just what the “right way” would be.  My suggestion is to start your own blog and post your garbage there.

If you’re too lazy to do that, then feel free to send me an article as I said.  If I like it, I’ll post it.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/01/07 at 04:30 PM ET

Thanks Hoser, the lithium and goofballs help get the creative juices flowing.

Juvenile AND filthy? My work here is done.

If it makes sense and Holland is actually proven to be the worst GM in the league through your meticulous research, I’ll delete it and claim it never arrived.

Heh.

Posted by TeamDub from Toledo on 10/01/07 at 04:36 PM ET

If this was a Shark or Duck fan I would still respect the battle and engage. But seriously, a *possible* playoff team? We’re going to pimp slap you tranny biatches…

Damn shame too; I miss the rivalry and genuine fear of facing the lanche. I thought Sakic was second only to Yzerman as a Captain, especially because both carried their teams through the sewers to the parades. Sakic apparently felt the same way because he wore 91 for Canada and let the Captain keep the number; that totally won me over. Too bad Sakic’s team has filth spewing fans; maybe they should learn how to swallow…oh wait…

Posted by srt on 10/01/07 at 05:42 PM ET

Chris,

Thanks for the video links; that second one has my hopes up for Downey…cautious hopes…

Posted by srt on 10/01/07 at 05:43 PM ET

That’s nice Thom.  I have a feeling you and I are going to have different opinions of just what the “right way” would be. 

The right way is that I write things up in a factual, non-insulting way (I’m more interested in posting the findings for the entire league than a comparison between two teams, or an article written to slam one inept GM) and post the data, and you post it without editing it for content without discussing it with me first.

Then again, I know you’re not interested in doing something like that. That would be a compromise, and you are all about being an *#$%@& just for the sake of being an *#$%@&.

And you sure as hell wouldn’t appreciate the fact that the NUMBERS clearly and irrefutably prove that your GM can’t draft to save his ass, as opposed to me just saying it and you not believing it.

If you have the marbles to be a man about this whole thing and actually educate your readers, we can do it. If you’re open to the idea that perhaps your GM isn’t as good at the draft table as you thought, then we can do this.

But I have a feeling that we already know what your answer is.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 05:50 PM ET

This was similar to the Lynn Henning theory that the Tigers wouldn’t contend for the next 10 years. You win some and you lose some.

Posted by kdog on 10/01/07 at 06:06 PM ET

Predictions about whether a team can contend and a statistical analysis of the draft are two completely separate concepts.

Do I think the Wings are headed into the toilet? Without question.

Does that have any influence on a statistical analysis? Not at all.

I’m getting the feeling that people think that the analysis I am talking about is somehow a matter of opinion. It is not.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 06:14 PM ET

you are all about being an ####### just for the sake of being an #######.

Exactly.  Feel free to head back to the alt./usenet/geek forum.

you sure as hell wouldn’t appreciate the fact that the NUMBERS clearly and irrefutably prove that your GM can’t draft to save his ass.

I’ve got a few numbers for you:  3, 7 and 25.  Analyze those.

If you’re open to the idea that perhaps your GM isn’t as good at the draft table as you thought, then we can do this

I don’t think Holland is good at the draft table. I think he surrounds himself with people who are.  Not only is our GM better than Dives’, but so is our Asst. GM. For that matter so is our head scout in Europe. 

Do I think the Wings are headed into the toilet? Without question.

You mean, like miss-the-playoffs-toilet? 

You’ve become a punchline Thom. You and your little term paper have been fun to ridicule, but better entertainment’s on the horizon.

Stick around if you want, but the regular season is two days away.  You’ll get far less attention come Wednesday.

Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 10/01/07 at 06:30 PM ET

I don’t think you could conduct something like that without bias.

Posted by Heaton on 10/01/07 at 06:30 PM ET

If the numbers were in his favor he’d have posted them as his first reply to this thread.

Posted by Nathan on 10/01/07 at 06:51 PM ET

If the numbers were in his favor he’d have posted them as his first reply to this thread.

Or maybe gotten them posted on one of the stats wonks’ hockey blogs—I’m sure they would give an analysis a hearing.  Then just posted the link here so everyone could, in his words, be educated.

Any model has to be multivariate—a series of pairwise comparisons would violate a ton of statistical assumptions—and those are tricky to set up properly.

Posted by cp on 10/01/07 at 07:13 PM ET

That would be a compromise, and you are all about being an ####### just for the sake of being an #######.

A seven letter insult so harsh it has to be censored even when talking to a sailor?  Damn.  Either Thomas has access to swear words not fit for mortal ears or his mommy has a very strict no-potty-mouth policy.

Posted by ColBerdan from San Jose on 10/01/07 at 08:18 PM ET

I don’t think Holland is good at the draft table. I think he surrounds himself with people who are.  Not only is our GM better than Dives’, but so is our Asst. GM. For that matter so is our head scout in Europe.

And if you were man enough to post it, I’d show you how wrong you are.

But you’re not, so I’m not going to.

  If the numbers were in his favor he’d have posted them as his first reply to this thread.

It’s not a matter of “my” favor. That the Avs are better at the draft table doesn’t gain me anything. And the Avs being better at the draft table isn’t a big deal. Every team in the NHL is better at the draft table. And the numbers prove it. A shame your hero doesn’t have the balls to let me prove it.

Or maybe gotten them posted on one of the stats wonks’ hockey blogs—I’m sure they would give an analysis a hearing.  Then just posted the link here so everyone could, in his words, be educated.

Well, yeah. That’s why I said that it’s better as a Kukla’s article than A2Y. It’s bigger than this. It belongs somewhere with a little more relevance than some idiot fanboy’s Wings blog.

I’ll look into places where this kind of thing could or should be posted.

Posted by Thomas on 10/01/07 at 08:45 PM ET

Thomas,

With all due respect, which is to say none, why not simply set up your own blog and post your findings in whatever manner you see fit. If you want net traffic then just email respected hockey bloggers and ask them to link to your site and/ or link to theirs; people tend to reciprocate the favor. As another suggested above, you could target those bloggers especially interested in statistics and statistical modeling. I.e. not necessarily the Chief.

After everything is set up as you like it, just come back here and drop a line saying that the conclusive proof is available for all to look at and post the link.

Given that you fancy yourself a scholar of sorts, you can learn how to operate a blog I’m sure. Also, they’re FREE to setup. I.e. You have no excuses and no reason to waste time amidst uneducated peoples….indeed, you seem to carry the torch of enlightenment quite proudly; it’s only us ignorant folk who seem to notice that the fire is dead. Too much snow perhaps?

Posted by srt on 10/01/07 at 08:58 PM ET

Yes, the Avs continued success lies largely due to their tremendous drafting.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 10/01/07 at 08:58 PM ET

“I’ll look into places where this kind of thing could or should be posted.”

I have a pretty good Idea for a place you could stick it….

Posted by Aaron from The Birdy South on 10/01/07 at 08:59 PM ET

Completely ignore everything Thomas says. Leave the attention whore alone. Every response only fuels his sick desire to be noticed. Despite his use as hilarious fodder, the whole dance has gotten old. We know the steps, but it’s time to put those tap shoes back in the dusty attic.

Posted by chris on 10/03/07 at 12:02 AM ET