Archive for the 'Kyle Quincey' Category

Helm demoted, Downey waived

Published by Matt Saler on October 7, 2008 at 12:13 pm in 2008-2009, Aaron Downey, Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson, Kyle Quincey and Ville Leino. 0 Comments

Update (2:50 PM): MacLeod now reports that Leino and Ericsson have been demoted. Quincey is sticking around while the team looks for trading partners.

This leaves the Wings with a 22-man roster, with three players (Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, and Jimmy Howard) on the IR. They slide in just under the cap, but could pick up some space by trading Quincey. When Mac and Cheli return, they’ll have to make another move or two to stay below the limit. - Matt

Update (1:00 PM): MacLeod has another post on the roster situation up. Apparently, Quincey has a meeting with the front office at 1:30 pm today, and there is a 2:00 pm press conference scheduled. He was held out of practice despite the fact that he’s healthy.

MacLeod talked to Ericsson, and he suspects he’ll be headed to Grand Rapids soon. - Matt

Bruce MacLeod reports that the Wings have sent Darren Helm to Grand Rapids and waived Aaron Downey, presumably to send him down as well.

Neither move is really a surprise. Helm was impressive in the pre-season, but would be better served to get significant playing time and that can only happen with the Griffins. Downey never really had a shot of making the regular season roster with all the talent above him. Darren McCarty will start the season in Detroit, but that’s more due to the fact that he’s got a groin injury and can go on the IR than anything else.

MacLeod also reports that Kyle Quincey was not on the ice with the team. That to me cements the idea that his time with the organization is done.

Ville Leino, by the way, skated on the top line with Marian Hossa and Pavel Datsyuk in lieu of the injured Tomas Holmstrom. He and Jonathan Ericsson seem headed to GR by 3:00 tomorrow.

Khan: Detroit trying to trade Kyle Quincey

Published by Matt Saler on October 7, 2008 at 9:45 am in Kyle Quincey and Links. 0 Comments

I thought so. I’m sure this report does wonders for Quincey’s morale, though. I don’t know about him, but I’d prefer to find out that I’ve been traded than to find out I’m going to be.  

Link

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Thoughts on the first televised exhibition game

Published by Matt Saler on September 30, 2008 at 10:50 pm in 2008-2009, Aaron Downey, Andreas Lilja, Darren Helm, Game Reports, Jimmy Howard, Kyle Quincey, Marian Hossa, Niklas Kronwall, Robert Lang and Ville Leino. 3 Comments

… How typical of Robert Lang was it that he took an offensive-zone penalty for the Habs right off the bat? 

The same goes for his somehow-not-called slashes on a Ville Leino rush in OT. Typical Langsian “hockey.” Good luck with that, Montreal.

… I was impressed with Leino’s offensive skills. He wasn’t so noticeable the other way, but looks like he’s strong in the opposition’s end. He demonstrated some real nice hands on his goal and showed a solid snap shot in the shootout. 

It’s clear he not quite ready for the NHL, though. Case in point: he took a hit from behind in the first (I believe) that he absolutely could/should have avoided. He’s still adjusting to both the North American game and the North American rink, and the best place for him to do that is in Grand Rapids, not Detroit. He’ll be one to watch with the Griffins this season as long as he stands by his word and actually goes to the AHL.

… Darren Helm really looked good. He’s picked up right where he left off in the Finals. He’s making a strong case for himself, but he may be better off in GR with actual playing time. 

… The way Marian Hossa’s jersey is tucked in his hockey pants had me momentarily seeing #91 just about every time I noticed him. He didn’t stick out in a big way, but it’s still the pre-season and he’s still adjusting to his teammates, so he obviously gets a break. It still would have been nice to see him score in the shootout, though.

The Montreal crowd is something else, to put it politely. Booing Marian Hossa for choosing Detroit over the Habs? Give me a break. 

… I didn’t think Kyle Quincey looked too good. Full disclosure, I’m biased against the guy, having picked him as the odd man out a long time ago. For what it’s worth, he’s conspiciously absent from the Wings’ roster as listed on the official site. 

… Jimmy Howard was strong in regular play, but was victimized in the shootout. 

… Aaron Downey is wearing #44, apparently in an effort at getting some better “energy” over #20. I do not approve. The last two Red Wings to wear #44? Two OtW Unfavorites, Mark Hartigan and Todd Bertuzzi. It does not bode well for you, Aaron, that 44 is your number of choice. 

… Chris Chelios blocked a shot in the third and had to leave the game due to what the AP is calling an ankle injury. He wasn’t putting any weight on his right leg as he was helped across the ice to the dressing room tunnel. Here’s hoping he’s okay. If Quincey isn’t already on the way out, a Chelios injury may at least partially answer the question of space on the blueline. 

… Nik Kronwall looks poised to have a great season as long as his new-found healthiness holds up. 

… No game-breaking gaffes on the part of Andreas Lilja. That’s in spite of Montreal’s speed and the fact that big #3 is not in mid-season shape. That’s encouraging, especially given that the Wings don’t seem to eager to drop the guy.

… The Habs gave the Wings plenty of power play opportunities, but they couldn’t capitalize. Granted, the units were somewhat hodgepodge with the roster split as it is, but I’m hoping for some more power play success this season and the sooner it starts, the better. 

… All in all, not a bad game from an entertainment standpoint. In some ways, it was obviously still exhibition hockey, but in others it was a well-played game between two highly-skilled opponents. It will be interesting to contrast this game with Friday’s televised matchup with our old friend Ron Wilson’s Maple Leafs.

… On a different note, I’m trying to figure out what OtW is going to look like this season. Previously, it pretty much just had school to compete with, but now I’ve got a full-time job, and in a week and a half, another layer of competition gets added when I get married. So we’ll see how it goes from here on out.

The shaking-out

Published by Matt Saler on July 2, 2008 at 8:46 pm in 2008-2009, Aaron Downey, Andreas Lilja, Brett Lebda, Chris Osgood, Dallas Drake, Derek Meech, Jimmy Howard, Jonathan Ericsson, Justin Abdelkader, Kyle Quincey, Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, Opinion, Roster Moves, The Team, Valtteri Filppula and Ville Leino. 4 Comments

Update (10:18 PM): Of course, as soon as I write that I’d like to see Mac take a two-way contract, the Windsor Star comes out with a report indicating he may not be willing to do so. Come on, Mac! I thought you loved GR. - Matt

Updated @ 10:00 PM - see end of post - Matt

The Lilja, Stuart, Conklin, and Hossa signings raise questions about the final makeup of the Wings’ roster. Here’s how I’m hoping it all shakes out:

To start, the Valtteri Filppula question. If anyone offers him $3+ million and he takes the offer, the Wings’ can’t stop him leaving. However, I like to think Fil would relish the thought of playing for the Cup again, particularly with a winger like Hossa. Maybe I’m naive, but I don’t see a problem there as long as he’s willing to accept $2.5 million or less from Detroit.

On the way out should be Dallas Drake, who ought to retire in order to make way for others. All indications seem to be that he’s going to hang them up while he’s on top. It’d be great to have him back, but there’s not a lot of room.

I’d love to see the Wings convince Darren McCarty to take two-way contract. It would be a move aimed at bringing in a physical presence if needed for the playoffs and would go a long way in boosting the popularity of hockey here in West Michigan. Mac can still bring it and would be valuble to have available.

I’d prefer they keep Aaron Downey around the main squad, but if it’s he who goes to GR, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. By all accounts, the guy is so good in the lockerroom that I don’t hesitate to overstate his role in the Cup win when I talk about the guy. If nothing else, I think they should make Downey Director of Team Morale or something.

Assuming Fil re-signs, Drake retires, and the enforcers split as outlined above, the Wings would end up with 12 forwards with settled statuses: Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, Marian Hossa, Dan Cleary, Kris Draper, Kirk Maltby, Mikael Samuelsson, Jiri Hudler and Aaron Downey/Darren McCarty (with this guy sitting out more often than not).

I’ve seen a lot of reports stating they want to carry 13 forwards, so there’s a spot up for grabs. Personally, I’d love to see Darren Helm take it over Tomas Kopecky. The kid certainly earned it during the playoffs and would make the fourth line killer once again. However, his ability to return to the AHL without having to clear waives could mean he’ll be headed back to GR, unfortunately.

Another option for this spot is Ville Leino. Apparently, they want to bring the Finn over this season and not to play for Grand Rapids. He would face the very difficult proposition of beating out a Babcock favorite (Helm) and a good, skilled grinder (Kopecky). I can’t see that happening.

I’ve seen some talk about Justin Abdelkader, but I can’t see him cracking the lineup. He should go to Grand Rapids and get acclimated to professional hockey before he makes the leap. He’s going to be really fun to watch in GR this year, if that’s where he ends up.

On the defensive side, as I stated in the Hossa post, I think Kyle Quincey’s days as a Red Wing are over. There are a lot of fond memories of the kid from the 2007 playoffs floating around, but the fact is he’s not a very good skater and is not much on the offensive side. In other words, he’s not the prototypical Red Wings defenseman. He lacks the size to make up for those skill deficiencies in the way that Andreas Lilja does. He’s also got an apparent attitude problem. He’s got to be the odd man out in this situation. If they can’t swing a trade for picks or something, waive him.

As for Chris Chelios, as I wrote before, he’s going to have to decide for himself whether or not the very reduced role he’s facing will be acceptable. I’d love for him to come back because he brings so much to this team, but he’s certainly slowly being ushered out. I have a hard time seeing him doing anything but come back, though.

I know many fans can’t stand Lilja, but I’m a little more “eh” about the guy. He’s got an upside as a shot blocker and PKer. The guy is not here to carry the puck and make two-line passes. He’s not your typical Red Wing defenseman, but his size and physicality are meant to compensate. Obviously, his downside is that he has all-too-frequent and very visible gaffes. Still, I’m inclined to buy the argument of his few defenders that these mostly happen when he’s left out to dry by his more offensively-minded partners. If anything, he needs to improve his recovery skills. Anyway, unless he’s majorly beaten out in camp and the Wings look to trade him, Lilja’s one half of the third pairing, with Brett Lebda likely making up the other half.

I think Jonathan Ericsson is ready for an NHL job, but it won’t be this year unless he “pulls a Filppula” at training camp and forces his way onto the roster by being so good. The potential for him to be a hugely dominate AHL defenseman and the confidence that would arise from that makes sending him back to GR an attractive idea. I think he’s stronger mentally than Quincey in that it doesn’t seem likely he’ll have an off year as a result of coming down from the high of being a part of a long playoff run.

With Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Stuart, Lebda, and Lilja under contract and assuming Chelios signs, the Wings would be up to seven defensemen with an apparent interest in carrying eight. Unless Ericsson tears it up in camp, that spot should go to Derek Meech. Meech is NHL-ready and is out of options. I’d hate to see him forced off the team, so I hope they make a point of keeping him around. He, like Ericsson, is the future of the Detroit blueline.

Now to goaltending. Chris Osgood is the starter at this point, there’s no question. He’s arguably playing the best hockey of his career, so it’s his job to lose. The job of back-up is a little more up in the air, though not too high. Jimmy Howard is going to have to be stellar in camp to pass Ty Conklin in the depth chart. Or Conklin will have to be awful.

Personally, I’d rather Conklin be the guy on the bench recording faceoffs while Jimmy gets actual ice time in Grand Rapids. Howard needs to have at least one strong year in the AHL before he’ll be ready for the NHL and if he can play the majority of the season with the Griffins, he should have the stability necessary to do that. Conklin is a great insurance policy, as his record this past season for Pittsburgh indicates.

So to me the 2008-2009 Wings roster would ideally look something like this:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom
Franzen-Filppula-Hossa
Cleary-Draper-Maltby
Samuelsson-Hudler-Helm ( or, more likely, Kopecky)
Downey

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Lilja-Lebda
Chelios
Meech

Osgood
Conklin

GR:

Leino
McCarty

Ericsson

Howard

That’s my take on the situation. We’ll see how much of it happens!

One last question that obviously needs addressing at some point is who is going to replace Todd McLellan.

In any case, the Wings are poised to have another great season. Like last summer following the loss to the Ducks, I’m fully confident in their ability to go all the way. They appear to have all the tools in the right places once again.

Update (10:00 PM): I should add here that I think the chances of a Red Wings post-Cup hangover are slim. This team is too well-coached and too focused for that. They certainly aren’t counting their chickens before they’re hatched, you can bet on it.

So, my fellow fans, feel free to do some harmless counting of poultry while the team takes care of business like group of professionals they are. There’s no harm in our being excited about their chances. - Matt

I really can’t wait for hockey to start up again!

2/28 Post-practice Update

Published by Matt Saler on February 28, 2008 at 5:08 pm in Brad Stuart, Brian Rafalski, Chris Chelios, Dan Cleary, Injuries, Kyle Quincey, Nick Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall. 3 Comments

Update (7:00 PM): Red Wings TV has video of Dan Cleary’s talk with the media here. - Matt

Update (6:56 PM): The official blog confirms that Niklas Kronwall has been activated off the injured reserve list and that Kyle Quincey has been returned to Grand Rapids. - Matt

Update (5:27 PM): … Ansar Khan has more on Dan Cleary here.

… Khan also says Stuart will be on the first power play tomorrow and with Andreas Lilja on the penalty kill.

… Unsurprisingly, Chelios was favoring his right leg in practice today, though he soldiered through it. Babcock told Khan he’s not sure if Chelios will be ready to go Sunday in Buffalo. My guess is no.

… Babcock’s also not sure about Rafalski’s status for Sunday. - Matt

… Bruce MacLeod reports that Brad Stuart was at practice today and led the stretching “to hoots and hollers from his new teammates.”

Stuart did drills with Niklas Kronwall, who will return tomorrow night, according to MacLeod’s other update.

During the extended special teams portion of the practice, MacLeod says Stuart got reps on the penalty kill side.

According to an email I got from the NHL Store today, Stuarts new number is 23. I know some people who aren’t going to be happy about that.

… According to MacLeod, Brian Rafalski (groin) stayed as long as the stretches, but left once the team started drills. Obviously he’s still in full-on recovery mode.

… MacLeod also reports that Chris Chelios (bone chip, right leg) took part in practice. That’s a little surprising given the fact that he was described yesterday as barely being able to walk. Apparently, even Babcock was surprised.

… Nick Lidstrom (knee sprain) was not there today. Reports earlier this week suggested he could be ready to skate by later this week. Looks like that means Friday or Saturday. He did work out in the weight room, however.

… MacLeod says Kyle Quincey was sent back to Grand Rapids today.

… The pairings from practice, as provided by MacLeod:

Kronwall-Stuart
Meech-Lilja
Ericsson-Lebda
Quincey-Chelios (practice only)

… MacLeod says Dan Cleary (broken jaw) made an appearance at the rink for the first time since taking a Mikael Samuelsson shot off the face. He’s looking to make it back for the last three games of the season. Before then, he’ll have to regain the 15 pounds he’s lost due to only being able to eat pasta and soups. He’s targeting Sunday or Monday as the day to start skating again.

… Dominik Hasek will start against the Sharks.

(via Bruce MacLeod’s update #1 and update #2)

Rafalski out, Quincey in

Published by Matt Saler on February 14, 2008 at 1:44 pm in Brian Rafalski, Darren McCarty, Injuries, Jonathan Ericsson and Kyle Quincey. 3 Comments

Update (1:55 PM): In his post on the Rafalski/Quincey situation, Ansar Khan includes an update on Niklas Kronwall. Apparently, he is hoping to play Sunday against the Stars. Khan provides no evidence for whether that’s realistic or not.

Also, it does not appear that Dominik Hasek (hip flexor) is very near returning, as Mike Babcock professed not to know his status. - Matt

Ryan Foherty reports that Brian Rafalski (groin) will sit out tomorrow night’s game against Columbus. Evidently, he suffered the injury during the Nashville game Tuesday night.

The team has called up Kyle Quincey from the AHL to fill in during Rafalski’s absence. To be frank, I don’t understand why Quincey was chosen instead of Jonathan Ericsson., who has over twice the points Quincey has and is +4. Quincey is -5 and, by all accounts, has not been the same player since being demoted to Grand Rapids after playing with the Wings in the playoffs.

Ericsson, I’m told, has had a solid year in the midst of the Griffins’ troubles this season. Perhaps that’s the reason the Wings opted for Quincey: the Griffins cannot afford to lose Ericsson and Quincey could use the confidence boost.

It doesn’t appear to be a waiver issue, as Ericsson is described by Red Wings Central as having a “waiver-free status.”

In any case,  Rafalski is a big loss, even though he’s only day-to-day. The last thing the Wings needed was to lose one of their better skaters as they head into a contest with a young Columbus team that’s fighting for a playoff spot.

It will, however, be interesting to see Derek Meech take on a larger role, if only for one game. My confidence in #14 is growing.

I apologize for the lack of posting this week. It’s been a bit busy at my end, but hopefully things will quiet down after this week.

By the way, I met Darren McCarty Tuesday night in Holland.  I’ll be at his home debut tomorrow night, as well.

Sopel signs with Chicago

Published by Matt Saler on September 28, 2007 at 9:43 pm in Brent Sopel, Derek Meech, Injuries, Kyle Quincey and Links. 0 Comments

Well, that answers that question. Apparently, the Wings did offer Sopel a contract, but it probably wasn’t the $1.5 million he’s reported to have signed for with the Hawks. As others have pointed out, this should mean Meech will be the 7th defenseman, especially given Kyle Quincey’s recent injury.

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4/8 Notes

Published by Matt Saler on April 8, 2007 at 9:07 am in Blackhawks, Flames, Kyle Calder, Kyle Quincey, Mikael Samuelsson and Playoffs. 4 Comments

Update (6:30 PM): Via Alanah at Kukla’s, it looks like the Wings and Flames will kick off the postseason on Friday as Game 2 will be at 1:00 PM on Sunday on NBC. - Matt

Happy Easter, everyone. Just a few things before heading off to chu

… The Wings won their last game of the season last night, 7-2 over the Blackhawks. It was basically the dominating performance I’ve been hoping to see in these last games, as they skated circles around the Hawks until the third period, when they backed off a bit. As much as they controlled play, the Wings probably still wouldn’t have put up so many goals had Patrick Lalime allowed a bunch of stinkers. He had a bad game, and I think the fact that the Wings didn’t score in the third had as much to do with Nikolai Khabibulin coming in as their apparent decision to back off.

… Probably the best thing to come out of the game yesterday was the fact that both Mikael Samuelsson and Kyle Calder scored twice. For the Wings to succeed in the playoffs, they’re going to need guys like Sammy and Calder contributing, so hopefully their confidence and touch has returned. It was also good to see Tomas Holmstrom net his 30th.

… Kyle Quincey, in because Chris Chelios had the day off, continues to impress. I don’t remember seeing him make a bad defensive decision and he possesses the strength to handle most situations without much trouble. It looks like he has a good shot, too, as his first NHL goal was a boomer from the point. If he’s ranked behind Derek Meech and Jonathan Ericsson and still looks this solid, I’d say our defensive future is bright.

… The Wings’ playoff match up was decided last night when the Avs lost to Nashville. The first round opponent will be Calgary, a team the Wings tied in the season series 2-2.

I can’t say I’m thrilled about this matchup any more. A couple weeks ago, the Flames looked like they were floundering and seemed like a desirable team to play. Now, they’re scary, as Helene St. James outlines. As both Detroit wins came at JLA, the Wings’ home ice advantage could be key. It’ll be a tough series, that’s for sure, but maybe that’s what the Wings need. I do have a different feeling about this team, and I know they’re more capable of fighting for their lives than previous complacent Wings teams. They’re saying the right things, at least.

… Other Western Conference matchups:

Anaheim vs. Minnesota
Vancouver vs. Dallas
Nashville vs. San Jose