The Detroit Red Wings were bounced from the playoffs in the first round by the Boston Bruins, but they have also made the postseason every year since 1990. Air Max 720 Outlet Australia . Off-Season Game Plan looks at a Wings team that has been rejuvenated with youth, but has a small window of time to capitalize on the talent of team leaders Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg. The Wings have a bit of an interesting mix, with aging vets combined with young players who were thrust into bigger roles when those older players got hurt last year. While the Wings can be, at times, too patient with their prospects, those that were called upon last year -- including Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan and Tomas Jurco, among others -- were ready to play and contribute and that does provide reason for optimism going forward. "I think theres this perception that July 1 free agents, theres this hockey store, theres this fantasy hockey league that Im running, playing in, and that we can go get superstars," GM Ken Holland told Detroits CBS Affiliate. "Those days are over. That was a bit of the league prior to 2005. Those days are over. This is a league now where youve got to draft, youve got to develop, weve got to make people better." Its one thing to be optimistic about what those young players might be able to contribute; its another to realize that there may not be that much longer that the Wings can count on premier production from Datsyuk and Zetterberg, so theres some reason for urgency in order to take advantage over the next couple seasons. The benefit of having so many young, and cheap, players is that the Wings have the financial flexibility to make some big moves this summer if they so choose. They have the cap room to go after the big fish in free agency, however shallow that pool might be, but also have cap room and prospects to be players on the trade market. The TSN.ca Rating is an efficiency rating based on per-game statistics including goals and assists -- weighted for strength (ie. power play, even, shorthanded) -- Corsi, adjusted for zone starts, quality of competition and quality of teammates, hits, blocked shots, penalty differential and faceoffs. Generally, a replacement-level player is around a 60, a top six forward and top four defenceman will be around 70, stars will be over 80 and MVP candidates could go over 90. Sidney Crosby finished at the top of the 2013-2014 regular season ratings at 87.12. Salary cap information all comes from the indispensable www.capgeek.com. CF% = Corsi percentage (ie. percentage of 5-on-5 shot attempts), via www.extraskater.com. GM/COACHKen Holland/Mike Babcock Returning Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Henrik Zetterberg 81.62 45 16 32 48 53.3% $6.083M Gustav Nyquist 77.29 57 28 20 48 54.5% $950K Pavel Datsyuk 77.12 45 17 20 37 55.7% $7.5M Johan Franzen 72.53 54 16 25 41 51.2% $3.955M Darren Helm 68.14 42 12 8 20 52.8% $2.125M Justin Abdelkader 64.83 70 10 18 28 50.7% $1.8M Joakim Andersson 60.79 65 8 9 17 49.9% $733K Drew Miller 60.50 82 7 8 15 48.8% $1.35M Luke Glendening 56.22 56 1 6 7 46.2% $628K Stephen Weiss 55.37 26 2 2 4 41.6% $4.9M Free Agent Forwards Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Daniel Alfredsson 70.96 68 18 31 49 51.3% UFA $5.5M Tomas Tatar 68.36 73 19 20 39 56.3% RFA $840K David Legwand 67.39 83 14 37 51 49.5% UFA $4.5M Riley Sheahan 66.47 42 9 15 24 56.4% RFA $900K Todd Bertuzzi 60.56 59 9 7 16 49.5% UFA $2.075M Dan Cleary 57.33 52 4 4 8 47.3% UFA $1.75M Mikael Samuelsson 56.48 26 1 2 3 50.8% UFA $1.8M Its a shame that back problems sidelined Henrik Zetterberg for a good portion of the season, because he was productive as ever, playing a career-high 20:33 per game, with his 1.07 points per game his best since 2007-2008. Since 2005-2006, Zetterberg is one of nine players to play at least 500 games and average better than a point per game. Hes also one of the all-timers in puck possession metrics and remains effective in that regard even though he consistently faces the highest-quality opposition. Its one thing for the Wings to be missing Zetterberg for a significant amount of time, but to also lose Pavel Datsyuk for 37 games, thanks to a degenerative knee. While Zetterberg scored more last season, Datsyuk actually comes in ahead of Zetterberg on a couple of the above lists (points per game, Corsi%). Its worth noting that the Wings took it easier on Datsyuk last season, with more offensive zone starts and easier quality of competition than he faced previously. These could be the kind of allowances you make for a supremely-skilled 35-year-old who is grinding through injury, but Datsyuk also averaged 20:16 of ice time per game, his highest since 2009-2010, so its not like he was relegated to a lesser role. Absurdly demoted to the AHL at the start of last season, because the Red Wings had bottled up their roster with too many veterans under contract, Gustav Nyquist ripped through the AHL for 21 points in 15 games before getting recalled and he was one of the leagues hottest goal-scorers, going on a stretch from January 20 through April 2 during which he scored 23 goals in 28 games. There is no reason to believe that Nyquist will continue to be an 18% shooter, so get ready for regression, but dont dismiss him altogether. Hes got great jets, is a top-shelf possession player and has the offensive track record (including 143 points in 137 AHL games) so that Nyquist has to enter next season with high expectations. Concussions cost Johan Franzen many of the 28 games that he missed last year and while there are some indications that the 34-year-olds play is slipping, Franzen has put up better than 0.70 points per game for six straight seasons, including 0.76 last season. His best years are behind him, but Mule can still be a useful complement to Datsyuk, a spot that has been a good place for him for many years. Injuries have threatened to derail Darren Helms career, but the speedy checking centre battled back to play a mostly regular role once he returned to action. He still missed time with a groin injury and a concussion, but Helm proved to be a valuable contributor, though a tad fortunate considering that his shooting percentage (14.5%) was double his previous career rate. A hard-nosed winger with limited offensive upside, Justin Abdelkader did score a career-high 28 points last season, playing a career-high 15:17 per game. The issue with those scoring totals, however, is that Abdelkader spent most of his time playing with highly-skilled players (Zetterberg, Nyquist and datsyuk were among his most common linemates) so there is some offensive opportunity cost to playing him in that role too often. Joakim Andersson has worked his way into a regular spot in the lineup, but was as unlucky as anyone in the Detroit lineup last season, coming in on the low end of both on-ice shooting and save percentages. Despite minimal offensive production, Drew Miller has played all but four games over the past two seasons. He also plays more -- a career-high 14:08 last season -- than his possession numbers might typically warrant. An undrafted free agent, Luke Glendening quickly earned the trust of the Red Wings coaching staff though hes not very productive and gets thumped in possession terms. It was easy enough to write off Stephen Weisss 2012-2013 season due to the wrist surgery that he required, and he had several suitors as a free agent last summer, but his first season in Detroit was a disaster, and his production over the past two seasons is in the neighbourhood of fourth-line enforcers. Would the Red Wings be willing to stomach a buy out on a contract that has four years and $20.5-million remaining? If not, theyre really hoping for a dramatic turnaround. A first-round pick in 2010, Riley Sheahan was a useful contributor upon getting called up to Detroit. He wont be able to sustain the percentages that contributed to his goal and point production, but he was a solid possession performer too, and that will work in any circumstances. Overshadowed by Nyquist, Tomas Tatar was the Red Wings second-leading goal-scorer in his first full season. His usage tilted the ice in his favour, but Tatar delivered strong possession numbers too and, like Nyquist, has to be counted on as an offensive producer going forward. There are more options to fill out Detroits forward ranks. Prospect Tomas Jurco split last season between Detroit and Grand Rapids; Daniel Alfredsson is an unrestricted free agent and, with so many young players on the roster, the Wings have loads of cap room should they wish to trade for the likes of Jason Spezza, Eric Staal, Ryan Kesler or sign free agents like Paul Stastny, Thomas Vanek, Jarome Iginla or Marian Gaborik. Returning Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Cap Hit Niklas Kronwall 73.14 79 8 41 49 51.9% $4.75M Brendan Smith 63.93 71 5 14 19 53.9% $1.263M Jakub Kindl 63.73 66 2 17 19 51.6% $2.4M Jonathan Ericsson 62.74 48 1 10 11 51.7% $4.25M Brian Lashoff 56.35 75 1 5 6 50.4% $725K Free Agent Defence Player Rating GP G A PTS CF% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Danny DeKeyser 65.44 65 4 19 23 49.0% RFA $1.35M Kyle Quincey 60.59 82 4 9 13 49.7% UFA $3.775M Niklas Kronwall has played big minutes for the Wings and has top-tier possession stats. A mobile puck-mover who delivers some of the most devastating hits in the league, Kronwall is the clear-cut number one on a unit that, generally, lacks experience. Brendan Smith has the skill to play a bigger role and saw more minutes late in the year and into the playoffs, but he has not displayed the same offensive production that he had in the AHL or at the University of Wisconsin. Nevertheless, there is an opportunity for 25-year-old Smith, who has been a solid possession player, to seize playing time on the Detroit blueline Its been a gradual process for Jakub Kindl to establish himself as a regular on the Detroit blueline and hes managed to put up decent possession numbers in the past couple seasons as Detroit shelters his usage, with relatively easy competition and more offensive zone starts. Jonathan Ericsson has been thrust into a prominent role, playing more than 21 minutes per game over the past two seasons. Ericssons flawed, but manages to put up decent possession numbers while facing high-quality opposition. An inexpensive depth defenceman who worked his way up as an undrafted free agent, Brian Lashoff continues to improve and while hes not pushing for top-four minutes, there is room for Lashoff to hold the sixth spot on the Wings blueline. Though he played more than 21 minutes per game as a rookie, and faced quality opposition, Danny DeKeyser was on the ice for more shot attempts against than for during 5-on-5 play. Hes a fluid skater and can move the puck, but DeKeyser needs to continue to improve if hes going to hold down a spot in the Wings top four. The Wings will have the cap room to spend if they decide that a defensive upgrade is prudent. Free agents like Andrei Markov or Dan Boyle might provide value, in that they wont necessarily require a long term, but would be able to contribute while Datsyuk and Zetterberg are still capable of keeping the Wings in playoff contention. Returning Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Cap Hit Jimmy Howard 71.09 51 21 19 11 2.66 .910 $5.292M Free Agent Goaltender Player Rating GP W L OTL GAA SV% Class 13-14 Cap Hit Jonas Gustavsson 63.72 27 16 5 4 2.63 .907 UFA $1.5M Jimmy Howards .910 save percentage last season was the second-lowest of his career but, over the past five seasons, he ranks above average, with a .917 save percentage. The Wings have cast their lost with Howard, for the time being, it seems, as hes signed for five more seasons. Any changes in goal would require finding a landing spot for Howard. The heir apparent for the Red Wings number one goaltending job, Petr Mrazek has done nothing to diminish that expectation. He has a .919 save percentage in 74 AHL games and a .926 save percentage in 11 NHL games. Thats enough to get first crack at the backup gig next season. Top Prospects Player Pos. Team/League Stats Anthony Mantha RW Val dOr (QMJHL) 57-63-120, +34, 57 GP Tomas Jurco RW Grand Rapids (AHL) 13-19-32, +10, 32 GP Xavier Ouellet D Grand Rapids (AHL) 4-13-17, +3, 70 GP Petr Mrazek G Grand Rapids (AHL) 2.10 GAA, .924 SV%, 32 GP Mattias Backman D Linkopings (SHL) 6-15-21, +25, 54 GP Ryan Sproul D Grand Rapids (AHL) 11-21-32, even, 72 GP Teemu Pulkkinen RW Grand Rapids (AHL) 31-28-59, +18, 71 GP Andreas Athanasiou LW Barrie (OHL) 49-46-95, +25, 66 GP Mattias Janmark-Nylen C AIK (SHL) 18-12-30, -6, 45 GP Adam Almqvist D Grand Rapis (AHL) 4-49-53, +9, 73 GP Alexei Marchenko D Grand Rapids (AHL) 3-15-18, +11, 49 GP Mitch Callahan RW Grand Rapids (AHL) 26-18-44, +23, 70 GP The 20th pick in 2013 Anthony Mantha went off on the Quebec Major Junior Hockey Hockey League last season, finishing with 158 points (81 G, 77 A) in 81 (regular season plus playoff) games. Hes big and can put the puck in the net. Since this is the Red Wings, Mantha is going to start in the AHL, but his rise could be quick. A second-round pick in 2011, Tomas Jurco has good size and brilliant puck skills, breaking out in his second pro season, scoring a point-per-game in the AHL, then adding eight goals and 15 points, with excellent possession stats, in 36 NHL games. Barring a roster crunch, Jurco should be in the NHL next season. Another second rounder from 2011, Xavier Ouellet has impressed with his heady play and earned a four-game audition with the Wings last season. He didnt look out of place and could challenge for a spot as soon as next season. Drafted in the fifth round in 2010, Petr Mrazek has been consistently strong since then, with Ottawa in the OHL, the Czech Republic in the World Juniors and with Grand Rapids in the AHL. The 22-year-old could be ready for an NHL job; then the question will be how soon hes ready to push for the No. 1 spot. Selected in the fifth round in 2011, Mattias Backman is a smooth, puck-moving defenceman who joined Grand Rapids following a strong year in Sweden. He could get stronger and will have to get used to the North American game, but the 21-year-old may not be far away from earning a look. A talented player with a big shot from the point, Ryan Sproul was a second-round pick in 2011. He can refine his play without the puck, but the raw package is intriguing. Picked in the fourth round in 2010, Teemu Pulkkinen had a very strong first year in North America, putting up 36 goals and 70 points in 81 (regular season plus playoff) AHL games and getting a three-game trial with the Wings. There are a lot of young forwards that have just cracked the Detroit roster, which makes Pulkkinens quest more challenging. A fourth-round pick in 2012, Andreas Athanasiou is a gifted offensive player with size and skill, but will need time to work on his two-way play before he might contend for a spot in Detroit. A late bloomer who was a third-round pick last summer, Mattias Janmark-Nylen has put up a couple of strong seasons in the Swedish Hockey League, and the 21-year-old will need to show he can do it in North America before expectations get raised too much. Continuing the run of mid-to-late-round selections that have climbed the Wings prospect ranks, 2009 seventh-rounder Adam Almqvist has tallied 84 points in 141 AHL games over the past two years. Hes on the small side, but the ability of defenders to move the puck is increasingly valuable. Another seventh-rounder, from 2011, Alexei Marchenko had a solid first year in North America, even getting a game with the Red Wings. He has good size and could develop into a stay-at-home defender. Drafted in the sixth round in 2009, Mitch Callahan is an agitator coming off a productive AHL season. His ceiling isnt high, but he could earn a look on the fourth line. Red Wings advanced stats and player usage chart from Extra Skater DRAFT15th - Kevin Fiala, Alex Tuch, Sonny Milano. FREE AGENCYAccording to www.capgeek.com, the Red Wings have approximately $48.7M committed to the 2014-2015 salary cap for 16 players. Check out my possible Red Wings lineup for next season on Cap Geek here. Needs: Two top nine forwards, two top four defencemen, backup goaltender.What I said the Red Wings needed last year: Two top six forwards, one top-pair defenceman.They added: Daniel Alfredsson, Tomas Tatar, Joakim Andersson, Stephen Weiss. TRADE MARKETJohan Franzen, Tomas Jurco, Joakim Andersson, Jakub Kindl, Brendan Smith. Scott Cullen can be reached at Scott.Cullen@bellmedia.ca and followed on Twitter at http://twitter.com/tsnscottcullen. For more, check out TSN Fantasy on Facebook. Cheap Wholesale Air Max 720 . Edmonton opened the season with 14 straight victories before falling Friday night 10-8 to the host Colorado Mammoth in National Lacrosse League action. Cheap Wholesale Nike Air Max 720 . Thats 14 consecutive losses to the two-time defending champs, and most of them were over before they even began. Result notwithstanding, Sundays game had a very different feel to it. http://www.cheapairmax720australia.com/ .C. -- LeBron James called comments on an audio recording of a man identified as Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling "appalling" and said hes not sure if he would suit up for the remainder of the NBA playoffs if he played for the Clippers.Graham DeLaet starts his first tournament of 2014 this week in San Diego, teeing it up at the Farmers Insurance Open. While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. While every stop is important for the Canadian golfer, he is more than just a little excited about his first opportunity to play the Masters. "When I look at the schedule, thats the one thing that stands out," he said just prior to heading out to San Diego. "I feel like I know the course so well already, the breaks on the green and where to hit it. Its my highlight sporting event of the year to watch." DeLaet earned his spot in the field through his stellar 2013 season making it to the Tour Championship as well as finishing inside the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking. He even Tweeted out a picture of the official invitation, which now sits framed on a shelf in his living room. DeLaet is planning to head up to Augusta early to get a look at the course and hell have a pretty good tour guide with him. While playing the Shark Shootout in December with Mike Weir, the two Canadians made a plan for a side trip, likely on the Monday of one of the Florida stops. "It wont be hard to make time for that," he said. "Ive been told by a lot of people that my game suits the course, so Im excited to get up there and see it." There are a few stops prior to Augusta of course and DeLaet is hoping he can continue to play as he did for much of 2013, a year that saw him break out and become a bona fide world-class player. It was also a year that left him out of gas at the end, running on fumes as he hit the Christmas break. "It was a good off season," he stated. "I was really burned at the end of last year but now my battery has been recharged and Im ready to get going." The recharging included he and his wife Ruby moving to Phoenix, Ariz., although hell maintain a residence in Boise where hes lived since his school days. He also took in the Winter Classic hockey game in Ann Arbor, Mi., which he described as crazy (he was one of the few fans in attendance at the Leafs-Red Wings game wearing a Calgary Flames sweater). And, as he got closer to returning to play, there was also a lot of practice, trying to find the feel of his almost-pure swing that statistically has him as one of the games best ball-strikers. Thhe off-season was also busy from a sponsorship standpoint as most of his deals expired. Cheap Air Max 720 Australia. He signed a new clothing contract with Puma that will see him don some bright hues, including a regular red and white outfit every Sunday. He followed that by inking a deal with Canadian communications company Shaw, whose logo will appear on his hat and bag. And, despite some very lucrative offers - one reportedly with seven figures before the decimal point - he stayed with Titleist clubs and ball. "He was one of the hottest commodities out there. Everyone wanted him," said one equipment company executive. That, of course, is because they - like just about every Canadian golf fan, sees the great potential in DeLaet. He sees it too and is hoping this will be the year he notches his first victory along with a few other goals. "Im excited," stated the Weyburn, Sask., produce who turns 32 on Wednesday. "I want to try and put myself in that position to get the first win. The Presidents Cup again, staying inside the top 50 in the world and even moving up. Those are all outcome goals. I know that they come with how I play. Ive been working hard, putting in the proper practice and using the Monday, Tuesday Wednesday to take care of what I need to take care of so Im ready on Thursday." His tremendous play, perhaps highlighted by his Presidents Cup appearance, has meant other changes as well. First off, his schedule will be different in 2014. In fact, it already is. He skipped the SONY Open in Hawaii, and event in which hes performed well in the past and loves to attend. And there will be other tournaments that have been on his itinerary that will be squeezed out to make room for all four majors as well as the lucrative no-cut World Golf Championship events. There is a stretch starting with the British Open where hell play eight out of nine weeks, an exhausting but unavoidable itinerary. With the great play has also come a crushing demand on his time. More autograph requests. More sponsor requests. And more media requests. "It comes with the territory," DeLaet said. "As I rise up the rankings, I get more attention. You try to limit it as much as you can but at the same time you know its part of the job and you know that its important to talk to certain people." This week marks the start of what could be a very big year for DeLaet. Hes pumped and ready for it. So is most of Canada. China NFL Jerseys Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Online Stitched Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Baseball Jerseys Football Jerseys Outlet College Jerseys For Sale Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys For Sale Wholesale NFL Jerseys ' ' '