Morning news: Talkin’ about Ken Holland and Tweets of note

Of Red Wings-related note this morning:

1. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski penned a list of general managers organized into “tiers“:

The Votes Of No Confidence

GMs that are feeling the heat because their teams were incredible for like a decade, got old and entered inevitable decline.

Stan Bowman, Chicago Blackhawks
Ken Holland, Detroit Red Wings

Bowman’s handled down cycles for the Hawks before, in between Cup wins, but this one seems like a bit of a steeper climb due to the age of the core (and the fact that there are so many no-trade clauses). Holland has somehow crafted a roster that’s kissing the cap ceiling but is a complete also-ran. Does he return next season?

I have a sinking feeling that Holland will return to see the “rebuild on the fly” through–and I have a sinking feeling that Holland is able to write his own ticket.

We don’t know what Chris Ilitch wants from his teams because Ilitch hasn’t spoken with the media. Rumors suggest that as Ilitch has taken over, the “family” atmosphere fostered by Mr. I has given way to a more businesslike approach, but at this point, the Red Wings, Tigers, Olympia Entertainment and Little Caesars are all private enterprises, and the new boss will speak when he wants to, and not before.

Holland is 62. He spends his off-seasons in Vernon, British Columbia, and he’s stated that Vernon is where he’ll retire to. But 62 is fairly young in hockey executive terms.

I don’t believe that Steve Yzerman is a logical successor. For one, Yzerman wants to win a Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning; second and perhaps more importantly, if Yzerman came back “home,” the media and fans would micro-analyze every move he made, and I don’t imagine that Yzerman wants to suffer a managerial death by a thousand cuts. I believe that he will stay with the Bolts.

If Holland goes, it’s most likely that either Kris Draper or Ryan Martin will succeed him. I do not expect the Wings to go outside the organization to replace Holland with a “new voice.”

Coach Blashill has a year left on his contract, and it’s up to Holland to determine Blash’s future. There are some who suggest that Todd Nelson, the Grand Rapids Griffins’ coach, would do a fine job in Blashill’s stead, and others want the Wings to go outside the organization to bring a fresh outlook behind the bench. If Blashill is fired, my money is on Nelson replacing him.

Mostly, we need to find out what Chris Ilitch is thinking regarding the team, and I don’t believe that we’ll hear from him prior to locker room clean-out day, if we hear from him at all.

2. On Twitter…

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George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

8 thoughts on “Morning news: Talkin’ about Ken Holland and Tweets of note”

  1. Holland can be our best asset if he admits he needs to move on from mi$take$ made from loyalty. Can he? Is he allowed?
    No and no. Hes got to go.

  2. I think it is time to get some new blood in the management. We are living in cap hell and most of our core is untradeable thanks to Holland loyalty. I also don’t see Blashill as the coach a rebuilding team needs. He constantly talks about rewarding effort and earning time, but only if it is one of the younger guys. The older vets never see ice time cut or sit in the press box, even though they continue to underperform.

    1. I guess the question becomes, “Do Draper and Martin qualify as new blood?” because they’re likely to be the next managers…and does Todd Nelson count as “new blood” behind the bench? I’m not sure of the answer to either question.

  3. Think I like the idea of a fast grinder calling the shots. The old goalie is starting to act like a SIEVE!
    How does Nelson treat old vets vs prospects?

    1. Nelson’s teams are surprisingly veteran-heavy, but he’s given Filip Hronek, Joe Hicketts, Tyler Bertuzzi and Evgeny Svechnikov (among others) key roles and opportunities to step up. Nelson sort of adjusts to his personnel.

  4. Actually, I’d like to see a new voice, culture and plan from a GM outside the organization. It’s time.

    1. Draper has done a lot of the same things that Ryan Martin has over the last couple of years. He’s at least close to ready.

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