Let's begin by taking stock. It's mid-February, the Wings have outperformed virtually everyone's expectations (anyone remember SI's Scott Burnside repeatedly predicting during the pre-season that the Wings wouldn't make the playoffs?), and the trade deadline is rapidly approaching. While we should feel great about the Wing's performance to-date, the next few weeks are crucial to determining just how far the Winged Wheelers will get in the playoffs.
The Wings could have taken over first place in the Western Conference last night with a win over the league's suckiest team, the Philadelphia Flyers, but instead got embarrassed in a 6-1 rout. Flashbacks of the Oilers manhandling our forwards in the opening round of the Cup playoffs reappeared as the Flyers roughed up Datsuyk and Zetterberg, particularly along the boards.As the trade deadline approaches, surely the Wings have their eye on an enforcer, or at least a hard checker that will drop the gloves, right? Well, not exactly...
Mike Babcock, as good as he's been behind the bench, continues to be in denial about the Wing's lack of grit, claiming that they can overcome the physical play of hard-hitting teams. Here's his comments, as quoted in the Detroit Free Press:
"We don't respond to physical play, we just play," Babcock said. "The bottom line is we've got to score on our opportunities and the physical play goes away. The other team gets way ahead, either way; they can do whatever they want. In my two years in Detroit, we haven't had the people to do that kind of stuff, we just play. I guess the way I look at it, it doesn't seem to deter us too much."
How about,
"We don't respond to physical play, we just occasionally get booted from the playoffs by a hard-hitting eighth-seed and lose to the league's worst team when they start checking our best forwards. "
Much to the chagrin of any die-hard Wings fan, Peter Forsberg (of the once-hated Avalanche squad) seems to be the Wing's top prospect. That likely has not changed given that he was a key element in the Flyer's win. The Wings couldn't find a more talented all-around player before the trade deadline than Forsberg, but that's not what they need. Muscle, grit and a passing game that fit's with Detroit's puck-possession style is what's required. Keith Tkachuk or Shane Doan are the smarter options, and certainly would require fewer concessions than Forsberg (Philly will likely require Williams or Hudler, plus key draft picks).
Doan may not be out of the question. Today SportingNews ran an article claiming that the Coyotes might be willing to give him up, although it's difficult to imagine Gretzky and company giving away their cornerstone player. We'd surely take him, though. He's big, skilled, tough, and relative to many of our guys, fairly young.
Whether it's Forsberg, Doan, Tkachuk, or no one, the Wings will need to learn to endure the physical play of teams like San Jose and Anaheim if they'll make it to the Cup finals.
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