Thanks to the now-open buyout window, the Detroit Red Wings can finally move on from Justin Holl. We know how much of a bust he’d been in Hockeytown, and getting rid of the ailing blueliner for nothing may be their only option if they can’t trade him.
Yeah, it keeps the Wings on the hook to pay a portion of Holl’s contract, but even if you’re paying him while he’s playing for someone else, at least he’s ironically serving the team better. That’s one sad, and harsh, reality.
Still, you can’t have a blueliner who sees ice time in 70-plus games and averages less than 15 minutes per contest if your goal involves making the playoffs unless you already got a stacked rotation. Holl’s sheer inept play forced the Wings to make contingency plans all season.
And if they can land a blueliner who will give them between 16:30 and 17:30 per game, it’ll take a lot of pressure off the rest of the defensive rotation. So, since it’s less than likely, but not impossible, to work out a trade, move on from him and take the ‘loss.’
By all means, resist the urge to buyout Vladimir Tarasenko
Some fans would love to see Steve Yzerman admit his mistake and buyout Tarasenko. But doing that would be more than shortsighted.
And yes, I get that you can make a case for it, considering Tarasenko’s abysmal 2024-25 campaign. But he’s someone other teams would roll the dice on.
It’s hard to sell Holl’s services elsewhere, but virtually the entire league knows what Tarasenko can do when he’s in the right system. One bad year won’t erase a career’s worth of solid, and sometimes spectacular play. That said, Yzerman could move Tarasenko and get more than just a mid-round pick for the guy.
Insert him as an asset for a blockbuster trade? Hey, it shouldn’t be outta the question. And the hockey gods know, Yzerman needs to pull one off. So, I’m holding onto Tarasenko and, if I can’t move him, then he’s playing for me again.
Should he put up abysmal numbers again, then fine, I’ll dish him off for future considerations. But only as a last resort.
Get rid of Holl, keep Tarasenko, and bring in some fresh faces
I’d love to see Yzerman bring in a player or two who will push Tarasenko. Subtly give him the ultimatum - either be the player you were in New York, Ottawa, and Florida, or your ice time’s getting slashed and you may not be in town much longer.
Maybe that’ll kick Tarasenko’s play back into overdrive. If not, then rest assured that the Wings have his replacement already in the lineup, and they won’t have to scavenge to find one. And if Tarasenko thrives? Then the Wings are pretty deep, aren’t they?
As for Holl, I’d take a mid-level ECHL blueliner over him if you gave me a choice. At least he could probably hang out near the crease and get in the way of a few more shots. So, keep Tarasenko for now, and get rid of Holl as fast as you can.
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