1) Yes, he can help the Wings IF he is somewhere near 2002 McCarty. The Darren that played in Calgary need not apply.
2) Yes. The Wings need a McCarty-type player. Downey cant do it alone. Giving him a wingman would help this team tremendously in the playoffs.
I read the entire array of McCarty articles on freep.com as well. Obviously, McCarty was a favorite of mine.
If he is as dedicated as he seems to be in the freep piece(s), then he is worth a look before the end of the season with the big club after a month-or-so with the GRG.
Just a look. A very objective, cynical look. Babcock would be perfect for that seeing as McCarty never played for him, therefore he has no personal attachment.
My personal feelings....
I sincerely hope McCarty can make the team. Not as a charity case, but as a bonafide player that can help the team.
Guys dont lose their guts/toughness, they lose their edge. He lost his to drugs/alcohol/band dreams.
If he can skate, if he can hit, if he can fight and if he can spend a majority of his line's shifts in the offensive zone cycling along the walls while being physical and effective, he should earn a spot.
If that were to happen and if I were Babcock, I'd make Downey and McCarty permanent additions to the roster for the rest of the season. "Soft" and "Red Wings" wouldnt be used in the same sentence again. Anaheim would clearly think twice about their play, as well.
PS: Notice all the "ifs" in my post? Yeah, me too.
The problem is: McCarty will have to supplant a current player. The only options I see are: Maltby, Kopecky, Drake.
What I think would be perfect is if McCarty can rejoin the team in a Grinding/Hitting capacity. I don't need the fighting, and he was never a real heavyweight. Cycle deep, hit the defense, hit Corey Perry's face. That's what I think would be perfect.
Going into the playoffs, I would like to see McCarty and Downey in the lineup. But perhaps one needs to sit for Kopecky? I would like Drake to stay off the ice unless we have an injury.
Keep Drake out of the lineup and stick with Downey all the time. If McCarty can show he can provide toughness and play well enough, then Maltby just lost his spot. I've been very frustrated with the guy, he just doesn't do anything anymore it seems.
But the thing with Maltby is that other teams do not score when he's on the ice. With one player, you can keep a team scoreless for almost the equivalent of a period.
I'm not sure McCarty was ever that good defensively, and I wouldn't want to lose that. I think there is probably a better chance that McCarty makes it back only to sit on the bench. I think this is most likely the "if the playoffs started now" roster, assuming Mac makes the team:
You can possibly put him in for Kopecky. He has been alright this season, but not what I expected. I would like to see McCarty get in good hockey form and be an added tough guy that we could use.
You can possibly put him in for Kopecky. He has been alright this season, but not what I expected. I would like to see McCarty get in good hockey form and be an added tough guy that we could use.
I think that would be a bad idea. Kopecky needs the ice time, however limited it is, so he can get used to the game. He has gotten better and better this year both offensively and defensively, and I think he is more of a presence than McCarty would be.
Maltby, on the other hand, continues to get worse. As much as I love the guy from the good old days, he is not the presence he used to be, and is easily replaced. He may be better than average defensively, but there are plenty of forwards that are.
And I'm getting tired of Downey being on the bench. This guy provides a huge amount of energy for the team in the 5 minutes he plays per game. Way more than Drake, at any rate.
So the Wings have 3 guys that seem to be "regular" in the lineup that could be considered "bubble" players. They have two guys that ride the pine each day. They have two call-ups waiting in Grand Rapids.
So where does Mac fit in? I would argue the first thing to find out is whether or not Mac can still play. He is a former 50 goal scorer in the OHL (juniors), and he's been decent in the NHL. Since about 2000, he's lost a lot of speed. But even in the 2002 playoffs he was effective.
Kopecky: Big Body. Seems to play responsible and is looking to hit people.
Maltby: Not above average in defense. STELLAR in defense, still.
Drake: He plays a lot more than Downey in terms of minutes in a game, he gets used on the PK and such, but doesn't appear to be any sort of effective.
Of all of them, I would most like to see Mac replace Drake. I'm not sure Downey is more effective than Kopecky, but what I would like to see is Downey against the Ducks in the playoffs and Kopecky against the Stars or Sharks.
Maltby I keep in the lineup no matter what. Too many valuable mintues from him, even though he does nothing on the stat sheet.
In light of the bruhaha in Denver Monday night, I figured I'd update the McCarty thread.
He's played in a few AHL games now. Some away games and then 2 home games. GR probably has an average attendance around 4-5 thousand this year. He brought a full 10,000 to the arena Friday and Saturday. We'll see about tonight.
In his first home game, Darren scored a hat-trick and added an assist. In his second, he recorded 3 shots on goal and a fight. So in two home games, he's got 4 points and a fight. Not bad at all. He plays again tonight, we'll see how he looks.
Observations from his 2nd Game:
I was there. A lot of supporters in the stands, and he was being "scouted" by Ken Holland and Jiri Fischer. Mac looked to be head and shoulders above the other players in terms of hockey sense and awareness. His legs weren't there and it was really apparent in the 3rd period. But all game long he was in the right place at the right time and he routinely made excellent plays with and around the puck. His shots-on-goal were genuine scoring chances and forced big-time saves by the goalie.
I was surprised at his effectiveness. I figured on seeing someone not quite deserving to be there. I thought I'd see a washed up, shell of his former self, under-performing and out-worked Darren McCarty. None of that was the case. He looked excellent in the AHL and as such, I don't think its a long shot anymore that he'll get another chance at the NHL.
Prediction: The Wings will wait until the 25th and sign McCarty to a contract, unless another team tries to gobble him up first. I have a feeling Mac will give the Wings time to match any offer given, from a loyalty stand point. The Wings will sign him, and then place him in GR for a "conditioning stint", which will then let him work further on his conditioning. He will then join the Big Club for the last 2 weeks of the season and get his NHL game set for the playoffs.
I think that would be a bad idea. Kopecky needs the ice time, however limited it is, so he can get used to the game. He has gotten better and better this year both offensively and defensively, and I think he is more of a presence than McCarty would be.
Maltby, on the other hand, continues to get worse. As much as I love the guy from the good old days, he is not the presence he used to be, and is easily replaced. He may be better than average defensively, but there are plenty of forwards that are.
And I'm getting tired of Downey being on the bench. This guy provides a huge amount of energy for the team in the 5 minutes he plays per game. Way more than Drake, at any rate.
You are right. He has been alright as of late, and he did look decent against Colorado on Monday. I second you on getting tired of Downey being on the bench. He definitely adds a lot of energy to the team when he is out there.
D-Mac: Moving up the Ranks
D-Mac: Moving up the Ranks
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