Will Burchfield

So that was probably the biggest change over the final two months was that Gibson simply wore out and the wings weren't good enough behind him to make up for it.

Well, look, Justin Falk played pretty darn well for the Wings.

And you hate the fact that this team now doesn't have a first-round draft pick that will be in the lottery.

And surely they'll win the lottery this year.

This will be the year after all those years where they got screwed in the lottery that they finally win one when they no longer have their first-round pick.

But, you know, it's hard in hindsight.

to criticize that trade all that harshly other than the fact that Steve left that pick unprotected.

And we'll talk to him soon.

Maybe that was a condition for the trade to be accepted on St.

Louis' end.

But Fox scored some big goals for this team in big games down the stretch, including two against Columbus last week in a game that, frankly, the Wings pissed away, including one this past Saturday against the Devils in a game that, frankly, the Wings didn't

pissed away and and they like the fact that he is signed through next season and he you know he's a very stable proven top four defenseman in this league and and you know he covered the hole that was created by Axel Sandin Pelica's slow decline over the course of his rookie season so look I I know optically trading a first round pick in a year that you missed the playoffs doesn't look great but at the time most of us here including myself thought

that was the right move to make for a team that was trying to snap what is now a 10-year playoff drought.

Four years ago?

Yeah.

I mean, I guess.

That was a very different iteration of the Wings.

At that point, they were just trying to stockpile as many draft picks and prospects as they could.

They got a first-round pick for Hronik.

I don't know that they would undo that trade looking back on it.