From Lynn Zinser of the NY Times: Watching the Red Wings drive through the playoffs drove home a point for me. They are the perfect example of a franchise that is built on a philosophy. They decided years ago how they want to play and hired people skilled at finding players who fit an archetype. They are dedicated to being a puck possession team, one that plays a solid and cohesive brand of defense and for the most part ignores the hue and cry for thuggery.
You can argue with the philosophy and whether you would like to see another style, but the point is, the Red Wings stick to it and have built an amazing team based on it. A lot of people tried to sum up the Red Wings as a collection of talent. But so many of those players were low-round draft picks and unknowns unearthed by good scouting. Unlike the Penguins, they are not stocked with first-round draft picks. They are stocked with players that fit.
Read the rest of the entry from Slap Shot.
I am pretty sure the Rangers' philosophy of drafting the best player available is that of most teams, maybe even the Wings. However, Zinser does raise a good point about a strong organizational philosophy and the Red Wings sticking to that. You really cannot go wrong with anything the Wings do.
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