I can't make sense of this Justin Holl signing by Detroit, which also includes a M-NTC. I don't know if many Detroit fans or hockey fans in general have watched Justin Holl play over the last couple of years. But, he hasn't played anywhere near good hockey. Who knows if he can turn it around, but it does seem like a strange signing for Steve Yzerman who is as consistent as they come in drafting and evaluating players.

I have been Holl supporter for years. But in the last two seasons, he has long stretches or mediocre or even worse play. IMO, he just has just can't skate to NHL standards. Slow to puck, and when forechecked, can't skate out of trouble. Of course being slower, and rushed in decision making, more turnovers happen.
Yeah, I don't understand the contract the Red Wings offered.

I personally think Holl was just overwhelmed and slotted too high on the Toronto depth chart. Paired with Morgan Rielly who's an offensive defenseman and fairly lousy defensively, Holl is simply not able to clean up after Rielly and ended up trying to do too much. If you look at Toronto's TOI stats last season Justin Holl was on the ice more than any other Leaf Dman in all situations and especially SH situations...including 3v5. It's really not all that close either. After Muzzin went down, Holl was just thrown into that role where he's over his head...and it showed. Then the fans and media get on him and pretty soon he's their favorite whipping boy despite being guilty of only one thing...not being Jacob Slavin or Moritz Seider...who are the best friends an offensive dman ever had.

2022-2023 TOI all situations
Holl 1619 Giordano 1478 Rielly 1410 Brodie 1230

2022-2023 TOI SH
Holl 237 Giordano 177 Brodie 166

2022-2023 TOI 3v5
Holl 3.15 Liljegren 2.25 Sandin 1.55

Basically, when the Leafs needed defense the most, they trusted Justin Holl more than they trusted anyone else last season. They've had problems since Jake Muzzin went down and I think they determined Holl to be the least worst pairing with Rielly as well as short handed. Now that Holl is gone they'll be forced to play TJ Brodie with Rielly, and I'm certain that won't be better...so no surprise they're shopping Brodie. What they really need is a solid stay at home top pairing right shot dman...but Seider already has a gig in Detroit.

I personally think they blew it signing John Klingberg when they'd likely have been better off looking for a better stay at home top pairing partner for Rielly and pushed Holl down to 2nd pairing so he wasn't so far over his head. Trouble they have is that they're kind of married to Morgan Rielly and he's not a 1st pairing dman on most contenders...unless he's paired up with an elite shutdown guy like Jacob Slavin...who plays the same side as Rielly. I think Toronto's defense is far far worse minus Holl and plus Klingberg...but what do I know.

In Detroit, I predict the pairings on opening night to be:
Walman -Seider
Gostisbehere - Holl
Maata - Chiarot

If that doesn't mesh well, then one can envision Chiarot swapping with Ghost(yuck) or Maata and Ghost swapping(okay), but I think Holl can clean up after a pinching Ghost the majority of the time while allowing some offense from the back end for Detroit's top two pairings and keeping the 3rd pairing as a reliable shutdown pair. Whatever happens, I doubt the 2nd pairing is as ugly as last year's Oesterle - Lindstrom debacle.