From one vantage point, the Red Wings look doomed. They don’t have stars in their prime or a stocked farm system, and they don’t have loads of salary-cap space. They also don’t have a proven history of rebuilding because, well, they haven’t done it in 25 years.
Ken Holland has heard the yelps and knows the odds, and he’s not giving in or giving up. He’s also not interested in defending his record of success or belaboring the rough reality of the Wings’ current circumstance. They’re stuck in a difficult spot partly because they’ve avoided it for so long, and Holland takes a lot of the heat.