Those were some tough, tough years for hockey in Detroit...every time they started making headway they'd do something stupid ...like trading Mike Foligno or Murray Craven (for one year of a shot Daryl Sittler) or signing Rogie Vachon as a FA...a move that eventually cost them 1st round picks in 1980 and 1981 and then flipping picks with Minnesota so they could draft Brian Bellows while we got the pick that became Craven and the drugged out Don Murdoch who played a half a season in Detroit.
It was a never ending nightmare that didn't start to abate until Yzerman hit town and the drafting improved