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After reading the comments that some of you have left regarding Lidstrom re-signing for next year I'am actually embarrassed to be associated with you. Have you been so spoiled over the past 15 years that the fact that Holland signed our best player to a $1.2 mill discount is hurting the team? The way i see it the only way our team could be worse next year is if Lidstrom retired or asked for more than he made last year. He could have demanded the league max and forced Holland to tear the team apart to sign him, because he is worth the league max. He could have retired and the wings could hope that they find his replacement in the draft sometime in the next....30 years, players like him come around once every generation or so and the fact that he played for the wings his entire career is a blessing. If you guys don't want the best player of the past 20 years there are 29 other teams that will gladly take him off our hands even at 40 y/o. Had he retired could we had a shot a getting Kovi? sure, but last time i checked Kovi doesn't play 28 min/game and wont shut down the other teams best players every game. Lidstrom has the kind of impact on games that Crosby and Ovechkin have and Holland signed him for close to $3 mill less than those guys are getting. I'am thanking the Hockey gods everyday(alot today)for allowing the wings to have players like Lidstrom, Zetterberg, and Datsyuk because every other team had a shot at drafting these guy and the wings could have the success that the Florida Panthers has had. Those of you that are complaining I want you to go root for the Panthers or the Thrashers next year so you can be humbled and because you don't deserve to be associated with the Red Wings. You are the reason that every other fan base can't stand us thinks we are entitled to everything. Could he have signed for 4 or 5 million? yes, but the fact that he still want to play and still wants to play for the wings is worth 6.2 million dollars. If you want to call him up and pay him 2 million out of your own pocket so he could sign for 4 mill im sure he would take you up on it. Thank you for reading my rant and if you are very happy that Lids is just coming back and that you think Holland will work his magic and the wings will be a cup contender next year then this was not about you, i still have respect for you and if you are ever in Wyoming you are welcome to come watch a wings game at my house. <-- in 2011

YES LET'S PAY LIDSTROM A HALF-EATEN HOTDOG IN HIS (MAYBE) LAST SEASON OF HIS LEGENDARY CAREER WHEN HE'S STILL ONE OF THE TOP 5 D-MEN IN THE LEAGUE GOOD IDEA

Notre Dame hockey has forever been cursed for me because of one brett lebda. Never again guys, never again.

You know of some better, more traditional way that a hockey player could send a message to an opposing hockey player about his behavior? Pronger is oretty awesome at what he does. He is a troll on the ice, without a doubt. He's a great player and he's a dick to play against. He also makes hinmself available for ass-kicking to similarily-skilled opponents, but almost without exception they cower in fear. That's awesome, and that's how hockey players should be.

Yeah, he should definitely take a lower salary than Rafalski??? You guys really just need to take a step back and maybe re-hash this whole thing. Its Nick effing Lidstrom. He is a top 5 dman. Saying 'above average' is just startling. I have a feeling this is coming from trolls or people who just don't understand the business. He took a huge pay cut his whole career. It just can't sink in anymore than that I suppose. f***'S SAKE!!!

The implication being that Nick has no character? Well isn't that a nice thing to say about our captain and future Hall of Famer. "f*** that Lidstrom, he's a greedy prick." I love how I say I'm rooting for the Hawks to win the Stanley Cup because it would mean something to my dad and that means I'm a traitor but saying Nick Lidstrom has no character and is essentially a money-hungry ******* is the mark of a "true" fan.

One of them will have a Norris Trophy and a one of them will most likely have a Stanley Cup ring. The most recent Norris Trophy and most recent Stanley Cup, which are the most important in determining their current value. If you think that Lidstrom is still worth over 10 million dollars a year, fine. I won't ever be able to change your mind. But from where I'm sitting, the best defenseman this year and probably most years from this point forward, a 25 year old kid, just signed a contract that will take him into and throughout the prime of his career for a 5.5 million dollar cap hit. He did it because he loves the city and his team and because he wants to compete for the championship as often as is possible with the current salary cap. Duncan Keith will undoubtedly sacrifice more salary throughout his career than Lidstrom has. That's called character.

If he wasn't stealing them from the Blackhawks I might care. EDIT: Even better, love the quote "Where's the puck, Pronger was asked. "It's in the garbage," Pronger replied. "Where it belongs."

Good post, although I would caution you on taking some posters too seriously . Remember that the people that aren't happy are usually much louder then the people who are

So . . . because Pronger spit on the indian head, we supposed to feel sympathy for the same fanbase that screams "Detroit Sucks" during the start of every home game? Color me unimpressed by your rationalizing. Pronger might be a jackass but he wasn't the only one in the building that night (ahem, Kane and Buff).

Playing Devil's advocate. Well when I play hockey I tend to spit everywhere and not even realize it, it's not the right thing to do, but it's not like he spit at a player. And the puck thing is a move to get under the skin of the opposition. It's pretty low, but it's nothing completely outrageous. He's playing the media and trying to throw Chicago off. It's about the only chance he has to win the Stanley Cup.

we're trading all of our draft picks for kaberle

I'd rather have Boogaard. He can take his 11 goals and shove it up his ass. The guy gets his ass kicked when he fights top heavies. He got smoked by a 42 year old Roberts a few years ago. Besides, he's a penalty machine. People here bitched that Downey would take penalties, even though he hardly ever did. Imagine what they'll be saying when this guy comes to Detroit. If we can't have Boogaard, a guy like Asham would be a better option if I had to choose.

i want mcilraith

You guys are funny. You're letting that number (40) skew your opinions. If we had signed another defenseman with the same skill, stats, etc. for the same amount and the same length, but he was 30 years old instead of 40, you'd all be rejoicing. Age is just a number; his abilities are not that of a 40 year old. He is still better than 99% of the league and his salary is going to reflect that. Also, his signing leaves this team with 11.6 million to spend, assuming the cap goes up to 58M. We'll have five D-men signed, including all of our top four. We'll have eight forwards signed, including all of the top players up for contracts. The only player left to re-sign that will make more than a million or so will be Holmstrom, and possibly Bertuzzi. We also have two very-capable goaltenders signed. IMO, we're in a pretty good spot.

Well aren't you a nice little ray of sunshine today...

Well, on the bright side, that Yzerman guy didn't sign him first.

Thank you Chicken Little.

Instead of whining after the game, maybe Chicago's players should have done something about it when he was going to pick the puck up?

Don't assume that this will Lidstrom's last season. He, like many other players around his age, is going to be signing one-year contracts from here on out so that he has the option to retire after any season without any extra years counting against his team's salary cap (recall that a chunk of a player's salary stays on the cap if he retires after having been signed past a certain age). Bitching, bitching... spoiled bitching.

Actually I do think the Red Wings have enough talent for a championship. Kronwall will need to take a big leap and hopefully our roster can stay healthier. Red Wings showed that they can still be dominate when healthy(key word). I really think we have better odds if we just make small editions rather then completely turning over the roster and essentially guess that Babcock can create chemistry with free agents( which doesn't usually pan out).

Difference being Nick is easily still the best player on the team...

Yes, everyone who roots for the Hawks for any reason aside from life and death is being a bit of a traitor. I wish I could say otherwise to appease you, but I have to be honest first and foremost as to my feelings.

You guys do realize that Bertuzzi was probably the best value on the entire team last year except for Howard right? I don't think we got as much production for cap hit out of any other skater on the roster, yet Bertuzzi is the one that needs to go? You are right signing Adrew Ladd for 2.5 million makes so much more sense than Bertuzzi for 1.5. I would much rather have the player who makes 2.5 and had less goals and less assists during the season than the guy who makes 1.5. As an added bonus Ladd is a big time playoff performer as evidenced by his 3 points in 16 playoff games this year! Not like that choke artist Bertuzzi and his mere 11 points in 12 playoff games. Oh but Bertuzzi is too old which was clear by all the injuries he suffered this year...oh wait no he was one of only 3 players to actually play in every game.

joe louis was finished in 79 ... 60+ years after those venues were