Leaderboard

1. Leino was released in order to free up cap/roster for Franzen's return. 2. Holmstrom is a specialist that is the very best at what he does. 3. He can still score goals, 25 goals for under 2 million is an absolutely great deal. 4. You can not pay too much for a player like Lidstrom, especially when you aren't talking 8-10 million. Before last year I was in the same boat as you, I didn't think Homer had a place in the top 6 due to his skating ability. But he clearly proved me wrong last year on his way to being the second leading scorer. Lastly Steve Yzerman over Ken Holland? Damn I've probably replied to a troll. Oh well.

I will certainly never forget. http://espn.go.com/blog/sportscenter/post/_/id/57110/this-day-in-sports-the-stanley-cup-returns-to-motor-city

Vladdy was a man amongst men in an era when men, not a bunch of whiney, diving ballerinas, played hockey. Remembering Vlad only reminds me how much the league sucks now compared to then.

Holmstrom is a warrior. The Demolition Man. And he is one of the keys to Detroit's success over the years. There is no one better at what he does. NO ONE>>ANYWHERE. Period. He deserves to retire a Wing.

sheesh... imagine if that never happened and Jiri never had the heart attack... that could have been the most epic blueline in NHL history... Early 2000's... just the top 4 alone that could have been... Lidstrom-Konstantinov Fischer-Chelios sheesh...

Well the team with the dirtbags is still playing hockey, aren't they?

I don't think too many people are angry that he didn't re-sign. In fact, I'm quite happy that he didn't. We would have given up depth for a choker. What a lot more people are angry about is that he came to a winning roster for a cup, took 7.4 million, top line minutes, and didn't play like he deserved either.

The Flyers actually have a good team on paper. Two great scoring lines + Giroux, great checkers all around, and pretty solid top 4 defensemen. They're weak in net, but Chicago hardly has a big name back there themselves. I do think Chicago has a bit more scoring depth, but Philly has a pretty loaded team on paper, thus the series should be close, contrary to what you say.

Do I need to start going to the B.O.B. and to 25 downtown once Smith comes to town to ensure that he's not doing stupid s***? I'll brave all the flat-billed caps, popped collars and spray tans if I have to.

I don't get it. GMs and other members of management ask for permission to speak to other team's personnel. If you really want someone, that's what you have to do. It would such if you had to simply accept who's out there, out of job and looking. People ask for permission to speak to certain people all the time, sometimes the team says no, sometimes they say yes. Do I have this correct...some people on here are okay with other GMs doing this with the wings, but not Steve? Makes no sense. He needs to fill positions, he can speak to the other 28 teams, but not the Wings? That's just stupid.

Yeah, Cleary sucks. He's never scored any clutch goals and can't play in any situations. LET'S TRADE HIM!!!! Good thing he doesn't have a NTC!!!

More like "Chicago offered me a better long term deal!" Get over it, guys. Hossa didn't owe Detroit jack s***.

hes not a tv announcer but the Wings PA announcer Budd Lynch is the man

He came to a winning roster in Detroit saying that he wanted to win a cup. He took large amounts of money, and used top line minutes and couldn't produce. Maybe he wanted us to carry him to a cup. Or maybe he just sucks. Either way, he's a leach. Yes, he wasn't terrible. But we had just won the cup and he wanted one. Our roster was fine. I don't hold him solely responsible. But I sure as hell don't like him. And for 7.4 million you'd damn well better do more than "look good". For that sort of money and top line ice time you'd better be scoring. And for anyone who says he was injured, he got 40 goals during the year with the same injury. He had the injury all year. Besides, this year's playoffs just confirm it. He's sucking it up again.

Lilja used to be fairly mean before the concussion and he wasnt a bad fighter when he decided to fight either. Now that he isn't that same player anymore I think the wings target a similar style of pre-injury Lilja. A big, mean stay at home guy that will clear the crease.

Yeah, with Kindl and Ericsson on the team we have more than enough big players who don't use their size consistently.

Beacuse you can't expect to stay at the level of firepower we had that season. We had contracts with stars being undervalued. Most notably, Zetterberg's contract was 2.8 or so I believe? The salary cap doesn't allow you to keep it. The best way to get back to that level is draft high end talent and win while they're still on entry-level contracts. Unfortunately that's not particularly easy to do, especially with how late we draft.

That first reply was idiotic haha. Mmmmm, higher viewership yield more sponsorship and TV revenue yielding a higher cap =) KUTGW Bettman. Illitch loves spending money Except most major cities and the growing urban and poverty stricken cities in America.

That's good news. Funny how espn sporstwriters (idiots) are always blabbing about how no one cares about hockey, especially with Crosby/Ovechkin not in the Finals. Yet they make it sound like everyone cares about their overhyped, overrated NBA playoffs.

Scoring nearly a point a game in the late 90s/early 00s definitely still qualifies as 'star' caliber. He was 10th in the league in scoring the year he won the Selke. He might not have been Sakic/Forsberg/Jagr level, but he was still a top-end forward in the league.

Yzerman scored 50 goals (6th in the NHL) and 52 assists in 64 games in 1987-88 and was 11th in Selke voting with first-place votes. His projected points line was 63-65-128, which would have placed him 2nd-9th-4th. Yzerman scored 65 goals (3rd-3rd-3rd) and 90 assists in 1988-89, and was 18th in Selke voting with first place votes. He also won the Lester B. Pearson award that season. I didn't say Yzerman didn't have to sacrifice offense. But to say he was not good defensively at his offensive best is idiotic.

Yzerman scored 155 points in 1988-89. That's a number that only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have surpassed. He also received Selke votes, including a first place vote, that season. He was in the Selke voting other years in the 80s as well. It's only because of Fedorov's early 90s Selke/Hart and the fact the Wings went from a powerhouse offensive team to a defense-first championship team, and Bowman made a big deal about Yzerman having to be the leader with regard to that. But back to my main point; Yzerman's play in the 80s was surpassed only by Gretzky and Lemieux. He took a Red Wings squad that was composed of AHL players and turned it into a team that would win division crowns. The only reason the Wings didn't get past the Conference Finals in any of those years is the fact that they played the Oilers in the CFs. Lidstrom deserves a lot of credit...but Yzerman was a great defensive player in his early years as well. Not as great as he was later on, but the "Yzerman went from one-way player to defensive star" myth is ridiculous.

I'm from Chicago, and I can't stand all these f***in Fair Weather fans, and I hope that the Goat, Hossa chokes again. If he would of shown up for us, we would have Back to Back Cups! And go eat a Fat Burger, Thuglien.

hossa can go die and lose in the finals for the third year in a row

I was just reminded that Hossa 'took' 7.5 mill from us last year and didn't show up at the playoffs. I know, he had surgery afterwards and that he was injured but hell, that is Lidstrom money. Why are people so enamoured by him? Hossa, along with Luongo and Lacavalier are probably the most overrated and overpaid players in the NHL. He's about a point a game player ... certainly not worth $7+ mill/yr. Sorry ... no cup for you ... we give it to Philly and Leino.