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Biggest hit of Hudler's career was against his own teammate. Holland needs to put an end to this charade already.

That's the funny thing about forums. As much as you Canucks fans try and police and refute what people say about your team all across the internet, people are allowed to think otherwise.

The decision should be fairly simple. We really do not need Ericsson at all. Take the $2mil coupled with the cap increase and find a legitimate top 4 defenseman. Ehrhoff or Bieksa would be ideal. This would bump Stuart or whoever down to the bottom pairing. Kindl should be ready to be our #6, and there you go, our defense has been upgraded. 2011 Lidstrom/Rafalski Kronwall/Ehrhoff Stuart/Kindl For 2012, we will have $12million freed up from Lidstrom/Rafalski. Use some of that to give Kronwall a raise. Use a $6-7million chunk for Suter, Burns, or Weber. I think after another year in the AHL, Brendan Smith will be ready to be a #4 right away. 2012 Kronwall/Ehrhoff Suter/Smith Stuart/Kindl

Jiri Hudler never came back from Russia. You said it well, he worked up from GR, played well despite his size and then the summer of 2009. Waited it out, handcuffing the Wings in free agency, left, and came back supposed to be a difference maker and failed miserably. Last night was possibly his worst game yet even when you don't mention the clumsy blind-siding of an actually effective player in Dan Cleary. He was called upon to take on big minutes, especially with the extra man and between him and Rafalski, managed to render all Red Wings powerplays worthless. I agree with the firing squad comment. Either way, give me Miller, Eaves, or Draper any day, and I have no idea why we couldn't have played Modano. Still baffles me, but that's Babcock's issue. Trade or waive Hudler, at least with Filppula's contract we get solid defensive skill, more hustle, and equal/greater offensive capability.

I'm guilty of not checking the post-game stat sheet, which I very rarely rely on because it's usually biased to favor the home team anyhow. I just watched the game and make my own analysis of who I see as the 'more dominant' team. To me the Sharks looked like the better team last night. I do question some of the penalties that were in Vancouver's favor, some looked extremely soft for a western conference playoff game. But I guess that's another 'home ice advantage'. Sharks should get some calls in their favor when they get back to San Ho-say (and the advantage on the post-game stat sheet for those who really value that garbage). Neimi didn't play his best game, either. I'm not rooting for the Sharks to win, I'm rooting for both teams to lose... or at the very least, beat the s*** out of each other so Tampa/Boston can run the winner in the ground in the finals. Though, I gotta say, the Canucks have the most annoying fan base in the entire NHL. I really don't ever want to see them win a cup, ever. My dream is Canucks will sell out the team to Phoenix one day and rename the team to something else.

We're watching the games of two teams we don't particularly care about, whereas you're watching as a hardcore fan of one of them. Whose perspective do you think is likely more skewed?

I've found some images, my main problem is different websites claiming different years. (I've seen this one claimed as '36 and '37?) (I've seen this one claimed as '36 and '37?) (I think this is '54) (I think this is '55) (I think this is '50) (Not really sure what year this is at all)

And you rock the hardest for putting this together. Big thanks are in order.

Leino would never had succeeded here. And it's not like he's a great player. Yeah, he puts up some numbers, but only when playing with other great players. He's also not a hard worker and not the kind of player to make his own points by working hard.

Perhaps I'm just being foolish here, but I do not understand why everyone is so eager to see Miller leave. I think he and Eaves are great together and reasonably priced for a defensively strong grind line. Sure he's not a 50 point player, but he stays reasonably healthy, plays hard in the corners, and he doesn't cost us that many penalties.

Yes. If this was 2004 and there was no salary cap.

You're ignoring the fact that he's one of the most one-dimensional players in the league, even more so than Holmstrom. Holmstrom can at least cycle the puck, protect it and go to work in the corners. He can also hit, and does. Hudler can pass and shoot, and that's all. If you didn't notice, he was belted off the puck repeatedly throughout the course of the year, and it became an epidemic against the Sharks. Further, his speed is really only a tad better than Holmstrom's, and whereas Holmstrom is mediocre on defense, Hudler is absolutely horrible. Hudler is a liability when he's playing more than a limited amount of minutes.

"My heart just isn't in it, anymore". Said 1 week before the playoffs. He's lucky to have seen the ice at all.

I like a top 6 of Dats, Z, Mule, Fil, Cleary, and Hudler. You can argue and say what you will and use some stats from this year, but this top six is a hell of a lot better than Dats, Z, Mule, Homer, Bert, and Clears. If you dont think so your crazy. And you can counter by saying well then our third bottem six has bad depth and looks for 3rd and 4th lines. That is exactly the problem with Holmstrom. Holmer absolutely kills our line combos cause he can't play in the bottom six cause he is slow, and bad defensively. But he also isn't good in the top six cause he slows down a guy like Datsyuk. If you gave me an option of having a line of Mule-Datsyuk-Huds or those two and Homer instead of Huds ill take the line with Huds 10 out of ten. He has the skill and the ability to play with top end players and absolutely rip it up. a big simple problem with this team is Holmstrom as he affects the way we can put together our lines, as Babs refuses to split up Dats and Homer, and have Homer as a scratch. Honestly I am not a Homer hater i honestly really like the guy its just hard for him to fit in 5 on 5 as he brings down our top lines, and takes energy out of our bottom six players. Yes you can say well stick him on 4th line and make him a specialist, but the problem is that this team has the ability to have a 4th line of Mursak-Helm-Eaves and honestly I cannot say there is a better 4th line in hockey and you'd be crazy not to want to keep them as a 4th lines. I know it is very unrealistic and is NOT going to happen but if the Wings are able and willing to make Homer there 13th forward this team can be a serious force. You do this and sign Vernon Fiddler or Brooks Laich. Laich preferably although he will cost more. You spend the rest of the cap space to shore up the d-fence i'm not going to go into specific players as i'm only looking at the forwards. You run these lines and you will be successful..... Fil- Dats- Mule... This line would absolutely dominate as Fil and Dats work there magic and Mule finishes. (They will have the puck all shift... Seriously) Huds-Z-Cleary... This is a very strong second line that posseses skill and awesome hockey IQ as well as some grit and speed with Cleary. (We all know how good Z is controlling the puck in the corners and down low, he can find Huds and Huds does have a good shot) Bert- Laich or Fiddler- Abby... This line posses speed and size and the ability to grind it out. With Fiddler you have a good defensive forward and a good faceoff man (something we lacked vs San Jose). Laich provides more offense, but still is a very good 2-way forward. You add Bert and Abby to this and you have a big line that can grind you down low and has the ability to pich in with some offense. Mursak-Helm-Eaves... All i can say is NIGHTMARE. Plain and simple this is an awesome line. As well if there needs to be a shake up within the top six I feel that the wingers between both Datsyuk and Z can be switched. So im perfectly happy with it being the lines above or Huds-Dats-Cleary and Fil-Z-Mule. Either way i feel that is a very good group of forwards. Sorry for the rant. Add your suggestions good or bad. Thanks LGW

You do realize that all three of Modano, Miller, and Abdelkader are not just Americans, but from Michigan right? The flat benching of Modano in the playoffs may have been one of his better decisions this year. Modano was terrible all year outside of a span of about two weeks early in the season where he played like a good third-line center, which is what he was signed to be. With Franzen being injured, I can understand the argument to have Modano in the lineup because he was once a great offensive player. But that's it. Was. He's not any better offensively than Drew Miller, Justin Abdelkader or Kris Draper now and those guys all have a physical game Modano has never had and defense Modano only surpassed at his peak. Taking out one of those guys to put in Modano just hurts the team. Modano had two games playing alongside Pavel Datsyuk. Valtteri Filppula have no trouble scoring goals with Dats; and Flip doesn't even shoot. What Modano needed was to not announce his retirement before the playoffs, and to not play like he was already retired. Of Red Wings players who played in the regular season, Modano would be #16 on my depth chart for forwards. He brought absolutely no value to the team.

Maybe we can trade him for cash and a decent defense coach?

Ericsson probably saw how much Lebda got paid, and figured he deserved the same. I say Toronto signs him and pairs him with Lebda.

Big E is this close to being the next Lilja. He thought he was worth more too.

Estranged Hudler Once I read that, I was done with him.

Why would any team give us anything but a bag of peanuts for Hudler?

My opinion of Hudler is based purely on emotions. I wouldn't mind him being gone, whenever we can get rid of him. He didn't have a good season this year and the way things played out with him going to the KHL didn't do him any good. He was cocky and thought he deserved more money from the Wings, once he got to Russia he ran his mouth about how the Wings were holding back his talent and we had to welcome him back with open arms because of the arbitration. If he wasn't so greedy and stuck around he might have improved and become a vital player on the team.

You guys are missing the big picture. Comcast just bought NBC. Winter Classic is on NBC. Now comes the tricky part, who owns the flyers????!

Yeah, the Firing squad.

1. Let Ericsson walk 2. Let Ericsson walk 3. Let Ericsson walk 4. Trade Hudler