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It's absolutely incredible that Cleary played 75 games with broken ribs at first, followed by a torn up knee. Yeah his production wasn't good, but when Pav, Lids, Helm, etc. where out of the lineup, it's good to see a veteran gutting it out and steadying the boat. What a team guy.

Happy Birthday Steve! Thanks for all the great moments and memories! Happy Birthday baby! Thanks for all the great moments and memories! 18 years together! Love ya!

I agree, it's not that I'm against Yzerman as GM but I think he needs to show that he's actually a good GM before we start talking about bringing him in after Holland. So far he hasn't shown anything, but I acknowledge that it's still early in his career. If Tampa hasn't done anything in three or four years, then I'd rather not have him GM here. Especially when we've still got Jim Nill, who's done a hell of a job as assistant GM.

That is why Parise has a $6 million dollar cap while Franzen as a $3.9 million dollar cap. Some people love to crap all over Franzen, when in all actuality, he is getting paid right about the right amount for what he brings to the team.

How is he not a Norris caliber guy? He won it a year ago and was in contention this year until his injury.

zach had 69 this year and 82, 94 the next two full seasons before. Thats not simply a 60 point ceiling. he potted 45 goals in that 94 point season. He has put up over 30 goals every season since his first one (minus the season of injury). I agree that he works hard and goes to the net, but he is a far better player than franzen, he is a better scorer and all-round player.

We need Parise in a big way if we are to become legit Cup contenders again. Right now, the Wings do not scare anyone. Dats and Z are our only bonafide top 6 forwards. Flip and Mule look like they are but are too inconsistent. Flip had a good regular season but was bad in the playoffs. Mule will look great one game and then will disappear for 10 more. Adding Parise takes the pressure off Flip and Mule which can only help them. It takes pressure of Dats and Z as well. Depth is a nice thing to have. But you still need the front end skill guys who can match-up with the other teams top guys. Match-ups become more important in the playoffs. If you only have 2 guys you have to really shut down, then it makes it much easier for the other team. More ammo in the gun and the better chance you have of eliminating your target.

It is my birthday also! Happy Birthday to all of us!

Really Flyers??????

What's all this Parise talk? We have Franzen! esteef

No, regular season points still mean as much as they did. Seeding, home ice advantage, lottery, hell even making the damn big show. Please, don't tell anyone that "regular season points" don't matter from what they "used" to. If anything, please explain how much more regular season points meant back in "the day". Are you concerned because of the parity? Is that how they don't matter? I think this first round exit was the final stab into what needs to be done. After three unsuccessful postseasons (in OUR mindframe) I think we finally need to start pulling the trigger on the bigger acquisitions. We need more depth in our forwards and it showed big time during the injury bug and post-season. I think Babcock said it the best when he simply stated, "once we lost helm, it destroyed it. it made players change their roles and change their lines, it just caused people to go in the wrong places." THAT, is our bigger enemy right now. And the fact that we need a bonified sniper. Which is where Zach Parise comes in, with his legitimate scoring and yes say it with me, his defensive skills also.

This is always the debate that bring teams down. if you go look at all of the major professional sports, find the "teams of the decade" and then go see how they do the following decade. When do you cut bait with the expensive veteran players that made you great? Hang on to long and you become a bottom dweller. Move to fast and the fan base can revolt. But that only lasts untill you win a championship, then they forget all about it.

The other part of this is of course when do our guys become FA's? Holmstrom, Hudler, Stuart and nicky this year, only 1 will return, maybe. Next year datsyk, Howard, Cleary, and Filppula are UFA's. Howard will double his salary or more. do we spend the big money on a then 35 year old datsyk? Cleary will be gone and Filppula could go either way. Point is as has been the case, change is coming not matter if we like it or not. the question is, how do we manage the change and remain a Cup contender? Do we resign datsyk to another 4 or 5 year deal and commit 30 million more to him, or move him now while he has value? same with Filppula?

If the Wings choose not to go after a solid bottom six center to really solidify the depth then they'll probably go with the three scoring lines option, which has shown to be quite ugly in the past at times (Remember Leino-Filppula-Williams? Ugh.) but also quite effective at times (Hudler-Filppula-Samuelsson, at least during the regular season). If they try to go with three scoring lines then I'd really like to see something like this: Parise-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi Nyquist-Zetterberg-Cleary Franzen-Filppula-Eaves/Miller Abdelkader-Helm-Mursak And no I'm really not trying to demote Franzen and/or Filppula. I just think that kind of balance would be quite nice BUT only if Nyquist approaches his first full NHL season with absolutely no fear like he did his first AHL season and if Cleary redeems himself or at least finds a way to not be injured as much. I know Franzen's getting paid a lot but if you could find a way to have such a balance that he plays on the third line then yeah, it would be quite nice. You could switch Franzen with Nyquist but then the third line simply doesn't look as dangerous on paper.

When I read posts like this, I am glad Ken Holland is in charge.

No more Hudler. Please.

Wait a sec... your argument is that while Hudler was tied for the most goals scored on the team in the playoffs, he didn't "show up" as a goal scorer because they were net-front goals (see: playoff goals). So there's three options: 1) In your mind two dirty goals is worth less than two 'sniped' goals 2) You hate Hudler on a fundamental level and have spit on him at every opertunity for his entire career here because he's small and not physical. 3) He banged your Mom and you hate him because of that (which is totally fair, I can finally understand your hate for him if this is true).

If it's so easy, why are the Wings the only team to have done it every season since the lockout?

*FACEPALM*

I didn't miss them I just didn't put them in there because IMO they don't belong there.

So I was thinking last night. So I thought to myself, "You know what the Wings need? More skill! And more shifty puckhandling wizardry! And don't we have enough physical grunts already? I think so! Why not give the non-physical, undersized package a chance for once, eh? And character! You can never have enough character on your roster!"

He's got a good portion of his playoff points on a line with those two. I think he plays with them occasionally and Huberdeau occasionally. His height is okay. But he NEEDS to add more weight, he'll get pushed off the puck so easily by the average NHL defenseman because he's so lanky. But then you have to worry about him possibly losing a step as far as skating ability goes and/or the possibility that his already questionable work-ethic gets worse. He's also got to become more of a student of the game. His hockey sense on the ice is less than admirable as well; every once in a while i'll see him trying to play Pavel Datsyuk and dangle into the zone and then lose the puck resulting in an odd man rush the other way. His defensive game could use a little work but that's the least of his worries really. That will improve a lot with more coaching and just learning better positioning. He does posses some pretty nice hands and good on ice vision. But he has A LOT of work to do before he'll be making any kind of positive impact to an NHL team.

First of all, Howdy fellow Wingnuts! Now that that is out of the way, I am going to take a risk. I am going to disagree with a HOF in Jimmy D. It is time for the Wings to make major changes. So here are my thoughts. 1. The Wings should be thinking 10 new players over the next 2 off seasons. I understand that our overall team age is mid pack, but our stars and leaders are all 30+. Add in all the extra games they have played in the playoffs, most of them need to be considered 2 years older than the calender says they are. If you look at our core group: Datsyk, Z, Burt, franzen, Fillpula, Cleary, Hommer, Lidstrom, Stuart, and Kronwall, they are all over 30, play fewer games each year due to injuries, and have declining numbers. Some of these guys are UFA's and should walk. Others are already to old to have much trade value. Others are on the edge of losing value. 2. I would look to change out 5 this off season and 5 next year. Good news is, we have money to spend. Most would agree we need to get bigger, faster, younger, and grittyer. No not one demensional fighters, but guys that check and work the boards. If they also drop the gloves from time to time, great! But that is not the priority. 3. Let's start with G. We are set with Howard and if Mac is healthy, we are good at the backup position. No real need to spend any money here. 4. Defense. Currently we have the following under contract: Kronwall, Erickson, Kindl, White, Quincy, and Smith. That is 6. But there are some good UFA Dmen available, and let's not forget the captain. if Nick wants to return, GREAT! But not at more than 3 million per year. There are of course a couple UFA's that we should take a strong run at. Everyone know Suter. He is a 27 year old American Dman, and very good at both end of the ice. Throw him a 7 year, 42 million offer. But there is another guy that we shoudl also strongly consider: Carle with the Flyers. he is also a 27 year old American Dman. Not quite as good on the D end, but better than Suter on O. Might-key word-might be cheaper. I would offer and make a play for both. But why? That makes 9 on the D if Nick comes back??? true. But it gives us the option of sending Smith back to the minors for one more year to over rippen, and then makes some D avilable to trade. I would love to see a D that lined up like this: Lidstrom-White Suter-Carle Erikson-Quincy Kindl Smith in the minors to replace Nicky next season Kronwall as trade bait. 5. Forwards. This is the area that we need to do the most work. we need to add 3+ new forwards this year and another 3-5 next year. We have to get bigger, faster, stronger, and tougher. We have plenty of good young forwards for the 3rd and 4th lines, plus the 2 spare forwards. Emmerton, Abdelkater, Muarsk, Helm, Miller, Eaves-if healthy, Sheahan, Cleary-he really belongs in one of these 2 lines, plus any number of other guys from GR. all have speed, most are young and cheap. If we decide to add another via FA, I am a fan of Dave Jones with Colorado. he has good size: 6-2/210, young 27 IIRC, and plays both ways. He is a bigger younger faster and healthier version of Cleary. Now for the harder part. The top 2 lines. This is where the problems start. this is where the "big names" are, the big money, and the fan fav's are found. Let's start with Burtuzzi. Big, old, declining production, and signed. has almost 0 trade value. Franzen-big, fast, strong, signed long term, and completely disappears for long stretches of the season. He is cap friendly and does have some trde value. Datsyk. One of the best in the game. has great trade value, but moving him might cause riots in the streets. Long story short......hold onto all 3 for at least 1 more season. They are the top line, at least on paper. That brings us to the second line. As of today it is Zetterberg, Nyquist, and Filppula. That group has some talent. but it is very small. This is were i look to make at least 2 moves. Just thinking out loud...... What would it take to get Staal from the pens? kronwall and...... How much would it take to get van Reimsdyk from the Flyers? Filppula and........ or How much to get Pacioretty from the Habs? Or a Ryan from the Ducks? Point is, now we have some pieces we can trade with and get bigger, younger and faster. Even if it took moving Zetterberg, I would do it. a second line of Nyquist, Staal and Ryan looks a lot better to me than a line of Z, filppula and Nyquist. 6. The for 2013 we replace nicky with smith, and look at moves for the top line. Ok, there they are. Go ahead flame away!!!! LOL!

Easy goals in the regular season and a vanishing act in the postseason? For that, I'll crap all over him as much as I want, thank you very much. The cool thing about Parise is - get this - he actually performs in the playoffs. He even scores!