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The difference is that when Datsyuk and Zetterberg are on cold streaks, you can see them working hard, backchecking, going to the hard areas. Something about their game just seems a little off or the puck's just not going in but you can see the work. With Franzen it feels like he works hard for the first part of his shift and if he doesn't score right then he can't wait to coast back to the bench. He's got great size, a great shot and great hands. It's all about his compete level. or lack of it. When he scores in a game, it's like it reminds him how great it is to score. It lights a fire under him for the rest of the game and he keeps getting great chances and often scores again. If he's not scored in a while though he seems content to just whip it at the net and see if it goes in.

There's a lot of people that watch games that feel Franzen floats. I bet a large majority of Red Wings fans would classify Franzen as lazy. This isn't some random concept perpetuated by a few fans. As for being a power forward, Franzen isn't really doing that either. Hudler went to the net more in the playoff series than Franzen did. For a dude with as much size as Franzen has, he rarely utilizes it. He isn't physical, nor willing to play in the tough areas of the ice most of the time. I will give him credit that he has a great wrist shot and can score goals effectively in that manner. Though in no way would I call Franzen a true power forward.

Montoya is a steal at 0.875 mil per. Good goalie rarely given a chance in NY regardless of how well he plays, he has an opportunity to shine on a good team.

Nah the breakdown will be if Parise and Suter BOTH go elsewhere, worse yet to the PENS, worse yet if Ken Holland kicks the tires and gets no one.... Then the forum will break down.....yikes!

Floating has nothing to do with speed. You can work your ass off and still be slow. It has to do with the fact that you never see Franzen as Mickey would say "picking them up and putting them down". He just coasts around. Power forwards go hard to the net. You cant be a power forward and just glide to the net. Franzen has been gliding the last 3 years.

They don't make almost twice as much as Franzen, their cap hit is just higher. Franzen is signed through 2020 with the last 3 years being 2, 1, then 1 mill to get his hit down. That's about Holland's cap manipulation, not their relative pay this past season. Mule was paid $5.25 mill this year, compared to 6.7 for Dats and $7.4 for Z. Either way I don't think floating is something that should be excused by a player's salary. Teams that win have players who bust their ass to fulfill their role every second of every shift. That sure doesn't sound like Franzen. It's not that I think the Wings should trade him, but I'd love for Babcock to sit him when he's floating out there.

There is nothing perceived about Franzens laziness. Streakiness is something that all players suffer from to a greater or lesser degree. Even Pavel was ice-cold in the first and last months of the season (for different reasons), and red-hot inbetween. The key is to make the streaks last as long as possible, and minimise the funks. My problem with Franzens bad attitude is that he is allowed to get away with it. Signing a lifetime contract and being allowed to coast your way through it sends totally the wrong message to the rest of the team.

Agreed. I don't really prefer Abby at center in general, but I would gladly take it if Prust was added to the 4th line. I just want to see a 4th line that is actually molded like one this season -- not a combination of leftovers and marginal skill players.

No thanks to Gausted....there are too many other bottom 6 players available that are better...but if we get to plan D, then sure....

So if those saying that Franzen's contract is not that bad then he should be easy to unload right? Franzen is lazy. He is not streaky. But hey if he is so great and his contract is so good I say dump his ass and get someone that cares. For the same money Doan is available.

To be a power forward you cannot be afraid the crease and actually check someone. Franzen avoids going within 10 feet of the net most of the game.

Any rational GM would need Flip as the center piece of any trade with the Wings. Therefore, Scott Howson would obviously want Franzen.

Let's hope this clown from SI is right: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/adrian_dater/06/29/NHL-free-agents-predictions/index.html?sct=nhl_t11_a0 Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils Best fit: Los Angeles Kings Where I think he'll sign: Detroit Ryan Suter, Nashville Predators Best fit: Carolina Hurricanes Where I think he'll sign: Detroit

I don't think we will see a trade this early. Holland will fill the holes via free agency and at the deadline in the winter if needed. It is to early for trades IMO unless it is a slam dunk deal like 7 draft picks for 1.

That seems to be Babcock's thinking, because if the Wings didn't depend so much on what goals he does score, I'd have to think he'd get demoted for his floating. Like I said, when Dats and Z aren't doing great you can still see them working hard out there. Franzen takes too many shifts off. And I'm not asking him to be as disciplined as Lidstrom is year round with his training and diet regimen. I'm just hoping he'd work his ass off for the 18 minutes a game he's on the ice. 18 minutes. If you can't bust your ass for that long every game, how self-entitled and complacent have you gotten??

I sure as hell would give 100% at my job all the time if there were 20,000 people in an arena watching me do my job.

Most people do. Otherwise they get fired. Most people don't have the luxury of visibly slacking off 5 of 7 days of the week yet still make 4 mill a year. Pro athletes need to be held to a higher standard as they get paid way more than they are worth in the grand scheme of things. I can think of many many professions that deserve that 4 million a year and to see someone just do the bare minimum most nights is infuriating. In my opinion no sports contacts should be guaranteed. It should all be part of a performance matrix.

I was just joking around....which is why I included the Slow day at the office, I need something to pass the time. But I do agree with you, if someone decides to be greedy it's harder to side with them.

I think the production is there, I wouldn't expect a whole lot more from him in terms of goals or points. There are shifts, however, when he just finds a spot in the neutral zone towards the attacking blue line and doesn't really do anything. I'd rather him backcheck hard consistently and lose 5 goals a year than float. The other problem with the streakiness is that it goes away during the playoffs (usually). That tells me that he has an extra gear, he just only uses it when he wants to.

I really believe the problem is with us, not with Franzen. For some reason when he signed his new deal fans developed unrealistic expectations for him and they don't match-up with what he's capable of or what the team actually expects of him. Franzen is not going to be a 50 goal scorer, he's a consistent 25-30 goal guy who will put up around 50-60 pts. The idea that he's lazy is a fan thing, the players call him "Mule" for a reason. Even Babcock who got annoyed with his play near the end of this year seems to speak only positively about him. Other than guys on entry level contracts it would be near impossible to find a player who produces more for the amount he gets paid.

Need a break down to how bad Zetterberg was to start the season. He was god-awful bad. Also Lidstrom was pretty bad at the end of the season/playoffs. If Franzen was consistent like very few NHL players are (like Crosby), would Franzen's cap hit be under $4 million? I don't think so. In essence, Franzen is a bargain right now and will be extremely difficult to replace his offense for under $4 million per year. I would only consider trading Franzen if it's for a younger, tougher, more proven offensive power forward (NOT CHRIS STEWART OR PENNER TYPE GUY)

Franzen is an enigma to me. I don't understand how we draft big guys like Franzen and Erikson and they don't know how to use their bodies. I want to like Franzen but he makes it increasinly difficult every year. Its like he's hudler stuck in a giants body. He pretty much need to take this summer to find his balls and then be sat down by Babcock who should slap him in the face and tell him he's in a mans league and learn the term "drive to the net". I have no clue why Franzen plays the way he does. Is he scared? Is he just lazy? Only he knows why he does the stuff he does but its like he's allergic to going to the net someone has to do it and it mind as well be him because no one else will and no one else has a big body like that to push his way in. The few times that he does go to the net throughout the season he creates outstanding scoring changes even if he doesn't score on them. I get so excited when he does it, but then you hardly see it happen especially when it matter in th playoffs.

I really want us to have so much depth that Helm plays centre on the 4th line. Abdelkader-Helm-Eaves is the best 4th line in the NHL.

It's like that hot girl at the bar...you walk over to her, put the moves on her, and she's not interested. The guy walks away and calls her names because she wasn't interested in him.