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Look, Holland is being smart here. He tried his best to get both Parise and Suter, but in the end they wanted to be close to their families, which Michigan cannot provide. After those two, the free-agent pool drops off considerably. We have money and we have needs, but is it smart to utilize that money in a poor free agent market in attempt to fill your needs with average players, or would it be better to put a bandage on all the wounds for now and wait until next year when more high profile players will be free to sign wherever they like? Trades are always an option too, but when you need someone to replace Lidstrom, or some top-six sniper (in a dry free agent year no less), prices are going to be high. Holland admitted he wants at least another player before he's comfortable with the team, but it's goIng to be a bandage, not a permanent fix to our roster issues. This year can't provide us with a permanent fix. That's just the reality of it. Better luck next year.

Good God, that is not what he even said.... Stop twisting things to make it sound the way you want it to. He said they have guys that can fill in, so it's not like they are down to 4 defensemen. " Obviously, with the loss of (Brad) Stuart, the loss of (Nick) Lidstrom, we're not as deep as we've been in the past in defense. Two players that are going to replace him that weren't here (last year) are Brendan Smith and (Kyle) Quincey, so it's not like we've lost two guys and don't have any players." Please don't just make everything fit your doom and gloom attitude... Oh thank you for some sane voices on LGW.... I swear the level of doom and gloom is off the charts. People are acting like the Wings are now Calgary or something.... not even close! Yeah, risk bringing in a guy who has, by all accounts, a horrible attitude and questionable worth ethic. Risk that because it's not your money, so let's just go on a spending frenzy and grab all the average players we can. Holland is smart not to blow everything up by spending like a 16 year old girl the weekend before Prom. Get a grip people, the sky is not falling. The team, as is, will make the playoffs and will compete. Remember when everyone wrote Datsyuk off as a non-playoff contributor? How did that turn out?

Unfortunately there are other factors that come in to play when signing someone aside from cap space and need. Does the sniper in question want a long term contract? Does he even want to play in Detroit? I don't think it's worth the risk to sign Semin or some other questionable player if they're looking for a several year contract. We're in tough shape today, but imagine how bad we would be with two Franzen-types locked up for the next five years. Is that really the solution? If he wants to play here, and is willing to play for one year, awesome. But otherwise it becomes iffy, and frankly I'd rather sit on the money and use it next year when some legit top players without all the baggage are available. The Wings are in a unique position to for once have a lot of money to work with, but there's only scraps and garbage available to buy.

I think nobody has more wins (regular season or playoffs) in the last 4 years. If you expect to win a Cup every year you're going to be disappointed a lot and overspending would make it even more more difficult to win one than it already is

Yes this is Kenny. I have little to do right now. Semin wants too much term and money and Doan doesn't know what he wants to do. I have no interest in anyone else besides Yandle and he isn't really available. I like my team and I am doing my due diligence. Smith is ready but he has to earn his way into the starting 6. Oh wait I only have 6 dmen right now so I guess he has already achieved this. Did I say I like my team? Yeah I may wait until later this summer or even into October or November when the prices come down. I may keep my Cap space for the deadline. I like our team. I believe we can be better as a group. There is not much separating 1st from last anymore and parity is at its all time height. I like our team and believe we can compete for the Cup. I will only make a trade if it makes sense.

I realize everyone wants something to happen, but let's stop bashing the players, shall we? Parise and Suter took a whopping two days to decide. Doan is considering leaving the team he's been with his whole career and is obviously attached to. If Listrom (before retiring) was considering leaving the Wings through free agency, do you think he'd decide in a matter of days? The truth is, the off-season lasts all summer. It's not a trade deadline. It's an ongoing process, and I don't begrudge Doan waiting two weeks to make a decision. We've got months to go still.

Really, you think he'll get 43 points!? I doubt it.. 42 maybe, or 44.. but 43 seems an unrealistic expectation. PS. I think he'll have a huge season and be a Calder finalist.

And yet in the past four years we have made it to the finals, and never missed the playoffs. I believe Holland is thinking long term - by not overpaying in FA he is ensuring he can put a competitive playoff team on the ice year after year. As we seen with LA... adding a key piece at the end of the season (or any number of other factors) can propel a team to the cup... so long as they make the playoffs of course. Yandle / Ryan / Nash are likely too expensive in trade assets - and he's not going to give the farm. We know Holland has made an offer for Nash, and may have for Yandle and Ryan for all we know. Now sure what you want him to do right now, besides overpay in trade assets.

In Holland I trust

I heard the whining on the radio today about Nash not including a Canadian team on his list. Why would he want to play for a Canadian team? Getting Nash will be better than Parise.

Now, I truly realize that people want to write off Pittsburghs series vs Philly as a fluke, but at the end of the day it wasn't. The Flyers were an average team, and theyf****** lit Pittsburgh up for 6 games. Yes, they have Letang and that's wonderful and everything but after that? Martin? Yeah, the guy they would've dealt to the Islanders for Garth Snow's loafers if they could've signed Suter. Michalek? Nope, traded back to Phoenix. Brooksie? He can't skate, and is less of an offensive threat then Ericsson. I get that they have Crosby, Malkin and Neal, but there defense is nothing to write home about. If Doan is looking for a "contender" then sign in LA then. Because Vancouver can get bent, The Sedins, Burrows and Kesler are disgraces to the game. Diving is disgusting, I'm glad the Wings lack in guys that do that s***. Do they have a star studded defense? Uh, no. Garrison? Hey the guy had a big year, don't get me wrong, but he's no #1. Bieksa and Hamhuis are a great pairing, but not a true 1-2 matchup. Edler is good, but no better then Kronwall. I'm the absolute farthest thing from a homer, but christ boys and girls. The Wings are not the worst thing known to the earth like some make us out to be. (Not directed to the poster in question, but an observation) Cool, we didn't get Suter and Parise because they wanted to play together in some no talent market. Who cares? There not ours so move on, Doan is a viable option and the Wings would be the one team who could seriously use his attributes to get to the next step. We've been missing the crazy, do anything to win spirit for years. Doan brings that, and leadership, and goal scoring and so many other things. He's the perfect fit. Discount the Wings all you want, I've wanted more grit for years, I've wanted a more aggressive approach to the offseason, and we got that. We can't control that Parise and Suter don't want to win Stanley Cups, nothing we can do. All we can do, is watch a "written off" team possibly sign one of the more feared power forwards in the game, STILL compete for the Stanley Cup, and take a huge run at the true FA gems that can turn this team into the media darling it once was to get the fan boys (media, talking heads, morons etc.) back on board. Yes, I'm talking about Weber and Getzlaf/Perry wearing the Winged Wheel next offseason.

What the heck did GMR say...I have him on ignore.......

I believe the biggest problem on this forum is merging a disagreement with trolling. Just because someone posts a point that disagrees with yours doesn't mean the guy is trolling. It means he disagrees with your assessment. The sooner people realize that the better.

With so many forwards on the Wings already, we're looking for a big fish like Doan, Semin, Nash, or Ryan, not just another guy. That said, one year deal at that price is a steal; very little risk for a player who is worth it.

But Pittsburgh is with their defense?

Too bad Claude Lemieux never played for the Leafs....

42, how could you even say that?! Bears eat beets, bears, beats... Battlestar Gallactica...

For one I don't think Holland expected the retirement this season. Yes he should have been planning a replacement but maybe giving Smith time this year was part of that. I think Lids' ankle injury forced his hand a bit and then Holland was feeling the strain and thought he needed to sign someone for this season. I would go out and say that most of us here probably couldn't give a definitive name to replace him because we'd all make snap decisions on what this team needs NOW without giving it all the though a GM necessarily would to assess the best possible solution. For example I wouldn't be able to give you a good name to replace Lidstrom, because I haven't seen our D in action yet and found the areas where they greatly need improving... if at all any of this makes sense? Lumped these 4 quotes together because they all make good points. We didn't overpay this FA but still have a lot of cash left over. I agree, the contracts that were given to Suter and Parise were pretty horrible considering their length and price and I'm glad we didn't get stuck in that mess. Yet I also agree with esteef that we need to get someone big. I would say, however, that for the money that's on the table for players these days more ARE actually too expensive. Suter and Parise are good but they're not elite, best players in the league. Therefore I'm glad we didn't sign them to those levels of contract. I would offer it to Weber next year though, a long term, high money deal, as he is a Top 5 premier defenceman in this league and will continue to be for years to come. THAT, I think, is the difference with keeping the money and bringing in players to fill the gaps, and dolling out a large contract. They have to be worth the money when they're pushing 40 like Lids has been. I know it's incomparable with other defencemen in this era but he was worth the money after all those years. Much like Brodeur is worth the $5m or whatever it was that he got, because he's still a game changer even into his twilight. Suter and Parise wont be IMO, Weber could well be.

It's sad (for you) that a fan of another team has more faith in the Wings than you do.

I see what you're trying to do there, but it doesn't work. We all know that Crosby scores at well over a point-per-game pace when he's healthy. Mueller has played 173 games over the past four seasons and has logged only 89 points in that period.

I'm on vacation.

I can proudly say that in my almost 5 years here (anniversary coming up ), I'm quite confident no one has ever dared put me on ignore.

Kindl needs to play. He actually scored 1 more even strength assist than Lidstrom despite playing 15 games less and getting a lot less time per game

I agree with this for sure. I like Morrow a lot however I would much rather not be asking ourselves is he playing 30 games or 70 this season? I hope if we trade for a forward it's Bobby Ryan

Hmmmm....it's kind of hard to find one.....hmmmm..... Igor Larionov 41 Chris Chelios 40 Brett Hull 37 Dominik Hasek 37 Steve Yzerman 36 Steve Duchesne 36 Luc Robitaille 35 Fredrik Olausson 35 Brent Gilchrist 34 Brendan Shanahan 33 Sergei Fedorov 32 Nicklas Lidstrom 31 Kris Draper 30 Man, these guys were old! I know they are mostly HOF's, but you asked if we remembered the last time a team with the core of mid 30's won a Cup.....