Leaderboard

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.

I have to disagree. Not spending if you can't get your money's worth is a good thing. I may have credit approved for $5000 but if I can get what I need for $3000, I'll do that and save the remainder. Is Semin worth what he will eventually go for? Or is it a matter of waiting until he "goes on sale" due to lack of interest and ends up signing at a lower price? Or does he have problems that make him worth less than his asking price? As far as dmen go, who is there that could replace Lidstrom? No one. We will have to settle for filling his place in the lineup. This won't happen with any free agents. We'll need to trade or wait a year and get someone better. If anyone has a player who is that good, I have serious doubts that he will be on the trading block unless he's seriously overpaid, has health issues, or is a problem in the locker room. We're taking a chance on Tootoo. I'm not sure it woud be wise to bring in Semin and a dman who may have issues as well. We may add another forward, but I don't see us getting a big-name dman this season. The trade price would be seriously high. If they are trading a dman, they will want serious assets at the forward position, and we're all up in arms about how we need more snipers and have a pelthora of muckers and grinders. Any trade partner with a seriously good dman to trade will not be looking at dime-a-dozen grinders for a trade. At best we'll get a moderate dman for a couple of good forwards, and still need to improve in each category. I'm not saying that this is the end of the road, I'm just saying it's not the Yellow Brick one.

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...

I don't think he will be the next Lids but i do think he will be a great hockey player

Go back to your Kings forum, troll.

Exactly, Holland is Holland and not panicking and making poor decisions and hurting his team by signing guys we don't need... COME ON........

Parise and Suter make their first appearance as a Minnesota Wild...

Doan is younger than Drake was when he came back in 2008 and laid himself on the line for a cup. Plus, Doan is a much bigger, grittier, and more skilled player than Drake ever was. Doan had 5 goals and 4 assists during this year's playoffs. That's a quarter of his regular season production in the playoffs. Not too shabby for a guy with no gas in the tank. Wherever he lands, Shane Doan will kill or be killed for a Stanley Cup.

I like the idea of Nash, but it's all about the cost. If we're giving up Franzen, perhaps, but not Flip.