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Or if he never comes back at all....we won't have a problem:)

I effing love this guy! On a side note, am I the only one who reads any of his quotes in his voice? I do it every time.

Can you imagine if this were done in Det? You think Holland gets some s*** now, imagine if the first thing he did was plan a parade and take down the Howe statue? He would be hung in front of the Joe!

Babcock has petitioned for the Red Wings to retire Cleary's #11 permanently.

And somewhere Brian Burke is working on a press release claiming credit for all of it

Arbitration can be an advantage for both parties. It stops other teams from putting in offer sheets, which allows the team and player to focus on themselves and not worry about others. It is a sign from both that they are serious about staying together. If a player goes to arbitration, he is saying that he's not interested in going to another team. If the team doesn't want him, they can set him free and he can talk to other teams. It also keeps both parties honest about how much/little they will offer. The team can't say, "We have your rights so we're going to pay you peanuts." because they might end up paying more than the guy is worth if it goes to arbitration. By the same token, the player can't hold out beyond what is reasonable because he might end up getting less than he's worth from an arbitrator. I generally look at it as a good sign if a guy files. It's like a promise ring between people waiting for agreement on the pre-nup. You know the wedding's coming soon.

I saw a bit of hype on Twitter for a pending Pavel Datsyuk interview - kind of like the giddy excitement leading up to "Sharknado" last week Pavel Datsyuk is one of most uniquely intriguing athletes I can remember ever following closely. Maybe the whole point is that nobody actually is able to follow him closely. I certainly don't think of him the same way you would think generally about other "Russian players". Even the other Russians, many of which do not like each other, seem to revere him like some sort of deity. Also, that was a pretty awesomely subtle joke about being behind his Twitter handle, and also the handle of his bicycle and car. I think he actually speaks English better than I do, and is just playing it down as part of his master plan. Also interesting when he was asked about Sochi and didn't even offer an opinion on it one way or the other. When they ask Ovechkin that question, he almost forgets that he's under contract with the Capitals for about 5 minutes.

Puck daddy interview, its quite good! http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/pavel-datsyuk-red-wings-future-winter-classic-making-150122526.html

Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) tweeted at 4:35 PM on Tue, Jul 16, 2013: Confirmed: Stephen Weiss to wear number 90 & Wings agreed to terms on 2-year deal with Brendan Smith Mike Modano (@9modano) tweeted at 4:52 PM on Tue, Jul 16, 2013: 90!!!? You kidding me Weiss..? @HeleneStJames @DetroitRedWings

Baseball is not comparable to hockey in terms of numbers analysis. Not saying it should be disregarded. But it's definitely not on the same scale.

That was Osgood's Conn Smythe, and would have gotten him to the Hall of Fame. But another Cup would have been one more item on Datsyuk and Zetterberg's side of the scale.

I'm sure they're listening but having a hard time understanding what the hell he's trying to say

Ugh. That number.

Go watch Yandle. Kronwall is easily better defensively. I also think that a contender's #1 guy should kill penalties. Other than s 7 game stint with the team in 06-07 Yandle's top season of sh toi/GM was 33 seconds. This year in 48 games he played a total of 3:58 sh. 29 skaters played at least one game for Detroit this year. 20 of them averaged more pk time than Yandle. Helm played more pk in his one game than Yandle did all season. OEL is the Coyotes #1 guy anyway, so your boy isn't even a #1 in Phoenix

To be fair that might work as a top 4. You just need to play your second pair more than the first.

Hey Pavel you remember the time that you deked Couture and he fell down? Yeah, that was sweet. And Pavel, remember the time you ***** slapped Perry? Yeah thatvwad awesome.

It's a shame other athletes out there aren't as smart and humble as Pav. Although that is definitely what makes him special and sets him apart from the others. There's nobody else like the guy

...and Bettman's already learning how to pronounce Phaneuf so he can invite him to come get the Cup. I wonder if this was inspired by overhearing Lebda rehearsing his HHOF acceptance speech?

In a game shrouded in superstition, I imagine there are some players who are not too happy about this. I mean you're not even allowed to say shutout until the game is over so I imagine planning a cup parade before the season even starts is gonna drive some people nuts. Leafs go 0-82 this season lol.

If only Big E used his size and Bert was younger; Vladdy was the best that comes to mind But the current roster, Kronwall

The Power of Positive Thinking. Welcome to the Grand Illusion. Both great titles. Take your pick. On one hand, it makes sense to dream big and have faith that you will see your dream to fruition. On the other hand, it is much easier to plot a course for the parade than to plot a course for winning the cup.

Good price and term, win for both sides. Smith should earn a much bigger contract in two years.

Great cap hit for a player that is only going to get better.

Now he can finally afford to feed his children.