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The official LetsGoWings.com Open (free) Fantasy League has a small number of spots available for this season! This is as 12-team head-to-head league and the competition is fierce! Interested? Here's the details on this Yahoo-based league: Draft: Thursday, September 26th @ 8:00pm ET (Attendance Required) Starting Positions: 2 Center, 2 LW, 2 RW, 4 D, 1 Util, 2 G (6 Bench, 1 IR) Scoring Categories: G, A, PTS, +/-, PIM, PPP, SHP, GWG, W, GAA, SV%, SO Invites will be sent out in groups, so registering for the league is a first-come, first-serve basis and that space is limited! This is a long-running league, now entering its 13th successful season. This league uses the same scoring as the 7th-year Buy-In Challenge. PM me here through the site here to request an invite and please make clear the e-mail address you want the invitation sent to. (Invitation requests in this thread will be ignored.) Thank you and good luck!

That's what happens when emotions get involved with business. Just because some people wanted him back doesn't mean it was the right decision.

I want Tatar on this team as much as the next guy, but he's GOT to cut this stuff out: "Tomas Tatar. It's hard not to pretend that all these forwards aren't here." He's going to defeat himself. I know he's likely frustrated - it's a tough situation to be in, but he has to keep his head on his shoulders until the second they say, "there's no room for you here, we're going to have to move you to another team." He simply cannot have this attitude, or he's only going to take himself off the team before the season starts.

Most people under 40 make sweeping generalizations about people over 40.

What sucks is that most of those players could and should have come off the books this offseason. I'd like to see Sproul get some time soon. We could use a big shot from the point.

To help ease the forward logjam, perhaps the Wings would consider playing Weiss on a third line temporarily (or Mule, even), while Helm is on IR, making Emmerton more expendable. E.g. Abby - Dats - Mule Cleary - Z - Aflie Tatar - Weiss - Bert Miller - Andy - Eaves + Sammy, Tootoo Emmerton, Gus in minors (for now) Not sure if that'd get the wings under the player limit or not, but if so it might give them time to make moves, without giving up players too soon. Inevitably there will be more injuries so ideally they hold onto as many bodies as possible.

I'm not so sure it's Franzen's production that people have a gripe about. At least for me personally, it's more the appearance that Franzen doesn't show up to play every game. He is a great value for the contract, but that doesn't make floating and lack of effort acceptable. Franzen's massive playoff years probably skewed some expectations, though in reality Franzen hasn't performed at all in the playoffs since then. So, when your fallback is "playoff performer" and then you don't do that anymore -- combined with the floating during the regular season, that's where fans start to get upset with Franzen. I agree that Weiss centering a line should help out Franzen this season. He needs somebody to do most of the work.

Didn't know you were capable of jokes, I thought you were an automaton

After all, the system that Holland and Babcock run has persistently placed the Wings at the bottom of the standings. We should be furious. Say, where are all those lottery picks? We're getting robbed! While none of us like this signing, the simple fact is that Holland, Babcock, and all of the team's veterans wanted Cleary back on the roster. When that's the case with a player, he's going to be brought back if at all possible.

No, he would be on the third line, assigned to a defensive-forward role. Meanwhile, cleary would be on the top line with pav and z.

Way to be Malik. He's got numerous amounts of support from us. We WANT Tatar on our team. I would be floored if he got moved. Tatar brings a different dimension than what we have. A true goal-scorer. He's better than Damien Brunner. He's more effective at the NHL level than Brunner. He's just got that sense in him. He drives towards the puck. It's one of the best qualities I find of him. He just wants the frickin puck. If he's got eyes on it, he's gunning for it. As towards his attitude, like others have stated, he's just young. If you follow him on Twitter or have seen videos of him; he's like a little frat euro-boy. As for his cocky-ness/confidence; goal-scorers need that. Some are more humble than others, but you need that sense of confidence if you're going to keep potting em in the back of the net. I can't believe some are calling for Hollands head without any actual source for it. Holland was going to match any single offer-sheet that was going to come Nyquist's way. He's talked how Nyquist and Tatar should both be on the roster this upcoming season. How they were influential on this previous season.

@georgemalik: FTR: avoided Tatar interview, pulled him aside, told him 1,000's are rooting 4 him/feel he got screwed/want him to succeed HERE. @georgemalik: Not a big whoop but Tatar did genuinely appreciate the comment. I thought he needed to know that YOU are on his side. Now he knows. @Trto90: Thanks to all fans for great support. You guys are great. #camp #detriot #bigpush #justdoit Edit to add: @DetroitRedWings: "I love it here...this is the team I want to make" - Tomas Tatar #ATTExtendedCoverage @DetroitRedWings: "I want to put my best foot forward and do everything I can to make the team" - Tomas Tatar #ATTExtendedCoverage

Who the heck is Sarah Lindenau? This tweet is ridiculous: So let me get this straight, she is using his body language to make a statement about what she thinks Tatar thinks that Babcock and Holland are thinking? No self respecting journalist would do that. It's a tweet from a blogger. It doesn't mean anything to me at this point regarding Tatar's actual attitude and mindset. Of course Tatar is worried and hopefully plays well in camp, but management is not going to base their decision solely on 5 games. He's played 27 games in the NHL and a ton in the AHL. Holland and company should have a well rounded picture of this kid by now.

Which of course can in no way, shape, or form can be seen as a leading indicator of what the organization may want to see during the season. Just not possible.

Well, your beat writer is full of it, at least where Tatar is concerned:

To be fair: - This isn't exactly the first time Tatar's been, shall we say, snubbed. - He's been proving himself for how long now? What else is left for him to prove? He was a monster for the Griffins in their Calder run, and he was named the MVP for his efforts. So, what, does he need to be an even more valuabe MVP? - It's not like he held a press conference. I actually think Sarah is slightly at fault here; she probably shouldn't have said what she did. - If this were any other organization, any other one, this wouldn't even be an issue. - What happened to the "youth movement"? Isn't building and promoting from within our bread and butter? - Ultimately, yeah, like I said, Tatar probably has some *issues*. But, again, he's friggin' 22. You know what other 22-year-old pro hockey player has *issues*? Coyotes GM 'not happy' with absent Ekman-Larsson - It's easy for us to wag our fingers at Tatar and tsk tsk him. But if you were in his shoes, I think you'd probably be pissed.

So, about the unicorn...

Focusing on things like faith, friendship and family is never a bad thing. The guy is already extremely rich has won everything and took a year off Rask would have taken over at some point, so I really don't blame him. I mean look at the Flames who is their number 1 goalie now? They could really need a guy like Timmay or even the "Perds" if Rinne isn't healthy anytime soon.

I am also glad he is back. He is a warrior and a leader... total class act. I wonder, is there another Red Wing forum with rational fans? After signing Weiss, Alfie, Nyquist, Gus and Smith, plus inking Pavs to an extension, Holland was a genius. Then he re-signs a team leader for less than he offered him a couple months ago and it's time, once again, to fire Holland... it's laughable. We have the best GM and the best coach. Wins cures all of this and if we do make a long run in the playoffs, regardless of the lines Babs decides to roll, I hope all the doubters calling for Holland's and Bab's heads to roll will eat crow. I love our Wings and what we are about. EXACTLY! Our team captain was campaigning for him to come back... But the average LGW poster knows more about hockey than Zetterberg (and Holland, Babs, Howe, Yzerman, Gretzky, God, ...)

I just use it to get news on days like this. People 'report' tweets on forums, etc, but there is a lot that goes unseen. WIIM is always good for a laugh. And you wouldn't see cool stuff like this: https://twitter.com/Datsyuk13/status/378301478668349440/photo/1

Good god, by the talk around here you'd think Babcock or Holland already came out and said Tatar will certainly be gone. Why is it that everyone thinks this will adversely affect Tatar and not Eaves, Tootoo, Miller, Bertuzzi, or Samuelsson? Oh I know, because as the last 10+ years of free agency and trade deadlines have shown us, the Detroit Red Wings constantly throw away quality prospects right? Kinda jumping the gun aren't we guys?

None of those guys played their first year in GRs at the age of 18. Hudler and Filpulla, for example were both 22 when they played their first full season in Detroit. Ericsson was 25. Tatar is 22 right now. Worth considering. But for the record: 1. I'm mostly in agreement with you, I just wish he'd keep his thoughts to himself and keep working hard. 2. He's not waiver exempt and would never clear so he'd never be sent down. So it's all a bit moot anyway.

I'am very happy for Timmay classy guy and a great mentor for Markstrom. Boyes will be a great tutor for Gudbranson. Hope, Timmay Thomas will return to his allstar-style.

Hi- I come here as friend not foe and I don't intend to stir the pot but just to add my opinion. Firstly- I am a Sens fan but secondly and maybe more importantly I am an Alfie fan. I'm not sure where I stand on all the off season shenangians but you have got yourself a great player- he smart and makes players around him better. I have always considered the Western conference to be superior to the East in terms of skill and I think you guys may be selling yourselves a little short. I think you guys are going to skate circles around the East and cause teams fits for a couple of seasons- until you either devolve or they pick it up. I watched every game of your playoff series last season against the Hawks and the pace of the game was far and beyond anything I saw in the East. You can't hit what you can't catch. I pick Detroit to be in the Final with maybe Piitsburgh...but Detroit will be there- changing of the guard and injuries and you're still scary. Yeah Ottawa may talk a good game but who knows what team will show up-really. Toronto is a two trick pony, Montreal all emotion and Subban is so readable,and Boston has lost a step. I see good things for Detroits immediate future.