Leaderboard

The problem with that is they would have to edit a lot of the footage. With HBO, they don't have to censor anything.

Can everybody wait until we get to see Smith against a team that isnt top 5? You all realize that Chicago, Boston, Pittsburgh, Toronto, and Anaheim are the best 5 teams in the league, right? Our last 20 games have been BRUTAL. Probably the most difficult strength of schedule for a 20 game stretch EVER. I expect our yound defensemen to struggle against the Crosbys, Malkins, Perrys, Getzlafs, Krssels, Kadris, Kanes, Toews, Bergerons, and Lucic's of the league. Every team struggles against them. Give Smith a chance. He's really good and plays with grit.

I like Mrazek. A lot. I think he's going to be a very good to great goalie, and I want to see him in a Wings uniform for a long time. But not this year. I'd rather he play 50-55 games in GR than 15-20 in Detroit. Call him up occasionally for a spot start, yes. Call him up if one of the Wings' goalies gets hurt. And if Howard has to miss any games (knock on wood!!) then Mrazek takes over and Gustavsson remains the backup. Next year, if Mrazek has another season like last year, he becomes the backup. Over the length of Howard's contract, Mrazek should play more games each year, transitioning into the starter's role as Howard ages.

Yes, Smith looks bad, but as others said, Kindl looked bad for quite a while. Howard also looked really bad the first bunch of games he played. Not a defenceman, but I think the point still stands that the NHL takes a while to get used to players not named Dekeyser.

Todd Ber-tuzzi

Pretty much agree with this. His sample size is still way, way too small to make any sort of judgement. That said, he has looked very shaky but he's also 24 years old.

I have high expectations for them, Weiss, and Alfie. I hope Abdelkader is an absolute puck retrieval machine! And I really want Mule to make me stop typing bad things about him on the internet! But I also have different expectations than most on here, I am not a championship or bust kind of guy, so they are tempered high expectations! Edit: Should have said my highest expectations are on Howard, then Dekeyser! But thought to keep it forward based.

This OP may as well be backdated to several seasons ago. Bertuzzi is way past washed up.

Or a Monster to the groin!

For the record, put me in the pro Bertuzzi category.

At least Bert had some balls to go after Webber when he smoked "Z"... At least Bert can score on SO... At least Bert can/will drop the gloved when/if needed... What about FRANCINE? At this point he's 4th liner without BALLS and HEART...

I was only able to watch parts of the Pens game and I have to say I'm understanding the negative rep Smitty's been getting here on LGW. The few games I've seen him in this preseason were not that good. I'm hoping he turns things around when the season starts up. I still think there is a lot of untapped potential with him, too. Maybe he'll pull a Quincey and flourish with another team - in a hypothetical scenario that has him traded, of course. The silver lining in the whole thing, for me, is that we are so deep with defensive prospects that we could probably afford to trade him if that scenario did present itself. I'd imagine that he could get a pretty decent return as well, or otherwise be a big piece of a larger trade. For the record I like Smith and I hope he stays and gets better. I'm just an optimist and I like to look for the positive side of potential negatives (Smith staying in this funk and/or getting traded). Exactly how many players on this team are not terrible, or "losers" as you have said before? In your assuredly very astute, non-opprobrious opinion, I mean.

If we don't have bert, who will keep other teams from playing ping pong on our tables? ><

Like Franzen or Bertuzzi use their size.

Kessel's suspension is a joke. the fine for putting Scott on the ice also a joke. Kessel's actions were Chris Simon like, but because he is a "Star" in this league he misses 3 preseason games? Just found this article: http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2013/09/26/report-some-coach-arent-pleased-with-rolston-player-selection-fine/?ocid=Yahoo&partner=ya5nbcs Great quote:

LOL, so let me get this straight Brunner turns the Wings down hours before the Free Agent period begins, at least two reported offerings. The Wings then go ahead and fill out their roster, are more active in the FA market than they have been in years. The Wings replace Fil with Weiss, you know center for center, then get Alfie (btw a guy that had nearly the same stats as Brunner, only able to show a track record of success). All the while Brunner is holding out for a multi year deal and top 6 minutes. By the time he decides to take an offer that is Identical to the one that is reported he turned down HOURS before FA period began, the Wings are over the cap and roster limit, yet you want Holland to offer him that deal. Brunner is the reason Brunner is not on this team, well maybe his agent, either way the person responsible is not Ken Holland. I will also take that $20 bet, so would Holland, most of the NHL, and probably half of this board. Weiss put up better numbers than Brunner all while being the Panthers only legit threat. Sure Brunner put up similar points to Weiss's NHL numbers but he did in the Swiss league, not exactly known for Defense and goaltending. But like I said Weiss was a center and brought in to replace Fil not Brunner, so when we look at Alfie's numbers 10g and 16a, the compare nicely to Brunner's 12g and 14a. Alfie is a one year no risk deal, Brunner wanted a multi year high risk deal (think Brunnstrum, Leino). Brunner was great to start the season, then like a typical rookie lost momentum when the league figured him out. He played barely more than one half of one season. If he wanted to be a Wing he had ample opportunities, he wanted ice time and multi years. Brunner and his agent are the reason he is not a Wing. But in an offseason where KH was more active than he has been in a long time, some people just need a reason to bash him.

He should start doing some commercials for vaporizer companies. Protect your lungs and protect your game! #lowanxiety

And take Franzen with him. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I317 using Tapatalk 4

it is disgusting seeing tsn making a hero out of kessel.

I still think it looks like semen. But then, I think everything looks like semen.

At the time, that was the only info available. The year and term hadn't come out yet. I changed the thread title to reflect the details of the deal.

Three exhibition games? Looks like protection of another "elite" player. Shanahan is in mid-season form already.

Jonas. Just because I want Petr to get A LOT OF starts in gr.

I would much rather have Nyquist Tatar and Brunner then cleary Alfie and Sammy...