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Don't they all?

Congrats to Babcock, the best coach in hockey. http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=718107&navid=DL|NHL|home Too bad the ill-tempered blockhead from Colorado has this locked up.

Babcock has no reason to leave. There's a great deal of player turnover, and he has an opportunity to rebuild a storied franchise right here in Detroit. I mean, coaches like a challenge and they like to leave their mark. He can do that here, even though he's already been here so long, without needing to go to a bottom feeder with dysfunctional management. There's just not a lot of reason for Babcock to leave. The team is so different than when he started here it's like going to a different team already.

You're a girl. Girls don't poop. Therefore, this statement is impossible.. or is it? /mind blown edit: wait.. you never said 'light YOUR turd'..

And I'd pay Datsyuk $10M a year to actually play hockey

I love the overreaction from leafs nation signing an extension doesn't mean that a coach cannot be fired. For sure Nonis will include some buyout clauses in this. Although I'm wondering what Carlyle has done after winning the cup with two HHOF defenders, really nor much..

God I'd love to get Gaborik, especially if Alfredsson doesn't come back. Then we could risk having an injury prone guy with talent.

I think the Kings are the perfect team for him. I'm not sure we'd be a great fit.

I don't think Howard will be here in 3 years

The main factor is style of play... Sid is a FREAK along the boards which would be amazing with dats, plus he can set up/finish while not being a liability on defence. Hes also a power forward Kane is basically a dats 0.5 with less puck control/more agility so barring one of them wanting the puck more, I think they would be awesome together Vanek is soft, which does not bode well with datsyuk. He plays well with Z b/c he plays a PWF style

Vanek ? The plays they could setup would be incredible. Great shot - Check Great passing - Check High Hockey IQ and vision - Check Net Front Presence - Check Great shot deflector - Check PPG player on a bad team (Buffalo) - Check PP Specialist - Check For everything else there is MasterCard.

I appreciate Mantha's skill level, but I think the idea of him playing on the team right now is rushing it a bit. Unlike last season (where they expected veterans to "bridge the gap"), this year is going to be used to gauge where the young wingers (Nyquist, Tatar & Jurco) are at, and if they fit into the future plans of the team. As high on Mantha as Babcock is, he's also been really high on Jurco from some of the stuff I've read lately. My best guess at what the forwards look like going into the season: Z-Dats-Abs (Hate it or love it, Babcock uses it) Mule-Weiss-Nyquist (Assuming Weiss is healthy) Tatar-Sheahan-Jurco Miller-Helm-Glendening Andersson, Callahan/Ferraro This is assuming Weiss is healthy, and Alfie doesn't return. If both guys are in Detroit, I could see Jurco starting the year in Grand Rapids (as there would be no room in the top 9). Otherwise, I see that as his spot to lose. I would honestly be amazed if Mantha cracked that top 9 - not because he isn't talented, but because I think it's a solid group of guys with some balance and he's going to benefit playing some AHL hockey.

Ideally you should always try to trade from a position of strength to fill a position of weakness. Our strengths? Good young D prospects, and good young wingers (of the skilled but undersized variety). We have SEVEN young D-men knocking on the door right now for maybe 2 spots in the next 5 years. There isn't room for all of them, so we may as well flip them for something better. Same at wing, unless we buy out Franzen and Weiss, and Alfie retires, and Mantha is a bust, there is just no place for Pulkinnen. Our biggest weakness is a top-4 RHD. There's a really interesting thread on HFBoards right now around trade proposals for a RHD to Detroit - unusually for HFBoards, its populated by sane fans of other teams making rational, reasoned proposals instead of the usual "Nyquist + Mantha + 1st for Edler" that wrecks the place. Some examples: Cody Franson for 3rd Tatar + Ouellet for B. Schenn + L. Schenn Pulkkinen + Ouellet for L. Schenn Tatar + Ouellet + pick for Bogosian Wideman for 3rd + Jensen Wideman for 3rd + Nestasil Byfuglin for Tatar + Ouellet Byfuglin for Tatar + 1st Niskanens rights for 3rd Gardiner for Tatar + Frk Shattenkirk for Nyquist Jensen for 2nd Wideman + 2nd for Mitch Callahan + 1st None of these break the bank and upgrade the team. To give one example - Tatar + Oullet for Byfuglin. The loss of Tatar is easily replaced by Jurco and Mantha. Losing Oullet only leaves us with Almquist, Backman, Marchenko, Sproul and Jensen - I mean, how will we cope with such a pitiful group of D prospects That one trade leaves us with something like Jurco - Datsyuk - Alfie Nyquist - Zetterberg - Franzen Abdelkader - Sheahan - Mantha Miller - Helm - Glendening Weiss Kronwall - Smith DeKeyser - Byfuglin Ericsson - Marchenko/Backman

2 more goals last night although Val d'or drops the game in OT. thats 22 goals in 21 playoff games, think we may have something here

You guys are claiming that we need a puck moving defense-men, which obviously is accurate.... But a lot of you guys are willing to part with are most mobile offensive defense-men on our roster in Smith? How does this make any sense? Smith is one of the best skaters on our entire roster including forwards. The only D that we have that was able to skate the puck up ice and break entry into the O-zone against Boston was Smith. He did it often with a very high success rate that likely the only person on our roster better in that aspect was Datsyuk. Smith was absolutely phenomenal in the playoffs. I honestly question whether any of you guys actually pay attention to the games while you have it playing on your Tv screen. Smith has very high trade value, much higher than Tatar, Jurco, Sheahan, and Helm. It's for a good reason, because any team would kill to pick up an upcoming D of his caliber. Smith played with Kronwall on the top pairing the majority of the playoffs. a number two or three D is what Smith is to this team right now. He does nothing but progress and has shown no signs of slowing down. Period. You do NOT trade a guy that does nothing but improve and has the talent that he does. No team will give up a young and upcoming D and we won't part with him. The only available D are the ones who are UFA's. If you want to trade for a good D you better be ready to give up way more than any of you guys are putting on the table. Almost every team in the league needs a good D. Most of the top teams have great forwards and are lite on D. Teams who are able to give up more firepower up front in return for a D than us. If we make a trade for a D it is a vet has been 3rd D who is likely more of a 4th man than anything at this point of his career. No thanks, Kronwall, Smith, Ericcson, DeKeyser, with quickly upcoming Sproul and Quellet is the answer. As far as forwards... Why do you think Babcocks out watching Mantha's game? Because they have hope that this kid could make our roster out of camp and make an impact by at least the time playoffs role around. They are trying to determine if bringing in Mantha is a fees-able option before the draft and free agency hits. Because if hes not they will be trying to bring in a Forward. That's what is going on right now. Our right handed D you guys have been hearing Holland talk about past few days is in Grand Rapids right now.

Howard isn't going anywhere and this is key, he is a better g than Miller is at this point in their careers. Miller playing on a better team sucked in the PO's. Howard had much better numbers vs the NHL's best team. Howard is not the issue. Our sucky D and yes his injuries were the issues this year.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Mantha

Wild flip the script, explode for four goals in the third period. LOVE IT! Unfortunately, this means Chicago's actually gonna try now.

Transitioning from one core to another doesn't mean the style of play needs to change. Why would the team change from a puck possession style anyways? its proven to be the most successful style of play by far. You also don't rebuild over the course of 1 year, its going to take a few for the next wave to surpass the old wave of players, the fact that we're doing it for a 3rd time under Holland without missing the playoffs at all is why Holland will likely retire as the greatest GM in NHL history.

I will always say these post season awards are garbage. Especially the ones that the media or fans vote for. Usually the person that is the most deserving doesn't get it. That's why I totally expect Babs to not get it. People totally discount that he coached a team that players like Dats, Franzen, Z, Alfie, and Weiss missed a total of 172 games combined.

I'm not sure if I'm not being clear or if you're being obtuse on purpose. The "Jarnkrok back to Sweden" rumor didn't amount to s***. It was predicated on hearsay and was debunked by the Wings assistant general manager, as well as Jarnkrok himself. Are we on the same page now? I'm not sure how much more obviously and clearly I can make that point. If you choose to believe it, and base your opinion of the trade off of it, I don't know what to tell you.

Thanks Coach!!! You deserve the trophy for getting us into the playoffs for the 23rd straight year despite having set the record for most man games lost to injury, despite having to deal with garbage like Cleary, Sammy, Bert, Franzen etc, desptie having a revolving door of rookies in the line up. Couldn't have done it without you!!!

Why? They have four guys picked in the top 5 of first rounds, they should be doing well. They made it just as far as we did losing to, in my opinion, a lesser team than who we lost to. Babcock led a team with 421 man games lost to injury into the playoffs and lost to the first seed. I don't think he necessarily has it locked up.