Leaderboard

Hey guys, how's it go...

Guy should play for as long as someone is willing to pay him. It's his life and career. Five years after he retires, 10 years, no one will remember that he "held on too long." He'll be remembered for a brilliant career.

No, it was more like "He's A STAR PLAYER! NO ONE SHOULD TOUCH HIM! He's sacred and holy and how dare that fourth line "hack" take exception to be wrapped up by him! Also, please disregard my earlier comments about Chara taking on Paquette because they are totally in opposition to what I just said." That's Jack Edwards in a nutshell. Hypocritical ******-nozzle. Over the top and to the edge. I think Kip's got him pretty much figured out. Used to think it was comical, but now it's just plain ridiculous. Everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to their announce team, but this guy's just a frigging joke.

Or any league, for that matter

Where's Ozzy on this list?? If I recall from his last broadcast he was very very, very very, good. lol

no. No. No. NO. NO! NOO!! NOOOO!!!! NOOOOOOOOZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Also, people realize Hossa's cap hit was 7.45 million in 2009 right? By signing him to the exact same money he made in Chicago we would have gained around 2.3 million against the cap compared to the year before. Or, in other words, his cap hit is less now (for Chicago) than it was the year we had him. So even if nothing changed from 2009 accept his contract, he still would have been more affordable re-signed than he was the year we actually had him on the books. And that's with no other changes. Add to that the fact that we lost Hudler, Sammy, Kopecky, Conklin, and didn't need to sign all of Bertuzzi, Williams, Eaves, May, Miller, and Leino, and there was plenty of money.

One of the best not goals of the season!!!!!

The results are in amigo, what's left to ponder?!

Chara is and always has been a terrible spotpicker. He's lucky he's playing in today's era, where there aren't many heavyweights and there's an instigator rule.

Don't do it, Kenny. Don't you dare do it.

Yahoo Crosby. Just kidding. Bing Crosby. A cantaloupe lacking what potatoes have.

I really hope not. He's done. He was pretty bad before getting a shutout last game, he should just call it a career off of that note

I agree it wouldn't have made a difference if we'd kept him. We had 5.3 million dollars wrapped up in guys we signed (or claimed) after Hossa left (Bertuzzi, Williams, Miller, May, Eaves, Leino). And that's 5.3 without making a single trade. Move a player with a moderate salary out, and there's more money. I agree it was tight. But I don't agree that it was one or the other. It was one or the other ONLY if we didn't want to move out salary to retain Hossa...which clearly Holland didn't. Lots of teams clear salary to retain stars. Holland didn't. Likely because he didn't think Hossa was that important, and not because (as a result of Franzen's signing) there was absolutely no money available. Again, they brought on the equivalent of Hossa's current contract AFTER he was signed by Chicago. Also, last year also showed that Ken Holland clearly doesn't mind going into a season over the cap if he sees fit. He had no problem waiving guys like Tootoo, Samuelsson, and Eaves a year ago to get cap compliant. So he clearly A) knows it can be done, and B) will do it. I don't buy, for one second, that he REALLY wanted to retain Hossa, but just couldn't make the cap work. Especially considering they offered him a contract valued 1.1 million dollars less than what he makes now. You really don't think Holland couldn't have found 1.1 million if he'd really wanted to?

Firstly, you can Google Holland's personnel moves. I see no need to list every trade, or signing, or player he let walk for another, just because you feel like being difficult. Secondly, the fact that you've always seen something one way doesn't mean other options weren't available. It also might explain why, despite the fact that I've listed multiple alternative scenarios, you refuse to think anything else was possible. You don't believe it was possible because you've never believed it possible, despite the fact that there's at least a handful of other possible scenarios. The fact that you think its black and white is the cause of your consternation, not the effect. Because accepting that there were alternatives to what happened, and it happened anyway, either makes Holland dumb or else means he just didn't want Hossa that bad. Neither of which are as simplistic "it was either or". It wasn't. I've now told you several ways in which it could be both. Some of which didn't involve trades. If you still insist it wasn't possible, its because you're being obtuse. Not because you've got a firm grasp of the situation.

What's that got to do with Franzen? If there's a strong incentive to keep someone, you make it happen. Now, aside the fact that Hossa may not have wanted to stay here at all (which isn't a stretch considering our coach is a dick), I do believe there were some (minor) mistakes that were made surrounding the choice to let Hossa walk. Here are a few mistakes Holland (and management) made that might have influenced what happened (and how we view it). 1) Its the managment's job to determine whether guys are just a flash in the pan or here to stay. They clearly misjudged Franzen's long term potential. Though it should be noted that for three of the next four years he was within 5 pts. of his 2009 career high. So even if they agreed on a short "prove it" contract, he would have been in the same ballpark as he was in 2009. Indications were that he'd keep it up, but still, it's their job to get it right. 2) Having a better handle on Hudler's status would have helped retain Hossa. Hudler held out and bolted for Europe when he didn't get offered enough money as an RFA, but that happened after Hossa had already signed elsewhere. Assuming they knew he wanted a TON of money, they could have traded his rights before free agency and used that money toward Hossa. Knowing Hudler was a potential flight risk might have helped prioritize extending Hossa as well. 3) Having a better handle on whether Samuelsson was going to try out FA could have made a difference as well. He ultimately did want to test the market, and so a big chunk of his salary could have been used to extend Hossa prior to FA (if, indeed, he wanted to come back). And that's about all for big mistakes. Otherwise, it was just a matter of prioritization. And, as I said before, considering the Wings had just won the Cup without Hossa, he probably wasn't as big a priority for Holland as we'd all like to think.

Yes (see below). My point is, why bother? You just won a Cup with your EXACT same team...minus Hossa. So offer him a contract that leaves you in a good cap situation, and if he takes it great. If not, you've still got a team that just won the Stanley Cup. The fact that he didn't re-sign Hossa was probably not limited by Franzen's contract. There's always options. We had plenty of moveable assets going into free agency 2010. If Holland really though keeping Hossa was integral to team success, he could have traded Filppula, Hudler, Kronwall, Stuart, Cleary, Abby, Helm, Howard, Ericsson, Lilja. Or NOT SIGNED Bertuzzi, Miller, Eaves, May, or Williams. Remember that the difference between what Holland offered Hossa and what he took from Chicago was only about 1.5 million dollars. One or two of these players would have easily covered that. The likely reason he didn't re-sign Hossa is because Hossa wanted 5+ million for the next 12 years. Which Holland didn't want to do. How did it suddenly become and either/or scenario between Franzen and Hossa?

You're misunderstanding what I have against Edwards. I don't care if he likes fighting. But it annoys me when Jack Edwards manipulates his fans' love of fighting, in order to justify Boston douchebaggery (like the Chara punch after a Chara penalty). I don't care if Boston dives. But I DO care if Jack Edwards pretends that Boston players are all the remains between hockey and European soccer, just because he knows that message will resonate. I don't like that Jack Edwards has simultaneously never played hockey, and knows EXACTLY what is ruining/vital to the game, which happens to coincide with whatever his fans already think is ruining/vital to the game. He tells a bunch of idiots exactly what they want to hear. Which makes him dishonest, and more importantly, annoying. That's why he sucks. Because he's formulaic and fake.

But he's the first one to talk about how bad checks need to be taken out of the game, the only time I hear him get riled up about a fight is when its warranted... Maybe that's because were watching the weakling wings, and fights are so few and far between that its easier to recall his reactions to fights back when the team was stacked with guys who were fighters. Most of them, if not all had a scoring touch.. and very rarely attacked a player unwarranted. Plus back then the knowledge of concussions and the effects it has on people quality of life was basically nonexistent... And now that its been brought to the forefront and the science behind it all is coming along you can hear him changing his stance on it. Slowly but surely. And its not because hes been forced to change because of the way the wings play the game, its because he's smart, and doesn't want to see these kids suffering permanent brain problems because of stupid shenanigans. He says it time and time again how the games gotten so fast, the players have gotten so much bigger, stronger, and faster that its infinitely more dangerous.. I've never heard him say atta boy to a bad hit, whether it bw from behind, or a hit to the head. He says the same stuff about our team when they do it. Like with Jurcos hit last year, he didn't defend it, he called it how it was.

I never said they were similar, but Mickey loved a good scrap, enthusiastically; and if you listen to him, he subtly mourns the lack of team toughness without coming right out and saying the team is soft. Mickey has sorta been forced to. He calls Red Wings games; not a lot of hitting (at least on our part) or fighting. But when one does happen (rarely), what does he always say? "Attaboy! Not one person in their seat! They love it!", to paraphrase. He loves old time hockey as much as the rest of us neanderthals.

If we give up any assets for a scrub goalie for a few weeks, when we have a very capable netminder while Howard and Gustavsson are out, I'd be pissed. Mrazek has shown that he is very capable, let the kid do his thing.

I don't know, didn't he insist he get a photograph with all his former assistants that are now head coaches at the draft this year? I think he's more sentimental then his stern demeanor portrays. Plus I think I heard him say Glendening was like the son he never had.

If I had a gun with two bullets, and I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden and Jack Edwards, I would shoot Jack Edwards twice.

#tradehim #averagejimmy #tankit #mcdavid