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The sad part of Nyquist getting a new deal is that this will probably be the last year of him being a fan favorite, unless of course he significantly improves. We as a fan base love guys who overproduce for their salary but when they get a salary that's more in line with their production we heap unrealistic expectations on them. Gus could put up the exact same numbers he's put up the past 2 years and because he'd be making 4-5 million a season instead of his current .95 million a year it will be seen as not good enough. If he has another couple playoffs like his first couple, he'll be in the doghouse with Franzen.

Do you know what a "pay-cut" is? A pay-cut is when you take less money then what you used to get. Jonathan Toews NEVER took a pay-cut. http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/chicago-blackhawks/jonathan-toews/ You say Winnipeg & Buffalo were prepared to pay Towes 13.3 million a year? Please post a link to someone from either organization verifying or even hinting to this. Or are you just making up things as if they are facts because it helps your argument? I don't think Towes is a top 3 player, I think he has been lucky enough to play with great players for the last 6 years, but that is irrelevant to this argument. I'm starting to see your philosophy Frank, you are pissed at the NHL/owners and anytime a player can get as much as they can out of them, you consider it a small "win". Nyquist is the perfect example, you seem to want him to get paid as much as possible even though if he does get a ridicoulas O'Rielly type contract, it hurts the Wings. No one is disputing with you that these players CAN ask for the moon, what people including myself are saying is that in a team game where the team can only spend so much money with the cap, for a player to take a huge percentage of that money especially when the player is not worth it (ie. O'Rielly) it can and will hurt the team. Players that only look out for themselves are then perceived as selfish and entitled. There is a reason why guys like Lidstrom & Datsyuk are so well respected around here, they never put themselves first and even though they COULD get more money, they are/were willing to take a slight decrease in salary for the good of the team. They are still paid well, but not to the point where it hurts the team.

nothing beats this one

New Holmstrom should wear 69 instead of 96 and the back of his sweater should say 'NEW HOLMSTROM'

Who knew there'd be volatility in the oil and gas industry? Was making bank until this recent oil price collapse. Meh. Back to school to get another business degree and come out making even more. I love the climate out here far more than Ontario's Great Lakes climate. Not nearly as humid as the US Southeast, but humid enough to bug someone who's a native of much drier climates. Filed for Canadian citizenship already, waiting for the ceremony to dump US citizenship (the cost went from around $400 to around $2300) and attain German citizenship through mom.

Frank, at the end of the day you are just guessing, who knows what Buffalo would have offered Kane. Even if they were under the cap floor, that was for 1 season. If we are talking long term contract year, being under the floor one year means nothing. The fact that you are bringing up that the Winnipeg owner has deep pockets just reinforces to me that you don't get it. Its not about how much money an owner has, its about managing a team in a salary cap system for the short term, and the long term. Giving one player 13 million for a long time could absolutely screw a team over if that player doesn't produce, or even if he does produce, handicap that team. I still don't get your "pay-cut" logic. You are saying that because he is allowed to get paid 13mil, if he signs for anything less its a "pay-cut". He is literally the highest paid player in the league, and his salary is constantly rising, not a pay-cut. If he signed for 13mil x 8 it would do Chicago more harm then good, hence he is not worth it.

You're right it's a crazy pointless system. Since after 2 lockouts, the cap is now over 70 mil. In several years we are ones again going to look for something to watch in the winter, while the owners jerk each other off.

There's a difference between trading him for a good player and "he sucks get rid of him."

Well, Babies do have glass jaws bro.And that weird reset button on top of their heads.

I think if he has an outstanding camp he may play a few games early in the season due to Datsyuk's injury

0 Vezinas = no hall= no number retirement. Can you honestly say that Chris Osgood was one of the best goaltenders of all time? How many times did Roy or Broduer get benched in the prime of their careers, let alone ever? When was he ever among the elite goaltenders in any given year? He accumulated wins with a long career on a team that was going to dominate the regular season regardless of the goaltender. Remember 2005-2006, everyone likes to hate on Manny but didn't the wings collect 50+ wins that year? Doesn't that prove the wings were going to win in the regular season regardless of goaltender? Regarding the playoffs, goaltending was never really a strength or weakness, scoring goals was. When we succeeded in the playoffs it was when we scored at will, not when a goalie played lights out and we sqeaked out 2-1 wins. Chris Osgood may have 400+ wins, but he himself was never instrumental in those wins. You can't say that about the other tenders in the hall.

Larry Aurie first. The disrespect for this man and his family is a huge stain on this franchise.

I don't understand this talk about Nyquist not being very good defensively...? I think he is one of our top defensive forwards, at least when it comes to stripping opposition of the puck. He's very Datsyukien when it comes to pickpocketing opponents. No, he doesn't play on the penalty-kill, nor should he, with the likes of Glendening, Miller, Helm, Abdelkader, Ferraro / Callahan / Andersson in the lineup. I'm not sure what Nyquist will get, I think some people are over shooting what he should get / will get and others are under shooting. I have full confidence in Ken that he will get a fair deal done over the next week or so...

It's easy to blame Babcock. Now that he's gone, if we can convince ourselves that everything was his fault it gives us reason to be optimistic. LW also tends to ignore reality at times. Like with Fedorov. The one season he played for Babcock was the one non-Wing season he had that was similar to his production with the Wings. But Babcock couldn't figure him out, misused him, and didn't want him on the Wings. Because then that's why he never came back, and why his number isn't retired, and now that Babs is gone there's hope for the future.

I love how we never talk about retiring 96. Holmstrom is (for the most part) universally loved by RW fans, but at the same time I feel like he gets forgotten in the talk of stars of higher reputation. Spent his whole career here and is probably the best net front powerforward of all time. Much like how Lidstrom was great without playing like a Stevens, Holmstrom was great without playing like a Lucic. Fundamentally sound in every way. Probably why those guys were friends (Lids and Homer that is) Seriously, what kind of hit to his points does Lidstrom take without Holmstrom in front of the net? Not many do what he did at that caliber. I know I'm just being nostalgic now, but seriously what's Homers knock? Points? To me he makes up for that in intangibles. What's Osgoods knock? Great stats but great team? Fedorov? Great all around but bailed? I think a true hockey sav would look at Holmstrom and realize just how massively important he was to the Wings. For pete sake he ended his career as the final touch to the euro twins lines practically

Well said and very true. But I remember Datsyuk getting railed for sub-par playoffs early in his career. Even after he had won a cup in 2002. The criticism was justified. He and Zetterberg were both too easy to handle vs Anaheim in 03, Calgary in 04, and Edmonton in 06. They never really figured out how to score on the road until 08. I have no problem with Goose making 4-5M. I expect him to start showing sings adjusting to the playoffs during one of his next two appearances in the post season. It took Zetterberg and Datsyuk three and four tries, respectively, to really figure out the playoffs.

Good, I'll probably be dead by then.

When does this CBA exprire. I need to book a trip that year. The damn last lockout was so boring I was forced to watch basketball. Eek.

If you say intangibALLS it carries more truculence

Good post.

I agree about Ottawa. I also think the Habs rode a hot goalie ALL season. Price is going to have a mortal year and the Habs don't have the line-up to be any better than the 6-8th spot. Pittsburgh will miss, Boston will miss. Florida's not quite there yet. Neither are the Sabres. Columbus will make it in. Hopefully Detroit has home ice in the first round, but I'll settle for making it in. Going to be tight

I don't want to go through them all, so I'll respond to just a couple of your assessments. I disagree that Ottawa is better. They lucked their way into the playoffs, on the back of an insane goalie performance, after sucking all year. Hammond falls back to earth and the Sens go back to the cellar next season. Panthers and Blue Jackets BOTH make the playoffs next season. Boston and Pittsburgh drop out.

Outside of Frank, I don't think anybody is speculating 6million. I dont think you have to worry.

Unlikely it'll be either. But if it's going to be one of those two it should be Fedorov. Osgood was a big part of the team but is not the caliber of player that the Wings retire jerseys for.