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Many, many people have already posited how the contract could be traded. I don't know why you think it's so impossible and unlikely. Even some of the bloggers and hockey writers have posited the same scenarios. The one that pops up the most is Phoenix with the Pronger contract. It'd be a better deal for them because they would end up with a cap hit without paying out actual money.

The playoffs is where Darren Helm shines. I've been frustrated with Helm in the top six before but when he recognizes his role like he does in the playoffs and just plays high energy relentless puck pursuit he is a huge asset. Not to mention he's been one of our most productive forwards down the stretch Helm, Abby and Glendening are very important parts of this team come playoff time. Sure we may lose a game where we only score 1 or less goals but that's the chess game of hockey. One teams gameplan will prevail and one will fail. I'm sure the Caps or Penguins will get shut out sometime during these playoffs but it's not because their offense sucks, it's because they got beat

"When some wild-eyed, eight foot tall maniac grabs your neck, taps the back of your favorite head up against the barroom wall, looks you crooked in the eye and asks you if ya paid your dues, you just stare that big sucker right back in the eye, and you remember what old Jack Burton always says at a time like that: Have ya paid your dues, Jack? Yessir, the check is in the mail."

How about those Tampa fans?!

A 2nd new Wings fan in my family is on the way, though this time around we'll be looking for pink Wings gear! She's "officially" due on July 31st, though she'll actually be here a week or two before that. Parker (my First Wings fan) is ridiculously excited to be an older brother.

I always thought athletes lived in fancy mansions. That place in the background looks like an ordinary place a young college student would live in. Or a crack dealer.

We have been transitioning. Half our team has played 3 or fewer full seasons. Playing Mantha or giving AA more minutes isn't going to make a difference in anything. Whatever the kids become will be determined by their physical abilities, their talent, the years of dedication, training, and hard work they've done and will continue to do going forward. Not by a few minutes with Datsyuk. In regards to the second part, it's important to realize that the variances in possession are not really that much. It would probably surprise most people to learn that in 5v5 CF%, Detroit was tied for 8th in the league this year. 51.7%. Pittsburgh was 2nd at 52.7%. LA was first with one of the best seasons recorded at 56.4%. While Sutter and others may make hyperbolic statements about always defending or always having the puck, those are extremes that just don't exist in the real world. They're just exaggerations to make a point. Also worth noting that Sutter's and Hitchcock's teams, despite being very good teams with loads of talent, don't really score very well. (Neither have Tippett's, but he hasn't had much talent either.) Not sure you can say "listen to these guys" and "don't stifle scoring ability" at the same time. Adding on to what I was saying above, that Tippett quote is a gross exaggeration. The variance between players isn't that extreme. This season, there is a pretty extreme (relatively speaking) difference between Smith and Ericsson (7.5% by Corsi or 8.3% by shots) that's 2-3 times the difference it's been in the past. Adjusted for zone starts and competition, the difference this year would probably drop to around 5.5-6%, and virtually nothing in past years. Also, by goals the difference is about 1.8% this year, and 1% historically. Again if adjusted it would be even closer. Maybe Smith has progressed enough this year that he deserves to be ahead of E on the depth chart, but it's not nearly as cut and dry as people think. Technically, Mitch Albom said that Datsyuk's agent said that "the Wings" said they wouldn't do that. But regardless, let's be realistic. If Datsyuk leaves, the chances of actually improving drop to more or less zero, regardless of how much cap we have available. There just aren't enough good players available. The only way we're better next year is if we sign Stamkos or if the kids take a huge leap forward. We can go after Stamkos whether we dump Datsyuk first or not, so that's irrelevant. We'd likely have to trade his hit if we did land Stamkos (or at least that might be the easiest), but not to make him an offer. To be honest, I'm not even sure that Stamkos would be worth going after for what he'd likely cost. If we don't sign Stamkos, there isn't much sense in going after any second-tier players who have already proven to be incapable of leading a team to a Cup (or even in many cases, to the playoffs). Ride it out with the kids, see where we're at, then maybe make moves at the deadline if the they look good enough to build around.

This. Let Hank step back and become more of a role guy, have the kids start playing bigger minutes.

Pavel Datsyuk, AKA Nightcrawler! All we need is the word BAMF! to appear!

Hank would be fine if he played reduced minutes and not forced into trying to carry the team like Blash had him doing this season. Cut his minutes back and reduce his role and suddenly he can contribute for a full season instead of the first 2/3rds only. I'd say even have him play wing starting next season. Reduce the wear and tear on the guy.

Use Pulkkinen to trade up as far as possible and take the most offensively competant defenseman available...provided he's not a midget.

2 goals in 10 games over the course of a season is 16 goals. How many current F's scored that many this year? 4. 16 goals would be tied for 5th with Datsyuk this year. For anyone that doesn't think he made a difference isn't watching the games. he did what he should do: get the loose pucks behind the net and along the boards, he scored goals in front of the net-which BTW isn't his game. Blashill used him wrong-mainly because he has no other choices. Mantha is a sniper and is great at driving the net-not camping in front of it. But that is another issue all together. Now he wasn't playing so yes send him down and let him play. But stop with the stupid statements. he wasn't a spare part in the PO's last year. he played every game for the Griffins.

I'm pretty sure Abby hasn't played very much with Datsyuk this year. Datsyuk's been with Helm and Richards or Mantha. So...yes

Baseball is not a sport and the season just started. The early games aren't important. The NBA playoffs haven't started yet. The Pistons are sacrificial lambs for Lebron. No reason to waste time on them. Pretty easy choice as to who should be the televised team.

With the news about Pavel, this is the first thing I thought about. It has Ken Holland written all over it. The triumphant return of Brad Richards: second-line center/fourth-line right winger. For the record, I think he's played well down the stretch, too.

My two cents: The Wings need to grow, change, reinvent. Datsyuk's early retirement represents an opportunity -- and an excuse -- to do so. The Powers That Be (mainly Ken Holland) must embrace it. If losing the magical crutch called Pavel Datsyuk means the team must crawl on the ground and learn to walk again, so be it. The team must be allowed to crawl so that it can learn to walk again and allowed to walk so that it can learn to fly again. The team must be allowed to struggle, must be allowed and encouraged to find a new, post-Euro Twins identity. The team must get younger, faster, harder to play against. I firmly believe Larkin and Athanasiou are our new franchise centermen, that they can one day match the Euro Twins in greatness. I believe Mantha can be a force as early as next season -- hell, as early as these playoffs. I believe Svechnikov is going to be a beast, someone a bit like Tomas Holmstrom in that he'll allow us to get to our forechecking game (which, like many things, we're going to have to rebuild from the ground up) -- but owning better size and skill and and skating ability and an incredible shot. I don't believe Tatar and Nyquist have taken a step back this year, I think -- and the numbers bear this out -- they've seen a reduction in ice time this season and that this alone can explain the drop in their production. Similarly, I don't think Jurco and Pulkkinen's "struggles" are indicative of what they truly have to offer. All of this is to say, I think our head coach and/or general manager has/have to come to understand and appreciate what many fans already know: Joakim Andersson and Jonathan Ericsson are not The Answer. Limiting Athanasiou to five minutes of ice time in big games is profoundly foolish, especially with Datsyuk leaving in the summer and an enormous void opening up at the top of our depth chart. The priority this season and next season has to be transitioning to a younger core, not trying to squeeze one.more.playoff.berth. out of our veterans' butts. By all means, try to land a Martin Hanzal, someone who can play against the opposition's best players, allowing Larkin and Athanasiou to develop their game against weaker matchups. But don't cage creativity. Don't stifle scoring ability. Don't preach defense for the sake of "learning how to defend real well." I don't even want our defensemen worrying about defending. I want a precise, relentless quick-strike transition game. I want the game to be played on the opposition's half of the ice, because we always have the puck and we're always forcing the other team to play without the puck and "defend real well." Suggested Reading 1. Darryl Sutter: 2. Dave Tippett: 3. Ken Hitchcock and the Non-Stop Blues 4. Ken Hitchcock's Reliance on Rookies Is Paying Off

Windsor Star, don't say goodbye to Pavel just yet... You might want to put away the silly hats and the noisemakers for the time being, and hold off on ordering the cake for the Pavel Datsyuk going away party. Despite published reports out of Detroit suggesting that Datsyuk would be done as a Detroit Red Wing following the Stanley Cup playoffs, according to someone who should know — Datsyuk’s agent Dan Millstein — his client has not made a final decision at this point. “Never say never,” Millstein said. “Anything is possible.” http://windsorstar.com/sports/hockey/datsyuk-going-away-party-could-be-premature

Wings will be OK. Life goes on. Nyquist will come into his own and we will be fine. Have a nice life, Pasha, we love you endlessly.

Flyers in 7, a tough 7.

For a team that is being built around youth and speed, I cannot for the life of me understand why guys like Mantha, Jurco, and Smith are being scratched every game. Along with guys like AA barely getting ice time. Blash is hampering any energy this team can generate by relying so heavily in old, slow players. He is neutering this teams strengths and it is frustrating to watch. For as stubborn as Babs was at times, he played the kids. When the kids showed they could contribute, they played. With Blash they are buried in the fourth line and barely played.