GoWings1905

The Oilers certainly have the cap space to overpay for Hartnell. Being only 25, I'm sure the highest offer of money will entice Hartnell much more than going to a winning team at this point. I'm still holding out hope that the Red Wings can somehow still get him, but it looks like Slava Kozlov Part II seems to be more likely.

I have heard this rumor come up quite a bit lately, but I still can't see it happening. I would love to have Shawn Marion come here. He would instantly turn around the Pistons frontcourt woes by giving them an athletic big man that can score and he is also a very underrated defender. I just don't see anyway the Suns will take Rasheed though. There is no way Rasheed is an upgrade over Marion at this point in their careers, especially on a team that plays like Phoenix does. It may take Tay or Rip instead of Rasheed to get Marion. If somehow the Suns go for this trade, even if it means the Pistons giving up the 15th pick in the draft, it would be a major steal. Joe D. has made some big-time trades before, but I would be shocked if he could pull this one off. If Marion comes here, and the Pistons can upgrade their bench this summer, that would put them back in legitimate championship contention. I doubt even Flip Saunders could mess that up. To answer your question, Marion is 29 years old.

I'm going to get ripped for this, but Hartnell is exactly what this team needs. I know we all want Drury and Smyth to come here, but in all likelyhood, there is a very slim to none chance that either are going to. The Wings need a winger to play with either Pav and/or Hank that can protect them, and still produce on the scoresheet as well. Hartnell is tough, a solid physical presence, willing to fight, and has proven to be a pretty solid goal scorer. I know we all hate him by default from his days in Nashville, and I loved when Fischer whooped on him just as much as anyone else, but Hartnell can be a very nice addition to this team. Especially if Bert doesn't come back, where does the physical play come from up front then? Signing Slava Kozlov is a great trip down memory lane, but Scott Hartnell is the guy that could really help the Red Wings win it all next season.

As long as Drury stays in the Eastern Conference I don't care where he goes. San Jose would be the worst case scenario. That team is already lethal, and their one weakness would be filled with a guy like Drury. If he does come to the West, I hope it's with LA, or any team not contending. I still think he ends up back in Buffalo ultimately, and Briere is the one that goes elsewhere.

YES!!! Even though the writing was on the wall that Dom would be back, it's great news anyways. Now, if we can get Schneids and Bert to come back, this team will be ready to go. Goodness gracious, by all means Hollland, please get Lang on the first flight out of town. I'm sure the Rangers will be dying to sign him. Spend that Lang money on Hartnell.

Thanks for the profile on Splitter. I honestly had never even heard of the guy. Seems like a decent player from everything that said, but the thing that scares me is they had his best case scenario turning out to be like PJ Brown. Granted, Brown has had a decent career, but if that's all this guy has the potential to turn out to be, then it doesn't seem like a great pick. If Acie Law is there or they can trade up to get him, they have to do it. Plus, I have a fear now of international big men when it comes to the Pistons drafting them. Realistically, the Pistons need to fill the power forward and center positions in their starting line-up this summer, assuming Webber retires or comes back as a role player, and Rasheed is in fact traded. Even with McDyess and Maxiell, I can't see either of those two becoming starters. One doesn't want that role, and the other isn't ready. I think picking 15th the Pistons are high enough to get a decent player, but just low enough to miss out on the elite players. I believe Randolph has more of a chance of coming here than KG, but do the Pistons want to replace Rasheed with another Rasheed? I'm still very worried that Chauncey is going to leave. I can see the Bucks stealing him away like the Bulls did with Ben. This team is done for if Chauncey leaves.

It's going to take more than that I would think. They would likely want the draft pick(s), plus a combination of either Rasheed or Johnson AND either Rip or Tayshaun. I doubt they will take Rasheed at this point, so it would probably take Johnson and then Rip or Tay as well. I do think the Pistons need a superstar though. Ever since the 2005 Finals, Stern has turned the NBA into a players league over teams. Look at the treatment guys like Wade and now LeBron got against the Pistons the past two seasons. Sadly, Stern wants players to succeed, and the team concept to go away. The Pistons lack that superstar, and Garnett would fit that role well, but I can't see KG coming to Detroit at any point. Also, if the Pistons re-sign Chauncey to a max contract, a trade for KG would likely mean they would have to pay the luxury tax, something Mr. D will never go for. Zach Randolph may be a possibility, but our biggest trade bait (Rasheed) will never go back to Portland, so a third team will likely be needed for that to happen.

I was ten years old and on my way to play in a baseball game when I heard the news. Even that young, it still had a big impact on me at the time. Winning it all again in 1998 and having Vladdy there was probably the most bittersweet moment possible. I'm just so glad that Vladdy has made as much progress as he has. God Bless #16!

Sadly, Flip Saunders seems to be the common theme when looking at the problems the Pistons have encountered since Larry Brown left. Signing Rasheed ended up costing the Pistons players like Okur, Williamson, and James from the 2004 championship team. Not that I would ever say re-signing Rasheed was a mistake because he was the difference that year, but now I think we can all say Rasheed has pretty much worn out his welcome. I am sad to see that happen too because I personally love the guy in the red, white, and blue, but it's time to move on. Again, Flip Saunders has a lot to do with the whole Rasheed era ending. If the Pistons could somehow find a way to get Shawn Marion from Phoenix, that would be amazing. I have seen a lot of trade rumors floating around, but realistically I can't see anyway the Pistons could offer the Suns enough to make that deal. The more I think about the Pistons, the more upset I get with them. Blaming Flip Saunders is the easy way out, but the players must be held accountable to an extent at some point. This team had a terrific five-year run, but yet the window seems to be closed, and now one title in that time period looks like a disappointment. Man, what I would do to get Larry Brown to come back. By the way, I love your idea about bringing Grant Hill back. It seems pretty likely to happen too. The Pistons need a guy that can come off the bench and score. Besides, we all know Grant wants to win above all else. That's why McDyess is my favorite Piston - the guy plays his heart out, and wants to win it all so bad. Another guy like that with Grant's ability still would be a welcome addition to the bench.

The Pistons need some changes for sure before next season, but I am not buying into the major overhaul everyone is calling for. First off, if they are going to keep Flip Saunders, they need to bring in some new blood that will actually buy into his coaching style. I personally am not a fan at all of Flip as a coach, and I think he needs to be fired, but it looks like Joe D and Mr. D are intent on not buying out another coach. Sadly, I think Flip returning as coach may hurt the Pistons chances at re-signing Chauncey. These Pistons need a new direction, and a change in attitude, but they can accomplish this while still remaining a quality basketball team. If Chauncey does come back, the Pistons still have the premier back court in the NBA. Tay and Rip are not going anywhere, and we all know what Mr. Big Shot means to this team. The problem with the Pistons is their old, slow, and ineffective front court. Webber and Davis are done, Mohammed still has some trade value and likely will be dealt, and all indications are that Rasheed's days are numbered as well. McDyess has an option for next season to return, and he should be brought back, seeing he was one of the few players on the team that showed any heart or desire in the playoffs. If the Pistons can somehow trade 'Sheed for a big guy that is a threat to score in the low post, it will be a benefit by all accounts. The Pistons rely way too much on perimeter scoring from jump shots. No matter what, Maxiell will see an increased role for the Pistons next season. As far as the bench goes, it's in shambles to put it bluntly. Flip's lack of confidence to play the bench significant minutes has a big factor on their effectiveness. Hunter is likely to retire, Murray never seemed to fit, Delfino has always underachieved, and the rest of the spare parts have already been mentioned. Dupree, Blalock, and Johnson may get a chance in training camp to earn more playing time depending on what happens this off-season. Again, this season the Pistons never got any sustained support from the bench, especially in the playoffs. The Pistons have a chance to upgrade immediately in the draft, which is talented and deep. Acie Law would be a nice fit at the 15th pick from the Magic, and the Pistons also have their first round choice at pick 27. Glen Davis and Nick Fazekas seem to be logical choices if available here to shore-up the front court issues. The first priority should be obviously re-signing Chauncey, and then trying to overhaul the front court, likely meaning a trade of Rasheed. The Bulls, Cavs, and Heat should all be solid in the Eastern Conference next season, but the Pistons can still be right there challenging again with the right moves this summer. It will take some shrewd moves from Joe D, but he has done it before, and certainly can pull it off again. Go Pistons!

Don't kill yourself, just suffer through the next couple of months and then October will be here. I'm sure none of us will want to miss what this Red Wings team can do next season.

Yuck, this is so stupid. They better not go anywhere near changing the red and white. Thanks Bettman for another superb idea. Certainly, the "new" NHL is thriving thanks to all of his brilliant ideas. We have hockey played just like it was pre-lockout, a team winning the Stanley Cup and having a handful of people show up at their parade, and now these uniforms. When is he going to learn NOTHING he has done is making the NHL better? Somebody needs to bring him a "gift" like he did to Anaheim - a pink slip.

I like that stamp with Jiggy on it. They only put his face on it, because they couldn't fit his massive pads on the stamp. We aren't arguing that the Ducks aren't the best team, but instead the way they play(ed) to get there.

I respect your opinion, and I even agree with some of your points to an extent. Does Anaheim get away with a lot of obstruction penalties? Yeah they probably do. However, you can't argue this is the reason they are successful. The Red Wings scored 3 or more goals in 3 of their 4 losses to the Ducks, so its not like all of the holding and hooking was the difference. Besides, they already call way too many penalties anyways. I personally do not want to see a whole game of power-plays. The number of them right now is already bad enough. Anaheim takes their fair share of penalties in the first place. I think people are always looking for a scapegoat to find what's wrong with the NHL, and sadly the Ducks have become their new target.

Anaheim is a physical hockey team - when did that become illegal?

Oh geez, just because the Red Wings lost to the Ducks, now we have to resort to this. Anaheim is a terrific hockey team and if they win the Stanley Cup, they deserve it by all means. Don't blame the loss to the Ducks on the refs, dirty play, or Giguere's pads. Blame it on the Red Wings inability to make the most of their opportunities when they had the chance to win. Anaheim capitalized when they had to, Detroit didn't. Was the Datsyuk call in Game 5 terrible? Yes it was, but even so the Red Wings still had a chance to win in OT and didn't. I dislike Chris Pronger just as much as everyone else, but discrediting what the Ducks have done as a team is completely not necessary. The Red Wings had their chances to win, and they failed. Don't look elsewhere to place the blame.

As great as it was to see Fisch destroy Hartnell a few years back, he would be a nice addition to this team. Granted he won't score as much as Ryan Smyth, he would be a much cheaper alternative that would be a great fit to this Red Wings team. As far as the whole enforcer idea, it is completely overrated. Case in point being Brad Norton. Besides, if Bertuzzi comes back healthy, nobody is going to mess around with him anyways. Get Scotty Hartnell and a healthy Bert and this team has plenty of toughness up front.

Ahhh... what could have been. Oh well, Go Sens!

ANA/OTT - *Ottawa in six*

I never root for the team that knocks the Red Wings out. I know people claim it proves they lost to a good team, but it doesn't change the fact that the Wings are out. I am completely rooting for Ottawa in this series because they deserve it and I am a huge Jason Spezza fan. Besides, I would never root for any team with Chris Pronger on it. If I have to watch Pronger hoist the cup, it will make me sick.

I'm hoping for the best, but expecting the worst.

Very well said. I couldn't agree more. I'm so proud of this team regardless what happens tonight, Thursday, or maybe even further. This team has been a pure joy to watch this season, and while losing sucks, nothing can take away what the Red Wings did to overcome the odds. They played with heart, determination, and perseverance. I can honestly say if they lose tonight, I know at least they gave their best effort and it just wasn't meant to be. That's all us fans can ask for and the Red Wings have given us every bit of that and a lot more. Win or lose tonight, thank you Red Wings for an amazing season. You have made believers out of all of us, and we couldn't be more proud of you.

I hope you are referring to the firecrotch Euros that beat your team 5-0 on their home ice. Does the word dominance mean anything to you?

The biggest payback was the scoreboard at the end of the game...

Yes!!! This is awesome news. Now the Red Wings just have to go out and take advantage of this situation. I'm totally shocked though that he got a game suspension.