Shaman

Know what I hate? A second line that is an offensive threat. Babcock and I should start a club.

This is why the Wings should sell some fat (Cleary, et al), and get some prospects or picks to sure up the team next season on.

The pathetic part is that Cleary-Dats-Abdelkader would still be a 4th line that team.

Except Abdelkader has hands of lead and a head of stone, and while he may make more room (marginally) he is basically a negative in the offensive zone. Pair this with the fact that Cleary's abilities are sinking faster than the titanic, the 2nd line has become almost a non-issue to the opposing defense. At least that 'small soft line' would force the other teams to make a choice whether they send their best defenders against Z's line or against that line.

As it stands today Detroit is 10th in the West, and could fall if any of a few teams with games at hand win. They have an inability to hold leads, and haven't been healthy since the first game of the season. All this being said, with the short season, the number of teams that are buying for the last couple spots. And the fact Detroit doesn't seem to have the special teams, goaltending, defense or durability for a long playoff run, should Detroit buy or sell in a month when at the deadline? Pros of being buyers: They could find a Brad Stuart steal, and bolster the defense. If you make the show there's always a chance you make the finals This trade deadline could see big names move, and Detroit does have assets in the farm that others teams want Cons of being buyers: With a lot of potential buyers, and good defensemen being a premium price could be high Anyone moved to Detroit isn't guaranteed to stay after the season While Detroit's farm is in good shape, aside from a few players, a lot of the prospects are boom/bust. Pros of being sellers: With a very deep draft this season, any first or second round picks could turn into impact players in the next few seasons. With a deep free agency coming up in the off season, any salary cleared now will allow Holland more room to pick up a high profile FA Good chance of an over-payment for a player with a lot of teams looking to buy. Cons of being a seller: Good chance they will either miss the playoffs or be bounced early with the subtraction of any NHL level talent If they trade Abdelkader or Cleary who will we scapegoat? So, I'd really like to see what others have to say, since this is just around the corner (5 weeks from now).

Brunner+Nyquist>Hudler+Franzen. Franzen isn't even on pace for 20 goals in an 82 game season so far. Add to that he has no motivation, is s*** in his own end, and is about as physical as a wheelchair bound grandmother, hes not that hard to replace, and doing it with someone on an ELC would be great for the cap situation.

I believe he also said, when asked about the 2nd line: If its broke why fix it? It'll just get broke again.

The Wing's mantra: Why shoot when we can cycle!

Brunner has more than replaced his output so far, and he never takes shifts off.

Its all well and good that hes putting up points, but that was never a question going into this season, we knew that the back-end of this team would be pretty good at the offensive side of the game. Its the OTHER side of things that Kronwall and others have been dismal. They aren't making the plays in the defensive end. And this was, and still is the biggest issue for the Wings. Kronwall right now is a Rafalski, the Wings need a shutdown guy to complement him.

I think if they go into a mini-rebuild, with the pieces they have in the minors they can unload some older players for picks (with an extremely deep draft this season), and have room pick up new blood in free agency, which is also pretty deep this off season they will be right back into that top tier. I'd rather them miss one year of post season play than to be a bubble team for 5.

I think that the Wings, while aren't a long way off from being a playoff contender, they are a long way off from being on the same level as the top tier teams as it stands today. As I said in the offseason I am more afraid of mediocrity than a couple years of being bad, but rebuilding the team. To sum it up, I just don't want the Wings to be a Calgary type team because Holland is too afraid to take any risks either trying to win now, or to try to build long term.

I sure as hell hope not, Cleary is so bad he makes Dats look human.

They should have wavied Cleary instead, it would have been win-win.

It seems that a few players like to start taking shifts off after the second goal is scored (Cleary, Abs, and Kronwall's names should all come to mind). This needs to stop, they don't have the talent anymore to afford anyone taking a single second off in a game, no matter how many goals they have.

Never liked Clutterbuck, but never wish that on anyone. Hall didn't look like he was trying to knee him, I think the major will stand as the only recourse.

Science dictates that the Wings can never hold a 2 goal lead.

To those who say don't be down on Sammy, because Cleary is worse.. When the Wings have players like Tartar and Nyquist in GR and these two useless fossils taking up oxygen on the big club, there is a problem. This year should have been the youth movement, not the reunion tour.

Wings game plan: Step one: Play hard Step two: Get lead Step three: coast to victory

Sammy should have been assigned and Nyquist kept up.

So how about the Wings' defense... I think Holland was right, there's no need to pay to replace Lids.

Drop Abs, bring up Nyquist. Problem solved.

The Wings should be renamed the lemmings, because they are going down left and right.

Glad we didn't sign him. He's good offensively, but, he's not worth 5-6 million dollars long term, nor the picks/prospects needed to bring him here. The Wings need a shutdown guy to be paired with Kronner, because Kronwall is pretty good at moving the puck, but there is no real shut down guy in the top 8 d-men in the system.

Holland's philosophy: When you don't have success, redefine what success is.