Shaman

Without two of the Detroit's top scorers I really don't think the Wing's will be able to overcome McDonald's horrid play.

Dropping like flies....

There were some big moves this year during the off season, big contracts, some big moves, teams trying to rebuild, some teams trying to deal with the cap. Which so far are the best and the worst moves? for its Best: Atlanta- Picking up Dustin Byfuglien, while he has not a great defensive defenseman, he complements Enstrom well on the back end for them and has their team so far in playoff contention. This in my mind is a pretty good achievement for a team that traded away a 35+ goal 80+ point player for peanuts. Tampa Bay- So many moves made by the great Stevie Y has taken a team that was a bottom feeder the last few seasons and has made them a one of the best teams in the east. HM: Pittsburgh- I like the addition of Paul Martian a lot, hes a very solid shut down defenseman on a team that really didn't have a legitimate shut down guy. Worst: New Jersey- This one is obvious 100 million for a guy on pace for 42 points, 20 goal and -60 and a big reason they lost Paul Martin who was one of their best shut down D men. Martin Brodeur without the solid defense in front of him is looking as old if not older than his 39 years. New Jersey took a massive step in a direction that seemed to me at least very unlike them, as usually they focused on team defense not on superstar production to get them into the playoffs. There is some light at the end of the tunnel, they may have their team's first ever first overall pick ever. Chicago- They traded away or didn't sign a lot of their depth and now its coming back to bite them, there were many options for them to take, but in order to keep their 'core' they allowed some really good impact players go. Then to add insult to injury they were baited into over paying for Hjalmarsson who is on pace for 8 points and +4. The Blackhawks are down 1/3rd of a goal per game (may not seem like a lot but its actually huge over 82 games) and on pace for around 85 points and missing the playoffs. To make things worse it seems that Keith and Seabrook have both regressed from last year and with no defensive depth to speak of they are playing 27 and 25 minutes a night respectively and in Keith's case offensively underperforming. HM: San Jose- Who knew Nabokov was such a key piece to their regular season success, well obviously the brass in San Jose didn't. The team that was always in president's trophy talk since the lock out is now on the outside looking in and will have to have a great second half to be able to not have their worst season since 2002-2003. So who do you all believe had the best and worse offseasons?

Only way to get these kind of 'intent to injure' hits out of the game would be mirror suspensions based on the length of period the player they injured will be out.

Are you saying my rotary phone with an turntable glued to it isn't just as good as an iphone?

Thats why Mike Green has been taking them home so much lately NHL.com reporters make ESPN reporters look like experts, I never read anything posted on NHL.com other than recaps because just like Bettman it seems everyone on the writing staff for their site have never seen a game of hockey before in their lives.

It will take Hudler, Eaves, Helm, Kindl and Kronwall stepping it up to make up for the current losses, so far they all have been playing very well since the injuries have started to plague the team and the team doesn't look too much worse for the wear. Hopefully they all also keep up this level when the others start to return.

A little different situation, Lemiuex's hit on Draper was a blindside, about 10 years ago what Eager did would be called extracurricular and Armstrong or one of his team mates would have dropped the gloves and there would have been a fight. I am not saying he deserved what happened, but what I am saying is you run your mouth enough in hockey, some players will take it you want to fight. This also shows how hypocritical the NHL is.

The lack of enforcer on the roster is what did it.

Armstrong is a yapper from what I have read, not saying he had it coming but I am for sure not saying Eager was without reason for it.

I would say the Wings should keep him on the PP until they are healthy then re-evaluate things at that point. Eaves has been a hot hand, but, (god forbid) doesn't mean it will last forever. If he keeps it up like he has that would be amazing and really help the wings get the injuries they have been having, but, lets not count our chickens.

Real life is not like NHL '11, throwing a new guy on the team while it could help, could also destroy team chemistry and be a complete failure. How do you know Hemsky or Gonchar will do anything for the wings? With how the wings are doing right now I think the best course of action is bide their time and give some of the teams prospects a chance to get NHL experience under their belts. There are worse things in the world than what the wings are going through and so long as they a few players step it up some what they shouldn't come out of this stretch any worse for the wear.

Calgary fans are morons, they watch their team clutch, grab, and blatantly interfere then ***** about the refs being against them, they defend what Noodles did to Franzen. If you think this is out of character for their fans you really haven't spent much time around them.

Call up the back up from the Griffins and Noodles him.

I hear hes a locker room cancer.

Sorry but an aging forward to a team that is already full of aging forwards? I love the wings, but, the last thing the team needs is to trade away youth/draft picks for someone like him. I honestly think its time to start giving some of the depth in GR a shot over some aging veteran. I know this probably isn't a popular opinion, but sometimes you got to throw the kids in the fire and see if they have it or not. Oh and rumor is the Wild got him (which would make sense because hes from Minnesota).

I know we make fun of the Hawks for lack of depth, but god, every time I see the Flames' roster, I can't help but thinking a drunken monkey could build a better team. Wings 5 Flamers 2 PS In before Mind fly says 'the wings will lose in embarrassing fashion'

Knock on wood, but..... Am I the only one who is surprised Zetterberg hasn't gotten injured yet?

I sure hope Helm can become the next Draper, and have 35~ points a season, play Selke level defense, and be pretty damn durable while doing it. If you can ask more from a fourth liner, then they wouldn't be a fourth liner. He just does not have hands for it, if he had any real goal scoring ability, he would be an amazing player, but, even without it, hes still very good.

I was being a bit sarcastic, as I have mentioned many times in the past that Pierre is 4'10... but honestly, nothing with Crosby would ever surprise me... I mean if I didn't see it for myself I would think his playoff beard is a photoshoped picture of him with some pubes on his face.

I always wonder if thats real, because if its shopped it was done very well.

First welcome to the forums, next: With the current depth the Red Wings' system has at Forward going out and getting an enforcer to play 5 minutes a night would at best be counter productive. If you sit Hudler replacing him with an enforcer would not upgrade the roster because replacing a scorer and a top 9 player with a bottom 3 enforcer only clogs up the over flow in the bottom 3, it doesn't improve the top 9. What the Wings really need is a scoring Winger, too many of the wings (aside from Franzen and to a lesser extent Cleary) have a pass first mentality, and no one who wants to finish. I am sure this will stir up the enforcer bees nest, but c'est la vie.

Get popcorn, this will be good.

I would say Hudler is starting to get better, hes finally putting up points and hes been going down to the boards and getting the puck so hes not invisible like he was earlier in the season.. that and if the wings got rid of Hudler who would serve bench and goalie penalties?

This isn't cut and dry, nor am I saying we should trade him for anything to come along, there are infact only a very short list of players I think the wings should even consider. I myself voted to only trade him for a player that adds somethings the wings don't already have. Filppula does add a lot of great things to this team, when hes hot, hes a real force out there, and hes far above average defensively compared to anyone not named Staal, kesler, Datsyuk or Zetterberg. In fact I really believe this kid really could be in Selke conversation in the next few seasons, and thats part of the reason I started this thread, Filppula is the one player the wings could move, and get a lot of pieces back in return for without trading Dats or Z. I know I come off as an anti Flip guy, and thats mostly me being defensive, all I am trying to do is make the point that there are players, that while aren't as skilled in every area as Flip, could bring skill sets to this team that the wings lack.