N4C3R

I respectfully disagree. In fact, a change of scenery might be just what he needs. Danny Heatley seems to be doing just fine in Ottawa.

Since we're just wishing upon a star here I'll toss in my 2 guys: Olli Jokinen and Brendan Witt. Olli has speed, size, grit, can score, drops the gloves, and plays with heart and passion. Brendan Witt is pure nails. Plays hard, hits harder, and is another guy who'll drop the gloves for his team. I'd like to see both those guys signed/extended beyond this season, no rental scenario here. Who would I be willing to give up? Tough call given that both guys will require some sacrifices. Meech, Quincey, Ellis, Drake, and Sammy are the first names that come to mind. Doubt anyone would want Drake, though Meech and Quincey might be an attractive option for a team looking to improve their mobility at the blue line. Ellis plays hard, but hasn't impressed enough to earn a regular roster spot. He's dropped to 14th behind Aaron Downey. I know many folks (including Coach Babcock) are big on Sammy. I'm not saying he's a bad player, he's just rubbed me the wrong way a few too many times. It's an attitude based on principle kind of thing with me. I hate the way he shot the puck at the Ducks goalie after the whistle last year, and I hate the way he talks smack after the play but doesn't back it up. I would be hard pressed to give up Hudler or Flipper since both guys have developed well this season. Given Olli's nationality I'd likely give up Happy Hudler before giving up Flipper. Ericsson is untouchable. Howard is untouchable. In short: Olli Jokinen and Brendan Witt. Memo to Kenny: do it. Pete

Agreed there. Franzen plays better at center, and Kopecky has not done enough to earn the spot over Downey.

From that list I would choose Johan Franzen. He was a non-factor in the loss to Ottawa. The game got physical and The Mule wilted while the other guys on that list continued to try to play hard. One name I would add to that list is Tomas Kopecky. He may have some size, but he hasn't shown the grit/willingness to use it on a consistent basis. When he does play physical he seems fragile and easy to get off his feet. After the performance against Ottawa I'd dress Downey over Franzen and Kopecky. The energy Downey brings to the lineup in my humble opinion does more for the team than watching two of our big guys like Mule and Kopper get pushed around and intimidated into playing smaller than Filppula and Hudler.

Richards and St. Louis have no-trade clauses in their contract. Lecavalier does not.

In no particular order: Milan Lucic Vincent Lecavalier Scott Parker Derek Boogaard Anze Kopitar

Fair enough. Apparently Hank is psychic and has inside connections as well.

Do yourself a favor and check your facts. Mac does not expect to receive medical clearance to play until January. Whether he has anything left remains to be seen.

Mac expects to be cleared to play by January. He's looking for a way to earn himself a spot on the roster. His last two years in the NHL were abismal, but he was going through some very difficult times (bankruptcy, divorce). I've gone through some tough times myself, and I know my work suffered because of it. No reason to think he can't rebound. I'm in favor of offering him a 2-way contract and the opportunity to work his way into the lineup. It's a low cost risk with a very nice upside. If he does manage to earn his way back to the Grind Line it will be a good thing for the Wings as well as the fans. Who wouldn't love to have Downey and Mac on the roster going into the playoffs?

This is very good news indeed! I'm guessing Brian Burke is happy while Ken Holland and Gary Butman are wetting their panties.

I'd give up any one of a number of guys on our team to land Milan Lucic (from the Boston Bruins).

From what I understand one of the reasons Downey hasn't played for us yet is because he is waiting on his work visa to go through.

I agree with you, I don't think Boogie's chin is as strong as his punch. Good to see Koci protecting himself better, he'll be exciting to watch this year protecting the youngsters in Chicago. I'd give Koci an edge in this one. Good showing by both guys, look forward to seeing them go again.

http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=9784 Not exactly a small contract, but he's the pick of the litter today.

http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/ Babs on Downey and Ellis: On Downey "He's going to be on the team. … We'll see what he can bring us." "He sticks up for his teammates, gives us something we don't have in the organization. But his attitude is why he's here." On Ellis "Ellis is a real safe guy. We think he's improved. He's a big guy. We like his attitude. We like that about Downey too. We think they bring a lot of positive to our team as far as good people, work ethic, commitment to the guys." Note Babs mentiones Downey when speaking about Ellis. More comments about Quincey, Meech, and Grigorenko as well. Please check Bruce's blog for complete details. Good news for fans of the rought stuff. With Drake, Maltby, Kopecky, and Downey in the lineup, the Wings are definitely more abrasive and difficult to play against.

I think this is mostly an indication of who has made the team at this point. I do not believe Babs has released the lineup for Wednesday's game at this point. I wouldn't be surprised if he dressed Downey to send a message to the Ducks and the rest of the team.

For anyone who still needs proof as to the sort of team mentality Downey brings to the table, here is a quote from Aaron reacting to the news he'd earned a spot this morning. Thank you Bruce! http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/

http://www.hockeyfights.com/news/60680 Once again you show us that you have no idea what you are talking about. Jesse Boulerice was under contract and played for Carolina the entire 2005-2006 season. That is the year that Carolina won the Stanley Cup. It wasn't until September 26th of 2006 that Boulerice was sent to Albany. That would be the year the Hurricanes missed the playoffs. These are the facts, and you are still wrong. Pete

Opie, are you stating that the number of fights determines enforcer status? Georges Laraque fought 8 times in 06/07, and 9 times in 05/06. Is he not an enforcer? Derek Boogaard only fought 10 times in 06/07. Brian McGrattan only fought 10 times last year. Is that enough to be an enforcer? Jesse Boulerice has 49 Fighting Majors in the NHL over 4 seasons. His fight card includes just about every heavyweight enforcer in the league. I respectfully disagree with your assessment that he is not an enforcer based on the fact that he had 6 fights during the 05/06 season. Pete

NHL.com did not lie to you. You failed to provide facts to back up the verbal menstruation you spew forth in this thread. Knowing your facts is your responsibility. The fact you so casually and quickly decline taking responsibility tells me everything I need to know. You are still wrong, and I am done with you. TKO.

In the 2005-2006 campaign Carolina had Jesse Boulerice under contract. Jesse has been plying his trade in the NHL since 2001-2002. The Hurricanes sent him to the AHL where he stayed last year. He's fighting for an NHL job in Philadelphia this preseason, but let's get back to the 2005-2006 season you mention. Here is Jesse's fight card from 2005-2006 as per http://www.hockeyfights.com/players/435/fightcard/reg2006 Ryan Vandenbussche Brian McGrattan (x2) Eric Boulton Jason Strudwick Jody Shelley Just because Carolina didn't give Jesse much ice time doesn't mean that Carolina didn't carry an enforcer. I'm not going to argue over skill level or effectiveness. The fact is that Carolina had an enforcer on their roster and kept him with the NHL club the entire season they won the Stanley Cup. The following season (2006-2007) they sent Jesse to the AHL. That would be the season after their championship, the season they failed to make the playoffs. Kind of suggests the psychological advantage thing you keep reading about in these forums may actually have some merit eh? I know you don't get it because this knowledge is borne from experience, rather than facts. So let us just stick to the facts. You are wrong. Pete

That is a valid point. Here are the 10 guys with the most fighting majors in the 1997-1998 season: Krzysztof Oliwa 34 Jeff Odgers 27 Donald Brashear 26 Tie Domi 26 Paul Laus 25 Matt Johnson 23 Stu Grimson 22 Mick Vukota 22 Kris King 21 Darren Langdon 21 Source: http://www.hockeyfights.com/leaders/players/1/reg1998

http://www.redwingscentral.com/stories/200...6_Notebook.html Aaron's lost his share of fights, but is a willing combatant and great team guy that would bring more grit to the lineup. Do you think he has a chance to crack the lineup to make the team, or was he invited to camp to light a (physical) fire under some of our younger guys?

My friend, you speak the truth. I was very happy to see Norton playing for us last year, and very disappointed to see him disappear. I sincerely hope Downey is able to impress the coaches enough to earn a spot on the team.