The Secret

Bad decision any way you look at it... coming off of a very serious injury, visa set to expire, being offered a job with a team you know and like. Bad call. Too bad, he was really winning me over as a fan before his injury too. I do think Salei, if healthy, could be a much better and cheaper replacement anyway. Good luck Lilja.

I bet he is kicking himself for being too greedy now! His greed might have knocked him right out of the league. I think he was lucky to have been offered 1 year at 1 mill after having to miss a year with a soft head... the rare player in Detroit that does not show his loyalty back to the team

I'm with you... This is one time when I wish that Kenny would have taken a gamble. Keep Ritola and get rid of either Miller or Eaves... ideally it would be get rid of Draper but. Sucks to see him snagged for nothing and it will suck even worse if he goes on to do well as Leino did. I know not everyone will fit our system like Leino failed to do but they should have at least gotten Ritola some more real NHL game experience. Bummer

Or, we can let the younger more talented players we already have play and develop and have the 13th spot for the guy who has the best chance at earning the next spot. The enforcer will not challenge anyone for playing time nor will he be a motivating factor for current roster players to play harder because there is someone right behind them eager and working to take the spot from them. What benefit did we get from either Downey or May that we could not have lived without? I cannot think of one time where I was glad to have them on the team because their presence did anything really... in the lineup or not

From our current roster who would you sit in place of the pure enforcer? And how many of the other GM's in the league have had as much success as Holland. I may not like very thing he does either but his record does speak for itself. I would rather have Abdlekader in there developing his abilites (hitting and fighting included) over a goon. I would rather a guy like the Mule learn to throw a huge body check to keep ppl honest then a goon... and I was happy to hear Big Bert flex some muscle and hope he does it some more to keep ppl honest. Here this is on Mlive.com today: Adbelkader pegged to provide key physical presence...

First how many pure enforcers are still playing because not every team dresses one?... pure enforcer we are speaking here. Did someone grab Laraques? Is Brashear still in the league? Would you really want a goon like Ivanans and his 12 goals in 4 years or Boogaard and his 2 goals in 5 years? Who would you sit for Downey? Signing Downey or someone like him means someone else doesn't play... even in Grand Rapids, if he is there some younger more talented kid isn't. 4th Liners are not useless and that is why we need to keep guys like Downey off of them and keep guys like Helm and Abbie on them... they both will hit, Abbie will fight and they are both getting better with the experience.

The sport has changed man... Pure Enforcers are obsolete now a days, they are useless. Back in the 80's sure but this is 2010 and the days of bench clearing brawls and players who can't do anything but fight are long gone. We wouldn't be having this same discussion if Downey could contribute something, however small, to go with his willingness to fight but he can't and he was cut for it.

Please go back and read my posts... I didn't like Downey ever and I wrote about it too. I'm not anti-enforcer I am anti-goon which is about all Downey is and a terrible one at that. He is a garbage hockey player and a s***ty fighter and would not keep any cheap player honest, especially sitting on the bench. He didn't make the team for a reason and that because he can't play hockey. Abdelkader will provide more then Downey ever could and has the making of a good Power forward that can also play hockey. I don't give a crap if he's everyone's best friend and can turn water into wine... he can't play hockey which is the only reason why I am happy he isn't on the team.

Agree'd Abbie does need some work on his offensive game but his physical game could use some strengthening also... He likes to hit and will fight at times but both of those area's for him could use improvement as well. No better way for that then playing. If Downey is in someone has to be out.... who would you see out over Downey honestly?

Giving that ice time to Abbie will be much more effective and beneficial to Abbie and the team... he can skate, likes to hit, will drop the gloves and can add some scoring now and then.

Downey would NEVER be on the ice with either of the above players. Hard to enforce anything for them from the bench! I'm all for a player who can drop the gloves and defend himself and his teammates but has to be able to play some hockey as well.

8 pages on the release of Downey? He was a crappy hockey player and a mediocre enforcer on a puck possession team... We have no need for a player like him. I'm glad he is not wasting valuable ice time that a younger player could use.

The Moore incident was an unfortunate and freak thing... he didn't mean to break the guys neck I'm sure. Wanted payback for sure but not like that.

Whaaaaaa? Another Canadian kid?! Nice. This makes me happy. Just hope they all pan out now starting with Smith, the Ferraro kid, then Sheahan... round that out with a few good Yankee in Callahan and McCollum and I like the transformation! Better balance of NA and Euro styles are in the future!

Anyone have a stream link?

I hate Patrick Kane... with the same disdain that most LGW'er have for Crosby. Crosby, although a whiner, is an eff'ing amazing hockey player. I've seen him live and he is all he is hyped to be! Kane to me is a turd... he can play hockey but his mouth and attitude ruin him.

I'm hopeful he is our new Shanny!

Shanny will always be a Red Wing to me also.. and man could we use another player just like him!

If I were a goalie I would wear the old school Jason style masks like Pelle Lindbergh wore... now those were bad ass. Staring down Jason Voorhees in net on a break away!

I agree. After spending a few years in Montreal I can honestly say that they are extremely passionate about their team but they are the perfect example of the old saying "a fine line between love and hate". First off I think they should have taken a page out of Hollands book with Price and let him ripen a bit on the farm team, they threw him into the Wolves way to fast and it might have damaged his max potential! Now for him to re-sign in such a hostile environment and expect to improve is going to be a very tall task... high risk/High reward. If he can do it he will be the King of the city, if he can't they will drag him through the streets and cover him with hot poutine! I think Price would have been better going somewhere else... maybe Hockeytown would have been a better home

I really like the team we have this upcoming season and would not be surprised if we took the cup again. It will depend on the health of the team and I also think it will depend on if Jimmy has ironed out some of his glaring problems... ie, huge rebounds and scrambling around the crease. I think if Jimmy hasn't fixed his issue's it could wear out our Defense come play offs and that got me to thinking if it may be time to try out a new top pairing and move Lids and Raffy to the 2nd paring? This would be ideal to preserve them for the play offs while at the same time giving us all a taste of what our top pairing could be once Lids retires? What do you all think of this strategy? Its not that I think Lids and Raffy can't handle it anymore but time does take its toll slowly but surely.

Thanks for those numbers.. I was not aware. The numbers are not dramatically different but perhaps over the course of the year it could add up? I still think it would be best to start now to plan for the gaping wound that will be left when Lids finally calls it a career. Lids does so much that I think the whole make up of the team may change. Better to plan ahead.

Lilja started terribly but was comin along quite nicely and slowly was winning me over as a fan before getting injured but he'd never be a top 4. Salei is a better player if he is healthy anyway and for the price he signed at he basically stole the spot away from Lilja. You snooze, you lose!

Awesome thread! Make sure to create many more Crosby threads ok... Thanks again!

Like Howard, support him... be his secret BFF but your are kidding yourself. His rebound control was terrible, he was caught out of position and bailed out the the team too often, and his 5 hole was as wide as the grand canyon some nights. It was his rookie season in the NHL and he has a lot of improvements to make. No, we did not lose in the playoffs solely because of goal tending but we weren't helped along by it by any means... some nights he was flat out crap. If he has done his work in the off season and worked out some of the bugs then he'll be fine and if he hasn't then he'd better stop listening to his secret BFF's