VM1138

Actually historically Hudler has been best when given limited opportunity. He's stepped up his game considerably since December, posting great numbers even before Datsyuk came back. It just took him a long time to get into his groove. If he had played like this from the start he'd reach that 70 point milestone Babcock said he expected. He's a keeper for depth scoring.

The Ducks sure have been active.

$100 million, 10 year deal for Kopecky, you heard it here first.

I didn't think that's how the cap worked?

So what's the word on the ice pond? Is this trade deadline going to be interesting or are all the major trades already done?

You know what solves this problem? No signing every player to 38 year, 1 trillion dollar contracts.

What's his salary? If it fits under the cap there's no way Holland doesn't claim him. If the Wings get him, it's a win-win. Even if Conklin sucks, we didn't lose anything. Even if Osgood is healthy, again, we didn't lose anything. If Holland doesn't put a claim in on him, then he's serious about not making a deadline move, this is the only move that makes sense for the Wings and it's a risk-free opportunity to fill the need. EDIT: As for him having a terrible season, Halak is a .907 Save % with a 2.6 GAA, not that great, either. I think that speaks more to the Blues lack of defense, but I haven't seen them play much this year so I'm only going by the weakness in stats for both goalies. I'd welcome Conklin in a heart-beat.

Seabrook is good, maybe a little too much money, but then again you have to overpay to keep players in places like that.

What if it WAS a dirty hit? How awkward would that be? I've got to think that playing against family can be very touchy, especially if you're actually on the ice stacking up against them.

"He's a softie on the inside" his daughter says. Babcock laughs, but only on the outside. Inside, he plots...

Well I guess that settles the trade talk, Wings stand pat at the deadline barring any horrific breakdowns like December-January.

I think 99% of Wings fans were sad to see Conklin go. I know he had a bad year in St. Louis but he's a proven solid backup who can step in when necessary. Especially when stacked up against the available goalies, Conklin is clearly the best option. I want to slap whoever even thought to suggest Theodore.

I want a win no matter what, but it might be good to grind out another defensive win. Keep San Jose to 1 or fewer goals just to help the stats and show the team can still play tight defense, that it wasn't just a fluke.

Ozzie will definitely be back this season, the question will be: What condition will he be in? That's why we need a backup. Although MacDonald has performed well for us, I'd feel more comfortable with a more veteran goalie heading into the playoffs. Doesn't have to be spectacular but has to have a reputation for being there when the team needs him. Also, Holland said it won't be a rental, so no Vokoun, even if we could afford him this year.

Agreed. Trading picks doesn't concern me so much since the Wings are great at finding gems late-round.

Quick question on the cap. If Ozzie is unsure about his status, but certain to return at some point, could he go on LTIR and then be activated in time for the playoffs, thus circumventing the cap hit since the cap doesn't apply in the playoffs? Then again...Ozzie would be totally useless not playing in the regular season and then trying to jump right into the playoffs. How realistic is it to trade Kindl for Conklin? Maybe a pick added? I don't really want to give anyone up, but we do need a goalie. I'd rather roll with three goalies going into the playoffs though, because Ozzie was starting to play well and regardless, he's money in the playoffs as long as he can get warmed up in case Howard falters. EDIT: Then again, St. Louis would want a veteran defenseman, not a prospect.

Just once I'd like to see a city call the bluff of a team that threatens to leave.

I don't know about this situation, but I always wondered why it was fair to force cities to pay for private businesses. The owners seem to hold all the cards. Yeah, the team will help the city, but it's going to help you out more, so you should foot the bill(the owner).

Terribly boring game with a few spurts of excitement. I hate watching Minnesota games. Awesome for Bert to put the nail in the coffin in his 1,000th game, too. Glad to see Howard only allow one goal. It's nice to see the Wings can still win close games and hold their own in a defensive battle. Boring but good game all around. On a side note, I was actually pleased with the NBC broadcast. It was well assembled and I actually had forgotten all about Darren Pang. The announcers were such a relief, especially compared to other NBC broadcast teams. I love how calm and collected Pang is, no forced emotions to try and hype things up. Also, his stories just seem to flow more naturally, whereas when Doc says them it sounds like he's reciting something from a state book or encyclopedia entry.

Once again, alcohol COULD be served, it's not a university sanctioned event. And yeah, we complained about Pittsburgh getting another one, but that just shows the "each team gets a chance" theory is out the window. It no longer applies, therefore, we're okay with Detroit getting another one.

I didn't even know Ken Daniels COULD work national games, that's pretty cool, though I wish he could cover the Wings game. Where are all the NBC crew if they're calling in Pat Foley and Ken Daniels?

No. That mask is FAIL.

He'll never be an important part of this team, a bottom pairing career guy. He wasn't very good in the AHL and he's basically only up because he's run out of options. I'm not going to rag on him because he is a rookie, but people saying he'll be like Kronwall are fooling themselves. If we trade Kindl, fine, the team doesn't lose anything significant, if we keep him, fine, he's not really hurting things all that much.

I'm going to start saving now, if they get to hold a Winter Classic in Michigan, I'm going. I don't see how anyone who lives in Michigan could not want the Winter Classic here. It'd be great for everyone involved. I'd hate for it to be at Comerica, because I don't think playing hockey games in baseball diamonds works all that well. Plus, as someone who doesn't care for baseball, a newer bank-named ballpark has no nostalgia or wonderment for me. The Big House however is HUGE and an landmark in southeast Michigan. I've been there once and I was blown away at the size of it. The only thing I didn't like about the Big Chill was how far the crowds were from the game, I imagine the fans could hardly see anything of the game. I bet it'll be held at Comerica, but it'd be awesome to have it at the Big House.

The quote of the night came from Daniels when they were talking about the Wings crowds at away games. It went something like: "There are a lot at Phoenix games, too, at least back when they were attracting crowds."