VM1138

True. I have to admit I've been liking Columbus a little more than usual after this last season. They really challenged Detroit and they're finally developing a nice core. Same goes for St. Louis. The Central is going to be really fun to watch in the coming years. Think of the battles! Kane and Toews vs. Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Ellis vs. Osgood. And....erm...young guys vs. young guys on the other teams.

No way it's Colorado, they've been coming along nicely, and with a few moves and if they stay healthy they'll be right back where they were. Besides, the Wings haven't won a Cup since the 1950s without going through Colorado, so we should HOPE Colorado makes the playoffs.

It doesn't make sense to lose valuable assets to trade up in the draft. If you end up having a need a few years down the line, trade for said prospect, or find someone else.

The Wings have been really quiet, other than Hasek's retirement.

This is either a move to entice Sundin (but he won't fall for it), or to cover their bases when Sundin turns them down. I know Sundin probably wants to be close to home, but being a lifelong Leafer, there's no way he'd go play their rival. Sort of like Forsberg not wanting to play for us.

Well, to be fair, he did hold a fire sale and still manage to get his team into the playoffs. A lot of teams would give Ellis more money than that, and to lock him up for a few years is a good move. Ellis might disappear, but given the situation, a little over a million to risk on an unproven goalie isn't bad.

I know we like to jump all over Kenny, but think about it: We always find gems late int he draft, right? Clearly we have our eyes on some players deep in the draft who we expect to be left alone by the other teams. So we pass on the typical big name forwards and clearly this guy was the best player of any position available. Maybe there were no good goalies deep, but there aer some good forwards. It makes perfect sense to pick a goalie first, since he's the best left available, knowing we have options later in the draft for other positions. Makes sense to me.

They do. They're slaves to the idea that big moves is the only way to win. After their massive improvement last season, one would think they would keep the core and just make tiny tweaks here and there.

I love how Ozzie posts the best numbers consistently during the season and playoffs, gets all sorts of mad love after he wings the Cup, and Detroit won the Jennings Trophy for least goals allowed......and we're in goalie trouble. The more things change, the more they stay the same it seems. I wonder if we'll be too soft in the coming weeks, too?

Let me play catchup here. Has Sundin actually gone to Montreal, or is Montreal merely being able to talk to him, which means in the end, Sundin won't go there anyway?

Phoenix is still going to suck, but with Bryz and Olli, they're definately findign their way out of the forest. I'd say another forward and a defenseman and they could be a contender for 8th spot.

I highly doubt Hossa told a Wings player he'd like to play with them in the handshake line. The rest seems fine and dandy enough. Nothing to give it away as a fake, nothing to really back it up. Just more rumors.

I doubt he gets picked up.

It might happen, but I doubt it. They may be reforming the Russian league, but it's still a long ways from a competitor with the NHL. the NHL is still the premier league in the world, and the trend is drifting towards cooperation with the NHL instead of pulling away.

Never understood the fascination with draft day in any sport. Only a few of them are actually going to end up as NHLers, and it's hardly ever the big ones you'd expect.

I like that the Central is getting better. They won't be as good as the best teams the Wings face every year, but they'll be good enough to keep us in peak form come playoff time.

I personally don't know why they "retired" in the first place. Neither one of them is exactly fading away in prowess. They both have a few years left in the tank.

Now's the time for the other good hockey markets to secede in support of the Rangers! A new league for the future!

We've got depth on D, but I don't know why people are so hell bent on dismantling our defense and trusting our season to a bunch of Griffins. The idea is to bring one up at a time, not the entire defensive squad. Stuart would be a huge hole, he was crucial for us and he'll need to be replaced somehow.

Just imagine Federov and Meech on this team! They'd be alternating forward and defense and the other team wouldn't knwo what to do about it! OMG!!!111111111ONE11`13! Get er done Keeny! Seriously, I think the Federov rumors are dead. He seems to have found his niche in Washington with Ovie.

It's not like either one would stay retired if they did. And the Ducks are better with Neidermeyer than with Selanne. Both are amazing, but the Ducks got their act together (a little) when Nieds came back. I'd like Selanne if he's available, but I don't think he'd fit, contract-wise, here.

Rolston would fit well here. Sundin would, too, but I'm not sure if he's really a good player anymore. I'm not saying he's not, just that Ih ave no idea how his last two seasons have gone. And he'd be expensive.

My vote is Africa. No one would suspect it and if we could pull it off we'd be amazing.

Lock him up long term for cheap. That way, if he breaks out into a Zetterberg like player, we get to keep him cheap and remain dominant. If he continues to float, we can unload him easier without a heavy contract acting as an albatross.

Kopecky offers us nothing. If anyone else would be stupid enough to take him, why not unload him and get some benefit? The benefit we'd get from packaging him in a trade would far outweigh the cost.