wingsownnhl43

This is what I'll never understand about Wings fans. Everyone seems to agree that Holmstrom would be useless on the third line but flame on me when I yell for him to be taken off the first line. Ifs hes not skilled enough to play 5on5 with the third line, then why is he good enough to play on the first? Id honestly rather keep Bertuzzi for 1.5 than Homer. Homer is simply a powerplay specialist. Im tired of him dragging down our first line. Heaton had issues with your salaries, but I actually think Helm, Eaves, Miller, and Ritola are a little high. In my mind if Miller wants .800, Id rather bring in someone else for 500k. Hes very replaceable. Homer will probably be around 1.5. I think Nick's is more than fair. Also, if someones going to go between Filppula and Hudler to make room for someone else, its Hudler. And its not even an argument.

I know the front office isnt going to tip its hand and I know they say this every offseason, but this makes me want to bang my head against the wall. The defense was awful this year. Just getting Lidstrom back isnt enough in my mind. Its only going to get worse by replacing Lilja with Kindl. Also, our third line was dreadful. We played with two fourth lines the entire season and now we want to add another fourth liner. Helm and Abdelkader should be plenty enough grit for the fourth line. The only way I'm okay with this is if they want to add a fourth line guy in place of Miller and Ritola.

The guy on the left was a straight up Ratard(hangover). He mentioned the Wings getting old and that Maltby and Draper used to energize the team but theyre getting up there. How are people like this able to talk on television?

Or just not re-sign Holmstrom and Bertuzzi

This is what I hope we are left with. Nick and Homer taking their significant discounts. AUTO-GENERATED CAPGEEK.COM LINES FORWARDS Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Johan Franzen ($3.955m) Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) Kris Draper ($1.583m) / * Tomas Holmstrom ($1.500m) / * Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) * Darren Helm ($0.700m) / * Drew Miller ($0.600m) / * Patrick Eaves ($0.600m) DEFENSEMEN Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / * Nicklas Lidstrom ($4.000m) Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) * Derek Meech ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS ROSTER: 21; PAYROLL: $52.413m; CAP ROOM: $4.387m BONUSES: $0.000m Depending on what the cap does we should hopefully have around $4 million to spend on one or two more players to add. I just think it'd be foolish of Nick to come back for 5-6. This team seriously needs a shot in the arm to get back over the hump.

They wont unless the start giving 7-8 million plus to second tier players like those clubs did. Kovalchuk is 28 and elite.

This. If Lidstrom commands 5-6 million, hes only hurting himself. If he's truly coming back to win another cup, he'll take a significantly reduced salary to allow Kenny to go after another top 6 forward.

My whole argument was that Ilya Kovalchuk would help this team tremendously and that his presence would make our forwards much deeper. You claimed that he would not help us and would make us a one and a half line team. My original statements were based on Kovalchuk taking a 10 year contract at about 6 million, and Nick taking a hefty discount. Please do not put aside my main statements to help make your argument. Is it probable that we sign Kovalchuk? No. Nick and Homer would have to make some serious sacrifices. However, to say that he would not help our team and that his cap hit, at around 6 million would not work in the cap world when he's worth around 8, is assinine.

Do you honestly believe Kovulchuk wouldnt help this team? Kovalchuk, if he were to take around $6 million per year, would be GREAT in the cap world, considering the cap is probably going to keep on growing. The guy will be 28 next year so I would have no concerns if we signed him to a 8-10 year deal. He's a right handed shot, would be wonderful on the powerplays. Pure goal scorer, would be awesome with Pavel Datsyuk. He would also help our bottom six considerably. Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Holmstrom Cleary-Zetterberg-Franzen Helm-Filppula-Hudler Eaves-Abdelkader-Miller Pretty damn solid if you ask me.

If we were to get Kovalchuk this is how I'd set up the PP units 1. ZDH Kovalchuk-Lidstrom 2. Hudler-Filppula-Franzen Rafalski-Kronwall That would be sooo sick. PUHLEASE Nick, take a hefty discount and get on the phone with Pav and Hank to sway Ilya over here!!

Alright guys, here's some good news. http://detnews.com/article/20100510/SPORTS0103/5100420/1128/sports0103/Nick-Lidstrom--will-be-back--Wings-coach-Mike-Babcock-says The part about believing we still have a chance to win caught my eye. If Nick comes back, its to win a another Cup. This tells me he's going to be willing to take a discount. I think Nick and Homer are going to satisfy us by taking sweetheart deals.

This is not a thread about the Wings signing Kovalchuk. We all know its probably not going to happen. I Just wanted to know who you guys think is the better player. I have not seen much of Kovalchuk. To me it seems that Hossa is more of an all around player and Kovalchuk is a better pure goal scorer. Your thoughts...

Whatd he do?

This is what I was thinking.... Datsyuk and Kovalchuk together.... Look out.

FORWARDS Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / * Ilya Kovalchuk ($6.500m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) Johan Franzen ($3.955m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m) Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) / Kris Draper ($1.583m) / * Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) * Darren Helm ($0.750m) / * Patrick Eaves ($0.650m) / * Mattias Ritola ($0.511m) * Riley Armstrong ($0.500m) DEFENSEMEN Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / Brad Stuart ($3.750m) * Nicklas Lidstrom ($3.000m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) * Doug Janik ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS ROSTER: 22; PAYROLL: $56.924m; CAP ROOM: $-0.124m BONUSES: $0.000m Right now, I cant get it to fit but if the cap goes up..... just saying... We might be able to make a good pitch. Its possible Lidstrom might take a hefty discount if it would allow us to obtain Kovalchuk.

That offense is scary good. However, that defense scares the out of me.

Man oh man... Far reduced salaries? That would be fantastic. Can you imagine if Nick and Homer decide to play for a combined 5 million or so? We could possibly have the same team, plus Hudler, and have room to add another impact player. Things could be looking up for the Wings.

What percentages of blueadams posts on this forum do you guys think include line combinations?

Id go as high as 4.5 for Volchenkov and he'd be worth it.

1. ) Assuming Lidstrom, Holmstrom, and Bertuzzi come back, its imparitve they sign for around the following prices. If theyre serious about winning, I dont see why they wouldnt. 2.) As far as Drew Miller goes, to me you have to make a choice between him and Ritola. We have to many grinder type forwards. Ritola is out of options and isnt going back to GR. He'll be with the Wings next season or somewhere else. 3.) I think we sign a 7th defenseman for the minimum such as Janik. Maybe if Lebda wants to come back for the minimum, we give him a look. 4.) We could potentially hand out a $2 million contract to a depth forward to play on the third line. Maybe you can steal Andrew Ladd from Chicago being they are in cap hell. FORWARDS Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Johan Franzen ($3.955m) Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m) Kris Draper ($1.583m) / * Todd Bertuzzi ($1.500m) / * Tomas Holmstrom ($1.500m) * Justin Abdelkader ($0.850m) / * Darren Helm ($0.750m) / * Patrick Eaves ($0.650m) * Mattias Ritola ($0.511m) DEFENSEMEN Brian Rafalski ($6.000m) / * Nicklas Lidstrom ($4.500m) Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m) Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m) * Doug Janik ($0.500m) GOALTENDERS Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m) CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS ROSTER: 22; PAYROLL: $54.424m; CAP ROOM: $2.376m BONUSES: $0.000m

I usually try not to get too high or too low after games. I'll admit after falling down 3-0, I thought we'd likely take game 4, and then they would take game 5 at home, just because I didnt think theyd win two at the Joe. That being said, Game 5 is probably the biggest game of the series for us. We win that, we come back home for a game I think we probably win. And then theres game 7 where anything can happen.

His knee is clearly bothering him. Just a paltry 6 points today. We might as well sit him down to rest up for next season.

YEAHH.. You know SJ is gonna come out flying in game 5 now.

Sharkfan, where is your optimism? You really think the Wings can make a series out of this? My opinion. I think the Wings are just deflated. They've played well enough to be up 3-0 in the series and find themselves in an 0-3 hole. Thats tough to overcome emotionally. The scary part, is that the Sharks really havent had that one game where they play lights out. I say theyre due in the next two games.

Drake, I agree with all of what you said about Nick. However the harsh reality is that we might lose him. He's truly a once in a generation player. I cant remember a player as good offensivley and defensively as he was/is. You just cant replace Nick Lidstrom. We can only try to replace him as best as we can.