Nev

Gotta agree. Sounds just like all the cancer-related complications my dad had when he was dying earlier this year

Is that possible? Remember 2008 when we were simply awesome in the regular season, arguably better than in 96? Lilja was a bum, Filpulla & Hudler would never be NHLers, Drake was a waste of a roster spot....and who can forget the Ozzie/Hasek flame wars? I think you overestimate the maturity of the average interwebz user.

I like this a lot, for several reasons. Rafalski - has noticably slowed the last couple of years and gets beat to the outside far, far too easily. I don't see him as a top pairing defenceman anymore Kronwall - Despite the poster above me says, at some point this guy is going to have to a top-pair guy. May as well stick him alongside Lidstrom before he retires and its all too late. And lets not forget, he was playing terrific before the injury last year. I just hope he refinds his shot, because it was the best I've ever seen him shoot it - hard and accurate.

Pens. Media dahlings, Bettman beloved, entitlement whores. Such a shame Dan Bylsma is their coach, they were even easier to hate when Michel "Obstruction" Therien was in charge. I hate the Ducks a lot less since Burke + Pronger left.

Maybe the danger with fighting at a prospects tournament is that the kids over-rate how management will see it if they drop the gloves? "I know, if I get in a fight, the GM will see how tough I am, then I'm bound to get a roster spot!" Whereas the GM is more interested in seeing if the kid can skate, pass and shoot at an NHL level.

One of the great calls in Redwings history

Markov didn't get resigned because he wanted a multiyear contract, not because of the amount of money. Holland stated we could have afforded him on a 1 year contract (it was the year we had all the cap space), but not on 2+ year deal

Not seen these 2 mentioned Jarome Iginla - Dallas Stars Brendan Shanahan - New Jersey Devils. I was gunna add the Whalers, but he had a 40 goal season there and any self-respecting Wings fan knows we got him from Hartford for Keith Primeau, Paul Coffey and a 1st

Downey making the Wings roster would be almost as big a shock as McCarty during his comeback. But hell, I was wrong on that one....

I doubt it. Eventually we're going to have a sucky roster, and Babcock's 9000% intensity will wear on the players. He will leave and go to a contending team and win some cups with them. When is he eligable for the HOF btw?

The other thing I think when I read this interview is a something Pat Riley said when he was coach of the Knicks - "I never said anything to the media that wasn't meant to be a message for my players"

May very well? He damn well is for certain the best coach in the league. As the interview......dayum, does he sound pumped or what? The man is raring to go

Yeah, I predict a future Babcock favourite!

I think Rafalski is my favourite. The last few years he's shown flashes of what he's capable, I think this could be his breakout year.

:D

Eva, you forgot Dandenault. Anyways, I always felt sorry for guys like Meech, he's clearly not good enough for the NHL - don't hate him for being what he is. Its not like he's a Yashin or somesuch.

'96 is the only one that comes close to 2009 for me. That horrible feeling, all summer, of "if this team isn't good enough to win the cup, what is?" I remember reading an interview with Yzerman saying that the summer of 96 was the low point of his career. He didn't want to go outside, he didn't have the desire to suit up and play hockey and try again to win it Obviously he did though

That was the year Dandenault was a career high +25. Go figure.

What was he going to say? "Actually, my best times were in a Hartford Whalers uniform. I never wanted to leave"

Longest. Offseason. Ever.

I don't know if we'll ever see that again. I suspect the league has warned him off given all the carping and whining over his hitting being drty.

Someone needs to take that pic and add a virtual Sharpie to the faces of all those who've left - y;know, like the army does every time someone quits basic training.

Excellent news

I don;t think his problem last year was lack of effort - it was lack of confidence leading to mistakes & brain-farts

Eva, thats one of the best posts you've ever made. I'll even forgive you the homer vote of putting Kozlov in ahead of Malkin