Nev

Thoughts on the 1st * Actually quite like the Caps commentary crew. They're not complete Homers and they've clearly boned up on the wings (good and bad) and are throwing lots of praise their way * Nice to see Abdelkader throwing a few hits * Leino! Although I gotta say, I think he actually lost the puck for a second * Conklin was excellent

Absolutely stoked for this one - * a Saturday matinee that I can watch in the early evening * kids at a birthday party (1st period at least) * Datsyuk v Ovechkin * Get to see Feds * Get to see Leino & Abdelkader Whats not to love? (apart from the Wings PK, team defence and goaltending)

You bastard! I've now got cereal all over my keyboard and snot hanging out my nose!

It was pretty much the entire month of February. Only difference then was that we had 10 (ten) starters out injured, including our top-4 D. And that Ozzie stat is just brutal

Wow Gotta be honest, the length concerns me - this contract takes him till he is 40!!! To put that in perepective, it expires in the summer of 2021! 2021!! We'll all be driving hover cars by then! And no player performs at 38 like they did at 28, especially one who plays as dynamic a game as Hank. But on the flip side, I'm sure the cap will be much higher in 10 years, so a $6M cap hit will not be as big a chunk as it is currently. Still, great to have him locked up long term, and that extra $1M in cap space that we weren't planning on actually gives us a chance at signing Hossa or 2 of Franzen/Hudler/Sammy

If the wings are half as angry about the suspensions as I am, then they will come out flying. Fact is, they're probably actually 10 times as angry about them than me, judging by their comments from the practise yesterday. Ozzie even talked about the league being against them. This siege mentality means the Wings will dominate tonight 4-1 and are about to go on a big win streak. "**** you Bettman '09" starts tonight.

Let me just put that into my Google Translator.............ok, got it. Colin Campbell and Gary Bettman, you're a pair of clueless muppets who are succeeding only in making yourselves look bad I love Babs (except when he was in my dreams during the finals, then I was scared of him)

Post of the year.

Good for Kenny for manning up and standing up to Buttman. I don't know I've ever heard him this angry, and lets face it, he had to put up with a lot of crap from the league over the years

Unbe-*******-lievable Lidstrom, the very epitome of class. Datsyuk the perennial Lady Byng winner. Suspended for not wanting to play injured in a gloryfied game of shinny that no-one gives a rats ass about. We've known all season that Lids has been playing injured - his sore elbow was first reported in pre-season. Someone (I forget who) said 2 weeks ago that Dats was playing injured and would miss the ASG. I really don't like to believe in conspiracy theories, but first the Al Sobotka ban, then all the BS penalties against the Pens, the no Dats or Lids in the skills comp, now handing out a ban to 2 of the most stylish, classiest players the league has ever known. On the positive side, I hope this generates a real siege-mentality amongst the wings. Last year we were out to prove that we weren't too old, too soft and too European. Maybe a big ******** to Bettman is just what this team needs to rally around.

So we're always seeing comments on LGW calling for Stuart, or Draper or whoever to be traded. What I wanted to do was create a definitive list of who has No Trade Clauses, and the relative worth of everyone else. Holy Triumvirate Lidstrom Zetterberg Datsyuk One is the current captain, one is the future captain, the other is our best player. We're not winning the Stanley Cup without them No Trade Clause Stuart Draper Cleary Rafalski Tradeable but unlikely Hossa (7.45) We didn't sign him to trade him away Holmstrom (2.45) Unthinkable that he wouldn't be on the PP Franzen (0.94) Key player - could only envision him being traded as part of a blockbuster deal Conklin (0.75) Are we really going to trade away our only decent (and cheap) goalie? Little to no trade value Chelios (0.75) UFA McCarty (0.50) UFA No one picked him up on waivers, so they certainly won't trade for him Kopecky (0.50) UFA I know everyone wants rid, but standalone he's worthless Meech (0.48) Lebda (0.65) See Kopecky Osgood (1.41) Who wants a goalie playing like trash right now? Most of these guys could only be traded away as makeweights in a deal to create roster and/or cap space Tradeable Filpulla (3.0) His cap number makes him expendable if we want an expensive player, but we WILL need him next year after the exodus of FAs. Samuellson (1.2) UFA Not a huge amount of worth, and is a Babcock favourite to boot Hudler (1.0) RFA Has a lot of value IMO. If we want a veteran off a basement dweller at the deadline they're going to want young players and picks. Huds is probly gone in the summer anyway as he's Babcock's *****, and we would get something in return Maltby (0.88) The most tradeable of the lot IMO. We need to get his cap number off the books for next year and the only way to do that is a trade - if he retires or gets waived, we still have to count his salary against the cap. He's taking up a roster spot that belongs to Helm/Abdelkader. His post-season experience would probably make him attractive to a young contender like Boston or Washington Kronwall (3.0) Injury prone and can't hit the net, and its pretty clear now that Nick Jr will never become Nick Mk.II Would only be traded as part of a blockbuster deal though. Lilja (1.25) Not a huge amount of value, but if they wanted to upgrade the 3rd pairing.... If I've missed anyone off, or a NTC, let me know and I'll update the list. Its worth bearing in mind that the wings are unlikely to be in the race for the big names at the deadline due to our old problem of roster space and the cap. That, and the fact that our roster is stacked, with the exception of the 4th line. Most folks here would like to see a Jamal Meyers or Chris Neil picked up at the deadline - that will require us to clear roster and (maybe) cap space and basement dwellers will want young players and/or picks for them.

Now, is any GM out there going to pay Hudler more than $2.6m AND give up a 1st and a 3rd for him? Doubt it. So Hudlers value is a 2nd round pick - which agrees with your valuation of Neil.

I also would love to see us pick up Neil, but all this talk of Ledba or Kopecky for Neil is pie-in-the sky. Ottawa are going to be sellers at the deadline - and a veteran, gritty forward like Neil is going to be one of their hottest tickets. What do Ottawa need in return? Not AHLers like Kopecky or 6/7 Dmen like Lebda. They need scoring depth and puck-moving defenceman. I hate to say it, but it would have to be Hudler + conditional for Neil + conditional, with the conditional picks dependant upon resignings. Lets face it, Huds is gone in the summer anyway. Also don't forget we don't have a 2nd round pick this summer (Stuart trade), would Kenny give up a 3rd and go two rounds without a pick? Although we may well get compensation for Hudler, depending on how much he signs for with someone else.

No. Or at least, not in Maltby & Drapers case.

Couldn't be further from the truth - I've been mulling this over for weeks. Every time someone calls for someone with a NTC to be traded in fact.... *slaps forehead* This is exactly the kind of thing that does my head in. Why would Brian Burke, a GM known for his fondness of big, strong, tough North Americans, in charge of a rebuilding team, trade away one of his big, strong, tough North Americans for a brittle European who's going to be in the AHL or Europe next season? Burke will want prospects or picks for Mayers (who I agree is the kind of player we should look for at the deadline). As for trading Stuart and his No Trade Clause.....I give up on some of you

Kuznetzov & Avery for Schneider? Yes, we don't do it often, but we've never been hamstrung by the cap and roster space before either. Do you not read many threads on here?

It sure mattered last season. The whole regular season was a warm-up for the playoffs as Babs got them playing Playoff Hockey from game 1. They also had an edge, something to prove - that they weren't too old, too soft and too European to win the cup. They carried that style of play over into the playoffs and I wasn't the least bit surprised as they steamrollered their way to the cup. This year...not so much. I'm worried about the playoffs. Too many nights with 30+, 40+ shots against.

If they want to waste a roster spot on an over-the-hill has been, good for them. Only makes our job easier.

QFT. Having said that, Ozzie has to do more. I said all through the playoffs last season when pimping him as a Conn Smythe candidate that the wings don't give up many chances, but the ones they do tend to be gilt-edged ones. Last year Ozzie was stopping those chances. This year he isn't. And he isn't even stopping the half-chances. And the wings defensive play (as a 5 man unit) has given up too many chances. Lotsa blame all round, but quite simply Ozzie has to be better when the opposition gets a chance.

Any idea how much cap space we have right now, including the time Cheli & Dmac have spent on IR?

What a horrible idea. The NHL should worry about more important things - like getting games 1 & 2 of the finals off Vs and on network TV

Great job Wings, beating up on the bottom-feeders just like we should. Babs has a real tough choice now for Saturday. And, great job by RWNW - that looked and sounded like a home game

** If ** true, then its bye-bye Hank, hello Hossa and Mule. The only thing I can think is that he/his agent wants more base salary and a shorter term. Maybe only one year and try and cash in on the $7.5M Lidstrom's retirement will free up. Or maybe they think he deserves more than Lidstrom because he's been so underpaid the last few years? Either way, I don't like giving a guy with back-problems a 10 year deal.

Hopefully Dallas was just a blip and we'll be back to our 2009 defensive play. Depending on the timing, I may be up in time to see the 4rd tomorrow morning (all praise West Coast games)

Drapers face-offs. But yeah, apart from that they give us nothing. I doubt we'd get anything for Kopecky, except as a make-weight in a bigger trade. Maltby we could probably trade for a low pick to a playoff team in the east looking to add playoff experience (think Washington or Boston) I'm pretty sure come the end of the season when the roster restrictions are lifted we'll see Helm and Abdelkader on the 4th line with Draper. Babs said at the start of the season that Helm deserved to be on the roster.