Shutemdown

http://www.redwingscentral.com/redwingscor...937822725722904 The Detroit Red Wings are close to signing two undrafted 18-year-olds who participated in their prospects camp as free-agent try-outs. Defenseman Brian Lashoff and forward Brent Raedeke have been in negotiations with the Red Wings, according to Detroit general manager Ken Holland, who said that Lashoff is close to finalizing a contract. "I'm optimistic we'll get that (Lashoff deal) done soon," said Holland. "The two of them really impressed us in the rookie camp. Lashoff, a native of upstate New York, is a 6-foot-2 defenseman who is starting his third season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. "It was a great experience being around those guys, a team like that that's just won a Cup," Lashoff told the Barrie Examiner. "It's amazing. Going into prospects camp, I knew it was going to be competitive, but I thought I held my own. Then, in main camp, I didn't want to be out there staring at the backs of jerseys. I wanted to show what I could do, and I think I did that." "We like that he has two years of junior to go," said Holland. "He's a big body who can handle the puck well. He's got to work on foot speed." Raedeke is a winger starting his second season with the Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Hockey League. The Saskatchewan native is a 6-foot-0 left-handed shot. "Raedeke is a real good player," said Holland. "He's got good hockey sense. We just want to see him in the gym. He has to get physically stronger." Holland said that the Red Wings are seven or eight below the league limit of 50 contract players before the Lashoff and Raedeke deals.

Hey all! I am in need of some help. My brother is a die-hard Florida Panthers fan and has been eagerly watching his team this season. His birthday is coming up in a few weeks and all he can talk about is the #spaceyinspace hoodies that they recently released in their team store. It would blow his mind if I could somehow get him one of these hoodies, but unfortunately they are being sold exclusively in Florida. A couple of these hoodies recently showed up on eBay (I have been hounding it lately in hopes that someone would be buying and re-selling them), but alas, $150 is a little steep for me. I wanted to see if there were any kind souls on here from Florida that might be in close enough proximity to the Florida Panthers arena that could purchase one for me. They are selling for $40 in their team store. It would mean a lot to me to be able to give him one. I know how badly he wants it. Anyone who could help me with this would not only be instantly reimbursed via PayPal, and I would throw in a generous tip, to boot. His birthday is on March 3rd. Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!! Please respond here or PM me for details. I am willing to negotiate price for your time and effort. Admins, let me know if this post is not allowed, or move it to the appropriate thread. Thanks to all for reading. Hopefully some one on here can help me make my brother's birthday one that he will remember for a while.

Here's hoping for a regulation win tonight! Happy Easter, everyone that celebrates! Let's go, boys!

I noticed Tootoo is playing in NJ on a line with Elias. Provides energy and some protection for their stars. Am I the only one who misses that little guy? I still hate that we traded him away. He was a good fit for us... Babcock just never gave him a chance. Not saying we should/could bring him back, but I miss his play style and what he had to offer.

Random question... is Tootoo still with the Red Wings? If so, they should dress him. He is like Brad Marchand with maybe a little less offensive upside. Call me crazy, but we have been getting called for stupid penalties anyways, might as well dress him and see what he can do... he has playoff experience, as well. Not trying to reopen the Tootoo debate, but I still feel like he could make a positive difference at the end of the night, at least more than some of our other "plugs" at the moment... I just want a win tonight, no matter what the cost. Maybe switching things up wouldn't be a bad thing...

Kind of hard when it pops up in every other thread, and in non-related threads. But touche. Ya got me. I will turn my "monotony" and "kicking a dead horse" filters on so that I can avoid mix-ups like this is the future. That being said, Yzerman deserves this kind of success after everything he accomplished throughout his career, and I am happy to see that he has a found a home that appreciates him as much as we all did. It is, indeed, sad to see him wearing any colors besides the red and white, but in a way I just feel lucky to have watched him growing into the great captain that he was here in Detroit. We had him in our family for a looong time. At this point, he has earned it!

WOW. JUST WOW. Still so many people butt-hurt about the Legwand trade? Y'know what? Holland should have just dressed Jarnkrok as our #1-4 centers and we'd probably be at 110 pts and first place in our division. Getting really sick of hearing all of the crying about Legwand and Holland as a bad GM. Try to take your fingers off the keys for a sec and realize that it needed to be done and, realistically, that we might not be sitting where we are right now if it wasn't for Legwand being brought in. Just my 2 cents. You can't drink that milk anymore, stop f'in crying over it.

Boston always plays a very physical game against the DRW, hopefully we avoid injuries tonight, play solid defensively, and come away with the win. And just my opinion, I hope Pav sits this game out and returns on Friday. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see him dress as much as anyone, but in his latest interview, he, himself, sounded slightly hesitant and cited his "sense of urgency" as his decision to return to the line-up. I just don't want him to rush his injury... the kids are holding down the fort, and I would rather see him return at 100%.

Not only is Ovechkin a one-dimensional player, it sometimes seems that the Caps are built around him. Their team-play is summed up by gaining the zone, then waiting for him to float into position. The pass is almost ALWAYS going to go to Ovechkin, and if he misses the shot, they're already looking to get the puck back to him. Shut down Ovi, and you shut down the caps. Which is sad considering, as many others have already stated, that his skill-set would allow him to be the complete player if he gave even 50% effort every game...

Great post! Interesting to see the numbers on paper, and astonishing that we are still able to say we are in the playoff picture. Every time I think about how exciting this season has been, watching our young guys step up and find their niche on this team, I get a little bummed that they have brought us this far, and might still end up riding the pine next season (or even in the playoffs, if we get some injured bodies back). I really hope we get to see Shaehan and Glendening full-time, as I think they have earned it. Don't get me wrong... getting Z or Dats back would be HUGE, but I like the way the kids have been playing and I just hope they won't lose their spots.

It will be interesting to see how tonight plays out... Despite all of the doom and gloom around here, I think this team (regardless of injuries) can still make it into the playoffs and then some. I would love to see us put together a solid win-streak, but at this point, take what you can get! A few clutch wins by some underdogs tonight would move us in the right direction... It's gonna be a tight race, boys! Play like you want it, play like you need it, leave everything on the ice after 60 minutes, and never give up!!

Eventually the higher-ups will realize that it doesn't matter how many soft Euro superstars they draft or acquire... at the end of the day you have to protect your assets, and the DRW have failed to do so for the past 3-4 seasons. We may not find a grittier power-forward with great hands who can also fight, but until they find someone to keep other teams in check, what is to stop them from walking all over us, weathering our man-advantage afterwards? When Neal was targeting Franzen in (what I believe) was his first or second game back from concussions, the only "enforcer" for the Red Wings by the end of the game was the officials, who threw him out of the game TO PROTECT HIM, because we had NO ONE TO STEP UP. When Stevie Y was still playing for the Wings, McCarty was given the job of making sure he never got messed with. Where is Datsyuk's McCarty? Who is protecting Franzen and his fragile head? Babcock and KH will eventually realize that there is no point in building a superstar line-up if they refuse to keep them protected. Until then... well, just look at our past couple seasons and our injuries.

Tootoo could lead this team.

I have lived here my whole life and I still find it difficult to drive in downtown Detroit! Many of the streets are one-way streets, and as there is very little police presence in the city lately, I have begun seeing people continue driving through red lights, or stop for a second, look both ways, then roll through the red light. Another time I was driving at night and there were 2 man-hole covers that were completely removed, leaving huge gaping holes in the ground. Sadly, I watched a brand new Camarro drive right over one going about 40 and jerk/crash to a stop ashis front right tire sank into it. Sketchy :\ . If you are planning on driving, please, please, PLEASE be safe doing so! I have had too many problems driving in that city to even count them anymore.

I am thankful that Darren Helm was able to make his return to the NHL! After such a long absence, no one knew what to expect when he finally came back. His speed was a big question mark, as well as his mental health, but both seem to be near 100% again! Just so thankful to have this kid back. He is already making a huge impact!

Last time I heard any updates on Helm's condition, he was feeling better but still taking it day-to-day. He announced that he hoped/planned to skate during the training camp this summer and would *hopefully* be back to normal by the end of training camp. The little nagging voice in the back of my head still has me worried about Helmer, though. He seems to have a knack for finding the most bizarre ways of getting injured, at the least convenient times. I guess I'm just crossing my fingers that we won't get any more bad news regarding Helm before the start of the season. I originally started getting worried toward the end of last season when people began saying that his back injuries could, in theory, spell the end of his NHL career, and I'm beginning to get more and more and worried! He is my favorite player currently playing (or on a roster, at least) in the NHL right now, has been for probably 3-4 years now. I own a Helm home jersey, away jersey, and multiple jersey shirts. I feel like I have been going through Helm withdrawals this past year and I can't take it anymore. Anyone out there have any updates on his current status? Interviews, press coverage, anything? I could use a little sliver of good Helm news to set my mind at ease! :]

Really sad it's not televised... having a reeeeeally crappy Monday so far, knowing DRW hockey was starting tonight was the only thing keeping my head above water. :/

Am I the only one getting excited every time I see Helm's name on the roster?? I mean, I am uber-excited to see Weiss and Alfredsson play for the Winged Wheel, they're going to kill it; Helm just breathes life into this team. Can't wait to see him in action again!!

I feel that the biggest threat/opponent to the Detroit Red Wings this season will be The Detroit Red Wings. They're their own worst enemy at times. As stated earlier, when the Wings are playing their game, no one will beat them. Over the past couple of seasons, however, we've failed to compete at times, and the games where we DID show up to play, we've often squandered away our lead late in the third period. If the Wings can learn to play hard for 60 full minutes, they've got a legimitate chance to go far this year, both in the Eastern Conference and in the post-season.

Looking at his overall eBay rating and over 1,000 feedbacks with a 100% positive feedback rating, I think it's ok. Reading some of the feedback, it would seem that this guy just sells alot of hockey prints and signatures. TBH, the fact that he is on eBay offering signed memorabilia, and actually HAS a Certificate of Authenticity leads me to believe that it's legit. HOWEVER, reading his description of the item, which is basically the entire Wiki page for both players, leads me to believe that maybe it isn't? The signatures are PROBABLY close enough to be real, but that description could have me backing away slowly. In reality, it's probably some guy who isn't too saavy when it comes to posting items on eBay, or is too lazy to write in his own description. He does include the whole, "This is an NHL Licensed Photo of Anaheim Ducks Superstar Corey Perry autographed personally at their practice at Honda Center In Anaheim,CA during 2011-12 season on 11/11/11 fighting with Detroit Redwings Star Pavel Datsyuk...COA AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!", which seems to be the only part of the description he wrote himself, but at least it's something. I would trust it, but I have inadvertantly bought fake stuff on-line because "ZOMG the price is so low" (I.E. Old "authentic" DRW jerseys with fight straps from that Chinese website -- Anyone remember these? I think they were listed for something ridiculous like $46 + tax). Such a scam. But yeah, I think you're safe! :]

Coolest professional athlete I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Sorry for the long post. My favorite Datsyuk memory: When he first came to Detroit, no one really knew who he was, and no one really believed in him yet. He was still very unproven in North American hockey, and there was a small period of time where I honestly thought we might deal him and/or Zetterberg because they were struggling in the league. At the time, no one really seemed to know who they were yet. I had just turned 15 and was able to start working for the first summer ever, and I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT AT ALL! All I wanted to do was be outside playing roller hockey all day with my friends. Anyways, back to the story... I found a job at Holiday Market (right across from the Detroit Zoo water tower) in Downtown Royal Oak as a cashier, right around the time when they were putting up all of these nice, spacious lofts and condos next door. I think I had only been working there for a week or so when, one day, I looked up as the outer doors opened and saw Pavel Datsyuk(!) walk through the doors. Like I said, no one really knew who he was yet, so no one reacted. I, however, recognized him instantly, got very excited on the inside (cool as a cucumber on the outside) and without even meaning to, I waved at him. And he smiled and waved back. He walked past all of the registers to a little cooler, grabbed an orange Vitamin Water, and came to stand in line behind the other customer in my line. Glancing back, I noticed that there were two other registers next to me that were wide open. He had come to my line on purpose! When it came time to ring him up, he casually stepped up and handed me his drink to scan. Being 15 and talking to a professional athlete that plays for my favorite team of all time, and that I had already come to love and admire, I was utterly starstruck and tried, unbeknownst to my managers, to give him his drink for free. I said, "You're Pavel Datsyuk, right?" He confirmed it with nothing more than a small grin before glancing down. I handed him the drink and said, "Welcome to Detroit! This one is on me." He politely declined. Little side note: His english has gotten a ZILLION times better than what it was when he first got here. He was very, very shy and quiet when he first came here and his english was terrible. I remember when I first met him he communicated a lot by simply smiling and nodding, and seemed to understand it a lot better than he could speak it. Nonetheless, it didn't stop him from striking up conversations with me as time went on, even if I had to ask him to repeat what he had said once or twice, or if he had to ask me to repeat myself. I rung him out and he was free to leave, but he ended up staying in my line and talking to me for almost 20 mins about things to do in the area because he had JUST moved here, was living in the new condos next door, and was bored out of his mind. I loaded him up with a bunch of ideas and off he went. A couple days later he came back in, grabbed another Vitamin Water, came back into my line, and proceeded to tell me about all of the things he had gone and experienced in the city. He had played a round or two of golf for the first time ever and loved the courses, although he was admittedly still terrible at golf. He went and saw Lake Huron and Lake Erie. He was so eager to tell me, almost giddy like a child. From that point on, we talked on a regular basis until summer ended. He came in every day, or every other day, bought the same thing, and talked with me about his day or the past weekend. I can remember the first time I noticed his english getting better because I commented on it and he just beamed and swelled up with pride. I could tell it was a big step for him. Looking back on it, I can't help but beam a little, myself. That was one of the best summers I have ever had, or will probably ever have. I literally got to sit and talk sports/life with a young, undiscovered Pavel Datsyuk. Even more than that, I feel that we had a certain degree of friendship after awhile. He could have gone to a different store, or even through a different cashier's line, but he didn't. It was always mine. One of the coolest things I have ever experienced. One of the OTHER coolest experiences in my life? Watching that young, unproven Datsyuk grow into the legend that he is over the past 10 years, and watching him embrace the city of Detroit as we embrace him. He truly is an amazing person and athlete. Pavs- You're my hero, man. I don't know if you remember me, or if you would recognize me if you saw me on the street, but you made my day 10 or so odd-years ago, and you still make my days today! I am overwhelmingly proud to say that I had the honor of meeting you, getting to know you, and now, getting to watch you change the game of hockey on a nightly basis. Love you, dude. #13 for LIFE.

^ This is exactly what I am worried about! I know it won't be long before he's able to give it another go, but will he still have the speed and the drive? Watching a Helm that is slow and careful out on the ice would be better than nothing, but also the most depressing thing ever. :\

Loving this signing so far... Always loved D. Alfredsson, always will. He is a true competitor, a natural leader who is soft-spoken and leads by example. He's a proven scorer and playmaker who has shown consistency throughout the majority of his career. He's used to the Eastern Conference. This signing makes total sense. He strikes me as a mix between Drapes and Dallas Drake. Quick, hard working, driven, and able to lead through example and heart. For all those out there that say our young guys should be ready to play and given the chance, realize that even one year with someone like Alfie on the team can work WONDERS for our younger core. The man is a living legend. Watching videos about him on youtube right now, and it makes me even more excited. The man is a machine.

Hey all! Been a looooong time since I've posted anything on these boards. I still read posts every morning over coffee, but rarely contribute to the conversation. There is something that has been bothering me lately, though, so I thought I'd post it and see what other people thought. I read a couple of interviews about Tootoo not too long ago, where Babcock stated that Tootoo was a regular season role-player, but would probably never be used in the playoffs because of his tendency to get physical after the whistle. Tootoo was then interviewed afterwards and seemed kind of disheartened by Babcock's sentiment, but still admitted that he would play any role needed and could understand being sat. I still don't really understand it though. And it kind of saddens me. Babcock said that after we move to the East next season, Tootoo might garner more minutes since we will be playing in a more physical division. I understand this, and I agree. However, I was very excited about the Tootoo signing because he is a fast, energy-driven machine on the ice that does far more for the team than just fight. Every time he was on the ice, I noticed him. He was taking shots, finishing checks, and instigating the other team into taking penalties. He showed far more value last season than just that of an enforcer. I just wish he was rewarded for it. Half of me feels like dressing Tootoo in these past playoffs could've been that edge that we needed. Not only is he a spark plug every shift, but I feel like he would've provided the speed and grit we would've needed to push deeper into the playoffs. Similar to Helm or even Maltby in the past. We need that person to go out and get under their skin a little. Abby tried to fill that role, but took less-timely penalties than Tootoo might've. It's all speculation at this point, I guess. My last point, and sorry for rambling, is that negatively reinforcing Tootoo's hard work by benching him could make him feel like he has to change his game in order to maintain his TOI, which is EXACTLY WHAT I DON'T WANT. He was playing very well. I hope he continues to play his game the way he does. Similar to the posts I read on here about "Trade Smith ASAP", I feel that Smith was brought in to be a speedy, puck moving defenseman but has conversely started trying to switch his playstyle because Bab's started benching him or cutting his minutes. I wish we gave our players time to play their own game (which is why we originally brought them into the team), instead of penalizing them for doing exactly that. It sends mixed signals. Does Tootoo go out next season and play his game the way he likes, or does he go out and try to be a playmaking forward with very little physical presence because he fears getting his minutes cut or getting benched? Sorry for the long thread for those of you who read the whole thing. Thoughts? TL;DR - Tootoo was benched for our entire playoff run because Babs feared his physical playstyle would hurt us through penalties. I feel like he could have had a positive impact on our playoff run if he had actually been given a chance. Could the Wings have gone further with his help? Will babs benching him affect the way he plays next season, even if that means shedding the physical aspect of his play?