RedWingsLaw

Yeah I like the line combinations, I was wondering what Babs was going to do with Hossa and I always thought he should be with Datsyuk, Hossa has one of the quickest releases in the league, it is lethal and I can't wait to see him just take phantom passes from Dats and bury them in the back of the net. Does anyone remember a sniper named Brett Hull who also had a wicked release; that was also consistently getting insane passes from Dats, when Dats had just come into the league. The points will be flowing I can assure you of that. One side note, I have been very interested in the signing Finnish Elite League player, and one of the leagues top-scorers, Ville Leino, he has some skill from what I can dig up, where does he fit into this picture, when our roster is busting at the seams with talent. Would another Finn, playing on a third line with Fil, be good for Fil?

I see your point about the aging core of role players. McCarty took more penalties then I could stomach, if he wants to compete again he needs to use his feet to skate and his stick to score, not hitch a ride with his stick in someones midsection. It did bring a tear to my eye to see the Joe actually fill up more then we had seen during the majority of the season when Mac made his Wings re-debut. The vast majority were proudly sporting their McCarty jerseys too. He is still a favorite son of this proud hockey community and as it has been said the Wings, especially Holland, has a soft spot for Mac. Has everyone heard about when he was filing for bankruptcy and had to liquidate all his assets he was forced to sell his three cup rings. As soon as they went on sale, they were bought by Mr. Mike Illitch and he promptly gave them back to their rightful owner. I think that is the best illustration of why players may want to come to Detroit.

Is there anyway he would be able to skate some games with GR, or is a two-way contract not in his options. I say this because as most readers would agree, he is a excellent leader and has very valuable information that he can share with younger players. It would be huge if he could both mentor in the Wings locker room and then days when he "needs a break" as Babs and Kenny both suggest, he could still be the 80 game warrior he thinks he still is. The pace is slower and he would be a excellent player developer for our organization. He would be able to give on ice instruction during games. It would be the best thing for the organization. Instead of having a healthy scratch, playing less then 10 minutes, and only pairing up with one rookie, he would be able to be a mentor to a whole other core of young players who would be able to learn from his puck responsibility and his 20+ seasons in which he has adapted his game to adjust to all the rule changes and the flow off the game. One last thing, imagine his legendary work ethic filling our entire locker room of young prospects some of which who are known to have a lack of conditioning and consistency. The 46 year old would encourage the youngsters with his ageless endurance to push themselves harder.

I can see that too, do you think Illitch makes other incentives available to the players of which are not provisions on their contracts. One thing that comes to mind is the "Grind Line" commercials from Little Caesars. Also if you saw the Hasek retirement conference he eluded to the business relationship that he had with Mike Illitch. Makes you wonder if the Wings help out their players with savvy investments and business opportunities when they are done playing and this is another factor of why the organization is great.

I think Ozzie is more than capable to take a good portion of the games, around 55 to 60. He is an experienced goalie who has just got a monumental dose of confidence. Imagine being a waived goalie, make a couple of stops on mediocre teams, then have no team after the lockout. He was added by Holland post lockout to be a back-up and strictly that. For seasons he worked and worked, being consistent but still very underrated. Now this playoffs he literally was the savior. The team became relaxed and it was cruise control with him with minor hiccups along the way to hoisting the cup. If there is any question or doubt, look at Ozzie's face when he is lifting the cup and the giant smile that he has had for the entire summer. This guy is back and he has his eyes set on entering the Hall, he is deserving just look at the career stats. With that said he is going to be working hard in the off season and will be re-energized and ready to play. The best back-up(s) are playing in front of him with THE BEST top two defensive pairings in the league. NO WORRIES about OZZIE

What are the specifics on why players want to come and stay in Detroit. Is it more specific then the winning attitude, loyal fan base, world-class players, tradition, or just the greatest logo in professional sports? I don't imagine current players are saying "Wow Detroit can draft with impeccable foresight, I want to play there."