Opie

Some things I found interesting or surprising: WOW!! Something about playing in Detroit has a lot of people using that last line!!

I like this chart

So instead of depth at the forward and D positions which can be picked up for relatively nothing, the Wings should trade a future top 2 d-man, Picks or prospect, then try to find a top 3 d-man (going to cost Huds or Flip), and a 4-6 d-man, for a rental player who will be no where near the Red Wings (except the opposing locker room) next year. How about instead They trade for a 4-6 d-man for depth, and a 6th forward, only costing them Picks and/or a prospect or two. That way come next year they may still have the depth players and if not, well at least it wasn't a top 3 forward. Plus in the second scenario the wings get to keep Kronwall (potential top 2 d-man) Flip or Huds (Potential top 5 forwards) and they don't completely destroy team chemistry, which they seem to have a lot of. Hell I will take a trade for Michael Ryder (which is an upgrade at no positions currently) for Ericsson before I would take Kronwall for Sudnin.

I saw the replay of this last night and meant to start a thread this AM and forgot. This is the moment we have all been waiting for, when one of these dirty hits involves a big name guy. I thought the first time would be an all star getting hit, but I will take this too. This is when Bettman and Co. (Colin Campbell) will show their true colors, suspend him for 5 or so games and most will be happy, 2 or less and he will be questioned, 10 or so and everyone will believe that they are out to send a message (ala new NFL commish Roger Goddell sp). My gut tells me they wont do anything to Kovie, like some one else said he is an all star, home town all star game, no way Bettman and Co. crack the whip. I don't think it will be too many games, IF they do suspend him, because the hit on Bergereon only drew 2 games, and that wasn't an all star delivering the blow. I see this as a 10+ game suspension, this was not a stick swinging incident, he has no priors, but what he did was definitely in Downie's playground.

Hey where have I heard that before, some where recently. OH yeah it was you about 15 posts ago. In all seriousness, this guy is the future #2 behind Ralf, IF he is able to stay healthy! In order for the wings to trade any of Huds, Flip, Kronwall I think it would have to be some one under contract for 2-3 years or some one that they can sign after the trade for 3-4 years. Giving up Kronwall is giving up you best young D-man. People can talk until they are blue in the face about what Kindl will be, might be, can become. But right now he is the best young D man, that is why he is the 3rd D-man on this team not Kindl, Ericsson, etc. And even IF they traded Kronwall for Hossa and signed him to a 7 year deal, they would need to turn around before the ink dries and sign a top 3 d-man.

The wings have already proven they can win without Z and Homer this year. Flip, Jiri, Cleary, and Sammy have all proven they can score, the lines are building chemistry and instead of having a team with one line that produces and after that they are screwed, the wings have 4 or 5 different combos they can use for starting rosters. It may be the same people, but they realign them from first line to fourth. Last years playoffs rested solely on the shoulders of D and Z (offensively speaking), with a little help from Lids, Lang, and Schneids. Kronwall being traded would mean that not only do the wings already lack depth in NHL(playoff especially) ready D-men they would need to get a top 3 d-man now. That would be very costly at this point in time during the season. So lets say for arguments sake that they make the following trade: Kronwall/ first for Sundin, Now they have to trade for Foote, Blake or another top 3 d-man Flip or huds (If not both straight up, GM's will know the wings need D help), Prospect, 2nd rounder for Blake(Foote) Now they are short on the wing. I have defended Sammy all year but he is not as good as either Flip or Huds. And those of you that think Sammy and Lilja will land this team what they need are kidding yourselves. So now the wings have to trade for another winger, if not how are they any better than they are right now. Yes they have added talented veteran players, but at what cost. People thought this team was old before holy crap look out after this. There is a salary cap now, you cannot go out and get rental players and rebuild the following year, every year. No team can afford that. Depth at both positions would be the course I would like to see them take, unless like Eva and others have said, they can trade for a guy that they can sign long term. Most of the people on here that are saying they don't care about next year they want a cup this year, will be saying the same thing next year regardless if the wings win the cup or not this year.

Gaining Sundin would help this team, but at what cost. Kronwall leaving would take away too much from the D. Sundin for Kronwall would make this team less than it already is, why make a trade to worsen the roster?

This team may be deeper at the D positions as far as prospects go, but if you are talking Roster ready players the forward position far out weighs the D position. Most of the D is guys who have not played at the NHL level or 5-6 d-men who have shown they can play limited minutes in the D. Meech Quincey are not replacing Kronwall or Lilja. Forward position this team has proved and is currently proving that they can win without Z for a stretch and without Z and Homer for a stretch. They can afford to trade a forward, they can afford to trade D prospects, but trading Kronwall is a huge no way!!

QFT 100% in agreement with you!!! I just have two words for you Joe Thornton, actually that is two names but you get the point. That guy made Cheechoo and great player, he has turned a decent defensive forward in Michalek into a scoring threat. Sometimes I think you could put Thornton out there with a dead guy and some one in a coma and he would turn them into all Stars!!!

In regards to the All Star game (which is after all what this thread is about) yes the end of last season has nothing to do with the start of this season. The All Star game is supposed to be an exhibition of the best players in the league thus far this year. For the record I also disagree with sending some one from each team. Why does Kopitar deserve to go? What has he done this year that is so All-Starish that he gets on the roster. Nothing, but the league wants to be PC and include everyone. Next they will start giving out participation trophies at the end of the year like youth basketball.

And no one wanted to play for the Celtics before this year, if they signed one player the dominoes would start to fall.

Um Dom getting votes is the fans fault, if they are just voting based on names that is fans, that is what the average fan does. Now if the league put in Dom then that is horses***.

GS&T I was one saying they will suck, I still think they will. Not because of the players, oh no, they will probably draft 4-5 more Semin, Green, Backstrom type players in the next 3 or four years. The problem is they are either sellers or dormant at the trade deadline. Like I said if they went out with the 14 mil they have left and signed Blake, Foote, Sundin they would be beasts in the east. Can you imagine Sundin between Backstrom and AO. I think I just soiled myself!

I would say Crosby doesn't deserve to go to the All Star game, same thing I am saying about Neids. I would say it if it were Dats or Z as well. The only way a person playing in 17 games, imo, would be an all star is if they went off on an absolute tear and put up numbers that actually deserved consideration. So if in those 17 games Neids had put up 15-20-35 then yes he has shown that this year he has earned the right to be an all star. But if in 17 games he puts up 2-9-11 imo, those are not all star numbers especially when Ralf has 8-33-41. But this was given to him based on who he is and what he was last year. By the time the season ends he may have unbelievable numbers that show he deserves to be called an All Star, but when the game is in February you cannot use what he did last year or what he may do this year to judge whether or not he is an All star.

Are you seriously asking the members of this board to have patience with a player or not to have the same expectations with all players that they do for Z, Pav, lids. Good luck on that one my friend!!

No, he was one of the best D-men in the league last year, this year he is a player who has played 17 games while a player who is the second D-man in points is not in the game. I am happy Ralf can rest, don't get me wrong, but this is not the best players this year, this is one of the best players last year. ASG are year by year assesment, this isn't like the hall where you say well over the past x years he has been good. It is a what have you done for me lately status.

This makes me worry about Nick and what should be (based on what has been played so far) Norris, if they are willing to give him an ASG based on last year (that is the only thing I can see them basing it on) why not a Norris that he didn't when last year! This is horrible, I mean I am glad Ralf will get some rest but he has had a much better season than Neids, just based on numbers, gp, whatever this just annoying

Actually no, had you said no and then given a reason then yes you would have made it clear. However posts like this and other don't do anything but show you have some sort of issue with Forsberg. What it is I have no idea, maybe you just don't like him, maybe he kicked your dog, maybe he stole your G/f, maybe you stole his G/f. But your answer wasn't clear! Hey you asked!

Isn't forsberg a lefty??? Nice photoshop though!!

Oh that was my point(not well delivered) eva, is that even if I practiced that for years and years there is no way in hell I have the hand eye coordination to blast that shot like that. Hell his second goal (I think it was the second one) the puck hit on the top of the blade where his blade meets his stick, and he still buried it. Backstrom and AO have a chance to develop together like Z and Pav did, that would help that team a ton!!

That is a great blue print for them, I would say a vet Defensive defenseman, a young defensive defenseman and a legit NHL goaltender (Not Nabby or Luongo, more like Fernandez when healthy). That way they can get better at those d positions and draft young D. They could then draft a young stud goaltender, and let him develop as Kolzig and player x hold down the fort. The problem is that every year they are sellers not buyers. The org wants to build from within (read that as is too cheap to pay for talent) and I don't see them helping themselves at the deadline. They have 14mil in cap room left, why not go out and get Sundin, Foote, Blake and then walk into the post season with great young talent and a solid veteran presence. Why not, because the org won't do it!!!

Did you hear the announcers on Versus after that, they were trying to make a point about how hard AO works after practice and they said he must have practice for at least 15 minutes on that shot. Kind of made me chuckle, yeah I get it he stays after practice, and I guess 15 minutes is better than nothing, but still if I only practiced something 15 minutes a day, I wouldn't do it that well, especially if you are talking about one timing a saucer pass as it is coming down from a bounce!

Because Stone Cold Said So Austin 3:16 means I just whipped your ass!!! But seriously, my only worries with this guy are health related, if his doctor can convince the wings that he is healthy and his ankles/feet will not cost him time, go for it. However the wings should offer him an incentive laden contract based on games played.

Why on earth does Paul Maurice still have a job, I think had JFJ fired Maurice he may still have his job! Edit: I just read that JFJ did try to fire Maurice but the Org. said NO!! Any leafs fans no if that is true, Link

I think the Pens goaltender was awful (not Conklin, the other guy) Kolzig gave up three goals that were damn close to unstoppable. If he makes the glove save on that laser Malkin put top shelf that is on every NHL highlight reel around the world, hell the goal probably should be, the Sykora goal, he had no chance. His D let him down badly plus it was a PP, there was one sequence where he was prone and flailing everywhere because the 2 d-men in front of him and his own winger couldn't get the puck away from two forwards from Pit. The score was that high due to dumb penalties, bad Goaltending from Pit, and horrible D from Was. IMO But AO and Malkin were great to watch.