Opie

WOW

As someone who had a pretty bad Back Injury I can say that they don't heal like other injuries. It is a very slow process because everything you do, every motion you make the trunk of your body is involved in. Depending what muscles are injured breathing can hurt like a bastard or just simply moving your legs can be a killer if it is the lower back. The more rest he gets now the better he will be in the long run. I tried to play Volleyball (I was a sophmore captian, no way I was missing any of the season) after spraining my lower back. The doctors said if I had taken that season off or even just a couple of months it would have helped me not re-aggravate it, like I do every couple of months or so now.

I don't think Huds will be the second line center, to start the season I am pretty sure you will see either D or Z there. Unless there is a struggle to score goals (which there could be) the team has stated their intentions multiple times is to split those two up, Z is a natural center and could be even better as a center than he was on the wing.

I think the intention behind Drake was to mentor Kopecky, he needed someone to be around for a year and be cheap, hence Drake. Having said that I would love to have a younger guy go out there and fight, hit , and net 30 with 60 points, but there is no one out there that has proven they can do that. So the hope is (I guess) to turn Kopecky into that guy, although I don't see that scoring out of him. Getting Aaron Asham was about as likely as the wings getting Cammalleri which is something I would really like to see, but reality says it is not happening.

Kasper hasn't been the same player in years.

I am really surprised to see boston that high. Unless this article was written after the Garnett trade (Celtics). Seriously Boston has two great pro sports teams (pats, sox) and two weak pro sports teams (B's and C's) and none of the college sports team are really a power house in any sport other than Hockey (even then they are not truly a power house, more of a contender). Now that the C's have Garnett and Ray Allen their stock will rise but they still haven't suited up together.

http://www.nhlnumbers.com/det.html that is the best one I have found

The thread was started before they announced they were signing him.

When he played with the "s***ty kings" he scored 8 goals and then 15 goals, not exactly tearing the league up. I agree he would be just like Homer if he played with Z and Dats, my issue is that then leaves this team with one scoring line and 3 checking lines. Definitely has a scoring touch? to me that means he would be able to score 30-40 goals. He would then be classified with guys like Thornton, Shanny in his prime, as guys who could throw down and have a scorers touch. He may be able to score, but hell Hudler's stats last year where comparable to Avery's and Huds saw about half the ice time. Again I am not hating on Avery just hating on Avery joining this wings team. Probert was a completely different situation, he was brought to the D to do one thing and one thing only same as Kocur, same as Mac in the early days, to fight. At no point in time did people say Probert was a goal scorer or a top 6 forward. The league was different then, if you didn't have a guy who could protect Yzerman on his line, Yzerman would get pummeled. So while I see your point the comparrison is tough to draw. IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EDIT: martyrme19: It is nice to have a discussion about a difference of opinion with out arguing!

True but after D and Z who do the wings have can help him like Shanny and Straka. The drop off on this team is dramatic. These two are phenomenal, then the next 3 (maybe 4 if kronner can say healthy) most talented players reside on the Defensive side of the roster (well lids should be above them actually). Then you have a bunch of young guys that we as wings fans have great expectations, but is Franzen going to make Avery a better player, how about Cleary? I think not, it is not that I don't think Avery is a good player, or if we had a good second line I wouldn't take him, but right now the team has more important needs than bringing back an instigator that scores 18 goals. They need a 30 goal score who can rack up 50-60 points. Right now nothing is available, yet, Holland has shown he has the patience to wait this out. Come on LA screw up the Cammalleri deal so Kenny can chase him down. Pointless now!!!

Easily score 25 goals, really, Zetterberg is that good that he is going to increase Avery's goals by that much. Avery put up 18 goals last year, 8 of them with NYR with some really good players on his line. If I am not mistaken didn't he get a chance to play with Shanny and Jagr in NY. Just because he comes to Detroit doesn't mean he is going to all of the sudden have a career year. Last year was this man's best season 18 goals and 30 assists. The year before was the only other year he reached double digits in goals scored. I know it is only 7 more goals, but to say he easily gets them is a stretch, could it happen yeah, sure why not, will it, I have my reservations about that. This is similar to that guy there are 15 threads about on here (I fear mentioning his name) just because he comes back to Detroit it does not mean he is going to automatically have an unbelievable season. This guy is an over glorified 3rd liner, who needs to grow up a little. IMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I think we (I included myself) as wings fans got so used to calling for more grit more toughness that some of us are continuing to ask for it. Not that this team is the toughest in the league by a long shot, however, what this team really needs is a top 6 scoring forward. Avery's numbers were bloated due to his linemates. As I said in another post in order to duplicate or increase his success I really think that he would have to be paired with both dats and Z. Which is not a wise decision. The wings this year have made replacing Schnieds the top priority and now that is complete they need to look at getting a scoring first top 6 forward. Avery would be great, if this team didn't already carry Maltby, Drake, Cheli, and according to Babcock Kopecy (right it was Kopecky he said he wanted Drake to mentor). So it seems as though Avery would be overkill and is not a scoring first forward. IMO!!!! Don't the caps still own half of that salary!

Can you imagine if Lowe takes both Penner and Getzlaf or Penner and Perry form Burke via offer sheets. Burke's head would implode!!!! That I would pay to see!!

I think any team you add Joe Thornton too is going to add to the teams draw. Especially cities like Detroit, Boston, etc.. the blue collar cities (no not that stupid redneck tour s***), he is a hard hard worker, digs in the corners, makes pretty plays, has been known to fight, will score, will set up. Thornton to me is the top forward in the game.

I too really enjoyed Hully, he called it like he saw it. I think a lot of wings fans were scorn when he said Datsyuk wouldn't stay. However beyond that he added life to the desk, I would rather listen to Hull than any of the following: Clement Thorne Melrose Hradek Chicken Parm Olczyk Doc Emeric (It's Marty Broduer vs the world) Engblom I think a great teaming would be Bucci and Hully on NHL tonight. That my friend is entertainment in a can!!!!

Well, going to a game in the joe would be a dream and will be something I try to do in the future, but I was more curious to see the comparisson. News reports have said the 4 major sports tickets in Boston (RI technically for the pats) are the most expensive in sports.

What is the cost for real good seats for one game at the Joe. I spent $99 on one ticket at the Fleet to see the wings there a couple of years ago and probably will do it again this season. Tix: 13 rows behind the home netminder, what would that cost at the Joe, could I actually get those at the Joe.

Look at him, he has the look of a master craftsman working on a dining room table, and Thornton looks like he is having a blast. lol!!

Link True in a perfect world that would be the way things work!

Link Then there is the poor NHL, which can't even get a good scandal going.

Here is a good opinion question: For those of you who care about baseball: If the MLB let Bonds' stats stay, when/if found guilty, what does that say about baseballs records and stats? Does it de-value records? Has it already de-valued records? I just find it ironic that this is the discussion around MLB at the time that two of the classiest people to ever play the game are inducted into the HOF.

Which raises an interesting question, do you see his jersey up in the rafters ever? anytime soon? as more of a memorial to him not that his career in detroit was so phenomenal (like stevie's) but as a way to honor him and what he lost? I know they retired the number, but what about hanging it up?

What should be discussed is his Game shot. Listen, guys can grip it and rip it in a competition and just worry about hitting the net. In a game situation there are a lot of factors that impact it. Also they say that Schneids shot is really a heavy shot. Not sure what that means in terms of how the puck acts or travels. But in baseball they say a guy like Riviera from the Yankees has a heavier fastball than most and his fastball absolutely shatters bats.

I will never, ever, ever forget seeing him in that wheel chair with the cup high above his head. When the camera panned the team it looked like half of them were ready to cry. I wouldn't blame them, this was a brother that they went to battle with (pardon the over used expression) and stood side by side with. That incident had more impact on them winning the second cup than I think most of us could ever really understand.

BlakChamber, The only issue is that he said that as part of Grand Jury testimony, so while people like you or I will take that as an admission of guilt, apparently MLB doesn't. I hope senator Mitchell (from Maine BTW) gets him the day before he breaks Hank's record and baseball wipes all of his records. But that will never happen because then they would have to back track through all of the records broken in the 90's and beyond. And as we all know, MLB never admits a mistake!!