Opie

Hits and blocked shots were taken off of the official stat sheet 5-7 years ago, I believe blocked shots may have been added back. I could be wrong though it has happened before.

Ahh I stand corrected!!

Wasn't his first year, really only half or less of the season? That was why I didn't count it, if I am wrong the Jim Carrey reference doesn't work so I would use Arturs Irbe or however you spell his name.

Amen Reverend Bringback91!!!!! QFT

Gotcha Jaytan sorry to jump on you, it is just hard this time of year to keep a good head about you on these boards!! No offense meant my man!!

Warning didn't get a ton of sleep last night not trying to be a dick So they have an unproven tender (Henrik has one solid year under his belt, see Jim Carrey) no one on D, yet they are a cup contender, yet the wings sign Drake and Rafalski and we are doomed because theh didn't sign Drury or Gomez. This board is weird at best sometimes. Not trying to call people out, but the offseason is the worst time of year on this board, second only to right after losing a playoff series.

Not every hockey player is great at everything, therefore different teams have different needs. Detroit needed a gritty guy. They do not need a fighter. The blues, I am guessing, needed cap room, wanted to get younger, wanted to move on, but who knows what the blues want or are doing, are they even sure.(Tkachuk) And the league is moving away from fighting, hence the instigator rule (which I hate). Ken Holland will never use a spot on a guy who is a fighter, because he will want a player who can fight. When I for one, talk about standing up for a teammate I don't necessarily mean fighting. I would have loved to have Dallas Drake (or Ville) take a run at Pronger after that hit on Homer. Dallas Drake is a tough player, who will dish out some vicious hits. When was the last time you could say that about a player in the winged wheel. And if the guy Drake hits or his teammate want to go after him, then he will fight. However, if he skates down the ice and picks a fight with the guy who just crunched a wing, guess what he is gone for 2 min instigator, 5 min fighting and a 10 minute misconduct. Do you really want a guy doing that? And to say that Drake can't play D is a bold statement, he was -13. But as has been pointed out, on the St. Louis ******* Blues, Lids would struggle to have a plus on that team. As I have said in other posts and threads he will be a good FIT, not a great player, or an impact player, but a good fit.

No the wings play the Northeast in their barns this year and I think the southeast in Detroit. Could be wrong about the southeast but I know they are in Boston this year and I am going to get tickets!!

Good for him, I still hope he doesn't win the cup, because I root for the wings not their former players on different teams! But if the wings aren't in it and the rags are then good luck Shanny!!

I disagree with team choices, This type of event has O6 competition written all over it. DET, CHI, BOS, TOR, MTL, NYR. They are all close enough that travel would not be too bad. However Bettman will probably find a way to make it Florida V. Anaheim in the big house!!!!

An honest question here not meant to start a flame war: How is Drake's contract over the top?

True but you still get the point I was trying to make, he has toughness the ability to fight, but can not play defense or offense he was just a fighter, imo, a waste of a roster spot.

Side note, I would love to see Modano get a shot at a cup while wearing the winged wheel, I have always had a ton of respect for that guy, class act all around.

One of the best points in all of this thread, I know others have said it, and I don't mean to credit just one person, but at 550k if he never skates for the wings, what loss is it. If he plays like he did last year, he will be a great fit on this team. And as numerous other posters have asked, why is it that this year he will not be able to hit. People on here have said he is too old to hit anymore. Why?? He hit last year, and the year before. Also, I am OK with the talk of him laying a cheapshot on Pronger, as long as we are talking about him doing it in the same game or series. I don't want a guy running around taking cheapshots, however if someone takes liberties with one of the wings I want payback. I don't want toughness as in George Larouque, running around looking for a fight. I want a guy to stand up for a teammate, plaster some one into the boards if they are going to be cheap and try to hurt one the wings. I know I am wasting my breath, because even if the wings signed Crosby and Ovechkin people on here would still ***** and say "Crosby is a whiner I don't want him in the wheel", or "Ovechkin can't hit and doesn't drop the gloves"! Nature of the beast!!

Z is a great pk-er as well and I think he should be on one of those lines!!

I think a line of Mule Drake Cleary would be great, that line could be the new checking line, while Draper Maltby Samuelson could be a good energy line. or Mule Flip Cleary Draper Maltby Drake The one thing this team has a lot of now is versatility!

I am not a big fan of doing this, the B's did it with Chara. I just don't see how a guy who has been with the team, as NFM #25 points out, for four whole days. Bad move. This is bound to piss a guy off who had to wear the A behind Yashin, or a guy who has been with the team and is a leader in the locker room, and then gets overlooked for Bill Guerin. I think you should have to prove yourself to be a leader on the team for at least one year before you just hand them the C. This really makes being named the captain a lot less meaningful. Guys like Yzerman, Modano (who got stripped of the C recently), deserve to wear the C. They embody what it means to be the captain. It is funny the league has made a distinct effort with the Messier award to reward leadership, and Teams like the isles and the Bruins throw around the C like it is a rag doll.

Here is my thought process Drake is here to help the young guys like Grigorenko and mule add a little nasty-ness to their games. Draper helps the young guys play a little two way heads up game. Lids and Cheli teaching the young D how to play a heady game in their own zone and be better all around D-men. Looks to me like all of those years of being an "Old" team has set up the infusion of youngsters nicely. Zetterberg learned from Stevie Y, now look at the way Z plays, he has heart, leadership, and a ton of skill. I think Kenny is doing a great job at not only building a contender for now, but building a great place for young kids to come in a develop all aspects of their game. This team does not have a lot of Snipers (I really can't think of one) they have a bunch of playmakers. Guys who can do a little of everything. Everyone talks about Datsyuk's ability to skate and stickhandle. Well what about his face off ability, his passing skills, his play in his own zone. I think this is why you seeing the Drake type of signings, not a big splash signing like Drury or Briere. This team is getting tougher (not hard to do) all the while getting better all around. Drake will be a better fit (IMO) than either Lang or Bert could have been, I may be wrong only time will tell!

Sorry for the confusion I was making my statement towards the Thomas guy saying Holland was running the team into the ground not you!!

Yeah because winning the west and going to the WCF is definitely running the team into the ground. Since Holland has been "running things" has this team missed the post season?

I change my mind I love this signing because it appears it got OsGod out of his funk. No more will I read his posts about the team having 6 centers and 11 D and 3 wingers!!! LOL

Don't shoot me for this but..... I wouldn't mind seeing him on a line with Dats, just so that there is some sort of toughness on the ice with him. Not that Drake will thrown down in defense of him, but he is a wiley veteran who knows how to get pay back without getting ejected from the game for a stick to the face, like a guy some people on here want(ed). Not my favorite signing ever but a smart one, very very similar to the Johnson signing lets just hope he doesn't fall to the same fate as Greg. Anyone know how he is doing, or heard if the cancer is in remission? Just Curious.

I thought this too, the major difference (IMO) is that Feds wanted the spotlight, he had the gf who was a celeb, he wanted to be a celeb, and his ego needed to be fed (no pun intended). Dats seems so much quieter, so much happier to be in the background so to speak. Not that he is option 2 to Z, but he doesn't seem to mind being option 1b. Feds seemed to be bothered by the fact he was the second fiddle to Yzerman, and then Lids started to get a lot of spotlight, Shanny was given credit for being the missing link to the championships and then poof, when his contract was up he was out of the D. I just don't get the flashy personality feeling from Dats, his play is, but i don't think he is.

I have been trying to keep track of this but some how I lost track of it. Have any of you heard or read anything about the instigator ruling being taken out of the rule book. I know the GM's recommended getting rid of it and the players stand behind getting rid of it, but will the league do anything about it.

He said he is done with signing free agents, that does not mean this team as is on 7/6/07 is how we will go into the regular season.