DavyMac

Hossa in 6 or 8 years will be Hull and Shanahan. Hossa plays with a Selke center on whichever line he plays, he certainly backchecks but you're overrated his defense. And yes, most teams would love Hossa on their team. In the same sense, most teams would love Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Rafalski, Stuart, Kronwall, Filippula, Hudler, Holmstrom. Catch my drift? We have top six players on most teams playing on the third line.. Hossa isn't needed.

Flip and Cleary spend more time on the penalty kill than Hossa. Hossa is on the PK, with Datsyuk at the experation of a penalty. The pairings are as such, when everyone is healthy. 1. Zetterberg/Draper 2. Cleary/Flip 3. Datsyuk/Hossa In that order, its like that because Datsyuk can catch the other team off gaurd getting his number one line on the ice the second he gets his fifth man back, instead of having to change two forwards. Of course, what do I know? I never watch games... or I can get over the love affair with Hossa and realize that he doesn't "Click" with Datsyuk or Zetterberg for that matter. Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Franzen are signed for the next decade(I doubt Datsyuk leaves after his contract expires). Hossa is signed for one season and if he is re-signed it will be at the cost of either Kronwall, Hudler or Filippula. This team, minus Drake won a Stanley Cup last season. Hossa is a luxury who doesn't really fit with either of our two premier playmaking centers, which this team is based around. If the Wings win a cup this season it'll be a great story but it won't be because of Hossa. I think some of you are unaware of a little thing called the "Salary Cap". Read up on it, then come back and discuss whether Hossa is worth keeping around even at a discounted rate. The "Presence" of Hossa keeps Flip from centering the second line like he should be and it breaks up arguably the best line in hockey (Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom). It also keeps Zetterberg from scoring at the potential he can because hes separated from Datsyuk. The point is, the signing of Hossa was great but as it was seen then and now its a one year deal. He doesn't hurt this team I guess but the amount of space he takes up or the amount of assets lost if we re-signed him doesn't justify keeping Hossa. Signing Franzen for over a decade sealed that fate. Discussing Hossa's "Defense". He doesn't play defense in the sense that Datsyuk does and certainly not in the style that Zetterberg does. Watch the next game, watch any game, watch his positioning in his own zone when the other team sets up. Any time the opposing team gets the Datsyuk line pinned in their own zone, 100% of the time Hossa is standing waiting for Datsyuk or a defenseman to get him the puck. Its the same style Ovechkin plays. Certainly you need an "open man" but Hossa isn't giving 200% like the other poster eluded to. Hes not a Selke forward, hes got great hustle and chases down players through the neutral zone but he doesn't even compare to Dats or Z in their own zones. I thought he was overrated before he came to the Wings, some of you are taking it to an entirely new level. There are much better and cheaper options in the off season who IMO would have better chemistry playing with Datsyuk or Zetterberg. A guy like Marian "Made of glass" Gaborik, if healthy would be a PERFECT fit for this team. Hes a combination of goal scoring and playmaking in the same mold as Zetterberg.

The majority of teams getting $10 million a season from revenue sharing have owners who spend near the cap floor in an attempt to recoup as much money possible. Wang, on the other hand spends nearly that much just to keep the team in Long Island when he could very easily movie it to Canada or another US city and get a natural boost in revenue and attendance just because the team is new. There are a lot worse owners in hockey.

Wang is a great owner... hes a piss poor judge of talent when it comes to management but hes never had a problem spending money to put a good team on the ice.

Except Datsyuk was the best player of the Columbus series.... and lets not forget duing the first five minutes of game one Datsyuk set up two plays that should have been easy goals yet the player with the puck couldn't finish. You guys seem to forget that Datsyuk is a playmaker, one of the best in the league. Most of you seem to take for granted his passing ability, his faceoff ability and his defensive ability. The difference between Datsyuk and Hossa is simple. Datsyuk throws his weight around constantly. He wins key faceoffs, he sets up other players and he doesn't stand around in his own zone waiting for breakouts or standing around waiting to take one timers. Hossa is a one dimensional forward who backchecks hard in the neutral zone. Datsyuk is a Selke winning center who is great in both ends. And in all honestly, put Datsyuk and Franzen together and one could argue that Pavel would easily be leading the team in scoring. Hossa and Datsyuk have zero chemistry.