FunkyBlueFish203

If the Wings are even thinking of acquiring Montoya, they are likely doing so to package him in a deal. The Rangers want to move him because they have Lundqvist and because Montoya's shoulder injury is rumoured to be bad. The one pure untouchable prospect in the organization is Jimmy Howard whose record at every level speaks for his talent. He's not going anywhere.

A Lilja clone who played for the Rangers last season and wants $2M+

Yes, you did! I'm hoping it's Markov, though. He brings that physical element we are sorely missing.

Ugh, it better not be Leetch. His game started going south a couple of years ago. Hill is also 36. Markov will do. Someone on RWC suggested it could be Kenny Jonsson. Meets the nationality requirement.

Yes, Markov is considered top-four d. Interesting. Let's see whose name is revealed in a couple of days.

That statement is seriously ridiculous. Henrik Zetterberg did just fine scoring 6 times in 6 games. Dany Heatley had 12 points in 10 games. Daniel Alfredsson had 10 points in 10 games. Teemu Selanne had 14 points in 16 games. Eric Staal (45 regular season goals) had 28 points in 25 games and was a Conn Smythe finalist. Brian Gionta had 7 points in 9 games. Simon Gagne had 4 points in 6 games. Jonathan Cheechoo had 9 points in 11 games. Jagr only had 1 point in 3 games but he was playing seriously injured. Brendan Shanahan had 2 points in 6 games, and was most certainly the worst playoff performer of the 38+ goal pack. Gaborik, Kovalchuk, Hossa, Jokinen, Ovechkin and Crosby didn't make the playoffs.

Kovalchuk has a 5-year deal worth $32M. His salary for the upcoming season is $5M but he will be paid upwards of $7M in the final 2 years of his deal. Cap hit is $6.4M/season. http://www.nypost.com/sports/rangers/range...arry_brooks.htm The Wings have offered $4M on a 1-year deal and slightly less on a 2-year deal, but the Habs have ponied up the most cash so far.

He had 1! Streaming in from the blue line, he shoots, he scoooooores. Wings lost that game 3-2, Zetterberg had the late goal. There are too many conflicting reports out. Some articles say the Blues and Bruins are out of the running, some say they're in. Guess we just have to wait and see.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/feature/?fid=10460&hubname= TSN says Shanahan is asking for $5M a year.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/stories/inde...1530.xml&coll=1 Holland also left a couple of messages on Shanahan's cell phone, telling him the team wants him back. LOL. Desperation has set in for Ken Holland.

Draper and Maltby made less money than Shanahan last year and will continue to make less than him this season. In the regular season, Datsyuk outperformed Shanahan (or at least outscored), where as Lang was played 13 minutes a night, so it is not a fair comparison, but Lang still scored 60-odd points. Each of these guys play a different role, play different minutes and get paid different amounts. As for the comparisons with Lidstrom, well, at WORST, Nick Lidstrom is a top-3 d-man in this league, at best, he is the best. Shanahan's stats look shiny but he is not a top-25 forward in the NHL. I have no problems with Shanahan shopping himself around for the biggest paycheck, he is free to sign wherever he wants. His signing, at $4M is bad for the Wings as an organization because (1) Shanahan is 37 and on the decline and (2) his spot and his minutes could be given to a younger UFA or a kid from the organization. Also to be noted 3 consecutive lack luster playoffs. Anything over $2.5M is too much for Shanahan from the Red Wings point of view. Of course his market value is higher, the man just scored 40 goals in the regular season. Yes, it's business. The owner has every right to review an employee and deny a big raise based on performance. 40 regular season goals, very nice, playoffs, not so nice.

Of course, I agree it's just business, but everyone took less money last year thanks to the lockout. So Shanahan is shopping for a last paycheck while he leaves his former team hanging in the balance. Some blame goes to Holland, too, who instead of waiting around should've signed other UFAs and moved on, but he keeps running behind Shanahan, while Shanahan runs behind the biggest paycheck. What the Wings should've done with Fedorov, they are doing with Shanahan, i.e. making every effort to keep him around with bigger contracts. Fedorov was driven out of town with one shrinking offer after next. So maybe Holland has some sort of a guilt complex and is trying to overcompensate. A spot that should be filled by a younger, speedier guy will instead be taken by a 37-year old with a $4M paycheck. When the Wings should be looking to deal for a goalie and signing a forward and a grinder for the 4th line, they will instead sign an old, washed up goalie like Belfour because they won't be able to afford anyone else after Shanahan takes up a chunk of that self-imposed $6M cap room. So Osgood took less money and Lidstrom took less money being part of the old core and all, what does this make Shanahan? But it's okay, he has every right to chase the big paycheck, it's business after all.

Well if he's signing with the Wings, and if it's that $4M deal, it's $4M down the tubes. The Wings called the Lidstrom signing a "hometown discount" and the Osgood signing something similar, for what? So the cash saved on those two signings could go towards Shanahan? Very nice. This is real loyalty, keeping your former team hanging while you go all over the country trying to find the best deal possible. No worries, it's business, fine.

Yeah... but maybe next season they can pay him more, and he can be their second line center behind Spezza. They have big boys he can play on the same line with. Or something. That's why I said I would do it Anyway, Hockey Trade Rumours claims Shanahan will be a Bruin today or tomorrow with a 2-year deal worth $9.8M. Nothing found about this rumour elsewhere, nothing noted on The Boston Herald website where the person claims to have gotten it from.

Ottawa wants to deal Havlat because they have no money. I'd do Datsyuk for Havlat straight up. Even if Havlat only signs for a year, the Wings are in the same boat as they would be with Datsyuk next off-season. Maybe Havlat likes playing with the Wings, decides to sign long term. Got youth, speed, skill, hands, moves, style, versatility, and all of that pizzazz. Oh, got playoff points, too. Or if Datsyuk is too expensive, say Lebda and Willy. The Sens want depth at center.

Ottawa Sun Sorry Ottawa, we'd love to help but we'd rather give our $4M to Shanahan.

Can Datsyuk's agent use Shanahan's contract as a negotiation factor? Of course he can. If a 37-year old, slow, on the decline winger can net 40 regular season goals and get $4M, why can't a similar regular season wonder who is younger and has slicker moves and a few more points get about $1M more than that? Based on what he had done in the NHL until last season, Zetterberg got a fair value contract. In fact the Wings actually thought they shelled out a couple hundred thousand more than expected for him. Still, looking at what he did last season and in the playoffs, his contract looks like a steal now. Especially considering that he signed a 4-year deal bypassing the year he would've become an UFA. Based on what he had done in the NHL until last season, Datsyuk got overpaid. His agent bargained on potential performance, and Datsyuk's playoff performance didn't live up to billing. Also to be noted, Datsyuk's agent drove hard for a 2-year deal only, which ensured Datsyuk would be an UFA at the end of this deal. So next season the Wings either shell out $5M/season for Datsyuk if they sign him early not knowing how he'll do in the playoffs, or risk losing him for free on the open market.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/stories/inde...0040.xml&coll=1

You have got to be kidding me. This goes beyond ridiculous. Great, let's spend all the available cap room on Shanahan. No wonder they're thinking of signing Hasek or Belfour. What money is going to be left over after giving Shanahan $4M out of the self-proposed $6M worth of cap room? Screw the 4th line grinder and depth d-man, there's no money for any of those players because Shanahan took a chunk of that money. Way to move on.

RB!, does this mean you've stopped screaming for now?

^^ Lol Heaton. His ancestors must be Swedish or something, in which case he's on the right track Good stuff. Thanks for posting it here, B52! What's great is we have this kid for 5 years (unless he signs earlier) before we need to sign him, so he's a bit of a project but has time to develop and come into his own. Love it.

Americans don't do too well on clay and the French Open is my least favorite of all the slams. Hoping for a Federer - Nadal final. Not surprised Roddick is out.

^^ McGrath's attitude comes off as the product of him not getting his way. In any case, Ken Holland says:

McGrath had an up and down year in the juniors and was left off all All Star Teams and coaches' selections. The Wings had given him an offer earlier but McGrath didn't get signed until the last minute. McGrath comes off as a kid who has talent but also a little bit of an attitude. I think the Wings were fully prepared to let him walk and re-enter the draft had he not signed today. In any case, he and his game need quite a bit of maturing before he steps into the NHL.

Wings sign McGrath and Ericsson. McGrath got a 3-year deal but I hope it wasn't too much money.