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That was a good hit by Abby. He fits well with Huds and Cleary.

Downey is on a tryout with the Wings. Would it be responsible for the Wings to invite him and then not let him play? That is not how this organization works. If the Wings carry 14 forwards I think there is a place for him on the team. If the 14th is only going to play ~30 games, would it make sense to have one of our younger prospects sitting out for ~50 games a season? The younger (more skilled) players need playing time to develop. With Draper as the 13th, the 14th will not play (unless there are a lot of injuries) much. In the case of injuries, the young players can be called-up. I think it would be a waste for I. Flip, Mursak, Tatar, etc. to be off the ice for a large amount of time. You could argue that Miller or Ritola are better options than Downey, but I am not sure they would want to be in the press-box that often.

There are some free online alternatives to Gamecenter, but it will take some searching around the internet every night to find a quality stream.

Awesome stories and pics- thanks to everyone for sharing. Can anyone from camp comment on Downey's skating?

I would like to see Downey as the 14th forward. While I don't see him playing above Drapes in normal games, he may be 'needed' in several games throughout the year. With the talent in GR, I don't think Miller or Ritola is needed as the 14th when Draper is available. They would get minimal games behind Drapes, and IMO Downey would be a better option as a possibility on any given night.

IMO the best case scenario is for him to return home and play in the SEL. He said he would like to finish his career there, so maybe he can make the transition a bit earlier than he expected.

You can watch that tournament here. http://youngstars.insinc.com/

I'm wondering this as well.

That is surprising to see. While the rookie tournaments are great places for players to show there skill, there are still some players who will only make the NHL as enforcers who attend. While 5+ fights a game would be overkill, I don't see why the rules should be adjusted if there were a few a game. The games I've been able to watch through mapleleafs.com have been very physical, but maybe the Traverse City one has been played differently.

Tatar was clutch. Callahan and Cody Beach also fought about a min into the game. Can anyone in attendance give us a recap?

I think Kaberle would be a good choice for the Wings. While he is no where near the level Lids is/was, he is a decent top-pairing defenseman.

I think Mursak will be the first call up. He is due to break into the NHL next season, and the Wings have yet to bring him up. If I.Flip performs I can see him being called up too, but it is too early to predict his AHL success.

Z has fought once in his NHL career. Do you honestly think that was the only time he has been challenged to fight? A good example of this is Crosby going after him last year (when Howard got involved). Like I said, this doesn't make him any less of a player, but he is not a willing fighter.

Here lies the problem with your argument. There are so many players who are more capable of using their bodies effectively than Zetterberg. Does Zetterberg use his body at times? Yes. Does he use it enough to be considered a power forward? No. I still fail to see how Zetterberg is a willing fighter.

I can't believe that Exelby isn't signed yet. He seemed out of our price range at the beginning of the summer, but he may have signed for Salei money or cheaper. Given the choice, I would have preferred Exelby.

Zetterberg is not willing to fight. That doesn't make him any less of a player, but to say he is willing is a complete lie. He has been in one NHL fight, and he defended himself. Zetterberg is not a power forward, and you have not presented any sufficient evidence to show that he is a power forward. If you're going to make a controversial claim, please use concrete evidence to support it.

I wish I could go but I've got school. Does anyone know if NHL Network (or anywhere else) has decided to show the games again this year?

Have the Wings put forth a possible time-line for his development? It seems like Notre Dame might hinder his offensive development compared to the OHL or AHL if he stays for a few more seasons. Is it possible that he joins the Griffins next year, or will he likely play 3 to 4 years in the NCAA?

I agree. I also don't know if Emmerton should be included- it doesn't look like he'll ever make the Wings. What place do you all think Mitchell Callahan ranks? I think he would crack the top-20 if Axelsson and Emmerton are removed, and that he is more likely to make the Wings than many of the top-20 prospects. I would be interested how the ranking would change if they were based on the expected number of NHL games a player will have.

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E seemed to play better last year when he was physically engaged in the game. This doesn't always mean fighting, but physicality leads to fighting. In addition, the team could use some additional toughness, especially from someone E's size. I don't want to see this happen again...

If you are comparing players to Dats, I think that most would look like power forwards. Dats has some of the best hands in the game today, and most players have to use their body more when carrying the puck. I don't think you will get much (if any) support for your claim that Z is a power forward. I don't see how he fits even your definition of a power forward. The rest of your original list looks alright. I don't know if Homer can be considered a power forward though. He certainly uses his size in the zone, but his puck-handling is sub-par to the point where is isn't a substantial threat when rushing the puck. In response to the enforcer slappies comment, please see my last post in this thread. It is apparent that your knowledge of fighting in the NHL is severely flawed. If you're going to argue playing styles (which is a heated subject on this forum), please get your facts correct.

The amount of fights in a season is no where near the per team average from the early nineties. The Flyers had 105 fights in the 1885-1986 season, which was a franchise high. Today it is not uncommon for teams to get 50+ fights in a season. They also had over 20 more fights last year than in 1993. Fighting is down from it's NHL highs, but your comment is severely erroneous. Zetterberg is not a power forward. Please show me evidence (or a consensus) that he is. Fighting is not a necessary to be considered a power forward. However, if a player is physical enough to use "their size and strength to overwhelm the opposing defensive players" they will likely be forced to fight. For someone to say that a player must fight to be a power forward is incorrect, but a good power forward is likely to be challenged often.

I'll have to check out this one. I've been using the TSN app and I like it a lot.

IMO the only player the Wings would pick up is a Downey type. Kenny is probably shopping both Miller and Ritola. If there are good offers for both, I could see them going. With Mursak, Tatar, and I. Flip in the AHL, the Wings have the depth to move both Ritola and Miller if they choose. I would put the chances at ~25% though.