reggin

You mean, 68 points in 88 games... Hossa .77 PPG Gaborik .76 PPG They're nearly identical, except Gaborik has never played with a player similar to Kovalchuk, Datsyuk, Crosby, Malkin or Lidstrom.

5 years after being drafted and playing at the top level of the RSL, Tampa signed him and asked him to come over. They than stuck him in the AHL and when his contract came up he bolted back to Russia. They did the same thing with Svitov. The AHL isn't the NHL.

22 points in 29 games, on the Wild? Yeah, that is pretty decent.

Tampa had trouble signing him because they wanted him to play in the AHL instead of with the big club, which was performing terribly. Who wouldn't take more money to play at home? If the Wings traded for R2 he wouldn't see a game in Grand Rapids.

Alot of the "problems" could pertain to the Wild's medical staff. There was controversy this season because Minnesota had a chance for the playoffs but Gaborik felt that it was in his best interest to sit out games and heal, instead of pushing it and causing further injury. Gaborik won't be demanding $7 million, no team will give it to him.

Gaborik, absolutely. Hes played in a very strict defensive style his entire career. He is also a great playmaker on top of being a very good goal scorer.

Is deep in the top thirty but like every other draft once you get out of the first round its a crap shoot. We're talking about the 56th overall pick for a player who can immediately step into the lineup and play on the third or fourth line. Plus the wings would still have their first rounder, which they could trade for a couple second round picks..

If you're including Zetterberg's name in the top three than you might as well include Datsyuk too. Neither has been amazing. One is playing great defense and the other is the empty net king. If I had to pick now, I would pick Cleary or Stuart.

You're wrong but its a common mistake.. Wings cap hit this season: 1. Hossa 7.45 mill 2. Lidstrom 7.45 mill 3. Datsyuk 6.7 mill Regardless, hes getting paid on par with one of the best defenseman of all time and a Hart/Pearson/Selke/Byng nominee, 100 point scoring center. Hossa is paid well and hasn't shown up. Even if Datsyuk isn't scoring, he still makes plays, sets guys up, plays defense and lays the body. Hossa does none of this and he gives up on plays before they're dead. How about this? Hossa, on his patent "Dump n' chase" into the corner, dumps the puck in on Brian Campbell and instead of letting him have the puck, why not drill him into the boards? Hossa is soft... almost on par with Franzen and Kopecky. What the Wings really need is a big man, who can skate and has enough skill to play a puck possession game.

Hes the highest paid player on the Wings. Datsyuk is third, he throws hits, Zetterberg is fourth, he throws hits. Hossa plays soft, softer than Franzen and it has nothing to do with his "sniper" status.

No, the problem is Holmstrom does the exact same thing as Hossa. They both wait around waiting, more like expecting, Datsyuk to steal the puck from the corner and create a rush. When Datsyuk gets double teamed, this leads to chances for the other team. People saying that Hossa is a "Defensive stud" are the same that said Zetterberg's line shutdown the Getzlaf line. Its just not the case, sure Hossa can hold his own but hes not the "Selke" forward we were all led to believe before this off season. Just once id love to see Hossa throw a hit in the defensive zone... just once.

Loaded howso? You don't think it helps Hossa to have a Selke winner on his line? You do watch the games correct? Do you see what happens when the opposing team gains possession of the puck in Detroit's zone? Datsyuk, Kronwall and Stuart battle along the boards. Hossa stands at the top of the circles taking away a passing lane but mainly waiting for a puck. Sure, its a form of defense but its not comparable to Zetterberg or Datsyuk. Ovechkin plays the same style, I doubt he'll ever win a Selke.

Hes a "Stud" shutting down the second line of Chicago and not scoring against the same second line, second defensive pairing, etc. Datsyuk is making plays, even setting up Hossa. When your 40 goal scorer, highest paid player on the team, sniper isn't scoring goals and games are going into overtime or the series goes seven games, its a liability. Replace Hossa with Helm and you wont see a different result.

Highest paid player on the team... doesn't score goals, isn't the best defensive player on his own line, let alone the team. Yeah, stud isn't the word I would use.

I love you all.. can I be up for "Most dedicated poster" this year? If you guys would just give me one thread so I could do all of my bitching, things would be easier.

Hossa doesn't play Selke defense... he doesn't pass the puck and he doesn't play physically, as much as a man of his size should. He is paid to score goals, just as Pavel is paid to set up people and play great defense. One player is doing his job, the other is dragging down the entire line. And it doesn't change if Holmstrom is off the line either. Babcock played Helm on the Datsyuk line all night and although they were a little better, it didn't change much. Hossa doesn't work and will be gone in the off season.

Amazing is a bit strong, hes great on the backcheck but once there is possession in his own zone, he looks lost. Thats an area of the game were both Zetterberg and Datsyuk shine. Hossa's only goal is to score GOALS. If hes going to float around the ice ala Brett Hull waiting for passes then he needs to convert on his chances. You don't think people would ***** if Ovechkin played the same way Hossa does but only scored 20 goals a season? He doesn't win board battles and he rarely passes the puck.

Trigger happy? I have been saying this since the end of the Columbus series... At this point, yes it would be: Hudler, Flip, Sammy for Hossa And Hossa didn't "Playing great" hes paid to be one of the leagues best snipers. Just as Datsyuk is paid to be one of the leagues best playmakers, which he has done well, which most of you seem to be blind to see. Hossa isn't relevant unless he scores goals. Datsyuk's first point in multiple games came in game 7 versus the ducks because he was playing with Samuelsson and Filippula, two wingers who can actually pass the puck. Hossa doesn't fit this team, he may be an amazing guy but he doesn't play a team game. The second he gets the puck at the blue line he chips it in. That doesn't work well when you're playing with Holmstrom, arguably the slowest player on the team and Datsyuk, a guy who relies on puck possession. I would argue that this team would be better without Hossa on it. Obviously he fell into Holland's lap but take the money saved on Hossa, sign a young guy who will play like Drake did last season or trade for Evgeny Artyukhin and bring some sand paper to this team.

$2 million per season vs $7.5 million, slightly less on either side if they take a discount. Sammy has shown that he can step it up in the playoffs and he can play with BOTH Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Hossa is a ghost, can't play with either of our top centers and mathmatically cannot fit under the cap unless we trade three of the following: Hudler Lilja Sammy Cleary (NTC) Osgood Kronwall Rafalski (NTC) Hossa and Samuelsson play nearly an identical game, obviously Hossa is more physically gifted but does that justify $5 million more per season?