jeromejenkins

Blatant Interference

Start a Datsyuk vs Fedorov thread and call it a day.

shhh I prefer the term propaganda specialist.

Hudler could never take on the role of second line center.. or third line center for that matter. Hudler also does terrible against other first and second liners, hes successful because he plays against the other teams third lines and the PP. $3 million on this team is lke $5 million on the open market. Zetterberg is worth 7, playing for 5.5, Datsyuk is worth 7-8, playing for 6.9, Franzen is worth 5, etc. I hope a team offers Hudler $3 million though, a first rounder would be a nice return for a undersized, power play specialist, especially if its a bottom ten team.

Why would Datsyuk get the job of shutdown center? When has Holmstrom or Hossa ever been used in that role? Zetterberg plays with Franzen and Cleary, all three are good skaters and defensive minded. Datsyuk plays with Holmstrom and Hossa, Holmstrom is brutal in all three zones and Hossa back checks like a maniac but in his own zone he is average. Since the lockout, Playoff PPG: Z: 71 points, 1 PPG Datsyuk: 51 points, .84 PPG Since the lockout, Regular Season PPG: Z: 318 points, 1.1 PPG Datsyuk: 368 points, 1.12 PPG ------------------ Zetterberg is more frequently injured in the regular season, Datsyuk is more frequently injured in the playoffs. Zetterberg scores at a higher rate, in the playoffs, to the tune of one more point over four games. So again, you've shown me nothing that shows that Zetterberg is "better". Their offensive statistics are identical and Datsyuk has a larger trophy case. If Zetterberg produces next season, in the same fashion he did this season, their stats will mirror each other.

If they draft Rajala, he wouldn't play for two seasons, at least. There aren't going to be any power forwards available at 29 and a guy like Rajala could be top ten on skill alone but hes small. I don't think its necessary just to draft size, Franzen was drafted on size and hes not physical at all. Kopecky.. same story. Draft Rajala, get him under a decent training program, have him put on 20lbs and he would be NHL ready. The skill is there, he broke Ovechkin's world junior's record for a reason.

The company line or excuse for Zetterberg having a 70 point season was that he is used as a "Shutdown center" but when he doesn't do this job, no one brings it up. He was good against Crosby but was terrible against Getzlaf. Datsyuk played the same role in the finals in 2008. Wonder why Malkin didn't "Show up"? Datsyuk was at him at every step, hitting him everytime he got the puck. And line mates do matter, Holmstrom is a fourth liner when not playing with Datsyuk. Hossa's production speaks for itself. Hossa on a line with Zetterberg was down right awful. Hossa on a line with Datsyuk was average. The question you need to ask yourself, why hasn't Zetterberg never not played with a guy named Datsyuk or Franzen? Zetterberg's 90 point season came while playing with Datsyuk and Holmstrom. Zetterberg's Conn Smythe came while playing with Datsyuk. Datsyuk's 97 points THIS season came from playing with a variety of Wingers, hardly ever playing with Z. Datsyuk continues to produce with anyone. Like I said, put Holmstrom-Zetterberg-Hossa on a line and see how well they do. Oh wait, we've seen it and it was terrible.

Zetterberg not only got shutdown during the Anahiem series, his entire role was to shutdown Getzlaf, Ryan, Perry and he didn't accomplish that until the last game of the series. My argument is that, Babcock paired Hossa with Datsyuk because it was the better option than putting him with Zetterberg. The Wings best line this season was Holmstrom-Datsyuk-Franzen. The Wings worst line this season was Cleary-Zetterberg-Hossa Datsyuk still put up 97 points playing with Hossa, while Zetterberg had an average season playing without Datsyuk. Datsyuk has proven that he could play with ANYONE on this team, except Hossa. Babcock, recognizing this but not wanting to put Hossa on the third line, decided that Hossa and Datsyuk, even if they weren't scoring was still better than Hossa playing on the third line. Put Datsyuk on a line with Franzen(Which never once happened in the playoffs) and he would easily produce. Put him on a line with an injured Holmstrom and the Anchor formerly known as Hossa and you expected anything different? You honestly think Zetterberg puts up 20+ points on a line with Hossa and Holmstrom?

I don't know how the Wings don't take Toni Rajala, hes Jiri Hudler all over again, except hes faster and just down right better.

In case you didn't watch any Wings game this season, which im sure you haven't, Marian Hossa was literally an anchor to whichever center he played with. Zetterberg was down right terrible with Hossa during the regular season, Datsyuk was slightly better but still played much better with other Wingers. The point being, Datsyuk was stuck with Hossa during the playoffs. Hossa isn't known for his playmaking ability and if he isn't scoring goals, hes pretty worthless. Datsyuk was our best player in the Jackets series, you know, because theres more to playing hockey than just putting up points. In the Duck's series, hes was neutralized, much in the same way Crosby was. And of course, we all know he broke his foot and got a charley horse in the Chicago series. Datsyuk was hurt, so using this post season is pretty ridiculous. Datsyuk is also more prone to getting hurt because he plays a much tougher style than Z. Zetterberg is like Lidstrom in that sense. Hes great positionally but he rarely takes the body. Datsyuk, is a grinder, great defensively and pays the price physically for his style of play. Just look at the two seasons that Datsyuk was healthy for the playoffs, 2007 and 2008. 2007, Datsyuk was our best player. 2008, our third best player. In 2006 he had a Charlie Horse, couldn't even walk and Zetterberg scored 6 goals in 6 games(This is the moment Datsyuk was labeled a playoff choker). Until it came out that he was injured pretty badly. The playoffs versus regular season argument is ridiculous. If players didn't step up in the regular season, this team doesn't make the playoffs. Datsyuk has consistently led this team TO the playoffs since 2004. Don't discredit that.

He stayed two years too long, for his own personal reasons and it cost the franchise a least one NHL defenseman in Kyle Quincey. Thats the draw back of being loyal, letting players dictate if they want to stay on past their worth. Im surprised they even signed him for this previous season. After his flub in the Dallas series in 2008, getting benched, I assumed he was done. Theres no reason a guy like Kindl, who at the very least should get 10-20 NHL games just for experience, shouldn't get that chance because Chelios just doesn't know when to hang them up. We would have experienced the same thing if Yzerman or Shanahan didn't know to get out when they did.

Zetterberg scored four more points than Datsyuk in his Conn Smythe season and it could have gone to Franzen just as easily. Wings win the cup this season, it goes to Osgood, does that make him as good as Zetterberg? I'll take an 82 game sample size over 24 games myself. And in 81 games, Datsyuk outscored Z by 20 points, was nominated for MVP and won a Selke. Zetterberg has never come close to be that successful without being on a line with Datsyuk.

What are you nuts? Datsyuk just had probably the best Wings forward season since Fedorov in 1994 and people are still saying "Zetterberg is better". Datsyuk could win the Selke and Hart and people on this forum would still say Zetterberg is a better player and have absolutely no reason to back it up. Its Fedorov/Yzerman all over again. Every thread in regards to Datsyuk's success has someone, mainly Eva, looking to discredit him in an attempt to prop up Zetterberg. Since the lockout, Zetterberg has a Conn Smythe and Datsyuk has four lady Byngs, two Selke's and a second team all star nod, all the while leading the team in scoring.