newfy

I don't really want Prospal. This team has enough scorers and don't need another one really that plays next to no defense. Bertuzzi or Grier would be more valuable to this team then Prospal. Grier with is PK, grit and leadership ability and Bert has that size whichh e actually plays with unlike most big guys our team has had lately. You can expect at least 15 goals out of a healthy Bertuzzi this year and if Homer comtinues to suck you have another guy that pays infront of the net. A bit of a nasty side comes with Bert as well.

Well first of all the leafs don't actually have that many cups. Toronto has that many but not the leafs. I think its realistic to think the wings could tie the leafs or pass them before the leafs win again. Their defense is starting to shape up but without some quality forwards or even half decent forwards which the leafs lack right now they won't be contenders for a while.

Don't forget Haydar. The Griffs play alot of prospects which is good for the wings but most of the time the teams winning the Calder have alot of older borderline NHL players. The Griffs don't really have any borderline NHL players except their young guys and the young guys don't stick arond long enough before they go to Detroit to win Stanley cups (which I'm sure they would rather have then Calder cups) Abs is ready for the NHL physically, he's a big guy and he's going to look nice next to Helm within a few years but give him one more year in Grand Rapids. He's not needed quite yet this year since we have the cap space to sign a vet that will provide basically the same thing.

As much as i want a heart and soul grit guy I don't think Mike Sillinger is the one for the wings.

What he said. Third lines aren't supposed to be about having 60 pt scorers on them. They're supposed to be your line that goes out crashes and bangs and makes the other teams defenseman look over their shoulders all game. Scoring isn't the first thing you should build a third line around.

Were you watching the same wings games as me last year? Hudler was not hard and barely crashed the net at all. Sammy had a hard shot but that doesn't mean it was good. He was pretty dangerous to goalies logos, defenseman's shinpads on the PP and Cleary's jaw. Other then that I don't understand your post t all except maybe the last part.

I don't for a second doubt that right now Helm could whoop anyone on our team right now except maybe Ericcson, Stuart and Cleary but if a little guy like Helm is what we're looking for to do our fighting we're in trouble. He would be a good compliment to a tough grind line but shouldn't be the toughest factor. I think its more a case of he doesn't fight enough to be good at it but if he did fight even a little bit more he could be a fairly tough customer.

Okay this might seem a little far out in left field but does anyone think there is any chance of this happening? With the signing of Janik who is pretty much Lilja in their style of play, and Holland saying he wants to trade a defenseman. Will two defenseman possibly be traded? Package up Lilja with Lebda, have Janik replace Lilja, gain some salary cap space and maybe get a draft pick or two from shipping Lilja and Lebda out of town

Thats pretty much the story of Holmstrom lately though. Gets hurt and doesn't produce. He's getting old, with age come more injuries I expect him to be in the top 12 this year but not on the top line. Try 3 lines lower then the first.

Even if he was soft, the key word in that sentence is big. Nothing wrong with bringing in a big, canadian boy who can put up 45-50 points evn if he is soft. The fact that he actually isn't soft is just a plus

I like that 3rd line. Helm getting in on the forecheck with Bert crushing other players. Helm digging in the corners, Bert crashing the net and Leino there with the scoring touch. I could see that line being really effective

What he said

For the people asking for grit and the others asking for 15 goals I think Bertuzzi can provide both.

I've been getting blamed alot for being one of those people who just want a fighter that plays 2 minutes because I say we need more toughness. I think with how skilled our top 6 are we don't need someone who scores. I would like to see more grit inserted into the lineup, not looking for fights but able to stickup for themselves and teammates. If we need to fill a roster spot for a low salary why not bring in a pure fighter but since that isn't the case yet I don't really care if we do that or not

For that price though he's a steal. Just for his goal scoring and some potential to score more. Add in that he has a physical side, can draw penalties and will fight(sometimes) is just a bonus. For that price I would love him. We can agree on Ott though thats for sure

I'm not here preaching for the type of goon that can't play but alot of posters here seem like even the idea of a Drake type would hurt this team. And a balanced team wins games and right now I'm thinking the wings need to find a bit more balance to their team. As for getting called a bandwagoner earlier (not by you) I have alot of pride in this team and seeing them get their asses handed to them and hide behind refs in scrums is embarrassing, yes we're winning but why not win with that Drake type or Rupp type in the line up to bring back a bit of manliness to this team

The team doesn't have half the heart it did in 97. Even if the wings did win the cup I would want more grit and heart in this lineup because you're never perfect and this is the wings weakness. The differece between the toughess being questioned now and the toughness being questioned then is that now we have barely any toughness, then we did. Maybe you need to loosen your lips off the shaft a little bit and realize toughness is a part of hockey. Has that shaft down your throat made you forget about Drake, Downey, and Mac playing the last time we won the cup?

Team Russia is going to score like crazy but get scored on like crazy as well. Volchenkov is really the only defenceman who is considered defenccively minded on the team and the goaltending is nothing special. They have Dats but guys like Malkin and Ovi aren't known for their play in their own end exactly. Also I can't wait to see how a line of Richards Doan Morrow can play against that Russian top line.

I hate his guts too but I tihnk I would love him here in the D. Whats not to like, he's a 30 goal scorer, plays physical and pisses alot of opponents off in the process

The difference between Malts and Homer is that Homer plays within the rules infront of the net and other defenceman try to stop him from doing so by intimidation. Maltby facewashes people, yaps and then acts like a coward. Homer takes his punishment and gets what any team should give him, its hockey. Maltby on the other hand really deserves a good pounding for his antics

Yeah it was "give your balls a tug you f***in *****" Anyone who thinks this is crossing the line hasn't playued a competitive game of hockey in their life I don't think. I've heard much worse then this.

Yes and toughness is having guys like Kopecky and Lilja getting their faces mangled everytime they fight. I'm sorry but when I see guys like Drake or Downey holding their own in fights and then Europeans getting pounded it makes me a little biased towards a European style being on the softer side. Oh wait thats right, I'm a fan so I can't critisize anything to do with the wings. I take back everything I just said, I love seeing Kopecky getting his ass kicked all the time, Lilja attempting to fight, and Sammy being a coward behind a linesman. Thats what hockey's supopsed to be about, not having someone on your team to push back when your team gets pushed.

Fighting alot doesn't mean the team couldn't fight. You're telling me that all the players on the 97 team that I meantioned weren't tough? They may have been lower on the fight major numbers then the other teams but they had so many tough players that when they needed to could step up for a teammate. AS it is right now we have one player that has shown fashes of having that capability in Ericcson. As far as that rivalry goes, do you ever wonder why this team now doesn't really have any rivals outside of the Ducks... Its because without the tough players on the 97 team there would have been no rivalries. The ducks just pound us because they can. As far as that no euro toughness spiel why don't you tell me what the point of having a guy like Kopecky who was supposed to be gritty for this team doing nothing on the 4th line is. If he's supposed to be gritty and play the body why not get someone who can actually do it? Why not replace Sammy on the 3rd line with a person who plays with the size he has and doesn't hide behind the linesman and throw gloved punches everywhere he can with a ref between him and the oppsoing player. Thats as classless as it gets.

Oh so as soon as I point out that one of these people who seem allergic to even the thought of a tough team were wrong in a post that was trying to downplay the fact that toughness has a role in the NHL I become a bandwagon fan. Fact of the matter is those tough teams that had heart (regardless of what you say those teams were tough and to say they aren't is retarded) repeated and this year's version of the redwings didn't. You can't argue that point and I'm not saying this year we didn't have a very good team but we didn't have the best when it mattered most. Hockey is a man's game and Holland is starting to see that with drafting guys like Ferraro with his first pick and right now our team is looking more suited to the brand of hockey played in the Swedish Elite League

Yeah Mike Rupp sure would've looked good in a wings jersey. Able to play a regular shift, fight any of the heavies and knows when to pick his spots. I really wish the wings would've signed him espcially for how cheap he went to the pens.