newfy

Dont care if he gets a penalty for that. The wings have a guy whose willing to go out there (and capable) and put guys into the third row if he wants to. The wings need to add one more guy like Tootoo for the new division next year. The wings should try to get Mclaren out of Toronto, really starting to like that guy

Mccormick can play wing and hes the exact type of heavyweight fighter that you should look for in todays NHL. Most sabres fans are shocked he was waived because he can play ~8 mins a night, chip in 15 points a year, fight anyone and throw hits. I would love Detroit to claim him as their 13th forward but with the number of guys they have down in the bottom 6 I really doubt it. Emmertons starting to get really good on the PK so he wouldnt knock him out of the line up but he would be baetter 13th forward at this point then a few guys down there

Tootoo isnt a fourth line enforcer, hes a fourth line energy player that can swing momentum with a hit or a fight. He plays 9 minutes a night which is completely normal for a fourth liner. Its 30 seconds less than Emmerton and Eaves. Hes produced offensively just as well as any other bottom 6 player on the team while being more physical than any of them, he fills a role. I guess we'll really disagree on fighting than because as a guy who has watched teammates get cheapshotted, seeing the guy get beat down afterwards helps bring a team together. Kind of like when the 97 team cited that brawl as their defining moment. As for the fighters/hitters list... I think its funny how you act like a know it all, say youll teach me some basic physics because I'm so wrong and you cant even put a list of 5 guys together. And the reason you wont is because you obviously know f all about the subject and are just spouting off about nothing. Tootoos played so well this year in his role he got some shifts with Zetterberg last night for his effort hes given every shift. So dont get in a point by point subjective argument, whats that saying? Its better to stay quiet and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and prove it... I think it applies here

Give me a list of the hardest hitting forwards in the league in your opinion. I disagree that Tootoo only finishes big hits behind the play, hes a consistent physical player on every shift hes out there but he also has the big hit potential which can mentally rattle a team by making them take penalties or have their defense nervous back there. I dont think Clutterbucks an elite power forward but hes one of the better hitting forwards in the league for sure. You actually dont think a big hit can spark a teams momentum or have an effect on the other team? Now give me a list of your top middleweight fighters. Tootoo is definitely top 5 in the NHL, arguably the best. If youre so sure then tell me who you think are way better... I'm sure your physics classes talked a lot about this so youll have an awesome list, maybe you'll get a stickerr for it. Tootoo played 3 games against Detroit last year but he wasnt really needed because the team had enough toughness to beat Detroit and didnt have trust from Trotz after all he went through in Nashville. The last 3 or so years hes been on pace for about 30 points and last year he passed that number. Thats more than any player in the wings bottom 6 from last season while providing a physical edge and is a very good fighter. So now if you dont want people questioning your hockey knowledge post your top 10 hitters in the NHL (hardest or best by your definition, either one) and lets see your top middleweight fighters. Oh and if you think Tootoo is just a guy fans raised on slap shot like than I guess Howard and Bert are big Slapshot fans, the effect of the crowd and momentum is a big dea in sports http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/01/red_wings_jordin_tootoo_fires.html

Hey StormJH1.... are you living 5 years in the past when he had that reputation or are we talking about the same Tootoo that outscored everyone in the wings bottom 6 last year? He put up more points than anyone in the wings bottom 6 last year, is arguably the hardest hitting forward in the league and one of the top middleweight fighters. Care to explain how any AHLer could come in and replace what he provides because it sounds more to me like you dont know what youre talking about

Thats bold. Luongo has a gold medal and made it to game 7 of the cup finals, Jimmy hasnt really had all that much playoff success. I like Jimmy a lot and thnik hes top 10 but Luongo is a consistent Vezina threat and is still playing at a high level

Thats a pretty terrible list. MAF is not better than Howard, or did you miss the playoffs last year? Fleury has one season as a starter with a save percentage higher than .915. Howards worst season of his 3 (by far worst) is about equal to Fleury's career average. Vokoun is a back up, if he was a top 10 goalie he wouldnt be signed dirt cheap and as a back up. Raask hasnt played a season as a starter yet, I think he's very good but hes also playing in front of a stud defense. Halak is more of a system goalie as well. He put up one good season in Montreal where Price was getting the hard starts and taking a tonne of critisism. Last year Halaks back up set the single season recrod for save percentage, its Hitchcocks system. Some of those guys are a pretty big stretch to put a head of Howard and even still hes right on the cusp of top 10. I think hes lower in the top 10 but definitely top 10 none the less

Yep Ericcson was really good at the end of last season when he came back and awesome this year. He finishes all his checks anow and actually manhandles guys in the corners. I think being physical keeps his head in it more and maybe causes less mental mistakes

Ive sat 6th row at the Joe where the seats were torn up and ripped a bit. Theres no room to walk in the concourse and it is getting run down. I hope they keep a similar rink design. Nice steep seats so you see well even in the upper bowl and have great sight lines but get a nicer concourse and walk ways. Update the bathrooms, I dont mind but peeing in a trough isnt for everyone anymore

Hes been awesome. Hes leading the AHL in short handed points, hits, is scoring at a solid clip. He looks like a Helm clone in the AHL. A little less speedy and better offense

Yeah might be tough to sign all those guys, but then the wings would have under 30 year old elite talent locked up and could find a way to build around. Put some prospects in earlier on ELC's and the cap isnt so bad. Holland sat on his ass for 3 years basically, the only big decision he made was deciding to keep Franzen over Hossa and he muffed that as well. He needs to be better, he makes millions to do his job. Its getting to the point where guys like Datsyuk are going to have to be traded or the wings fall into Calgary mediocrity or terrible Toronto style rebuild

Last season he had 30 points, the season before that 18 in 54 and 16 in 51 the season before that which is really before he was all sobered up. He scored more then 5 goals in each of those years as well. I think a lot of wing fans dont realize he actually produces for a bottom 6er and thats why they hate the signing. On a full season expecting 5 goals and 15 assists seems more like the low end but people are saying thats aiming high?

Abdelkader got forced into fighting because the line up was so soft, hes the only guy prety much capable and somewhat willing to fight. Tootoos actually a good fighter and when he doesnt have Brian Mcgrattan on the ice with him he'll be doing a lot more fighting. I hope he has the Brad May effect from 2009 or whatever year that was. May got a call up and guys like Cleary, Meech etc. were all fighting because they saw the toughness to back them up. I hope Tootoo has that effect on guys like Abby and Ericcson who can beat up the guys who try to goon Kronwall for his hits

The people saying Tootoo is just a cheap shot artist and isnt tough are out to lunch. The guy is 5'8, consistently takes on much bigger guys, rarely loses fights and Chris Neil is probably hte only forward that hits harder. He adds a tonne of speed to the line up and has cleaned up his game a lot for those of you who are worried about the "class" of the wings. But he draws more penalties then he takes and can take on most fighters in the league while chipping 30 points? Whine some more about the wings signing one of the tougher pound for pound fighters in the league that can actually play hockey

Take Couture out of there and maybe add Backes and I think we have the same other guys

Refs will generally break up any fights right away until bantam rep hockey which is about 14 years old. At that point depending on the size of the kids they can stay out. So basically once you become a teen you can choose to fight in Canada however if one guy starts beating on someone else that doesnt want to refs will jump in right away. And I actually think hockeys attitude towards fighting makes the country less violent. Kids will shake hands after a fight and theres a bunch of stories about the respect fighters have for each other and grabing a beer together after a game. I've shaken hands with plenty of guys after I fought them in hockey and Lacrosse

When he takes a dumb minor (which is rare, he actually dras 2 penalties for every one he takes http://behindthenet....0&team=NSH&pos= ) we can all go hug a tree with you and cry about it together.

WAAAAAAH Sick the wings have a huge hitting, tough forward who can scrap with almost anyone in the league. He also kills the largest bear on earth and enjoys it. Go join green peace

Hasek has more of an argument for number 1 than anyoen could make for him all the way down at 5. The top 3 should be Lidstrom, Hasek Jagr without question..

Yeah its a shame really. The difference is night and day when you see him playing wing. But theyre desparate for a fourth line center so he gets stuck there. Between Sheahan and Andersson, a capable 4 C is on the way soon and we will see him moved to wing I'm sure

Dallas seems softer to me even than Carolina. Allen, Gleason and Harrison is tougher than a broken down Morrow and Nystrom for sure. The wings definitely arent the softest team like they have been for a long time (except 2008)

Yeah apparently Trotz always had him on a short leash from what I've been told but Babcock is always trying to get guys to fight. He has even publicly said that Abdelkader should fight more and all of a sudden Abby had 6 fights last year. Tootoo will be Detroits toughest player so if he only fights 5 times while Abdelkader is fighting more then that and potentially Smith as well, than I'm sure Babcock wil have something to say. But I agree, the central division has a lot of guys in his weight class that play a similar style. Dont forget about Andrew Shaw either. I'm excited for the wings to actually be airly tough once again

Thats just not true, I dont mind saying Canada played dirty but I hate when people play innocent Russian card like this. Canada came out playing hard, physical hockey, but not terribly dirty. The Russians responded with dirty play because they didnt know how to answer it. How can you act like that was the worst thing of the series when Mikhailov kicked Bergman twice until he was bleeding? Canada played it dirty but the Soviets werent a bunch of cupcakes

Or if you played on Russia you could kick someone, oh wait that already did happen. I dont like when people act like the soviets were innocent little europeans and Bobby Clarke had to juust break one of their ankles to win. That slash was an answer to all the dirty s*** the Canadians were putting up with at the time and all the other crap the Russians did. Officiating to the point that a player almost slashes a ref across the head, telling the Canadians none of their wives can come because there isnt any room in the hotels. A dirty play got answered by dirty play, especially in that series which was more about politics then hockey

Was kinda dirty but Reaves will learn. If you want to make it in a league as a tough scrapper type and youre only 5'8 you learn to do things to keep guys off your back. You make a clean hit and a guy challenges you for it when hes twice your size why should you stand there and let him go to town on your face? Definitely a dirty playre who has cleaned up his act quite a bit, but its perfect to combat the blues dirty play. I'm hoping its Jackman and Backes that get it first