Hankanator

Skating speed is purely about training. Sprinting, pylometrics, squatz. Hudler has improved his skating slightly since coming into the league but hes not Brian Gionta. Thus far, it seems Jiri has gotten by on his offensive talent instead of hard work.

Hudler only has to blame himself for not being a top six player. A guy of his size should be fast. He was either not putting in the gym time or didn't try to improve his skating technique. Speed can make up for size. Being slow and small = fail. 60 points as a PP specialist who plays against other teams third lines doesn't mean you're a top six player. This is why Filppula is undoubtedly better. Even if his career peak is 60 points, he still has more to offer.

Homework? I watched every game that season and he displayed no chemistry with anyone on the team. He played all season on a line with Datsyuk and Draper and it was terrible. Shanahan was pretty much useless in the playoffs after 2002. Fans need to stop hanging onto the past. We're going to have a 37 year old, past his prime Franzen one day and people will be saying "Remember 2008!".

The team started falling apart once Shanahan arrived. Jagr had just put up 123 points and finished second in Hart voting(Only 40 votes from wining). There were even rumors of there being a problem between Datsyuk and Shanahan when he was still playing on this team. Shanahan has never struck me as a great "Leader" on any team.

Don't ever put Shanahan in the same sentence as Drake. Shanahan was a shell of his former self when he left this team or was pushed out. We know Shanahan's game, he stands around waiting for passes. He doesn't fight and he doesn't hit. Spend the money on Grier or a guy who will actually throw his weight around and make the other team feel some pain.

I don't know if its pressure but there is a realistic possibility that a guy like Zherdev or Sundin signs with the Red Wings. Filppula is going to be playing with some talented line mates, he definitely needs to show that he is completely capable of being the second line center so Babcock can stop splitting up Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Cleary(Holmstrom) Zherdev-Filppula-Franzen fap fap fap fap

Datsyuk has led the team in scoring since Fedorov left. Hes also won the last two Selke's, its just like Lidstrom and the Norris, the competition really has to impress to take away an award from a guy who wins it multiple years in a row. If Datsyuk and Zetterberg play together all season and both are healthy. Datsyuk will finally hit 100+ points and Zetterberg should be good for 45 goals/95 points. I have personally never seen any indication that Datsyuk is slowing down or that Zetterberg can be a 100+ point guy stand alone from Datsyuk. Zetterberg is at his best when hes a scoring center. Which seems weird but Datsyuk playing on the left wing and Zetterberg playing center is the best. Zetterberg's game is really brought down playing as a set up man.

Any different than Meech or Lebda? Not so much.. Theres a reason why all three players are making less than a million per season. Lebda is fast but its not like he has an end to end rush every shift, let alone every game. Usually when he carries the puck, its just to encourage a line change because offense never results. Lebda has no offensive abilities and is mediocre in his own end.

Lebda and Delmore are both very similar. Lebda is faster but they're both offensive defenseman. The difference is, Delmore is a proven NHL PP defenseman. Lebda isn't and never will be on this team. Moving Lebda/Meech and bringing up Delmore to play 10 minutes a night sounds good to me. Offers up a good, hard shot on the point.

The only good thing about Delmore is that he has a ridiculous shot. But every other part of his game is terrible.

That has nothing to do with the discussion. Kronwall is paid like a 3rd or 4th defenseman, which is the case. Rafalski, Streit and Lidstrom are all proven #1 D men. Kronwall is good for the team at his current cap hit but if Lidstrom retired tomorrow, "Nick Jr" isn't going to step in and replace him. And yes, I believe you can replace Lidstrom. But Kronwall isn't that guy. Hes nearly 30 and still has a lot of work to do with his game. The suggestion that he'll "Get better" with age is the problem. How many players get better going into their 30s? I think we've seen exactly what his potential is. Now if he hit consistently every game or decided to fight occasionally, he would bring his game to a new level. But currently, I really don't see a difference between Brad Stuart and Nick Kronwall.

Kronwall is 28 years old and is barely better than Rafalski in his own end. Mike Green has all of the offensive ability in the world but he'll never be a "Number one" until he plays solid in both ends of the ice. The same goes for Kronwall. People ride Kindl for being poor defensively but its the same story with Kronwall. He pinches too often and even on the PP gets a lot of shots blocked. Of course, with the big-jumping hits, hes a fan favorite and I get it. But Kronwall isn't going to fill the shoes of Lidstrom. He doesn't play well enough offensively or defensively to do so. Mark Streit scores a lot of points...

Boston could waive or trade Fernandez and have all of the cap space in the world.

Hossa scored 40 goals last season and the entire fan base was sucking him off. Kessel is nine years younger and scored 36 goals. Hudler will never be half the player Kessel already is. A trade like this would mean we would have one of the youngest and best scoring wingers locked up for 4-6 years for four million a season. Trade anyone not named Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Osgood or Lidstrom at this point.

You're getting Phill Kessel in return... This isn't NHL09, you have to give up assets to get them. This team has a ton of offensive defenseman prospects and there are always offensive defenseman available in the first round. Kronwall doesn't hit or score nearly enough to get that "Untouchable" tag.

Stuart has a NTC and Kronwall is never going to be a #1 in this league.

Not a lot of teams have a surplus of prospects and a willingness to give up first rounders like Detroit. Not to mention, most of the worst teams in the league are in the East, so I imagine, if traded, Kessel will go west. The Wing's also have the potential of seven million dollars coming off of the cap next season, if Lidstrom decides to hang them up. Detroit is in one of the best positions in the league to trade for a young RFA.

Yes.. the Red Wings have no interest in a 21 year old who can score 40 goals. Don't be idiotic. They would move anyone not named Datsuyk, Zetterberg, Franzen or Lidstrom for him. In order to sign Kessel, all they would have to do is put Lilja on waivers and not sign Hudler. Or trade Hudler's rights in a package for Kessel. There seems to be a lot of press around a story where a team has "No interest".

How is this a "Dick move"? Like him or not, Burke is a man of his word. He let a starting goalie(Bryzgalov) go to a division rival and at the time LA passed on Bryzgalov in the waiver order. Burke risked giving up a starting goalie, to his teams biggest albeit less talented rival, just for the sake of keeping his word. Pogge will be traded and if that doesn't happen, he'll let him go.

The only good thing about this upcoming season is that the black hole chemistry killer known as Marian Hossa is gone. I said it before he was signed, I said it during last season and i'll continue saying it. The Wings have enough play money to sign two veterans or take a flyer on a guy cheap, like Bertuzzi and hope he produces. This team has shown time and time again that average players look much better on this team. We've seen Bertuzzi before and although it wasn't great, he was getting paid five or six million at the time. Bertuzzi > Samuelsson Sykora > Samuelsson Hossa is irrelevant, he didn't win with this team and he is one of the main factors for them not repeating. Losing Hudler blows but at the same time, you have Leino who will replace some of the production. But with all that being said... how will we replace #82? The season is over.

The only "Black" star in the league that would bring fans in to Detroit is Iginla.

50-60 goals, actually plays something that resembles defense and the team went on a massive run at the end of the year when he was named Captain. Do you realize just how bad Atlanta has been over the last decade? Remove Gonchar and Malkin and you could say the same about Crosby. Remove Backstrom and Green.. the same. Very few players, in completely terrible teams score 100 points.

Kovalchuk is going to be wearing a winged wheel next season. It was bound to happen.. Datsyuk paired with Ovechkin or Kovalchuk.

Pearce will be playing for the Fish in Toledo and McCollum and Larsson will be splitting starts in the AHL. I really doubt either of them will see NHL time unless Osgood gets hurt.

Yzerman would probably have played longer if not for the eye injury. He could have very well still been on the roster. Thats not a testament to his ability but more to the loyalty of the franchise.