mmamolo

I'll be the first to admit, Crosby is ******* good. But he's an annoying little f*** at times. I respect his ability and his accomplishments but it's the way he goes about things that pisses me off. Not to mention the NHL jamming him down our throats like Ron Jeremy would a hot little blonde in one of his f*** flicks. When Crosby shuts his mouth, doesnt use cheap stick work and bulls*** cheap shots then yeah he is fun to watch. Personally I dont think he is the best player in the league though. Whether we're talking from a complete stand point or just offensively or whatever. I do think that, beign a Wings fan, I can still appreciate watching him. This post hits the nail on the head. He's really good but he's not jesus christ like a lot of ppl in the NHL would have us beleive. I can understand ppl valuing centres more than wingers on levels of importance to a team but how you can hold being a winger as a detriment to a player when discussing who is the most complete player is kind of short sighted. By that knowledge, wouldnt the fact that a guy like Datsyuk (who can play both centre and wing effectively) then be more complete simply because he plays both spots? As good as Crosby is there are a lot more complete players. I woudl take Malken and/or Ovechkin ahead of Crosby if I were in a fantasy draft. That being said, Crosby would be top 5 for sure in my mind.

I think LA has had a strong rebuil over the last few years and I'm not surprised to see them having some success this year. I think both Colorado and Phoenix are surprises and in my opinion both will fizzle. Anderson is the next coming of Patrick Roy and he wont take them anywhere serious. Phoenix can't score goals and it's only a matter of time until both the Wings and Canucks leap frog these teams in the standings. I think LA makes the playoffs in the 6-8 range while both Colorado and Phoenix end up in the 9-11 range. That being said, Quick is not the goaltender that he needs to be (yet) for the Kings to do any real damage in the playoffs. But really, it's all about playoff draws. Match ups play a huge role so it's tough to say how far they will go.

Even though there are a lot of good teams in the WEst this year I think a lot of teams are playing above their abilities while, due in part to injuries, the Wings are playing below theirs. Come playoff time those teams, for the most part, even out. Personally, i think there are a lot of pretenders this year (at least right now)

I havent heard any actual rumors on the subject so I'd imagine this is just you wishing he'd come to Detroit. Personally, I think he's a really talented guy and would take him in Detroit for sure if it wasn't for the fact I'd always be worried he would bolt back to Russia yet again.

I agree, a team in Vegas is the way to go. Also, the oddmakers know as well as any one that watches hockey that come playoff time you can never count the Wings out. Teams don't dominate for almost two decades and then because of a bunch of injuries get ruled out as contenders. Are we are as serious contenders as years passed? Not at the moment, but that doesnt mean we're not going to be hanging around come playoff time.

Except for when they didn't have a proven goaltender, like in 98. Player GP W L T SO GAA Chris Osgood 64 33 20 11 6 2.21 Kevin Hodson 21 9 3 3 2 2.67 Norm Maracle 4 2 0 1 0 2.02

I couldnt agree more. Ericsson played a big role for us last spring and he's shown he is capable of being a very dependable guy on the back end. In his first full season with the big club there have definitely been some bumps in the road but no transition is seemless. The point is that he has showed us he can do it before and now all he is strugglign with is doing it day in and day out. Those are the same struggles almost every young player goes through with the exception of superstars (and even sometimes they have the same problem). At the end of the day with every day that goes by Ericsson is one step closer and is working harder to reach his potential. I see Ericsson being a very solid force in our top 4 for years to come with the potential to end up in our top 2 one day.

I think that it's time many on this forum give Jimmy Howard the respect that he deserves to this point in the season. Obviously no one expected Howard to come in and be an elite goaltender but I don't think he has played nearly as bad as many expected and are making it out to be. He had his tough games for sure, like against Edmonton way back, but he has played extremely well as of late (especially during Osgood's absence) and I think he deserves some credit. A lot of ppl on this board were ready to throw in the towel on Howard's time in Detroit just a hand full of games into the season and now he is clearly outplaying Chris Osgood. Just check out the stats: Player Team GP GS W L OT SA GA GAA Sv Sv% SO G A PIM TOI 1 Jimmy Howard DET 15 13 8 5 1 410 37 2.55 373 .910 0 0 1 0 869:30 2 Chris Osgood DET 16 16 6 5 4 395 41 2.75 354 .896 1 0 0 0 894:04 A 2.55 GAA with a .910 Save Percentage are strong numbers not to mention he has 8 of our 14 wins. Even though I dont necessarily think Jimmy Howard will turn into a Vezina quality goaltender I think he is showing that he very well could have a good future in Detroit.

Personally I dont remember that but even if that is that fact I was just eluding to the fact that in your original post you said that Downey was his regular line mate. Either way, I agree. Hudler was a big part of our team. Money aside, he was one of my favourite prospects in recent memory and I still would welcome him back next year or the year after if he chose to return to the NHL.

I think some ppl here are taking statements that are made too literally. It's true that a lot of posts are being written in a difinitive manner but all the posters are really doing is stating their opinion. Obviously everyone here will agree that there is no way for anyone to know if Howard will or wont turn into a Vezina candidate. All any of these posts are are opinions and should be taken as such. Everyone gets so caught up in semantics and takes thigns so literally. Either way, I guess that's half the fun. Personally I think Howard has improved by leaps and bounds from where he was in his first game against St Louis in Sweden. In reference to the one poster who did show that the bulk of Howards starts have been against non-playoffs teams I would also like to point out that there have been more than a few games where the Wings as a team didn't show up in front of Howard (regardless who they were playing). Also, a lot should be said about the quality of team and the performance of star players thus far this season. I think Howard's achievements are that much more impressive because of the lack of production by guys like Datsyuk and Lidstrom; the injuries to guys like Franzen and Filppula. If Howard had been up with the big club last year he could have posted these samme numbers and they would mean much less than they do today because of all the struggles we have faced so far.

When I was 12 I was standing in line to get Paul Coffey's autograph by his car after a game. I was at the front of the line and a bunch of ppl were shoving to get ahead. Coffey singled me out and acused me of pushing and budding in line. I was a tiny little kid. So I told him I wasnt and then he told em to get to the back of the line and that he wouldnt sign anythign I had. I threw my card in his face and called him a f***in *******. Then I walked off. That made the 1997 Stanley Cup win over Philly, where Coffey looked like a joke in games 1 and 2 all the sweeter.

I think Burke is very overrated. That's not to say he's a bad GM but I jsut see him as a good short term guy. He's willing to mortgage a franchises future to bolster his team today because he knows he won't be around in 6-8 years to have to face the mess he created. I will give him credit where credit is due, he did produce a cup in Anaheim. But at what cost? It's really a matter of opinion though, very few guys can do what Holland and Lou have done. Not many franchises can have continued playoff success while drafting well. To say guys like Shero are great GMs because they had top 3 picks five years in a row with strong drafts (or whatever the numebrs are) is pretty ridiculous. I could have drafted Crosby, Malkin, Fleury, and Staal. Not that Im bashing the Pens but the point is to be an elite GM in this league you have to win now and build for the future at the same time. I can really only say the Wings and Devils have done that over the last 10-15 years. That's why both these teams make the playoffs every year and legitamately have a shot at winning it all.

Sometimes I like to think Carman is just trolling around but most often to not his posts tend to be serious. Or at least if someone comments on them he'll fight them to the bitter end as though they are serious so at the end of the day it really makes no difference. I did, however, notice in a separate thread that he was questioning Osgood and wanted to trade him so maybe it's his actual opinion. Either way, he posts a s*** load of dopey comments.

Obviously the bashing has subsided a little but it was mostly in reference to the thread about how the Wings should spend some cash this offseason and ppl wanting to get rid of Howard. I think his numbers say a lot about how far he has come. Even that game the other night with the two own goals, of course we all would have liked to see him come up with those but they weren't exactly terible goals either. Deflections suck but it happens. Regardless, the Wings played like absolute crap in front of him.

First of all I dont understand the love for s***ty Leaf players in this thread. I live in Toronto and see a ton of Leaf games and let me tell you that Ian White is far from a true physical defenseman. He has a good shot and moves decently but he is prone to turning the puck over and is far too small to be considered a physical force out there. Any person who would want Matt Stajan on their team is dillusional. He is absolutely terrible. He's weak on the puck, slow, and has absolutely zero finish. The only way I would sign Stajan to a contract would be if he was guarenteed to play 40 games in Grand Rapids on the 3rd line and then dress the remaining 42 games in Grand Rapids as the mascot. Also, I dont understand the love for Ponikarovski ok this thread either. He's solid I guess but he never uses his size to his advantage and disappears more often than he produces quality games. I'd rather we didnt sign more Leafs rejects. Everyone is talking about D pairings and I think giving Kindl a full top six spot will be contingent on how Ericsson finishes out the season. If Ericsson can be counted on all year long the way he was counted on in last year's playoffs then I think we'll see a balanced three pairing d core. Somethign like: Lidstrom - Ericsson Rafalski - Kronwall Stuart - Kindl

I remember seeing a similar issue with Datsyuk when he first came into the league. Obviously Datsyuk produced far better than Leino is right now in his rookie year but I remember looking at him and just hoping he could get a bit stronger. Now it's nearly impossible to knock Datsyuk off the puck. If Leino keeps working hard and puts on some man strength he'll end up being a big part of this franchise. I still think he has the talent and skill but now we're going to find out if he has the drive to do it. I wouldnt bother making this trade. It's better to deal with the beast you know. Leino took a s*** ton less money last year to play in the AHL when the KHL was offering way more. He wants to be here. He wants to succeed. With time things will come together.

I definitely agree with you. I dont understand the Hudler bashing on this site. I think he was a very important part of this team. The only thing I disagree with is when you said he was playing with Helm and Downey. That' jsut untrue.

Obviously everythign hinges on LIdstrom's possible retirement. If Lidstrom resigns at a decent level I really think it's possible we could see a guy like Volchenkov signed and have both LIdstrom and Rafalski's even strength minutes reduced. Volchenkov would eat up tons of PK minutes leaving Rafalski and Lidstrom fresh for powerplays. Technically that would make Volchenkov on our 5/6 pairing but the minutes would be distributed more appropriately. This would have Kindl as our 7th D man and both Lebda and Meech gone next year. I think it's amove the Wings would make if there was a need. Right now, in a cap world, you only give up 1st rounders to get established players. You only really ever go after established players when you have a need/void. If Lidstrom were to retire then sure, maybe some would feel there is a need on the back end a giving up a first rounder to get an established defender would be worth it. But I would imagine Holland would go via the UFA market to fill any secondary needs we will have in the off season. First, I sincerely doubt either Jokinen or Kariya signs for the much. Secondly, Frolov is a UFA at seasons end and as a 30-35 goal scorer (assuming he reaches his target this year) he'll probably want about $4M/yr. I'd much rather pay $4M to a Frolov than to Jokinen, but that's just a matter of opinion.

Kindl will absolutely be on the Wings roster next year. Personally, I'd like to see him as a 7th D-man next season to get him eased into the league. With the freed up money next year I wouldnt mind an Anton Volchenkov type addition to the blueline. That would knock down Lidstrom's PK minutes. Right now, with both Osgood and Howard signed to contracts next year I don't see the Wings signing a goalie. It's unfortuante because I really do like Jonas Hiller. If some how one of our two goalies are gone I think we look to the future with a signing like Hiller. A complimentary scoring forward would be good but we can't break the bank to do it. I like Frolov because I think he has untapped potential and we may be able to get him at a relatively decent price. Plus, it's been too long since we've had some players with last names ending in 'ov. Considering both Semin and Backstrom are RFAs I sincerely doubt they're even looked at. The Wings aren't in the business of moving that many picks. Even though I think the return is unreal in either player. EIther way, I think both players will command too much for us to handle. Either way, it probably won't matter, I cant see the Caps letting either guy even have the chance to go anywhere. Ovechkin, Green, Backstrom, and Semin are their core. They'll do anything to keep them.

Despite being a life long Red Wings fan I have always liked the Hawks and wanted them to return to form and be contenders. There is nothing better than a tough, back and forth, original 6 rivalry. Now that the Hawks are finally here, or just about, it's pretty ridiculous for Hawk fans to claim Wings fans are jealous (at least in most cases). I would love for the Hawks to be contenders for years to come as that would ensure countles back and forth games and potentially playoff series with the Wings. That being said, it's not the fact Wings fans are interested in the Hawks Cap Situation as it is hockey fans being interested in Cap situation around the league. Personally, I think Chicago's cap situation is going to be the most interesting one heading into next summer. The fact I am a Wings fan has nothign to do with it. Whenever you have as many young, great players as the Hawks do being resigned and as many strong depth players as the Hawks do it's always of interest. It's the same as the Wings cap situation heading into last summer being talked about by many other hockey fans. As it stands, I still don't see how the hawks have managed the Tag Up rule with these signings. I know Sopel is moveable (AHL) and Andrew Ebbett was picked up the other day but Im curious to see how they will become compliant. Furthermore, once the Hawks officially have Kane, Toews, and Keith under contract I am defintiely curious to see what moves they possibly make and how they end up fitting under the cap next season. Anyone who thinks the Hawks won't lose some serious depth players (such as Versteeeg, Sharp, Byfuglien, etc) is dillusional. It's the same as anyone, entering last summer, that thought the Wings wouldn't lose any of Samuelsson, Hudler, etc. Interesting hockey news is intersting hockey news no matter which team you're a fan of.

Agreed. Although Drew Miller is fittign in well too I dont want to get rid of Eaves either

Friday: Tampa Bay @ New Jersey Boston @ Montreal Anaheim @ Minnesota Nashville @ Chicago Saturday: Vancouver @ Carolina Edmonton @ Dallas St Louis @ Los Angeles Toronto @ Boston NY Rangers @ Buffalo Detroit @ New Jersey Washington @ Philadelphia Atlanta @ Florida Colorado @ Columbus Chicago @ Pittsburgh NY Islanders @ Tampa Bay Minnesota @ Nashville Ottawa @ Phoenix Calgary @ San Jose Sunday: Detroit @ NY Rangers Ottawa @ Anaheim

I thought it would be interesting to start a discussion on who everyone here beleives to have the best contract in the NHL. The criteria for this discussion should surround actual salary, cap figure, production, value to their team, age, etc. For me, I'd have a tough time not saying Zach Parise. At a cap hit of $3.125M/yr with another year left on his deal makes him the best. He's 25, has scored 30+ three years in a row with 45 last year and is well on pace this year to eclipse 45. He's on pace for 104 points and will be in Restricted Free Agent when his contract expires. Parise - Zach CapGeek.com

I'd love another russian on this team in a lot of ways. I know a lot of ppl on this site don't like him but I feel like Frolov could fit in realyl well here. I know there are supposed problems with his attitude etc but a 30+ goal scorer that could mesh surprisingly well with Datsyuk would be sick. But hey, that's just me. Alex Frolov - CapGeek.com

I was goign to put Mikko Koivu on my honourable mention list but meh, i got lazy. he is a good deal too though. Length is a big concern, but it's also time relative. Franzen at just under $4M/yr for 11 soudns awesome right now but maybe not in 7 or 8 years time. I definitely agree with Datsyuk being one of the better valued contracts as well but I just can't wrap my head around Tim Thomas. I think he's a bit of a flash in the pan. Not to mention the guy will be 36 by season's end.