Bring Back The Bruise Bros

Tootoo is a step in the right direction, though. With Smith up full time this year, we'll at least have a couple of guys that will drop the gloves. For the first time in years, we may not be the softest team in the league. Then again, guys like Brad Winchester, Jim Vandermeer, and Jay Rosehill have yet to sign anywhere.

Yeah, I know. The only reason he plays with that kind of dirty edge on a regular basis is because he's got plenty of guys that have his back. Guys like Lucic, Thornton, and Campbell up front are gritty, as well. I think we'll see the same relentless forechecking and physicality from Tootoo, but I don't think we'll see the antics after the whistles and stuff like that, for reasons you mentioned. I think he'll have to fight a little more than he usually does simply because he's Detroit's main guy in the fighting department.

At this point in time, I'd take Marchand over Franzen, as well. However, Marchand does a little too much diving and embellishing for my liking. Marchand reminds me of Pat Verbeek. Anyhow, Boston is gonna be one of the toughest teams in the league once again.

A lockout is inevitable, but I'll play along and act like there's still a chance we see the season start on time. When they announce the lockout, however, I'll absolutely freak out. Both sides are making millions, while millions in the US can't even find jobs at all. Quit acting like a bunch of princesses and play the damn game.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/20049212/john-madden-joins-canadiens-front-office- Another warrior gone from the game.

http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/blog/eye-on-hockey/20064807/zack-smith-signs-four-year-extension-with-senators Good signing for the Senators. Solid, versatile bottom 6 guy that can play a good 2-way game.

Agreed. I still don't understand Holland's reasoning behind that.

I'd like to talk to Datsyuk about having him persuade Holland to get McGrattan.

Signing this guy wouldn't be a dumb move for Detroit.

Obviously there's gonna be a Winter Classic.

How can he top last season's performance?

We'll see NHL hockey in time for the Winter Classic. There's far too much money and attention involved with the Winter Classic to miss it. However, it doesn't look like we'll see the season start on time. I'll reserve my absolute freakout rant for when it is announced that there will be a lockout.

Tootoo will be Detroit's main guy in the fighting department. You don't want your rookie defenseman in Smith fighting a whole ton, but he shouldn't shy away from it. Abdelkader is a secondary guy in games that get rough. He's not a good fighter, but he'll go from time to time. Forgot about Shaw. Scott Nichol could even be mentioned for St. Louis.

Jordin Tootoo.

Edmonton will be fun to watch. Hall-Nugent Hopkins-Eberle Smyth-Yakupov-Hemsky Jones-Horcoff-Gagner Eager-Belanger-Hordichuk Petrell J.Schultz-N.Schultz Whitney-Smid Sutton-Petry Peckham

The Reaves incident is a classic example of how you have to be ready for it if you're gonna skate up to a guy after he throws a hit. What did Reaves think was gonna happen? No, it wasn't the most honorable thing to do by Tootoo, but if I'm Reaves, I'm ready once I skate over to him. We'll probably see them drop the gloves this season. Tootoo had 5 fights in 77 games last year, but I think he'll get into around 10 fights this season, considering Detroit doesn't really have a McGrattan that Nashville had last season. Tootoo has plenty of options in the Central division, alone. Chicago has Dan Carcillo, Jamal Mayers, and Brandon Bollig. St. Louis has the previously mentioned Reaves. Nashville has McGrattan, but I doubt Tootoo ever fights him. Columbus has Jared Boll and Derek Dorsett. I think Tootoo gets into 5 fights against Central division opponents, alone.

I think he dove much more in the immediate years after the lockout, and hasn't been diving and embellishing as much, but he definitely has that reputation of being a dirty player. As I've said in other threads, I really hope he sticks to playing a relentless physical game without all the antics.

'Twas more of a joke than anything, my friend.

If Ken gets off his ass, we can have a lineup that looks like this to start the season: Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Simmonds Malone-Filppula-Nyquist Jones-Helm-Neil McGrattan-Beleskey-Tootoo Miller Kronwall-Volchenkov Jovanovski-Smith Vandermeer-Gudbranson

Well, we lost Lidstrom and got Mikael Samuelsson and Jordin Tootoo. We might make the playoffs.

Thanks for posting those. That kind of stuff is what has always annoyed me about him. Hard hitting, hard-working guy that can do it all. No reason to pull antics like that.

I haven't really been following the issue at all, so I'll ask you, do you think they'll get something done in time for the season to start?

In 2005, I thought "2012, hell, that's 7 years. Who cares about a lockout then. That's light years away" And here we are...

Yeah, he's still relatively young. Hopefully he doesn't flop this season, although I don't remember him doing it last year. He's done it in the past, though. I'm excited that we got someone that will consistently play physical and stir things up. Hopefully the league can get it together so the season can start on time.

Just get something done so we can start the season on time.