Radic

That isn't your argument at all. You've said that: 1. Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the NHL. You referenced past performance. 2. Any team would sign Lidstrom to a five year deal at his current age. Now you're backing off and saying that hes declining with age. Which if is the case, its very easy to suggest that hes not the best defenseman in the league. Unless you're one of the blatant homers who honestly believed that Lidstrom was leaps and bounds ahead of Neidermeyer and Pronger and is just staring to come back down to Earth. If that is the case, than this argument is over.

Reference Holmstrom's numbers from three years ago and justify his presence on the top line. Its a meaningless argument. Teams don't sign players based on past performance.

A simple comparison of Atlanta's top six vs Washington's top six is all that is necessary. Of course those facts are completely ignored since you feel the need to troll your boat for the sake of disagreeing.

Kindl and Kolosov or at the very worst Meech isn't ready to play bottom pairing minutes? Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Leino Cleary-Zetterberg-Franzen X-Filppula-Abdelkader X-Draper-Helm Ericsson-Rafalski Stuart-Lilja/Kolosov Kindl-Meech Osgood Better backup Oh lords how ever will we compete?

Don't ever use "We'll" like "We're" on the same playing field. Take a break from watching on Wings broadcasts and take a look at other teams around the NHL. Kovalchuk scores 50+ playing on the worst team in the conference, while Ovechkin scores 60 playing on the best. Its not really a debate.

"A deal" is not a five year deal. Theres no doubt that Lidstrom could sign a one year deal with plenty of teams. Very few would be willing to go multiple years. Its OK though, its the Red Wings. Players never get worse and if they do people reference awards they won a decade ago to justify calling them the best in the game.

Yes and Nick Lidstrom is the best defenseman in the league.. Compare Ovechkin's supporting cast with Kovalchuk's supporting cast(last season). Kovalchuk can score 55 with third liners. On the ther hand Ovechkin scores 60 with one of the best playmakers in the game.

We've seen our defensive depth at work and it resulted in losing Quincey for nothing. For the next three seasons we'll have: Rafalski Ericsson Stuart Lilja And we have these prospects waiting for a shot: Kindl Smith Kolosov Almqvist(Who is looking like a steal of Ericsson proportions) Fournier

You're just being a homer. No team in the league is offering Lidstrom a 5 year $30 million dollar deal(discount) at the age of 40. Only Detroit and the Rangers pay for past performance.

Kronwall is 29 years old... he isn't replacing anyone. And no, the trade proposed was either Flip OR Kronwall, a prospect and two first rounders. How dare we give up that amazing depth of one roster player and three players not even in Detroit for the best goal scorer in the league that has shown on various occassions a natural chemistry with our #1 center.

You must have missed the part where he lost the puck in his feet infront of Osgood and led to a scoring chance.. or the numerous turn overs or the odd man rushes caused by pinching and or looking for a hit. Kronwall is an offensive defenseman who sometimes hits.

Different teams have different needs and people would offer a hell of a lot more for Chara than they would for a year of services with Lidstrom. Pronger and Neidermeyer would get better trade offers because they're younger and would offer more to a potential team. With as highly as you rate Lidstrom, you make it seem like if he were a free agent tomorrow he could sign a five year deal at age 40. His play has gone down hill, it started two seasons ago but was only realized when Chara won the Norris.

Kronwall was looked upon as "a" replacement before it was realized that he will never be a #1 in this league. And really, its pointless to argue the defensive abilities of our two worst defensive players (Rafalski and Kronwall). If Detroit was as confident in Little Nick as yourself, Rafalski wouldn't have been needed. 3-4 years of Rafalski is more than enough time for Kindl, Smith, Kolosov and others to move up the depth charts and by that time Ericsson will be better than Kronwall has ever shown. Kronwall isn't that guy.

Past performance dictates current value? Datsyuk gets paid less and does more for the team. $8 million puts Lidstrom in the top five paid players in the league, when in fact he is not a top five player in the league.

#3 center or #4 defenseman, plus a prospect, plus three picks for Kovalchuk locked up. Yes, crazy.

How does moving our fourth best defenseman, who is already being outplayed by Big E, a shot to our defense? Kovalchuk plays the point on the PP, better than any defenseman, hes right handed too. I referenced the "Big trades" of the last decade and none of them were even close to what you guys are suggesting it would take to get Kovalchuk. A guy who has made it clear that if hes not happy, he wants out. This isn't Crosby or Ovechkin.. Kovalchuk doesn't draw.

Lidstrom's replacement is Brian Rafalski. And thus just in, Ilya Kovalchuk isn't even 30 yet. How is trading a #3 defenseman who has never lived up to his potential and forced Holland to sign Rafalski, for Kovalchuk a problem? And apparently not many people actually understand LTIR. Every day that Franzen is out, that salary can be used for another player. Morrow was out six months, Markov is going to be out till the playoffs and Kopecky and Kronwall both sat an entire year almost. But miraculously, Franzen is going to heal up in three months. If Holland can swing a deal for Kovalchuk and the cost is making Franzen sit out an extra month and only skate in practice hes going to do it.

Heatley trade #1: Hossa, Greg Devries Thornton: Sturm, Primeau, Stuart Hossa: A first 20th overall/ Esposito, Colby Armstrong, Christenssen and a first. Don't forget, the Thrash also got Dupuis. Heatley trade #2: Cheechoo, Michalek and a 2nd. People are severely overrating the packages teams would present for Kovalchuk. If he were worth three firsts, a top prospect and a roster player teams would have poached him via offer sheet years ago. Kronwall/Flip and a prospect plus a two first rounders. For Kovalchuk's rights? Sounds fine by me.

Datsyuk and Zetterberg play four minutes less a game than Ovechkin, Crosby, Malkin and Kovalchuk yet can put up 90+ points. They could handle extra PP time together and give the extra PK time to the lesser forwards because we don't need Z or Datsyuk getting hurt blocking shots.

If by "tighten up" you mean play the trap circa 1995 sure. Because with the forward line combination in their current form, puck possession doesn't exist. And it doesn't help on the backend when you have Kronwall pinching constantly or making gaffs in his own end. Or having Meech give away the puck every time hes pressured. Or Rafalski, instead of clearing the puck off the boards or glass always finds a reason to skate it behind the goal line, get pressured and give the puck back. Osgood has played pretty well but its time to take a serious look at this defensive core as an entire unit. Raffy and Kronwall are just brutal in their own end.

We have Maltby, Holmstrom, Howard, Bertuzzi and Williams coming off the books next season. There is also the possibility of Lidstrom retiring. All it would take is moving only the salary of Kronwall in a trade for Kovalchuk and Franzen being on LTIR for the majority if not all of the season. If Atlanta trades Kovalchuk and its not a sign in trade than they're not going to get some blockbuster package that everyone acts like they would. If they're trading Kovalchuk to a team with the understanding he signs a long term extension, then yes of course they'll get a decent package. There are very few contending teams going into next season with as much cap space as Detroit.

Team defense starts with the forwards. Kronwall, Rafalski, Lebda, Meech are not defensive specialists. They're puck movers. Last nights game was so close because everyone was making terrible passes out of their own zone and in the neutral zone. Franzen getting injured just means that there will be even less chemistry on lines and it'll look like a bigger mess. Expect dump and chase hockey unless they pair the Euro twins back together.

Its not a good thing.. since Babcock is unable to make lineup changes ever unless his hand is forced. So now Datsyuk is going to be playing with Homer and someone else that will do nothing with his passes. Zetterberg will be stuck with two offensive anchors on his line(Cleary, Bertuzzi) and the third line will continue to role. Datsyuk and Zetterberg should have never been separated a year and a half ago but its Mike's wet dream.

For Lidstrom's contract to be a "Steal" he'd have to be scoring 100 points and 30 goals, as a defenseman. Hes paid perfectly fine and possibly more than he should be.

Franzen tore his ACL. Even if by some miracle he comes back before the playoffs, he wont be in game shape. If Holland can get Kovalchuk he would obviously sit Franzen until the playoffs. And this isn't a panic button, its the perfect opportunity to get possibly the best goal scorer in the league for a legitimate shot at the cup. Kovalchuk-Datsyuk-Pylon Cleary-Zetterberg-Franzen Very solid top six, possibly the best in the league.