AIK'91

When Filppula came into the league, I remember some describing him as a hybrid between Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Now, I just don't think he has that high-end offensive potential--but who knows? He's shown two significant flashes of offensive greatness: now and in late '07 when he had 9 goals in 10 games on Datsyuk's wing. It's important to remember that Pav and Z never had the greatest shots either. And Fil's unwillingness to shoot almost mirrors Datsyuk's same unwillingness early on in his career. Even more, I actually think Filppula is a faster skater than either Datsyuk or Zetterberg. If he can be more assertive in creating scoring chances, perhaps the sky is the limit. He doesn't get knocked off the puck much anymore and is great at holding onto the puck and passing it off in the offensive zone. Additionally, he flat-out flies through the neutral zone. The only thing is that he seems to lack the poise and calmness that Datsyuk and Zetterberg have. He's always a little frantic on the ice. But, if everything in his game comes together, maybe it's not so absurd to suggest he can become at least a Datsyuk/Zetterberg lite--a 70 point player with great defensive instincts. And if he does somehow become as good at Dats/Hank, it sure would be awesome to have the Euro Triplets.

No kidding. It's kind of strange I'd rather play the likes of San Jose, Vancouver and Chicago than the bottom-feeders. At least you know the Wings are going to show up for 60 minutes.

I'm still pretty new here, so hopefully I'm not breaking an unwritten rule by creating a new topic--and a relatively irrelevant one at that. Anyways, in the past few days of Spring-like weather, every time I step outside, my mind immediately races to playoff hockey. Although we're obviously still battling for the playoffs this year, I was wondering if this happens to anyone else. Walking around campus today, it's like I often almost automatically start thinking about when the next playoff game begins. Then, of course, I realize it's only March. However, this is the first time I have ever lived outside of the metro-Detroit area (I go to college near Chicago), and I sadly realized I won't have anyone to take in and enjoy each and every game with. I guess that's why I joined this forum. To talk about hockey. Maybe not with live people, but at least with people that share a passion for the game of hockey. So I suppose what started out as a discussion about the correlation between the weather and playoff hockey has become an acknowledgment of our mutual bond. Hockey is such a niche sport that there aren't many casual fans to discuss it with. Before that used to bug me; but now, I can't say I mind much. When you talk with a hockey fan, like on these forums, you know you're likely talking to a die-hard follower of the game. That's why, to me, we're the greatest fans of the greatest sport in the world. So, in essence, thanks. Thanks for being hockey fans. I look forward to discussing whatever the Wings hold in store for us from here on out. (And now after rambling about nothing, I have to go back to studying for my final tomorrow)

In a way, the NHL would be calling penalties on itself. So that's how they've been doing so well lately. To answer your question though, he's been day-to-day with a lower-body injury since March 6th. The 'yotes are 6-0 since he's been out.

Wow. They're 7-1 after the Olympic break. That would be one hell of a story if they do top the West. I'm sure the owners of Team NHL Phoenix will be very happy.

Thanks for the welcome. I had a feeling I wasn't the only one who felt this way when the weather changes.

Yeah, you're right, I probably overstated it a little bit. I really meant, kind of like you said, he can't be counted on defensively in 5 on 5 situations against the other team's top players. Nevertheless, I still think his defensive zone coverage could use some work. He often gave his man too much open space and sometimes had trouble getting the puck out of the zone under pressure. This is pretty much exactly how I feel.

That's actually what I was alluding to in that post. I guess you got it, so I feel a little better now.

Exactly. Leino had the attitude that he was a "skilled player" and didn't have to work hard in the corners like a Darren Helm. From the small sample size of the Olympics, Zuccarello Aasen looks like a guy who can skate and is willing to go to the tough areas on the ice. Combine that with his obvious skill and I'm confident that he won't be another Leino.

You've been spoiled by watching the Wings over the years. Of course, skilled two-way forwards don't seem like a rare commodity when our team has been built around them for years now. Obviously, Filppula doesn't match up to Hudler's pure offensive skills. But, I'm sure most teams around the league would prefer a player solid at both ends of the ice over an offensive-minded PP specialist who's a liability defensively. Those are the types of players that help you win hockey games.

This is great news. After watching the Olympics, I was hoping Detroit would look into his availability. He was without a doubt Norway's best player. The puck just seemed to follow him around on the ice. He also played with an edge and didn't look out of place in high-traffic areas against NHL players. Personally, it would be interesting to see a player the exact same height as me playing on my favorite team. Then again, I really have no excuses now for not making it all the way. And to be honest, although he hasn't played a shift in the NHL (or even AHL) yet, I'm far more excited about the prospect of signing Zuccarello Aasen than the potential return of Jiri Hudler. Unlike Leino, this guy can skate and seems to work hard every shift. With the talent go with it, this guy could be an undrafted steal.

Thanks for the info. I wanted a Helm shirt in the playoffs last season. But, strangely enough, they seemed to go the fastest.

Hudler actually seemed to play with the likes of Filppula and Samuelsson for most of last season. He even got the occasional shift with Z and Mule. Well, not after the Anaheim series last year. He pretty much disappeared after that point. And unlike Filppula, if Hudler's not scoring, he's not doing much else to help the team. You could even call him a liability defensively. That's too much extrapolation. Hudler had a few opportunities on the top two lines, but always seemed to produce more when on the lower lines. Even though I thought Babcock often didn't give Hudler much of a chance, I can't say I blame him. Playing on the third and fourth lines, Hudler didn't have to match up against the other team's top defensemen. Additionally, he wouldn't have to help contain the top opposing forwards. Despite Hudler's world-class stickhandling, shot and offensive instincts, his lack of size and decent skating ability were too great to be placed on the top two lines. Really, Hudler is more or less a powerplay specialist and lower line point producer. He's not dynamic enough a player to carry a team on his back. From your post, I know you'll disagree, but even Filppula has a better chance of developing into a player that can, as Babcock is fond of saying, "drive the bus" here.

Didn't the Wings' nearly extend an offer sheet to Roberto Luongo in '06 when he was an RFA in Florida? It was just the trade to Vancouver that nixed the plan. In a cap world, I don't think offer sheets have nearly the same stigma around them as before (unless you talk to Brian Burke). The only thing is, if we ever send out an offer sheet, we would certainly have to overpay. I wouldn't mind overpaying for the likes of Nicklas Backstrom or Bobby Ryan, but we probably aren't in a good position for doing that this summer.

I think he's just going through a slump. Somewhat understandable since his linemates haven't been lighting the lamp either. Besides, like a lot of gritty players, I've always thought his game seems to be better suited for the playoffs anyways. On a side note, nobody's been talking about Kronwall. Aside from a few open-ice hits, he's been quietly...well, quiet, with only 3 points in 14 games (none on the PP) after returning from injury. Though he's gotten better the past few games (like the crossbar last night), he hasn't generated as much offense as we're normally used to seeing. I think it's kind of gone under the radar because Lidstrom and Rafalski have been producing, especially on the first PP unit. If Kronwall gets going, it should help the cause of the forwards out there with him, like Cleary at times on the 2nd PP or ES. If only everyone could play to their potential. But that's hockey I guess; different players carry the team at different points in time.

It's probably a better idea to focus on Pavel's postseason play after the lockout. He didn't really establish himself as a marquee player until until then. He had two excellent playoffs in '07 and the Cup year in '08. Against Edmonton in '06 he was rushed back from a severe charley horse, I believe. And obviously these last playoffs he was significantly injured as well. So really, when he hasn't been injured he's been a dominant player even in the playoffs. Much of Thornton's reputation is deserved. He tends to rack up assists early on in a series or when his team already has a sufficient lead in a game. But, when his team needs him most, he just disappears. Like when we played him in '07, Lidstrom made him a complete non-factor for the last few games of the series. Throw Datsyuk's defensive play into the mix, and that skews the comparison even more.

Though it's unlikely that any of our prospects have superstar potential, I think some of them like Tatar, Kindl, Nyquist and McCollum can certainly have a big impact at 'the show'. But since you asked for most unlikely, I'm going to go with this Swedish defenseman we drafted with the second-to-last pick in the '09 draft...Adam Almqvist. Apparently, he's got unbelievable hockey sense and tremendous instincts with the puck. He made the jump to Sweden's top league this season after tearing it up at a lower level. The reason we got him so low (pick no. 210, just like Zetterberg exactly 10 yrs. prior) was because of Hakan Andersson's strong recommendation, the fact that he's European and due to his extremely small stature. That sounds like a familiar storyline to me.

Detroit: Lilja Lebda Draper Buffalo: Matt Ellis

Thanks a lot for posting this. From watching just a few minutes of Games 5 and 6 against Pittsburgh, everything kind of rushes back. It's like you can recollect your exact emotions and anxiety level from that certain phase or shift in the game.

Sorry, my bad. I though you meant literally 'release' as in get rid of. As to whether Ozzie has anything left in him, the only way we'd really know this season is if Howard falters down the stretch somehow. Given the standings, I'm not really sure I want to know.

It seemed like Hudler didn't come back for the playoffs in '09 after the Anaheim series.

Even if we wanted to, we couldn't simply release him. It would have to be a waive/trade/buy-out since he still has another year on his contract. Besides, at a cap hit of just roughly 1.4M, what would be the point? We would still need to add another goalie--be it Daniel Larsson or some UFA. And most importantly, I don't get how so many fans want to rid the team of Ozzie. I don't want to start a debate here, but despite his regular season play after winning the Cup, this guy's only been arguably the league's best playoff goalie the past two seasons. It's not like he's a negative influence in the locker room. So even if Howard gets the nod in the playoffs (which right now looks pretty likely if we make it), we still have a Stanley Cup winner to come in relief. He showed last year that he can turn on a switch come April. Perhaps if he gets in a few games this next month, he could do the same if called upon later.

Right now, Zetterberg's shot total is good for 8th in the league. The bigger problem is that he hasn't been taking many quality shots for much of the season. For whatever reason, Z doesn't have that explosiveness right now or the same tenacity on the puck. He was never the greatest skater, but he used to always outhustle everyone in the offensive zone--leading to sustained pressure. Now his chances seem to be more or less one-and-done. On a side note, he wasn't at his best last regular season either. But we were winning games and nobody complained. It wasn't until the playoffs that he was a dominant force out there. Hopefully, he can turn it around here real quick. We're going to need Zetterberg in Conn Smythe form.

Even if Crosby was in the KHL, we'd still constantly hear about him every NBC game.

It seems like there have been three phases to Bertuzzi's season thus far. To start the year, he just seemed snakebit and was getting chances with only a lot of posts to show for it. But, it was really the first time in his career he seemed to have a solid commitment on the backcheck. Then, he obviously started that offensive tear on Pavel's line when everyone got injured. But now, he seems to be completely emotionally detached from the game. Not only is he not doing anything in the offensive zone, he seems to be floating around everywhere on the ice. I guess that's why he's always been as inconsistent as they come. But really, I'm more worried about Datsyuk and Franzen maintaining their recent play and for Z to somehow snap out of his funk.