kipwinger

I agree with most of your assessments Crymson. I mostly focused on the young guys, and you're right, Mantha and Jarnkrok were overwhelmed while Ferraro and Almquist did well for themselves. Mrazek looked good, and actually I thought he faced tougher shots than did Howard (except on Sutter's goal). In response to other posters: the homer announcers didn't call Tatar's goal an interference. It was a clean goal and they recognized it as such. Also, Smith did not "try to go with Crosby", Crosby upended Smith on a non-penalty play and Smith tried to get in Cindy's face about it. Crosby dusted him off the way any veteran superstar would if an unknown kid tried to challenge you on a legal play.

I'm hoping I can find a stream somewhere. I'm really itching to see Alfie and Weiss. The other squad looked real good last night. I think my favorite part of the exhibition games is watching the young guns and trying to pick up on their tendencies. Last night I tried to zero in on Mantha and Jarnkrok, tonight (if I can find it) I want a look at Sproul, Ouellet, and Frk.

I think this is actually a really good fit for both parties. NJ needs scoring and because they're already full of solid, two way players, Brunner's defensive lapses won't be the end of the world (while he continues to learn).

This kid is lethal from the point, atta boy Almquist!

Laser of a shot by Almquist, atta boy kid.

Everybody doing ok as far as watching the game goes? If not, PM me.

Too bad Cleary is absolutely, positively, without a doubt going to bump Tatar off the roster. Am I right, reactionary half of the LGW community?

I completely agree with you, there's a couple of guys with GR that I am really excited about. And I think that we definitely will see some names come off the books in the next two years so we're good there. I saw previously you'd posted about Frk and Jurco and I think those are the two I'm most excited about as well. I see Frk as a Vanek type player, and I can't remember the last guy Detroit had with that kind of size and skill combination. Hossa I guess.

Well I've generally tended to believe that Abby doesn't have enough upside as a point producer to justify his top six presence, and that may well turn out to be the case. However, everyone in the organization seems to believe that he still has another level to his game. So I don't really see the problem with putting him up there. If he works out, great. If not, Bert, Sammy, or Cleary can do the job until someone better comes along. Personally, I still think Bertuzzi can be dangerous in the right role. He can hang on to the puck down low, he passes well, he's serviceable defensively, and he'll go to the high traffic areas. On a line with Z and D he'd give you 10-15 goals, and 20+ assists. For me those are fine numbers for your third forward on the top line.

I think this whole "overripe" things sort of ebbs and flows depending on the composition of the team. I mean, for the last five or six years it's certainly been the case, but only because the team had a pretty solid nucleus of young(ish) players already in place. So there were fewer spots up for grabs. But prior to that, we brought along prospects relatively quickly. Zetterberg, Helm, Abdelkader, Hudler and Filppula were all 22 when they started seeing regular time with the big club. Datsyuk was older when he started the development process to begin with, and was already playing pro hockey when drafted, so no over development there . Ericsson, Howard, Kronwall, and Kindl where all older when they finally got their starts, but as noted time and again, goalies and defensemen take longer to develop than do forwards.

Haha, I'd imagine even if we caught you slow roasting a crow with stuffing and potatoes in the oven you'd still try to find a way around it. I suppose it's part of your charm.

What? Ken Holland said Tatar will be on the team in spite of what all the doomsday prophets around here said was going to happen? Anybody willing to eat a little crow publicly or no?

Of the forwards you listed, Jurco is a lock for a top six spot one day, and Sheahan will probably play a bottom six role. They're the only two with the necessary size and skill for me to feel comfortable predicting their futures. All the rest have question marks. Defensively, Sproul and Ouellet are pretty safe bets, while Nedomlel is, was, and will continue to be my darkhorse candidate.

Quality YOLO reference. Wish I could like this more than once.

Stinking irrelevant GMs. Holland is horrible. What kind of a loser signs Stephen Weiss, Daniel Alfredsson, Gustav Nyquist, Joakim Andersson, Brendan Smith, and Dan Cleary to below market value contracts, ALL IN THE SAME OFFSEASON?!!!!! This guy needs to hit the bricks.

Explain to me why it has to be one of those two options and not an Eaves trade, or a Tootoo trade, or some package of trades? We're 2.3 million over the cap. Trade Tootoo (1.9 million) and Lashoff (725,000) and we're cap compliant. Trade Eaves and put Helm on LTIR and we're cap compliant. Trade Eaves, put Helm on LTIR, and waive Sammy and Tootoo and we're cap AND roster compliant. There are a bunch of different scenarios to be played out, so why is it you're so sure that this will effect Nyquist or Tatar and nobody else?

Let's just say that Holland signed Cleary because a trade was already in the works. One of two things is going to happen. Either A) the players going out equal what we've brought in (Cleary's 1.75 plus the 600,000 we were already over the cap) and therefore Nyquist and Tatar are safe (since they don't make that much). Or, B) Nyquist and/or Tatar are part of the trade, which would mean the piece coming back is pretty good considering you don't throw away your best prospects for nothing. I'm fine with either scenario.

Good god, by the talk around here you'd think Babcock or Holland already came out and said Tatar will certainly be gone. Why is it that everyone thinks this will adversely affect Tatar and not Eaves, Tootoo, Miller, Bertuzzi, or Samuelsson? Oh I know, because as the last 10+ years of free agency and trade deadlines have shown us, the Detroit Red Wings constantly throw away quality prospects right? Kinda jumping the gun aren't we guys?

I don't see why it's assumed that Tatar (of all people) is going to lose his spot to Cleary. Tatar isn't going anywhere, he can't be sent down and the Wings aren't going to lose him for nothing via waivers. This is mostly going to affect Tootoo and Eaves, and as I've already stated, Cleary is better than both. This is a positive guys and gals.

I wish Sammy was gone as much as the next guy, but at this point I don't see it...sadly. I really like Eaves and Tootoo, but of the two I'd prefer to keep Eaves. Having said all that, I'm still VERY excited about that lineup.

I'm sorry, I guess I don't get the anger. We got a player of Cleary's caliber for less than we're paying Tootoo? Even if he plays all season on the fourth line we're better off with this happening. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'd MUCH rather have Cleary in the lineup than Tootoo or Eaves...and now he's the same price. Good signing. Ideally, here's my lines. Z-Dats-Abby Alfie-Weiss-Franzen Tatar-Andersson-Nyquist Cleary-Helm-Miller Sammy/Bert Sadly, goodbye Eaves, Tootoo, and Emmerton (unless Helm is still hurt).

Hey, I feel you buddy. But unfortunately he, Eaves, and Emmerton are the odd men out barring injuries.

Z-Dats-Abby Alfie-Weiss-Franzen Tatar-Andersson-Nyquist Cleary-Helm-Miller Bertuzzi/Sammy To answer your question...no.

What an unbelievably bad contract for a guy who, while great in the past, seems to be declining pretty rapidly. That term is brutal.

Sooo...Tim Thomas is taking two seasons off then? I didn't think he could get any further from the hockey spotlight than he did last season, but then again, Tim Thomas never stops surprising me.