kipwinger

I'm with you lock step on this one. I have no idea why anyone thinks Yzerman should be our GM. Oh wait, yes I do.

That's actually pretty funny. It's hard to tell whether he was pointing out that the BJs were winning, or sincerely trying to explain to Abby that there's such a thing as a score board, and that it's good to know about and contribute to it.

I didn't watch the end of this one, what did Prospal do to piss everyone off?

greeeeaaaaaaatttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!

I wouldn't be so sure. He'd never be able to maintain his reputation as a big hardass if he admitted he was wrong about something.

Franzen on the PK? Why?

Did I miss a memo? Is it against the rules for anyone else to shoot on the PP aside from Kronwall?

It's not really an advantage over anyone aside from maybe Kindl, who's player better in every other way. Kronwall is a lefty but he's scoring like gangbusters, Smith is a righty and is bigger and more athletic. And the other guys are defensive defensemen and therefore not interchangeable with White. So essentially he's competing with Kindl, who's bigger, faster, stronger, hits harder, and is scoring more this season. If a righty is worth all that to Babs or Holland they need to retire.

I must be in the minority here because I don't care if I ever see Ian White play for this team again. Not because I have anything against White, but because he's not really better at anything than anybody else in our lineup is.

For me it's a mixed bag. On the one hand I'm happy to see the young guys step up and prove their worth. On the other, it's going to be even more disappointing when they get sent back down because they're on two-way contracts and our roster is going to be full.

Welcome to the champagne room Mr. Murry, we've arranged a seat for you right next to Chuck Fletcher in the VIP section for your enjoyment. I'd offer you a drink but we've been informed that you have no interest in holding a cup anytime soon.

Didn't Mike Millbury climb into the stands and beat a fan with his own shoe? I'm glad that this kid got banned for life, but to romanticize the past and act like some players weren't just a stupid and disrespectful in yesteryear is sort of short sighted. Screw this kid, and screw every other idiot who gives the game a bad name, past or present.

Yeah I saw it, it was a typical play where Ovi was driving the net hard and had a step on the defenseman and when Ovi slowed up to make his move on the goalie the backchecking d-man ran him into the net. It wasn't particularly dirty or anything, and the only thing that stood out to me on the play was that Ovechkin layed on the ice for a minute like a pansy trying to draw a penalty, which should come as no surprise to anyone. Otherwise it was all pretty routine. I saw Kindl do the same thing to someone a couple of weeks ago without any big to-do.

I like Paajarvi and Stafford. I think you're picking up what I'm laying down. I don't just want to throw away good prospects for older guys, that's not what I have in mind But I think there are options that put us in a good position going forward this season, as well as the next couple, and while we'd lose a good prospect or two, the loss wouldn't be devastating down the line.

Har har. Now if you'll turn your attention to the standings you notice that the wings are currently tied for third place in the Western Conference and have beaten every other ranked team below us (aside from Phoenix whom we haven't played yet). We've also taken Chicago to overtime twice in two of the tougher games they've played all season. How is it that I'm having a hard time convincing people that we actually have a competitive team? Read it again, I said Nyquist or Tatar and a pick would get someone better than Ryder, but I think a guy like Ryder would help...if he could be had more cheaply. I was just using him as an example of a winger (not converted center) who can finish plays when his centers set him up.

The fact that they seem to win in spite of the absurd lineups Babcock seems to favor.

Oh he's good in front of the net huh? What gives you that idea, his stats? His line mates' diminished numbers? The second PP units' success so far? He's not good in front of the net, he's just big. He's never been a useful offensive contributor, regardless of where he plays. Also, just because you're big doesn't mean you'll be good in front of the net or vice versa. Ryan Smyth and Dino were small and very effective in that role. Abby is big and terrible. Try someone else.

Does Babs think that if he wishes it hard enough, Abby will magically score a goal one day? Why the f*** is he on the PP?

Well in other threads I've been clearer than I perhaps was here. I'd make the moves because I think you could get better than a Michael Ryder as long as you were willing to part with Nyquist or Tatar, and while those guys are good players, I don't think they're integral to the future of the team. Not nearly so much as Jurco, Sproul, Jarnkrok, Frk, Oullet, and Mrazek are. Also, all of my post was predicated on getting healthy as well. Basically in my ideal scenario we'd be "adding" something like Volchenkov (or Regehr, Smid, Murray), a top six winger (I like Blake Wheeler and Nino Niederrieter), as well as Helm, Sammy, and maybe Bert. All of those additions would make us as competitive as any team in the league in my opinion. Still a very thought out post from you though, which is kinda nice.

the odds aren't as good as past years, but they're probably better than future years. As I said, we might very soon find ourselves without Datsyuk and Filppula and an aging Franzen, Zetterberg, and Kronwall. I don't expect any blockbuster trade or anything, but I would like to see Datsyuk get a legit winger (not converted center), and another defenseman. Then we're very likely to make the playoffs, and combined with getting some guys healthy, we could very well go on a run. Two years from now I'm not so sure. Finally, replace any three guys you want with Tatar, Nyquist, and Andersson and we might be a marginally better team, but without another acquisition or two we're still not over the hump. These kids are good, but they aren't nearly good enough to take over games yet.

I disagree with a lot of what both of you are saying. I legitimately think we are a piece or two from being as competitive as any team in the league. A big minute stay at home defenseman, and a top six winger like a Michael Ryder type (not him specifically) would improve this team a lot. Then with Helm back we'd have a pretty solid team. I don't like the idea of stock piling picks because that essentially throws this season away as well as the next couple (until picks and prospects mature). By that time Datsyuk and Filppula may be long gone, Zetterberg will be on the decline, as will Franzen and Kronwall. In two or three years we might find we're further away from winning a cup then we are right now.

I'm going to repost something I said earlier because I think that there's a way that we can acquire some useful pieces for a playoff run and still maintain our picks. I'm curious to know what you think about it though. "I disagree that we don't have anything to trade, we've got a lot to trade in terms of picks and prospects, and considering the cap is going down next year picks and prospects (that have shown something) are more valuable than ever. Take a team like New Jersey for example, they have to resign Elias, Zidlicky, Clarkson, Henrique, Ponikarovsky, Liktionov, and they're going to have less cap space to do it. Surely, they'd consider moving Volchenkov and his 4.5 million dollar cap hit in order to facilitate that. Especially considering they've already got a glut of NHL ready defensemen. Tatar and a 3rd would come close to getting it done. They'd get a pick and a cheap winger who can contribute immediately, we'd get a top four defenseman to play with Kronwall, and we'd lose a good prospect but not one who's integral to the future of this team. Then we move White or whoever to replace the pick we lost. " In this case I only looked at New Jersey, but I'm sure there are plenty of teams that have to resign core guys and who would be willing to part with non-core guys in order to clear up some money to do so. I think the cap going down next year is our biggest ally because it makes picks and prospects that much more valuable to teams at this year's deadline.

I actually thought he looked good last year too. And the year before that as a matter of fact. Each guy is different and responds differently to various coaching systems. I think Kindl is a guy who doesn't do well if he's in and out of the lineup on a nightly basis. He's always had all of the tools, it was just a matter of letting him settle down and find his game. Also, I think that Babcock tends to try and make players into things they aren't all the time. In the case of Kindl, you've got a guy who excels in the transition game, but Babs was really trying hard to make him into a stay at home type of guy, which under utilizes his skating ability, shot, and puck handling skills. All of which are what got him to the NHL in addition to his size.

That's another thing I've been saying. A stay at home type of d-man, with a top six rental and we're looking really good heading into the playoffs. I would add that it doesn't even really need to be a "star" top sixer. Just a serviceable winger that can finish when one of our elite centers gets him the puck. Someone like what the Habs got in Michael Ryder, or Blake Wheeler, or someone like that. I'd also be very interested in seeing Holland take a chance on Nino Neiderreiter from the Isles. He hasn't proven anything in his very short stints with the big club, but he's got size and skill and is tearing up the AHL in goal scoring. It's riskier than the others, but I'd still be pretty happy with the move.

These are both names I've mentioned before and guys I would absolutely love to see on this team. There are always a ton of guys like this that can be had relatively cheaply. Defensemen start getting expensive when they put up a ton of points. A stay at home guy who doesn't score much (especially one with size) would make the Wings harder to play against, and wouldn't cost much at all.