kiwi wingnut

Zetterberg can retire whenever he damn well wants to.

My hope: Tatar gets 4.8m in arbitration. Proceeds to play lights out for us. Tatar gets traded pre-deadline to the Penguins, for their 2018 1st Penguins miss the playoffs, win the lottery. My dread: Tatar gets 5.1m in arbitration. Proceeds to play lights out for us. Kenny gives him a 6yr/6m extension We continue being 20th to 25th in the league, never winning the lottery. I'll keep hoping all the same - nothing wrong with misplaced positivity!

Well mine would be happy, because like Tatar, I am a contractor and that's the nature of contracting. But if I said it in a "I semi-resent having to fulfill this year of contracting while I wait for my (perceived) big payday that someone else will give me next year" sort of way, then that would be pretty unprofessional.

I can't recall exactly, was Nosek undrafted? Wouldn't a mid-round pick be just as likely to be Nosek or better, than not? Genuinely unsure, just asking. Also, I reckon post expansion draft Mrazek becomes infinitely more tradeable. Up till this point any other team if they traded for him would have had to protect him. Which current starter is he that much of an upgrade over? Post draft - teams looking for a tandem or a backup could take a swing on him.

would you pay a mid-round pick to PROTECT Nosek? Because in that case the price is the mid-round pick AND Mrazek (or whoever else they decided to choose). Or are you suggesting you would pay a mid-round pick for them to take a particular player? Look at who you'd want them to take. They would need a hell of a lot more than a mid-round pick to take the players we need to get rid of.

I must be the only person alive who is fine with Howard being protected? I fully get the arguments around asset (mis)management, but I think there is a whole human element not being mentioned or discussed. Howard came off a pretty bad season, worked his arse off, came back a much better player, held teams to zero goals over 60-65mins, while his team failed to score in front of him. And no complaints the following game he'd come back with more of the same. If I was his team-mate I'd have a truckload of respect for the man and his attitude, likewise if I was his boss. To me he has earned the right to be protected, especially looking through a lens of respect and integrity. Meanwhile the young kid with all the potential in the world, lets in 3-4 goals a game, and calls out his team-mates for not scoring enough? Who would you rather had your back when it came to the crunch? As stated, I agree not a good move in terms of asset management. But do we all forget that these are people & not just assets? That when they earn the respect of the peers, and management, they deserve it in return? I hope we keep Mrazek, but if we don't it ain't the end of the world. I'll still be cheering my damned team on.

Aren't these our Manthas, Larkins, Schevnikovs, Athanasious? Are they wasted picks?

Weird, that is what I hear every time some says "Ericsson".

Patrick Eaves has more points than Larkin, Nyquist, and Tatar. How in the hell...?

I must be right out of market in New Zealand, I can see all the games on game centre. Only downside is they're usually during work hours, so I rely on you guys for commentary. Oh and the 20 hour flight and a few thousand bucks if I fancy seeing a live game...

You'd happily put that line out for a D-zone start at an away game, knowing the home team have last change?

Well - there would be scoring. This much is true.

Tomas Jurco = -1 Anderson out = loss. Gustav Nyquist = -1 Pulkinen out = loss. Mike Green = -1 Smith = loss. Kronwall = -2 Lashoff in GR = loss. ...so many permutations to this fun game, all of them dumber than cement.

I've no right to comment, I only ever lurk here to get updates during games since in NZ we're at work at this time, and I am too lazy to ever contibute. But I have to say mate, as far as broken records go, you take the bacon as the most annoying ever. (Worth a ban, I'll take it)

Thank you! I would hate to use my once a year post to complain about grammar, definitely more fun using it to thank someone for stepping in and doing so... And on topic, man that sucks for Cole. I really liked the trade and was hoping for good things. Hope he recovers for the next season!

Isn't she the US of A?

You've probably not heard of our hockey down here because we have maybe 1500 players countrywide, though it is one of the fastest growing sports. The haka itself is a traditional war challenge, performed by the Maori, our indigenous people. We're pretty proud of our culture hence its incorporation into the sporting arena. I was privileged enough to perform the haka when I played for the NZ lacrosse team at the World Cup in Canada 2006. (Another minority sport with about 150 senior players in total!). There's the occasional uproar here about the overuse of the haka, but I reckon it's pretty cool, shows off our little country and gets people like yourselves who wouldn't otherwise know who we are talking about us!

I reckon this trade deserves a little respect. If it isn't made our centres for the next few weeks are Anderson, Sheahan, Glendenning, and Emmerton! That's a lets give up the season and tank it line up. Call me crazy but I'm glad to support an organization that doesn't just quit. None of us know what other teams were in on Legwand, if Jarnkrok was what was the Preds required to make it happen, so be it. He's a solid producer, and while we need D long term I'm happy we've got some help to get us to the dance. Bring back the big guns then, and we're a good looking team!

Hope you don't mind Flashy, but I liked the idea of the boys laughing at the boys as women (As disturbing as the whole thing is!) So Jim B, the goalie coach, now has a copy of the GDT pic in his inbox, to do his worst with later!

Feel you guys might like this update... After the Edmonton game, which was super loud and super fun and capped off a great "trip of a lifetime" to see the Wings, I went to a bar by the hotel for a beer. I was in the bathroom when this guy asked me about the game, said it was great, and he introduced himself, Jim Bedard, the Wings Goalie coach! So we talked a little, and I told him my story, I guess he thought it was a good one and he invited me along to their practice yesterday. It meant I had to change my flight back to Mexico and spring for another night in a hotel, but for a once in a life time opportunity, it was well worth it! So in the end I had a private tour of the Joe, met a bunch of the support staff, photos in the locker room, had a chat with Kyle Quincey who had spent 7 days in NZ on a kind of promotional USA vs Canada tour a couple of years back (he didn't play, it was all minor league guys, but was there as the meet a real live NHL guy). Waiting for the practice, Ken Holland (Super nice guy) came out and had a chat for a while, mainly about golfing in NZ. I hope he doesn't get to go golfing there until retirement, since to go in the right season we'd need to be knocked out of the playoffs... After practice Jim told me to wait in the locker room, so I got to sit around while the guys ripped into each other, I was especially glad to hear them all giving Brunner plenty of "you're lucky to be at the Wings man, best place ever", here's hoping he listens! Tootoo was sitting next to me shoulders all iced up so I asked, was it just general recovery or for something specific (hoping for general recovery). His answer was awesome! "oh just general soreness... shoulders, elbows, arms... knuckles......." Knuckles! Love it!!! Anyways, a fairy tale ending to an awesome first ever trip to the Joe Louis arena to see our beloved Red Wings. I reckon I'll never be able to thank Jim enough for opportunity, Everyone I met, the support staff, the admin guys, all the way to Ken H, were wicked nice people. We're lucky to be fans of such a fantastic organisation.

Way cool WA! I too hope you're going tomorrow, I'll be there and will have to hunt you down to call you a lucky b*****d in person!

This is pretty much true - Aussie has a pretty strong National League already, Melbourne where I was based would sell out the National league games, I think around 1500 spectators. Also hosted the Div II world champs with Oz, NZ, Serbia, and the juggernauts of hockey, Mexico, Belgium, and Nth Korea. Also they are starting to get a couple of young good juniors from the US or Canada to play in the National League teams. So it is only going to get stronger. NZ is a bit behind, but I can see it catching up, the bottom half of the country has a climate similar to Detroit I guess, so winter sports in general are really taking off. Also we love beating Aussies - so I guarantee there are a bunch of people working very hard to get us to that level!

Oh, and as for Oz & NZ being nations to develop the sport, from my experience playing there, we have a ton of guys who keep tripping up on that pesky blue line, and generally fall over randomly. Played against a guy who's nickname was "Tumbledown" in fact. Well earned. Anyway - the next Dan Cleary will come from Australia or New Zealand. Bank on it kids...

Sorry didn't have internet phone stuff all set up. But that was brilliant - well worth the effort! Apart from the awesomeness of being at the Joe, watching the Wings, it really is quite a different game to watch live. I have decided I love watching the 3rd and 4th lines, they just seem to give 100% every time. Okay their 100% is like Dats on 20% but it's a lot of fun. Probably I am biased though, as a player I suck big time, but I do try, like, really really hard... Howard looked really good, Brunner was fun to watch, Datsyuk's line as we all know, was like a supergroup with Hendrix, Beiber, and Hannah Montana. Hendrix would still rock, but you'd spend the night wanting to punch the other two in the face. That being said, Abby is now my new favourite player anyway, because I bought a mystery signed puck for the Breast Cancer Research fundraising night. And since I now have his signature, I am forced to rate him... Awesome Awesome night. If any other folk from afar are planning a trip to the JLA one day - just do it!!! (ps - yes McCaw (The Stevie Y of Rugby) still does play for the Crusaders - though I couldn't tell you the last time I watched a Crusaders game. I lived in Aussie for a few years, and they don't really give a damn about the game!)