kliq

Interesting, but not telling at all. Could be Babs telling Holland he is going elsewhere, could be to negotiate, could be to sign a contract.

I agree with the entire second part of your post. For whatever reason, people don't want to give our kids any credit and take shots at them any chance they get. Babcock had a very good roster to work with last year. Elite, No......Good, yes. The only thing I disagree with to a degree is what I put in bold. While he did have a year to decide whether or not he wanted to be in Detroit, he really didn't have an opportunity to see what else is out there. To fairly assess your options, you need to speak with other teams, hear their pitch and see where they want to go moving forward. Personally I feel that is what he is doing right now, and I don't see how people can fault him for it. The media has been ridiculously annoying with it, that I admit, but I don't think Babcock has done anything wrong.

Really......Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Tatar, and Nyquist are mediocre? Saying things like this just kill your credibility.

Agreed. Plus, you cant blame him for the media. All he did was grant one interview which is IMO is no big deal.

Agreed. They have won 1 playoff series since 2003, and they have been eliminated in the first round to lower seeded teams 3 straight years. We have accomplished more in the past 4 years then the Blues while rebuilding. But hey....they're big.

Buffalo has made the playoffs 2 times in the last 8 years, in the time they have made a plethora of poor signings, they haven't developed much talent, and many people say they just got robbed in a trade with Winnipeg (I have read you ripping this trade many times Frank). Do they have a lot of young talent....yes. Could that talent develop into something special.....of course. But I think its fair for people to call them a mess until they actually take that young talent and develop it. You cant say a franchise is turned around based on potential. At the risk of sounding like a homer, they are not the Red Wings, they don't exactly have a track record of winning. A lot of people are ready to appoint Eichel as the savior in Buffalo, but realistically he is just one 18 year old kid. Don't forget, for every Crosby there is a Daige. Not saying he is a Daige because I dont think he is, but from Babcocks perspective, Buffalo is a risk.

Just watched the special, I dont think Babs comes off bad at all. The guy has done NOTHING wrong. If people are pissed about this, get mad at the media. I think he did the interview to hopefully get the media to leave him alone.

Your original statement was not about how we need "local hero's". You said we have enough euros, and that we needed a gritty big bodied hard nosed player, preferable a defender. That statement implies that you don't think "Euro's" can be gritty big bodied hard nosed players. My point was that I want the best player available, and that ethnicity should have nothing to do with it. I would love that type of D-man, but if someone fitting that description comes our way, I think its silly to turn him away because he's European.

Frank, what do you think is going on right now? We CURRENTLY in the middle of a rebuild. Just look at our roster, I feel like I keep repeating myself. Nquist, Tatar, Jurco, Marchenko, Ouellet, Smith, DD, Sproul, Mantha, Larkin, Pulkkinen, Mrazek, Sheahan, etc. If you dont like our young players, that's your opinion and you are entitled to it. But, I dont understand how you dont see it. Sure its not a complete re-build Ala Edmonton, but who the hell wants to do it that way. A smooth transition where your older vets show the kids the ropes, giving the kids playoff experience every year IMO is a pretty good method.

Maybe you don't but I guarantee some do.

No, people getting so riled up that they want the Wings to lose just to prove a point, is taking things to seriously lol. Completely agree with you on the interview thing though.

I am shocked that people that call themselves Red Wing fans, are actually hoping that if Babcock leaves, the Wings fail just to prove a point on a message board that Babcock was a good coach. If you care more about "being right" then the Wings being successful, I don't think you are that big of a fan. I hope Babs stays as I think he's a great coach. But if he leaves, I still want us to win. I care more about the Wings as a whole, then Babcock as an individual..

I'm not against bringing in a hard nosed young defender, I just don't think his ethnicity or place of birth should matter. Lidstrom, The Russian Five, Holmstrom, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Kronwall etc. the list goes on and on. European players can form a connection with the fans and create an identity just as well as North American players. Of all fan bases, ours should know this.

Ouch....completely agree. Buying him out would be dumb.

I would rather try to trade him. If we buy him out, I believe a percentage of his cap hit counts against the cap for the next 3 years.

I don't care what ethnicity a player is, let's get a player who has a skill set that compliments this team. I would take a Holmstrom or Konstantinov in their prime over 99% of the gritty Americans or Canadians out there.

I didnt say it was good, bad, clean, or dirty. I just said it was different then the Kronwall hit.

It really wasn't anything like Kronwall's hit. He didnt leave his feet at all, and he got him with his tricep. Kerry Fraser break's it down in this article: http://www.tsn.ca/c-mon-ref-a-look-at-orpik-s-hit-on-boyle-1.282889

LOL I agree. I'm just curious what it has to say.

Did anyone read the ESPN article about the key to Babcock's decision being Dylan Larkin? Its an ESPN insider article, so I couldnt read it.

I'm pretty sure this is right.

Aren't all NHL players, coaches etc. paid in US funds?

We were ranked #17

I think Nyquist & Tatar will top the 35 goal mark.

What Slovakian deluge?