jroc86

J.Thornton-Crosby-Kesler Burrows-Malkin- Kunitz Pavelski-Couture-Setoguchi Ribeiro-Lapierre-Cooke -Talbot/Eager Pronger-Bieksa Suter-Quincey (lol) Orpik-Jackman

Retool. Keep the core, bring in a few kids this year, a few kids next year, and try and pick up a stud free agent and a few "Stop-gaps". Brunner, Nyquist, Smith this year. If injuries become a concern or a slump happens Tatar and Anderson and Sheahan should also be given opportunties to get games. Sing Danny Dekeyser this summer. If Edler becomes available jump on him ... if Getz/Perry/Iginla are up for UFA I could see Babs and Kenny having some pull with them after their 10' Olympic experience together. Of course a move like that would neccesitate unloading cap-space or losing a guy like Filpula which I wouldnt want to see. If it evident we really need some size/toughness/stay-home presence on defense Regehr or D Murray should be available for pretty cheap next summer as well. Hopefully Pukkinen, Jarnkrok, Sproul, and Oulette all mature quickly and 2-3 of them are on the team in 2 years.

Minnesota wont drop Heatley. Cullen and Bouchard will be axed first.

Bert. Being a BC guy when I was a kid he was like a superhero for a few yrs when I was in highschool ... fact that he got traded to my favorite team just made it that much cooler. Bert looks like one of the quiet insightful guys who's probably down to earth and cool as hell - plus I throw down the beers like nobodys business and Bert can probably handle his pops pretty effectively as well.

*my lineup should have had a disclaimer - I was assuming Brunner and Nyquist adjust to the NHL level quickly and can play top 6 roles. They are small, skilled, euros with top6 upside and we have a team that needs to get younger. We need to start giving guys a chance so that when Bert/Sammy/Cleary/Pav (f*** I hope not) are gone in 2 years we arent throwing a bunch of kids into the fire without having as many capable vets playing with them and showing them the ropes. 1) Babcock has stated Brunner will be given a shot at a top 6 role to startthe season. Hes 26 yr old rookie finesse player ... its sink or swim and yes, he will be playing with Dats or Z a fair bit until he proves he isnt up to the task. 2) Nyquist is similar ... small, fast, skilled forward who by most indications looks like he'll be an effective offensive player at the NHL level. No point burying him on the 4th line if he cant cut it yet. 3) Filpula as the 3rd line center isnt a demotion by any means and its just an idea to spread the offense out over 3 lines (assuming Nyquist and Brunner are producing and we have enough weapons to do so). Sammy is still effective and it seems everyones forgotten how good Cleary can be when he has 2 good legs. Im just saying that that having 3 centers that are offensive threats instead of 2 gives us more looks and makes us harder to defend against. I like Helm ALLOT and hes a great 3rd line center and have no issue if he fills that spot again this year especially after the proven chemistry established last year with Filp and Z. Adbelkader ... I have always preferred as a winger. His hockey IQ isnt that great and the simpler position where hes free to run rampant on defensemen on the forecheck more IMO suits his skillset better at the NHL level. Helm flanked with Tootoo and Adbelakder would be an total nightmare to play against and could be one of the better shutdown lines in the league I think.

If we could reset the career of a current Red Wing id have it be Franzen to pre-ACL tear to restore his speed/compete/intensity. Watching the 2009 WCF games vs Chi these last few days and he just doesn't have that extra gear anymore or just doesnt play with that wreckless pursuit of the puck. That injury can take allot out of a player in any sport ... he's still good, but that "edge" hasnt been consistently present in a long time.

Better than most are giving us credit for. D is pretty weak - but a stopgap UFA addition should give us a good enough Dcore to keep us competitive back there. If where that awful Kenny will make a deadline deal if were in the PO picture. Forwards are good - if Brunner and Nyquist elevate and produce we could have the deepest offensive corps since 2009 IMO. Watching the WCF today on NHL network - Cleary was so bad this year on one leg it was too easy to forget how good he is when healthy. If he has another few good years left now that hes healthy and he can return to that level Ill be thrilled. Heres what Id like. Nyquist Datsyuk Bertuzzi Franzen Zetterberg Brunner Cleary Filpula Samulsen Adbelkader Helm Tootoo *Brunner, Bert, and Sammy all can go up and down those top 3 right Wings as Babs sees fit and I think theres decent chemistry throughout. I liked when we could roll 3 scoring lines and 1 horrendously fast tenacious checking line (Abs, Drapes, Helm) ... this would be a pretty comprable methodology.

HockeyyInsiderr is dropping the Boumeester to Wings rumors again lol ... but in all seriousness this is a move that I think makes sense for both clubs. Big body, long stick, great skater, 460+ game streak or something plus somewhere inside that guy is the offensive upside that had him a 15 goal and 45pt player in FLA a few years ago. At this stage of the game Id be very happy to get JBo despite allot of the chirping the guy takes since signing that huge deal and not living up to it. We have the capspace so no matter how you slice it a steady veteran presence who is young (only 28 I think) and has the tools to possibly get back to being an "elite" player would please me allot given how this offseasons gone. Id like to see him tired on the 2nd pairing where he defensive presence of mind would likely be a good fit with Smiths offensive (and sometimes reckless) tendancies and growing pains hell likely experience. Kronwall White JBo Smith Quincey Ericsson Kindl Thoguhts?

Yeah - hell have a great season in europe after he gets waived and nobody claims him. Hardworking little player and a good guy ... unfortunatley he has bottom 6 skill and is small, light, doesnt have Helm/Draper speed, and isnt abraisive. His only purpose on this team might be as the 14th forward to step in when a center goes down with an injury. Guys a slower and less talented Jeff Tambellini.

Ericsson gets ragged on for poor play because he has the raw physical tools and (in flashes) the talent to be a bonified top 4 NHL defenseman. Kindl gets ragged on because he doesnt posses the skillset physically or technically as Ericsson and is smaller, a poor skater, less physical, and cant fight (something E gets no credit for despite being pretty decent at). I'd like to see Kindl as part of a Jbo trade then sign a 7th dman off the scrap heap who has some size and grit to their game.

If a reasonable trade is available Id be all for getting Boumeester - but even if we do get him, our defence is still defensivley weak and pretty easy to play against. I feel a Volchenkov/Regehr type guy is more important to us now - especially if we can anchor them with Smith to give him more freedom to get into the play.

I see where your coming from - but what Im saying is unless the laws of probability completely screw us and 2-3 main guys up front sustain serious injuries we have the bodies to ice a competitive top 6 that stacks up well with most teams in the league. If everything goes right and Brunner and Nyquist end up being productive well then we have significant scoring depth and Kennys often mocked theory of "production by commitee" will once again hold true. Yeah - we dont have any bonified 40 goals scorers ... how any of those are there? Daniel Sedin, Stamkos, Crosby, Giroux, Malkin, Rick Nash if he has chemistry with Richards? We havent had a 40 goal scorer since 2009 and have remained amongst the highest scoring teams each year since. Our downfall since then hasnt been the absence of a sniper - but a lack of depth scoring in the playoffs and a defence group thats far to easy to play against. I dont expect to see this team competing for a conference title this year, but barring serious injuries or gross under performance theres no reason for the fanabse to throw in the towel and consider this team Calgary 2.0.

Our depth and skill up front is being HEAVILY under-rated by so many people on this board (and elsewhere). If a young gun (or two) has a solid rookie campaign (Nyquist, Brunner, or maybe Tatar I could see contributing) we or more will probably once again be among the leagues top producing teams. Even with a few injuries we have allot more attractive options to fill in as top-6 stopgaps. Beyond Hank and Pav we have Cleary, Sammy, Bert, Filp, Zetterberg, Franzen are all guys that should put up 20 goals and if healthy are serviceable top 6 players anywhere in the league. If Brunner and Nyquist adapt to the league quickly then we should be able to roll out 3 offensively threatening lines on a nightly basis. Defence is another story - but the longer we go without making a big move the more comfortable I am becoming with just signing a solid veteran dman as "Kindl insurance" ... Cant wait for this season to start just to end these endless downfall speculation threads.

Id love that - or something similar. Lets not kid ouselves, Girardi isn't going anywhere. I think Regehr would waive to come to Detroit and would likely resign next summer at a very affordable price and provide a Brad Stuart type blend of grit and defensive ability with a 225 lbs body.

I havent seen much of this guy - and hes still relatively new to the league. "apparently" Holland is kicking the tires. Does he help our dcore? whats his style? his stats arent anything to get excited over - does he have certain intangibles or untapped upside that our management thinks we can mature here? Thanks

HockeyyInsiderr has broken the news of almost every big signing or trade before the mainstream guys 9/10 times. He blew it with Suter and Parise but otherwise hes been on point.

Truth. Dats, Zett, Franz, Filp, Nyquist, Bert, Sammy, Brunner, Cleary (healthy) are ALL guys that can slot in an have success as a top 6 role. We should have 3 offensively potent lines up front with a hell of a grind line with Miller, Abby, and Tootoo. 1 steady UFA dman (preferably a shutdown instead of a s***ty offensive guy) and big years from rookies or guys expected to be given longer leashes (Quincey + Ericsson) and we could all be pleasantly surprised. Im not walking around with my chest puffed out this summer but we shouldnt throw the towel in on Kenny - OR the team just yet. Im getting stir crazy as anyone - but Im gona try and relax for now. If were out of the playoffs in december then I wont throw Kenny under the bus ... Ill drive it!

The main reason I want Semin or Doan isnt because we NEED them up front. We have 4/5 solid lines as is ... but if we wana trade for a good dman well have to part ways with Filp/Franzen/Cleary so having a good peice to replace them (or improve on them) right now would be nice.

Doan wants 4 years not 2. And hes likely looking at 5.5-6.5 a year given how thin FA market is and whoever the eastern conference team is that offered him 30 mill over 4 years. That said, we get Doan and/or Semin and we instantly can afford to part ways with a decent forward to obtain a good dman via trade. This would also be the cap-friendly solution. And when Pav leaves we wont be the worst team in hockey. Our next generation of forward prosepcts is deep and versatile. Im incredibly confident inwhat our systems going to spit out in the next half decade. (our defense on the other hand....)

Prongers toast bro. He did a bunch of medicals and concussion protocols a few weeks back and performed terribly. He cant announce retirement or Philly will have to take hit cap-hit but from the sounds if it, hes all but done.

Boumeester is allot better defensively than Quincey and takes about half the penalties. I would also be willing to bet that JBo outperforms Suter offensivley next season if he indeed becomes a Red Wing. If the Cap ceiling doesnt drop too much Id do this for sure ... if its gets cut 5 or 10million then his contract is a bit worrisome. Hes no Nick - but who is? Hes expensive, doesnt have playoff experience, and plays soft. Despite those drawbacks I think his upside (age, size, speed, versatility, skill + offensive upside, and laid back demenaor) all would make him a good fit on the ice and in the dressing room.

How many vets have retired or stepped away just to get a few months into hockey season and realize theres a huge void in their life that they dont know how to fill. So many ... though i'd never count on it, and I think even if he had an inkling he wouldn't give in for the sake of his legacy - but Lidstrom comeback rumors surfacing in December wouldnt blow my mind. It still irks me that the real reason that hes done is a errant shot that fractured his ankle against Colorado. Up until that game we were leading the league, Lidstrom was on pace for another 45+ point season, an boom - him, Dats, Howie, Bert, Helm, Franzen all get hurt and we s*** the bed for the last 20 games with a skeleton crew and didnt get the groove back for playoffs. The team was far from perfect but when running on all cylinders was much better than a 5 games first round exit would indicate. Lidstroms last game at JLA the Wings were boo'd out of the Joe and I remember thinking - "f*** me, this CANT be his last game on home ice" (assuming that theyd lose game 5 in Nashville. Pretty sad and anitclimatic ending so such a great career to be honest.

In a thread on HF boards I mentioned I would be thrilled to see (if available): Edler or Enstrom for an offensive presence. Gillis is cheap just like Holland and Edler has taken allot of flack in Vancouver - if he underachieves this year and has issues with AV Icould see him testing the market is gillis lowballs him. Enstrom in a realistic possibility IMO ... we can easily outbid Winnipeg and our locker room with 3 more Swedes this year (Nyquist, Gustaffson, Samulssen) basically makes it half the national team. Enstrom would be a great addition as a puck mover. A Robyn Regehr would be a Brad Stuart'esque player. Grit, size, defensively sound ... wells been dry offensivley of late but hes only 32. Douglas Murray for the right price could also be a nice fit to make us harder to play against. 3 of the 4 names I dropped are Swedes and I think that right there makes Detroit an attractive destination - espeically if we can suprise the naysayers and make the playoffs again.

I heard something fairly interesting a few weeks back - take it for what its worth. The sand is running out of the hourglass for Babcock in Detroit if the Wings don't improve on their past few playoff performances. Every coach eventually wears out their welcome, moves on, and in many cases finds success somewhere else. Well, I friend of mine who has long been involved in the WHL told me that hes under the impression that the Oilers are waiting with baited breath to snag Babcock should he be released based on the premise the our roster just isn't responding to the same guy anymore. I could see Babcock being a great fit with them in a year or two and would likely get them deep into contention fairly quickly when all those kids have come of age. Anyways - just a rumor, thought id share.

Crosby vs Weber 6 times a year ... I could get used to that I guess.