kickazz

^ That and people visiting Vegas love to spend $$. Hockey will become part of a "night out" before they hit up Hakkasan club lol

I mean I'm just going based of personal experience of Grand Rapids (and some numbers I looked up). My sister worked there for the last 6 years at Spectrum Hospital. Once you leave the Grand Rapids area, there's not much to do. The "metro area" is a bunch of old conservative people (hilarious people btw). The metro area of Detroit consists of places like Novi, Ann Arbor, Northville, Plymouth, Dearborn etc. All these places are where people who work at Ford, Chysler, GM, QuicknLoans, University of Michigan, Wayne State University etc live. It's a completely different demographic. I can't imagine an NHL team being sustainable there. I mean it might be a "decent" market but it would be nothing like the Detroit, Chicago, New York, or any of the Canadian markets. I think Las Vegas actually has a better chance.

If we go by the "combined statistical area" the Richdg linked then Las Vegas definitely deserves an NHL team. They are 27th on the list which is higher than a lot of NBA and NHL teams.

You keep telling people they are wrong but it seems to me as though you're a pretty uninformed individual. City is a dump? Detroit, specifically Detroit around Joe Louis and Riverfront is probably one of the richest parts of Michigan. The "the dump" crap is just word of mouth nonsense people like you keep narrating. Just like any city (whether it's New York, LA), Detroit too has bad alleys and neighborhoods. (Say hello to giant cockroaches and ratsthe size of a human baby in New York) When the team was originally formed and when they played in Olympia, most of the fans were FROM Detroit. There was no metro lmao. Most people living in "metro" area surrounding Detroit moved out only recently like the last few decades because those areas grew. But this team was started, specificaly under the NHL almost a hundred years ago when the population resided in the actual City of Detroit. The metro areas were nothing but farm land lol. Additionally, any place outside southeast Michigan is more closer to a rural environment. So while Grand Rapids itself might be more of a city, it's metro area is more dispersed in populaton along with a lower per capital income for families. You compare Calgary, a Canadian town to Grand Rapids. Do you know the difference between a Canadian city that recognizes Hockey as it's main sport to an American city that doesn't? Even if Grand Rapids has as many people as Calgary, most of those people would not be interested in a Hockey team as they already have the Wings.

People in Metro areas of GR are life long Red Wings fans. And that won't change. A GR team wouldn't be nearly as popular. Besides, the surrounding areas there aren't as wealthy as metro Detroit people are, you likely wouldn't see sell out crowds. They might have a population, but hockey games are expensive.

NHL team in GR might be profitable for them but it would be the dumbest thing for fans.

Yeah I remember thinking this would be a great idea too. But I'm assuming Z still wants to play hockey. He would basically be bluffing and if they drafted him anyway he'd look like an idiot lol.

Zetty! Yes exactly. Kronwall is not a top player (never was really). Zetterberg is still one of the best players on our squad and arguably is the best player in the league for his age 35+. The only other one that might be better currently (slightly) is Joe Thornton (scored like 82 points last year). But anyways, that's why I believe Vegas would pick him up if they are looking for a veteran presence. Because as far as older players in the league are concerned, he would probably be the best one available. I think the sky would fall even harder on top of Ken Holland if we lost Z to a dumb expansion draft. He will most likely rather lose someone like Sheahan.

Define "breaks out". Well aside from the point you and PVD are making, if you asked me who I'd keep between Sheahan, Jurco or Zetterberg. I'd say Zetterberg every time because Zetterberg is still a better hockey player at the NHL level than Sheahan and Jurco even as a 36 year old broke back Swede. If Holland got rid of one of our best players in favor of two players who haven't proved anything in the NHL and are already declining at a young age, THEN he should be fired. Unless Jurco and Sheahan miraculously started producing at a better rate than Zetterberg, which they never have. Like ever. Even at age 34, 35, 36, and probably won't next year either. Or even the year after that. It would be one thing if Z was 36 and not producing or if he spent most of his season always getting injured. But he's still the best producer on this team with the hard minutes he plays (him and Nyquist were leading the team in points). The decision isn't as easy as LGW people are making it out to be. Holland would have to justify why exactly he allowed one of, if not the best point producer on the squad to get taken by another team for free. My point is, protecting Zetterberg isn't just a "loyalty" thing that LGW is making it out to be. Go look at the NHL Red Wing team stats. This guy is still leading the squad in points year in and year out (Although Nyquist took the lead last night). As a manager you don't let that walk away for free unless you are guaranteed to make up for those points from somewhere else on the squad. An interesting research point would be to go back and see how many 36+ year olds who were consistently leading their teams in points were exposed in the expansion draft. I would but I'm too lazy from all the Turkey I just ate.

Problem is, there's already a good amount of players who have jumped ahead of them on the depth chart. If those two broke out, I bet they try to use that to trade them in a package rather than try to protect them. I'm positive they've tried to trade Jurco already just like they tried with Pulkinen. I don't think Jurco has a future with the Red Wings at all. Even if he broke out. Sheahan maybe but not enough to be protected.

I can see them trying to trade one of Tatar or Nyquist before deadline. Then protecting Nielsen, Abby, Nyquist (assuming Tatar is traded), Mantha, AA, Zetterberg, Helm. Expose Sheahan, Jurco, Glendening. I bet they're going to try that scenario.

It isn't. The average age in the league in 98/99 was 27, the average age right now is also 27. Give or take a few decimals.

Look up the previous expansion drafts. Kevin Dineen was 37 when drafted by the Blue Jackets. Played with them for 2 seasons after that till he retired. His decline was much worse than Z's but he still got picked up. Chris Terreri was 38. Lots of 34 and 35 year olds picked up in the 1999 expansion draft as well

Just wait till we draft Nick Lidstrom's son

That's a sign that you aren't currently a fan lol.

Skilled at being a healthy scratch. GOTEM. Jk. Who cares. This discussion would be a small part of a long list of issues this season

Logo looks nice imo.

Yeah he is one to be criticized no doubt. Is Blashill stubborn? I don't get it. Or is he too dumb to see he's not optimizing his players? Or are we all just wrong?

Ehh.....

Anyways in regards to what I said last night, if we played at our best we could be a playoff contender for sure but I still feel as though we're missing a key piece in order to become that top cup contender. Regardless of Jeff Blashill or Mike Babcock.

Right. And that's what I meant when I said "I don't feel bad for him". He didn't take the time off this summer and decided to go play in the world championship and world cup. He should have rested or gotten the surgery done. So the blame is on him imo. But at the same time, hopefully this means we can sign him for cheaper. Win-lose situation for us. We lose the production but could possibly come out with a good contract.

A lot of people may be forgetting this but, Tatar is currently playing through shoulder (I think it's his shoulder) injury this season. But the injury had been ongoing since before the world championship, so I don't feel bad for him. Wings are his employer after all.

Eaves is no Miller

One out of a million baby

Man the winning chance is still low tho -------- I mean I say there's no star power but that doesn't mean AA, Mantha, Larkin don't become the star power in the next couple years. I said this a lot last year too. We're in limbo. Our superstar is too old and our youngsters are too young.