DickieDunn

Wow, where should I start? Miller and Eaves are basically the same player, except Miller shoots left and is usually healthy and Eaves shoots right and has an injury history, including concussions, and therefore was deemed expendable. The Grind Line was the checking line with a clever name and was around when the Wings could just load up on salary. Were they a great checking line? Yup. But with cap considerations I don't know that you could spend that much on a check line, unless it's your 3rd line and your 4th was done as cheaply as possible. The amount of injuries this year has everything in flux, and when you have guys playing different roles all the time, and 4 lines without a center who can play that role well, you're not going to have much of an identity or stability. If they were healthy, the 4th line would pretty easily be Miller-Andersson- and one of Cleary or Abdelkader. A good defensive line that could chip in a few goals. Franzen's deal was signed after the 08-09 season, after he had scored 27 and 34 goals the 2 previous years and had big playoff runs. The deal was essentially 8 years because he wasn't necessarily expected to play the last 3 years, certainly not the last 2, and was structured to lower the cap hit so they could fit other guys, most importantly Zetterberg, under the cap going forward. The last 3 years are only an issue now because the NHL is retroactively punishing teams for signing legal contracts. I don't believe Hossa was a sure bet to sign here. He was giving the same lines he gave Pittsburgh before he came to Detroit, and if he really had wanted to sign here I think he would have gotten something done. Hossa's contract is about $1.3 mil a season more than Franzen's, with a lot more money. His actual salary for the first 7 years was $7.9 mil, pays him almost $12 million more over the life of the deal, and is for a year longer. Since Hossa left, his regular season per game numbers are better, but Franzen's playoff numbers are FAR better. As far as I'm concerned, either way was going to be a push. Everyone was caught off guard by Rafalski, and there's no way to replace Lidstrom. I was impressed he got a pick for Stuart in the offseason when everyone knew he was probably going to end up in SJ anyway. He didn't replace any of them with Quincey, he planned on replacing them with Ericsson, Kindl, and Smith, and Quincey in the 4/5 role. In other words, he let young guys take over instead of signing an over the hill overpaid vet, which is exactly what a lot of Wings fans think they should do. Until it actually happens, of course, then the same people cry that the kid are no good and need to be dumped and why the hell didn't Holland get off his ass and spend money? Weiss's cap hit is close to what Hossa's is. He isn't getting Hossa money. They didn't need a d-man, because like I said they want to give the young guys a chance to show what they can do. But again, people only want that to happen if the kid comes in and is a star from day one. If not, Holland is an idiot. Finally, proof of what Holland can do is right in front of you. He took a team that was built through free agency and trading picks and prospects, transitioned it to a team that lost about half the spending power from the year before, and ended up winning the Cup, and almost back to back Cups a short time later. He's then kept the team in the playoffs and at least in the conversation for the Cup if not in actual contention for it. He's also rebuilt the farm system from the ground up to the point where the team is in playoff position despite losing every damn veteran forward and all 4 projected starting centers for a large chunk of the season because the kids he's brought in can come in and win enough to keep from going completely down the toilet. His "mistakes" that he let go recently was a one dimensional winger who thinks he should be getting a ton of minutes without having to earn them, a small skilled player who was going to be more expensive than the 2 small skilled wingers they were going to be bringing in, and a center who didn't want to be here, mailed it in last year, and wanted $5 mil a season on the strength of one good season 2 years ago. Weiss has not done anything, but Holland can't predict his groin issues, and any free agent has the risk of injury. Samuelsson was a big RH winger the team was familiar with who didn't work out mostly because of injuries, and who they should have been able to buy out if he hadn't still been hurt. Tootoo's lack of ice time and banishment is a bit baffling to me, I thought he'd fit in well on the 4th line. Cleary this year was a mistake. Bertuzzi probably should have only gotten one year his last contract, but it's not like he's making $4 mil and until this year he's been relatively productive for his salary.

You're a funny guy

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-TBD1 Franzen-Weiss-Nyquist Tatar-Helm-TBD2 Miller-Andersson-Abdelkader Callahan, Sheahan reserves Kronwall-Dekeyser Smith/TBD3-Ericsson Kindl/Smith-TBD4 Lashoff reserve Howard TBD5 TBD1 will likely be a free agent. Alfredsson, Vanek, Moulson, whoever. If not they'll make a trade. TBD2 is most likely going to be a secondary free agent, but Jurco or Sheahan could slot in there. If it's Sheahan, either Ferraro or Glendening will get his reserve spot. TBD3 could be Smith, a free agent, a trade, or possibly even Kindl. TBD4 is either a free agent (hopefully on a one year deal) or a rookie (Marchenko is probably the most NHL ready even though other have a higher upside) TBD5 will either be a vet (please not Gustavsieve) or if nobody looks good there Mrazek If worst comes to worst and the free agent market is worse than it has been lately, they can always slot 2 kids in at forward (Jurco is the best, Sheahan second choice, then Callahan, Glendening, and Ferraro) and a rookie at defense too. I'd rather see them do that than give some mediocre 30 year old a 4 or 5 year contract at $4mil+ a year even though I know it would lead to a seasons worth of complaints about how Holland is a moron for not spending to the cap.' It's also predicated on Franzen. If his egg is scrambled bad enough where he needs to retire or sit out most of the year, they're going to be under more pressure to bring in a free agent or make a trade. If they do make a trade, I think anybody not currently on the roster is fair game for the right deal. Obviously it's going to take a lot better deal to part with Mantha or Sproul than it would Pulkinnen or Jensen, but I value prospects as bargaining chips a lot more than I do future stars. Too many things can go wrong that will keep them from hitting their potential, whereas the trade value of a top prospect is very high and usually brings a pretty good player. I'd also trade Tatar or Nyquist for a talented big bodied winger, even if it means adding more to the package. No, that doesn't mean Matthias.

So in other words you want good players for garbage. Cool.

Wings sucked golf balls through a garden hose tonight, but as many of their top players are out and as many kids are in paying major roles, that's to be expected. What boggles my mind is how Dan Cleary played almost 15 minutes at even strength.

Considering they have more prospects than spots to play them, they should be looking to trade one or two of them. There isn't a single prospect or young player I wouldn't trade in the right deal.

You understand that if Keating says something to piss the Wings management off he will be fired, right?

That probably won't do it. If I'm a GM trading a top D, I want Sproul or Ouellet too.

No he's not. If he was, he'd be an elite d-man. He isn't, although he's better than Ericsson. He just gets compared to Lidstrom, either consciously or unconsciously, because we've gotten used to our #1 guy not getting caught very often.

The loony bin? No way that happens, nor should it. They don't need to go into complete let's suck for a few years rebuild mode.

Name 25 defensemen clearly better than Kronwall and I'll agree that he's not a #1. Elite and #1 aren't the same thing. Ericsson would be better as a 2nd pairing guy, but he's adequate as a #2.

Stupid Fartsmell

If I could talk to Callahan and gauge his interest in signing an extension, I'd give up quite a bit for him. As it is, I'd rather flip a prospect and a couple conditional picks. High if I extend him, low if not.

I don't care how good he is at fighting, if he can only be on the ice 5 minutes a game, he's worthless. The days of every team carrying 2 or 3 cement handed goons are gone, and that type of player is being taken out of the league entirely.

As someone who has had concussions, I think 3 days symptom free is enough.

If the there were more direct threats, or an attack before the games, and they didn't cancel them entirely, the NHL would be well within their rights to tell the players that they can't go. There are clauses in contracts that can prohibit the players from engaging in activities that they know to be dangerous. If the players went anyway they could be suspended without pay and probably fined for behavior detrimental to the team. Hopefully the threats are just bluster and that Russian security is good enough to stop anything if something is attempted.

The BJ's GM is on record as saying he'll never make a trade with Detroit.

It's not that much different than a knee or any other serious injury. A guy comes back, thinks he can go, you give him some practice time, and if he holds up in practice and still feels ok, he goes back in. Now that it's come back, they're going to be more cautious with it

You're significantly overvaluing a mid round pick, Almquist, and Ferraro. They are not even close to top prospects and may never play regularly in the NHL, and a mid first isn't nearly as valuable as a top 10 pick.

Some Wings fans think Nyquist is as good as Silvferberg and Ferraro is as good as Noesen. That doesn't mean anyone else agrees. The fact is the kids that the Ducks got are bigger and younger with similar upside, and therefore are more attractive. The Wings would have had to add to that package to balance it out, possibly a lot more, and I'm not sure Ryan is worth much more.

Hell no. Vanek is 30 year old winger on a fat contract.. There is no way I'd make that trade even if they could make it work cap wise. In another year or two Nyquist is going to be as good, maybe better because he's already more defensively responsible than Vanek.

Yup. And as someone who has had multiple concussions, you never know what can trigger a relapse after you come off one. you can be perfectly fine doing a bunch of strenuous exercise, think you're over it, and a day or two later they're back. Your options are never do anything because they might come back or if you feel better try to get back to normal life and hope for the best.

Last I saw they were behind Pitt and a couple other teams, although they may have caught up by now. Seriously, as pissed as I am about Tatar's playing time vs. Cleary or the other grinders, if the Wings make the playoffs Babcock deserves the Adams, handsdown.

Whoever chose this spot should be held personally responsible for anything that happens. As close as it is to Chechnya, they should have known it would be more dangerous than the average host city.

Helm, Sheahan, Glendening, and Andersson. That's an awesome center group right there.