rick zombo

The skinniest of the three skinny guys? Awesome

Gaustad would be great but he’s a flavour of the week type guy. Personally, I want signings that aren’t so obvious. I always find it cool when they go off the grid (Although I’d make an exception with Parise). What the hell ever happened to the days of Holland bringing in hungry, unproven guys like Samuelson, Lilja, and Cleary? Did Kenny just get lucky? I see your logic. Lidstrom has already said that he feels he can play another season, and that it’s more of a question of weather or not the drive a motivation to excel is there. Kenny needs to excite the man.

Sweet ass. Nice work.

Just curious, will Red Wings fans going to these games in Phoenix get charged extra?

Sounds like a group who are bored with themselves. Add some new life to the roster. Add some excitement.

Could you imagine if they kept Suter and signed Parise?

Rinne. He moves the puck better than half our current defense.

He's an RFA, so we're not stuck with him. Having said that, bet your lunch that Holland re-signs him.

Hudler resigns? He's not in your lineup.

They're all bums. F.

With the Winter Classic, aging core, and 3 years of being spanked in the post season, I actually think Holland will attempt to make some big moves and spend to the cap. In a dream world: 1. Lidstrom comes back. Holmstrom (god love him) doesn't. 2. Sign Parise. 3. Trade Franzen, Filpulla, and Emmerton to Anaheim for Corey Perry. 4. Trade Miller to Buffalo for Cody McCormick. 5. Sign Bryan Allen to replace Stuart. And Josh Harding to back up Jimmy. This will never happen (I even overpaid for Perry) but one can dream. FORWARDS Parise ($7.000m) / Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Nyquist ($0.875m) Bertuzzi ($2.075m) / Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Perry ($5.325m) Cleary ($2.800m) / Helm ($1.500m) / Eaves ($1.200m) Abdelkader ($1.500m) / McCormick ($1.200m) / Andersson ($0.875m) Mursak ($0.550m) / Conner ($0.550m) / DEFENSEMEN Kronwall ($4.750m) / Allen ($4.000m) Lidstrom ($5.500m) / Ericsson ($3.250m) White ($2.875m) / Smith ($0.875m) Kindl ($0.883m) / GOALTENDERS Howard ($2.250m) Harding ($1.500m) ------ CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion) SALARY CAP: $64,300,000; CAP PAYROLL: $64,116,667; BONUSES: $275,000 CAP SPACE (23-man roster): $183,333

With the Goose and Mursak in the line-up, a couple of guys would have to be moved to make room for Tatar, no? A) Without any signings/trades, assuming Hudler and Homer don't return: Franzen - Datsyuk - Bert Filpulla - Z - Nyquist Abdlekader - Helm - Cleary Miller - Emmerton - Eaves Mursak B) With signings or trades. Which I think we all agree is needed. Franzen - Datsyuk - UFA Filpulla - Z - Nyquist Abdlekader - Helm - Cleary Miller - UFA - Eaves Mursak/Emmerton So, I'd say no, either way. But I expect him to get lot's of call-up time when the guys, inevitably, start dropping like flies.

Because he had a dog-s*** year and still had 21 goals. And has a 40 goal ceiling. And because Datsyuk needs someone to slap around.

I bet a million dollars that Holland thinks the top six is Ok. He's preaching lack-of-depth. Sure to s***, the only thing he'll do is add a guy like Phalsson to the bottom six and then start the media spin about a healthy Helm and Eaves, and promotion of Nyquist and Smith. When in reality he needs to add an all star winger to the top six, two wreckers on the bottom six, a top four defenseman, and a veteran back- up. It's obvious reading this thread that LGWers agree.

Well. I definitely see where Babcock’s coming from, and we’ll likely hear from Holland in a few days. BUT, anyone else think that the coach gladly took this opportunity to cover his ass a bit? First. During the regular season, he had no problem blaming himself and the coaching staff for lack of preparation when the team didn’t show up to play. Now, all of a sudden, the team he had to work with wasn’t good enough? Babcock is usually the MFing man, and I understand his frustration, but I just thought I’d throw all of this out there for debate.

Jokinen? And man oh man that bottom six is bad.

Hossa, summer 2008. This was one summer after Rafalski .

Defensive breakdown's and bone-head plays lost this series. The lack of a pure goal scorer, a crease-clearing defenseman, and size/youth/hunger in the bottom six was definitely an issue and would have insured an unsuccessful cup run in the end. But if this team had played with more mental discipline, this would have been different. It's hard to argue which team played a more successful style of hockey right now when only one team was able to execute their gameplan. Nashville played the best version of their game and Detroit was sub-standard at doing what they normally do well: smart, disciplined, puck-possession hockey. If both team's were playing their A game, then you could compare playing styles .

Those of you citing Abdlekader's lack of physical play need to look at, what I feel is the main problem with this team. Too many guys are expected to play above their heads and in different roles. Due to injurys and lack of personnel. The reason Abdlekader wasn't bombing guys is because he was needed to produce in other ways centering the third line. The third line was expected to score, Babcock said it himself. I want Abby on the fourth line next year with Helm at center and a guy like Prust on the wing.

Semin has two goals so far in a tight series vs Boston. The Red Wings have, as a team, scored 8 goals so far against Nashville.

Until Friday then.

As soon as I saw the play, as it happened, I thought the exact same thing.

I'm sure Babcock is asked for input. Same as Nill, Draper, Chelios, Maltby, and the rest of the management, scouting, and development staff. But in the end, Holland make the final decision, and the final call. Like it or not.

Just like blaming CuJo for 2003 vs Anaheim

The same thing that made Hasek, Hull, and Lucky Luc come to Detroit in 2001 after a first round pounding by LA and after three years of playoff failure?