rick zombo

You mean Lang, Willimas, Hudler, Draper, Maltby, Datsyuk, Lilja, and Schneider are all going to be traded? Because these have been the players we've discussed.

From Hockeybuzz: http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog.php?post_id=5685 Sorry about another "deadline" thread, but this is a different take. Kronwall's play has begun to slightly improve over the course of the season, however the fact he is only +1 on this team is a concern. Pairing him with a solid defencemen at this stage would solidify this 2nd pairing. In a perfect world for the Wings, their 3rd defensive pairing heading into the playoff would be Chelios and Schneider with Lebda as your 7th man. I will be stunned if Schneider is resigned in the offseason. He obviously can still produce on the power play and is good at moving the puck, however I have never felt his play to be particularly strong in his own end. He should be relegated to the power play and 3rd defensive pairing. I truly believe this team's downfall could be the fact that their top 4 defensemen don't match up with other teams top 4 defensemen, in particular in the Western Conference with teams such as Anaheim, Calgary and Nashville. In my opinion, it was the play of Edmonton's top 4 D-Men (Pronger, Smith, Staios and Spacek) which did in the Wings in Round 1 last spring over (Lidstrom, Kronwall, Schneider and Chelios). Then again, the play of Dwayne Roloson didn't hurt. He makes some great points here. Especially about Schneider. I personally really hate the way he plays in his own zone. And I don't think a top six winger will help if there are holes on defence. Remember, defence wins championships. Since the price for Guerin, etc. seems unrealistic, I wonder if the team doesn't have a better shot at going for a top 3 defenseman like Aaron Miller (who will be a UFA) to play with Kronwall, and then making a pitch for Todd Fedoruk (another UFA) from Philly. Then pray to god that Samuelson can add some scoring punch to that 2nd line. Or maybe trade Scneider to TB for Corey Sarich. Both defensemen are UFAs at season's end and The Fourth Period are stating that TB are looking for a mobile, puck moving defensemen. Z- Dats - Homer Sammy - Lang - Cleary Franzen - Draper - Maltby Hudler - Flip - Fedoruk Langfeld Lidstrom - Markov Miller/Sarich - Kronwall Chelios - Schneider/Lebda (if Schneider gets traded) Lilja

That's just someone's personal list. I'm with you. Fedotenko and Fedoruk would lock up the forward lines. Z-Dats-Homer Samuelson - Lang - Fedotenko Maltby - Draper - Cleary Franzen - Filpula - Fedoruk (assuming Hudler gets traded.)

Yes. Yes, good points.

You can see into the future? You think Detroit's defense was better than Edmonton's in last year's playoff series. Or Calgary's the year before? You think it's better than Anaheim's this year. Or Calgary's? Give me a break.

Fixed

Yes, this makes sense. And I agree. Schneider for sure helps on the PP.

Good points. Decent looking lines. Maybe Holland can get really creative and bolster the defense too. Kenny has alot of work to do between now and Tuesday. I'm not sure I understand what you're saying here. I just think Schneider is a defensive liability. Especially playing with Kronwall. I'm just echoing Spizzirri's comments here. I'd feel better having a more reliable defensive defensemen to compliment Kronwall on the 2nd pairing.

OK. Well then let's say we hang on to Schneider then. He's fine on the PP. My point, when starting this thread, was to talk about maybe addressing the #3 spot on defense. That maybe we need a defensive defensemen like Miller or Sarich to play on the 2nd pairing (Schneider can play on the 3rd pairing with Chelios) That maybe adding that player, and some grit up front (like one of Fedoruk or Lapointe) might be as viable an option as chasing and overpaying for that 2nd line winger that every team is lining up for.

Yeah, I thought about that, and then I thought why not?

Detroit need a legitimate scoring winger for the 2nd line. Bad.

Out: Lang (3.8) Matlby (1.36) Schneider (3.3) Williams (trade, waive, forget at the airport or something, please god) Markov (2.5) Hasek (.8) Dastyuk (3.9) Hudler (trade) Samuelson (trade) In: Ryan Smyth (6 M/4yrs) Corey Sarich (3.5 M/4yrs) Martin Biron (2.5 M/2yrs) Ruslan Fedotenko (2.5M/ 2yrs) Stu Barnes ( 1 M/2yrs) Scott Walker (2.5M / 2yrs) 2007-08 Wings: Smyth - Zetterberg - Holmstrom Fedotenko - Filpulla - Walker Cleary - Draper - Grigorenko Franzen - Barnes - Kopecky Langfeld Lidstrom - Sarich Kronwall - Quincey Chelios - Lebda Lilja Biron Osgood

Williams is terrible. TERRIBLE. USELESS. How can I go on? Schneider is a defensive liabilty. I hate the way he plays most of the time. Hasek was great.

Valid point.

All these things are true. Also, ignoring point totals, Guerin had the coveted size and speed that Detroit needed and were supposedly looking for in the offseason. I remember many members of LGW.com wishing Holland had signed him this summer when he was available.

Exactly. Like I said in one of the other threds, it was obvious in the summer what this team needed. Yet Holland waits until 7 other teams want the same thing and a bidding war has ensued, and a seller's market has been created. Then he lays this s*** on us. No one was bidding over Guerin in the summer. He signed for peanuts.

Smart. Good negotiating tactics by Holland. Like Barnes 52 said a few days ago though, Guerin could have been had for very little this past season. A couple million dollars. Now he might cost a first round pick and a decent prospect. I don't know why Holland continues to wait until the deadline to fill gaps in the roster that are obvious even before the preseason starts. Why the hell does he wait until February when the bidding war begins to address this team's needs? Anyway.

I'd rather have Quincey (a reliable stay at home, effective defensive defenseman) than Hudler. NOT that Quicey is a better player, but he is a rare commodity in Detroit's system. Hudler could possibly be replaced by Mursak or Emmerton.

And who centers the 2nd line?

Schneider's out to lunch if he thinks the Wings haven't had scoring problems aside from the first of this season since he came to the team in 03. We all know about their scoring woes in the playoffs. And if Schneider isn't worried about going in to the playoffs with a one-line offence, then he's stunned. Make no mistake, this teams needs scoring. The right kind of scoring. Scoring first, then grit. But hopefully both.

Word is Ryan Smyth contract talks have stalled Edmonton. hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

Williams is my least favourite Wing of all time. I like Cleary. But he's not a second line winger. Line #2 needs retooling.

Schneider is an extremely tradeable player. One of the few "types" of players alot of teams have the need for. I'd trade him to Atlanta for De Vries or Exelby

They'll never get both.

The ideal thing would be to trade Osgood for Biron right now. Buffalo gets a veteran backup with first hand cup winning experience. Detroit gets a healthy goalie they can easily sign right now to an extension. Biron backs up Hasek this year, and Howard backs up Biron next year.