Vladinator

I really don't think that it is going too far. I think that everyone would agree that Lidstrom is the best in the world right now (not saying ever, just right now). Vladdy was a different type of player, but in my opinion was just as good, if not better, overall than Lidstrom. They both have different strengths, but given a choice of either one in their prime and I would personally pick Vladdy. Given a choice between Vladdy and any other defenseman that has played over the past 20 years, in their prime, and I still pick Vladdy...

Vladdy without a doubt... Vladdy gave us something that no other player before or since has done...

I'd prefer Forsberg over Fedorov Both are skilled, clutch players. Both are not nearly the player that they once were. Forsberg addresses more of a need for the wings that Fedorov does at this point though. Forsberg would also be available around December, where Fedorov wouldn't be available until the trade deadline. I'd rather add a major player sooner rather than later simply for team chemistry. What it comes down to for me is attutude and ability. Forsberg's only downside is his injury history, his numbers (when playing) are still comparable to those in the past. As I illustrated in another thread, Forsberg has only missed 16 out of a possible 160 playoff games in his career, and 11 of those were from the ruptured spleen (which is not an injury that can happen again). He may miss in the regular season, but like Mario, in the playoffs he is there. Fedorov on the other hand has had a significant drop in his numbers. Nothing seems to spark him anymore. Perhaps a return to Detroit would do this, but seeing as how he wanted out of here so bad to begin with, I just don't see that happening. I admit that I haven't watched a whole lot of games with Feds since he left here, but the few that I have seen really showed that his play has seriously dropped. He always did seem to float at times, but (again based on the few games that I've watched) now it is more like he hustles at times and floats most of the time. I'd prefer a player that is going to hustle, but might get hurt over a player that will likely stay healthy, but probably won't hustle...

In the famous words of Sergeant Hulka "Lighten up, Francis"

You should read back a little further....the mention of Uwe Krupp was in response to a question as to whether anyone had played for both the Avalanche and for the Wings...nobody was comparing the possible signing of Forsberg to Krupp...

I really don't see this happening. Here is a look at Forsberg's playoff career: - 1994 – 95 Quebec played 6 playoff games, Forsberg played all 6 with 6 points. - 1995 - 96 Colorado played 22 playoff games, Forsberg played all 22 with 18 points - 1996 – 97 Colorado played 17 playoff games, Forsberg played in 14 with 17 Points - 1997 – 98 Colorado played 7 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 7 with 11 points - 1998 – 99 Colorado played 19 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 19 with 24 points - 1999 – 00 Colorado played 17 playoff games, Forsberg played in 16 with 15 points - 2000 – 01 Colorado played 22 playoff games, Forsberg played in 11 with 14 points - 2001 – 02 Colorado played 21 playoff games, Forsberg played in 20 with 27 points - 2002 – 03 Colorado played 7 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 7 with 8 points - 2003 – 04 Colorado played 11 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 11 with 14 points - 2005 – 06 Philadelphia played 6 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 6 with 8 points - 2006 – 07 Nashville played 5 playoff games, Forsberg played in all 5 with 4 points He played in 144 of a possible 160 playoff games. 11 of his missed playoff games were in 1 season (which was a year that his team ended up winning the cup, so his absence did not hurt the team). This was the season that his spleen was ruptured, not an injury that can happen again since we only have 1 spleen.... He hasn't missed a playoff game since the 2001 - 02 season, in which he played 20 of 21 games. (The one missed game was a game 6 loss, he was back on the ice for the win in game 7) Forsberg may miss large portions of the regular season, but when it really matters, he has been there for the most part, and has contributed in a big way (166 points in 144 playoff games).

Just in the playoffs. Sort of like Mario was...

Yep...signing someone to a 3-year contract extension is a CLEAR indication that we are getting rid of them... Maltby isn't going anywhere. Yes, there are other guys on the team that play a similar style of game. Yes, his skills have diminished. No, he isn't going to score very much. All of that being said, he signed a 3-year extension. Plus having Stanley Cup Winners on the roster is a big plus in helping the younger players adapt a winning attitude.

I'm currently re-reading the 3rd book of A Song of Ice & Fire, by George R.R. Martin, which is a GREAT series... The rights to the series has been bought by HBO, they will be making a show based on the books...each book will be spread out over 1 season...I can't wait!!!

So he had 1 good year (and a couple of average ones) Even Jim Carey had 1 good season... Statistics are not everything, especially in regards to goalies... Dafoe was, at best, an average NHL goalie who had 1 good season.

Potvin was a reflex goalie who 's reflexes slowed... Dafoe was never really that good to begin with...

The only thing more annoying than Brett Hull the hockey player is Brett Hull the hockey commentator.... Some people just shouldn't be given a microphone...Brett is one of them...

Other than possible salary issues, I don't really see the 2 as being related...Fischer and Rafalski are completely different types of defensemen... I think that the more likely scenario would be that we wouldn't be even talking with Markov if Fischer were still around, in fact we probably would never have gotten him in the first place....

I think that Cheli is likely to sit 20-25 games this year... Hopefully Kronwall can stay healthy for once and play at least 70 games... Lilya, Lebda, & Quincey can take turns sitting the remaining games...

I wasn't so much happy about getting Essensa, I was happy to be getting rid of Cheveldae. I figured that Ozzy was pretty much our starter and that Essensa would simply give us a veteran back-up...if we had just gone with him that year instead of using Essensa at all we would have gotten past San Jose...everyone remembers Osgood crying at the end of that series and the turn-over that led to the final goal, but everyone forgets that Essensa lost 2 of the 4 and was absolutely horrible...Osgood would have won at least one of those 2 games. Bautin was a non-factor, Essensa sucked, Cheveldae sucked too and was pretty much done after that anyways, so the only real player in the deal was Drake. I was very pissed that he was in the deal to begin with...

I remember when the Cheveldae trade happened, I was ecstatic that they finally got rid of him. Then I found out that Dallas Drake was thrown into the deal and I was pissed. At the time, he was one of my favorite players on the team. I'm not sure how much he has left in the tank, but this is a guy that leaves it all on the ice. He will work as hard as anyone else out there and will definately add some spunk to our line-up. At just over a half-million for the year, this is a great signing. Even if he ends up having nothing left, the cap hit is minimal and is well worth the risk.

I'm not a big fan of the turtle, but his name absolutely belongs on the cup. He stepped up in the playoffs in 95 for New Jersey like few ever have. He was absolutely unbelievable during that cup run...I still don't like the guy much, but I wouldn't take that away from him, he earned it...

You have to be an offensive defenseman to win the norris. Even when Chelios last won it, it was a season that he had 72 points. Pure defensive defensemen are lucky to even be nominated, but have no chance of ever winning...

Brodeur is 100% right. Goalies get ran far more in hockey these days than they did in the past... Also, defensemen aren't allowed to do crap about it. Defensemen need to be allowed to clear the crease, or the NHL needs to adapt a rule similar to the 3-second rule from the nba...

I don't understand this either. It is time to split them up. Build a line around each one of them and let them do their stuff... I would rather see us get a really solid goal-scoring winger at this point than another center to be converted to wing...

Holmstrom should be on the list too...drafted in the 10th round, 257th overall.... Vladdy was drafted 221st overall!!! And the WORST Wings pick.... Joe Murphy - Drafted 1st overall...yeah he ended up playing 779 games in the NHL, but never at the level originally expected...and he was a MAJOR bust for the Wings...

I forgot a big one. # 1A: Chris Chelios before he came to Detroit. There was no player that I hated more. Since he came here I've grown to like him though...go figure...

1. Bryan Marchment 2. Ulf Samuelsson 3. Claude Lemieux (really for only the Draper incident. Claude was absolutely INCREDIBLE in New Jersey's cup run in 95) 4. Uwe Krupp 5. Brett Hull (I never could stand Brett...I was forced to cheer for him while he was here, but I still didn't like him)

Shanahan was traded for Pronger, that was a steal for St. Louis. Keenan took a lot of heat for that trade at the time, but it really paid off well in the end... They lost Hull because there wasn't a no-trade clause in his contract offer. Hull was the one who really wanted Gretzky there, and they played together there, so it wasn't a case of losing Hull (or any of the other players mentioned) for Gretzky. The Gretzky trade was a gamble that didn't pay off. Gretzky ended up playing really well in NY after leaving St. Louis, so it isn't as if he was completely washed up at the time that he was aquired... Fuhr played really well for St. Louis for a couple of years there.

Fixed it for ya...