LeftWinger

this kid was a tryout walk on at Michigan his freshman year. By time he was a junior he was captain of that team. He was basically the same thing here. A walk on tryout and he earned himself into an important role in this team. He probably won't become captain, but by time his career is over he most definitely will be wearing an A a few times.

great hockey deal! Just about what I thought he'd get in cap hit as well! Now we got to get Tatar, Sheahan re-signed at reasonable deals because Dekeyser and Nyquist are gonna cost some buck$! just a note, I know Nyquist has one more year left, but if he scores next season like he has this season, you are going to need to save some cap just un case.

this game is all on Jimmy....3 goals plenty enough to beat this team....come on Jimmy, don't be average!

This thread should be called"Crosby mistakes linesman for opposing player."

remember, Sheahan was a 1st round pick. He had a great career at Notre Dame. Everyone was ready to write him off because he had a bit of a maturity problem. I liked the draft pick and am so glad he is making it. He will be a Red Wing for a long time! ...so wait, Primeau is responsible for Yzerman and Fedorov's success? Need you be reminded, Primeau was a huge bust here and never did anything of significance...the only good thing he did was get us Shanahan.

Jarnkrok who? Holland's scouts know who will be in Detroit and Calle just wasn't gonna be a factor anytime soon. I told my buddy we play Boston tough.maybe we could draw them in the first round. good win boys.

Ok, lets look at the players a lot of folks here deem expendable and not upcoming UFA's. Kindl, Andersson, Almqvist, Callahan, Ferraro, Tootoo, and maybe Lashoff, Miller. Throw in our 1st round pick in any package, and I don't think any combo of the above mentioned is going to bring us a #1/2 defenseman. That is why, Holland should trim the fat by only re-signing Legwand and MAYBE Alfredsson and Gustavson as UFA's and then making room on his roster by acquiring draft picks for the expendable players that would open up enough roster spots to keep all the kids here and get a couple of solid second to third pairing d-men the make this D tougher to play against.

...of all the prospects we have traded over the past for positions we NEEDED, please someone, name me ONE in the last 22 seasons that we really REALLY regret trading...please entertain us.

We all agree that the Bertuzzi, Cleary and Samuelsson all should go. I think up front we are good even with re-signing Legwand and possibly Alfredsson. The only guys on the bubble will be Callahan and Ferraro. Moving Weiss and Andersson to wing will help as well. Jurco and Glendening (for now) have exemptions left to be able to start the season in GR so we can become compliant. If Gustavsson can play like yesterday and frickin stay healthy all next season, I am fine with giving him another year to allow Mrazek more time in GR, if not the I would pursue Vokoun again. Our pressing need is D. Not only a top pairing guy, but also better #4 and #6 guys. Quincey cannot be a Red Wing next season, not even if he took a pay cut. Kindl has topped and bottomed out already and needs to be gone. If we cannot get a draft pick for him, then he needs to be the buyout. I agree that the top pairing guy needs to come via trade, but at what cost? Sure there is always our 1st round pick to ante up, but it will also cost players. I am fine with getting 2 stay at home vets to fill in the void and let Smith play with Kronwall in the top pairing. I know you are tired of hearing Mitchell and Morris, but those two would fit the bill wonderfully. Our D would be 100 times better with those two over Kindl and Quincey. My only worry is what happens with Jurco and Glendening because you are eventually going to want those two in your lineup. Sure they will be able to go to GR without losing them, but when do you call them up? Maybe we don't get as injured next season...Almqvist, Ferraro and Callahan to me are tradable, but for what? Maybe for some draft depth, I sure would hate to lose them for nothing. Alfredsson I am on the fence over. I would rather re-sign Legwand if I had to choose, but I cannot ignore the points Alfredsson has given us when healthy. So my team next season, in no particular order would look similar to this: Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Nyquist Weiss - Legwand - Franzen Abdelkader - Sheahan - Tatar Miller - Helm - Andersson Ferraro - Callahan Kronwall - Smith Ericsson - Morris Dekeyser - Mitchell Lashoff Howard Gustavsson (if not then Vokoun)

can we put this debate to bed? We needed a center, Jarnkrok wasn't going to be recalled to be that center. The Wings brass know who they have in the system and who they can live without. The need was for a top line D man, but everyone wanted Mantha. Holland said, no to every offer out there. Holland needed a center with NHL experience and one that could help us get into the playoffs. Jarnkrok was needed to get an experienced center with some skill. Legwand has 11 points in 14 games, that's 64 points over an 82 game period. Everyone plays a bad game here and there, or makes bad plays, its not like he floats around most of season like someone else we know. Besides, Jarnkrok wasn't going to be here until two more season anyhow, and I have a hard time seeing him get 60+ points here in Detroit. Legwand was a great pickup and he along with the kids are the reason we are still in the playoffs today. Jarnkrok would still be in GR. Hey, we could have always sold the entire farm including Mantha for Kesler...or we could have just relied on Emmerton and Ferraro to help us to the playoffs. I say good for Holland on this one. I am always critical of Holland, but I do give he credit when its due. Legwand was pricey (because we were desperate) but he is paying dividends. He will re-sign a 3 year deal and continue to be that bridge while our other kids gain more experience.

...ahhhh Toronto, the only place in the world you can go and watch the Leafs fall in the Springtime!

yet, Franzen is still on line 1, talk about not getting it done....oh and as long ad Bert is playing, Wings are losing more times than not.

st. Louis has a lot to play for. The last 20 years as a matter of fact. All the playoff eliminations, all the regular season dominance. How much St. Louis love to be the team that knocks us out of a playoff birth? They owe it to their city to break our streak. I hope it doesn't come to that, but it is incentive for them to play us hard.

couldn't watch the game, was on the road, my satellite radio is being borrowed by Uncle Fritz. Haven't read this thread, but I gather by a few of the posts I read, jimmy s*** the bed again. Go figure. I am sure Q screwed up a few times and Franzen floated most the game. Lets hope with his one goal tonight, he starts another 6 game streak of scoring. I don't like him, but we need someone else other than the kids scoring... not everyone....

lol, nicknames weren't my point, the point was Weiss on the wing and how it would look in the lineup, but just because I made up some nicknames (which I have been using from time to time anyway) that seems to be the only thing folks focused on. Which is fine. No more nick names from me. And the Johan Franzen argument is not even worth brining up. Gustav Nyquist is far better than he is and deserves to be in the top 6 over him. Tomas Tatar and Riley Sheahan both are playing better than him as well. And BTW will be far better in the league than Johan Franzen can hope to be. Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg of course ARE your top line. I am tired of giving Johan Franzen a pass because of what he did over 6 years ago and has yet to do it again. He is washed up, broke down and still only shows up for 2 months total of the entire season. He has become toxic waste since he signed his serious contract and doesn't deserve to be in the Red Wings sweater. That is my opinion and nothing is going to change it. I have given him plenty of opportunities to change my mind, yet he still floats around and is invisible most of the season, and when we need "playoff Johan Franzen" to make an appearance he doesn't. He just isn't as good as most of you are trying to convince yourself that he is. And while we are on that, neither is James Howard. Every time he needs to make that big save in the big game, he lets us ALL down, and he makes me say ugh. You guys can hang on to these two as long as you want, I am not fooled by them and am also allowed to form my own opinion on them. If I want to not like them, I can, that's a wonderful thing. Problem is, some folks get mad and start attacking another user just because they have an opinion they don't agree with. IMO, the Wings will never win a Cup with James Howard starting. He has shown nothing to prove me wrong, he just isn't that good. Sure glad this thread turned into something other than Weiss, all because someone didn't like that I nick-named three people the in a bad way... Johan Franzen = Washed up James Howard = Average Goalie Darren Helm = Barbie Doll This team can get players that far outperform these guys...and probably spend less money on them, with the exception of the goalie position, but James Howard isn't even worth what he is getting paid.

folks get charged because Helm is so fragile, I sometimes call him Barbie Doll. The rest you all know. No biggie, the nicknames weren't my point. Franzen doesn't score except for about 5 weeks out of the season, that is why he is on the 4th line. Pretty sad when 4 or 5 pure rookies have past you on the importance chart.

You had me until Cleary... You let ALL UFA's go except Legwand (and $5.5M is too much) and possibly Alfie. You resign ALL RFA's (obviously) and then trade players accordingly to fit your needs. You left out Almqvist, he needs to be re-signed and then packaged in a trade IMO. I think Mrazek needs one more full year in GR to grow. I look to signing Tomas Vokoun to push Ugh harder because Monster and Mrazek haven't done that enough this season. Mrazek just with his inexperience and Monster, well, he gets injured too often.

Holland is gong to have to overpay a UFA to lure him here. The trades going to be costly because every team knows how bad we need a defender...look t how much Leggy cost us compare to other pending UFA's that were traded that day. I like Leggy here and hope he resigns, heck he is on a pace to score 50+ points if he played the entire season here in Detroit. No longer is there a lore of playing in Detroit. At least not as much as it used to be. Face it, we have replaced, Hull, Yzerman, Shanahan, Fedorov, Robitaille and Larionov with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, Weiss, Bertuzzi and Legwand. All respect to Pav and Z and my like for Leggy, but that is like Apples and rock salt. Not to even mention Lidstrom, Raffi and Stuart replaced by Kronwall. Ericsson and Kindl. Oh, and then there is Hasek, Osgood replaced by Ugh and Monster....players just don't see it, so Holland is going to have to overpay to get a UFA and pay a hefty price to get that #1-2 defenseman....

Hmmmm, never really gave the thought of Weiss playing wing...that could work out wonderfully. BOTH Jurco and Glendening have exemptions remaining to cover next season, so much like Nyke this season, they can start the year in GR without the chance of losing them, thus opening up two roster spots up front...lets look at this: I hate Franzen anyway, and I especially hate him on the top line. Nyke should be there and that is where I am starting him. Nyke - Dats - Z Weiss - Leggy - Alfie Fish - Tinky - Abby Franzine - Barbie - Miller (Andy - Ferraro - Dirty Harry) Kronner - Big E Smitty - UFA (Morris) Diesel - UFA (Mitchell) Laser Ugh (Howard) Vokoun That's 24 players with Glenny and Jurx stating GR. Trading Kindl (no so) Fire and Almost Almqvist for a couple of picks. If you feel the pinch of a lower cap, then Andy can be packaged as well, or maybe sign bit cheaper D-man instead of one of Mitchell or Morris. Unless you'd want to roll the dice on Marchenko and only sign Morris. I know this is a Weiss thread, and I really didn't mean to respond with a roster of possible next season ufa's, but the idea of Weiss playing wing lead me to where I may be able to put others...sorry.

re-sign Legwand, trade for Edler....sign Morris, Mitchell, Vokoun. Done. obviously keep the kids. Kindl must go.

Whatever the case, Bertuzzi MUST NOT play another game... Keep Dirty Harry in and put Emmy back in if you have to, but NO WAY Bertuzzi laces up for another game. This playoff race is TOO important! Live and die with the kids is WAY better than just dying with Bertuzzi...

he is part of the obvious...bert, Cleary, Sammy...

Bert plays, Wings lose. Franzen sucks. Wings better beat Montreal and Toronto...they wont beat Boston, Pittsburgh or St.Louis...the playoff chances took a big hit tonight...

most important game of the year and jimmy cannot control the important save. Babs will never get coach of the year by playing useless players in huge games, bertuzzi has no business being anywhere near the ice. He is cancer. Franzen is useless. I am done with his streaks. Play 5 games disappear for 5 weeks. None if you can defend him. Jimmy cannot make an important save to save his life. not even mentioning the obvious, but players Detroit can do better without and should not be here next season: Howard, Kindl, Quincey, Helm, Franzen. This team is in the playoffs without those guys here.