LeftWinger

KuznetsoV, but who is keeping track! I would like that too...Maybe Quincey and Kindl in a package?

Not shocked by this at all! He was given the chance and took it! Way to go Brian, hold on tight! Kindl's future? Just what I have been saying...trade bait. Won't get too much in return, but if someone offers a 3rd rounder, I'll take it!

This is why I say (even though I still wish for Perry or Ryan) just trade for picks and go after that D in the summer and draft for the future. The kids are ready, we may even see Jarnkrok next season so room will have to be made. 2 Buyouts, let Cleary walk, let go on White and Kindl. If someone does want Filppula, I would take a #25-ish overall for him...same goes for Franzine, a top 20 draft pick would suffice. With a couple of first rounders Holland could draft (if available) Ryan Pulock and Robert Haag and be well on his way to a great Defense in 4-5 years...

I look at it this way...Mursak gone....next should be Kindl, then Quincey, the Bertuzzi, Sammy and Cleary. Good luck Jan, I hope you get somewhere that you enjoy being!

Damn! I always forget someone! But that just goes to show, we have way too many forwards with the kids ready to go. Big decisions are to be made soon! I know Sheahan and Tatar still have options, but I think Tatar has earned a spot...I guess we could all wait one more season when there is even more room for the kids, but next season Holland has to do something to convince Datsyuk to re-sign and not go home. That is not keep the old guys here and let the kids fester in GR. If Dats is going to stay here, it will be to win, not to just barely make the playoffs, if at all. Right now Dats has to be encouraged by the play of the kids and probably relishes the role of teacher, but he cannot teach old men like Sammy and Bertuzzi and Cleary. I think they all need to go and the kids need to be here...whatever happens, we need to keep Dats around for a few more years somehow....This team will not survive his departure with the team he will leave behind...

Kindl was drafted 8 years ago in the 1st round, time after time he has failed to crack the lineup full time. He will play only when there are injuries and when someone needs a break...that is sad for him. He has had every oppurtunity to be a top 6 or top 5 defender, its just not in the cards here for him. Lashoff has passed him up on the depth chart and even though Kindl is better than Quincey, Quincey will get in before him just because of his salary. I know that the draft is a gamble, but when you are drafted in the 1st round, especially as high as he was, you are expected to be a regular player at least, if not a top 2 defenseman. Right now, Huskins and Lashoff are both more valuable than Kindl. When Smith returns it is Kindl who will sit, not Lashoff. Kindl will probably rotate with Huskins but when Quincey returns (barf) Huskins will get the nod of Kindl and when fully healthy, Lashoff has options so he will be sent down, but Huskins will continue to be the rotating D-man with Cola. Kindl is best served at getting us a nice 3rd round pick in return...

Ok, if I am letting the kids come up and stay (Tatar, Andersson, Sheahan) and with the emergance of Brunner, I am focusing on the D and making our bottom 6 even better. If a trade is not made for players, but only draft picks (which is fine) of your list, I am going for Murray or Scuderi and Brendan Morrow in the UFA pool. I am trading one of Franzine or Filppula at the deadline for whatever I can get. I am also getting rid of Kindl and Quincey for the same. I am too happy with Lashoff and Huskins and am almost positive Dekeyser will be a Red Wing before the playoffs. Cola is here for another year as your 6/7 rotate guy. Add to that D Corps, Scuderi or Murray (I like the other names you named too) and this D is looking pretty good as long as Kronwall continues his climb as a legit top guy. Add Morrow to Helm's line with Tootoo and keep add Sheahan to Andersson and Abby and we are looking pretty good. I suppose if Holland buys out Bert and Sammy, then allow Miller and Cleay to move on, we could keep both Fil and Franz, but that bumps out Nyquist again...maybe Nyquist can get us a very good draft pick... Tatar - Datsyuk - Filppula Fraznen - Zetterberg - Brunner Morrow - Helm - Tootoo Sheahan - Andersson - Abby Eaves ...on paper I like that and it also keeps the wishful thinking of Perry or Ryan out of the story... I think seriously we can have Morrow pretty easily. On the D, again, Kindl and Quincey are gone for picks and Dekeyser is in. Ian White is gone and I am siginging a top UFA.... Kronwall - Murray (or Scuderi) Smith - Ericsson Dekeyser - Lashoff Cola

Hell, with the deep draft this year, I will take a low 1st from a top team for Filppulla...or maybe a 2nd & 3rd. I am all for focusing on a top defender we need over a scorer. I think our scoring will be fine once the D is taken care of.

Kindl is an RFA, I could care less what he does and Quincey can be dealt for a draft pick for all I care...too bad he won't get the 1st in return that Holland blew on him.

All encouraging news! 1. Because it's nice that teams have expressed interest in Filppula. 2. Filppula went to arbitration as an RFA before to get what he felt he was worth, it's not surprising that there is a "gap" between them. With Hudler getting what, $4.5M? I can see Filppula getting $5M somewhere. To me, that is just too much here. We already have 4 centers, 5 if you count Andersson and even though Fil's defense is nice, his presence on the wing can be replaced easily. I can hold out hope that Anaheim is indeed one of those team interested in Fil and could only dream that either Bobby Ryan or Corey Perry would be part of a package trade between the two....probably not, but I can hold out hope. Hell, maybe Fil will be shoppedf or that top defender. I still stand by my statement that Fil, Franzine, Nyquist, Kindl & Quincey should all be considered as trade bait....whether or not we get a top defender in return is unknown...

Agreed.....I think Ian White has had his run in Detroit. There just isn't enough spots anymore. I do like the right handed shot, but in the end, you have to open spots up for the kids eventually. I think Cola should be the #7 rotating with Lashoff. I am holding out hope on Dekeyser to be here and then a Trade Deadline -or- UFA acquistion... Kronwall - UFA/Trade Smith - Ericsson Dekeyser - Lashoff Cola

Definitely the emergance of Brunner and Tatar has relieved the pressure of scoring a little bit. I do think the priority is a TOP defender. Either way, we have too many forwards and need to trim some fat. Whether they make a deal at the deadline or just stand pat and cut ties come FA day, there needs to be some players trimmed in order to get these kids in here. I am all for making a deal to get that top defender from someone. Most likely from a team with no playoff chance and right now it's hard to gauge those teams...I wouldn't mind getting a hold of Winnipeg and find out the availability of Bogosian or Byfuglien or Tyler Myers out of Buffalo. We will never predict what Holland will do, only wish. If Holland signed Dekeyser before the playoffs and got rid of Quincey and Kindl over the summer, I would be very happy. If i had to keep one of those guys, it would be Kindl due to salary.

You cannot score when you are lying on your ass.... Backes would have (Lemieux at 18) and has (Crosby) destroyed both of them physically virtually evening the playing field. If players were allowed to breathe on Lemeiux or Gretzky let alone hit them without getting a penalty, they would not have scored near as much as they did. Crosby just dives around like a pansey, but yet, players still get called for penalties... On my team, I will take a full team of Backes' and Parise's than a one full of Crosby's and Lemieux's....

You mean, like we are doing this season?

Brunner - Brett Hull 4.0 Tatar - Wayne Gretzky 2.75 Frk - Yzerman 3.14 ...gimme a break. Describe them as shooters, snipers, etc...do not compare them to other players.

You forgot Eaves...which is another reason Sammy should be bought out. Buying out Sammy and Bert, allowing Cleary and Miller to move on opens spots up for Andersson Tatar, Nyquist and Sheahan if a UFA is not signed, but you can still rotate SHeahan in and out of the lineup even with a UFA star forward. I still believe you have to let Kindl go and shop Quincey around. Lashoff deserves a spot and you still need a top defenseman. I too believe that Dekeyser will sign here and he wil be on the roster. Kronwall - Murray Smith - Ericsson Lashoff - Dekeyser Huskins(I guess if you let Huskins go, Kindl can be retained, but Huskins is better) ...or let them both go and start rotating Ouellet and Sproul with Lashoff... edit: I still frimly believe that Franzen, Filppula, Kindl, Quincey and Nyquist should all be trade bait. I know Franzen would be hard to get rid of, but to the right team (Vancouver) he would be an attractive commodity despite the length of his contract.

I know that I beat the drum of UFA's all the time, but right now I am more concerned with the FA's that we aren't going to re-sign! I would love to see Perry here and I still hope that Holland goes after him. BUT I really hope that Holland cuts ties with FA's Dan Cleary and Jakub Kindl. Unfortunately Ian White has had his time here and should move on and although I believe he is good for this team, Drew Miller should move on as well. We alreay have Patrick Eaves signed for another year and there are just too many bottom 6 guys on this team. I hope Holland uses his buyouts to get rid of Sammy and Bertuzzi as well...so it breaks down (for me) like this: Lose: Todd Bertuzzi Mikael Samuelsson Drew Miller Jakub Kindl Dan Cleary Ian White Re-sign: Damien Brunner Joakim Andersson Val Filppula Brenden Smith Kent Huskins Brian Lashoff Jimmy Howard FA's: Corey Perry Douglas Murray Dan Dekeyser ...of course this is barring any trades that may happen. I would still like to bolster the Blueline with a trade and maintain that both Franzen and Filppula are our best trade assets that are replacable with our kids...I would like to see Sheahan get some time this year and even more next. year, along with Ferraro...

I am happy for this, we need him to become that leader. He is going to be our #1 defenseman for a long time and it is awesome that he is turning the corner!

WTF is all this 2.0 bull? Can't a player be a player? Brunner is Brunner...period. He has 10 goals in 19 games, which would equate to apprx. 42 goals over an entire season. He is/was a great find and we have Stacy Roest to thank for him, not Andersson, not Holland. He should be re-signed, he should get about $2M and he should be our best scorer since Hossa. He has proven he can play in the NHL and deserves to stay. No way Holland lets this guy walk, he didn't cost him an asset or a draft pick. He is found money basically. But in no way is he anyone 2.0...he is Damien Brunner and he has arrived in the NHL...Thank you Stacy.

Brett Hull? Really? Don't get too excited. I don't see Brunner scoring 741 goals....when Hull was Brunner's age he score 86 goals and followed that with 70 the following year...Brunner is good, he will probably be the best scorer we've had since Hossa left, but Brett Hull? That's asking a lot!

I think I'd rather have the #17 or #18 pick and take Ryan Pulock. That may be just me though...

That is it: Buy out Sammy and Bert...Tatar and Andersson have earned the right to be in Detroit...sign Brunner right now.

Well, if there is a turn around this season, then this weekend will be seen as that point....too bad when Franzine gets healthy that Babcock is going to put hi in the lineup and disrupt the chemistry...Babs should keep the lineup the same until they lose.

Phantom penalty...clean, open ice hit...charging?

Nice to see Tootoo was at least ONE signing that Holland did right! Slap all of you who hated it!