LeftWinger

With the direction our Government is heading us, it just may have to!

Nicely put...I just hope Holland spends that cash for a couple of FA's that are gonna lead this team to our next Cup after the Dat's and Z's retire...

I'm afraid you are right...that is why Howe, Yzerman will not be in the name. They may have promenades in the Arena, but ya, it'll be "Highest Corporate Bidder" Arena. Money talks...(and helps the cause as well)

True, and since the City is always in such a damned hurry to demolish icons of the city, they would want it down immediately! I can remember when Tiger Stadium shut its doors in 99' the city immediately started talking about demolition. When they built the new Cass Tech High School, the historic old building didn't last one year...but the let rotting neighborhoods sit for decades...streets with 9 out of 10 houses burned out and uninhabitable. But when it comes to history, tear it down NOW! Look at the old Stadium site now, and fenced in overgrown field and you can barely see the old infield. Which just refers back to who or what is running this city... Anyway, I do recall that the aquarium was proposed by Illtich, and of course since the city does own the Joe, they'd have to ok it, but in regards to Cobo, I think the expansion project was put on hold with all the City Counsel fiasco a few years back... I think, as long as we get the right people in charge of the city, an aquarium would be a much better attraction than expanding Cobo for pretty much to accommodate just one event a year...it is also my opinion that they should have kept Cobo Arena open. Even though it only holds 12,000, it was still the best place to see a live concert! Now it's gonna be a banquet hall...really Detroit? A Banquet Hall? I can see that working out very well! Typical of our city though! We need fresh blood in this city, fresh idea's...So many lost gems it is truly truly sad...Some of histories BEST concerts were at Cobo Arena...The brains in Detroit are retarded...

I am sure if Holland has $1M for him, he will have some energy to sit in the press box. I love him, don't get me wrong, but I am ready for the next wave. I guess for a 13th or 14th forward, he is better than most and do not want our "future" (which I am still skeptical off) sitting in the press box...

The truth behind our decline is a waning system that seems to be faltering...Holland continues to go with the same type of players both up front and on D. It seems we will never know if our future is bright because Holland keeps signing the same players every year. This should have been a year sans Bertuzzi, Holmstrom, Hudler & possibly Lidstrom. But we are stuck with Bertuzzi for two more (at a higher salary) and the talk is Holmstrom is wanted back if he is ready. So if Holmer and Lidstrom come back, and we know Holland is more than likely going to attempt to re-sign Hudler, when do we get to see our future? This system of letting our prospects overripen in the minors is getting annoying to me. If they aren't good enough, don't draft them, if they are ready bring them up. Please, PLEASE stop drafting 5 year projects before this team ends up a team full of Kopecky's... Holland, I am calling you out, MAKE AN IMPACT this year!!!

in the rest of the post you quoted I did mention Suter, of course we'd have to sign Suter and Lidstrom, then trade Quincey. That would be still: Kronwall-Suter White-Lidstrom Smith- another UFA like you mentioned ($1m-$2M) Kindl That's if it took Big E and Quincey to get Perry...Which I think is a pretty good package I believe...

Perry has scored 50 and has been an MVP before. If I am making a trade for either him or Iginla, Perry is my first choice...even over Parise. If Anaheim needs D, then Quincey and Stuart could help. Maybe Fil, (sign and trade)Quincey, Stuart(rights) and another prospect or maybe Big E (not Smith) ain't such an EA Sports trade afterall? Perry is just over $5M (of course he only has one more year left so you's HAVE to re-sign him.) Could you imagine the Red Wings with Perry, Parise, Suter AND Lidstrom coming back? Of course that would be if the cap increased, but that would (at least on paper) be a pretty impressive team!

I am not quite sure, but Iltich was planning at one time on using the Joe and turning it into an aquarium. So I am not sure about demolishing it, but gutting the inside will definitely happen and it would be awesome to have some stuff from there! I worked the bench one day for my son's hockey team and I was working the door on the Wings bench that leads right down to their Wings locker room. I would love to have the bench from there, it looks like an old piece of crap wooden plank, but man, think of the rears that sat on that thing! History!

Amway Center? :puke: Sounds like a shopping mall full of $1 stores... I understand the local ties with Amway, I guess if the went that way there are plenty of other options too...Meijer Garden's anyone? Maybe go all the way back in Detroit's history and go with Cadillac Centre? Those are three I could live with: Delta Centre Meijer Gardens Cadillac Centre edit: I also like PNC Place...

Ya, it sure does have a lot to do with the surrounding area, and Detroit, right now, is no gem or easy to maneuver around, but that is where my light rail comes in. Even folks that live near the airport, south of the city would find it beneficial to park OUTSIDE of the city, ride the train downtown and spend the evening, then ride back and drive home. It's a win/win for everyone, plus it would keep the traffic down around the arena's on game day's/night's. The train would pay for itself in no time. Here is a personal experience, I drove to the GTA a few years ago's, couldn't get a hotel downtown so I drove back outside the city and stayed in Mississauga, The Valhalla Inn to be exact. We chose that hotel with a subway station right near it. When we got out in the morning we drove aprox. 5 mins (if that) to a subway station, rode the subway downtown, stayed most the day, drank and partied, whatever, went back to subway, waited and rode back, sobered up a bit, drove back to hotel, freshened up, then repeated step 1-3 for the evening for dinner concert and night life. I just wish that the powers that be in Detroit would get their heads out of the assess and wake up! YOU NEED PEOPLE AND CASH TO TURN THE CITY AROUND NOT JUST MINIMUM WAGE JOBS!!! Plus, other than the Foxtown area, everyting is spread WAY to far out, casinos all over, restaurants here and there. Detroit NEEDS an actual DOWNTOWN area again, with everything within WALKING distance,so when you arrive via the train, you can go from spot to spot enjoying your night with a TON of options, not just Greektown or Foxtown or Mexicantown. Hell you can't even walk from casino to casino, you are stuck in one the entire night...

I would hope for a modest 20,000 seats all together. As for a name, I am pining for The Delta Centre. Since taking over Northwest Airlines as the largest carrier in Detroit (in the 4th largest airport in the country) Delta hasn't done too much to become part of the community and really invest some money in Detroit the City outside of Romulus The Airport. The Utah Jazz used to have the Delta Center as the name of their arena, but that was years ago, it has since changed. With a brand new arena, and basically Delta still being "NEW" to the area (I know they flew in and out of here prior, but it was like 6 flights) this would be a great opportunity for both Ilitch and Richard Anderson (Delta CEO) to work together on this to help Detroit grow even more. Of course, with it being a Hockey Arena, I had to switch the ER to RE in CentRE to give it a more Canadian flavor, plus the words Delta Centre flow off the tongue pretty easily. Then all the Airport Authority and the City of Detroit has to do is connect the city to the airport via an light rail with stops in Dearborn and Comerica/Ford Field and Casino's, then the city will finally start to turn the corner. You will have folks actually FLY in to go to a game, dinner, casino, ride the train back to the Airport the next day or same night, and go home. All that sounds like Cash to the City to me...but then again, there is the corrupt City Council and Anti-Union Bing to deal with and that is a whole other monster! Mr. Ilitch, Mr. Anderson...The Delta Centre...get it done!

He would be the right move, but for sure it would cost a TON, starting with Filppula...Ahhh, if only he were a UFA this off season... Not to hijack the thread, but who (realistically, I don't wanna see Miller/Cleary/MacDonald crap) would you say goodbye to, in order to get Perry (AND THEN RE-SIGN HIM IMMEDIATELY!) I love Filppula, but Anaheim loves Selanne and if they want to get him another season, Filppula (who Selanne had said he loves playing with) would be a huge piece to start with. I'd hate to trade away future, but Perry is in his prime and if re-signed for at least 5 more years, one or two wouldn't sting too much. Unfortunately for me, I don't watch our prospects too much to know who to barter with and who is untouchable...I'd really hate to lose Smith. Maybe sign and trade Quincey along with Filppula and Brad Stuart's bargaining rights? To me, that still kind of sounds like a EA Sports trade...Help me out! Help me acquire Corey Perry to be that sniper next to Datsyuk!

Wait, so the truth behind our decline is who did & did not represent USA & Canada in the WHC? Whew, I thought it was age and injuries....

Maybe...but with Lids at or near the end, he is definitely near the top if not the top available defender's right now. I just think that right now, this team doesn't have that one D man that will take over... But like I said, I am sure there can be a couple of D-men signed for less that could cover the loss of Lidstrom too... ...and with all the talk about Suter/Parise, I think it is more important to solidify the D before the O...It's a more crucial position and obviously the Red Wings wouldn't have been nowhere near as consistent without Lidstrom for the past 20 years...

I feel, and it is just my opinion, that Ryan Suter is the closest thing we can acquire to having anyone near the talent of Lidstrom. He is better than any of our current defensemen that are under contract. As for salary, I think $7.5M would be what I would top out at. Like I said, I am sure he will get plenty of offers that are over and above that amount and it'll be up to him to sign with a contender (whether it's Detroit or not) or make the max in Columbus. Now if a contender offer's him $9M, then that is fine too. I think my max would be $7.5M, if not then there are other, not so talented options out there too. LA right now, is proving that you don't really need that high dollar defender to win, so if no Suter, then maybe a couple of $4M B class hard working defensemen that aren't named Quincey... edit: Sorry, just checked and I didn't know Doughty was at $7M per season, guess that theory was wrong! But honestly, now knowing that he is only at $7M, $7.5M should be plenty to get Suter signed...but to add to that theory, the Rags highest paid D man is less than $4M and it isn't hurting them!

I certainly hope it's Suter then everyone else...IMO Suter is priority #1 UFA to get signed here. The rest, including Lidstrom are secondary...

Not that it'll change anit-Semin folks on here, but at the World's he played his 3 games with Datsyuk and had 5 point in those 3 games. If he signed here and averaged the similar 1.66 PPG, I think he would be considered a great signing...was it country pride or playing with Datsyuk? Not sure, but I'd welcome that production...at least as a plan B if we aren't able into the Parise-stakes...

I wouldn't call them washed up, sure Steve wasn't the O machine he was in the 80's, and Fedorov slowed a bit, but the year they won the first Cup they were coming off prior year scoring of 95pts (Yzerman) and 107pts (Fedorov) respectively...but ya compared to earlier stats, they were more down to Earth during the 3 Cup run... Differnce is, those late 90's early 00's teams had balanced scoring that took a lot of scoring away from Yzerman/Fedorov, this team doesn't have that as much, so as Z and D decline, so does the team...They need to address this sooner than later, hopefully this off season! Speaking of secondary scoring, I see Franzen had 9 points in 7 games in the Worlds, that sure wold be nice to get him to give that much when he plays for the Red Wings.... 1.28 PPG would turn a lot of his naysayers around!

I think realistcally he should sign somewhere for $6M-$8M, but there are going to be those certain teams that throw an outrageous offer at him to try to steal him...it's up to him to decide whether he wants to walk away from a $2M-$3M difference to have a legit chance to win...unfortunately for us, there are more teams out there now that have a legit chance, and then some Cinderella stories (LA) that could pop up as well...I would HATE to see him sign in St. Louis or Chicago or s***sburgh, that's for sure! All of which would hate to see him sign in Detroit...Gonna be a nerve racking day on July 1st! It's a Sunday, so I will have to work, my phone is going to be on overdrive!

Now that would be cool! I don't know if Datsyuk has 60 in him, but ya, that would be a great welcome! (do you think he would still get screwed out of a Hart?)

Covers are Voodoo more times than not....its a nice honor, but I am scared for him to win....That being said, Good Luck Megatron, Madden 2013 cover...

I wouldn't mind Quincey at $3M per season for 3-5, but that either keeps Smith in GR or makes him #7 if they traded Kindl and singed both Suter and Lidstrom. Not unless Holland doesn't plan to pursue Suter too hard, but I would hate for our D to be: Kronn - Lids White - Eric Quincey - Smith Kindl ....ouch....

I hope you are wrong, but there are a lot of players out there that can and will replace Hudler and be a bigger impact for us. Sure he had 50 points, but that just means he will be looking for a raise and the Wings cannot afford to waste more cap space on the "same old team." Besides, bring back Hudler & Holmstrom, that is two more roster spots taken that can be filled with someone who can score 40+ goals. Not unless there is a trade brewing, but I doubt it...

I want the same thing to happen.... Holland has to offer him a qualifying offer of $3.25M (his salary last year(he does get an automatic raise because he is making over $1M)) hopefully he turns it down and gets signed somewhere else for the $3.5M or more he is probably worth, then Holland not only gets his 1st round pick back that he gave up, he also gets a 3rd to go with it! If Holland does not qualify him, he becomes a UFA... I just don't see room for him on this team with the possibility of Suter signing and Lidstrom coming back. Not unless Smith is staying in GR for another year...(not to mention Cap issues if it doesn't go up) Kronwall - Suter White - Lidstrom Ericsson - Quincey Kindl (Smith in GR) I would rather have the picks for Quincey, make Smith the #6 D-Man in his place...of course Kindl could always be traded but he may not get you a 3rd, let alone a 1st and 3rd... Let's hope if Quincey does leave, he signs somewhere like Columbus or Montreal so that 2013 1st rounder may possibly be a lottery pick!