LeftWinger

although I would love to see ANYTHING replace Hudler, but isn't that what Parise is supposed to be? I really don't understand all this, offer this guy and contract, probably re-signing Holmstrom gonna go hard after Parise....Nyquist here full time. Emmerton and Mursak have ZERO options to GR, just where is Holland going to put all these forwards? Not to mention wanting Lidstrom and Suter and Smith here permanently. There is only room for 23 players, maybe Holland is just getting back up plans or maybe he plans on getting rid of some players from last season. Personally, I'd rather keep Miller and Eaves over Bertuzzi and Cleary...Maybe Eaves is done? I just have a weird feeling that a ton of us fans are going to be disappointed come July 2nd when Holland doesn't score the two players he absolutely HAS to get to turn this team back in the right direction...

Hey, lets be careful not to mention Semin in the Semin thread ok guys? Seems the Semin police are out there...or is that semen kip?

Uh....ya, no. I only mentioned Semin after everyone else mentioned him becoming a F/A. If you see my sig, it doesn't, nor has it had Semin mentioned in a long time. I'd prefer just to sign Parise and Suter and Vokoun. So no, I don't mention in it every thread....an excuse me for talking about it in the "Semin" thread. And I have talked about plenty of stuff...Why don't you pull the dick out of your ass, its starting to mess with your head!

This just in....Holland not interested in Parise. I'm joking, but seriously? It looks like Holland STILL refuses to change the makeup of this team, a makeup that has been waning and waning year after year. Sorry, just my opinion...

Fedorov....first of all "WE" never booed you. Second, you are and always will be my favorite and in my opinion the BEST Detroit Red Wing in my viewing era...Third, Thank You and Thank You for making my era of NHL hockey and Detroit Red Wings hockey the absolute best era to EVER watch and be part of! We will see you in the Hall(s) (Michigan and NHL) and for me at least (but too bad unlikely) I want to see #91 up there next to #19... You should sign a one day contract with the Wings on July 1st, so you can officially retire where you belong, a part of the team you will always be remembered for... I have missed you since Detroit pulled their offer to you and forced you to leave and have wished for a comeback ever since...Good luck with the Red Army! Godspeed Sergei!

I both love and hate the draft...I love it for all the Datsyuks that are found and I hate it for all the guys NOT selected that I wish were...but that being said, as always, the draft is a crap shoot and just because you are drafting (at that time) the best available player, doesn't mean you always get what you expected, and then there are the gems that are found in the later rounds (no, Holland is not the only one to find the gems either) that makes you just scratch your head wondering why "your team" didn't take that player... You can go back over every year and every round and pretty much see a star player that was passed up by numerous teams for someone who barely even had time to take a poop in the NHL, let alone become what was expected of them... a quick example, all this talk about Paul Gausted and he was taken in the 7th round #220 overall...in the 6th round Detroit had 2 picks #187 and #196 they chose Per Backer and Paul Ballentyne....you just never know...besides the Rags had a huge mess up in 2003, perhaps the BEST first round class ever selected by teams...except at #12 when the Rags took winger Hugh Jessiman who managed just 2 games played in the NHL followed directly by LA selecting winger Dustin Brown. If you get a chance take a look at that first round...wow! Too bad Detroit didn't have a first rounder that year... edit: That same draft year, as good as the first round was (except Rags and Blues) Shea Weber didn't go until the 2nd round at #49 and Joe Pavelski was #205 overall...I can think of many teams that wish they would've gone a different route that year...including Detroit.

Nice hit...nice to see nobody go after Kronwall after he delivers a clean hit...if that were the NHL, the entire opposition line would be trying to fight Kronwall. Like a clean hit has to be defended. What did kesler say earlier this year, if he is gonna hit like that he is gonna have to answer for it...why? Clean hit is a clean hit....jackass traitor!

I tend to agree. he seems much better as a wing. One way to put back on the wing is to sign (acquire somehow) two new wingers for Datsyuk (Parise & Semin(cheap) just suggesting names) which will put Franzen back down with Zetterberg (where I think he does a bit better) and that'll put Filppula back at third line center pushing Helm back to the 4th sliding Abby back to the wing. Parise - Dastyul - Semin Franzen - Zetterberg - Nyquist Bertuzzi - Filppula - Cleary Miller - Helm - Abdelkader Eaves (homer) You could flip Miller/Eaves and Homer in and out I guess, this would cause you to lose both Emmerton and Mursak though...unless Cleary is traded (which I do not see happening...)

Yes, I think if he signs for a Hudler-type salary, he would be a nice project to see if he indeed does have chemistry with Datsyuk. Parise is imperative though and I would like to see both signed! If for some reason Holland cannot get Parise, Semin cannot and would not be a viable plan b alone....Holland would have to obtain someone else in the Parise mold as a plan B. Of course with all the talk about re-signing Homer, getting two new FA's is pretty much out of the question. I really just wish that Holland would let the past go... Not unless he ditches BOTH Emmerton and Mursak, re-signs Homer AND signs Parise and Semin...that could be a pretty good lineup...

So it is of one negger's opinion that losing Emmerton/Mursak and possibly not being able to sign Parise is worth re-signing Holmstrom... I get it. I hope you enjoy a worse season than last year, because if it was not for the 23 game win streak at home and they played like they did on the road, they wouldn't have even made the playoffs. But just keep re-signing players from the 90's, just keep losing top prospects for washed up players...oh wait, you can always trade a first round draft pick for them later in their career's...that'll make up for it all! Holland re-signs Holmstrom and loses youth because of it, this team will be in trouble for years, indeed. I understand your love for Homer, but there are only so many roster spots to be handed out. Hey, here's an idea, lets sign Homer and not sign one of Helm or Abby, that'll make it better and open up a roster spot... Nobody here can convince any of us that re-signing Holmstrom will make this team better than they were last season. Thank you Homer for all the years, but please, call it a career... Yes, but signing Parise and Homer you are exposing Emmerton AND Mursak to waivers or trade. I understand wanting Lidstrom back, especially if he heals 100% from his injury, but to lose TWO young players for the sake of an aging Holmstrom who will be the 13th forward most nights..I dunno, if it doesn't affect Hollands ability to pursue Parise and Suter, then I guess...but I hate, year after year, sacrificing youth for "One more Shot." Which BTW, that "SHOT" seems to get further and further away from the target each year...

Homer needs to retire. We already have 13 forwards (once Helm and Abby are re-signed) and will be getting (hopefully) a Parise type player for Datsyuk. That already pushes one of Mursak or Emmerton off the team, now you want to re-sign Homer and push both of them off the team? So signing Homer is better than keeping Mursak and Emmerton? Of course in my scenario, I get rid of Mursak, but I am NOT signing Homer at the expense of any of them, and God forbid at the expense of not signing Parise...Thanks for the memories Homer, but it over. This team needs its youth to remain. Bottom line, if they sign Holmstrom, and Parise, then they lose BOTH Emmerton and Mursak and Sheahan never comes up. If they don't want to lose one of those, then they cannot sign Parise, so in order to get Lidstrom back and keep some youth, you are passing on Parise and siging Holmstrom... Parise and Emmerton far better than Holmstrom and Mursak...sorry Homer lovers...

Nah, not a biggie. I only complain when people neg for no reason. I would take 3000 negs if folks had the nuts enough to explain why they disagree. Whatever... It's just funny when people say Homer is too old and needs to go, they get a plus, then I agree and get a neg. Sure, maybe it bothers me more than it should, but if folks would say why, it would be nice. But, ya, I should know by now, they won't and it shouldn't bother me...

You are hilarious...Hey, Chris Chelios is great friends with Ryan's uncle Gary, so he has more connections to the Red Wings PLUS he played with Patrick Eaves in Ann Arbor, so there, na na na boo boo!

Ok, so, where do Miller-Abby-Eaves end up? Emmerton and Mursak are already your 13th and 14th forwards, So which two guys are going when Homer gets re-signed? Miller, Abby, Eaves, Mursak or Emmerton? Oh wait, lets just not sign Parise and sign Homer instead...all set, book the parade!

egads! Who is the 40 yr old holding the beer? Is that Stiffler's mom? Kane may still be acting up, but his chicks at least are getting better looking...

Ya! Thanks for noticing! Anyhow, someone is just going thru and negging everything I say now. It's not because they disagree with me, I know this because someone gets pluses for list the top 10 things Holland will say and I simply reply, nice to meet you Mr. Holland and it gets a neg. No biggie. When their son grows up swallowing a sword, they at least will know why...

What X Factor? What exactly are "a lot of connections to Minn" supposed to mean? He has never played there, here did not grow up there, he play TWO years in Michigan, so he actually has more connections in Michigan than Minnesota. Maybe you have an inside informant, please enlighten us of his connection to Minnesota...and no connection to Michigan. Besides, Madison is just as close to Michigan as it is Minnesota geographically. Also the last I heard, his family lives in Nashville, so Detroit is closer to Nashville than Minniap. Geography doesn't matter, I was just pointing out that people are misinformed by saying he has connections to Minni. I was simply saying he actually played in Ann Arbor, so he has more of a connection to Michigan than Minnesota, which he has never lived nor played in...(besides against the Wild.)

Wow, lots of Homer love still I guess. At least by all the negs. Of course no one man enough to debate it.... Let me ask the negger, do you like the team you had last season? Sure they were 1st overall in February, but that was because of an anomaly. Think about this, they won an NHL record 23 straight home wins, yet still could not bury the rest of the league...why? Because they stunk on the road, their PP and PK stunk. Look how early the 2001-02 Wings put away the rest of the league and they didn't even sniff a 23 game win streak...If you can honestly tell us that this team, exactly like it was last season, is a Stanley Cup caliber team, then please, explain it to us, don't just neg and run. Of course, just like usual, you won't... edit: I did what I could to bring everyone back to plus. It's asinine to neg someone just because they think Homer should retire...

Worse, since there will be no 23 game win streak anomoly.... Nice to meet you Mr. Holland!

Package? What is this, Hossa/Kopecky? Just say no to Holmstrom, its time to go. Sign Homer at the expense of who? Typical ******* Holland. Guess we can forget Parise and look forward to Samuelsson.....that better not be the plan!

I am not sure where the misunderstanding came from, but Ryan Suter is from Madison, Wisconsin. He played two years in Ann Arbor, MI. for the US National Development Under 18 team and one yr for the Badgers before reporting to Nashville. He has never played youth hockey in Minnesota. And considering his time in Ann Arbor, and the lack of NHL in Wisconsin, signing in Detroit would be more of a homecoming than Minnesota. Edit: Wow, negged? So, ok, Minnesota will be a homecoming then, even though he has never played there or lived there...I plan on having a homecoming in Hawaii next week. Jack ass...

Caps....why not...

Franzen's work ethic was never questioned while playing for Sweden. That is always the knock on European players, they play harder when it comes to International Play than in the NHL. It's always been said that the Europeans value International Championships higher than the Stanley Cup. When young Europeans are playing hockey, they dream of winning an Olympic gold, when young North American's are playing they dream of hoisting the Stanley Cup...that just the way it has always been. So of course Franzen is going to play harder and with more heart for Sweden...it's just how it goes...

Let's start by saying, I, just like most of you, would LOVE to see Lidstrom come back for another season, as long as he is 100% healthy and 100% still in love with this sport and this town and has the heart and desire to seriously put up with another pre-season, 82 game regular and playoffs. If he is ready, it will be great to see him back, BUT... ...he cannot be paid his normal salary. In all the "Off Season" threads, there are a lot of folks bickering about "offering" him only $3M and most people say that an offer like that would be an insult to Nick. I agree to an extent, if indeed it is an offer. Plus, Ken Holland would probably never "offer" him anything. So the question isn't what will Ken Holland offer him, it is what does Lidstrom want. I believe that Nick knows that he isn't the same as he was 10 years ago, he is only going to be around one or maybe two more years. I believe if he does come back, that he no doubt wants to have a serious shot at the Cup on last time AND I do believe he'd like to leave this team in a great position to continue it's domination over the league that he has enjoyed the last 20 years. For that to happen, Nick needs to seriously get with Kenny, talk about what this team needs in order to secure the future for the next 5-10 years and THEN and ONLY THEN should they talk about what Nick will make this year. Nick should tell Holland (yes or no) that he is coming back, BUT Holland can do everything in his power to secure the future of this team by getting 2-4 GREAT players signed so when he does retire, this organization isn't going back to the pre-Yzerman era... Only Holland knows which UFA's he wants to target, and usually that is players that are complete opposite of what we as fans would "like to see." For the sake of this thread I will use the names that everyone has pretty much been using thus far this offseason, Suter and Parise... Nick and Kenny need to get together, agree that the first and foremost needs are Suter & Parise, so here is what I think the sequence should be something like this: Sign Suter to "whatever it takes" contract... Sign Parise to "whatever it takes" contract... Re-sign Helm & Abdelkader Either re-sign Quincey to no more than $3M or just have Smith on the roster permantly... Sign a UFA Goalie to REALLY challenge Jimmy and push him to the next level. (Jimmy needs this to make that next step. Joey and Ty just aren't good enough to Challenge him) I suggest Vokoun, but thats just my opinion... Once these are done, the future (Suter, Parise, Helm, Abdelkader) are all secured for at least the next 5 years. (of course, along with the already signed kids from GR.) Then, whatever Cap space is left (hopefully it goes up like experts are projecting) THEN Nick sits down with Holland and if he wants one more shot at the Cup and be a bridge between the Wings of the last 20 years and the Wings of the next 20 years, he needs to sign for what Holland can now afford to sign him to. If Holland can do some magic, there may be about $4M left over, not sure, but this won't be an insulting offer to Nick, considering that if Nick wants this team to win and continue to win after he retires, he needs to let Holland secure the future BEFORE giving Nick a contract. All this relies on Nick though. Holland isn't going to offer him anything, he is going to give Nick what he wants, I just hope Nick wants to give the fans what they want and that is Suter and Parise and then their beloved Captain for one more shot! In that order please...

correct me if I am wrong, but does't this CBA become "amendable" and not expire? I seem to remember reading somewhere that if an agreement isn't made that the current CBA just keeps extending until an agreement is come to...maybe I was dreaming it or something...dunno...