LeftWinger

Interesting Story.... two issues though, not that I don't believe him, but maybe some pictures to prove it woud be nice, I could make up te same exact story and just change the team, but it could've happened. Two: This really shows us just how safe our beloved players are from stalkers! After this story came out (if it is true) the NHL should adopt a "Family Credentials" program to where you need special ID to get on the ice. This guy could've done some real damage...

Why are these idiot Pitts fans still here? Dude, I can think of at least 29 other players I'd rather have than this pole smoker! He is onlyt cleaning the cup to suck up to uncle gary some more, because he knows along with the rest of the free world, he didn't earn it! OR need we remind you what SHOULD result from instigating a fight in the last two minutes of a game? I know we dont have to remind you of this:

Everyone complaining about not having a grittier 3rd and 4th, lets look: 2008-2009: Sammy Filppula Hudler Maltby Draper Kopecky (Meech) 2009-2010 (possible 3rd and 4th) Eaves Helm Cleary (or Leino either or can be 2nd or 3rd line) Maltby Draper Williams Oulahen (McGrath) I guess for those of you who have been clammering about North American style Hockey, those lines should moisten you up!

I am thinking Holland is loving next off season no matter what happens with Chicago! Right now we have $16M available before we sign anyone. Looing at the list of RFA's and UFA's there shouldn't be too many high dollar guys. Even if you automatically give Lidstrom $5M, that is still $11M to play with. (barring a drop in Cap) Helm will probably get $1M, as will Abdelkader. If Eaves works out, he may get $1.5 to $2M, that STILL leaves $7M to play with! I don't think Holland will throw $5M of that (or more) at Toews, give Holland $7M and he'll give you a Stanley Cup! Again, if Holland offers ANY one of the RFA's from Chicago a contract, it'll probably be someone like Ladd, and that ONLY if Chicago is less than $3M from going over their cap, if not, Chicago will match.

That would certainly be cool, and if he contnued along the career path he has started, he would be worth the draft picks, BUT, since there will be 28 other teams not name Detroit or Chicago also willing to give up picks, it is highly unlikely he will sign anywhere for a discount that is not named Chicago. IF he wants the payday, he'll have plenty of suitors lining up to pay him top dollar. They are going to have 8 RFA's next off season, most of which will be affordable to other teams, including Detroit. If you take away the top 3 of Kane, Toews and Keith, I would most certainly LOVE to see Detroit agressively pursue Andrew Ladd. I think Detroit could offer him enough to draw him out of Chicago (considering if the Hawks are able to fit the top three under their available cap space which sits at $14M right now, there won't be much left for the other 5 and Ladd could be the one to leave.) His currently salary is $1.5M and could definately see him accepting $3M or right up to the point where we only have to give up a 2nd rounder. Then again, like another user said, if they could somehow unload Campbell's salary, then they'll be able to resign everyone, and become a very good team or a long time. Keith would be an awesome attraction, especially if Lids hangs them up, but there is a premium on young defensmen like him in the league and he may get offers that just my be out of our price range. Again, I can only see him taking a discount for one team, and that is Chicago. Stranger things have happened (Hossa coming here for $7.45M) but Toews is just not what this team needs right now. Where would he fit? Second line center, then Filppula gets demoted and Helm get to be 4th line center. I guess that wouldn't be bad after Draper retires,so yeah, it's possible, and a bit attractive, but for the money we'll have available next year, Ladd or if a miracle comes our way, Keith would be a little more attractive to Hollan for this teams needs...

With so many line options, I doubt there will be FINAL lines. That is the one thing about this entire team, they can pla pretty much ANY forward position when asked. That being said, I don't think the final roster has been set yet. Ryan Oulahen and Even McGrath MUST pass through waivers to be sent down this year, so that brings up a nice little battle to behad at camp. Personally, I don't want to lose either of them, we have been developing them for a while now nad would hate to lose one (unless, of course one or both of them stink up Traverse City.) I don't really know the rules on rosters, but if they both impress, and if we can have 23 players, we could keep both of them up as reserves (if we remove Lilja's salary that is.) They could rotate around with Maltby and cover injuries. Here is my roster: (note line combos are not set and are subject to change, this is just a roster.) Holmstrom Zetterberg Datsyuk Leino Filppula Franzen Cleary Helm Eaves Maltby Draper Williams Ouhahen/McGrath Lidstrom Rafalski Stuart Kronwall Lebda Ericsson Meech Osgood Howard That being said, I guess that looks ok for a solid season, not stellar, but once again our biggest quetion mark is going to being goaltending. Which Osgood is gonna show up, and is Howard going to continue to blow his NHL appearance by sub sub par play? Hold on tight and lets go!

Or how about Williams at $1.5 or Moen at $1.5? Ya, me too!

Lighten up Francis! Just because it wasn't Grier you don't have to rain on everyones parade!

Holmstrom as the 13th forward

Tsk, Tsk, Tsk ad yu guys ***** about ME bringing up Hudler in every thread! Sheesh! He's GONE! Hopefully for a LONG, LONG time! With Eaves being a Solid 3rd or 4th line player, I think the Wings may look into a Solid 3rd and ocassional 2nd line player. If they can score one of those for $1.2M or so they will be happy. Whether or not Grier, Bertuzzi or Prospl would accept that is beyond me, but I think Holland really liked Bertuzzi when he was here and he would probably be his first choice to fill that role. I guess its whoever will accept what we have to offer. I would think Holland would like to keep some space open for GRR call ups this season (unlike last) so he will probably want to keep at least $900,000 open so he can bring up Abby sometime throughout the season. Lets say tey go for Bertuzzi it pretty much makes your roster: Cleary Zetterberg Datsyuk Bertuzzi Filppula Franzen Leino Helm Holmstrom Maltby Draper Eaves Oulahen (McGrath) of course lie switching will happen all season, so don't grill me on my combos...

Detroit is gonna sign another $1M or less UFA an let McGrath and Oulahen battle it out for the 13th spot. Now, who that will be, dunno!

Well if Detroit does moe east, there would definately HAVE to be an orginal 6 (minus Chicago) division: Detroit Toronto Montreal Boston Rangers That is what I am talking about!

Either that or see if Tanguay will come for $2.5M to $3M, assuming Llja starts on LTIR, of course this would be a stetc but I don't hear of anyone beating down the door of Tanguay.... maybe there is a reason, eh?

Peca and Malhotra. Sice these guys are not mentioned, obviously these are the ones that wll be signed.

All of which grew up when the Wings were winning. Its hard not to choose the Captain of an elite franchise as your favorite player when you are a kid and they are Cup Champions. I look to the like of Joe Sakic who (on record) chose the #19 because he admired the way Steve Yzerman played, and that was BEFORE the Cups. This debate can never be won, BOTH players have had the biggest impact on this team since Gordie Howe. I believe if they were both drafted together, Lidstrom would have the nod, but Yzerman played nearly a decade before Lidstrom came over so its hard to judge them fairly.

Let me first say I am a HUGE YZerman fan, always have been. I remember the day he was drafted, I was so glad we got him instead of LaFontaine falling to us, with that being said, I have to put a different angle on this debate. While you state that Yzerman completely turned this franchise around, and another user stated that without Yzerman we have no Cups in 97/98/02. I have repectfully disagree with you guys. Sure Yzerman was a great player and the organization TRIED to build around him, I say tried because you look at all the failures that lead us to here. Probert, Sheppard, Klima, Sharples, BUrr, Houda, Murphy (Joe that is,) Racine, Graves, Cheveldae.... Sure they tried, but it wasn't until little entry draft in 1989 the REALLY turned this franchise around. Sure, the Wings had above par regular seasons but other than a couple of lucky runs to the Campbell Conferene Finals, most the time the Wings were first round and out. Missing the 1990 playoffs all together. I would say the likes of Fedorov, Lidstrom, Konstantinov, Osgood, LaPointe and Kozlov turned this franchise around and molded it into what it is today. Sure, they kept Yzerman around, but as another user eluded to, he was almost traded after the 1994 playoff debacle. I cannot think of once when Lidstrom and trade were ever mentioned in the same sentence. They have both had their impact on this team. Steve Yzerman rescued it from fan oblivion with his flashy play in the 80's. He generated ALOT of fan support, but it wasn't until LIdstrom and Fedorov showed up that turned this franchise from a playoff pretender to Stanley Cup Champions. This current dynasty team you see today was built around Lidstrom and Fedorov's impact, not Steve Yzerman's. So, we'll never know if the Wings would have won without Yzerman or LIdstrom individually, but think it is fairly certain that if this team never took a chance on drafting Lidstrom and Fedorov/Konstantinov we wold NOT have 4 Stanley Cups in the last 12 years... Yzerman's presence saved this franchise, Lidstrom's turned it into a winner...

This... ...and that!

Ya, if he doesn't, that wold not only make this the mos boring off season in history, but the absolute worst!

You misconstrue what you see! I don't dislike Hudler because he went to arbitration or signed n the KHL for more. I don't dislike him for leaving or not taking a hometown discount. I have never liked him, even while he was under contract and playing in GRR. There are just some players who people do not like, even if they play for your hometown team. I am not faulting him for leaving for more money, good for him, Detgroit just didn't have the Cap to keep him. So, I could care less if he left or re-signed, but I am so glad he left! Maybe he'll come back, and if he does, I still won't like him. I am glad he's gone, so now we can talk about current Wings and not former, because that is what Hudler now is, a FORMER Wing... Bye Bye! Jiri McGreedy!

Ok, alot of us have our wish list. One by one they disappeared. There are some left out there that we have jumped to after our favorites have been scooped up. These players are left out there for two reasons. Either nobody wants them, or their asking price is too much. Really, for Ken Holland, UFA season has just started because he was forced t wait and see what was gonna happen with Greedy Gonzales. I am willing to bet that Holland goes into training camp with some invities and giving McGrath and Oulahen their chance at making the club too.

my dislike for Hudler has nothing to do with having fighters. I'll take a team fullof Datsyuks over a team full of fighters, I just don't like Hudler... Ironic after all the debate of how much he is worth around the NHL outside of our cap issues, all the numbers thrown around, $3M, $4M, $5M per season, the rumor that Holland offered $3.5 and he turned it down, the fact that he can get more elsewhere, isn'*** SO ironic that the arbitration that he filed for to get more money, only awarded him $2.5M per season!! Should have taken the $3.5 (if was a real offer!) Good bye Jiri! Have fun! See you around! IF maybe you come back, you can be on our 4th line again!!!! only $2.5M!!! I guess he is not worth more than Filppula after-all!

so now I can officially and finally do this! :banana: :carrot: (for a couple of years at least!)

One thing is for sure, he'll get a Stanley Cup from Detroit in a deal before ANY deal in Phoenix or Florida... Now,if he'd only accept $2M!!!!

Which means that we'll be signing Molhotra and/or Pyatt very soon!

All I want to know is, WTF!?!? When are we gonna hear something?!?!? I know 99% chance he is gone, but I just want to know what he was awarded and if the Wings will accept it!