LeftWinger

...that is exactly what I mentioned in another thread. Don't think the Wings woiuld actually take Tavares, but trade the pick. Could you imagine the compesation or offers we'd get for that #1 or Tavares if we did end up selecting him? WHOA! ...then again, would we have room for Tavares? Could we compensate him after his rookie campaign? I still like the possibilties of the offers that EVERY team in the NHL would give us! ...if Val did sign a $4MM offer sheet, what exactly would the compensation be draft pick-wise?

...looks like he will be off to Russia because I don't know of any team that'll give him $4MM... ...wonder if Holland contacted him at all? I bet if he did and when he heard $4MM Holland hung the phone up hysterical! I can see Holland offer about $1.5 at the most. He is not worth $4MM anymore, especially here in Detroit... ...hurts me to say this, but if Feds wants $4MM then it was nice knowing ya!

...anyone know what happened to Fedorov? If anything?

...I really didn't want to start a new topic for this, so I figured I'd put it here since Pittsburgh could use this guy to help replace SOME of the offense they lost... Sergei Fedorov. ...BUT, what happened to Sergei Fedorov? I don't recall hearing him sign anywhere. Is he that washed up? Maybe Pit could add him for a little offense. Although I am extremely happy with what Holland has done, a little part of me still missess Fedorov in the Winged Wheel. Honestly I hope Pit DOESN'T sign him, or Colorado or St. Louis or Chicago or anyone that would possibly gives us fits this season. Dunno, kinda wish we had a spot for him. Oh well!

...get it done Kenny! ...J/K!

...ugh! Why do you all have McCarty man love? Get over him, he's washed up, he's done, he's useless! Get over the cinderella story for pete's sake! It's not like he was any help at all in gettign us the Cup! Aaron Downey is by far the better person to fill the 13th forward position, he proved that last year and got snubbed in the playoffs. Luckily he played enough regular season games to get his on the Cup and what about McCarty? He comes in, plays a few games in the regular season, gives away a lot of pucks in the playoffs, ices it when he's not giving it away, then gets HIS name on the Cup! For What? Dude, sign McCarty to the Rapids contract, Downey is the far better player and fighter right now...

...phuk McCarty, he's washed up! Sit Sammy for McCarty? Downey will see more time than McCarty, they shouldn't even waste the league minimum on McCarty... ...Helm inplace of Kopecky, since he won't be ready to start the season...

...not necessarily, Tampa did draft Stamkos, who is just as good as Crosby coming out of juniors, and is expexted to be just as good in the NHL, so maybe you can double Malone's stats because he will no doubt be playing with either Stamkos or Vinny or St. Louis... ...personally I'd rather have Malone than Satan or Fedotenko or both. But, we'll see, they definately filled some holes, but I think they are trying to use square pegs...

...again, who wants to play in Edmonton? Sundin $10 million, Hossa $9 million and Jagr $7 million. A lot of money offered, yet noone seems to be very interested. Why doesn't Edmonton move to Kansas City?

...not unless Jagr gives them a discount...

...ok, bottom line. Yo have to look at ALL the other teams tht offered him money. I don't know the exact teams (I am sure all 30 teams had a pitch) but of all the serious ones, the one that everyone is talking about is Edmonton. Now, sure it is VERY VERY hard to repeat as champion, especially in the NHL, and Hossa had to know that even signing in Detroit, his odds were low to win because of the "repeat factor." Yet, like I said look at the other teams that gave him a serious contract offer, of those, which team had the best chance of winning, none. Pittsburgh is dismantled, I don't care what the pens fans say, you cannot gid rid of your role players and heart guys and expect to return to glory. Pittsburgh will rue the day they let Malone go. Anyhow, of all the teams giving him an offer, Detroit (even with the "repeat factor") has the best shot at winnig a championship in 2009, period. So he chose here. Even if they don't, he is gonna score 50 or more goals playing with Zetterberg or Datsyuk, he is gonna get 100 points, he may even lead the team in scoring and possibly challenge for the Rocket Richard trophy (barring injury.) In turn, this is only going to INCREASE his value for 2009 UFA season. If we are lucky enough to repeat and he puts a Stanley Cup on his resume, he will get top dollar from anywhere he may sign (which could be back in Pit.) Unless he ops to sign a long term, less wage deal here AFTER we sign Zetterberg and Franzen. But, something tells me he's here for a year and gone, oh well, I'll take an ALL season long rental, it's better than getting him in March and losing him in July, right Pit? :rotflmao: ...also wanted to include that in the world of Hockey, players know players, there was something about Pittsburgh that Hossa didn't like, of course he's gonna say all the right PR stuff, but what was it about Pittsburgh and or more specifically, playing with Zetterberg/Datsyuk over playing with Crosby/Malkin? Was it the coaching staff? We all know how Therian is, blame the refs for his own ineptness. Was is the fact mentioned above, that Pitt got rid too many players? Couldn't be the goaltender situation right? Isn't Chris Osgood the worst goalie to ever win the Cup? He is according to most analysts. Of course him leading the NHL regular season and playoffs in GAA proves that! Maybe is was the defense, you cannot name a team in the world that has a better top 4 than Detroit. Dunno, maybe, like the article says, it's the nightlife that appealed to him, the Gambling, the boozing it up, the grand prix, the boat races or maybe it's the boat show at the Novi Expo (or whatever it's called now.) Anyhow, something, we'll never know, was the deciding factor. Maybe, just maybe, Hank and Pav are REALLY that much better than Sid and Geno. Afterall, Hossa seen all 4 close up, he seen the professionalism of Hank and Pav compared to the whining and crying of Crosby and the fact that Malkin "was just too tired." Hossa was the ONLY player not complaining about the refs, as a matter of fact, when asked of the "non calls" he asnwered "...if they are impeding our forwards, then they are doing it legally..." Maybe he didn't want to spend the next 7 years with crying babies, maybe he wants to see how it is to play for and with porfessionals who can admit when they are wrong and don't blame their ineptness on something other than themseves... ...maybe, just maybe, Detroit is better place to play than Pittsburgh...

...uh, don't forget to add Conklin and...oh yeah, Hossa to that list! ...Pittsburgh will NOT make it to the finals next year. Expect Jersey to give them fits as well as a revamped Tampa Bay...

...Vladdy was built for that either...

...put it this way. You are right about Downey and McCarty. Right about Quincey and right about Filpulla, BUT lets just say he gets an offer from someone else for $3.5 million. Do you match? I say no. Take the draft picks, because more than likely it'll be a team that may have a pretty high draft pick in 09'. If, lets say, the like of Phoenix or Carolina signs him and we get their #1, could very well be a lottery which puts us in contention for the #1 which will be John Tavares and (I know we don't need him, could not afford all these stars) could you imagine the trade offers we'd get for that #1? Hey, it's a possibilty. So, either way, we win. Even if we didn't score the #1, a top 10 draft pick would be well worth the loss of Filpulla. So, first choice is to offer Filpulla somewhere around $2MM. Second choice, let him test the waters... ...Ericsson is going NOWHERE! He will spend time in GRR this year with some call ups, but next year after Chelios is done for sure, he will be up all season long... ...anyone know how Kindl is coming along? I he close to being a Wing or is he gonna end up traded? He should be close to coming up I would think. That is why I think they should've given Lilja just a one year deal. Heck maybe Lebda is out soon. Not sure, but gonna have to make room for these guys sooner or later. I think the first one to go will be Meech, unless he converts full time to wing, then Lebda or Quincey... Lids - Rafi Kron - Stuart Ericsson - Kindl Lebda/Quincey or Meech ...hows that for defensive paring in a couple of years? Whew!

...fixed it for ya! Kopecky won't be ready by the start of the season. And if they sign Bert (still possible) he may end up traded... ...I hope this rivalry starts back up! It is far better to have an original 6 rivalry than one with Columbus! If it does spark the rivalry back up, all the more important to sign Downey to a long term contract! Downey over McCarty!

...I agree as well. If you are gonna add someone, why not address a need, instead of a high profile player? Fedorov address a need, Bertuzzi or Naslund address a need. They are all upgrades to Drake and wouldn't cost too much to have for a season. All would prosper with our talented centers and be a better offensive option than Drake (not that Drake was considered an offensive option.) ...forget the high dollar UFA. Go small, mid level. Bertuzzi, Naslund, Fedorov, Shanny maybe or nobody. Helm could easily replace Drake's minutes... ...but it seems that Holland is going to wait a see what Hossa and Sundin do, then go after the likes of a Fedorov or Naslund. Hopefully, they're still there by time he comes calling. Then again, does it really matter? Even with all the movement today, nobody really bettered themselves enough to take the Wings out. The only way the Wings don't repeat (even with the current roster) is if they beat themselves (or injuries.)

...I'm just worried about throwing 7 million to Hossa when you have Z gonna make 7 or more, Dats already makes almost 7, Lids makes over 7 and Rafi makes 6. If you just average 7 for all thats $35 million for 5 guys. And if they make a pitch for Miller, thats about 8 more million or more!

...if we're just going by guys 'dying' to win a cup. We could get a player in that state of mind named Owen Nolan. He's pretty much replace Drake (if not a little bit of an upgrade) and he would cost pennies compared to Hossa or Sundin... ...I may be having a brain fart, but I don't recall Nolan winning a Cup yet... ...how motivated would he be? Would he be considered 'dying' to win a Cup?

...of course, not counting 1996-97 & 1997-98. I don't recall changes in the off season, oh besides getting rid of Vernon...

...I cannot believe that Hossa or Sundin haven't been signed yet, anywhere! Maybe they want too much money? I cannot believe that Sundin would want more than $10 million, maybe he just is not interested in Vancouver. I dunno, seems other than the two mentioned above, most of the "talent" is gone, so now anything could happen. Jagr is intriguing, would play good on our team. There is just too much mid-level talent left now to even wish for anyone. Sundin and Hossa are still the two big dogs, but shoot, Jagr or Shanny or Feds, all would shore up some scoring and power play and be a very good replacement for Drake's roster spot...

...actually, they have about $12,000,000 left under the cap...

ok, so, if this is true, next year the Wings are gonna pay three guys nearly $21 million? What do they give Franzen? If he continues along the path he started in March, he'll be getting 4-5 million, if not more. Can we afford 4 players at $26 million? ...I really hope this is NOT true, it will only complicate things later...

...that is the question. So far, there has been a very good amount of movement. But, is it me, or did anyone really put themselves in position to knock off the Wings? Maybe Chicago got better, but did they really get good enough to make it to the Cup finals? The Lightning made some good moves, but are they gonna beat the Wings in the finals? Colorado got worse in goal (if that is possible.) San Jose got worse. Pittsburgh got worse. I just don't see anything that makes me say Uh-Oh! Even wherever Hossa or Sundin end up, if not Detroit, are they gonna be the one who takes Detroit out of the playoffs? If Sundin goes to Vancouver, will that be enough to knock Detroit out? Maybe, if he stays in Montreal they could challenge Detroit, but really, I think the only team that got better what they needed to get back is Detroit. They needed Stuart, they got him... ...thoughts...

...well, maybe they're not out of the picture for Sundin. Sundin must be mulling over whether to take the money or get a Cup. Guarantee the Wings are not gonna offer him $10 million, but if Sundin was all about money, don't you think he'd already be a Canuck? Maybe he is considering a 7-8 million offer from a "contender." ...any word on Naslund or Fedorov?

$5 million per? Wow, good non-signing Holland! Not worth $5million here, especially for 4 years... ...Sundin, Bertuzzi, Fedorov, Hossa, Shanahan, who's it gonna be? Are they ALL money hungry, or do they want to win? Obviously Rolston was money hungry, New Jersey = no chance to win a Cup...