LeftWinger

...I'd pay Bert 3.5, that just means that we for sure will have to part ways with Schneider and Markov in order to sign on of the big three, Smyth, Drury or Briere. My vote is Smyth and bring up Quincey & Meech(Kindl.) ...I still drool over the potential top three lines with Bertuzzi, Holmstrom & Smyth on their respected wing...

...well, lets see, Kronwall has had a career of injuries, lets not resign him when he is a UFA. Hmmmm, there's been a couple of seasons that Datsyuk missed some games because of injury, lets trade him. Hell, Zetterberg was out last year for the last 20 or so games, lets trade him too. We have to, because if he hits the boards at a weird angle, then his career could be over... ...if ANYBODY hits the boards at a bad angle, ANYONE could have thier career ended. Lets not sign anyone if that is the case... ...give Bert the $3MM and get Smyth in a Wings uniform...

...maybe 8 years ago, but not now, his head isn't in the game anymore...

....allright, just like we said before, Get Hasek, Bertuzzi signed. Drop Schneider & Markov, bring up Quincey & Meech throw the rest of your money at Ryan Smith for 2 years... ...although, with Briere rejecting the Sabres offer... Hmmmmm..... choices, choices...

...you guys make me laugh! You loved him when he was here, bitched when he got traded and now you hate him cause he doesn't play for us! Just like Shanahan, Fedorov & Avery, you'd cheer them if they came back. How many of you hated Hasek when he was talking about possibly returning last season? Most of you said the same s***, "HELL NO!" Now you love him again... ...if the WIngs picked up Drake, they'd be picking up a leader, someone who isn't afraid to hit and someone who has a heart bigger than the St. Louis Arch. Not that there is room forhim on this team, but theoretically speaking...

...well, if this is true about Chicago trying to dump the salary, then why not just buy him out and then we can sign him for pennies on the dollar? ...I'd really rather use that extra 1.2 to add to what we need to offer Smyth to come here...

...well, even if you don't sign Smyth, in two years you are going to have 3 players making that salary, what's the difference? If Lidstrom wants to stay around then maybe he'll take less to ice a winning team. He already is NOT making league maximum, he may take $4-5MM to help out for more cups. Stevie did it, Nick could foloow, especially with Steve being involved with the Negotiations... ...all I am saying is that it's possible and that is something Holland should look at...

...the only guy I see getting anywhere near $2-3MM is Franzen and until he becomes as clutch sa Homer, I don't see that. Homer, right now only makes $1.4MM and that is until 2010. Bottom line is, Schneider walks, we have a great shot at landing Smyth & Bertuzzi with the cap increase & Lang going... ...and I really like Schneider, but I also like cups. Consider this, with Neidermayer cosidering retirement and Schenider STILL living in So. Cal. Anaheim just may throw some cash at him that we cannot match, so aggressively pursue Smyth, tell Schneider to give UFA a try and if nobody gives him what he wants, come back and we'll talk... Wings with Smyth better than Wings with Schneider... Good to hear!!!

...there's is no guarantee that Lids will retire, no, but his contract is up next season, he will still be at the top of his game, but maybe he will take a little less in order to sign guys to help win cups. Odds are he won't go back to Sweden until his entire family is ready to go. If I recall, his kids didn't want to go last time, that is why he stayed... ...interesting side note, on redwingscentral.com the depth chart show Markov signed until 2008? Why are we discussing him as a UFA right now?

...what makes it more interesting is that Zetts isn't due until 2009...

Ryan Smyth anyone? Smyth & Bertuzzi, younger D, Hasek for one more year... bring home the cup!!

...who's to say they are looking for long-term? Wouldn't you think the whole idea of being a UFA is to control where and when you move on. If Smyth comes here for $7MM, he wins one maybe 2 Cups, he now becomes a UFA again and commands a top dollar raise. If he signs somewhere for 5 years at 6MM, in two years guys that are as good or not even as good could and probably will be making more than him. After two years, he gets a huge raise, and then two years later and then three years later until he is making $10MM per season. The best part of it, he controled his destiny and went places on his terms and did not get tied down for 5 or 6 years...

...according to redwingscentral.com Zetterberg's contract is up in 2009. But, there is no guarntee that we cannot re-sign both in 2 years, Lidstrom may or may not be around, he may pull an Yzerman and take far less to remain a Stanley Cup contender, Dats could be traded (it's possible) or maybe the cap will be high enough to give all three 7-8 million... Alot can happen in 2 years, but if you have an opportunity to land him now, at least get him for 2 seasons and try to win the cup now, they are that close, we've said it all along, 1 power play goal in game 5 and the series is ours...

...right, but, Zetterberg's contract is up in 2 years, only sign Smyth for that period of time. Zetterberg is your future, Smyth is right now, sign him for 2 years at 7 million, then with Smyth, Bert and Homer all on our team, along with Hasek coming back and the D getting younger, we have to have a great shot at winnig a Cup within those two years. Hasek isn't going to last more than that, Chelios isn't either, heck, Lidstrom just may retire by then as well. When 2009 hits, if the cap hasn't risen enough to sign both Zetterberg & Smyth again, go for Zetterberg and thank Smyth for his services and he can go back to Edmonton with a Stanley Cup ring (or two.)

...ok, with the asking price for Schneider, Bertuzzi and Markov fairly high, this is what Holland could do... ...On July 1st, see if he could land Ryan Smith, do all you can to land him (prolly 6-7 million.) Then, go ahead and offer Bertuzzi a nice contract, let's say Lang's salary from last year, then tell Schneider and Markov thanks for the help, you are free to test the market. Give Quincey and Kindl (Meech) roster spots and go from there... Lineup (not line combo's) Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Smith, Holmstrom, Bertuzzi, Cleary, Draper, Maltby, Samuelson, Franzen, Filpulla, Grigorenko, Hudler (13th forward) Lidstrom, Chelios, Kronwall, Lilja, Lebda, Quincey, Kindl (Meech) Hasek, Osgood (Howard) ...without having to pay Markov and Schneider the 5-6 million combined salaries, they should be able to land Smith and pay Quincey, Kindl (Meech) relative peanuts... ...scouts say Quincey and Meech are ready for the NHL and Kindl nearly made the club last season. I say go for it, could you imagine the threat of having the likes of Holmstrom, Smith & Bertuzzi on the top three lines? ...cross my fingers!!!

Feds WILL be back!

...and Jiri Slegr won 1 cup in only a few games! :rotflmao: ..on a different note, speaking of Fetisov, I sure would LOVE to see him and Larionov be our coach/asst. coach SOON!!!!

...did the Wings ever have the laces up the collar? If they did I'd like to see a pic and I'd like to see them go back to that...

...if Detroit wanted to trade up to #2, there are plenty of other ways of doing so in order to get there, without trading Datsyuk... ...we have a plethora of young talent in the minors along with players overseas that could land us a #2 pick. Fact is, the Wings have never (since Yzerman) had a top 10 pick that has turned out worth it let alone a first round draft pick either! (very few have remained in the organization.) Now if you start trading away your talent in order to trade up and the guy turns out to be a bust, now you're double screwed! The Wings are fine right where they are in the draft. If they take the guy that tsn projects them to take or the young d-man out of Gaylord, MI. they will be fine... Besides, they draft better from the back anyhow...

...I didn't see Dale enough to hate him. Sure I was a fan while he played, but the wings didn't play Washington too many times throughout the season for me to form a hatred for him. Now, you guys in the Wales Conference, I can see...

...what is the reason thee guys are villians? cause they're good? No. cause they are cheapshot artists? Maybe. How about they are cheapshot artists, good at what they do, but turtle and run when it comes time to face the music? Right-O! With that in mind, here's my list: 1. Chris Chelios (pre-wings) 2. Garth Butcher (I cannot beleive nobody mentioned him yet) 3. Claude Lemeiux 4. Wayne Gretzky (ok, not a cheap shot, but God forbid you even breathe on him!) 5. Chris Pronger (pre-wings, LOL!)

...oh, they'll call it through December, but com Feb, Mar and Apr (playoffs) they'll find a way to NOT call it at all, excpet in a game 5 when the series is on the line! LOL!

...used to be that a penalty show was awarded if you had a breakaway from the red/blue line in, now if you have a breakaway from your blue line and get tripped or whatnot even before you cross the red line or the opposing blue line, you SHOULD be awarded a penalty shot. We'll see how long that lasts...

...does anyone like this Will Weber kid out of Gaylord?

yeah, I know, it was a joke. But, seeing that more times than not, Holland used his FIRST round pick on a someone that nobody projected him to take, maybe it's not so cliche'.