eva unit zero

Schneider and Datsyuk are UFAs at the end of this season. Yes, it would be downgrading in player ability, but we'd be getting a pick back as well, not to mention a skilled natural scoring winger who is gritty. Zhitnik is better defensively than Schneider as well--most posters on here would rather have a more defensively capable defenseman-like Zhitnik-than Schneider. While as far as players go we lose on straight up ability, getting two guys who are solid and a pick is better than getting nothing at all. EDIT: McLaren is better defensively than Souray, and that's mainly a product of better mobility and positioning. Souray was badly exposed last season as a guy with poor positioning and slow feet, now that he can't latch on to guys.

You seriously think Quincey is a better prospect than Kindl?

Beauchemin is basically what Kyle Quincey will be in five years. Would you say Quincey is our top defense prospect? As for Markov...I would certainly say he's better. Markov is one of the league's top shot blockers and is a very solid defensive defenseman.

Sweet game tonight. Magic numbers now stand at: Division 8, Wild Card 2. Here's to another Tigers win and ChiSox loss tomorrow. And maybe another Twins loss while we're at it.

One of Mich and OSU will have a loss...the other stands an excellent chance of being undefeated in the conference. Purdue would have to win all their conference games to win the big ten title...and if OSU ends up winning out or with their only loss to Michigan, they could well still make an at-large bid. OSU will be on top until they lose, and if that loss is to Michigan, they might not drop very far. Would be interesting if it were 1-2 OSU/UM, and ended up #1 UM, #2 OSU heading into the bowls.

And you say this in a post in which you think Bertuzzi would be a good fit? Even without the Moore incident, Bertuzzi would need a ladder to reach Scott Hartnell.

And while Beauchemin is top four in Anaheim, he wouldn't be in Detroit. Furhter showing why this deal is not a good match--the Ducks would require too much in return for Beauchemin to make it worth it for the Wings. If we could swing a deal for Beauchemin sending Maltby and Lilja, though...that would be sweet.

I would consider trading Dats for Jokinen, though. Jokinen is bigger and can play both wings as well as center. Of course, that might also be a reason for Florida to trade for Dats: Jokinen/Datsyuk/Bertuzzi Dunno what the Wings would be getting in return, but that could be a pretty formidable line for Florida.

Looks like it's gonna be this: DETROIT: #1 - Hasek #2 - Osgood #3 - MacDonald GRAND RAPIDS: #1 - Howard #2 - Liv TOLEDO: #1 - Koopmans #2 - Vicari

Kip was a solid second liner not that long ago in the NHL...he's a good pickup for the Griffs.

Tell me how Beauchemin will be such a huge addition to our defense? Lidstrom, Kronwall, Markov will be the core for at least the next two seasons. Schneider may or may not be around after this season. Lebda will be around for a few more years at least, and we have Kindl and Quincey on the way. We have several young prospects who are going to be as good or better than Beauchemin. Any of the guys I listed earlier would be a better option to trade for, in part because they are better NOW, but because they are older they don't have that mystical 'youth' inflation to their value like Beauchemin might. Which means we get a solid top 3 defenseman who can play for a few years, as well as picks or prospects, instead of getting a guy who might never be more than a number 4.

You didn't answer my question thought. The team Michigan just DESTROYED is ranked three spots HIGHER than the team Florida just squeaked by at the same time. It was the first time either team had played a ranked team this season, so you can't say 'well, Florida played tougher opponents in weeks one and two.' There is no reason Florida should be ahead of Michigan based on what has actually happened on the field.

And he isn't NEARLY worth Lang. Beauchemin is a decent defenseman, but he's not going to be a star or anything. Beauchemin is a five years more developed version of Kyle Quincey.

For Robert Lang, we could get Sheldon Souray plus something else from Montreal. Ffrom Atlanta, it would be Niclas Havelid or Andy Sutton (ideally Vishnevski, but they just picked him up and would be unlikely to trade him) plus a pick or prospect. All of those guys are as good or better than Beauchemin. None of those deals involve a conference rival getting Lang. None of those deals will happen, though. If any center is traded, it will be Datsyuk. And as much as that makes sense for the Wings, the teams that it would seem to make sense to deal him to either don't have much to offer the Wings or likely wouldn't give up the guy who would be worth Datsyuk. So that won't be happening.

What happened to Holmstrom and Williams? They'll be around longer than Datsyuk. Hell, Ryno and Datsyuk likely will never be on the Wings together.

Lang straight up could bring in a much better defenseman than Beauchemin. And from an Eastern Conference team like Atlanta or Montreal.

Putting together the best package in summer 2007....

It would be yet another line with two former Pearson winners....to fall in with these other duos who at times were on a line together.: Gretzky/Hull Yzerman/Fedorov Yzerman/Hull Fedorov/Hull Lemieux/Jagr Lindros/Jagr Messier/Jagr Messier/Lindros

The value is not that far off. Unless you are suggesting switching Kronwall with Schneider. Which I think is too lopsided in favor of SJ. Datsyuk is not much older than Marleau, and their skill level is comparable. Kronwall is just as good as McLaren and is much younger and cheaper. Personally, I think it would be silly to trade one of our centers for another center...but I've simply been working off the Datsyuk/Marleau and Schneider/Marleau ideas to find something within that realm that works. I would prefer something that would bring back a winger instead of a center. Maybe something like Datsyuk/Schneider to the Isles for Hunter, Zhitnik, and a pick.

Someone explain this to me: Tennessee is now 15th in AP. Notre Dame is now 12th. Florida beat Tennessee 21-20. Michigan beat Notre Dame 47-21. Why is Florida ranked higher than Michigan? Florida won by 1 point over a weaker opponent than Michigan beat by 26....and Florida is better? Come on. Not to mention West Virginia...3-0 against unranked opponents this year, and only one rnked opponent on the remaining schedule. Michigan is 3-0, including a dominant victory over a ranked opponent. How is WV ahead of UM? And how the hell did WV get any first place votes? Also,,where did Notre Dame's 3 first place votes go? OSU, Auburn, USC, and WV all stayed the same, and nobody else has any. Seriously....WTF!

If Schneider's production dropped by 50%, he would be equal to Souray. Souray has scored more than 11 points twice in his career. McLaren has scored 14 or more points in all but two years--and in those years, he played less than 40 games and still scored 8 points. Trading McLaren for the older, less consistent, less experienced, worse defensively Souray makes zero sense for the Sharks. Schneider, even if old, make more sense than Souray because even though he will decline, he's still going to put out a lot of offense. Playing on a Sharks unit with the guys like Hannan and Ehrhoff, he doesn't have to be Lidstrom defensively. So while yes, it probably wouldn't go down Schneider/Dats for Marleau/McLaren, I remind you that was suggested as a potential 'two-in-one' sort ofthing that could solve a question that had been posed. I t was intended more as a starting point for a more realistic proposal than one of those pwfc 'omfg i made this NHL2k trade and the Wings should do it too!!!111ONE!1' deals I don't think the value is that far off, but fine tuning might be required.

I think he lives in Detroit...he played minor league here before being drafted and if I am correct met his wife in Detroit.

I replied to a post about a Marleau-Schneider swap. Schneider's alue to San Jose is far greater than his value to Detroit; remember--San Jose DOES NOT HAVE NICKLAS LIDSTROM. Mathieu Schneider would, BY FAR, be the best offensive defenseman in San Jose, and probaly the best overall defenseman. Right now they have a bunch of guys who are skilled defensively and weak offensively. Our defense doesn't benefit as much by swapping Schneider for McLaren as theirs does swapping McLaren for Schneider. Now, if I were to try and rebuild a proposal like this to, say, Los Angeles? Replace McLaren with Miller, swap Marleau for Conroy. The Wings get better cap relief but weaker players, and it still might not be as likely LA would do this as San Jose would do the comparable package. Why, you ask? Well, LA has Rob Blake and Lubomir Visnovsky already as offensive guys without much defensive game. Miller is their second best defensive defenseman, and after him is Brent Sopel. Despite being a worse defensder and worse in general, Miller has more value to LA than McLaren has to San Jose, and Schneider is not as valuable to LA as he is to San Jose. Conroy isn't quite the offensive whize Marleau is, but he brings Selke-type defense and a solid physical game. That said, Marleau is TONS faster and much younger. Conroy is a player I have always liked, and if I could swap Dats and Schneider for him and a physical, defensive guy with Schneider's overall ability, I would do it in a SECOND.

Are you assuming a return of Fischer? I thought it was pretty obvious one of those guys was going to be with Kronwall, assuming no outside pickups are ahead of them.

Schneider, a top offensive defenseman is worth more to the Sharks (zero top offensive defensemen) than McLaren, a really solid defensive defenseman is worth to the Wings (3 really solid defensive defensemen) even though Schneider is older and makes more. Datsyuk and Marleau, well, that's been hashed and rehashed. Williams vs Grier? Williams is 26, Grier is almost 32. Williams costs only a few hundred thousand more, and scored more goals last season than Grier has scored in the last THREE seasons combined, or in any single season in his career. The same is true of assists and points. With this trade, San Jose likely wouldn't put Bell on Thornton's line. Instead, You would likely see Williams or Michalek there, with Bell playing on the second line centered by Datsyuk, and the other wing being one of Williams or Michalek. Before Bell was traded, weren't people saying to trade Hudler for Dats and put together a 'Bell-Dats-Williams' line? Well that's what San Jose would have. If it was a good idea for us as a first line, why not for them as a second line? The only sticking point with the additions of Grier and Williams is something I hadn't previously realized; Grier was signed this summer as a UFA. So if Williams was in, we'd likely see some mid-round pick in return.