eva unit zero

Some guys you missed: F: P.A. Parenteau, Blake Comeau, Frans Nielsen D: Andrew MacDonald.

Ilari Filppula IS a career minor leaguer. He's 29 years old and is currently a top-line player scoring well below a point-per-game pace in the AHL. By comparison, Hudler scored 49 points in 57 games for the Griffins at the age of 19, in addition to scoring 3 in 12 for the Wings that year. Maybe Ilari will make the NHL in a few seasons. Oops, players tend to decline after the age of 30. Oh well.

Chicago, if they pull off this trade, make an upgrade. They trade a first line scoring winger who is only an above-average passer to get a Vezina-caliber goaltender, and dump a $1.3m backup in the process. The Hawks would become worse offensively, but their goal differential would improve. They still have a solid top-six of Toews, Hossa, Sharp, Brouwer, Kopecky, and Bolland. The only question is, what happens to Corey Crawford? Perhaps he's traded in the offseason to fill Kane's void, or with Seabrook if there is trouble there?

Lilja hits just as much and just as hard as Stuart, and blocks more shots. He's been more effective defensively over the past year in the games he's played, and he has produced almost as much offense this season. I'm not complaining about what Stuart was before the middle of last season. Before that, I might have ranked him as a top-pairing caliber defenseman; I would never have ranked Lilja better than a decent second pairing guy at any point in his career. But Stuart's performance has been well below what it was defensively. Maybe it's because he was playing with Lidstrom and felt invincible, but he hasn't looked like he did in his first season-plus with the Wings.

It was his highest total since the lockout due to the fact he was playing healthy instead of constantly being either out of the lineup or having just returned from an injury. As for Stuart's defense last year and this year, you are seriously off-base. He has been at his worst defensively of any point as a Red Wing. Compare his play this year, on the defensive side only, to what he looked like in 2008 or 2009. It's not even close. Stuart right now is no better than Lilja. He's no more physical, no more productive offensively, and blocks fewer shots. Maybe we could trade Stuart for Lilja?

There is no trading of Drew Miller. He is a PK specialist winger with not much offensive ability, playing for just above league minimum, and is UFA at the end of the year. If anything, he's the kind of guy Holland looks to add at the deadline, not trade away. He has next to zero trade value; despite the vast gap in player ability, trading Miller might not even get Lebda back. I do live in a glass house, actually. Because I know people like you love to monitor my every behavior, all of the walls and furniture are transparent. Pitkanen was mentioned as an "if Lidstrom retires" and I have mentioned him before, because IMHO he's the best free agent defenseman the Wings could realistically get this summer if Nick hangs them up. Meszaros may not have been as physical as Stuart 3-4 years ago. Does that really make a difference to NOW? Stuart has been getting less physical over the past few years, and his defense has declined considerably since 2008.

That's just what's left of Murphy having eaten all those hot dogs.

So explain to me then why Garth Snow went from being someone who was never mentioned in any respect, as a goaltender or a GM, to being the most hated man on LGW. For what reason was the "Yzerman puts Mike Smith on waivers" thread a Garth Snow bashfest? And Nabokov wasn't "looking to help someone for the playoffs" he was looking to be an NHL starter again, preferably on a playoff team. There aren't a lot of teams out there where he could have just stepped in and said "hey, I'm your new starting goalie" and the Isles certainly aren't one of them. Don't make Nabokov out to be some innocent victim here. Nabokov signed a cheap contract with Holland knowing he'd have to pass through waivers to play for the Wings. Snow picked him up. Nabokov refused to play for the Isles. Live with it. Snow being the GM of a franchise doomed to death before he even got there as a player does NOT make him a bad GM.

Ok, i'll step into your trap. Lidstrom is of course the best influence of the four. He's always been the best player, the most experienced and the best leader. But Ericsson and Kindl are big, mobile defensemen who have good puck skills. Neither uses their body nearly enough. They need to add more grit, more growl, and more physical presence to their game. They need to utilize that size and strength. Lidstrom doesn't play a physical game, and I had removed Stuart from the roster so in the Meszaros trade. A physical post-Lidstrom defensive corps featuring Kronwall, Pitkanen, Meszaros, and a highly physical Kindl and Ericsson? You enforcer boys would cream your onesies.

I noticed you like to try and find ways to piss people off. In 2003. You do realize that trolling is when your posts are primarily intended to anger or upset other board members, right? I bet you don't. Because if you did, you'd realize that you are a troll.

Enstrom is Atlanta's top defenseman, not Byfuglien. The only thing Green is incredible at is scoring goals and passing the puck to the Caps' offensively talented forwards. He's not nearly as good as the hype of the past couple of seasons has suggested, and he's terrible defensively.

No, I assembled the best possible team, removed all 31+, and accidentally missed them.

Huds has been perfectly capable of getting back on the play. It has been more than a few times where Hudler is one of the deepest Wings in the zone, and the other team starts a rush back and Hudler manages to be the first or second Wing back on the backcheck. I think his skating and defense "deficiencies" are overstated because he plays for a team that hunts for those things in centers regardless of line. A lot of teams out there would stick Hudler in the middle without a second thought.

Flip wasn't going to score a point per game for the rest of the year. And he defnitely won't do it now. It's like I've said in the past; he's always been streaky. And Hudler's always been streaky too, but Hudler is on a hot streak and could still finish in the 40-50 point range given additional ice time he may receive now.

Hudler plays center before Filppula scores 60 points...

The winning team is: Getzlaf/Zetterberg/Stamkos - Getz plays the Bert role of net presence and playmaker, Z is Z, Stamkos is primarily the gun. Ovechkin/Backstrom/B.Richards - Richards mirrors Ovechkin, providing another quick sniper on his off wing for Backstrom to pass to. D.Sedin/H.Sedin/L.Eriksson - Eriksson's two-way play and overall skill should mesh with the twins Kesler/Toews/M.Richards - You have to like it when your fourth line consists of three of the game's top defensive forwards, all of whom are offensively capable. J.Staal - All-around forward for spare spot. Letang/Weber - Letang's puck moving matches well with Weber's style. Enstrom/Keith - Enstrom/Buff has been great this year...and Keith is an upgrade on Buff in most respects. His style should definitely mesh at least as well with Enstrom. Doughty/Johnson - Two excellent young defensemen who actually do play together. Byfuglien - Having a great offensive season without any real defensive responsibility. Rinne - Potential Vezina candidate this season Quick - Best goalie in the league under 25, and having a great year.

Stuart has not consistently played well defensively since 2008-09. He looked good to start the year playing with Nick, and had big point numbers, but his defense was still ultimately not that good. He's a physical force, which you can't say for Rafalski, but Stuart needs to shape up because he has not looked good. His big point numbers at the start of the year have hidden the fact that this is probably his worst defensive season since he was a Shark. Right now, if the Wings need to put that shut-down guy on somebody, they have Lidstrom. That's it. Swapping for Meszaros would bring a second option for that role. And as it stands right now, Meszaros has been considerably more productive offensively as well. Lidstrom, Kronwall, Meszaros, Rafalski, Ericsson, Salei as the top six. Uh oh, there's no Canadians, we're doomed to get beaten up and outplayed! If Nick retires from that group, and Salei doesn't return, sign Joni Pitkanen and move Kindl into the top six. Kronwall, Pitkanen, Meszaros, Rafalski, Ericsson, Kindl. If we can get Ericsson and Kindl playing more like Meszaros and Pitkanen, we're all set.

Meech is better than third pairing defensemen on some NHL teams. He's not a star, but he's an NHL-level player who has been buried in Detroit's system. I would not be shocked at all to see a team like Calgary or Toronto go after a guy like Meech in the offseason. Meech played a few years in Red Deer for current Flames coach Brent Sutter, and he made up a dominant pairing there with Dion Phaneuf. A speedy #4-6 defenseman like Meech capable of playing the power play who is defensively aware would help Toronto out, and might be a good fit in Calgary opposite Bouwmeester to provide a particularly speedy pair. But the fact that Meech's contract ends after the season, and he has played zero games this season, means he has low trade value and the only reason to include him in a trade is if he specifically is the player going to that destination (such as Calgary to play for Sutter as noted earlier) but that would be like a "Meech for a 3rd rounder" or something deal, unless he were included in a larger deal; and there's not really an obvious deal that helps the Wings from the teams that I mentioned, so there you go.

You realize Meszaros is better defensively and more physical than Stuart, while being six years younger? Furthermore, Stuart is signed through next season, while Meszaros has two seasons more on top of that. Meszaros>Stuart. I didn't say it had to be a Tatar or Pulkkinen; but Philly won't just give up Mesz for Stuart. Trading for a quality mid-20s shutdown defenseman isn't free.

Detroit's current issues are: Defense isn't playing physical enough Poor defensive play in general Inconsistent and unreliable goaltending Other things to be aware of are: Nicklas Lidstrom may be retiring after the season. Detroit is extremely deep in terms of skilled forward prospects. My solution as a fantasy GM: Trade Stuart, a prospect forward, and a 2nd rounder to Philly for Meszaros. Trade a late pick to Tampa for Mike Smith. Fire Brad McCrimmon. If Lidstrom retires in the offseason, use that money to sign Joni Pitkanen.

Hudler has improved considerably at the dot since his rookie year and is probably average to above average for a center on faceoffs, although his stat line says he's DOMINANT!!!!!!! He's not a lockdown center defensively but when compared to the league and not to the Wings, he's not a liability. He's a skilled playmaker with a very good shot. Yet you're telling me that putting him in a playmaker-first role with Bertuzzi and Franzen (two big, defensively responsible wingers capable of scoring goals) Maybe Hudler centering Holmstrom and Miller wouldn't be a great choice, but I think Huds between Franzen and Bert would make for as good a second line as any in the league. The opposition wouldn't be able to focus on any one player because Bert and Hudler are both dual threats as playmakers and goal-scorers, and Franzen is arguably the team's top sniper. Teams like Los Angeles, San Jose, or Tampa Bay have that one key player who drives the second line and can be taken out. would be a bad idea.

Detroit has eight forwards among the top 180 forwards in scoring who are natural centers: Beyond that, there are two more who are right on the cusp. Of those ten forwards, six are natural centers. Only one is not considered a very good defensive forward. And that doesn't even factor in Modano, whose production rate isn't quite at that level but was improving. I know you love your Flip, but the Wings would hardly have a weakness at center on the second line if Filppula were traded for a goaltender. If anything, the Wings are super-deep at center. The Wings have played 25 skaters this season, 12 of which played through amateur hockey and began pro careers as centers. This is compared to seven defensemen and six wingers. There's the obvious choice to split Dats and Z. But let's say they stay together. So who centers the second line? Franzen? Hudler? Helm? Maybe it doesn't provide the general all-around player Flip is, but all of them are valid choices. If Flip were dealt, with no other roster players, for a goaltender to take the reins from Howard, I would like one of these: Z/Dats/Homer Franzen/Hudler/Bertuzzi Cleary/Helm/Eaves Draper/Abdelkader/Miller Franzen/Z/Cleary Holmstrom/Datsyuk/Hudler Eaves/Helm/Bertuzzi Draper/Abdelkader/Miller

Kaberle's destination is more likely a team whose power play is unusually suffering when compared to their overall offense; Florida and Columbus are the two most obvious choices, but Calgary, Phoenix, or the Rangers are also in this category.

Not if you use grip tape.

Don't want to seem offensive..but...marketing? Say they pick up Iginla and Kotalik for Stewart and Peverley. Subban comes to town in a swap for Oduya. Brashear comes back to town, and brings his buddies Laraque and Emery. Swap Mason and Hainsey to Chicago for Crawford and Campbell. Send Pavelec to Ottawa for Chris Phillips. Thrashers are a better team overall and have significantly increased their "black player count" if that is what they are actually doing down there. Add mid-round or late-round picks where necessary.