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Rafalski has not slowed down offensively, but his defense has declined considerably since he first joined the Wings. He also said when he first signed his contract that he wanted to retire in Detroit, and he was expected to retire by the end of the deal. Which means no later than 2012. Whether Lidstrom keeps playing is another story entirely, but he's certainly in better shape for it than Rafalski.

The Isles could use some Joey Mac. Last time he was there he rocked the socks and blocked the fox...or something.

Smith makes $2.2m and is signed past this season. $2.2m - $500k = $1.7m Yay simple math! How? He has acquired a skilled scoring forward (Gagne) for next to nothing, he has significantly improved the team's goaltending for next to nothing. What exactly were your expectations of Yzerman in his first season as a GM? That he would build the Bolts into a team that would win the Cup by the All-Star break?

Just get your game gear where I do:

I would really like to see inside Babcock's head right now. You have to think that, if Howard keeps this up and Osgood can come back this season, Babcock gives Ozzie as many games as he can handle physically. If Ozzie doesn't come back and Howard keeps this up, do they trade for a cheap spare? If Howard is still playing 3-4 goals per game by the deadline, and Ozzie is expected to be gone for the year, I would go with a late pick for Mike Smith. Yes he was just on waivers, but he's the best option of easily acquirable goalies out there, and has had some pretty strong years in both Dallas and Tampa Bay. All we can really do is wait on the health of Ozzie's groin combined with whether or not Howard decides he wants to be an NHL starter.

The comparison was between the Russian Five and the Swedish Five; not between the players who made them up. There is a difference. You bring up Larionov's impressive career in Russia, and you failed to mention something. Many consider Slava Fetisov to be one of the top two of three defensemen to ever play. If my comparison was based on players in their primes, that would be something that was definitely missing. Based on their primes, it's definitely the Russians; Larionov and Fetisov are the difference.

So where do you put Alexei Cherepanov and Jiri Fischer on that scale?

Kaberle is third on the Leafs in blocked shots and fifth (second among defensemen) in takeways. And this is without playing the PK because the Leafs need to have him out there for 4:29 of PP time per game.

Who the f*** is talking about Russia? We're talking about the Russian Five vs the Swedish Five. One would assume that would mean the current Swedes vs. the Russian Five circa 1997. Larionov was not better in 1997 than Zetterberg is now. Not even close.

I called this in summer.

Let's take a look at Russians vs. Swedes. Larionov vs. Zetterberg - Z holds the clear advantage, as the better player in most respects. Fedorov vs. Franzen - Fedorov is obviously the better player, being that he is better than Franzen at even Franzen's best talent. Kozlov vs. Holmstrom - Slava has been a much more prolific scorer than Homer over their careers, and is a more versatile offensive player with better two-way skills. Konstantinov vs. Kronwall - Vladdie is clearly the choice for the punishing defensive defenseman with puck talents. Fetisov vs. Lidstrom - Fetisov was 40 when the Wings won the 1998 Cup, Lidstrom is 40 now. One of them is a Norris trophy favorite, the other was a solid top-four defenseman.

No such thing. Went away with the CBA in 2005. How much is $1.7m worth to you?

Lindros was definitely a great hitter, something he has over Fedorov. But Fedorov was a good hitter, and very underrated in that department. He was not a dominating physical player in the Lindros sense, but he definitely could play the physical game and could hit well; IMHO he was better at the physical game than Orr. Honestly I think the completeness of Orr's game is heavily overrated. While he was a great player, he was not nearly as perfect or complete as he is credited with being. And when they started tracking 'hits' as a stat, Fedorov was hitting as much as Shanahan, Simon, or Domi. Hardly can say he wasn't physical with that kind of company. He wasn't as aggressive physically and wasn't a fighter like those guys, but he certainly played a physical game. Much in the same vein as Mario Lemieux, he would either take the puck around you or he would take it through you. Fixed.

Lindros was an average skater for a top-line center, and he was terrible defensively until his Rangers years. Fedorov was arguably the best puckhandler, fastest skater and hardest shooter, one of the top playmakers, one of the best goal scorers, and one of the top defensive players in the league. He was an excellent faceoff man, and could play all five spots.

But he was never a top-end defensive forward. And since he became the team's top sniper, he's let his defense sort of, well, not be there. Fedorov was the closest thing the NHL has seen to a truly complete, perfect player in its history. People say he didn't give effort and didn't have a heart. He gave tons of effort. Perhaps not to a Draper or Yzerman level, but it was definitely there. Had it been at that level, he'd still be the best player in the league.

Among Red Wing forwards he is tied for sixth in PP goals, fourth in PP assists, and fifth in PP points. He is tied for 134th in PPG, 72nd in PPA, and 103rd in PPP in the NHL among forwards. Definitely, get this guy off the PP. BTW, PP numbers: Datsyuk 3-7-10 Hudler 2-6-8 Filppula 3-3-6 Bertuzzi 2-4-6 Eaves 2-0-2 Yep, Hudler sure needs to be pulled from the PP.

Snow doesn't have "the rights" to him. Snow has a signed contract. Nabokov can be traded and play the same night. If Nabokov wants to play in the NHL, but not for the Islanders, all he has to do is talk to Snow this summer about getting traded. For how long must I repeat myself?

It will if Howard keeps up his inconsistent, unreliable game that places him as, at best, one of the league's worst starters. Kind of like when Hudler gets more right side time. Eaves/Filppula/Hudler?

Snow has a contract that Nabokov is not honoring. While Nabokov may not want to play for the Islanders, he claims to want to play in the NHL. If that's true, then Snow has a tradeable asset, one with good value, which he acquired for free. And anyone who thinks Snow is an idiot for picking up Nabokov not only shouldn't be an NHL GM, but shouldn't even be playing NHL GM because they don't understand that adding something for nothing is GOOD, even if the something you add turns out to be nothing.

I've been pushing that line for years - literally.

He embarrassed himself? Then what did Holland do? Snow is the one who currently has Nabokov under contract for $570k, not Holland.

With Cleary back, I would like to see: Franzen/Zetterberg/Cleary Hudler/Filppula/Bertuzzi Mursak/Helm/Eaves Draper/Abdelkader/Miller Alternatives: Franzen/Zetterberg/Eaves Hudler/Filppula/Bertuzzi Cleary/Helm/Mursak Draper/Abdelkader/Miller Cleary/Zetterberg/Eaves Franzen/Hudler/Mursak Abdelkader/Filppula/Bertuzzi Draper/Helm/Miller

Alfredsson isn't playing?

Mursak would beat him if we were using everyone who has played this year. Modano still has his wheels for the most part. Cleary and Eaves are up there as well - It's one of the reasons I've been pushing for that 2b line of Cleary/Flip/Eaves after Dats and Clears are back. Stuart. He doesn't jump in a lot, but he did when he was younger and could handle himself pretty well. Ericssion has the size, but Stuart is much more aggressive and that matters more. Sean Avery is a good example of this.