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It looked pretty clear on the replay that he swiped it back with his glove (still holding his stick). I guess I'm more upset about no call on either Stoll pounding Cleary's head into the boards, or Penner's takeout hit on Smith. Those no-calls are what decided the game, if anything.

Florida is almost certainly looking to deal Weiss. Weiss played juniors in the area and will likely be underpriced this offseason given his past performance compared to this current season. Detroit has Datsyuk, Zetterberg, and Filppula. There is the definite concern of Datsyuk skipping town after his current contract, and Weiss (with an extension) would give the Wings another top-six center to alleviate that issue. Here's why Weiss makes sense: Best-case scenario: Flip and Brunner extend, Datsyuk stays. Worst-case scenario: Flip and Brunner leave as UFA, Dats leaves a year later. Imagine adding Weiss to that group, maybe extended for like $4.5m or so. It certainly makes that "worst-case" look a lot rosier.

You mean when he took that faceoff violation penalty on the PK when the Wings were up 1-0? Wait, that wasn't Emmerton...

Bouwmeester is Calgary's best defenseman in both ends, and has been playing his best hockey as a Flame this season now that he has a coach (Hartley) who would prefer a skilled, smart, defenseman who can play well positionally and is a skilled skater (Bouwmeester, Niedermayer, Lidstrom, Howe, Keith) rather than a poor skating, stupid, unskilled defenseman whose only form of defense is getting next to a guy who has stopped moving and clobbering him (Gill, Hannan, Chara in NYI). I've been saying about Bouwmeester for a while now a couple things that 1) He'll excel under Hartley (for the reasons I outlined above), and 2) if Detroit gets him, he's the perfect kind of defenseman to pick up because he has speed, he's good in both zones, and he has a ton of skill that Sutter simply didn't feel like using. Sutter had more top-six forwards than most teams but was playing most of them as bottom-sixers. He was using a defense full of skill guys (JBo, Gio, Brodie, Butler) and trying to make them into a bunch of Scott Hannans. Calgary should have a very good season this year, and most people will be like "ERMAGHERD!" But it's simply a matter of getting the right coach together with the right pieces; Calgary has a ton of skilled offensive forwards and some skilled offensive defensemen. If you were to take away Dats or Z, Calgary maybe has a better roster than Detroit (if Kiprusoff doesn't continue being terribad).

I'm setting the over/under on Hudler's point total for the Wings game at 1.5, and Zetterberg's over/under will be the same. Any bets?

Disagree on the amount. Moore was a quick-skating 21 year-old rookie forward who had scored 12 points in 57 games, was defensively responsible, and was a physical presence. He was drafted in the middle of the second round. So basically, he was more or less comparable to Abdelkader or Helm. If you assume that the average player's career is between 7 and 10 years for a player like that - assuming he never got past that level - that means he's suggesting he would have made an average of $1.5m-$2m per year for his career. That's perfectly reasonable for a player of that caliber and role.

I've been discussing and suggesting the 32-team option for a while now, and I agree that Portland is a much better option ideally. Seattle has shown less interest in hockey than Portland has. The one thing that would make Seattle a better option, though? Each team has exactly one major professional sports team. Portland has the Trail Blazers. Seattle has the Mariners. Seattle fans would be far more likely to start supporting a new team, one that didn't have to compete with any other teams in that market, than Portland would ahead of the Blazers. And that's not even considering scheduling complications with the Rose Garden if both teams were to use it. Moving Phoenix to Quebec is as safe an option as leaving them be if corporate sponsorship, favorable arena deal, etc. can be found. Houston is a good market, despite being in the "non-hockey" south. It also provides a natural regional rival for Dallas. Dallas/Houston rivalries exist in other sports and it would likely be a good kick.

Why? Franzen will be retired by 2016, and his cap hit is actually pretty reasonable for a good top-six forward. Although I agree that Nash's contract is ridiculous. Case in point, this year's stats: Nash: 57 GP, 18-21-39 Hudler: 57 GP, 18-17-35 Now let's compare their ES numbers as Hudler plays the point on the PP and isn't really given any kind of comparable situation to score. Nash: 57 GP, 14-11-25 Hudler: 57 GP, 17-12-29 Ice time at even strength? Nash: 880:57, or 15:27 per game. Hudler: 731:26, or 12:49 per game. Hudler is better defensively than Nash, plays all three forward positions and can play the point on the PP. Nash plays one wing. Yet fans here want to trade high-end prospects AND top picks for Nash's $7.8m lifetime deal, but think bringing Hudler back in the $2.5-$3.5m range would be overpayment? Yes... let's agree to believe that.

Here is why Tatar is perhaps the best forward prospect in the organization, aside from perhaps Jurco who is in juniors. Gustav Nyquist is 22, almost 23. Tatar just turned 21. Pulkkinen just turned 20. Jurco just turned 19. Sheahan just turned 20. Jarnkrok is 20. Mursak and Emmerton were both ranked similarly highly (potential second-liners) and are not much older (both are 23), but they are both on the team now - ahead of Nyquist. Nyquist is looking great in Grand Rapids, no doubt. But he's two years older than Tatar, who is ALSO looking great. Tatar's production at 21 is similar to Hudler's in Grand Rapids. However, Hudler at 22 was far, far beyond what Nyquist is doing and at 23 he was in the NHL with the Wings and putting up strong offensive numbers even on the fourth line. Since then, Hudler has always been one of the league's top 180 scoring forwards at year's end. Tatar is on that path pretty solidly. Nyquist, not nearly as much. Jurco might have an edge up as he's a very good junior prospect and has the size advantage, but Tatar has a definite advantage defensively.

Yeah. He's top 60 in the league in goals. Imagine if he were shooting at the level Hudler-haters seem to think he needs to be? Top 30? Top 15? Top 5?

Because if we give the "best defensive forward" award to the best defensive forward, then the MVP award has to go to the MVP. Which rarely happens. Last year the "rightful" finalists finished 4th, 15th, and 16th in Hart voting. It could be the "Jimmy John's" line...

No suspension. At most he deserved 2 minutes. He tried to go around Ehrhoff, and couldn't easily do it. He ended up in a situation where he was charging the net hard with the puck and his options were to try and score (and possibly crash into Miller) or to throw himself onto the goal. I bet that would have been amusing.

Not interested in a return of Stuart. He's declining rapidly; he's played well for a few games but he's played poorly for about two years. He would cost the Wings $4m-$5m, and he isn't earning his current deal. Cut him loose, and either replace him with a better, younger defenseman at the same price he does or would make, or go with Lids/replacement, Kronner, White, Smith, Kindl, Ericsson, insert-7th-here.

The game wasn't in Russia. Mironov is correct. Also, Zednik's incident was pretty scary; too reminiscent of the Malarchuk incident. Malarchuk is why I always wear a guard, even as a forward/defenseman. Trade value is too high not to keep him. Trade him and Miller; no way Miller keeps this up for more than another couple of weeks.

For those of you offering up Hudler instead of Cleary, here's an interesting fact: Alexander Semin is 27, and a UFA this offseason. Jiri Hudler is 27, and a UFA this offseason. Dan Cleary is 32 (turns 33 in three weeks) signed through next season at an inexpensive price given his performance over the past few years. Jakub Kindl is 24, signed for one more year, then becomes an RFA. Jeff Schultz is 26, signed for three more years, and then becomes a UFA. I like Dan Cleary. I think he's a good player and the kind of guy you want to have around. That said, he's getting old and he's very injury prone. Semin is an interesting case. I don't think a deal gets done unless a) he's willing to extend with the trading team or b) he's given up on the cheap. But in either of those scenarios, Washington is dealing out a soon-to-be UFA forward and expects some value back. Hudler himself is a soon-to-be UFA forward, so that doesn't really offer very much unless he somehow clicks with Ovechkin and starts scoring crazy amounts. So you can rule Hudler out of the deal. On defense, it's interesting. Jeff Schultz is a solid defenseman and would be a great addition. I don't want to part with Kindl, and I'm sure Holland doesn't either. Ericsson offers many of the same things Kindl does, plus more experience and notably, playoff experience on a Cup finalist. So swapping Ericsson, who is 27, for Kindl shouldn't be an issue. Ericsson is signed for three years so that's not a concern to Washington. Ultimately, if you don't want to see Cleary in this scenario, you have to put Franzen or Filppula. Dats and Z would bring back Semin on their own, and nobody else but Franzen and Filppula have the trade value and contract situation Washington would be looking for. Filppula is easily the most valuable of the three, and Cleary the most expendable. But Franzen is the best trade piece (if necessary) as he's inconsistent, injury prone, and getting moreso on both fronts every day. Cleary is injury prone, but he's been a pretty consistent guy the past few years. So let's make it Cleary/Ericsson/1st for Semin/Schultz. The Wings losing a first that could be used to nab a Parise or Suter might hurt, but the potential outcome of having Semin with Dats or Z is very nice. And finally; the pick would have to be adjusted based on when during the season the trade is happening. If Cleary isn't going to waive his NTC, then it's a deadline deal and the pick shouldn't be necessary to grab Semin from Washington if they're still shopping him. A Cleary/Ericsson/1st package should be enough to bring back Parise or Suter (or Weber?) at the deadline, and Semin falls a bit short of that level. maybe a 3rd or lower, or maybe even no pick. Semin/Datsyuk/Filppula Franzen/Zetterberg/Hudler Mursak/Helm/Eaves Holmstrom/Abs/Bertuzzi Emmerton/Miller Lidstrom/White Kronwall/Schultz Smith(Kindl)/Stuart Commodore Solves the Brad Stuart "issue" going forward by getting a better replacement for him than Ericsson, while significantly improving top-six scoring. Semin re-signs at a similar value, or Holland deals his rights plus something for a good player (or their rights, such as Parise/Suter/Weber), and it works out. Next year? Assuming Lidstrom doesn't return, it could be this... Semin/Datsyuk/Franzen Parise/Zetterberg/Hudler Mursak/Helm/Filppula Abby/Emmy/Eaves Miller/??? Kronwall/Schultz Smith/Suter Kindl/Stuart ??? With Suter at 6.5, Semin at 7, Parise at 7, Helm at 1.5, Abdelkader at 1, and Hudler at 3, and Joey Mac (or similarly priced backup) as well as two minimum wage additions (retention of Janik and Conner?) this roster works but is at the cap.

My bet: This means Mursak is doing well. So the team wants to get Brunnstrom into some games and give him a real chance to prove himself now before it's go time for Mursak. That way, we know if we simply waive Brunnstrom and don't worry about it if he's picked up, or waive someone else (Eaves, Miller) because someone will have to be waived - unless Brunner is still under the 30-day limit when Mursak comes back.

So with Stuart out, it will probably be what, this? Lids/White Kronwall/Smith Kindl/Ericsson And if Stuart's in, and Kindl's out; Lids/White Kronwall/Ericsson Smith/Stuart I'd rather Stuart sit if he's sore, even though he seems to have his game back recently. In part because it means we can get a good look at the yoots on the team.

What happened on this goal, and I noticed it during the broadcast because it was the exact same play as the one Huds got roasted for in the playoffs (although coming from the other side, and the cross-ice pass wasn't made) is that the puck went down low, and Hudler was covering Vlasic tight, and Smith batted at the puck. but he knocked it right into Vlasic's skate. Hudler peeled off because the entire side of the ice was open and he was going to retrieve the puck; but it wasn't there, which he quickly realized. The only player who IMHO screwed up defensively on that play? Brunnstrom. He looks like a fool on the play. Had he made the simple poke check on Desjardins, there's no shot, no rebound, and Ericsson has the puck. Learn to play the game, Fabian.

It was more of a long-term "what if" than a now "what if" statement. Unless Smith just blows it away and makes waiving Commodore a non-issue (Janik and Exelby are still decent options if Commodore is claimed) Smith would have to be sent down to acquire Bergfors; at which point you then have to also decide between Miller, Eaves, and Emmerton. Eaves probably has the least chance of being claimed (Miller has been excellent, Emmerton is still quite young and is very solid defensively) so he gets waived when Mursak returns. Now we're rotating Bergfors (unless he tears it up), Miller, Emmerton, and Mursak on the fourth line. Maybe Holmstrom as well. Kindl/Ericsson/Smith would be rotating, or Commodore would be sitting, or maybe even just a Kindl/Ericsson rotation if Smith does well enough. So Bergfors has time to either prove himself or get waived to bring up Eaves (at which point he's either gone or in Grand Rapids) and go with that roster down the stretch, assuming no trades.

Holland: "I'm not looking to trade." Translation: "I'm already in negotiations with another GM."

I wouldn't call it turtling or being ragdolled. It was pretty much even until his teammate knocked his skate out from under him coming back to "protect" him. At that point the refs were involved. And it wasn't really much of a fight, more of a push-fest.

She should have walked faster. If she had walked faster, she'd have gotten to the groceries that made it to the other side.

I'd rather Bergfors than Brunnstrom, but both is better than one. He could be a solid addition. 36 points in 72 games last year. Maybe send Smith down, give him a few games (5-10) to prove himself before Mursak comes back, and if he can hack it you deal off Eaves or Miller. If not, you waive or trade Bergfors. At 24, he's still got plenty of potential for improvement - and is also a potential trade piece. Imagine having both Bergfors and Brunnstrom, and them suddenly achieving potential? Combine that with a rebound year from Hudler and a breakout year from Flip... and there would be zero "what happens when Dats and Z slow down?" threads.

When the puck cleared the blueline, if Kronwall had started skating as hard as Hudler did, he has that puck way before Richards or Hudler get there. There were also no forwards anywhere near the play. It was basically Hudler trying to stop a much larger Richards, Kronwall coasting off to the side watching, and the forwards just kind of going "meh, whatever. Hey guys (to the Kings) wanna go get a drink while this happens?"