p_diddy_datsyuk_13

I happen to know a family member of a player in the Wings' system, he was at Ken Holland's house on June 30th, and the talk was that while the Wings' were busy persuing Hossa, they put Samuelsson on the back burner and forgot about him and he got mad about it, so he is now looking to go elsewhere.

I would be willing to bet, that if someone offered him $2 million per year for 3 years, Chicago would NOT match, given their newly found cap constraints... anything under about $3 million would cost a third round pick. I say go for it... we need a forward who can contribute offensively, and since Versteeg won't likely make more than $2 million staying in Chicago anyway, I say go for it... that will leave us the room to sign two affordable fourth-liners.

best guess here is that he's lookin' for money, and considering that is the one thing the Wings' really lack, I would say it's a good bet that it won't happen... anyway, he has been somewhat prone to injuries throughout the past few years.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!! That's hilarious!! Oh, you're not joking... well he is going to get about $6-$7 million from somebody who is willing to overpay, and considering we only have about $3 million to work with, we would have to dismantle out roster to make it work, not happnin.'

There is one big issue standing in the way of the Wings' staying in a renovated Joe. That is the City of Detroit. Aside from their overall lack of an education/intelligence, a few members of the Detroit City Council have been critical of the Joe Louis lease for sometime now. Odds are, taking intellegence into account, the council will try to make up for lost revenues in the lease if another is signed, making the Red Wings' lease expense astronomical and very doubtful, but the Illitches haven't closed any doors yet. The Illitches have said that their priority is in a new lease, perhaps shorter than 20 years, and that can mean a couple things, but in either case they want a modernized arena to play in. The Illitches have said that major renovations should be done by the owner of the arena, not the tenant, so that brings up our issues: 1) The City of Detroit has no money, making a major renovation unlikely, especially at the estimated cost of nearly $200 million. In the case of a major renovation, the City of Detroit would likely want a long term lease, perhaps as much as another 30 years to support their investment in the arena. Since the Red Wings have said they would like to pursue a shorter lease at the Joe (shorter than the 20 year extension), logic leads one to believe that they may only seek modest improvements to the Joe, while signing a lease for another 8-10 years while they wait for the economy and region to improve, then build a new arena. 2) While an investment of nearly $400 million in a new arena would not be the wisest decision at the present time, it may end up being the logical choice. There is a very good chance that the City of Detroit will not want to make the investment into the arena, or if they do, it will cost the Illitches a fortune in their new lease. Any changes to the Joe that would improve the immenities would be very costly given the design of the structure and land-locked location making the teams chances of a major renovation good, only if they stay long term. The bottom line is that if the economy were better, we may not even be having this conversation. Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano has even said that the Illitches have approached the county about assisstance with financing the new building, so there is no question that they want a new arena, but the problem now is the economy. The problems with the Joe come down to a couple of things: 1) Space, the Joe is land-locked, and with the people mover on one side and a likely-to-soon-be-renovated Cobo hall on the other, that doesn't leave much room for extrapolation. So they will have to deal with the space they have, which isn't much, and considering the cramped concourse at the Joe, this is one issue that they would want to address in a renovation. 2) Design, the Joe was, as you all know, pooly designed, the concourse is cramped, there are concession stands and souvenir stands every way you turn, and in the stands, the spectator area is very spread out, making it hard to bring luxury suites closer to the ice because of how it is laid out. It will be interesting to wait and see, but for now, my money is on the team staying at the Joe for a least 2-3 more years while they evaluate the prospects of a new arena. On a similar note, you have to believe that building a new arena would open Olympia Entertainment up to a lot of concerts that they have lost to the Palace over the years, so it is definately something to think about!! Cheers

With Marian Hossa all but gone, what would anyone think about Alexei Kovalev. I really think he could thrive on a top notch team like the Wings, and the Wings need someone to anchor the wing on the second line with there being a reasonable chance that we cannot afford Hudler (at least at the price we want). He could likely be had for $2-$2.5 million for one year after this past season when the entire Canadiens franchise was in disarray. He is an experienced veteran and likely wants to win. He is multi-demensional from an offensive standpoint and, as a result, is not heavily reliant on linemates the way Hossa is. He could be a good fit with Filppula and Franzen on the second line and easily would chip in 60 points. Since Hossa is all but gone, this would be an affordable solution for one year while we wait for some of our prospects to flourish.

Perry, no. Power forwards use their size and POWER to create scoring chances, Perry tends to just aimlessly throw his weight around. Some of todays true power forwards: Getzlaf Franzen Rick Nash Byfuglien Thornton (Though he doesn't use his size to his advantage as much as he could, he is still a big, gritty, offensively gifted player) Players who are developing into power forwards: Lucic (was great in the playoffs, more offensive production next year will solidify him, as it did with Franzen this past year) Dustin Brown (L.A.) (He is only 6ft tall, though) David Backes (St. L) (30 goals helped his case this year) Bobby Ryan (Ana) Carter (PHI) Jordan Staal (he would flourish if he ever found the top line) Kesler (Really started to show this potential in the playoffs) Players who used to be (Still in NHL): Shanahan Bertuzzi (for a couple years, anyway) Tkachuk Smyth (when he was with the Oilers he was much better in this respect, never was a true PF though) Arnott Doan (never really got to show it off as he has played for the Coyotes franchise his whole career, when he was younger, he was overshadowed by Tkachuk)

In the cap-era NHL, history so far has taught us that if a player signs an offer sheet, the team offering, will make it difficult for the team retaining ownership to match (and fit the number under the cap) ala Penner or Vanek. In the case of Vanek, Buffalo didn't want to accept that high number ($7.5 million), but they were put in a position to because they had already lost two key players via free agency and did not want to lose three. Anaheim did not match Penner's offer sheet because they couldn't fit his salary in under the cap anyway. Even look at the pre-cap era and some of the offer sheets. If these teams want to steal a player, they have to make it an attractive offer to the player and a discouraging one for the previous team to match, that is the way it always is, so if Hudler gets an offer sheet, expect it to be well higher than $3 million, as that is the only way he would likely be pryed away from the Wings, I would guess a $3.5-$4 million cap number will do it, as Dustin Penner took over $4 million with numbers slightly inferior to Hudler.

We have no rights to Hossa, he is unrestricted... and Heatley's cap number is far too big to fit in to Detroit, they would need to trade away nearly another $4 million in cap space in addition to what we have available now.

a goalie... the more they pick, the more likely they are to eventually get one right!! Other than that I would like to see a forward, the Wing's are getting thin as far as talented scoring forwards are concerned... Abdelkader is more of a second liner, as is Helm. Leino is about the only sure-fire scoring forward in our system, and he's not even home grown. Dick Axelsson is a few years out and has had some issues, and no one in Grand Rapids really stepped up this year, although there are a few out there who could become NHLers. A talented forward would be a nice change of pace from the last 10-15 years of back end men, either defense or goalies.

Ok, sure, Hudler gets PP time, and Filppula gets PK time. However Filppula gets far more even strength time than Hudler, often playing on the second line while Hudler for much of the season was stuck on the third and fourth lines. Filppula gets to play more, with better players and for the whole season was far inferior to Hudler in terms of offensive production, while playing in about three more minutes a game. In the playoffs, Filppula played in nearly four more minutes a game than Hudler, and Hudler's ice time was cut substantially as the playoffs progressed and the team relied more on the top two lines, not in response to his production, as he found himself on lines with youngsters and defensively minded players. Right now Hudler is the superior player and is not afraid to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty unlike Filppula. Hudler's size is a stumbling point, but he has managed to deal with that thus far. It is ashame to continue to see him overshadowed by a player who really needs to work harder to even begin to scrape the surface of his potential. Filppula is a player with a lot of fundamental flaws, as he often struggles with that first step out of the zone or with handling the puck, regardless of whether or not he is in traffic. I will admit, that his puck-handling did improve immensely as the season progressed, but it is still noticeable once or twice in every game. The team planned on Filppula breaking out this year and being an impact player, which obviously didn't happen. That warranted the $3 Million per year contract. Based on what we have seen from Hudler, more production in fewer minutes per game, he could easily get a bigger deal than that. He is just beginning to reach his potential, and with more ice time, he could easily score 70 points a year before its said and done. Hudler will get at least $2 million, using Filppulas deal with Detroit as a bargaining chip, but look for a team like Edmonton, who is always hungry to steal talent away from cap-strapped teams, ala Penner or Vanek, to offer up $3-$4 million, as they are looking for young, talented players to complement Hemsky and O'Sullivan, in addition to the winger they will likely land.

Notice the excessive use of 'We.' Stupid Pens fan... be happy with one cup, if you have the NHL's Golden Boys on your team you seem to get things given to you on a silver platter, otherwise you wouldn't have won. I am waiting for the day when all of those guys want more money and they start leaving. There is a reason that Mr. I didn't shake Bettman's hand, and this is it. This was the plan all along, starting last year. Go to your own forums and gloat about having one of the "best teams ever," we don't want to hear it here... especially when it was pretty evident that the whistles were thrown away to benefit Pittsburgh, and the layoff was shortened for the same reason. I won't discount the fact that the Wing's were out hustled, but if the league wouldn't change the rules every five minutes, we wouldn't ba having this conversation. We do not care that you think your "Golden Boy's" are a great team, but let's see them do it consistently for 12-15 years.

Leino has already said he won't play in GR another year, if he signs he want to play with the Wing's or return to Finland.

There is no question the Red Wings are looking for grit. With Dallas Drake arguably being the 'X-Factor' last year, we did lack that intensity for most of the playoffs this year, with the exception being when Abdelkader decided to have one of his better games. Although, he lacks experience and could benefit from another year of conditioning in the AHL. On another front, the Bruins seem likely to try to resign Phil Kessel, which means they could be looking to move a player or two to free up a little bit of space. With Milan Lucic being a free agent next year, and possibly commanding upwards of $3 Million he could be a possibility for a trade, where they would want to get whatever they can for him now. Lucic is a big body, which is a big plus, gritty and can handle the puck, not to mention he was a force in the playoffs physically. If the Wings' were to offer the rights to Hudler, or resign him first, along with a second or third round pick, they may be able to land Lucic. When next year rolls around, Nick Lidstrom would likely take a little bit of a pay cut, and Maltby's contract would be up which would free up space to resign him. I was very impressed with this guy during the season and playoffs this year and I really believe he would be a solid aquisition, especially looking toward the future, as he fits the mold of a Johan Franzen. Another thought, would be trying to sign Ian Laperierre. He is not as big as Lucic, but fits the mold of a Dallas Drake, and he was the guy I was hoping of picking up at the deadline this year. He is not afraid to be physical and can put the puck in the net if given the opportunity. This guy has been a thorn in the Wings' side for a long time. The one stumbling block here would be price. He has already turned down an offer from the Avalanche and could be looking for around $2 Million a year, although I think it is more likely he will get less than $1.5 Million, given the economy among other things. I think letting go of Hossa is a must. Just think, the Wings' won the Cup a year ago without Hossa, and they can do it again. The extra cap space needs to be used to resign a couple of guys and add one, preferably a player with a great deal of grit. Here are a couple of options to add more grit, what does everyone else think?

OK, people. You can say all you want that the Wings' are exploiting a loophole on the CBA with all of the long contracts they are handing out. The fact of the matter is, they are not, there is no loophole. While it may seem like a loophole now, just wait until all of these guys are 40, when their careers are nearly over and production has likely declined significantly. Franzen will still be the same $4 Million cap number at age 40, which essentially screws the team later... there is no guarantee that the salary cap will rise, so when Zetterberg and Franzen hit 40 and are taking up a cumulative $10 Million in cap space, and are putting up a combined 70-80 points a year, come back then and comment on any loophole. Toward the end of their careers, these contracts, could prevent the team from really building for the future and signing young stars to the extended contracts they may want in the future. The cap will not likely be higher than $65 million in 10+ years, so these contracts will still be taking up a significant portion of the payroll. This is why the league is not concerned this so called "loophole" in the system, because it is NOT a loophole in fact. The teams will eventually pay for it. They will be paying them just $1 million a year in the future, while they will have a $4 Million or $6 Million cap number, so the team has to make up for it, and since players tend to diminish their productivity later in their careers, neither player will likely be worth the 4 or 6 million in cap space at that point in their careers. See, it is not exactly a loophole, enjoy.

With more ice time, it simply means that he will be playing on the first or second lines, rather than the third or fourth, meaning he would be playing with better players. In a recent game, I believe against Minnesota, Hudler was on a line with Hossa for a period and the two were feeding off of each other. Hudler has been playing with players not known for their high end offensive skills. It is not the ice time so much as the people that it comes with that play a similar amount.

I don't disagree that Filppula will, someday, be a very good player. One thing I have noticed, however, are the fundamentals. This is an area that Val could stand to improve upon. He often struggles with puck handling, while carrying the puck up ice and even more in traffic. He is also not the strongest on his feet. While he does have very good speed, he seems to stumble, often multiple times in a shift. It is no coincidence that Jiri Hudler has more points than Filppula. While Filppula has been trusted with more defensive responsibility than a few others, I think he has been terribly overrated. Hudler, in nearly three fewer minutes of ice-time per game, is substantially outperforming Filppula, and while often playing on the 3rd or 4th line, while Filppula has frequently, if only for a period, been on the 1st and 2nd lines this year. Hudler's defensive abilities have noticably improved this year, warranting more ice-time, but that has not happened. Mike Babcock feels that Filppula is going to be one of the best players in the game someday, which I feel is a bit far-fetched, and has given him the preference in ice-time as a result. Hudler is now a well rounded player, that on any other team would at minimum be a second line player. Filppula is in no way our fourth best forward, with Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hossa, Franzen AND Hudler, who are ALL outperforming him offensively and all sound defensively, Filppula MIGHT be the sixth best two-way player. You have to consider who all of these guys are playing with. Franzen came here to play defense and has managed to hone his offensive skills and still play a menacing defensive game. Hudler, as previously mentioned, has played most of the year with some guys not known to have the most prowessing defensive abilities, in Samuelsson and Draper who has struggled for much of the year in that regard. I think Filppula can become a good player in the not-too-distant future, but Hudler is a good player now, and has demonstrated this in very limited ice-time, and certainly needs to be rated above Filppula in this discussion. Mike Babcock needs to start treating Hudler as such and the team will reap the benefits. The last couple games, Hudler has seen a bit of time playing with Marian Hossa and Filppula/Leino and the two have been stellar together, and we need to see more of that. On a related note, it is going to be very disappointing to see Hudler forced to leave this summer because the team wants to try to be greedy and keep Hossa and Franzen. The Tampa Bay Lightning tried to do this a few years ago, with Richards, St. Louis, and Lecavalier and ended up hurting their team in the process. The Wing's are going to attempt to carry five or six players with $6 Million+ cap numbers, and are willing to part with part of their future in the process. There is now little doubt that the cap will fall after next year, and tieing up so many expensive players, will eventually force them to do what the lightning had to do and parcel off one or more of them so they can just fill up their roster with NHL caliber players. I would like to see Samuelsson leave to give guys like Leino and Helm a chance, but not Hudler. Especially considering he could likely be signed for a price comparable to that of Filppula, a number that, to this point, Filppula has not lived up to. The bottom line is, that with TIME Filppula will become a good player, KEYWORD: TIME. He isn't holding up his end of the $3 Million cap number right now. The team continues to put more and more faith in him, and in the short term, it could end up hurting the team significantly, as others who are more deserving of ice-time and more productive with less are riding the pine, in the prime example of Jiri Hudler.

mccarty needs to sit... we need size and toughness... sit hartigan or mccarty and add downey or abdelkader... he played well in his two game audition and could be very good with his size and physical play, and could play more minutes than downey

quincey

nice new unis... same awful team... how long til somebody moves that joke of a team??

lebda over quincy, just for offense... however, i noticed at the end of last year, quincey seemed very responsible and aware defensively, and almost never out of position... they both have some upside, but for now, lebda, but if someone goes down quincey can step in

rafalski has more than one purpose in detroit... for now he is a replacement for schneider... but with a 5 year deal, he will step up once lidstrom retires... he is making more than schneider is, and has a far less spectacular shot... so there is more to this deal than just replacing schneider... and if kronwall continues to emerge, our defense will be just fine

nice... in the playoffs, i think he proved he is still capable of a 3rd d-man role

yes

we need to move on already... i really dont think he was that good against the ducks... but kenny already has his jeriactric doctor sooooo... we may see a few more years of hasek