gcom007

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?...e=lebrun_pierre • Hossa update: The clock is ticking and Marian Hossa still hasn't re-signed with the Red Wings. Right now, it looks like he's headed to free agency. "It appears that way," Wings GM Ken Holland told ESPN.com via text message at 9:30 p.m. ET. If that's the quote the report is based on, it's not quite rock solid. Obviously things are leaning towards free agency but what I've said all along, I still wouldn't be shocked to see this done Thursday or Friday. I think Hossa owes it to himself to see what's out there, but if it's not all as Winter would have it and the Wings struggle to resign Sammy or Hudler, I wouldn't rule it out. Time will tell.

That throws me a bit. I have a real hard time believe they'd go under $4 million at him. That just sounds a little absurd. I still haven't seen it pop up anywhere else.

If they actually tried to sign him for under $4 million cap hit, than I don't blame the guy at all. That's kinda shocking that it went on this long if they were really talking a $3.75 million cap hit for a guy like Hossa.

I think it's as simple as him being able to move some people to accommodate but he can't move half the team.

I absolutely agree. The venomous response many fans have had is unnecessary to say the least.

Until he signs with another team, there's still a chance. All these articles are just chewing on the same stuff they were chewing on over the weekend. As all parties actually involved have said, it's a very difficult decision. I'm not surprised he's taking anything to the wire and I wouldn't be surprised if we're still waiting on Thursday. I don't think it's going to matter when it comes to Hudler or Sammy. Sammy especially is likely gone no matter what. Furthermore, the only deals that are going to go down early are going to be from teams overpaying. I don't think we have anything to lose or gain waiting or not waiting on Hossa. It is what it is. Time will tell. If Holland felt he needed a firm answer to get to the other players earlier, he would've requested it. If he doesn't see issue with it, we probably shouldn't either. In general, this is the start of us literally seeing the changes in the way things are done in the NHL. Again, this is the first year teams are really feeling the weight of the cap on their shoulders. Patience is once again going to be a valuable virtue.

You've got to remember that these press people spin the same old quotes in different ways over and over and over again. I don't think Holland's said anything different. Half these articles are more than likely based off the same 2-3 day old quote. The news is a joke these days... Here's a good read: https://www.gavindebecker.com/media_fear_tactics.cfm

HA! At the same time, I find it odd that he's been so insistent about the deal getting done considering everyone and their mother in the press seems to contradict it. Makes me wonder if he actually knows something this time or if he's just intentionally playing the opposite so if he's lucky he can say "told you so." Ugh. Too much thinking right there dedicated to how that madman thinks...

Maybe because their exposure to hockey comes mostly from NHL '09 for X-Box.

He played more games than a lot of guys too. How many more games did he play than Getlaf? At least 10. He also saw a lot more minutes with all the injuries we had. Would he be up there if Datsyuk wasn't injured throughout the playoffs? I'm not trying to totally knock the guy, but he's yet to impress me on the level that he's apparently impressed some. I think he's a solid player. Do I think he's even remotely close to Datsyuk/Zetterberg/Hossa level? No way in hell. He's not a superstar. Hell, he's not even a plain old star. He's a solid player. That's where it ends.

I honestly think Babs would be happy to finally have those guys. They'll get a lot more experience through 82 games on the big club and be all the more ready to contribute in the playoffs next year. Babcock is not oblivious to the fact that a cap exists now either...

Well, if they can find a way to make that happen, I'll hardly be unhappy. Despite what you probably think, I'm hardly a Flip-hater. I think many here overrate him, but I think he's fine for what his role is. But I still think they're going to have a very difficult time keeping him if we sign Hossa.

Then why in the hell are they offering him a contract and waiting on an answer? You act like there's not an offer on the table. It's not like they're going to say, "Nah! We changed our mind..." if Hossa comes to us and says yes. Is Holland lying in interviews when he says he'd be willing to move guys if the cap numbers right? Again, there's an offer on the table Hossa could still say yes to. Holland says he's willing to move people. Who do you expect me to believe? Holland or Flips #1 fanboy on LGW.com???

Also, don't expect this to necessarily be over tomorrow even. I wouldn't be shocked to see this take a week or so to resolve. Say Hossa tests the market and doesn't get the offers Winter thought he would. Who's to say he wouldn't go with the Wings offer then? Or maybe Sammy goes early and Hudler looks like a wildcard and Holland ups his offer a bit. I think this is going to be an interesting and slow off season as the cap effect is really starting to weigh on GM's.

I wouldn't say that. Papers have been saying that since Sunday here and there.

You're beyond maturity. You're more biased than the Osgood slappies. I'm not going to waste my time with thought out mature responses when I know they'll simply fall on deaf ears/blind eyes if you want to go with the whole internet/visual thing...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1w5CS9-zKY "cry baby cry, make your mother sigh she's old enough to know better so cry baby, cry..." -Beatles

Not signing Hossa means we might lose Hossa, Sammy and Hudler who are worth 80-90 goals a year. Sammy's most likely gone as he'll get way more money on the open market and he's made less. Hudler could be in the same boat. If we lose them AND Hossa, who in the hell is going to score enough goals to keep us in the top? Z, Dats and Franzen are great, but if we want to stay an elite team, we can't just lose 90 goals in production from 3 guys. Do you realize how disastrous this last regular season could've been if we lost those 90 goals. From other places, MAYBE we pick up 20-30 of those. But we would've lost a lot more games in the process and heaven knows what that would've done to the Wings momentum. We need the goals, bottom line. We will struggle FAR more than many think if we lose Hossa, Sammy and Huds.

I'd rather lose Holmstrom than Flip as well but I doubt it will happen. Besides the fact that he's been with the team a lot longer, it seems rather obvious to me that Holmstrom is becoming less and less effective out there with constantly nagging injuries so I doubt it'd be real easy to get much for him. Flip would net us the best return and give the most cap relief of anyone we've got. That's why Flip will likely be the guy to go.

Overrated!!! Flip will be gone if Hossa signs and we'll be better for it. We need goals.

When half over half our guys were injured or Grand Rapids Griffins. That's just a step above a home run in a little league field. And he can't score goals. We need those to win. Hossa scores goals. Hudler and Sammy are better goal scorers than Flip. We need goals, plain and simple. Flip is not a goal scorer.

Not so sure about McCarty but other than that it looks good. I've got a feeling Sammy's gone no matter what happens with Hossa and I wouldn't be surprised if the same deal happens with Hudler. Kopecky's already gone it seems. I don't think they'll let Lilja go. Chelios and Conklin already have been given the boot more or less. I think Lebda's likely gone on D. He'd be easiest to deal of the D likely to get traded and is paid more than Meech.

You mean agreed to lose your favorite player who happens to be profoundly overrated in your world?

It's true. They won't. They'll be too busy giggling.