gcom007

I don't think Howard will be around when this actually happens and if Franzen stays on LTIR, I wonder how that would affect things. I'll be very surprised if it happens after next season.

Can't come soon enough.

I honestly think a lot of guys like him are brighter than they seem. I tend to think you've got to have something going on in your brain just to figure out how to be as big of an ass as he was. He knew what he was doing, and he did it very well. I think those questioning the sincerity of the article are way off the mark.

He wrote another article for them awhile back that was pretty good as well. He's an interesting character. Probably a bit brighter than some would like to give him credit for.

Edit: Or pay them 50 ******* million dollars!

Overrated a bit? Perhaps. Most certainly by some here. But the opportunistic angle I don't hold against him. What's wrong with the best teams wanting the best coach? You want to land the best coach? You better have a good team. If you're the best coach, you want to coach the best team. It's pretty simple to me. I'd call it a luxury of being the among the best in the business for a long time more than I'd characterize it as opportunistic.

Maybe, but then again, that too has been said numerous times since 2010...

People said that in 2010 as well. And I've thought for a long time that Chicago is definitely cut from a different cloth than Pittsburgh, and the results clearly show that. Just a lot of talent and a lot of guys working hard. Good management. Good coach. They're the real deal. Pittsburgh wouldn't have won even one Cup if our team hadn't been so beat up in 2009, let alone that they seemingly had the refs on their side.

Similar to last year, I'm afraid to look in the Cleary thread for news. I don't want to know what Holland is thinking. It scares me to imagine that this is at all a possibility at this point.

I made an audible noise of "f*** you" with that d word. Pure reflex.

f*** Bettman.

It's just different now that they're not in the same conference as us. But... When I saw the Cup on the screen, the peace I made with the matters just moments before disappeared. f*** this. I was ready to buy a ticket back to Detroit for the parade. I'll be there any year. f*** life! Everything sucks!

I don't know what's happened to me, but I don't really mind seeing Chicago win.

It's stupid that he wants to go again, but yes, yes, yes. He'd never play, won't hurt us with the cap, and the humor wild be unreal. I would give Holland a pass on it for sure.

I have a very exciting update on the new coach. He's sitting in front of my friend at the Tiger's game tonight...

As time has gone on, I've realized that I really would like him back on the team. He has frustrating tendencies, sure, but he's still good for some goals, and when he heats up, he's a dominant scorer. Given the state of things now, it'd be nice to have that guy back in the lineup, and it really makes you wonder how the Tampa series would've gone if he was healthy. But it's still hard for me to wrap my head around it being a good idea for him to play again. It just seems too risky given how bad this concussion has been. I have a feeling that at this point he will play again, and as said, part of me will be glad, especially if that's what he wants. But that won't lessen the weight of the fact that it's a scary proposition.

Exactly. I don't want to hate on the guy like many do here, but he should know by now that it's time to move on.

People really want to give up completely on Jurco already? I get the frustration in the moment, but come on... Is it really so hard to think long-term just a little bit?

Anyone mention that Hossa will have appeared in 5 of the last 8 Stanley Cup Finals now? Pretty crazy.

Exactly. I've been over the idea of getting a top guy for a long while. I'd much rather have a more well-rounded whole, and it's a much more accessible goal.

I tend to hope he might get a chance and find a place here still as well, but I wouldn't be shocked if they ship him out this summer if at all possible. As I think I said before, if he was benched as long as he was, as often as he was, and in the playoffs, clearly Babcock wasn't the only one in the organization who had lost faith in him. Babcock didn't make decisions by himself, and wasn't it said that Holland was trying to move him at the deadline? I think if Holland has the opportunity to move him this summer, he will. Whether he has anything left in him at this point remains to be seen, but it's hard to imagine the Wings taking that gamble again next year if they can find a way to not have to. This, but I really, really, really hope Holland does something on defense this summer so the idea of E on the top pairing isn't even a possibility. We're not going to land a top guy, but I have to hope we can land someone better than E... And as much as I don't like E, I'd be more tolerant of him if he were in a different role on this team. Smith is definitely going to get a look on the power play. He's had issues, sure, but he's still young. No way his time will run out here before he gets more opportunities.

Wow. Excellent news. What of the big trade coming though?

Couldn't restrain myself. Last one.

Two minutes...