gcom007

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Everything posted by gcom007

  1. gcom007

    Who should get cut/traded by game 1 of the season?

    Gary Sheffield.
  2. gcom007

    Training Camp Thread

    That's pretty conservative...way to play it safe.
  3. gcom007

    Training Camp Thread

    Cleary can look good in camp all he wants. I'm no Cleary hater and I'd love to see the guy come in and play great and earn his keep, but I'll be very surprised if he can stay healthy and strong down the stretch. He's had a lot of time off now, so I'd hope he'd look better, but again, once the grind of the season kicks up, I think we'll be reevaluating things quick.
  4. gcom007

    Regner: Next year could be Babcock's last

    I get what you're saying. I don't entirely disagree, but I think you could say a bit or more of what you're saying about the Wings when Babcock joined us. We were a strong team, a legitimate contender, but we had our fair share of minor issues to resolve before we were ready to win the Cup a few years later. And we were hot for awhile, and I don't think it's reasonable to suggest we're so hot now. We're not terrible, we've kept making the playoffs, but two years in a row, it was hardly a given, and it's not going to get easier as Dats and Z age. I like our kids, but unless Mantha really lives up to the hype, we don't have anyone in the pipeline that is going to be able to fill those holes, and we've seen how well Holland does filling holes in free agency. It is very, very hard to fill those big holes, now more than ever, and it's likely only to happen through the draft, and for that to happen for us, we're going to have to be a whole lot more "not hot" first... And if Babcock went anywhere, he'd be going to a team with a system that would immediately begin to cater to him. Why else do you go after the top coach in the league, especially one like Babcock? Everyone knows the guy has his system and his ways. I don't think there's a chance he moves unless he has a lot of sway in how the team is run, and I think anyone who'd seriously pursue him and stand a chance of getting him knows this, is fine with it, and in fact very much wants it. Again, why else do you pursue a coach like Babcock? Generally though, I do think he likes it here, and I think he'd likely prefer to stay here. I want to think that at least. And I honestly do think he'll stick it out past this contract at least for another year or two. But if he leaves, there's enough reasons and enough oddities that I wouldn't be surprised, but I'd still be incredibly disappointed. I have faith that half of them will be NHLers still in a couple of years. That faith isn't based on pessimism, just basic logic. How many players just on this team have we seen have promising starts only to sputter and disappear? It's the nature of the game. I certainly am hoping for the best and clearly we have a lot of promising players, but just as teams and players can rise up and go from bad to great almost overnight, the opposite happens as well, and unfortunately, it has a tendency of being a more normal occurrence.
  5. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    No complaints about the contract.
  6. gcom007

    Regner: Next year could be Babcock's last

    We are absolutely a playoff-caliber team with Datsyuk and Zetterberg still around. Even with age and injuries, those two guys are still are remarkable players, and even in their absence last year due to injury, I almost feel as if it's reasonable to say that the hole they left was so large that it had much to do with many of the younger guys rising up and playing above a level that one would typically expect of them. When you still have a core of Dats and Z, you should be making the playoffs. I've said it for years, and I'm still saying it now, even in light of last season. But... We are not contenders, and despite what many like to say about how anything is possible if you just get in, it's simply not something substantial enough to be able to bank on. I'm not saying it's entirely untrue, but there is more of a divide between the contenders and some of the teams that squeak in than people realize. And oftentimes, some of the 7th-8th seeds that squeak in and go the distance were better teams than their regular season records showed, and they proved that in the playoffs. We haven't come close to proving that, and one could say last season, quite the opposite was proven. Many Detroit fans were deluded by how close we came to beating Chicago a couple years back. The reality of that series was Chicago wasn't even close to being on their game and their stars weren't rising up to the playoff challenge as the series started. We took advantage of it early on, and then Chicago came back against significant odds and proved once again why they've won two Cups in the last five years. We certainly didn't make it easy for them, even in the final three games, but they found a way to crawl out of the hole and win, and they went on to win the Cup. Last year, Boston manhandled us and proved that our kids weren't ready to answer the playoff bell. We just looked weaker and weaker as that series went on. Are we going to be a better team this year? Maybe our kids will improve, or maybe they'll still need more time to be ready. Dats and Z might be healthier, but any way you shake it, they're getting older, so it's tough to say how much of an impact they'll have on the scoresheet. Our defense isn't likely to be any better unless a kid comes up and overachieves. And while my money is on Howard bouncing back strong, he can't do it alone. I think we'll squeak into the playoffs, but we're not real close to being able to contend for the Cup right now. We won't be until something more dramatic happens to improve the defense in particular, and until our kids mature to a point where they aren't shutdown in the playoffs, or perhaps in general when having to play a lesser role on a less-injured team. That said though, I don't think that's why Babcock would leave. I do think he enjoys working with the kids, and I don't think money is going to be an issue that affects the decision. I could see him wanting to move on for the sake of new challenges and experiences, and as much as I'd hate to see it, from his perspective, I could understand why he might want to go to a team like Pittsburgh. It's an opportunity that you aren't going to get very often. I don't know if he'd actually do it, and I don't know that he wants to leave, but I do think he's likely more frustrated with the way this team's been run than he's let on lately, and I think he is likely as tired of getting no help from the GM as any of us. He's made enough comments suggesting so in the press to infer at the very least that he isn't thrilled by all that hasn't happened in the last 4-5 years. I'm not saying it's an extreme situation, but I have no doubt that it's something that bothers him because he's been frustrated enough to say so numerous times. You add everything up, and I could see Babcock going to another team after this season and I could understand why. I hope it doesn't come to that because I think he's a great coach, but it'd be hard to fault him.
  7. gcom007

    Regner: Next year could be Babcock's last

    Anyone who knows me on these boards at this point knows I'm no longer a Holland supporter, but you've got to be reaching here to be making a big deal out of this. Babcock should get paid, and will get paid, and Holland won't lowball him on money. There's no need and even he's not stupid enough to take that chance. He's just defending the line for the media. If Babcock leaves, it won't be about money. Any amount of money any team would reasonably throw at him would be matched by the Wings.
  8. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    It also is going to boil down to Howard. If Howard turns it around and plays solid in the next year and Mrazek is truly NHL ready, he's likely going to turn into trade bait unless they decided to deal Howard instead. I can't see them keeping a solid Howard and an NHL-ready Mrazek on the same roster in this day and age, especially given that we're not exactly overflowing in trade-worthy assets.
  9. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    Are you reading what I'm writing?
  10. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    Seriously? That's the point. What needs to be said when all parties involved know exactly what went down with Quincey? What do you expect people to say in the press? I am well aware of the overlap and the differences in contracts and careers; I read the articles. Bottom line is that a player of less value than Dekeyser got signed for more money than the Wings want to give Dekeyser, and whether Dekeyser feels he deserves as much or not, you can be assured that he's not going to go down easy after seeing that Quincey deal. I adamantly stand by what I said. "you have to be an idiot if you think that didn't send a message to Dekeyser's camp, and it was the wrong message to send considering Dekeyser stands to be important to this team for the long-run when Quincey should've been a guy shown the door."
  11. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    I defended Tatar. Some thought it was too much for him at this point, I said, nah, not at all. Why? For the exact reason you referenced, but the opposite perspective. We did jerk him around a bit, and we were right to be generous to make up for it. There's a big difference between being an egomaniac and knowing that you should and would be in the NHL if you were on any other team in the league. I wouldn't have bitched publicly about it like Tatar did, and I don't like that, but I don't think he was at all unjustified in feeling frustrated, and I'm happy he got a decent contract at this point as I think he is deserving of it.
  12. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    When I think about Quincey's contract at this point, I really just lose my will to even care. Then you add in the whole Cleary thing. I had enough distance as the summer went on to become less inherently frustrated with the moves Holland has made, but as this goes on and I'm forced to remember those deals...I get angry for an instant, and then it's just a sinking feeling. I'm sure this will get worked out, but it's just so stupid that it's actually had to get to this point. And to be honest, I think the Quincey signing bothers me more, as it was just such a haphazard decision. At least the Cleary deal went down because Holland was being loyal to Cleary after the handshake agreement the year before, and that agreement was made coming off a 10 point playoff performance. Whether that performance had a lot to do with luck or not (I've said "luck" all along despite not being the most outspoken Cleary critic), at least it was something that is somewhat, well, kinda almost maybe a little understandable, albeit colossally frustrating if not infuriating. But Quincey? That was a stupid, knee-jerk, haphazard decision. And it was for too much money for a guy you clearly didn't want to sign. It's all the more stupid when you consider the fact that you do have to sign Dekeyser still. Yes, it's not a cut and dry comparison as one is a UFA and the other is an RFA, but you have to be an idiot if you think that didn't send a message to Dekeyser's camp, and it was the wrong message to send considering Dekeyser stands to be important to this team for the long-run when Quincey should've been a guy shown the door. This whole summer for the Wings has been nothing short of a pathetic and unfortunate example of why we are not among the elite teams in the league right now. The elite teams find a way to get it done on and off the ice, and the two go hand in hand.
  13. gcom007

    Dekeyser signed. 2 yrs $2.187 million AAV

    I'm not worried about this getting done, but I am starting to worry that maybe I should be...
  14. gcom007

    Datsyuk or Fedorov?

    That hybrid might've exceeded the Great One...
  15. gcom007

    Datsyuk or Fedorov?

    1) Federov and Datsyuk are both some of the greatest talents to play the game. Objectively speaking, I think you have to give Federov the edge when it comes to sheer ability. The guy could take over a game like very few ever have been able to when he wanted to, but therein lies the problem. The guy had motivation issues. What's unfortunate about Federov is that as great as he was, he could've and should've been better. Datsyuk will always get a bit more grace from Wings fans as he's stuck with the team, but I think people are starting to warm up to Feds again. We were insanely lucky to have these two guys as part of the Wings organization and I think Federov still deeply values his ties to Detroit and the Red Wings. 2) Absolutely he will. 3) Absolutely he will.
  16. Regular season and playoffs are two different battles, and we are not a team built to win in the playoffs right now. We got lucky and overachieved for a minute a couple seasons ago and then Chicago reminded us what it takes to really go the distance and win. Boston completely manhandled us after the first game. It was the same story in the 90s for awhile too. Great regular season team, a talented team, but not enough teeth to get the job done in the playoffs. Except we're nowhere near as good as those mid-90s teams even, though thankfully, on some level that's a league-wide problem that relates back to the cap.I don't think we're as far off as some think, but we absolutely need some serious tweaking to get there. What blows my mind and infuriates me about Holland is that he doesn't seem to recognize this as he squanders the last years of Datsyuk's and Zetterberg's careers. He still hasn't found a way to make the D at least a little better and solid front to back, and he keeps signing the wrong guys to bad deals. He needs to find a way to turn it around, and given that we can't bring anyone in via free agency anymore, he needs to be okay with the fact that we're going to get ripped off in trades for a minute until we reclaim a bit of our status. Make the right moves and have some real success again and the free agent problem disappears for the most part. But he's got to do something, anything, first, to actually make this team better.
  17. Laughed so hard at this. Can't stop. Post of the week for sure.
  18. gcom007

    What Might Have Been: Gretzky to Detroit?

    Hence why I said, "I get how it could've been seen differently at that point in history though, hard as it is to imagine."
  19. gcom007

    What Might Have Been: Gretzky to Detroit?

    That is truly a crazy thought, though I still would never give up Yzerman for him. He may not be the Great One, but he is The Captain of the Detroit Red Wings. I get how it could've been seen differently at that point in history though, hard as it is to imagine. I was always a little surprised we didn't end up getting a year or two of Gretzky during his later years in some ways. He always seemed to be a Detroit fan from what I recall, and I believe he was a huge Tigers fan even growing up. Given how often we started bringing in hall of famers for their swan songs in those days, you'd have to think that if Gretzky was a bit younger or played a few more years, we probably would've made a run for him. Can you imagine that 2002 team with Gretzky as well, just from the sheer standpoint of looking at all the names on that roster???
  20. gcom007

    Alfie wants to play

    I have no problem with us signing Daniel Alfredsson. I don't think we would've made the playoffs without him last year. I think he ran out of gas for awhile after the Olympics, but Kronwall wasn't firing on all cylinders either and he's a good deal younger. It was a long run for the Swedes. If the rest of the team can stay healthier and we can give him some calculated rest now and again this year, and with no Olympics to further muddle things up, I think Alfie stands to have a more impressive year this year, and I say that as someone who thought highly of his contribution last season. He was still an effective player most of the time, he put up points, and provided strong leadership when our big leaders went down. While it would've been a different story had Dats and Z not been injured, the fact of the matter remains that even at his older age, even given his own injury issues that hampered him throughout the season, even given that he missed 14 games, and even given that he had an extended cold-streak when he was running on empty after the Olympics, he still ended up being our points leader last year while going on to become a locker room leader in the second half that all those kids that exploded pointed to again and again for stepping up when Dats and Z went down. If we're going to be signing older players, Alfie is the kind we should be signing. When people talk about wanting Ken Holland to stop signing older scrubs, I generally am very much in agreement. But the thing is, Alfredsson never has been and never will be an old scrub. Signing him should never be compared to signing someone like Cleary. It's genuinely irritating to me that anyone would even try to suggest that we're dealing with the same type of player and circumstance here when by any objective measure there's clearly a night and day difference. Alfie isn't as effective as he was ten years ago, most obviously, but he is still an effective player who contributes on the scoresheet and leads, all while providing the kind of veteran presence that you absolutely do want to have around on a team that's getting younger. Just because Holland made a mistake in signing Dan Cleary again doesn't mean he should make another mistake and not sign Alfie if Alfie decides that he can play. Again, I have no problem with Alfie coming back, and while I'm certainly not holding my breath, I hope that somehow this ragtag team can pull off a miracle for him. He's a class act and nothing would make me happier next season than seeing him win his first Cup so he can go out on top. Never lose hope, right?
  21. gcom007

    Greatest Wings game ever

    They were brothers for life after that game.
  22. gcom007

    Greatest Wings game ever

    The NHL has started putting a lot of newer stuff on iTunes, but they've yet to really go to the archives with some of the older classic games. It's surprising to me. Seems like money to be made. I did pick up game 6 from the 2008 finals for $1.99, but for whatever reason it's only in standard definition, which is also surprising/annoying. Hopefully at some point they'll go through and add more and upgrade the quality of the content that's already available.
  23. gcom007

    Greatest Wings game ever

    That game was incredible. Try as I might to come up with something more original, it has to be June 7th, 1997 for me. Nothing has come close to matching the feeling and emotions of that game and the celebration after. But we got there largely because of games like March 26th, 1997, too, so...that whole season was just special. From the game in which Shanahan debuted, after rushing to Detroit after the trade was completed earlier in the afternoon, through to June 7th, it was just a magical season.
  24. gcom007

    Red Army Documentary

    Looks fascinating, I'll be grabbing it. According to Amazon, the hardcover is $59 and the cheapest physical option, so iBooks/Kindle is probably the way to go. iBooks is $11.99 and Kindle is $10.67. (I'll spend the extra buck to not support Amazon, which more and more is starting to look like the internet Wal Mart the way they bully the content suppliers and makers.) iBooks link: Breakaway - #iBooks https://itun.es/us/Td6ZO.l Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Breakaway-Curtain-NHL--Hockeys-Escapes-ebook/dp/B00E7S2ONC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1407001747&sr=8-2&keywords=breakaway+iron Oh, and this looks like a phenomenal documentary. I watched the trailer several times and it's on my "must see as soon as possible" list.
  25. gcom007

    Paul McCartney and the Red Wings

    Priceless.