YoungGuns1340

Downey is in for real tonight? you KNOW we're gonna see an Ott-Downey showdown.

Its easy, Holland. You tell Kopecky that hes useless, and make him sit. Then you can put in BOTH Downey and Leino. Problem solved.

Who knows. Maybe the guy tried to put the hat on, he said he didn't want to, and then the guy called him some names. If you can't see what the guy said or did, you can't really say he just flipped out. If if he was pissed off because of the game, and didn't want to put the hat on because he was frustrated with his team, and then the guy starts ragging on him, maybe making some personal insults towards Emery, then its not a stretch that the'd flip out.

No he doesn't. Not even close. In fact, Filppula as a third year player hasn't shown the same level of talent that Datsyuk and Zetterberg did as rookies.

Filppula's role on the Wings does not equate to his role on the team that would trade for him. Thus, Filppula's value to another team exceeds his value to the Wings. For example, to a team like Buffalo that is in desperate need of a 2nd line forward with a good two-way game and good faceoff skills, his role would be much different - a top 6 role, complete with a likely 3 minutes on the PP and 18-20 minutes per game overall, considering he'd also be a top PKer. That role makes his salary at 3M applicable to his role.

Thats ******* awesome. The Wings NEED to see what Leino has to offer in a real NHL game or two if they want to know where he fits into the scheme of things next year. And I never thought I'd be so excited to see Downey potentially get a game or two here. I can't remember a more listless year from the Wings in terms of fighting, hitting, and overall physicality.

This pretty much sums up why theres a reason to care about this. Blatant favoritism for Crosby has now crossed the line from sycophantic media coverage into NHL-endorsed "rules" that affect the outcomes of NHL games. Its sad, really.

...So now we're going to judge our cap situation against most teams who have not been successful for longer than 3 years? We aren't talking about next year - we're talking about any number of years that are eaten up by having 5 guys at 6M+. Its a terrible way to plan for the future by banking on the present. Theres a reason NONE of this teams have had the success that the Wings have had over the past 15 years, or even since the salary cap days, and theres no indication that these teams can continue their success at the rate their at. Almost ALL the teams you listed DO have problems because of the big money spent on a limited number of players. Boston is going to have a hard time re-signing their young guys. The Ducks have no room for secondary scoring, and its hurt them. The Pens are already screwed. The Flyers have to figure out how to trade someone before they get Briere back on the roster because theres no space for them. The Rags can't wait to get rid of half of their bloated contracts, and are the worse for it. These situations only work in the SHORT TERM. Soon enough, they come back to bite you in the ass.

Its only a blessing if we actually do call up a guy like Ericsson. Otherwise, I'm not too excited about seeing Meech and Lebda in the lineup at the same time. What a bland back-end.

I'm not sure I buy into the idea of retaining Hossa, even with Hank coming cheap, Flip being traded, and Frazen walking. The cap is going down considerably next year and anyway you slice it 5 players earning 6M per year or more is not cap friendly. As my grandfather used to say, "I can't afford to save that much." Just because Hank and Hossa may both come discounted, doesn't mean we should sign them. Yeah, we may save 5M off of market value, but you're still putting a good 12M into 2 players.

Hudler is not going to be dealt for a rental anything.

6M per year is effing nuts. 12 years is long, yeah, but at a 6M cap hit? I cant complain in the least.

I can't get over the irony of Steve Mason being able to play this game while we play down 2 forwards for 75% of the game.

Ouch. I didnt realize Osgood gave up that breakaway goal 5 hole. yikes

Go figure. The hockey gods aren't making this easy for us. A joke of a deflection.

I think this is the first time in the history of the NHL that both Meech and Lebda actually factored into a game.

And Raffi.

Sigh..

Does the 4th line not know ow to play hockey in the offensive zone? All of them were standing along the boards with no one in front of the net while Draper looked for a pass. Nothing coming.

God I wish we had some sort of a physical presence to knock some heads around right about now.

Zetterberg with the hattrick tonight.

Give him the effing Masterton already.

You're not paranoid. If this had happened to two guys from 25 other teams in this league, no one would give a hoot. This is just one more opportunity to bash the Red Wings for being what...anything other than the successful, respectable, classy and talented organization that they have been for the past 15 years? One little dark spot - that wouldn't have even been newsworthy 2 years ago - and fans and media are all over the Wings for being "classless", "egotistical" and the like. If you ask me, it makes everyone else in the league who has spoken out against Datsyuk and Lidstrom look classless. Bettman? Crosby? Burke? These aren't exactly the poster-children for classy behavior. I feel embarassed for the people who dare call out Datsyuk and Lidstrom as anything other than the respectable, devoted players that they are. On the bright side, knowing how much it fires me up to see our two best players and our organization get bashed unsparingly by so many throughout the league, I hope it has done the same for Holland, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and the rest of the squad. I hope this gives them a reason to really fight as hard as they can, and when we look back on the year, maybe we can attribute a back-to-back Stanley Cup victory to the fact Bettman and the NHL pissed us off and we turned around, flipped them the bird, and gave a big "f*** you" to parity.

Thats not really true. While he is not likley to be traded, Holland WILL trade Flip if the deal makes sense. Our weakness going into the playoffs has nothing to do with offense. Offensively speaking, we can obliterate any team headed our way. But we have goaltending issues and issues on defense as well. If Holland gets offered a chance to make either his defense, or particularly his goaltending stronger (although it would have to be longterm) by sacrificing Flip, he would definitely consider it. If we go into the playoffs with the same offensive squad as last year, without Filppula and Drake but with Helm and Hossa, we are a better team up front than we were last year. If we go into the playoffs with our goaltending performing as it is, we are a worse team up front. Now, if Holland can trade Filppula for a good, relatively young goaltender that is NOT a UFA (Lehtonen, Ellis, Harding, etc.) then not only does he upgrade our playoff squad, but he upgrades our future as well. Anyone with a keen eye can tell Howard isn't wowing the Wings organization and the prospect of going with a goaltending tandem of Howard and Osgood has become scary to say the least, and Larsson isn't NHL ready. If a team can trade similar values from a position of strength - in the Wings case skilled, two-way forwards - for a position of weakness - capable starting goaltenders with starting experience - then theres little logic that would support NOT making the deal.

...But we'll miss Hossa AND Franzen or Hudler more if we keep Flip.