YoungGuns1340

What do you think about Moore, Mack? Every time I've seen him play, hes been pretty high energy. He'd be an interesting option for the Wings at the deadline. I'm not so sure Burke would deal with the Wings, and I'm betting Moore is going to attract a decent amount of interest, but he'd be a good safety option for Detroit. Moore might be easier to re-sign - and cheaper - than our own scoring depth, and Moore might be a good replacement for losing a guy like Sammy.

Is there no longer any Selke competitors in the league? Nothing against Datsyuk, I just find it hard that there isn't some guy out there on pace for about 45 points total that isn't shutting down 1st liners all night on a career year. I also don't see Thomas winning the Pearson with the way Boston is just so damn good in every way, not just goaltending, or Lidstrom winning the Norris. IF you ask me, this guy doesn't watch very much hockey.

Haha woah. I aged myself there. Completely forgot he had signed the new contract!

Despite the fact that Datsyuk is ranked third here, its a pretty ridiculous formula. For starters, a goal is worth more than an assist? How many times have we seen Pavel Datsyuk or Henrik Zetterberg or Nick Lidstrom do all the work to set up a guy for the easy in. Secondly, shoot-out goals count as much as game-time goals. And if you're just counting goals, you'd have to take a look at whose setting these guys up for the goal. That said, I do think its interesting that most of the players on this list are their teams best offensive player.

Dude, it has nothing to do with Bettman and the Wings. It has everything to do with it being Bettman and NOT Pittsburgh. And its true. Bettman probably did shake his head at the news that this game outdrew the game featuring the NHL's pet franchise. Just another indicator that all the time and effort that goes into marketing Crosby and the Pens would be better spent disrupted amongst key teams. The Chicago Blackhawks being one of them.

Then youre basically admitting how ridiculous your nationalistic homerism. I call it how I see it, and through the years, I've been a pretty good judge of the future players have. Undoubtedly, you were probably just one of the folks claiming its perfectly feasible that Filppula could get 50+ points this season, and possibly even 70. I an I was among those refuting that. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings about being right. Maybe you should man (or woman) up a bit.

No offense, but you must not pay close attention to Hudler's playmaking abilities. He pulls off passes that are second to only Datsyuk, and about on par with Hank. His ability to find players in the open ice and make the right decision with the puck in the offensive zone is excellent. The only reason Hudler doesn't rack up the assists is because he regular linemates are Filppula, who reminds me of Draper the way he can't manage to execute a great play despite making all the preceding moves to accomplish it, and Sammy, who is barely a 20 goal scorer on a good year. Ideally, Hudler should be playing on Zetterberg's wing. And if he did, his production would probaby be even better than it currently is.

SOMEBODY ELSE REMEMBERS!!!! Seriously, Franzen practically held out when he was up for his contract, and if it weren't for the big increase in the cap, Franzen's 942k salary would've been an overpayment. He was a bona fide 4th liner with no reputation at the time he signed that contract, and it took the entire off-season to get through the negotiations.

Honestly, I don't think theres that much wrong with them. The only real big loss they suffered was Meszaros, and Kuba is probably playing better than Meszaros right now. (Redden was crap, and still is with the Rags). Whats really killing them is underperformance and goaltending. Alfie, Spezza, Fisher, Vermette, and Heatley are all having terrible sesasons by their standards, and ultimately, that frustration is making it hard to be a Senator right now. Its pretty unusual when you have at least 3 guys who are elite, and another pair who are capable 2nd liners when called upon all simultaneously underproducing. They don't need to go into total rebuild mode at all. They'll get great picks this year. Adding a guy like Nicklas Backstrom to start with would take them a long way, as well as a half-decent puck-mover. Kuba, although they may not retain him, Volchenkov, and Phillips is hardly a bad way to start your defense, but its a decent drop off after that. Same with their offense. A goalie, a decent 2nd liner, and a top 4 puck mover could turn this team around pretty quickly. I don't see them as a team thats going to be down and out for long.

Any time you lose your sharp shooter who also happens to be on pace for nearly 50 goals, you feel it.

The player had to be 35 before June 30th of the year the contract was to be implemented. Draper's new contract was supposed to take effect in 04-05, meaning he had to be 35 before June 30th of 2004. He wasn't. Therefore, that clause isn't applicable to Draper's contract... ...but he DOES have a NTC.

NHL.com usually includes an undergo or a "Cinderella" player/team in their polls.

I disagree with those who have said Draper is the best player on the line. Hes been the worst defensively out there, bar none, and does s*** with his offensive chances. Offensively, hes become the natural worst on that line, and lately hes been the worst defensively. And the "hitting" that the entire line does is a complete joke. Draper and Kopecky have been credited with a ton of hits, yet they're all gimmes. They bounce of the player, and in Kopecky's case, he ends up on his ass when he gives a hit more often than not. While Draper is awesome on faceoffs, hes a liability to be on the ice for anything more than that. Ironically, Maltby has been the most serviceable guy on the 4th line. On some nights, he actually looks like an NHL 4th liner. Sadly, though, Draper is gonna be the one given a free pass this year. And Kopecky will be a member of this team until July 1st, whether hes in the lineup or not....although I'd pat Holland on the back if he shipped off Kopecky and told Marian to suck it up before the deadline.

Once the roster limit expires at the deadline, the Wings will have much more flexibility. At the very least to bring up Helm. I dont think Abdelkader is the answer yet. He looked pretty lost at times in the defensive zone during the pre-season. Good energy, and he'll be a great 3rd liner, but I wouldn't want him in the playoffs, even if it means we have to keep someone in from the current 4th line. I'd like to see Kopecky scratched in favor of Helm at the least, but ideally I'd like to see us sign someone who is actually is a physical presence yet not a waste of a roster spot - Chris Neil - throw Helm in full time, and rotate Draper and Maltby, but I don't see any way that Draper doesn't stay in the line up, save for an injury.

Haha, if that was the only clip you'd ever seen of Datsyuk, you'd think he was up there with Dustin Brown. Looked like a one man wrecking crew on that shift.

Thats a given, though. Everyone knows Ovechkin loves to hit and does it well. Hes a huge body as is. I'd definitely take him over Datsyuk, but Datsyuk's elite defensive game makes it close. Although, if Ovechkin ever becomes a great two-way forward, he'll have my vote for top 3 forward of all time.

Having cancer and all probably affected Kessel's immune system a bit. That said, HUGE blow to the Bruins.

I could do the same thing of Pavel Datsyuk losing the puck off his stick and make him look like a terrible puck carrier. What was your point again?

The Detroit Red Wings have been, are, and always will be, the greatest sports team in the world.

We can. Meech is right there. I hate to wish injury on anyone, but I hope our entire 4th line ends up with an innocuous virus that keeps them from getting into the lineup from about, oh, March 1st - June 10th.

Dude...he played with DATSYUK and HOSSA and looked so out of place it was hurting us. Not to mention, too early to tell? He'll be 27 years old in 3 years. Five years of the traditional development stage is enough.

I honestly think - and I'm not being fatalistic here - but I think the 4th line is a make or break unit for us. They are SO bad that they cost us goals against, and when we're down, they don't provide us the energy to swing the momentum back our way if we're down a goal. We've had a LOT of goals scored against us this season by the opposition's 4th line, and thats a direct result of our own 4th lines inferiority.

The Red Wings allowed the most shots tonight in 20 years, according to Versus. The Wings were rolling Dead Wings style tonight.

I'm not really arguing with you in that I'm beginning to lean towards Datsyuk as the better player, simply because for a long time I thought the only difference between hank and Datsyuk was that Datsyuk was the better playmaker and Hank was the better goal scorer, but this season Datsyuk has definitely been able to rip off the goals, and if you ask me that comes from him not having the same kind of trust in his linemates that he did with Hank. That said, I don't understand Zetterberg's line AT ALL. The guys don't have any chemistry. Hossa and Hank is a detriment more often than not and if you ask me, it brings BOTH players down. Not to mention, all Z does game in and game out is hustle. Hes CONSTANTLY moving. Hossa...I saw it a few times tonight alone...is a little prone to floating. But my opinion about Hossa hasn't really changed much in that regard. I simply don't think he fits the Wings system as much as some seem to think he does.

Zetterberg was awesome. He said up Hossa AND Cleary twice for what should've been an easy tip in, and single-handedly killed off half of the 4 min PK with his awesome kill. Its pretty easy to see why. Zetterberg isn't a playmaker, but hes stuck being the playmaker on that line. Hossa does his own thing, and Cleary is an overrated finisher. Its also the reason why Datsyuk is scoring more goals this season than in seasons past. Z used to be the ones finishing off Datsyuks set ups, but Franzen and Homer - contrary to popular belief - arent the finishers that Zetterberg is.