YoungGuns1340

Good speedy game so far. Looks like were just rolling all 4 lines at this point. The refs are really letting them play. Good to see, unless they let hooks go that prohibit players from clearing the zone like almost happened with Hudler.

IMO, if Hudler ever got more confidence from Babs, hed be doing a lot better now. But Babs has always been on Hudlers ass it seems, even moreso than Flip or Kopecky. I really think Hudler has 25 goal potential, and I still think he could hit 20 goals this year.

No point in splitting them up for weaker lines until we can get at least 1 more 2nd line player. Theres nothing wrong with keeping Hank and Datsyuk together until the deadline when we add something of substance to the 2nd line. Thats plenty of time to figure out whos got chemistry with who. At this point, Hudler-Flip-Sammy is showing some chemistry. Lets see what they can do before dismantling the best line in the NHL.

Detroit gave up Matthias and a 2nd rounder in the end. Not a first. And to go by what Tkachuk, Guerin, and Smyth cost teams last year is far from an absolute of what players will cost this year. Guerin bombed, the Thrashers bombed with Tkachuk on the squad, and the Isles gave up way too much for a few months of Smyth whom they couldnt re-sign. If anything, teams will be more cautious. Granted, there will be the desperate teams, but the most desperate teams came back hurting last year. Even if you do see teams throwing caution to the wind, there is as much of a chance that theyll do it less so this year than as much as they did last year.

Wrong. Kovalev has ALWAYS played his best hockey in the post season. Therefore, as a deadline addition, he would be an impact player.

Aucoin? Redden? Hamrlik?

Stop having bad feelings people!! Dont you know anything about the law of attraction?? 5-3 Wings. I can see the Edmonton forwards coming out hard, but their defense not being able to keep up for 60 minutes. Hank has a 3-4 pointer tonight. Sammy gets 2 points and looks more and more like good trade bait.

Koivu will definitely be retired. If not, you can be sure that his number will be taken out of circulation. The guy would probably already have a couple hundred more points to his name if he didnt have to battle cancer. Hes one of the most underrated players in the game.

I think the Wings trade Meech. He'll get some games in, and hes signed for a few years to a cheap contract. Hell have decent trade value should he prove himself and get 15-20 games in before the deadline.

always go original six

Kris Draper cant ever hit the 20 goal mark again either. Despite already being a quarter of the way there with 70 games left.

Thats the stupidest thing Ive ever read. There is absolutely no proof for that statement.

He and Sammy deserve props this season. Both have been playing increasingly well. Cant complain, especially at their prices.

He took a while to warm up last year too. No worries.

Osgood did great last year when he wasnt injured or recovering from injury. Hes done well so far this year. He won 20 games as a backup three years earlier. Theres nothing keeping him from going after another cup. Nothing. Hes showing hes got the skills - in fact, those skills were never absent for an extended period of time. All were seeing here is a guy that is playing good hockey, is healthy, and is playing for a team which he has confidence in and which has confidence in him. When Osgood is in a Wings sweater, he can win a cup. Frankly, its a crock of s*** to say that Osgood can't win a cup again.

Note: Its been years since every player heading to the All Star game deserved to be there. In the Bettman era, its about every team getting representation. The only guys you can guarantee will be there are Hank and Lids. Other than that, youll have the typical Shane Doans and Jason Arnotts heading to the all star game, just because those teams need representation.

According to NHL.com, 6 years at 5.83 per year. That is incredible. Hopefully this will stabilize the market a bit, at least for long term contracts.

Sorry, but there needs to be a little bit more commotion over this deal. 6 ******* million is a steal, downright highway robbery. The guy is a wall in the playoffs, and a proven contender. Thats just a sick deal for a perennial top 3 tender. This is basically like signing Lidstrom to a 5.5-6M deal.

Gratton is not a 2nd line player. His offensive abilities are akin to Cleary, Franzen, and Sammy at this point in his career. The last thing we need is a ANOTHER guy that falls into that grey area of the # 6-9 forwards. Hudler, Filppula, Cleary, Draper, Sammy, and Franzen could all potentially or will put up the 35-40 points that Gratton likely will. What Detroit needs is a #3-4 forward. At this point, Sammy is a better offensive force than Gratton. That being said, I wouldnt mind Gratton if we didnt already have so many players around his level offensively. I do like that he plays physical, but the last thing I want to see is Detroit wasting more space and money on non-impact players that arent solidified 2nd liners. EDITED for clarity.

Um, yeah, actually Prospal IS touchable. Just because hes got 8 goals so far doesnt mean hell keep that pace. Hes a 2nd line forward, not a bluechip foundational piece. And just because the Wings *may* (unlikely, since its Eklund reporting) be in talks with Tampa, it doesnt mean that Prospal gets traded tomorrow. It could simply be discussion and expression of interest, about possibly working out a deal in later months. But the entire notion of Prospal, an UFA on a team that is a middle of the road squad at this point, being traded at any point during the season is not only possible but LIKELY, if Tampa doesnt make the playoffs.

Trade for Kovalchuk. Get it done, Kenny!! ..Hadnt seen this post yet, but figured itd come up. It IS that easy, you know

Im not saying hes the best option out there, but regardless he is a proven second line player who would fit well in Detroits system and is a big body (6'2, 200). Hes also a UFA this year, so he might be up for sale if TB slows down just a bit. Its understandable why he would interest Detroit. And its not like he hasnt put up big numbers before.. Either way, I didnt realize that it was an Eklund rumor, so it probably has no basis whatsoever.

Prospal.

Everybodys so concerned about losing games in the post-season. Do you honestly think we're gonna sit on our hands and not address the 2nd line issue at the deadline? The Wings could go with DZH for the entire time up until the deadline. That gives the Wings a good 6 weeks to create chemistry on the 2nd lines, or among the top 6. Thats the benefit of the Deadline being moved up.

This rumor was tossed around a few years ago. Every year, either Nill or Holland are rumored to be heading to Toronto. Cant blame them. Despite what all us spoiled fans think, Nill and Holland are the best tandem in the league.