Heaton

Quincey wouldn't be here next year anyway. Lidstrom, Rafalski, Kronwall, Stuart, Lebda, Lilja, Meech, Ericsson. Where does Quincey fit in? They'll all be under contract.

To start the season. We all need to get out of this habit of thinking that who's in on October 9th is going to stay the same all season. While they may not make the team initially, Holland and Babcock didn't bring Downey and especially McCarty back to not get them into games this year. You're fooling yourself if you think they won't get at least half the season (possibly combined) in the lineup or exactly how many games Downey had last year.

My thoughts exactly. Keep the best defensemen, not the youngest. Quincey played himself to 10th on the depth chart, no room for #10 defensemen.

CBA Article 50.9(g) (g) Minor League Compensation. Neither the salaries nor signing bonuses paid to minor league Players shall be counted against a Club's Upper Limit or the Players' Share. For a Player on a One-Way NHL Contract or a Two-Way Contract with a Minor League Salary and compensation that could be earned in excess of the following amounts: 2005-06: U.S. $75,000 2006-07: U.S. $95,000 2007-08: U.S. $100,000 2008-09: U.S. $100,000 2009-10: U.S. $105,000 2010-11: U.S. $105,000 2011-12: U.S. $105,000 the following rules shall apply: (i) To the extent the Player does not require Waivers to be Loaned to a minor league affiliate, he can be freely Loaned and Recalled; and (ii) To the extent the Player does require Waivers to be Loaned to a minor league affiliate, he cannot be Loaned or recalled without first clearing regular Waivers, and then cannot be Recalled to the NHL parent Club during the same League Year without also clearing a new Re-Entry Waiver procedure, pursuant to which the Player can be claimed by another NHL Club for fifty (50) percent of the contract's remaining amounts to be paid, with the balance to be paid by and charged to the waiving NHL Club (both amounts to be counted against each Club's Upper Limit, Actual Club Salary and Averaged Club Salary, and counted against the Players' Share); and (iii) For a Player on an AHL contract with a Minor League Salary and compensation that could be earned in excess of the applicable amount set forth above in this Section 50.9(g), who signs an NHL SPC for the same season with the AHL team's NHL affiliated Club, the Player must first clear the new Re-EntryWaiver procedure, pursuant to which the Player can be claimed by another unaffiliated NHL team for fifty (50) percent of the SPC's remaining amounts to be paid, with the balance to be paid by and charged to the original NHL affiliated Club signing the contract (both amounts to be counted against each Club's Upper Limit, Actual Club Salary, and Averaged Club Salary and counted against the Players' Share). The Re-Entry Waiver procedure will not, however, be applicable to Veteran Minor League Players defined as follows: (i) for goaltenders, Players who have: (A) played in 180 or more professional games in North America (NHL, AHL and ECHL), and (B) not spent more than 80 NHL games on NHL roster over the prior two (2) seasons or more than 40 NHL games on NHL roster in the immediately prior season; and (ii) for defensemen and forwards, Players who have: (A) played in 320 or more professional games in North America (NHL, AHL and ECHL), and (B) not spent more than 80 NHL games on NHL roster over the prior two (2) seasons or more than 40 NHL games on NHL roster in the immediately prior season.

If you were fine with it last year theres no reason not to be fine with it this year considering the Wings have even more tougher components.

I'm thoroughly confused by your post now. We have Stuart for a full season who is one of our best and most physical players on the team, he's not that big but he knows how to hit just as well as anyone. We have Downey and McCarty signed, granted it's unknown how many games they'll get in but if it's needed we have them. Kopecky lead the team in hits last year and if he can stay healthy he'll do the same this year (and please spare me with the semantics of the types of hits he gives out). Your entire point of contention is that we will have a much tougher time beating a SJ or Anaheim in the post season because we don't have Dallas Drake? I love the guy but he didn't make or break our post season run last year. Detroit was too soft two years ago, they were too soft last year and they're too soft this year. I always feel regret whenever I respond to another one of these topics.

So basically what you're saying is if we don't find a Drake replacement we won't win the cup? This team is even more balanced than last year, the only player who's gone is Drake.

Holmstrom - Datsyuk - Hossa Franzen - Z - Hudler Cleary - Filppula - Samuelsson Kopecky - Draper - Maltby Leino Lidstrom - Rafalski Kronwall - Stuart Lebda - Lilja Meech Osgood Conklin

Wednesday.

Helm since it'll be a 4th line spot. I just pray to God that Leino is accepting of what Holland has/is selling him about spending time in GR. I really liked what Downey did last season, he was careful but did his job well but this preseason he's been awful and a detriment to the team. If the Wings are going to carry some muscle it has to be McCarty even though his best days are way behind him at least he realizes when to stop and can be consistent. Downey's first impression this off season and last impression may find him buried in the AHL this year.

I don't think that would work, Hossa is the reason why we can break up Z and D this year. The supporting cast is the same as the past two years when it didn't work as well, the goal is that if Hossa does leave after this year that Franzen and Hudler remain consistent and Datsyuk and Z can be broken up permantly but they aren't there yet. Not to mention it's extremely hard to get Hossa his 20 mins a game while he's playing on the "3rd" line unless Babcock shuffles the lines and double shifts him multiple times a game which may really hurt his ability to adjust to the system. The way the lines are set up now, you can throw any of them out against any line in the NHL, no reason to get too fancy, put Hossa, who's our best scorer out there with our best passer.

Leafs had no shots that period eh?

Yes. • Pavel Datsyuk (sore groin) skated Thursday, and Holland said the center would be ready for the season opener Oct. 9 against Toronto, but his status for the final three preseason games is in doubt.

Leino has a long way to go before he's as good of a hockey player as Samuelsson. As for Helm? They play different roles.

Lilja fighting!

Helm looked better than Hossa too.

Luongo is their best player, leads by example and is vocal. Unconventional but the correct choice. Ohlund has already said he expects to be traded.

What exactly do you mean? Quincey is being given too much credit for a few playoff games two years ago. He's done nothing since.

Except for inflation. Z will make a least 7.4m per year.

http://www.rds.ca/video/visionneuse.html?video=14565

http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hock...der_on_waivers/

Stolen from Fugu over at HFBoards: According to Craig Custance at the Sporting News, Babs thinks he'll start Hossa with Dats. Some interesting combos though for the top 3 lines: Hossa-Datsyuk-Homer Hudler-Z-Franzen Cleary-Filppula-Sammy

Sigh of relief.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=...P6OSnGRJJJ7xy5A Question: Why are the Montreal Canadiens called the Habs? Answer: Habs is an abbreviation of "les habitants," the informal name given to the original settlers of New France, dating back to the 17th Century. So it's a natural fit for the The Montreal Canadiens, established in 1909 and marketed as a French-Canadian hockey team. Having said that, the nickname might have been the result of an error. According to NHL.com, the first man to refer to the team as "the Habs" was Tex Rickard, owner of Madison Square Garden, in 1924. Rickard apparently told a reporter that the "H" on the Canadiens' sweaters was for "Habitants." Not true. The distinctive C-wrapped-around-H logo stands for "Club de Hockey Canadien."

Babcock said he should be fine.