Dabura

Has this been mentioned? The Craig MacTavish Interview, part 1: "I'm not arguing that we're close. We're not." (Edmonton Journal)

If we miss the playoffs, it'll probably be by a few points. I don't think that would be nearly enough to warrant a true rebuild. The smart thing is, I think, what they're already doing: "rebuilding on the fly." Start to bring some kids - the future leaders - along while the core is still intact and competitive. Then, when Z and D and K are gone, you hope you've got a good group of experienced younger players who, with some UFA reinforcements and maybe a smart trade or two, could make life without the old guard manageable.

I was gonna mention the fireworks, but I forgot. I know you weren't talking to me, but, in true Bettman fashion, I have to stick my nose in places it doesn't belong and overdo things to the max. Anyway, the gimmick: iceworks! Like fireworks, but made of ice! Brilliant!

I guess it's a start.

I've had a bad back since I was 14, and recurring kidney stone issues since 2008. Passing a kidney stone is arguably the most painful thing a person can endure (or so I've been told) (and my experiences confirm it), and it's taken a big chunk out of my life, in terms of not being able to do things I once could, and having a lower quality of life than I'd like. All the while, there's always someone in my life saying something to the effect of, "Suck it up, wimp. We all have problems, but you don't see anyone else peeing blood and crying about it, do you?" All of which is to say: I have all the empathy in the world for Darren Helm. Especially since various health issues forced me to quit hockey well before I was ready. Accordingly, I worry about him. I wonder if maybe calling it quits wouldn't be the best thing for him, long-term. He's had about 9,000 injuries over the past couple of years, some of them freakish, some of them very serious, all of them pointing to one thing: he's becoming extraordinarily injury-prone, and/or "unlucky." He's still young, has - the last time I checked - a gorgeous girlfriend who's crazy about him. I know if someone else were saying this, I'd be all over them, so I'm not entirely sure why I'm even saying it. But maybe the possibility of "saving his health" is something he should at least keep in the back of his mind. And, yeah, there is that "I'm a Wings fan first and a Helm fan second" angle. It does frustrate me that we're always short a third-line center, and that he happens to be one of the best third-line centers in the league when he's healthy, so it's a fairly big hole, even with Andersson and Glendening and Sheahan stepping up. I'm not turning on him. I could never do that, because what I said above about my own struggles is true. But, if his injury woes continue, it might be worth considering a trade - not just for the team's sake, but his own. (Maybe a change of scenery would help break the curse for him.) Sather is facing a somewhat similar situation with Callahan. When he's healthy, he's their heart and soul. But it's doubtful he'll be effective much longer, because of his size (or lack thereof) and the way he plays. I'll probably be crucified for this post. "OMG UR SAYING WE SHOULD TRADE/BUY OUT DARREN HELM. UR NOT A TRUE WINGS FAN. SHAME ON YOU." I'm not saying anything should be done. It's just, being injured for two years can raise some questions. I don't mean exceedingly negative questions like "IS HE JUST FAKING IT?" or "WHY IS HE SO SOFT?" What I really want to see is Darren Helm shake this curse that's been placed on him (by Cory Emmerton, obviously) and kick ass on the ice. I think everyone can agree on that. Sorry, kinda derailed the thread. I'm a big believer in Jurco. And Sheahan is really impressing. The silver lining in all of these injuries is that these kids are taking the ball and running with it. You'd hope Cleary and Sammy and Bert are worrying about their jobs, but we know that's not the case. Still, good for the kids. They - Jurco and Sheahan - should make the team next fall. Glendening has also been good. Love his intensity. And yet...none of our injured players are coming back! And we'll be without Tatar! Why do The Hockey Gods hate us?!

Justin Bieber will come out of fake retirement and sing along with Kiss. Bettman will crowd surf and start a mosh pit. The show game will be the single biggest success in NHL history.

As a Classical Studies dork, I officially deem that Awesome. How have I never heard about it before?

Actually, I think the biggest knock against her is that she tends to make assumptions and leaps in logic, rather than just straight-up reporting the facts and leaving it at that. Also, her writing itself isn't great, and she's definitely a company-line cheearleader. As for Dats - good for him! I'd assumed they'd give the C to Ovechkin (being Ovie) or maybe Kovalchuk (KHL loyalty). He was definitely my pick, though. I wonder how much Sochi - and maybe the possibility of being the captain - has been weighing on him. He's been good this season, but also a bit off.

Frankly, I don't see how we get any of the Jets' key players with the trade parameters they announced. Unless maybe the rule only applies to the names that have been mentioned? So, like, maybe Enstrom could be had? Or maybe we're interested in, like, Ellerby? Knowing Holland, it's probably Jokinen. lolz. *cry* It's a damn shame, because any one of their key players might be just what the doctor ordered for our team. I have to hope the rule isn't written in stone. Why would it be? "No, we absolutely will not take your key roster player, first-round pick, and two top prospects!" It could just be that this is sort of a screening process. If your goal is to make the playoffs next season while retaining the basic structure of your team, you'd probably be interested only in pound-for-pound deals. Depending on the responses you get (or don't get), you might ease the parameters a bit. It really interests me that the Wings were linked to these trade talks at all. What's Kenny up to? Who's he interested in? And has he gotten any traction? Or is he just drunkenly dangling Emmerton?

I don't want to put a damper on things, but it looks like we won't be getting any of our injured forwards back on Thursday, and Tatar will be out because of the funeral. So, essentially, Tatar is hurt and Jurco is getting called up to fill in for him. Not that I'm not happy to get Jurco back in the lineup (shouldn't have been sent down in the first place). I just can't believe we're not getting any of the regulars back. Actually, I can. Helm should retire, Datsyuk is old, Alfie is old, and Franzen is old.

Not necessarily saying I think we should or would even be able to add any of the first three, mind you. Just trying to pull something out of a very thin UFA class, as opposed to saying, "Let's stick with what we've got, bring up a couple of kids." Because that's boring, and I come here to shoot down boredom. As for Ott - as haroldsnepsts said, he's more useful than Tootoo. And he's good for about 30 points, versus Tooto's 8 (granted, Tootoo might be good for 15+ if Babs would actually use him). He'd be targeted by Holland for those reasons, and the fact that we are, arguably, a bit shallow at center, and the fact that we are incredibly soft on the whole; virtually no one on our team plays with a true edge. I think Babcock would use him for all these reasons. He's a good, reliable bottom-sixer (on a pretty good club, as opposed to a team like Buffalo, where's he's a first-line center). Also, the NHL 14 comment is played-out, IMHO. A far-out idea isn't necessarily an in(s)ane one - and even if it is, so what? No one saw Alfredsson coming. And I remember writing up this big, long, detail-oriented piece about how we could fit Hossa in, and why it would make a lot off sense - and I got a few "This is real life, not a video game" responses. But, as we all know, it happened, and almost exactly the way I said it might. Point being, I'm Darren Dreger. Furthermore, this is Ken Holland. He did sign Weiss and Alfie; and throw down a huge offer for Suter and Parise; and try for Carle, Salo, and Edler (coming very close with Edler); and trade for Robert Lang; and put together the '02 dream team; and acquire Chelios, Clark, Ranford, and Samuelsson; and bring in Shanahan. Granted, there's pre-Cap stuff mixed in there, and no one really cares about Robert Lang, and, generally, a lot has changed since most of those past accomplishments. But we have some big holes to fill, and Holland knows it. He also knows he screwed up. And, of course, we'll have a number of contracts coming off the books. So I don't think it's wrong to hope for a couple really big adds.

Dustin Penner will almost certainly stay in Anaheim, but he'd be great on a line with Z and D, or in a secondary role, or even as a checker. David Moss might also work. Maybe this is the summer we add Jagr? Never been a fan of the idea, but he's doing pretty damn well for himself in NJ, and he'd bring some nice qualities (big and strong, plays RW, has been a reliable goal-scorer this season, can hold the puck very well, is hungry for that last Cup). I guess none of those guys plays with a real "edge" like what you'd get from Ott, but I'm mostly just brainstorming out loud.

If Holland were to cut loose all our (in)appropriate UFAs in the summer and go into next season with Ott, Moulson, and Girardi in our ranks...I think I would cry.

Would Steve Ott Be A Fit In Detroit? (Abel to Yzerman, Sportsnet) As I've said several times before, I'd be all for bringing Ott on board, for the right price. He's not big, and he's not a goal-scorer, but he plays kinda like a pissed off power forward. He'd give our bottom six some teeth, moxy, heart. And, with our injury "luck," we really can't have too many centers (though he can play any forward position, which is cool). Generally, I'm a bit wary of deadline deals for expiring contracts, unless your team is a stacked contender and you're looking for one solid piece to put you over. But I don't think we'd have to give up much for Ott, and I kinda get the sense that he's a guy who likes wherever he is (i.e. if he becomes a Wing, he leans toward staying a Wing), so it might be worth getting him this season. Of course, a Steve Ott wouldn't address our most glaring issue: our top four, or lack thereof. Unrelated: I'm worried about Nyquist. It's occurred to me that he may not be the top-six scoring winger we think he is/will be, and not just because of this slump. I'm mentioning this because I, like kipwinger and some others here, think he could make a fairly attractive trade piece. That sounds incredibly cold and heartless, but it's the Cup. EDIT: Ah, didn't see your post, larionov_8. Sorry!

Girardi is a shutdown defenseman who can move the puck well. He can log silly-big minutes, play in all situations, block shots like a machine, and be a solid leader. In theory, he'd complement Kronwall or Smith very nicely. At the very least, he'd give us a good top four. Ouellet projects high, and he might actually end up being a lot like Girardi. But, as always, I'm thinking about a Cup, and within the next two seasons (our core is old; our window is closing). Ouellet might not even make the team next fall, and if he does, it's very likely he'd be on the third pairing. That's a far cry from what Girardi could give us in the here and now. Same idea with the two Callahans. Except, I'm not sold on Mitchell being anything more than an NHL fourth-line agitator who pots a goal here and there. (Yes, I know, he's scoring in Grand Rapids. But that doesn't impress me a whole lot.) Callahan could play on the first line and give us some more speed and tenacity and all-around grit, kind of like Helm, but he can play in a scoring role. My only concern with him is that he's injury prone. He's not big, so his style of play means he's not going to be highly effective for much longer, unless he becomes a great two-way player or something. Still, anyone who wants the Cup and thinks Mitchell can help the cause about as much as Ryan would is being a Wings homer. I get not wanting to spend money, but come on. Not that we're getting Girardi or Callahan, never mind both. But if you're gonna dream, might as well dream big. For the record, I'm not sure we should trade for either of them. But we should definitely pursue them in the summer, assuming they test the waters.

+1 I think these are the two I'm gonna pin all of my hopes and dreams on.

This strikes me as somewhat ridiculous and makes me wonder if this whole thing isn't some kind of ruse.

Just checked the first page of the thread. Sorry, should've done that before (re-)posting that story. But you have to understand, I've been wanting Wheeler on the Wings for a long time. And recently I've been trying to figure out some way that we might be able to land a legitimate power forward. So this is pretty awesome, even though we know Holland is only going to kick the tires and say the price isn't right and talk up the importance of drafting well and building from within and OH GOD I JUST KILLED THE BUZZ.

I'm assuming this has been brought up, but it's so great that it deserves to be posted, like, a bajillion times: Jets Will Make More Changes [The Fourth Period]

k I feel like you're not very familiar with Girardi or Callahan. But whatever, to each his own. If you need me, I'll be over here winning a Cup with a first line of Zetterberg - Datsyuk - R. Callahan and a first pairing of Kronwall - Girardi.

Actually, 5.5 is a bit too much for Callahan. But about 10M for Girardi and Callahan? Given our needs, and the fact that you need to overpay if you want a big-name UFA, that sounds pretty good to me.

They really are tho.

Can't quite remember where I got his weight from. Probably Wikipedia. The discrepancy is odd, but it's probably just human error. Though, FWIW, I once gained about 30lbs over the span of a few months. It's unlikely he gained 30, but it's not out of the question. As for the projection...I totally swiped it from Hockey's Future to help me make my point. But I've seen him play (beyond his recent Wings debut), and I have a Russian friend who's told me a lot about him (or at least the player that he was back in Russia), and my overall impression is that he could become a dynamic shutdown guy.

I've gone over CapGeek's UFA list about nine million times. One name that really "clicks" (for lack of a better word) is Matt Moulson. He just makes a lot of sense for this team, for reasons which this piece sort of touches on: http://www.lighthousehockey.com/2013/10/27/5036582/no-pizza-for-spicoli-goodbye-to-matt-moulson-thomas-vanek-trade-buffalo-sabres Good character, hard worker, proven 30-goal scorer. Sort of an underdog story. Seemed to really like being an Islander, was a good team guy...and got dumped in Buffalo. You want to see him find a good home and succeed there.

The Panthers are going to be a cap team: http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/2014-01-11/sports/fl-florida-panthers-news-0112-20140111_1_gm-tallon-salary-cap-vinnie-viola Suppose Weiss continues to struggle immensely. Do you suppose Tallon might be interested in re-acquiring their franchise guy? Might Weiss be interested in "going home"? Just a fluff thought. Not hating on Weiss. I want him to kick ass for the Red Wings.