Dabura

Anna Wintour as head, Avery as assisant.

Helm is the man. Leino is shaping up to be the man of the future. I approve.

*sentence As for the topic: we just need a healthy, hungry team. I don't think any big deals are likely or necessary, though I wouldn't mind snagging a Chris Neil type. Alternately, I'm all for that Isbister deal.

Neil can play hockey.

Hossa = The Lord http://forums.anaheimducks.com/

HOSSA Oh, wait...

Likely, but not definite. I'm not trying to slight our tandem, but, like I said, of course Kenny's going to say he's not looking. I'm sure he has his eyes and ears open for potential deals -- he'd be a fool to close the door completely. Which isn't to say I expect an upgrade in net. We'll get a new d-man before a new goalie, methinks.

Not surprising if true ("if true" because either way, whether he is or isn't looking, he's going to say he's not).

Neil plz.

I maintain that that mass exodus the Pens incurred in the offseason wasn't just down to them losing in the finals...

Oh, come on. If we're going to play that game, I could say the only argument being made in Hudler's favor is some fluff about ice time. Look, I'm a Franzen fan. I was one of the few LGWers saying he was worth keeping around last season when he was struggling. I'd take him over Hudler. Yes, size is a consideration -- however, saying, "You just prefer him because he's bigger!" is missing the point. I like what he brings to the team. I like his net presence, his hands, his speed, his "sandpaper." His big body allows him to translate his assets into results. Last year it helped him impose his will on the NHL. I don't like to live in the past, but that streak of his last season? One of the most spectacular "runs" I've ever seen from an NHLer. "Fluke"? Uh, maybe. Either way, I think it counts for something. (If nothing else, it was, for me, absurdly gratifying seeing that kind of dominance from a Red Wing. Come on, who didn't love Shanny in his early years with the Wings?) This is not to say I'm a Hudler "hater" or what have you. I understand the arguments being made in his favor and I generally don't object to them, nor do I deny his obvious talent, overall value, and great potential. I just really like having a Mule on the team. And between Mule and Hudler, I feel it would be a bit harder to replace the former. I believe that is a legitimate consideration -- even if Hudler puts up better numbers with less ice time and has beaten the odds at every turn. So no, I don't agree with Eva's argument that any big-bodied winger is going to become a force when he's playing with Datsyuk and that Mule is therefore utterly replaceable, as if everything he's done as a Wing and everything he's contributed deserves nothing more than a "ho-hum! Bobby Lang coulda done that!" Now, having said all this, I'm not blind to the salary issue. Which is to say, if re-signing Mule does not make sense financially, and if re-signing Hudler does, I won't cry myself to sleep. Hossa's a must. From there, well, we'll see. It's all we can do, just wait and see...

Absolutely. For the record, my "untouchable" comment was made strictly in reference to the Wings. I was watching some tapes from the '02 season the other day. That team absolutely oozed talent. It was just plain sick. Now, having said that, what some of these Babcock teams haven't owned in terms of raw talent, they've made up for with work ethic, hunger, grit, "sandpaper," etc.

Bang-on. Believe Hossa when he says he loves it here and wants to stay.

FTW!

I maintain that some of these Wings rosters in the Babcock era could put away the '02 team. In terms of name recognition and sheer talent, yes, that team is untouchable. But I'm not sure I'd call it the best (i.e. hardest to play against).

Anyone remember Mule's path of destruction last season? Yeah, neither do I. Come to think of it, what has this man ever done for the Detroit Red Wings? Poor Jiri Hudler over here, he's practically been carrying this team on his back for the better part of three years!

Well gee, I guess that solves our problem. Bye, Johan!

Agreed. While I'm not sure I'd call Franzen a bona fide power forward, the Wings would indeed have more difficulty replacing Mule than they would Hudler, imo. It's going to come down to money, though. If Mule decides to price himself out, then...

To call a team road-weary when it's two games into a swing is just plain stupid, regardless of the team, regardless of existing biases.

Heartwarming Disney movie waiting to happen.

Equipment over talent. Hurrah!

1. Who are you? 2. What are you smoking? 3. Can I have some?

It's also worth noting that he's arguably getting more exposure during his suspension than he was when he was playing. So there's really no argument that taking him off the ice like this is robbing the league of the oh-so-crucial Avery factor. In a way, it's a "best of both worlds" situation; the PC police are pleased, and Avery's still getting exposure.

1. In terms of good business practices, looking only at the number of tickets the Stars may or may not sell is not looking at the big picture. It's a concern, yes, but there are concerns that take precedence, such as what potential (or current) corporate partners (in a f***ed economy) might think of supporting a league that sees nothing wrong with one of its most visible players staging a publicity stunt in which he calls his ex-girlfriend an offensive (maybe not to you or me, but that's not the point) name in the national media (in an age when being politically correct is paramount). In this sense, not suspending him would have been riskier. Avery will be back and bygones will be bygones. But if Bettman hadn't acted, both the people whose money keeps this league afloat and many of the new fans the league is trying to court would have raised their eyebrows. That's a big picture concern. Losing Avery for six games, not so much. 2. Avery is an utterly replaceable player who only gets the attention he does because of his antics.

It's not the talent, it's not the coach. It's the hunger.