skacore

Ericsson's fought just as much if not more than Quincey over the past two years in the AHL, and there's no such thing as a player who is too valuable to be sitting in the box for a fight, if you pick your spots and you know when to fight, it is well worth the 5 minutes, you'd miss 1, maybe 2 shifts.

same deal with waivers as last year most likely

yeah Heaton posted this on redwingscentral that's where I found it initially then posted on hockeyfights.com

I don't think goalies operate the same way players do when it comes to getting their name on the cup, it just doesn't seem right, a back up goalie would get his name on the cup only like 5% of the time if that was the case.

Go with Quincey full time, Meech can always step in if one of the top 3 go down, he did a great job stepping in this year

Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom Franzen Filppula Samuelsson Hudler Kopecky Cleary Maltby Draper McCarty Lidstrom Rafalski Kronwall Stuart Lebda Quincey I think Helm and Ericsson will spend the majority of the year in Grand Rapids, unfortunately

he's actually FROM Ireland and he is a very similar type player to the both of them

pretty ironic considering your username and signature

I have no problem signing Stuart I just think for $3.5 mill they're may be better options. Smith is 35 but we only need him as a placeholder as our D core progresses in Grand Rapids for a year or two. Smith would come so much cheaper and is usually much more responsible in front of his net and not putting himself out of position for big hits.

Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom Hudler Filppula Franzen Cleary Draper Nolan (Owen Nolan) Maltby Helm Downey McCarty Kopecky Lidstrom Rafalski Kronwall Smith (Jason Smith) Ericsson Lebda Quincey Osgood Howard Nolan and Smith would come pretty cheap, both responsible, gritty, physical players who have never won a cup before, both are right handed shots which we lack throughout the line up. Comparing this team to last years we'd be tougher, a bit younger, and still have room at the deadline for an acquisition if necessary. Nolan and Smith are also fan favourites everywhere they play and it wouldn't hurt to pack the Joe a bit more during the regular season

I like the idea of signing Owen Nolan as this years Dallas Drake... he'd come a little more expensive but he's also that much better than Drake

how old were you when you grew your first mustache

he's an average middleweight fighter who decided to go over to Russia for whatever reason.. he gets 5+20 per scrap and he'll try to fight anyone in the league (99% non-fighters), he's nothing special but entertaining none the less

Can you get your name on the cup if you aren't on the team anymore? like if we won last year, would Jason Williams get his name on the cup? anyone know? he meets the requirements

drapes scored with his chuck norris beard

I haven't been able to notice a 2 million plus difference between Stuart's play compared to what Lilja brought to the team... Stuart misses 80% of the hits he attempts and makes as many turnovers as Lilja does... I really don't think he has proven he's worth keeping around just yet

I think my ideal line up would be this: Zetterberg Datsyuk Holmstrom Hudler Filppula Franzen Helm Draper Cleary Abdelkader Kopecky Downey Maltby, McCarty Lidstrom Kronwall Ericsson Rafalski Meech Vandermeer(UFA) Quincey Osgood Howard gone: Chelios, Lilja, Lebda, Samuelsson, Drake, Hasek We wouldn't run into cap problems at all, potentially leaving room to fill a gap come the trade deadline, we'd be a bigger, tougher team, and I'd think we'd generate the same, if not more offense than this year. I know it's unlikely Helm would be in place of Maltby and the signing of Jim Vandermeer with all our depth at D but I really like the look of that line up. I'd suggest buying out Maltby's contract but that is even less believable.

I loved Downey during the regular season but he would look far more out of place than McCarty has... Mac has actaully managed a goal and an assist, we could use any extra offense we can get even if the upgrade is as slight as McCarty > Downey... whatever he's doing seems to be working because Hudler (and Helm) has been on fire as of late, they create some good opportunities together and are working swell as a 4th line. McCarty is slow there's no doubt about it, but he has much better hockey sense than Downey so he is able to make up for it and he's great when it comes to man on man coverage in his own end, he makes the game simple and that's why he is still somewhat useful out there. I think the biggest liability on our current roster is and has been Chelios for the majority of the year.... just.... too... weak.... I wouldn't mind Abdelkader in for Mac just because he was so impressive in his couple of games in the reg. season and obviously from his days in college hockey he's proved to be a clutch, goto guy. edit: take a look around the playoffs if you feel McCarty isn't doing his job "enforcing"... this is the '08 playoffs we're talking about, you don't go after a guy at will (Downey on Laperriere) unless it's a blow out game... Ott won't mutually agree to fight anyone and Barch doesn't get enough ice time for McCarty to bother with him, what do you want him to do? take an instigator and put the team on the PK?

I know Babcock tells him to shoot, that doesn't change the fact he had 11 goals all year long, what if Babcock didn't encourage shooting more? 7 goals? 8? I'm just saying that he is put in a position where he can only succeed, so when people use the point to salary ratio, it doesn't really make sense in this case.

Samuelsson has been put into a scenario where he can't NOT succeed, if all you look at is his $1.2 million and then his point total, you're missing a whole lot in between. That's not factoring in his give aways, we are an elite puck possession team and every time he shoots the puck it's a turnover and we lose possession. He had how many goals this year.... 11? and he is our sniper? For $1.2 million you can find plenty of "snipers" to play on Detroit's 2nd line and get plenty of PP time who can pot 11 goals... and gee holly, maybe a little physical presence as well! And say we do win the cup... we are to be satisfied? teams don't look to further improve a winning roster?

I hope Chelios, Drake, and Hasek retire. I would want to move Samuelsson, Kopecky, Lilja, and one of Meech or Lebda. Datsyuk Zetterberg Holmstrom Hudler Filppula Franzen Abdelkader Draper Cleary Maltby Helm Downey McCarty Lidstrom Rafalski Kronwall Stuart (or Vandermeer) Ericsson Quincey one of Meech or Lebda, can rotate with Quincey Osgood Howard

I would like to see: Lidstrom Rafalski Kronwall Stuart Ericsson Quincey Meech Lilja to free agency, Lebda through a trade, and Chelios has to retire since he is now a liability. I'd like to go after Jim Vandermeer to play 3rd pairing, a tough d-man who can come pretty cheap, play physical, contribute a bit offensively (equal or more than Lebda), and he's a good and willing heavyweight fighter. I don't see that happening though because we have so much depth as is, we'd have to move Quincey or Meech for sure. With our current top 3 (or 4 even) I don't really see where Meech is going to fit in... by the time Lidstrom retires we should have Kindl up, so we're pretty set on offensive defensemen. I'd think they're gonna see what they can get for him this summer but we'll see.

i thought series went 4 games

did you only listen to that specific 3 seconds of Don Cherry's rant? everything he said was respectful towards Detroit...