Bliz

I think HF generally underrates by a small amount. They're pretty willing to give propects a second look if they play well enough, so rerates aren't uncommon (I think they blasted the Wings for drafting Kronwall way back when, for example). Still, these ratings might be a little too optimistic in some spots. Specifically, I don't think Drew MacIntyre or Joey MacDonald have that kind of upside--but overall you've got the right idea. Howard has looked like the real deal so far, so I'm a bit suprised to see him only a 7.5 at HF. Hopefully he gets off to a solid start in Grand Rapids--and has a lot of good years in Detroit, too.

I saw on CNN that Jerry Rice announced his retirement this afternoon. Congrats to him on a great career--a rare combination of talent and class. Might as well start making room for him in the Hall of Fame now.

With Datsyuk signing in Russia, I think we're going to see what Hudler can do sooner rather than later. Whether or not he's ready to contribute nightly is up in the air.

Judging from what I read on RWC, it looks like Grigs won't be at the main camp or even the prospects camp. Does anyone know why? You'd think coming to training camp would be a step in the right direction.

Information is kind of sparse on our 2nd round pick. Hockey's Future says he's a two-way forward with good skating ability...(Edit) and that's about all it says. There was an article that hinted he might be better than advertized, but nothing specific. So, what do we know about this guy? What kind of game does he have? Strengths? Flaws?

It does make you wonder who Holland might've been after if he wanted to move up. Hanzal, perhaps? Not that it matters much...We still had a fairly good draft. Thanks for the link, too. I was kind of sick of checking every couple of days to see if HF had gotten around to covering the Wings draft.

In one of the articles on the Wings signing Osgood, I saw that Manny actually has a bigger contract. So, I wonder, why not deal him? Is around $1.1 million worth a backup goalie--even arguably the best backup in the league? Yes, he's steady and reliable, but few people in the Wings' organization appear to have much confidence he's #1 material. The backup job would then go to Joey MacDonald, and that would probably trim several hundred thousand in payroll. Additionally, it would give us a clear-cut starter and backup, eliminating any kind of controversy. Thoughts?

He might be a good addition to Grand Rapids or our ECHL team but I'd rather see someone established added to the Wings. It'll be interesting to see how he does in camp, though. The Wings have done pretty well the last few years with young free agents.

Even though tough guys kinda have the rules stacked against them, the Wings still need someone to do their dirty work. I think we'll probably see even fewer fights this season, but it would be great to see a big, hard-hitting winger added to the Wings' roster. If he can also fight, outstanding.

Slightly off-topic, I but I noticed that Grigs fell out of the top 50 prospects list on Hockey'sFuture.com. Not really surprising, all things considered, but hopefully he'll light it up this season in Russia.

It's an intersting thought. Would Grigorenko, at 80% or 90%, a better option than, say, Ledin or a similar player with only 4th line potential? Offhand, I'd say let him stay in Russia and get up to 100%, *then* bring him over. He'll probably be a great player, but he'll have to wait another year to crack the NHL. On the other hand, matters would be much simpler if he'd agree to play in Grand Rapids. If he excelled there, he'd be available for a call-up. At the very least, exposure to the North America style of play would be good for him.

We'll see. I'll admit that I thought "Who the hell is Christofer Lofberg?" on Saturday. If Hakan Andersson sees that much in him, I guess he's worth a 3rd round pick. Time will tell, I suppose.

If we could get a bluechip hitting prospect, I'd deal Pudge. His stats aren't irreplaceable.

Well, the Tigers at least have a decent leadoff hitter for the next few seasons. Polanco/Guillen/Shelton/Ordornez makes for a damn good top four, too. Starting pitching is improving and the bullpen is *finally* coming together. Maybe we'll see the Tigers in the playoffs sometime in the next couple years. Here's hoping anyway.

Good call on Chiasson, but Dino was my favorite.

Yeah, it would probably be a better idea to have Grigs in Grand Rapids--but as people have pointed out before, he's unlikely to trade playing in Russia for a minor-league team.

Looks like it was an average draft for the Wings, so my grade is a C+. Jakub Kindl *might* be a great defenseman in the future, but calling his 04-05 point totals bad would be generous. 3 goals and 11 assists for an offensive defenseman doesn't cut it. He has potential but also needs a lot of work. I haven't seen much on Abdelkader, so I'm on the fence regarding him. At this point, who can say what unknowns like Helms and Lofberg might develop into, but also consider the players Holland passed on: The biggest miss was probably leaving Guillaume Latendresse on the board in the second round, but potential missed opportunities included talents like TJ Hensick, Dan Bertram, Slava Trukhno, and Kenndal McArdle. Bottom line, the story of this draft might not be the players Holland drafted, but instead the ones he let slip by.

The way I understand it, Howard will stay a Red Wings prospect if he returns to Maine (Not certain, though).

No mention of Howard, though. Back to Maine, I guess. It's too bad; most of what I had read about him agreed he was ready for the next step.

If E.J. Hradek's information is correct, the Wings (along with all other clubs) must sign their 2003 draft picks or let their re-enter this year's draft. It goes without saying that the Wings aren't about to let Jimmy Howard walk out the door. Let's assume Howard is signed. What then? I think returning to Maine would be out of the question after signing a pro contract, but I'm not sure what the NCAA's rules are. He's probably not NHL-ready, so that leaves somwhere in the minor leagues. Also, which of the other 2003 draft picks should the Wings sign? Quincey's the other obvious keeper but who, if any, among the later picks are worth keeping?

I follow the Lions and Tigers pretty much equally. I admit that I'm a bandwagon Pistons fan, though I don't see the details of basketball very well.

Yeah, keeping Bootland makes more sense to me than the others. If he improves his skating, he'd make a good grinder. If not, he's a great depth player. Concerning the rest, I think Kopecky and Groulx had their shot. Kopecky has a ton of talent, but he's hardly using any of it. I like Robinson as a 'maybe' on account of his speed and his improved play after he left Grand Rapids. If they kept 2 of the 4, I'd say Robinson and Bootland.

"Holland did say Grigorenko -- who played his first full season in Russia after suffering serious injuries in an auto accident two years ago -- will likely remain in Russia for another season." Here's the link, but that's about all that mentioned Grigorenko: http://www.detnews.com/2005/wings/0506/11/.../H07-211403.htm I think it would be better to bring him to Grand Rapids and develop him there. If things work out well, he'd always be available for a call-up. Playing with Jiri Hudler on the top line in Grand Rapids wouldn't hurt either one of them. On the other hand, if the salary cap is only $30-some million, I can see why he'd want to save the cash. I'd hate to see Grigorenko turn into a perennial 'maybe next year' player like Liv seems to be.

I think Grigorenko has a decent chance of being in Grand Rapids next year, although I wouldn't be at all surprised if Holland let him stay in Russia. Regardless, a speedy goalscorer with a mean streak like Grigorenko sounds like just what the Wings need.

Hey, NMU's Tuomas Tarkki is no slouch and I think his (edit: regular season) numbers were better, too. But then, I'm biased.