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Except for the fact that Luongo is no Leader.

LOL.... Just what Vancouver needs. A captain with a spine like overcooked linguine. Perfect.

With all due respect, this comment makes little to no sense. Radulov was born in Russia. He learned to play hockey in Russia. He probably idolized Russian players as a kid. I'd hazard that he didn't become a hockey player because he wasn't a fan of the game. It's almost a certainty that Radulov has been a Russian hockey FAN for far longer than he's been a Russian hockey player. He probably watched his heroes, the players he idolized as a kid, the players he dreamed of modeling his game after, leave for the glamorous life, the fabulous cash and prizes, the wealth and fame, of the NHL. Never again to play hockey in front of the fans who watched them grow as players from boys into men on the cusp of their best hockey ever, only to be snatched away before their very best came to fruition. Imagine watching Gretzky, Lemieux, Trottier, YZERMAN, all throughout their Junior careers, eagerly anticipating the day when their full potential would be realized, and you'd finally get to see them in all their glory. Then imagine them being lured away, one after the other, at the tender age of 18, before they've even scratched the surface of their talent. Imagine being left with nothing but the dregs of your League, the left-overs that that "other" League didn't want, but remembering that you once saw Stevie play in your home town of Nepean. And you just knew, even then, that that kid was gonna be something special. Now Imagine Steve Yzerman.....as a boy.....an aspiring hockey player himself..... Never having the chance to see Bryan Trottier, HIS hero, the Player HE idolized, the Player HE aspired to be. Imagine Trotts snatched from Stevie by some "other" League, thousands of miles, and oceans away. Without Trottier as his role model, does Steve Yzerman become The Captain?

There's a name I haven't heard in awhile. He's the guy who scored on Rick DiPietro, five-hole, from the blue line, a bit over 2:00 minutes into 2OT, to secure the Calder Cup for the Chicago Wolves in '02. <sigh> Oh.... And Sean Avery.

Once again, for yourself, and for Doc Holiday.... This doesn't make the Wings appreciably worse, but it DOES make the 'Hawks appreciably better. Most ESPECIALLY against the Wings.

William Scott Bowman built the Wings, as they currently stand. He molded the Players, including, (by proxy), the Players he never coached, and he created the system under which they currently play. He knows every play, every move, every thought, every nuance, of every Player on the Team, every prospect in the system, every Coach on the bench, as though they were playing/moving/coaching, with HIS body/brain. Losing Scotty is a huge blow to the Wings. Huge. **Edit** To clarify, it's not only about what the Wings have lost. It's also about what the 'Hawks have gained. They've just been handed the entire playbook, every available scrap of insider information, about the most successful NHL Franchise in the past 15 or so years.

Worrisome. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that Mike Ilitch's health is in decline, and might have been for some time, now...

That's akin to stating that your favorite TV show is "He Man and the Masters of the Universe", just because it happened to be your favorite as a little kid. That day for Miller was long ago and far away. He's a Sabre now. They drafted him, they developed him, he's been playing in their system for years, now. Miller stated from day ONE that he had no interest in leaving Buffalo, not even to play for the Wings. He himself stated that he was "confused" how anyone could come to that conclusion. As with many things, (and people), here - some refused to accept the truth when it was staring them in the face, preferring to call people "idiots", instead. <shrug>

I'd say that DiPietro was the goaltender most responsible for Nolan's ExIsle. And Nolan doesn't hate goalies. But he DOES hate primadonna's. Rumor has it that Rick's own Teammates call him "the Diva".

russianswede.... Perhaps valid points until you take into consideration a few points: Garth Snow is now, has always been, will always be, a loud mouth. During his playing career, he let his mouth and his fists do his talking on the ice, because his skill as a goaltender certainly couldn't. The man has all the tact of a polar bear with PMS. Upon dismissing Dubielewicz, (after his amazing heroics in dragging the Isles into the play-offs in '06-'07), Snow stated that it was because Wade had come into camp out of shape, struggled to start the season, and therefore the Coaching Staff and Team had lost confidence in him. Never mind, of course, that the entire TEAM sucked, and that Wade was thrown in cold one game every two months or so, and usually in relief once the game was already out of hand. Part of the "differing philosophies" between Snow and Nolan was that when the LI Press asked NOLAN, he came out and stated point blank that he, as the Head Coach, never lost faith in Wade, that he was very appreciative of everything Dubie had done for the Org, and that he'd called him upon learning of his "dismissal", to personally thank him for his efforts on behalf the the Team. That rubbed Snow and Wang the wrong way. There will be no dissent amongst the rank and file. Not in WangLand, no siree. Also bear in mind that Snow was hired not because of what he was capable of doing, but because of what he was WILLING to do. "Yes sir, Mr. Wang, sir. Anything you say, sir, Mr. Wang, sir."

Garth Snow is the GM in name ONLY. He doesn't even wipe his arse without Chuckles' permission. WANG is why the Isles suck. And the only reason they weren't THIRTIETH in the League last year is because of Nolan. Period.

Perhaps you're not familiar with the Islanders. For the roster he was given, 13th place WAS overachieving. As someone else stated, our leading scorer had 49 points. **Edit** You know, I could go on and on about how and why Charles Wang is the worst thing to EVER happen to the New York Islanders, but I don't have that kind of time on my hands. Suffice to say that the only reason that Nolan was fired is because he wouldn't say "Yes, sir, Mr. Wang, sir. Whatever you say, sir, Mr. Wang, sir." Like everyone else on the Isles payroll is forced to do. Why do you think Neil Smith was fired before he ever had a chance to sit down behind his desk as Isles GM, and replaced with Garth Snow?

You can thank Gary Bettman, the Owners, and all the fans who vowed that they'd pay to see Replacment Players before they'd give one more dime to the "greedy Players". They got their Cap. They got their max entry level contract. They got everything they wanted. There's always a price to be paid. For everything. And, as always, it will be the FANS, fans of the small market Teams in particular, who will bear the heaviest burden. Gary Bettman and the Owners are seeing their chickens come home to roost. And this is just the beginning, believe me.

You and me both. He was treated shoddily by the Isles Org on his departure. Surprise, surprise.... <sigh>

According to Malik's latest blog on the matter at mlive.com, Larsson and Howard are to battle it out for the #1 spot in Grand Rapids this year. <shrug>

Take a look at their current roster. Linden retired. Naslund has signed with the Ranger$, and has thus far been replaced by..... Steve Bernier. They've got the Aliens, but that's about it. That's why they offered Sundin $10M/yr., and why they're preparing an Offer Sheet for Flip. They're desperate, and by the sound of it, their lockerroom is a mess. They could very well finish in the bottom 5. The 'Nucks, as currently constructed, are no better than some of those dreadful Panthers Teams. The Great Roberto Luongo didn't have much success there, either.

I think you're confused. The League, via the CBA, cannot force a Player to leave his current Team simply because another Team makes him an offer. The Offer Sheet must be signed by BOTH parties, (Offering Team AND Player), in order to be valid. Otherwise, it's toilet paper, and the Wings don't have to worry about matching it.

You know, it can't be easy. Marion Hossa was, without doubt, THE Free Agent Prize this off-Season. He's also a monster of a Player, one of the elite offensive Players in the Game. And while Gene Collier gives a somewhat stiff nod to this fact, he ALSO refers to this great Player as "Sidney Crosby's right winger". "Sidney Crosby's right winger". Nice. And Collier's not the only one. There are many articles out of Pittsburgh in the wake of this signing where the writer(s) bemoan Hossa's foolishness in giving up the opportunity to play with Crosby, as though Sid was Jesus, and Hossa lucky to even be allowed into his presence, to play on the same Team, let alone on the same line with him. Because we all know the Wings roster is peppered with garbage, and Hossa will never get the opportunity in Detroit to play with any really "great" Players. Sheesh.....

I fired off the following email after reading that piece of trash he wrote....

Why shouldn't they lure 'em in with big bucks and long-term deals? Look at the rate at which Players are being bought out of pricey/lengthy/stupid contracts this off-Season. They will soon be demanding an end to the Guaranteed Contract, thus ending the need to pay to buy a Player out of a mistake a GM/Owner made in signing them. And if they don't get it, we can all watch the Owners lock the Players out, AGAIN, because they're "losing money, hand over fist! We can't survive! We can't compete! We need HELP! They're bleeding us DRY!!!" And the fans will buy it, just like they did last time, hating the "greedy" Players for having the gall to make money. LOTS of money, for playing a GAME that most fans would play for FREE! The NERVE of these greedy b@st@rds! They are RUINING hockey! Bring on the replacement Players, and watch the Owners lower ticket prices so EVERYONE can afford to go to games again! Bring 'em to their knees and force a hard Cap down their throats! THEN we'll get the Game back, and these crazy contracts, which are escalating out of control, will STOP! Uh, yah..... Rinse. Repeat.

I dunno.....it can't be just me, can it? I mean, so many complain about the unfairness of it all, the insanity of holding your obvious, clear-cut, goalie-of-the-future back, against all logic, against all reason, outright refusing to so much as give him a LOOK, for no purpose whatsoever..... Rather than stop to consider the idea that perhaps he's not yet made the Team because he's just NOT good enough. Maybe never will be? It IS possible, after all. I'd say more than possible, considering the comments of Ken Holland and Mike Babcock over the past few Seasons.

I'm still rather surprised to find so many Wings fans bemoaning the fact that Holland appears to have signed Conklin without getting a better idea of what the Wings "have" in Jimmy Howard. And yet NO ONE is willing to entertain the thought that Holland knows very well exactly what the Wings "have" in Howard, and that is precisely WHY he went out and signed Conklin?

Looks like you're the one who didn't get the memo, VM. According to Ken Holland, they're looking for someone to compete with HOWARD. Oz will get the bulk of the work, Holland has already stated that he knows Chris is good for 50-55 games, but after that, they want someone to pick up the additional 30+. From Holland's own mouth: "I'd like to think Jimmy Howard is ready to play some games. Is it 10 or 35? We need depth in goal. We need a No. 3, at worst, an NHL/minor league guy." If they're counting on a potential "#3" or "NHL/minor league guy" competing for the starting job, as you put it, then they'd be better off looking for a clear-cut starter, and having Chris Osgood challenge HIM for the starting role. The starter's job belongs to Oz. Howard will have to compete for the back-up job, if Holland goes out and signs a veteran. I don't know how much clearer this could be.

nn, I respect your opinion, and enjoy reading your posts because I find them to be both insightful and very knowledeable. But I disagree with you on this one..... A good showing in Training Camp/Pre-Season means nothing. Less than nothing. You know that as well as anyone. The Wings are strong enough, HAVE BEEN strong enough, for years to win the President's Trophy with MANNY LEGACE in net. With Osgood in town to provide insurance, if Wings Management and Coaching actually believed that Howard was the hands down, no doubt about it, just a matter of time, Goalie of the Future, he WOULD have been up, rather than a 42 year old Dom being re-signed last Season. For the three years that Cechmanek was in Philly, he looked like a Vezina candidate. Many Philly fans argued that he was "robbed" of the Vezina for two Seasons running. He LOOKED LIKE a Vezina candidate, because the man had game. Turns out he just had no Game. Roman Turek, during his time in Dallas, was very good, and he was utterly fantastic in his first year in St. Louis. Again.....plenty of game, but absolutely no Game. Dan Cloutier.....3 consecutive 30 Win Seasons in Vancouver, a feat accomplished by only he and Martin Brodeur. Just never enough game to make up for his lack of Game. Patrick Lalime....Jebus, do I even have to mention Patrick Lalime? Plenty of game, but absolutely NO Game. And again, before everyone freaks out, I'm not saying that Jimmy Howard lacks Game. What I'm saying is that there is a reason why Jimmy Howard, as much as he was talked up by the Wings Org. as their Goalie of the Future, as shallow as the Wings are in goaltending depth, and as "needy" as they are for a young goaltender to take over SOON, is STILL not a lock to make the roster, after three full Seasons as a Pro on one of the best development systems in professional hockey. Many Wings fans are tired of Howard being "held back". I simply submit that the only thing holding back Jimmy Howard, is Jimmy Howard.

I agree whole-heartedly. And I would submit to you that if we, as fans, are aware of this fact, that Wings Management and Coaching are 100X more aware of it. And if they felt that the problem, (if there is an actual problem), could be solved, or the "kinks" worked out, in this manner, that this speculation would not be necessary, because Jimmy Howard would have made the roster LAST year out of Camp, or at the very least, he'd be a LOCK to make the roster this upcoming year. The fact that neither is the case must at least give cause for pause amongst fans.