WhiteLightning91

Isn't that their job???

Yessir!

I'd like to see the post above you explained as well

In my opinion, the argument that Datsyuk cannot produce w/o Zetterberg is out the window. Zetterberg has been out 8 games and Datsyuk has 12 points in those games. Only two of those are goals so that means that he is making someone else better. Datsyuk should be signed for $5M for 5 years. If Kronwall is going to get paid over $3M the next 5 years, there is no reason Datsyuk should not be getting $5M. The most I would pay him is $5.5M. But that makes me think we may not have enough left over to find re-sign Bertuzzi if he does well in the playoffs.

Marty isn't exactly a "gentleman." He had an affair with his sister-in-law. Thouht I would just keep it fair in those terms...

Correct, Adidarw. Brodeur has a better career SV % and is number 1 in the league. Sorry but Chris Mason has played in wayyy fewer games than Marty and has faced much less shots.

You gotta be joking me bringing up anyone else other than Hasek, Hull, or Robitialle. As for Larionov, I don't know what you're trying to prove there since Holland was in charge when he let him leave for Florida. Hakan Andersson is responsible for Datsyuk and Fischer. Williams played only 9 games in the playoffs in 2002. Krupp played in 8 games in the regular season and a whopping 2 in the playoffs. Jiri Slegr played in a jaw dropping 1 game. Manny Legace? You think Holland should get props for that team because he is responsibile for Manny Legace? He played in 1 game those playoffs. As for the ever so dominant scoring machines Duchesne, Olausson, and Devereaux...they each wound up with a huge playoff total of 6 points each... Come on...I gave Holland credit for Hasek, Hull, and Robitialle, even though they were made possible by Illtchs' checkbook. But I'm not sure what your point was in brining up the other 11 since 2 he wasn't responsible for, 1 he let walk as an UFA, and the others didn't mean diddly poo in the playoffs. McCarty, Draper, Fedorov, Yzerman, and Lidstrom: ALL MADE POSSIBLE BY JIMMY DEVELLANO!!!

Brodeur is on pace for a record amount of wins in a season by a goaltender this year with this as the defense in front of him. The highest plus minus for them is +5. Brodeur is going to face the most shots in his career this season. Yet he will probably have his best SV% and is on pace to break the shut outs in a season record as well as play 78 gmaes this year. You're telling me that's all a tribute to this defense? Andy Greene Brad Lukowich Paul Martin Johnny Oduya Brian Rafalski Colin White You gotta be ******* joking me...

Jimmy Devellano's name should be put in parenthesis everytime you see Ken Holland's name. In my opinion, you have to judge Holland from the time Scotty Bowman left. Devellano and Illitch built this team from the early 80's through the draft. Scotty Bowman was the one who got the players to play to their full potential and was a major reason why we won the Cups. Holland didn't become GM until after we won in 1997-98. You have to give him credit for the talent he was able to bring together for the 2001-02 team, but again, Scotty Bowman I believe was the reason all those superstars were able to gel and forget about each individuals ego. To me, Holland has only had to be a great GM since Scotty left. That's 4 seasons. 1st season, lost in first round. 2nd season, lost in second round. 3rd season, lost in first round. Now Holland is starting to understand that we needed more grit and toughness on the team and that finesse is not everything in the playoffs (I.E. Bertuzzi/Calder/Markov/Franzen/Cleary signings) Honestly, I havent felt we had a real chance to win the Cup since 2002 because of questions in goal and the lack of grit/toughness in the playoffs. But this year we have depth, great goaltending, a good mix of speed/finesse with grit/toughness, and younger guys who are hungry for a chance at the Stanley Cup. If we end up winning this year, Holland is going to get an A+ from me because he recognized our faults and weaknesses and addressed them without giving much up at all. Then again, if we lose Datsyuk/Bertuzzi/Markov/Calder, replace them with more finesse style players who are below 6 feet, and don't find a replacement for Hasek, I'm, going to be mega pissed off.

East - Ovechkin - Sid - Malkin...Cambell - Preissing...Brodeur West - Zetterberg - Thornton - Selanne...Lidstrom - Pronger...Luongo West would win based on experience...Although Brodeur could steal the game by himself.

I'm not sure Hudler is going to play all postseason LTD, but he is making it tough on Babcock definitely.

Right now our PP and PK are both ranked 14th in the league. That's not exactly following Bowman's philosophy that your standing on PP and PK should both add up to 10.

Just your sign-in name makes me ignore anything you post about what makes a good hockey player...

Make him EARN more ice time. Babcock is not going to "give" Hudler diddly squat. Rex is definitely making a good case for more ice time right now, but he has to show it over the long run, not just a handful of games.

Do you not get it? He didn't treat Williams or Lang or Sammy like he does Rex because he realizes it would do no good for the other three. They won't get any better or any motivation out of it. He realizes that Hudler has the chance to become a dominant player. That is why he constantly pushes him to become better. He doesn't want Hudler to become like Cleary was back when Babcock cut him from the World Junior team. Cleary felt he deserved aroster spot based solely on his statisticsand didn't need to prove anything else to Babcock. So Babcock cut him. What happened? Cleary, instead of working harder and pushing himself, felt sorry for himself and bounced around from franchise to franchise thinking Babcock just didn't liek him. But when he matured and realized Babcock was right, he woke up, started training harder, working out harder, practicing harder, and low and behold Cleary is now one of the hardest working players on this team and now gets praised by Babcock every chance he gets. Trust me. This is good for Hudler. Just because he has a had a couple of good games these last couple weeks doesn't mean he should stop working hard. He needs to still mature and realize he has to keep working hard every shift in order to become the great player that he has shown flashes of.

For the love of ******* Christ...MALTBY IS NOT GOING TO BE SCRATCHED!!! If you know its not even a possibility, why even bring it up???

Just stop right there...Oh my god...Just stop..Fourth line, not playing big minutes... We may have ourselves a new sig...

Found this interesting...From The Detroit Free Press: "DATSYUK UPDATE: Gary Greenstin, the agent for Datsyuk, is in Russia but is expected back in the U.S. before the end of March. He has told Holland he will call at that time. Holland has a tentative April 1 cutoff date for contract talks (meaning if a contract is four-fifths negotiated April 1, he will extend talks a few days), and given the chasm between the sides -- Datsyuk is known to be asking for $7 million while the Wings can't go higher than $6 million -- it's unlikely a deal will be done before April." I would like to know how Helene St. James knows that Datsyuk is asking for $7M. If someone is going to print that, they should have to give a source. Not any of this vague columnist lingo. I find this unlikely since Holland and Greenstein have said they are much closer to a deal than they were earlier in the year when Datsyuk was first offered a deal.

For all those who think Maltby is going to sit: We will see Bin Laden in the JLA press box calling the game with Mickey before Maltby sits as a healthy scratch... Babcock loves Maltby and he has too much experience and worth to the PK for him to just be a healthy scratch. Never gonna happen guys. Dont even waste your energy typing it...

Hmm...wonder what people have to say about Rez after tonights game??? According to Babcock, "Hudler played Fantastic." WAY TO GO REX!!!

On Samuelsson: $1.2M for a guy who brings a tangible that we already have is too much. Soft guy who doesnt go to the corners, doesnt go to the net, and constantly takes these wristers from atleast 25 feet out. We saw in the series with Edmonton last year that a perimeter game does not cut it against teams in the playoffs anymore, especially when they have a good D and goalie. I'd like to replace Samuelsson with a player like Calder. Now you're going to say "Calder makers twice as much as Samuelsson, how can you say he isnt overpaid?" Well because Calder brings twice as much of the things this team needs. On Hartnell: I think this guy is a great player. Premier power forward. Just bad luck that he got hurt this year. Put him on a line with Zetterberg or Filppula centering him and I think he could be a great player. Goes into the corners, plays nasty playoff type hockey, always gets under the skin of his opponent and is young. He has a great shot as well. Replace Samuelsson with Hartnell and you get a guy who has just as good of a shot, but also brings the grit, size, and mean streak that we need more of. You're right, though. He is a dick. So was Kocur. So was Chelios. As was Bertuzzi, though the jury is still out as whether or not that one will work out or not, I'm optimistic though.

Sorry dudes, this is the year of the goalies... It's coming down to Brodeur or Luongo for Hart. I gotta give the nod to Brodeur.

I would love to see Drury here but lets be realistic, in todays world of overpaying by small market teams, Drury will get atleast 6M this offseason. *These numbers are all average of salaries* Filppula(780K) - Datsyuk(5.5M) - Bertuzzi(3.5M) Calder(2.3M) - Zetterberg(2.73M) - Holmstrom(2.25M) Hudler(800K) - UFA - HARTNELL(3M) Cleary(675K) - Draper(2.128M) - Franzen(942K) Kopecky(450K)/Grigorenko(ATLEAST 900K) Lidstrom(7.6M) - Kronwall(3M) Souray/Philips/Sarich(ATLEAST 3M) - Markov(2.5M) Lebda(650K) - Chelios(850K) Lilja(1M) UFA(ATLEAST 2M) Osgood(800K) TOTAL = 47.355M We are going to be damn close to the cap hit. So, yeah, Drury is not really possible. We still need another center for the 3rd line. Iwould love seeing Hartnell playing on this team and want Kopecky to be given another chance. Grigorenko has to come over this year or it is time to cut him loose. Samuelsson has to be traded. His salary is just too much for what he brings. We need another physical winger to take his place (HARTNELL!!!). Markov has shown to me that he is a good part of this teams defense. Hopefully we can get him for the same amount. Schneider I believe will retire or return to NYR. He is too expensive and I want Kronwall to begin to take his minutes/place on this team. Another UFA is needed to take that spot. Souray/Philips/Sarich are the three I would target. The goalie is going to be the main target for Kenny once Datsyuk is re-signed or gone.

Atlanta being in the Eastern Conference makes the geography argument moot.

Sounds like a lot of hit or miss type players Interesting that Kopecky is not even listed on the page anymore. I just hope they give him another chance next year:D