egroen

If things do not turn around, Backstrom would be a great goalie to go after -- how many goalie "buyers" will there be at the deadline? Not many, me thinks. That said - Filppula (signed for 4 more years at $3m per season) for Backstrom (looming UFA) is a huge overpayment. Detroit does not have to trade a roster player if they want to add Backstrom (and he is available). Think 2nd round and a prospect or a 1st round pick -- and that is only if there is a high demand for him. If we were talking Filppula for Backstrom, Minnesota should be sending us picks and prospects along with Backstrom for Filppula.

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/

If Osgood does not show an improvement before March 4th, I think you have to strongly consider bringing in another goalie. Why would they have to trade their entire system to do so? Last year Huet, as an impending UFA went for a 2nd round pick - that's it. Here are the impending UFA goaltenders: Fernandez, Manny ($4,333,333) Thomas, Tim ($1,100,000) Germyn, Carsen ($500,000) Khabibulin, Nikolai ($6,750,000) Roloson, Dwayne ($3,000,000) Sabourin, Dany ($525,000) Anderson, Craig ($575,000) Ersberg, Erik ($700,000) Backstrom, Niklas ($3,100,000) Schaefer, Nolan ($600,000) Denis, Marc ($600,000) MacIntyre, Drew ($500,000) Clemmensen, Scott ($500,000) Weekes, Kevin ($700,000) Danis, Yann ($550,000) MacDonald, Joey ($500,000) Valiquette, Stephen ($725,000) Gerber, Martin ($3,700,000) Biron, Martin ($3,500,000) (has NTC) Niittymaki, Antero ($1,375,000) Aubin, Jean-Sebastien ($550,000) Tellqvist, Mikael ($800,000) Garon, Mathieu ($1,000,000) Boucher, Brian ($650,000) Legace, Manny ($2,500,000) Kolzig, Olaf ($1,500,000) Joseph, Curtis ($700,000) Labarbera, Jason ($850,000) Sanford, Curtis ($650,000) Johnson, Brent ($825,000) If things do not change, you have to start considering other options.

Speaking for myself, the goals against are very alarming for this team. Hasek last year proved that a shaky goalie can potentially eliminate a champinship caliber team all by himself -- I just want to see them prepared to make a deep run and as things are currently, I see a 1st round disappointment way more likely than a Stanley Cup. If someone like Maltby or Draper is having a bad year, they are not going to have much of an impact on winning or losing a 7 game series. But Osgood could single-handidly lose it -- and he is currenlty mired in the worst season of his entire career. Yes, the defense has not been stellar, but you can not tell me it is any worse than the Islanders and Blues, with whom Osgood posted much better numbers with. Something needs to change, and hopefully it is simply Osgood gets his confidence back -- but Osgood having a bad year is more significant than even Zetterberg having a bad year -- and definitely thread worthy.

If you accept that making the playoffs is a good year for the Red Wings, like it is for the majority of other teams, than you have nothing to worry about.

How do you feel about Red Kelly? I just see him as a no-brainer and have yet to hear a single good reason why he should not be up in the the rafters.

Zetterberg gave a nice healthy discount when he signed in 2005 for 4 years at $2.65m. Even in '05 dollars, that is a steep discount for someone who was runner-up for the Calder, already being compared to Yzerman and tearing it up in the Swedish League. Yeah, with the endorsement dollars Crosby brings in (probably more than his salary), it was a good opportunity for him to make an even stronger statement than he did -- say if he took a long term deal at $7.5m -- and it would have put the onus on Malkin to sign for similar dollars. But I'm certainly glad he did not!

The guy who runs that is an actuary who does it in his spare time, but it is probably still more accurate than nhlnumbers.com

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242170 Most articles with his signing reference it.

#6 was officially retired and then officially unretired by Ilitch -- largely because Aurie is not in the Hall of Fame. Though his number is out of circulation, just like #16. I would love to see Red wings numbers "honored" in the rafters, just like Toronto. Honor Aurie and Konstantinov like they deserve to be -- and in these two cases maybe you keep their numbers out of circulation. Maybe Maltby, Draper, McCarty and Homstrom would qualify for "honored" jerseys in that case, but even then, you are opening up the rafters to a lot of guys who deserve it easily before them. Remember, Maltby and Draper did not even start their careers as Red Wings.

Stuart's first two years include a NTC and a limited NTC in the last two years (which I would assume limits his teams to West Coast). If we give this any credibility - it has to be either Filppula or Kronwall.

Fedorov has similar accomplishments as a Red Wing to Abel and better accomplishments than Delvecchio -- and not just numbers, I recognize we are talking completely different eras. A Hart and two Selkes, plus Fedorov's unbelievable playoff performances give him a much higher peak than those two, though their entire body of work as Red Wings closes the gap.

If we give this any thought - the player is either Filppula or Kronwall ($2.5-3.5m). Brodeur has a no trade clause, so I do not give that any credibility whatsoever. Lehtonen is making $3m this year and is an RFA at the end of the season - Wings could afford this. Backstrom is $3.1m and an impending UFA - wings could afford. Rolosan is a $3.667m cap hit and impnding UFA - affordable. Toskala is $4m and signed through 2010 -- Too expensive (but still affordable) and very little flexibility. I can't see the wings taking this one on. A couple key problems: 1) We are stuck with Osgood until 2011, for better or worse... unless he is traded. Because his contract went into affect after the age of 35, even if he retires or is sent down to the minors, his salary is still on the books. Luckily, his $1.4m cap hit is not bad for a backup. But you have to carry 3 goaltenders, send Conklin down (and he would most likely be claimed) or trade Conklin as well. 2) Niklas Kronwall or Filppula, both young and playoff proven, signed long term to good contracts -- traded for a rental? Plus picks or prospects? There is no way and Detroit is completey hosed in that deal.... unless those picks and prospects are coming from the other team. The only player worth that is Brodeur, who is signed until 2012 at $5.2m per year. But in order to afford that, ignoring the tiny probability NJ would want to trade Brodeur, or that Brodeur would waive his NTC, is to trade both Kronwall and Filppula. Though I suppose it might also work, cap-wise, if you trade Filppula and Lilja or Kronwall and Samuelsson (or Hudler) -- but that is not exactly exciting from a Devils point of view.

Nice pick - That year Howe, Sawchuk and Kelly were all unanimous selections for the 1st Team All Star in their posistions (Kelly would have had the Norris and Sawchuk the Vezina (as we know it nowadays) that year) and Lindsay was the 1st Team All Star at left wing. Sid Abel was also 8th in the league in scoring that year. All told, the Wings' hardware would look like this: Hart: Howe (I'd imagine the Pearson as well) Art Ross : Howe (Lindsay runner-up) Maurice Richard: Howe Norris: Kelly Vezina: Sawchuk Selke: Marty Pavelich Jennings: Sawchuk (by himself) Lady Byng: Kelly was the runner-up 1st Team All Stars: Howe RW Lindsay LW Kelly D Sawchuk G

Our offense sucks. Is 8 goals a game really that much to ask for???

I know! I want a free Arby's...

Yzerman, Lidstrom and Fedorov are great representatives from this past generation. Guys like Holmstrom, Maltby, McCarty and Draper will definitely become honored Red Wings alumni, and possibly even get into the Red Wings Hall of Fame: http://www.redwingalumni.com/hallOfFameRedWings.html

He probably makes more money than any single hockey player in the history of the NHL, because of the hype, attention and endorsements, most of which he signs off on. I don't like him and I think it's pretty freakin' weird he still lives with Mario Lemeiux. The NHL and VS marketing of him has actually turned me off.

Can anyone recall a time when the #1 and #2 scoring forwards in the league were on the very same team in a year and that team did not make the playoffs?

He does a pretty good job - obviously you can tell it is new to him - a lot of pauses, stutters and the tendancy to ramble, but he does not sound too out of place. It's especially nice to have someone talking who has played with all these guys and can give some further insight into their play.

At least with Osgood we KNOW he is capable of stepping up his game in the playoffs and doing what it takes. You have to start him... but definitely be willing to give Conklin the reigns if things go south.

He has a no-trade clause in his first two years and a limited afterwards (limits are never disclosed, but I would bet it would be to a west coast team so he could be with his family).

This year: Draper, Cleary, Stuart, Lidstrom, Datsyuk and Rafalski.

Last year I advocated on this board for Holland to load up to the cap at the beginning of the season with UFAs that do not require any further loss of assets, instead of holding cap room until the end of the season and trading away draft picks and prospects to fill whatever holes. Obviously Holland was reading and did exactly what I suggested -- so I certainly will not ***** when we are not able to make a big splash at the trade deadline. I think he played it right, and this team already has a ton of depth to make a very effective and long playoff run.

Sucks being in the West this year -- more often than not, the team you're facing is right on the cusp of making the playoffs and playing like there is no tomorrow. Columbus played their freakin' hearts out tonight. Combine that with the fact that every team is always going to get up and play the Stanley Cup Champs each time and I think the Wings see every team at their best on an almost nightly basis -- I have to remind myself of this often. So far, I have not seen a single team that I think can beat the Wings in a 7 game series, and that includes San Jose and Boston.