egroen

They thought of your last part -- For instance, with Zetterberg, if they did buy him out (in the last two years) the cap hit would be much higher than $667k. When players with front-loaded contracts are bought out their cap hits over the course of the buyout are larger than the buyout salary payments. Using figures of $6m cap hit and $1m salary last two seasons, buying out Zetterberg in year 11 would probably yield cap hits of $5.333m, $5.333m, $333k, $333k over the four years. Any cap discount a team gets by front loading a contract gets paid back if the player gets bought out before the end of the contract. Those two last years save the Wings $10M over the first 10 years ($6M/yr vs $7M/yr) - if they buy out the last two years they pay back that discount at an extra $5M/yr (above the actual buyout $'s) cap hit over those years. The buyout dollars are simple - 2/3 the remaining dollars over 2x the remaining term: $333K/yr for 4 yrs. The cap hit is more complex. To discourage from exactly what you are proposing. For the remaining years on the SPC you take the players original cap hit and deduct the Buyout Savings (the difference between his original salary and the buyout payment. For the years after the end of the original SPC, it is just the amount of the buyout payments. His Buyout payments would be: $333K, $333K, $333K, $333K. His Buyout cap hits would be $5.333M ($6M - ($1M - $333K)), $5.333M, $333K, $333K. So cap-wise, it would be of negative value to buy-out a player with a front-loaded contract and then re-sign them.

They keep hoping Kopecky will fill that role (minus the hungry vet). He hasn't. I hope they try and trade for Neil at the deadline. I hope Abdelkader can become that type of player.

The european players have always been my favorite players, for whatever reason. Konstantinov, Larionov, Datsyuk, Fischer, Lidstrom, Kozlov, Fetisov, Hudler. But I recognize I am not the norm of a Michigan hockey fan.

For the 1st quarter of the season, it seemed like a lot of flukey goals were going in on Osgood - strange deflections, weird bounces, 5 on 3s, etc. It still seems like that - but you do not give up 3-4 goals every night because of bad luck. He needs to sit for an extended period and get his s*** together - he is playing small, not challenging enough and seems to lack confidence - continuing to start him has not been helping, so sit him.

At this point, I can not think of a single reason Kopecky deserves to be in there over Downey.

The 4th line just has to go. We have an "energy" line that is lazy and doesn't hit. Sweet! You're right, I think this team is getting to the point where it was following the 2002 team -- too many veterans. Too many guys who think they can coast by on talent alone and simply flip a switch in the playoffs. I love Maltby and Draper, always will... but they are not putting up a consistent effort out there to shut another line down, let alone even energize the team. I find myself wishing they would retire an awful lot, then I feel guilty, then I remember no matter what, we are stuck with Draper, because of probably the worst contract Holland has signed in the salary cap era (which says a lot for Holland - but that Draper contract is a piece of turd).

- Not enough fighting or lack of fighters on the team. - Too many Europeans - Nobody to relate to - Regular season is meaningless so why bother watching until the playoffs. I think it is a combination of all four of these, but I have bolded what I believe is the number one reason, with the other reasons contributing to it. Asides from pretty hard-core Red Wings fans, what reasons are there to watch regular season games? There are no more real rivalries. There are no fights. They're going to make the playoffs regardless. Few identifiable, iconic north americans to rally behind. Honestly, as long as the Wings keep winning and getting into the playoffs easily, regular season attention will continue to wane, no matter what. People like watching a struggle, not an inevivitable outcome... even if it is positive. Hopefully they can infuse the roster with a few north americans in the coming years (maybe Abdelkader will be perfect for this) without losing their style of play or winning ways - and get some of the viewers back. Get Kocur back to teach Lilja and some of the other guys (Kopecky, Franzen, Samuelsson) how to fight, like he did with Fischer. EDIT -- I actually was listening at the time and heard your call. They did cut you off, and I was even thinking to myself, "Yeah, Fedorov was popular, but...."

I've noticed it - he started off the season strong but does not seem to be hustling out there. I actually posted I would rather lose Franzen than Hudler a few weeks ago.

Sit Kopecky (or Draper or Maltby) next game and let Downey and Leino play.

You guys are seriously making me sick to my stomach by posting these!

Pretty stupid Holmstrom.

That's more than a little upsetting.

And these guys did not want Avery? Seems like he fits in wonderfully.

Ott is so classy.

Just dump it in!!!

Filppula has over twice the playing time so far... Hudler relegated to the third line with Filpula centering the second.

They really need to be able to review those goalie interference calls.

I really can't stand Turco - on or off the ice. .... Yeah Datsyuk!!!

I largely agree with this list - though I would bump Lidstrom ahead of Datsyuk, because while I think they are similar in skill level at this point in their carrers, with Datsyuk maybe starting to eclipse him, Lidstrom still brings a lot more to the team in terms of intangibles. Finally, I would bump Osgood to the spot ahead of Lilja on your list. Despite his poor season, he brings a ot of intangibles, the guys are comfortable playing in front of him and he was clutch as hell last year in the playoffs -- all for cheap on the dollar.

Either way, it is a pretty win-win situation for Wings fans. I was worried both Franzen and Hossa would be gone. I think it is now clear we will see one of them next year - whichever one wants to stay the most, probably. Can't go wrong with either one.

This has been long established. They knew they might be suspended for not playing in the ASG. But they would not have been ripped apart like this if Bettman had not changed the rule at the last minute. to inherently favor only one of the three. That's it. They complied with league policy, and accepted they might be suspended. Being injured, and following your club's desires to rest and recieve treatment does not equal defying league policy. The CBA states players must attend NHL and All Star Games to "the best of their ability" and "at the discretion of the club" - IE. A doctor's note can prevent you from playing in a regular season game or the ASG. Bettman essentally created a verbal amendment to the CBA because he felt the "clubs" were taking advantage of it. Obviously the NHLPA is taking him up on this because it was never written down; they never agreed to it; and it apeared to be arbitrarily followed/amended with no real clarification. It's obviously a stupid rule, and it is so amazingly, blindingly stupid that even Bettman saw it and changed it. Despite how stupid it is, the Wings were willing to risk it being enforced in favor of the players and club. Crosby would have been in the exact same boat, had he not recieved a personal pardon. As stupid as the rule is, and obviously needs to be refined or banished altogether, it is the LOOPHOLE that has really infuriated me, and how Bettman and Crosby handled this whole situation. As I outlined in an earlier post, there were several ways it could have been handled, and Bettman and Crosby seemed to pick the absolute worst course of action possible. What I do not like is this paragrah made it sound like they were vacationing. Nothing is even mentioned of injuries. Lidstrom, we know was recieving treatment and spent the entire weekend at home in Detroit. These ignorant of the real facts articles would not exist if Bettman and Crosby handled this better. Yes, it looked like the wings blew off the event because of the way it was handled by Bettman and Crosby -- it's almost like they encouraged this inaccurate assumption. And it is even more stupid that a said injury is "real" if a player actually attends the festivities. The rule was dumb; the loophole was even dumber. If the "loophole" had been in place since February of last year, as stupid as it is, I think you may have seen the Wings there. It pissed me off to see the implications of this whole sordid event -- Lidstrom and Datsyuk are publicly dragged through the mud. Wings lose a real game while Crosby puts up 4 points and the Penguins win their game. Now imagine if the Wings miss home-ice advantage by one point, and Columbus or Pittsburgh makes the playoffs by one point. As a fan of the sport, and the Red Wings in particular, this crap pisses me off.

What's funny is that this thread does not take off until certain posters felt the need to chastise other posters for using this thread as an opportunity to vent. Holland was obviously pissed; Lidstrom and Datsyuk were definitely not happy; several of the players were pissed and even using the term "Crosby Rule"; and Osgood and Chelios even allowed themselves to be quoted about it. Hey GS&T -- Go lecture them for acting like "babies" too.

I can not believe I have to defend being pissed off about this on a RED WINGS forum. Bettman created the rule after being understandably PO'd that 7 stars opted out of not going to the All Star Game last year, including several for non-injury related matters. This year, when faced with the realization he would have to suspend not only Lidstrom and Datsyuk, but also his cash money encased in the flesh of Sidney Crosby he has the following options: 1) Suspend all 3 as the original intent of the rule entails. 2) Exempt all three, as these particular players have exemplified the NHL in all their dealings. 3) Arbitrarily create an amendment to the amendment at the last minute that inherently favors one of the three (who you just got off the phone with). For added affect, make sure that one favored is exactly the person you have been accused of favoring for three seasons now. Once your poster boy is excused, don't stop there but proceed to publicly act as if the amendment to the amendment was there all along, and that the Red Wings "made their decision" and invited this upon themselves. Also act incredulous that your decision might be called into question at all or that treating an injury could possibly be a valid reason for not showing up to schmooze at the ASG. If he chooses 1 or 2, we are in a completely different situation. Bettman chose 3, of course... probably the dumbest thing he could have possibly done. This is even ignoring how ridiculous it is that a player somehow "validates" his injury by attending the ASG, while a player staying home for treatment and rest is "suspect" and deserves a suspension for a REAL game. Sidney Crosby, recieving a "get out of jail free" card from the commissioner himself has the following options when asked about it: 1) Stay classy and explain your situation but support the right of others to not be there due to injury. 2) Go ahead and praise yourself for being there for the fans, but shut your mouth about others who the commissioner did not go out of his way to help. 3) Praise yourself and go ahead and imply that while you have a serious "injury" and are still there for the fans, state the others not there are merely "resting" and that they made this decision to essentially snub the fans knowing full well all they had to do was show up to avoid the suspension all along, even though you were not aware of it all along either and were not planning on getting there yourself until Saturday or Sunday. Crosby chose 3. Good move.

For someone who doesn't care to defend Crosby, you sure spend a lot of time doing so. You're like the goddamn PC-Police (with an attitude! snap!) on these boards. I believe I addressed your FACTS, and showed they had very little to do with my displeasure. In addition to many major city newspapers (and just about every city paper in Canada), ESPN and SI have reported on it -- all portraying Lidstrom and Datsyuk as getting their well-deserved comeuppance from Bettman while Crosby was there for the fans. I just grabbed a few: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/let...68-8728b9fd3a2e http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/star+a...5408/story.html http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writ...?eref=si_hockey http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=...s-Darren_Dreger http://www.tsn.ca/blogs/darren_dreger/?id=...s-Darren_Dreger http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/blog/puck_dadd...maining-content http://deanbrownblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/...punishment.html http://business.theglobeandmail.com/servle...ry/WBhockeyblog http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/allstar2009/...&id=3859717 http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_11547225 http://msn.foxsports.com/nhl/story/9125118...'s-the-buzz? http://www.nypost.com/seven/01252009/sport...1927.htm?page=0 http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...ortsHockey/home http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/2269...uspensions.html http://www.montrealgazette.com/Sports/Play...2970/story.html http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/sto.../TPStory/Sports Oh, and Crosby still doesn't shut his mouth about it: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburgh...s/s_609275.html Is it really such a "conspiracy theory" to think Bettman shows favortism to Sidney Crosby? Is it, GS&T? I have been fine with that knowledge for a while, but now that it comes at the expense of Lidstrom's and Datsyuk's character portrayels as well as regular season games, I am pissed. Grow a pair and just accept everyone who is a Red Wings fan does not just roll over and accept it when the commissioner himself uses our players to "make a point" while excusing another because of poster sales. That is not the entire "crux" of my point, which I outlined quite clearly earlier... perhaps you would care to read it again?

Hey, I'm glad he's been called up as well -- I just am bewildered by your reaction