egroen

Best played game all year. I think the bad ice contributed almost as much to less goals than Giguere did.

About 18 pts and +15 at this time last year. So he is definitely off a step or two and so is the team.

San Jose is the real deal this year - talk to Sharks fans. They have had plenty of winning streaks, but they are beating teams by a much larger goal differential than they ever have. Boyle has been a godsend and Blake is playing out of his mind. Vlasic is growing into a legitimate premier defenseman and Erhoff isn't too bad either. Marleau has done a complete 180, Setoguchi has had another year to improve and they have talent on all four lines. Cheechoo never starts playing well until halfway through the season. I think it will be a montrous battle between the Wings and Sharks for the WCF. The Wings in 97 had choked in the playoffs for a few years prior.

If it were up to me, he is not there yet. His current stats trouble me because they frankly suck when he is playing behind a less than stellar defense. Plenty of time to bounce back tough, and I hope he has a few more years to pile on the wins and hopefully another Cup. If he wins three Cups as a starter, along with all his wins, I do not think he will be kept out.

Ok, let's say with the cap next year Holland can only afford to keep one of the following 3 players: Hudler Samuelsson Filppula Who would you keep? Filppula is signed for 4 more years with a cap hit of $3 million per year and would have to be traded if you keep Hudler or Samuelsson. Hudler and Samuelsson could probably command similar or slightly less dollars as Filppula at this point (feel free to disagree). I would have included Cleary and his $2.8 million per year, but he has a no-trade clause for the first 3 1/2 years of his deal. This has nothing to do with whether or not Holland has been able to sign Zetterberg, Hossa or Franzen.... but go ahead and assume he was able to sign two of them if it impacts your decision. Who would you keep and why?

It's been years since Lilja has lost a fight. I'm not sure there is anyone in the NHL who could beat him now.

Kopecky needs to get the hell off that first line - that is all I have to say about that game.

I voted Hudler, but am seeing a strong case for Sammy right now. Filppula is just not impressing me this year. If Hudler got an offer sheet for around $3 million, I would take the draft picks and run, turn around and sign Samualsson for a nice hometown discount and trade Filppula's non-productive ass out of here. No offer sheet for Hudler, then I would sign him, let Samuelsson go and get what I can for Filppula. Though it could all change 3 months down the road. The Wings can afford to lose a defensive player or two. They will have Datsyuk and Zetterberg for some time, and those are our best. Cleary is stuck here for a few more years and is great on the PK. Draper and Maltby are more than capable. Franzen and Samuelsson if they stay, are also good. Helm and Abedelkader would also get time if they make the team.

Sammy is getting no love! So I thought I would make a case for him. He is the only one of the three we would lose outright with nothing in return. Filppula might command a very nice return in a trade and there is a very good chance Hudler might receive an offer sheet. He is the only one of the three, with his size, who has had much success driving to the net and he also might give a nice hometown discount to the Wings, perhaps signing for around $2 million. Can play in all situations. Both Filppula and Hudler could be replaced at with much smaller contracts: Leino has close to the offensive skills of Hudler, with more size, speed and defensive potential. Helm has the speed of Filppula, with the potential of being just as strong defensively and offensively as well. Neither of those guys has the size and grit of Samuelsson, however.

Filppula plays the best defense out of the 3, but so far has been playing like a young Draper, complete with stone hands. Not worth his contract at this point but is still young and could improve. For NHL standards, however, he is signed to a great contract and could command a nice juicy trade package. Samuelsson has proven he can produce on any line, plays good defense, agitates and can be suprisingly effective when he goes to the net. Might stay for a bargain, but certainly will command more than his current $1.2 million. Drives fans insane, but might stay with Detroit for the least amount of money of the three. There's a chance Hudler might sign for less than Filppula at this point as well, but there is also a chance he could get a $2.6+ million offer sheet worth a 1st and 3rd round pick. It is almost tempiting to wish for one, but Huder is easily the most offensively talented of the 3, with the best hands, passing and on-ice sense. He is also smaller than your average 15 year-old and has yet to prove he can produce with regular top line minutes.

Zetterberg and especially Datsyuk have made enough players out to hit them look like fools that it is almost shocking how little they are run. Sometimes Datsyuk is floating around there in slow motion, and you can tell he is just taunting them to make a run on him... so he can calmly skate around them.

E_S_A_D, Especially during the clutch & grab years, virtually anyone who was 6'3 and 200 lbs + and could lace up his skates without faling over was drafted in the 1st round. Most of those guys are busts now, but those types are still being drafted well ahead of their skill simply because they are big and can hit and fight. The price the Wings paid to remain a good team (and not have to rebuild) was to mine europe for little-seen talent, and guys that fell in the draft because they were "too small". Fighting is rare in the european leagues so few of these guys have any experience at it at all. I miss having a team like we had in the 90s, but I would not give up the winning teams we have enjoyed since then for some higher picks so we can see some rough & tumble canadian boys on the team now. In the past few years Holland has drafted some guys that can throw - like Abdelkader, Kindl, Ericsson - and we should be seeing them on the team within a couple years. The fighter who can skate and play is coveted around the NHL right now, and you are going to have t give up a ton to get one. I'm just not sure how this team would aquire one at this point, and am content to wait till some of the younger guys make the team.

So can I... but please inform us as to how the Wings go about getting one of them and fit him on the team given the salary cap predicament.

I was in favor of Holland trading whomever out of Lebda, Meech or Quincey that he could have gotten the most out of - Lebda would have been my guess, given a successful Stanley Cup run. It sucks that Quincey has proven so valuable to them, and the Wings got nothing out of it.

Every time I run the numbers I get depressed. Seriously. I just hope they take advantage of this incredible team they have been able to ice this year... we won't see anything similar for quite a while.

This pre season Hudler played 4 out of 5 games with Zetterberg, had 6 points and was a +6. He has shown he can play with Zetterberg at even strength.

There's the Huds smile I love!!

2 BS penalties in a row and we have a tie game -- what an exciting game!!!!!

Free power plays for the Flames.

Iginla has been invisible tonight... credit Lidstrom.

It must suck to have Bertuzzi on your first line.

The way this is going, Lilja will have the next goal.

Lidstrom, what a thug.

Lebda says : Quincey, suck on that!

I'm a little alarmed because I can not remember the last legitimate scoring chance for the Wings.