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I'd like to see some flexibility with the cap - either a luxury tax or some sort of a break for signing drafted players or veterans. I'm sick of seeing teams get blown up the second they achieve some success. Restricted free agency should be extended a year.

I was just thinking to myself... "It's been at least 30 minutes since we have gone over lines on this site... " and PRESTO! You came through. I'm just wondering how long it will be until Blueadams brings up lines for when all of Listrom's kids are on the team....

I do get a chuckle that Prospal, Quincey and the #33 pick (immediately after Ferraro), O'Reiley, all have 8+ pts so far this season.

Through years of meditation and deep personal enlightenment, Micah is now keenly attuned to other men's pheromones.

That does not change overnight. As long as ownership and the front office remain stable Detroit is going to remain a top destination for free agents. Even with a mediocore or bad season, this is still a team that spends to the cap and ices as competitive of a team as it possibly can each and every year; it is a team that treats veterans perhaps better than any other in the NHL; and Detroit is still a "hockey city" without reaching the fanaticism and ridiculousness of canadian markets.

I'll be shocked if a single one of the Big 3 signs for less than $6m a year. Simply look across the NHL at similar talent at a similar age and it is all $6m+. Ultimately, I think the best move for Chicago is simply to get whatever they can for Kane's rights. I did not realize Campbell had a no-movement-clause. Wow.

I would kill to have Hudler on this team right now -- pretty much exactly what we need, IMO. Say what you want to, but he buried most of his chances... unlike 100% of the team right now.

A decided lack of "clutch" play so far this year.

Figures, after complimenting the stream on Ustream, I have not had in the past 10 minutes.

I second this -- great stream, thank!

Just take a look at my signature on how beneficial that type of play can be. Glad we have a young defenseman in Detroit who is starting to embrace that, and not just in the playoffs.

If a player wants to send a message after a clean hit, fine... no problem. I just wish the refs were not so fast to call the play dead, especially if the hit creates a scoring opportunity.

Guy scores an even-strength goal and still manages to finish -1 in a 2-3 game. That's Andy Delmore impressive. The only thing keeping me from calling for Lebda's head is he had a similar abysmal start last year and ended up turning it around. I've seen this fella at the bar, and he needs to cool it down in the off-season.

Did it get that bad??? I fell asleep after the 2nd period!

You lay someone out like that, cleanly, and it's your team's advantage... as it should be. If they're going to have the instigator penalty, this is a perfect time for them to actually use it to benefit the game. A Konstantinov hit leads to a scoring chance:

Here's the thing, in Red Wings goalie history you have Sawchuk... and then everyone else. Sawchuk did more than pile on wins playing for a Dynasty Team, he was extraordinary -- He won a Calder with the Wings. He won 3 Vezinas with the Wings - the equivelent at the time to the modern-day Jennings Award, almost entirely by himself (started in 201 of 210 games those years). He overwhelmingly won 3 First Team All-Star selections as a Wing - the equivelent to the modern-day Vezina award - and was the runner-up an additional 3 times. He led the league in wins 5 times as a Wing. He led the league in shutouts 3 times as a Wing. He recorded 4 shutouts in 8 straight wins with a .62 GAA for the Wings in the playoffs in perhaps the single greatest playoff performance in NHL history, let alone amongst only goaltenders. If the Conn Smythe was awarded back then, he would have earned two as a Wing. He set virtually every record there was for a goaltender to set, some of which are still in place 50 years later. Chris Osgood was the runner-up for the Vezina once. He jointly earned two Jennings trophies starting in 93 of 164 games. He led the league once in wins and once in GAA. He has won a lot of games as a Wing and turned in two Conn Smythe worthy playoff seasons. Osgood may be the second-best Red Wing goalie in history, but if Sawchuk is a 10, Osgood is a 4. Does Osgood really deserve the same recognition (ie. to have his number hanging in the rafters)? IMO, not yet. Other goalies that could contend for the 2nd greatest Red Wings goalie of all-time (not already mentioned in the article) include: John Mowers Norm Smith Glenn Hall Roger Crozier

It's downright strange how many injuries there are right now - no question it is up. Especially the sheer amount of injuries to star players: http://www.cbssports.com/nhl/injuries .... And the weirdest thing? Both Havlat and Gaborik are healthy and fine!

I'd put Tootoo in that group - and easily the strongest of them.

If you are up against the cap and a player goes out on LTIR you are allowed to exceed the cap by that amount -- but only while that player is on LTIR.

You can only exceed the cap while the player is on LTIR -- so unless Franzen is out for the entire regular season, the Wings are not going to be able to do much. They could bring in a player right now, but would have to trade him away the second Franzen comes back, as your LTIR salary cap buffer does not carry forward throughout the season.

I am not putting these in any order at this time, and am going to try to limit it to the best season per individual. Only counting regular season for this. Steve Yzerman - 1989 80 GP 65 G 90 A 155 Pts Highest points in a season in NHL history for any player not named Gretzky or Lemieux Pearson winner and also received Selke votes that year Led the league (minus the freaks (Gretzky and Lemieux) and those whom benefitted from them) in goals by 22% Led the league in points (minus the freaks) by 29% Factored into an amazing 49.7% of Detroit's goals that year. Gordie Howe - 1953 70 GP 49 G 46 A 95 Pts Art Ross and Hart winner Led the league in goals by 35% (over linemate, Ted Lindsay) Led the league in points by 25% (also over Lindsay) Bob Probert - 1988 74 GP 29 G 33 A 62 Pts with a league-leading 398 PIMs Sergei Fedorov - 1994 82 GP 56 G 64 A 120 Pts Winner of the Hart and Selke, in the same season Terry Sawchuk - 1952 70 GP 44 W 12 SO 1.90 GAA Played every game that year and led the league in wins, GAA and shutouts Tough to not mention his playoffs that year, where he swept the playoffs in 8 games, including 4 SOs and a playoff GAA of .63 Red Kelly - 1954 62 GP 16 G 33 A 49 Pts only 18 PIM Unanimous win for 1st Team All-Star; runner-up for the Hart 6th in the entire league in points "Flash" Hollet - 1945 50 GP 20 G 21 A 41 Pts 20 goals for a defenseman was a record that lasted almost 25 years until Bobby Orr scored 21 goals in 17 more games played

Turns out Quincey was traded... to Dallas. But failed his physical: http://www.thefourthperiod.com/news/dal091013.html

Yzerman did not deserve a 1st place vote, but I think some recognition for his defensive play that year was warranted - moreso than the other big scorers from the 80s, Yzerman was called upon for defense. He was often double-shifted on a checking line againt other teams' top lines and was a regular on the PK. 155 points in the 80s is inflated, but Yzerman did do it with very little support that year -- Lemieux in the 80s was putting up similar to more points without good linemates, but he did have Coffey on the backend - something Detroit was lacking big time in the 80s. without Coffey, Mario's highest point total was 141 in '86. Gordie Howe has at least a couple more impressive individual seasons, but Yzerman's '89 season stacks up pretty well beyond that... I'd say it is on a similar level to Fedorov's 94 season -- as Fedorov was a much stronger two-way player in 94 than Yzerman was in 89 -- but Fedorov had much better linemates and defensemen feeding him the puck that year.

I'd say Draper's contract and Quincey have been Holland's biggest gaffs in recent years -- which is pretty incredible in the scheme of things.

I think arguments can be made for Gretzky, Howe and Orr for #1 -- just not Lemiuex -- but he is still better than the best of the rest.