joshy207

If OEL is so good, why would Phoenix give up on him at age 23?

Ericsson with the own-goal... can't fault Mrazek on that one.

It definitely looks like a toddler drew it with his foot.

They wore the cougar head in 1928-29. http://nhluniforms.com/RedWings/RedWings03.html

Very, very cool.

This team has been consistently inconsistent for the last 3 years. This is what they are. As the OP said, we do have good offense, defense, goaltending, and special teams, and pretty much everyone is playing well (or at least not poorly). But they are, simply, inconsistent. A good chunk of the core is over-the-hill and another good chunk is young and inexperienced. The players in the "prime age range" aren't key players, outside of Howard and Ericsson. It is frustrating, but most nights they do play well and I expect they'll contend for a playoff spot again. They just have to ride it out, not panic and make any stupid trades to "load up for a Cup run" (they don't have the core to do that) and risk mortgaging the future.

Prospects aren't eligible for selection in an expansion draft. There are guidelines for who can be protected and what kind of players must be exposed (experience, positions, etc., and they have been different in every expansion). Would who have to agree to what? In expansion situations, the contract is transferred from one team to the other, just like in a trade. And the PA will agree, it's 46 more jobs...

This number is a lot lower than last year... Alfredsson, Bertuzzi, Samuelsson, Tootoo, Eaves/Legwand, all drafted by other teams, all gone this year.

Nothing misleading about it, DeKeyser was not drafted by an NHL team. He, and a lot of other NCAA players, are late bloomers. In most cases, they aren't the kids who are ready to play major junior at 16 or 17. Major junior is usually a faster track to the pros... you're out of eligibility at 20, which would be the age of a college player in the middle of his career. Some players benefit more from the CHL, others benefit more from the NCAA. It's up to each player, his family, and his advisors to decide which route is better for that player.

I agree. Not that I WANT ads on jerseys, I just think it's inevitable. The lure of the almighty dollar is too great. I think it should be restricted to specific sizes and locations, and definitely nothing in or near the team's logo. Perhaps a patch on the pants would appease sponsors and not overcrowd jerseys. This can be done right...

I'm glad to see the building go. Yes, there have been plenty of memories and great players, but that happens at most arenas. At some point, the building becomes outdated and renovation is not feasible. There's no real way they could widen the seats and add leg room without gutting the whole bowl. Can't expand the concourses either. The sad part, to me, is that the Joe is less than 10 years older than the Palace, but they're light-years apart as far as arena quality. Everything about the new arena says it'll be done correctly, and that's really exciting.

Weiss in for Franzen tonight, per CBC pregame show.

The most common rumors were Yzerman for Yashin or Martin Straka. Either would have been a disaster. It's fascinating to think how much one move would affect the future... had Bowman gotten his way and moved Yzerman, I don't think the Wings would have won any Cups. Maybe one... maybe. Or, had Walter Gretzky not told Wayne to go to LA, Wayne would have listened to his wife and come here to Detroit. (We had a whole thread on that topic, so I won't rehash it.) I think the Wings would have won a couple Cups sooner than '97. But, in either case, the future of the franchise would have been greatly changed. For the better? Worse? Who knows... I don't remember those rumors, but I went to high school with Lindros (Farmington HS) when he was holding out from the Soo and played for Compuware.

I think he gets his 10 games in and earns his bonus. After that, his spot is fair game.

I think if we have learned one thing from the preseason (and the offseason), it's that Holland needs to trust the developmental system more. For years and years, he has filled or overfilled the roster, not leaving room for any prospects or training camp surprises. The past two seasons and this training camp/preseason have shown that many more prospects are NHL-ready before Holland expects it, and those players deserve a chance to show their abilities in the NHL. Holland preaches patience, "mans league", etc, but never gives those players a chance until he absolutely has to or injuries force him to promote from Grand Rapids. That needs to change this season.

Sorry if this point was already brought up, I haven't read the entire thread. Holland didn't waive Samuelsson, Eaves, or Tootoo at the start of the year because he didn't have to. They had some players already injured, so there was room on the roster and under the salary cap for all of them to stay. That also gave him more time to try and work out a trade, which we all know didn't happen until Eaves was traded at the deadline. Had everyone been healthy to start last year, those three would have been waived. Also, DeKeyser could have been sent down without waivers last year, but that was not going to happen.

No way we get past the Kings AND the Bruins in 2013. The Wings might be a little underrated this year. If they stay very healthy and if all the reports of improvements the players have made (stronger, faster, different routine, health) over the summer are accurate, they could make some noise in the division and maybe in the playoffs. The injury bug is already biting though, and I don't see them winning the division.

That's less than I figured... I thought he'd get (and is worth) $2.75M to $3.5M.

I meant to quote your other post... Metro was great. I worked there for a few months before they shut down, my buddy Pete was the manager for its last year and a half. He's always really good about getting the proper fit on skates and not putting you in a skate you don't need. You're definitely right about mom-and-pop shops taking care of their regular customers. Some of the bigger chains do have loyalty programs, which earn you store credit or offer free sharpenings, but it's still a different feeling. I have worked in both types of stores.

Are you talking about Metro Sports on 14 Mile?

I wear a cage too, not my first choice, but I've had a broken orbital bone and damn near lost an eye, and that's not something I'll go through again. I do let the cage hang a little loose because I'm constantly talking all game long and don't want the chin cup restricting me. I wear minimalist, mid-80s shoulder pads, I like my gloves loose through the cuff and hand, but tighter in the fingertips for better control, pants tighter around the hips but loose in the legs, skates super-tight fitting and don't wear socks. I used to use a really short stick (2-3" below the collarbone) but as I've gotten older and in poorer shape, I lengthened my sticks by a few inches and moved from 85 to 75 flex. It did take some getting used to, but I feel like I'm adjusted now.

Fowler went to Farmington High School, must be home for the summer.

It all depends on when the league would expand, how many players each team would lose and how many each could protect, and how those guys are playing at the time of expansion. But as long as Ilitch and Holland are in charge, it would never happen. Agreed. 34 teams just doesn't work.

Each of the expansion drafts since 1991 have had different rules. I would guess the league won't allow teams to protect quite as many players as they did in 2000, they'll want those teams to be at least somewhat competitive... as will the owners who are forking over hundreds of millions of dollars for a franchise!