e_prime

Absolutely, my man... on all accounts. Hypothetical situations are abundant and abound. What if Howard doesn't work out? What if Bert gets injuried again? What if Holmstrom is out? What defenseman are we trading? Are we trading a defenseman? Is Lils gonna play this year? etc. and WORSE. I'm not even going to throw out some scenarios because I wouldn't want to jinx any of our players and have it come back to haunt me. ...but I am of the school that would like to see some more of our prospects get more time in the NHL. So if it's Tardiff, Oulahan, Ritola, Pare, McGrath, Kindl coming up for a few games here and there. Yay! I'm pumped. (Abdelkader purposefully left out, because we know we'll be seeing him at some point this year.)

What I think is being alluded is: If injury occurs, bring up some kids. If "not panning out" comes into play, make some roster moves -- trade them away -- and bring up some kids. That's what "fall back on the kids" means. I agree that Bert, Willy, and Eaves will see no minor league time. Someone would ****** them up if there was any attempt to send them down. We'll see if they're all still on the roster come playoff time though...

Just under $2 Million last season (plus buyout monies) $1.5 this coming season. What's your take CB? Do you think we're overpaying? or are we going to get our money's worth. It'd be nice to think a certain reality is settling in around the league when it comes to contracts, lengths vs. cap hit, etc. I mean, there's always going to be some GM out there that's going to overpay for a player because their market dictates it, (New York and Montreal spring into mind first and foremost.) Think about some of the lower amounts/shorter contracts that veteran players have taken this off season... although I guess age with some of these guys is also playing a factor.

Both of these points are great. (Thanks Nightfall (not too harsh) and Echolalia.) I started coming to this forum because of the diversity of opinion when it comes to the team I love. Sure, sometimes there are some "asshats" around, and they come and go as their fickle nature dictates, but even the posters that I completely disagree with, I like to read what they have to say. It puts things in perspective. None of us are NHL GMs, so whatever we think and say, is just that -- what we think and what we spout off on. Have I liked all of Ken Holland's moves over the years? Absolutely not. Am I going to post things like: EPIC FAIL. Holland sucks. We're not even going to make the playoffs, when Holland signs somebody like Jason Williams? Absolutely not. Am I going to post something snarky, smart-alecy, or sarcastic as hell: Probably. Is it totally constructive? Probably not, but part of coming to the boards is the fun factor. Maybe somebody gets a kick out of it, gets a chuckle, spits their coffee out... whatever. I am not against this signing. Bertuzzi was not my first choice when it came to getting some grit for the team, but he was not my last choice either. I really do hope he can stay healthy and provide an edge for this team that we so desperately need.

I know this is my second off-topic post in a row, although it does have some aforementioned stick swinging. ...but just check out the smirk on granato's face as he is apologizing. There's not an ounce of sincerity in that apology.

This kind of douchebag: Oh wait, this isn't the kind of stick swinging you guys are talking about.

Aaron Ward seems to be a magnet for cheapshots.

Sounds fun. I'll give it a go.

1. 2. They will definitely try to trade Roloson before Biron. ...but for all the aforementioned reasons, Eva. Biron is the easier piece to move. ...and there will be more inquiry into Biron's availability than Rolly. 3. I will be very surprised if DiPietro plays more than a handful of games this season. Just sayin'.

I don't think anyone is "ripping him apart." We're definitely over analyzing every angle of this situation before he's truly gotten a fair shake. Certainly. ...but it's summer and we're bored!

Dang. I feel like I talk about the Isles as much as I do about the Wings these days.... Anywhooo... I am pretty excited to see how Tavares pans out. ...and I am planning to attend some games out on the Isle. He does seem to be more physically ready than Stamkos, and while I agree that he could use another year in the minors... when you're talking about the Isles and this type of signing... it just ain't gonna happen. As mentioned before, 50-60 point range. More goals than assists.

As a Wings fan, love the idea of Biron coming over if Howard doesn't pan out. As an Islander's watcher, the biggest problem with Howard coming to the Isle is that they need solid goaltending NOW. They don't have a huge ton of depth beyond Rolly/DP/Biron, but they do have at least one solid prospect at their AHL team (I cannot remember his name.) ...but moving Biron will ONLY happen if DP plays this year. Which he may not. Furthermore, their lack of quality defense is the reason why, at this point, they can't get enough goaltending. They need SOLID goaltending to keep them in games. ...and with Tavares on the team, they will be looking for more wins. IF Howard can develop into a quality goaltender, I'd like to see it happen here in Detroit. Sure, there might be more pressure here to perform, but it's more likely that he'll be able to develop nicely with our defense in front of him than what the Islanders currently ice.

The Sheriff - 6'5" 240lbs. I like his look. Doesn't seem to put up with a lot of sh!t... but if Kenny were to sign the guy, he'd have to report to and primarily play for an AHL team... which he has seemingly had trouble doing in the past. From Wiki: On October 17, 2008, Parker was assigned to Colorado's affiliate the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.[4] In a rare conflict between the team and one of its own players, the Avalanche terminated Parker's contract on November 9, 2008 for insubordination for not reporting to the Monsters.[5] ...maybe he just really didn't want to play for the 'lanche.

I like your attitude, sir. Yes indeedy. Can a climb aboard this wobbly bandwagon of misguided hopes and dreams??

I said it in the Williams thread. ...and I'll say it again. Sorry, dude. I was just surprised at how long it took between your story and for the announcement to be made. e.

...what the WHAT?!?

^ That's about Eaves... which we already know about. No offense OP, but I don't believe it. This would have broken by now. e.

For the league minimum.... bring on Bell as a project too. To make it an even better deal, see if he would he take a two-way contract? Giving Holland some flexibility with cap room. Hell you don't even need to trade a defenseman if Lilja starts on the LTIR... and you could probably still nab Prospal. (...or Bert, or Grier, or whomever... not that we all could ever agree on it.) Then everyone (finesse and grit folk alike) are happy, no? EDIT: For clarity and further thought. (If I could cease switching words around in sentences, and my fingers could keep up with my brain, I'd have far fewer edits.)

I would not bet against you.

/officially de-railed

I doubt he's going to be entrusted with second line scoring potential right out of the gate. Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Cleary/Holmstrom Franzen - Filppula - Cleary/Holmstrom Leino - Helm - Eaves Abdelkader/UFA - Draper - Maltby

:thumbup: There's never too many cookies.

Winner

Are you taking your frustration of Hudler going to Russia out on Ken Holland doing his job or are just out to blast the Huddles haters? 'Cuz I think Holland tried his best to keep yr boy. ...and yr boy decided to go to Russia and make some money. Validating his greedy card in LGW land. Don't get me wrong, I wanted Hudler to stay... I know it's hard right now, but you need to get over your loss. Back on topic: For $500,000. Eaves is a great signing. He's not an ego or locker room cancer type guy. So, the price tag risk is worth the potential payoff. EDIT: For clarity.

Yes, he is that guy.