sibiriak

Only if he can employ a gag.

How do you figure that Drury would get less as a UFA then Briere got from the arbitrator last year? Drury and Briere will both be looking for 5.5-6 mil. at least. Datsyuk leaving would free only one roster spot. Having 3 grinders to fill it won't help any more than having just one. If Datsyuk leaves, the Wings would have to sign at least a very good 2nd line forward to replace him.

Datsyuk is a career .87 PPG. He has 204 pts in 200 games post lockout. His playoff numbers are underwhelming. So let's not overblow his stats one way or the other. There has not been a single piece of evidence that Datsyuk demanded, let alone realistically hopes to get $7 mil. next year. What we know for sure, is that he turned down $5 mil. for 5 years offer. That means that he may have wanted different contract length, or higher salary, or both. We have no data as to what Datsyuk's side asked for. He has a realistic chance of doing better than $5 mil. on the UFA market. So it is rational for him to wait until July, and then see about his next year. Before pulling a number out of ... nowhere and then accusing Datsyuk of demanding and not being worth that arbitrary number, do try to look at the situation at least somewhat rationally.

I totally agree.

It's simply a question of standing up. If nothing happens when instigator X does something dirty, it sends the message that you can get away with it and if that happens your team is generally in big trouble. The opposing team now has a huge psychological advantage and before you know it they're all tough guys taking liberties in every situation. But what is it that would deter a non-enforcer type player from playing dirty? He never has to fight. Its like the teams enforcer is the whipping boy for the rest of the team. Will the enforcer beat up the offenders on his own team after the game for making him fight? Otherwise, I don't see any punihment for dirty play.

I didn't grow up in Canada, so I probably don't have crucial bits of knowledge on fighting. So please, explain it to me. I have been watching NHL hockey for the last 12 years or so, and in 90% of the cases when there's a fight, a typical situation occurs: Something happens in the game, e.g. instigator X does something dirty to a skilled player Y. In the next shift or so, enforcer for Y's team challenges the enforcer for X's team. They proceed to beat each other bloody and proudly go out for 5 min., or a game. At no point in time is X actually punished. So how is this "policing the game"? Please hold the outrage, I do not mean to insult or challenge anybody, just trying to understand.