Learn2LuvIt

I'd love to see Vegas win the cup and put Canada in total TILT.

That's a nice luxury to have since they are owned by primarily by R&B Ontario Teachers Pension Plan. Most private owners or ownership groups might beg to differ on the amount of $$ being paid for an over abundance of front office staff.

You can't really prepare for this unless you take the approach that you're willing to always pay more and always willing to match promotions with the team attempting to poaching your talent. It's common in most every business and a side effect of success.

What??!!! Ahhhh come on!!!! I was waiting on the Kronwall 2 year contract extension next year!!! Where is your freakin loyalty Wings????

I never stated he should go up in the rafters. My initial point was that IF you don't believe he should go up in the rafters due to him leaving a year early to go be back to his home country to be with his family after he'd given 14 years of his life to this organization and fans, I just think that's weak reasoning. Life happens, he gave you 14 years of his life living in a strange place 5,200 miles away from his true home. I look more arguments and reasoning based on stats and/or contribution. BTW...there technically was no breach of contract on his behalf. Every player has a right within their agreement to walk away with or without penalty (depending on the agreement). I've seen a current day NHL contract. If there wasn't these provisions, Dats could be sued with the demand that he pay back every dollar that was paid to him over the entire agreement.

Fair point. I just don't see this as a total D#ck move as he wanted to return to his home country for family reasons, and he never tried to hide that fact as a secret. I guess I have some compassion for a guy that gave 14 years of his life to the Wings, to leave and return home to his native country to be with his children. As a parent, I can totally relate. Yes, he broke his contract with one year left to go, I get it. It's not like he was breaking the contract to play more golf in Palm Springs. I won't hate on him for this. He gave us too many great years of his life and played a SIGNIFICANT role in us winning two Stanley Cups. When it comes to Wings player resentment, there is a lot more low hanging fruit than Pav.

IMO- I didn't really view Dats departure as being on negative terms. He said for years he wanted to return home to Russia to raise his kids and live out the rest of his life. In my book, that's fair of him to do. Does it tarnish is legacy within the Wings organization and fan base, highly likely. However, I think what he did was on the up-and-up and transparent.

Wings are horrible! How could they go and win this game?? I mean taking shots on the actual net from less than 40 feet? Scoring goals? Good defense? Are you kidding me?? This team needs to get their act together. Very disappointing.

There's a difference between being a bad hockey team and downright embarrassing. With our current D corps, if we don't resign him next year, the Wings could be flat out embarrassing. Like dumpster fire bad.

Glad to hear you're feeling better. I can make your re-acclimation back to the Wings much easier with a two word summary: Piss Poor

You may be right. But, our ownership has had a lot of bad signings, and non role models, just as the Cavs. BTW...Role models you say?? Riley Sheahan had a DUI (dressed in a Barney outfit to boot), Tootoo had severe alcohol problems. Todd Bertuzzi was an NHL outcast for ending another players career with a total bush league sucker punch and we signed him (people even in Detroit initially protested the signing), Probert and Darren McCarty with highly publicized Drug and Alcohol problems (I love these guys but it's the truth)?? I don't think the Wings are in business to produce/staff their roster with role models and nor do I expect them to be, but we've had our fair share of players with questions around their character that ownership willingly signed to play for us. You allude to us not having any sort of problem that the Cavs had with bad signings. "Don't make dumb decisions to start with". We've totally made some just flat out bad signings...exhibit A is Stephen Weiss. Brad Richards? Mike Commodore? Darien Hatcher? Cujo? Ray Whitney? Uwe Krupp? Our ownership and management has had their share of horrible signings and dumb decisions from the start.. My point was/is, would different ownership be more shrewd than Chris Illitch and therefore have a more success product year-in and year-out. Would we be in a better position if we would have committed to a rebuild years ago, rather than trying to piece together teams that were built to keep a historic playoff streak alive? We point a lot to our GM, and our coach, and after seeing what the Cavs did yesterday, just throwing out the question of our ownership being a part of our problem.

The Cleveland Cavaliers just did yesterday what the Wings should have done 5 years ago. Traded six players (and in the process free'd up a lot of money, got rid of player's who were good but not going to win them a Championship, got rid of locker room distractions/drama, created roster space, got draft picks, at the very least they cleared room to add a big time superstar, etc.). What happened yesterday with the Cavs clearly had to come from, or at least be approved by Dan Gilbert. Maybe we should be wanting different ownership that is less loyal, and knows when to throw in the towel and prepare for the future? Ownership that understands the concept that all professional teams(minus the Patriots) need rebuild periods and that putting together teams that have what it takes to win Championships is often cyclical.

IMO - Marchand falls in the the same type of player that was Kirk Maltby. Malts would have been suspended a lot more if he played in today's NHL. And gosh, I loved me some Malts. He was such an understated, valuable piece, to our run of Cups.

Do you think we could make a case to Bettman that with the new arena, we are really an expansion team in a new market, and therefore the Wings want to have an expansion draft to replace our entire team (coaches and management included)?? Just thinking of how to extinguish this dumpster fire.

Last nights game: Wow, that escalated quickly I don't even know where to start. Game was over half way through the 1st. Bad, ugly, bad, horrible.

I kinda liked what he brought to the game last night. Don't know about his long-term upside though. Seems like not very much. However though, I kept thinking last night....Is this kid Brett Lebda in disguise? Basically the same player from a position and size perspective.

Totally agree. Previously I watched him play, and thought that he was another Griff here for the short term...looked like he was playing over his head. Lately, he looks like a confident NHL player who is making great plays, making the players around him better, seeing the ice nicely, calm and collected/no panic, etc. Helm and some of our other players who are a bit older/more experience had better get their act together. Some of our young guys are playing like they are here to stay and possibly taking jobs away from others. Love it.

Last night for the Wings was a cluster F of bad passing, bad spacing, and good goal tending. In all reality, we should have lost by 7 goals. I love this teams engine/speed, but the cute no-look drop passes, the rink wide passes, the passing attempts to gain zone entry, etc... are garbage!! This team is showing so much potential which gets me super pumped. However, their offensive deficiencies at this point seem to be self-inflicted. Gaining the offensive zone in the 3rd last night seemed impossible as the Stars were lining up a the blue line and intercepting pass after pass. When we finally "caught on" to what they were doing, we'd have someone carry the puck into the zone there was little if no puck support and resulted in a weak/easily stopped wrist shot. Very frustrating to watch.

Fair point and I agree with you to some extent on the players from past eras. I think Sid is held in such high regard because of the few items you mention, AND the fact that he was a part of the Production Line (that basically equaled the Bruins "Kraut Line") that was previously being called in that era as the best line of all time (again in that era). He was also named to the "100 Greatest Players Of All Time" last year, but so was Feds and a bunch of other guys (Some of which i question), so moot point on that. I wouldn't be upset of 91's jersey got retired, it's just if it were my call i would vote "no".

My point was just addressing your statement about Wings players in the rafters and playing their entire career with the Wings. "Should not" = Just because Z's jersey is getting retired doesn't mean i have to agree with it. No, they should be up in the raters. I believe for their era of hockey those four were in the category of "elite of the elite".

Ummmmm...Sid Abel didn't play his entire career with the Wings? Terry Sawchuk didn't play his entire career with the Wings? Ted Lindsay didn't play his entire career with the Wings??? Lastly, to your "being a true Red Wing" Shanahan has stated that he will forever associate himself with being a Wing. Anyway, to go back and stay to my original point: 91, 13, 40, and 30 should not be in the rafters. And neither should Shanny.

i'd say no to these guys being in the rafters. I personally like it as "THE Elite of the ELITE" only up in the rafters. The "NO DOUBTERS". If you put these guys up in the rafters, then you set the slippery slope of opening the door/debate for some "equally deserving" players who were very good/great (e.g. Shanahan, others). Then before you know it, we're attending a Brett Lebda jersey retirement ceremony. Keep is at the Elite OF THE ELITE....The No Doubters.

This is a major part of our problems in the last 5+ years with our organization. We covet and want to keep our average talent with hopes of the player improving beyond which is likely realistic. IMO...we need to start trading these average players while they have still have value and start getting pieces that have proven ability...EVEN IF this puts us in situations where the evaluation of the trade seem like the Wings didn't get the "better" of the deal. I'd rather get a solid 2nd/3rd liner who can play RIGHT NOW and trade away some players who are going to be "projects" but show they have a lot of potential, than to sit on these guys who don't pan out and get nothing for them. This would also, in turn, help our cap management strategy which is garbage and has put us behind the "8 ball". Tired of this organization and all of their high hopes and pet projects when it comes to player development. Many of the players in GR which we all (myself included) tend to over hype and salivate for when looking at their performance in GR, or in Traverse City training camp. Yes, we need to have some patience and they need to be given a fair shot at making the Wings club. But their needs to be a shorter decision point, and if they can't cut it, SOME (not all) of these guys need to be packaged up and included as assets in potential trade deals. Our organization seems to think that success in GR is going to translate in to solid Wings/NHL players and it's simply not the case. The overall success of the Griffs has at times blurred the optics on some players who we think will be superstars for the Wings one day. Screw "one day". I get annoyed every Sept when i read article after article about training camp and how X or Y player is going to be a "Stud" down the road. Wings need to be more decisive with their talent decisions before it's too late and they just rot in GR/AHL the rest of their careers. There are only approx 600 players playing in the NHL...the odds are low that many these pet projects the Wings love investing in will play in the NHL..or at least not play for very long.

The process sucks

Agreed. I also believe that Holland thought that the Grand Rapids talent pool was a lot deeper and more NHL caliber than the actual reality.