StevieY9802

The TSN article says that Bo is not part of the deal. No matter what the deal is this is a good move by the Leafs to get that cap hit off the books.

Good. Glad he signed the two-way deal and didn't sit around waiting for a pro-conract. If he plays the way he can and has the same attitude he had last year he'll get his chance to stay here or will get that conract somewhere else.

This is how I feel. And people need to remember that Shanny would have tied the Wings down with $4mil per for a couple years if he would have stayed and maybe handcuffed them in making some of the moves they made. He did a good job when he was here but it was time to move on. I was glad he left because like he said he wasn't part of the future and it was time to give the kids a chance. And he scored a whopping 3 goals from 03-06, not exactly someone I was ready to throw 4mil at just from what he had done before that. I also had no problem with Schneider when he was here or how he left. I think you saw how important he was when he was out in round 3 in 07. 0 for 7 on the PP in game #5 I think. And him leaving was good because they got Rafalski for what $250k more than what Schneider got with the Ducks? Good trade off if you ask me. I have no problem with anyone that didn't win the cup. If Lang or Bert or anyone would have won it I would have said thanks for helping out.

Wow throwing stats out there to try and prove your point... you've never done that before. You should be in politics. Fine let's play that game. Adam Oates is #15 all time in points with 1420 in 1337 games. And he only played with Hull for 3 seasons while his most productive season was 92-93 with the Bruins, I don't think Brett Hull was on that team and it wasn't cause of Neely either here some stats for you he only played 27 games that year. Gilmour sits right behind him and both, if Mats retired now, would be ahead of him. Oh no they played with whoever, well guess what thats what you have to deal with. Dino sits #16 all time with 608 goals. But he only had one top 5 showing. Well only 15 guys are ahead of him in goal scoring so I don't care who the hell you played with thats pretty dang good and he should have been in there. And by your argument that Sundin never played with anybody so he should be on the first ballot while the guys mentioned here weren't. Jari Kurri sits there with 601 goals and he played most of his career with Gretz so he had it too easy in my opinion so he shouldn't be in the Hall of Fame yet. Those guys had great careers and should be in there that's all I was saying. Mats should and will be in there too. Jeez.

Datsyuk - Zetterberg - Holmstrom Franzen - Filppula - Hossa Cleary - Draper - Samuelsson Hudler - Kopecky - Maltby McCarty or Downey being #13. I think Helm starts in GR because they have that option with him. But we'll see. Maybe he plays great in camp. The top two lines could be different if they break up Dats and Z. Which I wouldn't at first. Filppula finally has some wingers with him that can score, Franzen didn't show up until late last season. So if the Mule can keep kicking and you give him Hossa on the other side thats great plus you know the top line brings it every night. Filppula - Datyuk - Homer Franzen - Zetterberg - Hossa

While I agree with pretty much all of those, he'll make it in. He's had a good career lets not kid ourselves. But if he makes it in on the first ballot when guys like Oates, Dino and Gilmour didn't... that will be shady. And he wasn't always on crap Leaf teams. 99-04 they had some pretty good teams in there. I keep losing repsect for this guy every day this thing drags on. I know it's a big choice to make but it's not like his season ended in June it ended in April. So after 4 months of sitting around you can't make up your mind to even retire or not? If I was a Canucks or Habs fan I wouldn't want him on my team. I've also started to question his desire to win. For a guy who seems to be thinking about himself wouldn't you want a shot at the Cup? So many people thought Hossa was about the money and he took the same deal Sundin could have had here and Hossa was being offered much bigger contracts.

If he goes into the season with this and comes back I will lose respect for him, even though I've already lost some. Like Stevie said if you don't know if you want to retire then you should play. I'm starting to get sick of these guys doing this stuff. Either retire or don't. Just make up your damn mind.

Yeah his teeth were bad. And oh how that 98 playoff made him famous. Good thing Doug Brown was hurt and Homer got to play with Fedorov and Kozlov for most of the playoffs. I doubt he would have played other wise. Gilchrist would have played in front of him knowing Scotty.

It's EK so I wouldn't put too much into it. I think he hears somethings but guesses on who might be interested. The Pens already gave up a lot to get Hossa and it would take a similar package to get Gaborik. Also he'll be getting 7-9mil in his new deal while the Pens already have almost $42mil committed to salaries for 09-10 and only 5 forwards are signed. So are they really gonna have 50mil committed to only 6 forwards, 5 D and a goalie? Even if the cap went up to 62mil they would only have 12mil to sign 11 players. Oh and not one of those fowards is Staal.

The Tampa Bay radio guy is terrible. The Lightning could be down 5-0 in a preseason game and score in the final minute to make it 5-1 and the way he reacts you would think they just won the cup. And his voice would crack because he screamed so loud. Example: Also the Caps guy who also does the VS broadcasts. He's ok until he says score. I just can't stand it. I hate watching VS when he's doing the game. And the sad thing is he's their #2 guy behind Doc, so you get him alot. I like Doc but he does repeat a lot of the same words, but he really get's into it and he knows his hockey facts. I agree with the cast on VS and NBC though. The guys he has working with him are awful. And someone said Clement, I don't mind him as an analyst even though he can get annoying then too, but as a host he was terrible for NBC/VS. Thank god they dumped him. Mickey and Ken are great though. But I have to say Mickey is starting to slip, or he's drinking a lot before the games, because he has been getthing more and more things wrong recently.

Even if this WAS an FSN rule and not a MLB rule, how often do the Wings play before 7pm on a Saturday? Other than NBC games they almost never do so it wouldn't have been a problem. In saying that, it is stupid for MLB to have that rule, but also stupid for any team to have a game, other than the Fox National Broadcasts, before 7pm since they know that rule is there.

Well see ya later. It's just surprising why at this stage of his life he would go there, other than his son. He's got a dang cushy job here. I was hoping this was for sure his last stop.

Exactly. Maybe a little overpayment for this coming year but in a year or two he'll be worth it and maybe a steal like, as mentioned, Kronner. Edit: I have to say I like that it's a longer term deal. Something they don't have to address for 5 years is nice when they have some big ones coming up next summer.

Him having such job security gets me a little too. I know the owners want their money but do they not care about the bad parts that he has done? They have a good model in place that gets them their money that just needs tweaking to help out some small market teams so it's not like a new guy would be able to just get rid of all of it. You would think some of the smaller market owners would step up a little.

But when people argue he's overrated thats exactly what they are looking at right there. You can be overrated but still a great player. People, most people anyways, aren't saying he isn't great. The defintion of overrated is "To overestimate the merits of or to rate too highly." And when the NHL and the media keep on saying he is the best player in the league when there are others who are just as good, then that would be overrating. No it's not his fault but when a player is "overrated" is it ever the players fault? It's always the hype from elsewhere. He is a top player in the league for sure but not what some people make him out to be.

I was gonna say most of this. But to the thing about Detroit being in the west they were in the west, or campbell conference if you will, well before Bettman got here. And people blame expansion on him but teams like Tampa, Anaheim, San Jose and Florida were already going there before he became commish. Marketing has been better for the NHL and even Chris Osgood said they did a very good job this year. And some of the stuff the website does, with highlights and stuff is great I love it. Attendance: http://www.nhl.com/nhl/app/?service=page&a...rticleid=359473 Ratings in the US: The Finals were at their highest level but regular season was on par with what it has been, even though the Winter Classic was the highest rated regular season game since 96 http://www.andrewsstarspage.com/NHL-Busine...-TV-Ratings.htm http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/22476623/ (Winter Classic Ratings) More teams does = better in terms of revenue but I do think some of the teams should be moved. There will not be contraction as people have said the NHLPA won't let that happen. Less teams = less money for them. Everything else you said I am with. I personally did have a problem with clutching and grabbing in certain areas because it made the games not fun to watch. But now it's too far the other way and not consistant. Some games they let stuff go and others if you just tap someone with your glove you get two minutes. So I blame him and the league front office for that. Then the schedule to as you said "promote rivalries." So playing a team 8 times instead of 6 is going to do that? A whole extra two games? I didn't get that. And then that got the Wings not playing teams like the Leafs, Habs, Bruins and Rangers sometimes. Fans want to see teams from the other conference too. Especially now when you have guys like Crosby and AO. They would rather see those teams instead of that whopping one more home game against Nashville or St. Louis. He also ssems to be stuborn. Nashville was having trouble bringing in fans when they were winning and Balsille showed that people wanted a team in Hamilton and imagine how good it would be there taking a playoff contending team there. Balsille might not have done it the "right way" but you basically blocked him out for Boots who didn't have the money he said he did and you have Samueli lying to SEC. Either some teams need to be moved because they just can't survive in a market or the CBA needs to be fine tuned because a lot of teams end in the red. It's only a handful of the big money making franchises that hold some of the other teams up. But I don't think he would ever do that. He would rather see a team in Vegas or KC. I am also with you that he needs to lead the owners sometimes. They are the ones signing the checks and yet they blame the players for driving up prices. It's easy: don't pay them that. And yes he doesn't show passion for the game really. He looks too much of it as a business. You have to look at it that way but have passion about the sport itself too. Someone like Gretz in my mind would be great. He'll want it to be a good business, want more offense but not take out the contact. Oh and the instigator rule is stupid. That needs to be gone. Those are a few of my issues. He's done a few good things but he has taken the league as far as he can. Like was said he needs too look at whats good for the league as a whole for the long term and is a team in Miami, or wherever they are now, Atlanta, Nashville and Phoenix really good? The longer he stays I fear the more chances are he tries to turn this into the NBA where certain players get certain calls that benefit them and soon it will be women's hockey where you can't touch anyone. I still question the whole Hudler penalty late in game 6 and then the non-call on Pavel.

Exactly to what you and others have said. He made some great saves and when Roy was playing as well as he was the Wings needed those big saves. Also how good was Hasek in the come back in round 1? The save on Jovo and the penalty shot for Bert were two huge stops too in game 3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wl8wQW4Z9M That only shows a few of the saves but still fun to watch.

You really think this is the worst? I'll say it wasn't good but not the worst. They gave up no one off their roster for a big stay at home defenseman. They were hoping he would be a Jamie Macoun kinda pick-up. With being so close the cap and after trading away so much from 98-04 the Wings couldn't grab a bigger name player. And do you even know who that pick was? I had to look it up. I could agrue the Bertuzzi deal was worse because you gave up Mathias plus picks for him and then Bert left plus you didn't win the Cup. But at the time everyone thought Mathias was a mid-level prospect. 98 Wings gave up Jamie Pushor and a pick for Mironov who after game round 2 never played for the Wings again, Pushor could have done that. He probably would have made a better pass than Mironov did in game 2 against the Coyotes that gave JR that SH breakaway goal. It's hard to judge worst. Because right now Mathias will be better in Fla than Alex Grant will in Pitt. But worst trade ever? Adam Oates to St. Louis. Now who knows if the Wings ever win the Cup with Oates or what happens so I wouldn't change anything because it all worked out but they gave him up for.... nothing. Dionne was bad too but he didn't even want to be here.

I pretty much agree with that. My main things are seeing Hossa in his regular season debut. And with that goes seeing Wings and Leafs in the home opener. I'll try to get tickets but don't know if that will happen. Then if Franzen can be a consistant force. I don't expect him to play like he did from March on for a whole season, just not possible. Also psyched for Wings/Habs the day before Thanksgiving. I'm gonna make sure I'm at that one. Also the Winter Classic. I probably won't be able to go to it which sucks but what ya gonna do? Also see how Ozzie and Conklin do together. I hope they play great but I don't think anyone will ever respect Ozzie. Fans from other teams think he just played out of his mind last playoffs and he can't do it again. All he did was play steady though. Not like he went out and stole a series or anything. Can't wait for Oct 9th though!

I'm glad this place is back to the same old topic. "Wings can't win if they don't have an enforcer." I mean it's not like they won a cup without one really. And don't say McCarty because he got into one fight the entire playoffs. But that one fight in the 2nd game of round 2 made the difference when the Wings were up 4-0 already in that game. Sorry people maybe you should stop thinking you know better than Babcock. This 40pt crap that people keep saying or whatever please tell me how you figure that out. 3 pts in 56 games even if you gave him 5x the playing time, which wouldn't happen, and played more games you can't even argue with me he would get 30. If Downey was that good or could be that good he would have signed somewhere else by now. Does Don Cherry post in this forum too? "The fans want to see rock em sock em hockey." Yeah Don I want to see the Wings losing early like when Probie and Kocur were here and not those Stanley Cups.

^ Yeah what he said. There is room to sign him and whatever article I read today said they were getting close to deal and should be signed before August 1st.

You really think a 4th line player, at best, going to Europe is bad for the league? I agree for star players going there it's dumb. Because the stars will get good money no matter what. do they really need 12mil instead of 7-9? But Hartigan should stay here, probably be in the minors for most teams, and get under $100k? Good luck Mark.

well I have the game on vhs at home, cbc and abc feed so not a big deal to me. Might watch the end game 5 pistons/blazers though. Vinnie's shot with 0.7 left!

Habs at JLA the day before Thanksgiving. Thats something I'm trying to get to. Of course the Winter Classic I will also try to get to. If not the Dec. 30th game against the Hawks might be a possibility.

I will try to buy tickets as soon as they go on sale. I have already planned out transportation and hotel. Not sure if I can afford to go. But will buy the tickets first just to be sure. If I can't go they will go up on ebay or I will come in here maybe first and ask, assuming I get them of course. I don't have to worry about vacation cause I get a week off at xmas. Only day I will have to ask for off is Jan. 2nd. Going on a cruise in Feb. though is what might stretch me kinda thin. And for the people complaining about no NYE game, deal with it. You act like it was such a huge thing like Thanksgiving Day for the Lions where the whole country is watching you on national tv and all of that. I like the NYE game, and it's a tradition, but they are giving it up ONCE to play on New Years Day. They aren't getting the game taken away for nothing. Last years ratings were good what do you think they will be with probably the most popular team in the NHL playing in it. If I'm not there I will be watching it home for sure. Probably more inclined to watch it than the NYE game honestly.