Andy Pred 48

Kronwall 385 games 181 pts Stuart 795 games 284 pts Lidstrom 1494 games 1108 pts Smith nil Kindl 51 games 4 pts Ericsson 163 games 33 pts.

Antti Bruun 31yr 6'0" 192 lb shoots L Vladimir Sicak 30yr 5'10 196 lb shoots L Richard Lintner 33yr 6'2" 214 lb shoots R Hannu Pikkarainen 27yr 6'1" 196 lb shoots L Josef Melichar 32yr 6'3" 214 lb shoots L Daniel Fernholm 27yr 6'4" 225 lb shoots L Daniel Tjärnqvist 34yr 6'2" 201 lb shoots L Michal Barinka 26yr 6'3" 225 lb shoots L Vladimir Denisov 26yr 5'11" 207 lb shoots L Sasha Pokulok 25yr 6'5" 230 lb shoots L. A few extra guys all shoot R all FA's. Peter Podhradsky 31yr 6'2" 203lb. KHL Karel Rachunek 31yr 6'2" 220lb. KHL Karel Pilar 33yr 6'2" 205lb. KHL Ivan Majesky 34yr 6'5" 240lb. Elitserien Some AHL R Shooters. Brett Carson 24yr 6'4" 225lb. Mathieu Roy 27yr 6'1" 209lb. Tyson Strachan 26yr 6'3" 225lb. Tim Conboy 29yr 6'2" 225lb.

Would Kenny really get Smith in as Lids partner? Nic was only a 21 yr old when he made his NHL debut a 3rd round steal maybe but no one thought he would be as good as he has been. A skinny 6'2" D man thrown in at the deep end,80 games and 60 points later and hey, we got ourselfs something here guys. 20 years later and a HOF lock in, possably the greatest D to have worn the winged wheel, well im not saying Smith is going to be as great, but who better to learn the defensive aspects of the game at NHL level trhan the master. Smith's offensive abilities are there for all to see, his skating is great which makes him a level above Kindl, Kindl is good but Smith is alot better. If Kenny does bring in a 3/4 D man, id still go with having Smith in as 6/7 and split the year with Kindl, see who earns the 6th spot. Kronwall Stuart Lidstrom Smith Ericsson UFA Kindl looks ok to me, sometimes we have a prospect that doesnt need the extra time in GR, Smith is it and next year itll be Nyquist.

Oleg Piganovich, Ive mentioned this guy before about 4 years ago. Not a top 4 in the NHL but id say would be upto a 5/6 slot. Played D in front of Hasek last year so Kenny could always ring the Dom up for some inside info. Big body, good reach and a cannon of a shot but he is a lefty so maybe not what we are after. Set the record for the most goals scored by a defencemamn in the RSL in 07-08 with 22 in 56 games. Also plays physical and not afraid to get his nose dirty.

well i cant see us getting a notetable name in the FA season so i thought i would have a look to see who's out there and could do Kenny a job on the 3/4 lines or a 6th D. (plus he may be cheap!!) also how about a reclaim project as well. Justin Morrison 1998 round 3 #81 overall by Vancouver Canucks has some size put up some numbers in the A has been playing in Finland. Ladislav Nagy 1997 round 7 #177 overall by St. Louis Blues plenty of NHL exp, has been in the wilderness playing in the Russian, Slovak and Swedish leagues since leaving the Kings in '08. Could well be worth a shot, still only 31, possable 2nd line scoring winger? Janne Pesonen 2004 round 9 #269 overall by Anaheim Ducks this guy put up big numbers in his only season in the A, had good production in the Finnish league and has been good for a point every 2 games in the KHL the past 2 season's. Vitaly Atyushov 2002 round 9 #276 overall by Ottawa Senators, a veteran of the Russian/KHL spent the last 10 years at Metallurg Magnitogorsk where he has been Capt the past six season's. Has played for Russia over 40 times. Unlikely to leave his homeland, but you never know. Mark Bell 1998 round 1 #8 overall by Chicago Blackhawks has been playing in the Swiss league the past 2 years. Last played in the show for the Leafs in '08. Still only 30 and could be Kenny's next re-claim project. Mike Iggulden never drafted but managed to play a dozen games in the NHL between 08-09 scoring 5 pts. Played just over 300 games in the A getting nearly 240 points. Has good size and only 28. Erik Reitz 2000 round 6 #170 overall by Minnesota Wild local boy Eric has never reached the level he promised to.He was voted OHL Most Outstanding Defenseman "Max Kaminsky Trophy" in 01-02 and was in the AHL all star game in 07-08. He is a solidly built defenceman who will stick up for his team mates. Another re-claim for Kenny this time on the D, maybe playing for his home team will bring out the best from him well think that'll do for now, anyone else bored and want to add to the list?

your all looking at this like fans,(I KNOW)Kennysee's it? this is the chance to get the 2nd line scorer we need. Kronner is going to move up to the 1st pairing with Nic snr (he will stay) and Hudler will be used in a trade with a pick to get the a higher draft pick, at the end of next season,is when Kenny goes after the D man. Kenny gets his much needed 2nd line guy with the extra money he has and also a solid 2nd pairing D man. FA's of note; Patrik Berglund,Andrew Ladd or Drew Stafford would be good. Anton Babchuk,Andrej Sekeraor JanHejda. All would do a job on the 2nd pairing. Hopefully Kenny has a high enough draft pick to get someone who can come on board as early as next year.

With Rafi throwing in a curve ball, what will Kenny do if Nic says he's off too? I mean Nic might now say, well my old partner has called it a day so I may as well ride off into the sunset with him. Dont think anyone has suggested this as yet, as we all assume that the Capt is staying for another year. Now that would cause alarm bells to start ringing. Kenny may just throw out an offer to an RFA no?

some things the coaching staff do baffle one, i mean Ville was top point scorer in the Finnish league, so he must be able to play on the grinding line in Detroit right? the wings cocked up on this one, we saw what he did playing on Pavs line but in the end it came down to a numbers game and Ville lost out. still he did ok in Philly and will probably get himself a nice raise or a new home (straight swap for Huds?) since he's been at Philly hes Played 94 21+36 with a +16 and playoffs Played 30 10+16 with a +9, not to shabby for a castoff.

the Wings have hit Europe for some unlikely targets and may do the same again this summer. Who would you like them to pick up from one of the Euro leagues. My choice would be Sergei Mozyakin from the KHL, but i think he is more than happy in Russia and also he would want more than the previous 2 guys and he would also command a roster place straight off.

its the experience over rookie factor each year with Kenny. He has stated that they need to make changes and the need to get grittier is very eviedent. But then he says that the guys have to be able to play and not just add the grit and sandpaper. Well those players are usually your 1st round drafted guys and they aint gunna come cheap, so as per usuall we'll end up waiting till the back end of UFA season and maybe pick up a couple of veterans who'll add 'LEADERSHIP' to the team!! Well how about being, pro-active just for a change Kenny, make something happen. I hear we discussed the possability of adding Zach Bogosian before the playoffs, well go get him now Kenny, oh wait a minute, he's on $3m+! Then work out a way of adding him, but that might mean letting one of our vets go eh Ken or tradeing away a top earner. If it makes the team better surely we have to start making some moves. I dont want any of our guys to go but eventually they have to, Oz,Drapes,Mo and Ruslan is nearly $6m off the cap if we let them walk. But Kenny will find a way of keeping Oz and Drapes for another year no doubt. Mo's done and Rusty was just a year gap signing. So once again there wont be any major players coming in cause we like the status quo and the players deserve the option of letting the front office know when they want to hang them up. I'll be amazed if im proved wrong by Kenny, but i doubt it. My plans would be this: I would try and get Doughty and Bogosian in this year even if Nic does come back. Id let Salei and Ericsson go. Kindl would be the 7th D man again and give Smith another year with GR until Nic and Raffi retire at the end of this season coming. Draper, Modano, Miller and Osgood I would let go and id try to trade Hudler. Freeing up roughly just over $10m. Secondary scoring and the grit issue, well the two wingers i would choose from would be Jakub Voracek and Sergei Kostitsyn, Voracek has more size but Kosi has more skills. The grit well how about Brad Staubitz or Cody McCormick, either one could do a job on the 4th line. The other option is to have one guy do both the secondary scoring and provide some grit,Anthony Stewart or Brandon Dubinsky. With the comings and goings and the proposed cap going up these suggestions could be done. The D would be set for 5-10 years after Nic and Raffi are gone and deals could be done with Doughty and Bogosian that they would get a raise after the first year when Nic and Raffi ease off another $12m when they retire. Roster next year Howard MacDonald cap hit $2.9m Doughty Kronwall cap hit $7.3m Lidstrom Bogosian cap hit $10.5m Stuart Rafalski cap hit $9.75m Kindl cap hit $0.821 Franzen Zetterberg Cleary cap hit $12.8m Kostitsyn Datsyuk Bertuzzi cap hit $10m Eaves Filppula Mursak cap hit $4.3m Abdelkader Helm Staubitz cap hit $2.3m Holmstrom cap hit $1.875m Total cap hit $61.1m. is that just under the proposed new cap?

Nail Yakupov not sure if he's in this years draft or not, the next Feds?

Zack Stortini anyone?

thats the problem with the Wings, we havent got enough Russians on the roster!! Alexander Radulov, Evgeny Artyukhin, for Dats, and on the D; Alexei Yemelin, Ilja Nikulin.

with a bit of dealing by Kenny; Franzen Zetterberg Jakub Voracek Bertuzzi Datsyuk Cleary Lauri Korpikoski Filppula Eaves Abdelkader Helm Mursak Holmstrom Kronwall Zach Bogosian Lidstrom Rafalski Stuart Kindl Smith. Howard Larsson Gone in trades or not re-signed ; Hudler Ericsson Draper Modano Salei Osgood Miller

ONLY IF HE BRINGS HIS MATE FROM THE CAPS, THINK HE WEARS #8 OR SUMMIT

they may be divers, but they are bigger faster and playing harder than us all series. Kennys season starts in 2 periods time im afraid to say.

i wonder if the Wings scouts have an eye on the youngest of the Ritola brothers. Martin turns 18 in 2 weeks time and has just had a solid year in the Swedish u20 league as a 17 yr old. At 6'3" and 220LB at 17 has gotta be worth a look.

I think that the teams are pretty much on a par with each other. I just have a feeling that we have 4 or 5 guys playing that are carrying injuries, and its catching up with us. Maybe we can put in one big game tonight to pro-long the inevitable, but its going to be another long summer.

Zetterberg Datsyuk Tatar Bertuzzi Helm Franzen Eaves Filppula Mursak Cleary Modano Hudler Lidstrom Smith Stuart Ericsson Kronwall Kindl Howard Osgood why not? cant do any worse than where we sit at the moment.

not sure it'll matter much what lines we use, the fact that Sharks have our # lately and Babs continued line tinkering thru the season adds up to the same as last season. 4-1 series win for the Sharks, maybe we could go 1 better and steal 2 games but thats as far as this team goes with the roster we have this year for sure. Id like us to get Smith, Tatar and Mursak in, young guys who can skate and have a high end skill level, but that wont happen as the stakes are too high to throw rookies in now. A line of Eaves Helm and Mursak would have the speed to keep one of the Sharks lines honest and hemmed in their own end most of their shifts. Smiths skill and skating ability would be a no brainer for most of the other NHL sides to have used already this season, but not at this stage of the playoffs, and Tatar reminds me of Hudler only faster and a better eye for goal. There will be next year but will any of them be allowed to make the step up?

experience, says it all really.

this is a home banker as Buttman and his cronies what the holders in the playoffs. we'll do well to keep within 2

got to thinking when was the last time one of the aces got called up to play a game in the playoffs? i couldnt recall if any of them had so i was wondering who'll be this years aces and would any get a shot at playing. I got a funny feeling that Gustav Nyquist is going to be included in this years aces. so who'd you think is going to be on the list this year? Mursak Tatar Emmerton Nyquist Tardif Andersson Smith Janik Meech Mcollum macdonald

if Nabby reports to the Isle for the last few games they have left, would this lift his suspension and make him a UFA next season? if so kenny should ring Nabby tell him to swallow his pride and report, then there will be a contract waiting at the joe in the off season for him. That does seem to simple to be true but is it?

i think we should bring him up if Lids retires, but then again playing him with Lids for a year would benefit him and the Wings. so bring him up anyway