NomadFromKazoo

As a 30 year fan, had you considered with over 23 guys we want to keep in Detroit this year we sent the guys who didn't need to clear waivers and the guy we thought would clear waivers? Just a thought.

I read the USA Today article this morning. It wasn't bad. But the reasons we WON'T have a cup hangover. - We're deep, and the competition on the team is steep to begin with (the article mentions that) - We're deep, which means we don't need to play a limited number of players for the next 9 months to repeat (the article doesn't) - We have so many guys who have been through it before and understand what it takes, and a leader who isn't going to let down or accept it from others - We have guys who were on 2, 3, 4 Cup winning teams who realize their time isn't endless and want to win again and realize not winning it sucks no matter when you lose The NHL slope is steep, but Hossa came here for what we should see in our own team, it's something special.

I don't totally disagree with you, but in the NFL contracts aren't guaranteed, which is a major difference. There was risk to the Wings too if Zetterberg had been a bust, they would have had to still pay him. In the NFL the team could have cut him if he didn't do as well as expected. So why should they be able to do that but the player not ask for more of he does better then expected?

Is this a joke? Can one of the most classless group of fans of one of the most classless teams in the NHL get over Bertuzzi's "emotional 'baggage'?" They will revel in it. They'll hope he does it again. Seriously, they've tried it before, running our goaltender, attacking our players, and then doing it in the next round against teams like the Sharks. The Flames suck, Bertuzzi sucks, they deserve each other.

It's a non story. He's from there, his parents are there. Obviously he's true to the Wings as a player. It doesn't even say he specifically wants to end there a player there. Anyone surprised by this doesn't know anything about him. If he said he wanted to retire a Canadian I'd be surprised, but a Black Hawk? No. I'd be surprised if he said other. And again particularly the way he said it.

I'm thinking maybe we want Erickson playing in GR, not sitting in Detroit.

This is so sad. I mean sure, people lose jobs, people die, tornados destroy homes. But none of this compares to your terrible story that you didn't get to seeing your team win the Stanley Cup in the game you attended, you had to watch your team win the Stanley Cup in the next game on TV. I mean on fricking TV! This is just heartbreaking.

I say no to all. I can't say you can't make ANY case for any of them, but none of them are definite yesses and it should take a definite yes to get in. Foresburg is probably the best but he's not had the longest quality career, too many injuries. Oh, and he's an Av.

He's better known now then we realize sometimes. I'm in an e-mail group who talk hockey of Sharks fans from when I lived in SJ. I brought up Kronwall as one of our rising players. They knew ALL about him and talked about him now as one of our top D players after Lidstrom now. Not the one they want to play. I have no doubt he's going to be known across the league. My biggest concern is that he stay healthy like he did this year.

This is a good deal. Granted it does make it tough on us next year, but then it gets better and better for the next four. The only way to keep the core of the team together is like this. If we do short term deals eventually we just run out of room. I like Hudler, but Filppula has the size and more upside.

We are generally a classy organization, but unfortunately Bertuzzi wasn't unique. We signed Hatcher and sure sounded darn close to signing Dirty Eddie. How you win does matter, I wish we wouldn't sign those players ever. With Bertuzzi, the problem with him going to Calgary is now he's on a team of thugs. He's on the downslope as a player, but as a thug? I'm sure he can still hold his own. The Sharks took them out in the end, but they were the thugs they always are and the NHL's consistently demonstrated they are just not interested in doing anything real to stop it.

You must not have read the whole forum, there are quite a few on both sides. Certainly Mac didn't come in and tear up the rink, but he didn't seem to get burned either. He was a cog. Holland obviously knows his business and who's available. Even if he is swayed by the past no way Babcock who wasn't here is and as was repeatedly pointed out he chose Mac over Downey THIS YEAR. Not even with a summer of conditioning and getting back in the system. I don't see the lose here. We offered him a 2-way. Some theorize he'll get better with a summer. Good theory, we need to see how it goes. But the 2-way gives us maximum flexibility there. It seems like management and the coaches are playing it just fine.

Again, his being under contract is only an issue if the Wings won't let him go. Obviously they would. So why did he stay? And I clearly said I am NOT criticizing him, only saying he can't have it both ways. Actually read your post, it says you hope mine was a joke then you don't address my point other then the irrelevant you can't leave under contract when the Wings clearly would have let him go and probably paid him a pile of cash to do so. If you want to insult posts at least back up how you disagree with them. I hope yours was a joke.

You don't think the Wings were going to let him go? No, we want to pay you six mil a year to sit on the bench when we hit the jackpot and got the best goalie in the NHL (at that time). I'm making the assumption the Wings would have agreed to let him walk away. They probably actually have agreed to pay him a bunch of money to walk away. But he wanted the whole six mil a year. That's why he didn't walk away. And that's FINE. I'm not criticizing him for that. I am saying he can't stay for the whole wad of dough AND have been treated badly. Clearly the Wings would have negotiated his release but he CHOSE to stay and can't have it both ways.

I'm so tired of hearing that we treated Joseph bad. It's nonsense. He could have walked away any time he wanted. Why didn't he? M-O-N-E-Y. No one was going to pay him what we were. I am not in any way criticizing him for staying and taking the money. But it was his CHOICE. We didn't do anything but pay him millions to sit on the bench when he could have gotten up and walked away and signed with anyone he wanted any time his little heart desired. He can't have it both ways. He can't stay for the cash and still have been "treated pretty bad." He CHOSE to sit on the bench because he wouldn't walk away from the cash. He stayed for money. He wanted the bread, dough, smackers, buckaroos. In what way does a guy who wouldn't leave because he was so well compensated he would sit on the bench here instead of leaving and being a starter somewhere else make him a victim of anything? I do agree he's not coming back, but the reason is that I don't see us giving the starting job with Ozzie having the year he did, I don't see Josphf as an upgrade from that. Joseph isn't going to sit on the bench when we have a cap and can't overpay him to do so.

The question should read, are you over or under 30. In no possible way is this disrespect to Lidstrom who is a great leader keeping them where they are. But Stevie Y MADE the Wings what they are. A pure goal scorer who lit up the scoreboard for a perennial loser. He learned D, led by example. His aggressively blocking shots set the stage for the big names the Wings brought in that if Stevie does the dirty work, you will too. Everyone who came here learned this was Yzerman's team and you're welcome if you want to win Cups. No matter how much you love Lidstrom, and I do, no way to someone who remembers both their careers and hasn't lost their mind they choose Lidstrom.

As long as it's a Wing I won't be too upset! My votes in order though would be: - Zetterberg - Unless he stops scoring, if he breaks point records I don't see how he's not the pick - Ozzie - Over Ozzie fractions of a percent behind Zetts - Rafalski - Lidstrom Wild cards Franzen - I know he's been out, but still, 12 goals? And if he comes back and starts piling them on again, you gotta consider it Homer - What a nice message that would be to send to the fricking refs. Obviously he's getting to people, which is his job. Though I have a hard time taking it particularly from Zetterberg or Ozzie for that.

I agree. Better to take what's available and a fit then force what isn't there to work. Clearly this was a fit and I don't see the scoring winger we "let get away."

Just curious, so what trade for a 2nd line scorer did you see that we could have offered more and it would have still been in our interest to make the deal?

Uhhhh.....or how he said the Wings offer was an insult before he left for LESS money then we offered him? Maybe that could have something to do with it? Fine, he left, but don't change history and blame Wings fans to boot.

Please. No disrespect to Cujo, but what a load. If he'd have been willing to give up guaranteed salary and let us cut him he'd have been gone. He didn't want to, HE WANTED THE MONEY! That's FINE. But you can't have it both ways, he prefers to sit on the bench and collect his check to leave, start somewhere else and get less money. We screwed him NOT!

It's so, so early to even be thinking that. All due props to Ozzie, but this is typical for Hasek and Ozzie has never been a shut down goalie in the playoffs like Hasek can be. I'm not saying Hasek should start at this point either, just TBD.

I have nothing personally against Forsberg. He never acted like Claude Lemieux or Patrick Roy in the classless behavior of that organization when the rivalry was hot. But is anyone more associated as an Av? I don't understand why any Wings fan would want him unless they are just too young to remember the rivalry and why we hated them. This is not international diplomacy where making a deal with a devil may lead to a greater good. I hate the Avs and while I would not say I would not ever root for a player who ever played for them I would not root for any player ever who IS an Av. Forsberg IS an Av no matter who he plays for.

Exactly. If we had too many signings we'd be bashed for not developing and using the farm system. But here's two upgrades we had from the end of this season over last. Kromwell and Rafalski on the ice over Kromwell and Schneider gone for the season.

Sign Markov if we can? No brainer, absolutely!!!!! If we give up 20 shots a game that's a lot less goals we need to sign a forward to score and he was a big part of that.