Kp-Wings

Hasek was a given to come back. Rafalski was a great signing, and I will never discredit Holland for this. He is such a great replacement for Schneider, because he's way better then Schneider. He's just as good offensivly, but also doesn't suck as defensivily like Schneider does. In fact, Rafalski was on the PK for the Devils quite a bit last season. Signing him was definitly a great move. I am not with the Hudler signing. I have never liked Hudler. Maybe it's just me, but I really am not a big fan of small, skilled, European centers. Not my type of player. If he's a good as everyone says he is and does well next season, then I'll be the first to eat my crow with a side of garlic butter sauce. But until I see it, I won't like the signing much at all. Grigorenko is unproven. No comment. Adam Berkhoel is a depth goalie. He'll replace whoever Howards backup was in GR (Logan Koopmans or Stefan Liv, either one). Brad Ference is a good pickup. I wish he had a chance to make the team though, since he hits a lot, and fights too. But, he's more then likely headed to GR, unless Babcock grants my wishes and gives him a chance. Mark Cullen is just another depth signing for GR I guess. I'm not really big on these, but I see the bigger picture. GR needs players, and Cullen fits the bill. As I look at it, Cullen is a better player then I had thought when they signed him, since his College numbers were pretty good. He might still have potential left in him. Overall, my only beef is the Hudler signing, since I never really liked him much at all. But, I'll live. I just hope he grants my wishes for Asham. If he does that, I'll stop bashing him.

So, you're predicting Holland is going to sign some useless player that the Wings don't need? Wouldn't shock me if that happened!

The Wings can win with Europeans, because they've done it before. But for the love of God, there are way too many of them. We don't need the entire team based of European players (as of right now, only 3 of our 12 forwards are North Americans). Are guys like Mikeal Samulesson or Tomas Kopecky really needed on this team? Not at all. It's not an anti-Euro thing, but I'd like to see it evened out. 6 North American forwards and 6 European forwards is fine with me. But not 3 North American forwards and 9 European forwards. Half of them are all identical clones as it is. Guys like Samulesson and Kopecky are useless, non-contributing factors to this team. There are other, better options out there. If Holland wants to keep it European based, then I hope he would at least replace these guys with decent, grittier players like Ville Niemenen or Eveny Artyukin. But it doesn't look like that will happen.

It mystifies me what goes on inside that GM office at MSG. Gomez is probably the most overpaid player in the league now. A small makeshift playmaker who scored a whopping 13 goals last year is making more money then Joe Thornton, who is probably the best playmaker in the game and is a consistant 100 point scorer. I don't get what's going on with that deal. Gomez banked in off the Rangers stupidity. I don't know how they felt he was better then Nylander. Because he's younger? Regardless, it's still a horrible deal. Doesn't really bother me a whole lot. I've never been a Jaromir Jagr fan by any sense, so if they flounder next season, it won't really hurt my feelings at all.

As much as I like size, this is a horrible option. Semenov is more of a pylon then Max Kuznetsov. Note: We don't need cavemen on skates. Again, I am a fan of big, gritty players. But Semenov is such a bad skater. He doesn't use his size nearly enough as it is either, so that's a double whammy.

I should sig this. This is one of the funniest things I've ever seen here!

Great! Thank God there are more people then just me, Detroit #1 fan, and Lou that thinks this lineup is pretty bad.

That's where my bitching about Holland comes in. He actually thinks Kopecky can play full time.

That looks so depressing. Replace Kopecky with someone decent, and maybe I could live with that, even in disagreement on the second line.

Better yet, let Avangard have him. Get him out of this country already.

nvm

You guys support Hudler like he's Wayne Gretzky or something. Why should I even bother though? None of us matter. We don't have a say in how things go. Babcock does. My gut feeling is Hudler either will play or won't.

I'm all right with Bertuzzi, Schneider, Lang, and Calder all going. There weren't going to help this team much at all. What I'm not happy about is our current second line. And with the lack of decent UFA's left, it will probably look that way come October (then I'm granted bitching rights, right Matt? ).

Oh Christ. So you thought that was a smart move? I should say it again: I don't mind the players Holland lost to Anaheim and what not. Bertuzzi sucks, and Rafalski is way better then Schneider. The thing I'm mad about is I'm still staring at a dominitly European based team that doesn't factor much grit at all. Liberties will still be taken upon the Wings next season. The Wings will still be called ******* by every single sports media outlet. That is what I'm mad about. That, and the second line. I'm tired of the same s*** every year, and Holland just lets it happen. I will compliment Holland on the Rafalski signing, since he is way better then Schneider. So I'm not all negative.

Wasn't it Dean Lombardi that traded for Dan Cloutier and signed him to a 2-contract extension before he even played a single game for the Kings? I don't exactly call that savvy management.

No, but wouldn't it be nice to have one for once? Yet again though, the 2nd line will suck. A s***ty player, a small player, and an unproven player will be our second line. Thanks Holland. Edit: I should clarify something here. The reason I'm pissed is because has Holland basically came out and said that he is done signing players, and will go forward with the team as is. That means we have only 3 North American forwards on the team right now. I can see the Euro media jokes next year right now. Not to mention we still don't have anybody on this team that will defend anyone if liberties are taken on them. And I don't expect it either, since Holland apparently likes the team as-is.

I don't care what month it is. I can already tell you that line will suck. Samulesson sucks, Hudler is small, and Grigorenko is unproven. How am I supposed to look forward to that? Please tell me. Just because other teams overpaid for these people doesn't mean that that's the only thing they would have been signed for. Also notice that three of those players went to horribly managed teams (LA and NY Islanders). You can't dictate everything that goes on because a few stupid GM's in the league believe in overpaying players.

What? I'm a brick wall because I don't like these completely useless signings? If Mark Cullen was a player intended for the minors but could help the Wings if called up, then I'd feel differently. But no, the Wings sign another soft, skilled forward. It's get's annoying after a while. But, whatever. Let's just agree to disagree.

The Wings second line is going to be totally non-existant this year, as it will probably be Grigorenko - Hudler - Samulesson. That sucks. I think we have a right to *****. Holland said he wanted to sign a top 6 forward. He didn't do it. So why should we not be bitching? Seriously, the second line is going to blow so hard this year. Any line with Samulesson on it will do so.

Even worse, I'd think we'd sign the camara man from the news station. At least Ned comes with that personailty of being able to annoy the other team into taking penalties.

Ken Holland would be great in that movie! It is a great movie though.

I do realize they had a depleated roster, but again: The Griffins have a GM of their own. Let him worry about it.

Typical LGW response: He did score 20 goals 2 years ago!!!!11one!!!1!!!11!!!!!1

The Griffins have a GM of their own. Let him worry about their team. Every year Holland makes these signings for some reason. Last year it was Matt Hussey, Josh Langfeld, Krys Kolanos, Dan Smith, Brad Norton (not initially, but you know what I mean), Dominic Vicari, Scott Barney, the list goes on. That's 7, count 'em 7 signings all for GR. Half of those guys hardly even played down there anyways. Langfeld was being sat up here, Norton sucked, Kolanos ditched the Griffins for Switzerland, Vicari played one game, and Barney was traded half way through the season to another AHL team. The only guys that stuck out of that group were Hussey and Smith. I wish Holland would focus on his own conerns first (aka the Detroit Red Wings), rather then continue to make signings that are on a one-way ticket to GR. It doesn't help the Wings at all.

Mike Milbury, the ridiculous deal monger, is no longer the Islanders GM. The DiPietro 15-year signing, which was the biggest one to happen without Milbury, had nothing to do with Garth Snow, the current GM, anyways. That was mostly a doing by the teams owner, Charles Wang (Who is the 3rd worst owner in the league behind Bill Wirtz and Jeremy Jacobs, by the way).