Kp-Wings

It's way too early to really know what'll happen, but I'll take a shot at it. I expect that the Wings will still win the division. There are factors that go into it though. Z has to keep up his scoring pace the whole season like he is now. The 2nd line needs to start producing. Hasek needs to play better. And deny it all you want, the Wings need to keep Downey around, even if for only 2-3 minutes a game. Z said it himself: his fight really turned that San Jose game around, and gave the Wings a lot of energy. It's also nice to have someone who's willing to stick up for your teammates for once, which we've lacked for a long time now. If all that is does, the Wings will run away with the Central again. Even if a few pieces are missing, they should still win it. It's an improved division, but the Wings still have more talent. St. Louis will probably finish in 2nd. They did lose last night, but their a much better team, and have a good mix of skill and toughness. They should probably make the playoffs. Chicago will finish 3rd, either in the playoffs or barely outside. Their prospects are playing some great hockey right now. If they can get consistant play from them, and decent goaltending, they could be a force this year. I don't know about a lenghty playoff run, but they should still make it. Columbus will finish 4th, and out of the playoffs. They don't have enough talent, and despite Leclaire's 3 shutouts to start off the season, he'll tail off if he doesn't have a good team playing in front of him. Nashville will finish 5th, and way out of the playoffs. Watching them this year, they look like a dead, uninspired hockey club. The impending sale of the Preds is either weighing on the players minds and forcing them to play bad, or they just don't care anymore. Either way, don't expect much from them this year, unless they turn it around real quickly. Obviously I could be wrong about all of this. Any numbers of things could happen in the Central this year. This is just what I feel will probably happen.

Two s***ty players benefiting from 1st line minutes on a bad team. Ugh. I hate it when these Wings castoffs play like s*** when their here, yet once their gone they start producing. It's ridiculous. Williams was one of the worst players on this team last year, and now in Chicago he looks like a 1st line player. Why is it that these guys can't do that kind of stuff here? My God, Williams was certainly getting enough ice time to produce last year before he was traded.

Exactly. He's a two-way forward, but not very good offensivily at all.

That's usually what it is. How many games do they manage to lose against sub .500 teams on because they don't try hard enough? Too many, to say the least. That all goes hand-in-hand, but the fact remains that the Wings aren't playing their best.

Ugh. Why is it that the Wings always manage to play their worst against terrible teams? The reffing is also homerism at it's worst. If you're going to be pillow soft about the goaltender interference, at least call it both ways. The Coyotes 2nd goal could have just as easily been goaltender interference as the Wings 2nd goal that got called off. The Wings better pick it up. They don't do very well on Saturday night for some reason.

If Toskala was playing, the Leafs would be winning 4-1 right now.

He see's Kopecky as a big centerman with a lot of scoring and "team toughness" potential, due to his 6'3 size. Unfourtantly, Kopecky is not that all. He's a terrible hockey player that has no scoring potential and hasn't once used his size this season. No. Norton did not get any compliments from anyone last year. Mainly because his fights we're all pre-meditated (like with Peters, Ivanans, O'Brian) and he lost every one of them. Norton didn't fight to defend his teammates. He fought because that's the only thing he knew how to do, and he figured he could keep a roster spot if he did. It's too bad that he was such an awful hockey player and even worse fighter that he couldn't. It actually surprised me how long someone would reference Norton also. Everyone wants to use him as a benchmark for the Wings to never have an enforcer again. People need to realize that not ever fighter, even the most one-dimensional ones, aren't as bad as Norton.

Anybody catch Belak vs. Koci fight during Toronto and Chicago game tonight? Great fight both ways. I give the edge to Koci because he had more punches, but Belak actually bloodied Koci from a few good punches to the face. I'll try to get the video up later if anyone missed it.

No. If Holland even has the balls to make a trade like that, I would not want it to be for another soft, washed up shell that hasn't had a productive season in a long time. If we're going to give up potential star players in a big trade (guys like Kindl, Helm, Brenden Smith come to mind) it better be for someone productive, like Shane Doan, which has also rumored. We have too many Naslund type players on this team already. Because Naslund can no longer score on an effective basis, he's become a higher paid version of Mikael Samulesson. He doesn't bring anything else to the game if he's not scoring. He used to, but not anymore. If the 2nd line continues to be an issue (aka suck) then it might be an option worth exploring, just so we actually have someone on the 2nd line. But if better options are available, I'd rather look at those.

Even the current day washed up Fedorov is going to garner more then Hudler. Especially considering how bad Hudler has played this season.

Are those empty seats I see in the background? In Buffalo? Stop the presses.

If Hudler is playing on the 2nd line, then why is he still getting so much ice time? That 2nd line needs to benched, demoted, traded, or something. They are absolutley useless out there. Hudler especially, because if he's not scoring, he's terrible. He's too small, and has no defensive game at all. He's wasting a roster spot right now. Filppula is also playing terrible hockey. There, now that the cat's out of the bag, it's time we discuss how badly he's played. For a guy coming in and was expected to play a part on the 2nd line, he's been downright awful so far. 0 points in 8 games? What is going on? Kopecky... ugh. I don't even want to discuss him anymore. This team needs 2nd line help, badly. It isn't going to come from any of those three either, unless they get their s*** together soon. As much as it burns my tounge to say this, and destroys my principles, we need Samulesson back in the lineup. I'm thinking it's about time to give someone in GR a lot. Perhaps Grigorenko. At this point, it's doubtful that Holland is going to make a move, so we might as well look from within.

nvm

I'm mostly referring to a lot of American markets, that couldn't sellout a game if their life depended on it. Some of it definitly goes hand-in-hand with having a terrible team (like with Phoenix, Chicago, Boston, etc.) but I can assure you that if these teams management charged reasonable ticket prices, they would get a couple sellouts every once in a while, like on a weekend or something. In the Wings case, it isn't about the team being bad at all. It's the economy and the fact that Illitch is such a stubborn jackass that he refuses to lower ticket prices, even when there is an obvious problem. Those $9 tickets we keep hearing about are only available at the box office, and their all obstructed view anyways. Unless in you're in the Detroit area at the moment, it's not worth it. Canadian teams will never have to lower their ticket prices, because hockey is so popular in Canada. And that's fine, because it's good to see the sport is still thriving in some areas.

Ticket prices in the NHL are ridiculous for a lot of teams now. These teams need to get it through their heads that some of us actually work for a living, and don't have near $500 to shoot around like chump change. The bills have to get paid somehow, you know. The interesting thing is some of these teams are pretty bad, too, with very dry fan bases. Like Phoenix. You figure we're 2-3 years removed from a lockout which killed the sport in a great way, and yet teams are charging up the ass to attend games. This isn't the NFL, so stop charging prices like it. But, I don't live in Phoenix, so it's not an issue for me personally. But I feel for all the Wings fans in Phoenix that can't attend because the Coyotes management is so f***ed up that they charge twice the amount just when the Wings are in town. Way to drive off any possible revanue you're making.

The Zetterberg quote is like an anvil to all the "anti-fighters" around here. It's coming directly from his mouth, and the best part of it is our star player is in full favor of it. I hope Downey sticks around. He's not the greatest fighter, but he sticks up for his teammates, and does his job just fine.

He's like a young .

Wow, way to overeact over one little comment. Tell me: if you were Holland, would you sign the dead weight players in free agency just because? These guys don't have a place to play for a reason. Their either miles over the hill (Lindros) or have bad attitudes and off ice problems (Friesen, O'Neill, Carter, Forsberg). I highly doubt Holland has any interest in these guys. Hardly any teams do, otherwise, they'd have a place to play right now. I'm sure many of us would like Selanne, but why would he even want to come here? Name me a reason, other then the supposed "him and Filppula are good friends". I don't think he wants to play anymore. If he hasn't made up his mind about playing to this point, it seems to me that he's not going. But hey, what do I know? I'm just a fan that has no believability because I speak in absolutes, right?

We got ourselves a winner! If he makes the team next week, I automatically nominate him to fill the void of "lazy and sucks" player since Lang's departure. It's a hole that needs to be filled.

At that point, I did. Fedorov was still a dominant player after the 2002-2003 season, and as an important part to this team, I definitly wanted him back. Now, well, you know the answer to that.

These team needs a 2nd line, not another overpaid defenseman. Use that money to address the teams biggest and most glaring issue: lack of scoring depth.

Correct you are. If the issue was addressed by management (Holland), there wouldn't be a need for every individual topic, you know.

Best: 1. Drafting Zetterberg 2. Aquiring Chelios for Eriksson 3. Aquiring Hasek for Kozlov 4. Aquiring Larry Murphy for "future considerations" (which ended up being nothing) 5. Letting Manny walk Worst: 1. Trading Knuble for a draft pick (Kopecky) 2. Signing Hatcher 3. Trading for Lang 4. Letting Fedorov walk 5. Screwing Cujo by signing Hasek back There are a variety of others that I currently can't think of right now. I'll post some more later.

Holland isn't going to sign anyone that's still availble. Player wise, I like guys like Lindros, Friesen and O'Neill a lot more then I like Samulesson, but all 3 of those guys come with uneeded emotional baggage (especially O'Neill). 2 of the 3 haven't had a productive season in a long time (Lindros and Friesen) and O'Neill is inconsistant and, again, is kind of a headcase. As far as mentioned trades like Ryder and Doan: this team doesn't have s*** in the way of trade bait. The Wings are currently the definition of a 1-line team right now, and, contrary to popular belief, guys like Samulesson and Meech are not going to land you Shane Doan. The rookies, like Hudler or Filppula, are also both playing terrible hockey right now, and aren't going to fetch anything either. Any trades that would be made for guys like would have to include players like Kindl, Helm, Quincey, Brenden Smith, and a whole heap of high drafts picks. Holland has proven by his track record post-lockout that he isn't willing to give a lot, so a big trade is pretty much out of the question.