Kp-Wings

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2007/08/be...aska_babco.html Talks about various issues, from current forward lines, to splitting up Datsyuk and Zetterberg, giving Kronwall more ice time, and Dallas Drake, amoung other things.

That's all fine and good, but are you seriously implying Allison is worth his current asking price? This isn't a salary arbitration hearing, so just his point totals alone shouldn't be looked at as a reason to give him 3-4 million a season. He's a huge defensive lieability, is (arguably) the slowest player in the league, and is injury prone. Point totals or not, he's not worth the money. No. This current roster needs a top 6 forward in some shape or form, and badly. Not that I would want any of the players on the current free agent market, but it's totally foolish to not do anything because Kopecky would lose his roster spot. Kopecky has proved nothing, and is on this team for the sheer fact that he can't clear waivers because of his age. He should have to earn a spot. Filppula did, at all odds.

There's a contrasting difference between an invite and actually signing the player. You know that. I don't know enough about the guy to actually say one way or another, but a defenseman his size would actually *gasp* give the Wings an intimidating defenseman. Our most feared defenseman (physicality wise) right now is probably Lilja, which is extremely lame. Unless he's that bad a skater, I'm in favor of giving him a shot sometime down the road. It doesn't hurt to take a chance.

Soundgarden - Pretty Noose

I've seen some of the biggest homerism by far in this thread alone. /soapbox on For one, Lidstrom should not be ranked ahead of Crosby at all. Crosby is single-handingly turning that team around. Oh sure, guys like Malkin, Staal, Recchi, and the like are helping but it's Crosby that is the true face of that franchise. He's without a doubt the single best player in the league, and there hasn't been a player as good or even as close as him since Gretzky. Lidstrom is a great player, but no way is he better then Crosby. Same goes for the unbelievable pedastal people are putting Zetterberg on. Yes, Zetterberg is a good player, but he's not a top 5 in the league. And just look at some of the names some of you are putting him ahead of: Thornton Heatley Ovechkin Lecavalier Kiprusoff Pronger These guys are all better players then Zetterberg, and they've all proven more then he has. Thornton has a Hart Trophy to his credit. Heatley is coming off of back-to-back 50 goal seasons. Ovechkin won the Calder Trophy his rookie year. Lecavalier scored 50 goals last year. Kiprusoff won a Vezina a few years back, and Pronger has won a Norris Trophy before also. These guys I listed have all proven more then Zetterberg, and are better players. Yes, Zetterberg can have the injury argument made for him, but I really don't think he was even on pace for 50 goals last year, and he certainly wasn't going to win a Hart Trophy with Crosby around. I'm not completely discrediting Zetterberg, as he is a great player, and is definitly a top 20 player in the NHL. But a top 5? Get real. Please, let's stop with the ridiculous homerism in here. Before I finish, I should clarify that while Zetterberg is the best defensive forward amoung those I named better players, they've all still accomplished more during their respective careers, and are not exactly slouches in their own end either. If this was a Mariusz Czerkawski vs. Zetterberg contest, then yes, it's obvious who'd be the decifered winner, because Zetterberg is miles away a better defensive player then Czerkawski. But these other names I mentioned, while still not as good defensivily as Zetterberg, are still decent defensivily. Their not all one-way offensive minded players like Czerkawski. (I should clarify the Czerkawski comparison is coming from when he scored 35 goals in 1999-2000. Not his present day form of playing in Switzerland) Since they aren't bad defensivily, and have accomplished much more offensivily then Zetterberg, that makes them better players in my opinions. If they were all bad defensivily, it'd be a different story. But their not, and some like Heatley and Thornton have an overall decent defensive game. /soapbox off

Does that give them an excuse to constantly bash it though? I don't think it does.

Sigged for truth.

He's swedish though, and that trumps all.

He's horrible. Allison has become extinct in the new NHL, and I'd be very surprised to see any team desperate enough to land him. Concussions have all but finished Scatchards career. I'd like to give him a shot, but I don't see him playing at all next year. Vanannen wouldn't be bad, but he's not worth the money he's asking for right now. I would be very happy to see the Wings sign Johnson. It surprises me that he hasn't landed with any team yet, because he is a good player, and provides great scoring depth from the checking lines. Yes, which is mainly the reason why he's played in the Eastern Conference his whole career. A name people are forgetting is Jeff Friesen. While he is coming off two very bad seasons, he did play very well for Anaheim in the 2006 playoffs, and has been a known playoff performer throughout his career. He'd be a great pickup for a cheap contract. I don't see any of that happening this offseason though, which may be for the better.

I don't see how Ward wouldn't fit. He makes 2.75 million, which is a little over what Markov made last season. Markov wants more money now, in the 3.5-4 million, but I'd rather have Ward, who is more physical and is an expert at shot-blocking. Not to mention he's far less injury prone. I'm not a big Glen Murray fan, but he is still a top 6 forward, and he'd at least give us something decent on the 2nd line. Right now, our 2nd line consists of Franzen-Hudler-Samulesson, which is very weak. Murray would give us some scoring depth, so we could move Franzen off the 2nd line (because he is not a top 6 forward by any stretch of the imagination). Axelsson is a defensive forward, and doesn't suit any of the Wings needs right now, so I doubt they'd really be after him. I don't know where you get Kovalev from as a potential pickup, but I'd be very shocked (and angry) if that happened. Kovalev is the ulimate definition of an "I" player. We don't need him. (if we did have Kovalev though, it'd give Grapes more a reason to hate us )

Murray and Ward are the only two that fit.

He's still an RFA who isn't under a team contract. Unless they choose to relinquish his rights, he's still technically in their system. Frazee has been talked about more lately, so you might be right. I think he might be the one who takes the reins after Brodeur.

The names he suggested aren't goons. Clowe scored 19 goals on the 4th line in San Jose last year. Neil scored 16 goals on the 4th line in Ottawa in 2005-2006. I also fail to see how Kopecky qualifies as an inexpensive goal scorer. 1 goal in 26 games is sure gawdy numbers, isn't it? ...and just clarify Detroit #1 fans post, by skilled Euro's he means Datsyuk and Zetterberg, who don't have anybody on the team to protect them. Name one person who will protect these guys. I'm interested to hear what your answer is.

nvm

Yeah, and Edmonton sucks. Your point? You know what I mean. Thank you. Finally, someone who understands the concept. Franzen is a great example. He could easily have fought someone in those situations. I mean, considering his size, there is no exuse to why he doesn't fight. It isn't goon hockey like some think of to actually stick up for your teammates. It's team toughness, which is something the Wings don't have, contrary to popular belief.

QFT This team may have mild levels of gritty players (if you all want to consider that) like Drake or what not, but in no way does this team have team toughness. Not at all. Example: Ryan Johnson (St. Louis) runs over Hasek flat to the ground, and not a single guy goes over and defends him. Team toughness is when someone, even if not a fighters, goes over and drops the gloves and defends their teammates. Not wait around like dogs and let the refs make a call. Another example: Ville Nieminen (St. Louis) runs over Lebda with an extremely obvious cheapshot. Who defends him? Nobody. I give credit to Chelios for trying to do something, but it's pretty pathetic when the rest of the team is so weak that a 45 year-old has to go over and straighten things out. And even then Chelios didn't actually fight. Not that I really want him to be the one to do that, but somebody else should have. Example #3: Raffi Torres (Edmonton) comes barreling into Williams like Fred Flintstone running to start his car. Does anyone come to the aid of Williams at all? No. Not a single person did anything. They all stood around and waited. I could go on all day about the millions of examples of how the Wings do not have team toughness. Team toughness is when you go out and defend your teammates if an injustice is taken upon them. Not sit on their hands and wait for Colin Campbell to hand out a meek 1-game suspension. The Wings may have some (by some I mean few) gritty players, but they don't have team toughness by any stretch of the imagination.

QFT To call us loser fans or something stupid like that is ridiculous. The Tigers have been underachieving lately, and it's pretty normal for us fans to be concerned. There's a difference to being a fan and being a blind homer. One win means nothing. We're still out of the playoffs, we're still behind Cleveland for the division, and we're still behind Seattle and New York for the wildcard. I don't see anything in that scenario that is supposed to make me happy. Yes, we are all aware of the Tigers struggles the past 20 years. You're not the only one who's been a Tigers fan their whole lives, dating back to the dark years of the 90's. We all have. That doesn't mean we have to be satisfied by a long losing streak just because their overall record is better though. It's still underachieving, because this team has all the making for a World Series title. As it stands right now, we're not even in the playoffs. There is no reason for us to be losing to fringe playoff teams like New York, or worse yet Tampa Bay. Hopefully they start turning things around, but if they don't, don't expect me, or anyone else for that matter, to sugarcoat it.

New Jersey still owns the contract rights to Ari Ahonen, who was their 1st round draft pick in 1999, and was projected to be the starter after Brodeur. He's currently playing in Finland, but I'm sure he'll be brought back once Brodeur retires.

Be it through relocation and not expansion, this would be a great move.

This forum never ceases to amaze me. I can't believe anyone actually thought OsGOD was serious. In that case: I sure do hope the Wings sign Niinimaa!!!!!!11

Maltby is a notorious chicken, but surprisingly his fight card does have him in quite a few fights even as recent as the 2003-2004 season. Since the lockout though, he hasn't had any (I don't consider the Roberts thing a fight, because that looked more like two girls dancing with each other). I want to find a Maltby fight, just to see how he did. If he can actually fight, I don't see why he doesn't. I know about his eye injury, but Jarome Iginla fights with his visor on.

Nobody could predict Carter would play that badly, considering he was just coming off a 33 goal season. Even though pretty much all of those goals came from his enhanced play by the Sedin twins. Regardless, no way in hell would I have even considered signing Carter if I was an NHL GM. There is a reason why he's played for virtually every team in the league: he's a cancer, and none of his teammates like him at all. Notice that almost every team he plays for also fails to make the playoffs when he's on the team. Coincidence? I think not. Like I stated: his play was enhanced by the Sedin twins. Still, I don't think anyone expected him to play as badly as he did in Columbus.

Everybody said the same thing about the Capitals when they traded for Jagr. That team has been ridiculously unseccessful throughout it's entire existance. Yes, they made the Cup finals in 1998, but they haven't won a playoff series since then, haven't even made the playoffs since 2003, and are notorious for being on the receiving end of 1st round upsets whenever they do make it. I think maybe with their new core group of players, and if their extremely high 1st round draft picks they've had pan out, they could be a force once again. Maybe.

QFT You all know I like fighting and am in no way anti-fighting, but I do not like Brad Norton. That was embarrasing watching him fight. Especially against Andrew Peters when we played Buffalo. Wow. I wish we did have a fighter, but it has to be one who can actually win fights. Norton can't.