sean

This is, to some degree, status quo about head injuries though. Many teams are shy to disclose them. It probably has to do with the idea that with each concussion, concussing becomes easier. The head becomes a target for opponents. This isn't really the case with injuries like Lidstrom's.

So, just to be clear, he was out before the car accident?

I believe he was out before that. I also remember reading that someone asked him if he crashed as a result of his concussion, but I can't find the source at the moment, sorry (he said no, btw).

trade cleary for pierre mcguire

Unfortunate for Ty, but I bet the Red Wings org. is happy to have him in GR. Holland's over-ripe philosophy goes over a lot well when GR is actually a good place to play. They look like a high school team some nights...

Hard to evaluate Ovie's play when the org. as a whole is mediocre at best. It's something hard to identify, but, for whatever reason(s), I don't really ever real as though the Caps are the real deal. (Whereas, for example, the Pens are a clear threat almost every year). Perhaps it's because their star players are incredibly non-committal, perhaps it's because their GM can't really assemble a complete hockey club, even when he's got some of the best on the planet on entry-level contracts. It's dangerous when you get that 1st or 2nd overall, because you're usually a cellar dweller and it's awfully tempting to take a 'go with what you know' approach with a player like Ovie. Nobody told him otherwise. Who was captain of the Caps when Ovie showed up? I know they didn't have a good coach. Crosby had Mario, and others. If Ovie had 'grown up' with the Wings these past 5 years or so, he'd be a much different player.

I think he and we want the cup too badly for that.

FWIW, here are picks 29 and 30 from 2002 to 2006: Chris Summers Matt Corrente Steve Downie Vladimir Mihalik Mike Green Andy Rogers Patrick Eaves Shawn Belle Hannu Toivonen Jim Slater Adam Munro Dave Steckel Some decent names in there, but also a lot of total no-names. Kyle Quincey would probably be 3rd or 4th among this list? That alone makes this trade worth it, IMO. Not to mention all the ancillary reasons mentioned thus far.

in what? UFC? There seems to be a disconnect these days between what is fun to watch and what makes an effective NHL team/player.

On what station was the first video in this thread? When a professional reporter takes a side, you know it's bad.

I, too, mispell Sergei's name as an underhanded insult; cheers! As your quotee hinted at/mentioned, you don't even need to consider Yzerman's leadership, character, etc, to say he was one of the league's elite when he was younger. Dude was lights out.

I thought for sure this was going to be a sarcastic thread, guess not! The Wings look rattled. It doesn't matter if you have the best team in the league, nobody plays well rattled.

Really early, but I like Letang.

I don't mean this rhetorically: has anyone ever seen a puck hit a visor? I've watched a good amount of hockey over the years, but I can't ever remember being like, 'good thing he's wearing a visor'. Are those visors designed to remain intact after being subjected to a 100 mph slapshot?

I love going into the season knowing that I will get to watch one of San Jose or Van flop AGAIN. This has got to be getting embarrassing for them.

I've heard more than a few questionable Abs stories that I will not repeat here, haha

Zetterberg always seems like he's trying to get stronger, but that seems to come with some sacrifice in terms of speed and agility. I remember this happening a few years back, I think, too. He sort of hits his stride midway though the season, I bet. We should use or depth to rest these guys up.

And on top of this, think of all the stupid moves he DIDN"T make. In the midst of GMs everywhere throwing stupid money around and handing out unsustainable cotracts, Holland has played it pretty cool.

He's not too overpaid IMO, even if he only plays at this level (which is actually decent). Things will look a little more proportionate when Kronwall gets his new contract, which will probably be 5-6 million. Lidstrom taking a huge pay-cut, with respect to what he could be making, also makes E's contract look bigger. Also, you can bet that having 10 million or so in cap-space this offseason sure played into his agent's hand. Finally, keep in mind that E's contract is only about 2.8 million in 2010-2011 dollars.

You truly believe that the medical community has the concussion thing down-pat? That there is nothing left to learn? That we went from smelling-salts to experts in 10 years? I am no doctor, but based on what I've read, nothing could be further from the truth, especially with respect to long-term impact. If doctors did know everything, I'd doubt they'd be collecting brains. The 15 minute time-outs are indeed a result of the fact that we are so UNCERTAIN about head-injuries. If you are uncertain about something, the only logical recourse is to take every precaution. Other than the above, I think you make some good points. I, too, have thought about boxing, wrestling and the like, where concussions are pretty much the goal. But I think it just goes back to branding. No sane human wants their child to turn out like Mike Tyson. I personally hope that children don't idolize UFC champs. Again, if one day, Crosby does something that the media even suggests is weakly connected with his then-history of head-injuries, that will be a black day for the game of hockey. The NHL's success has much to do with its reputation. As business entities, I don't think comparing NHL and NFL is apples to oranges. Reputation and 'friendliess' of the game go a long way. I don't know, I'm personally all for being as cautious as possible with respect to the brain. Other injuries, I agree, part of the game. But, moreso than any other organ, your brain is who you are. That is indeed your essence. You look at players like Igor Grigorenko, who broke his legs, and can't play on the level he wants because of it. But, I would argue he is still Igor Grigorenko. Someone like Savard, who can't even stand to be in the sun, I'd argue he's a changed man to some degree. That's f***ed up.

The thing is, players ARE that stupid. They truly DON'T know the long-term effects of concussions. I'd say 90% of players are still stuck in the 1980s mentality with respect to concussions, which includes bits like: -It's not a concussion if you don't black out -You are 100% fine as long as you can remember your name! -I was feeling dizzy back there on the ice, but feel 100% better after returning to the bench (see: Sid Crosby/Dave Steckel). To be frank, I'm pretty sure doctors are not even certain of the whole story on concussions, and I think this perceived excessiveness has a lot to do with that. It is sort of like this (heads up for bad analogy): If you are digging up a rock, and as you dig, the rock appears to be getting bigger and bigger, what container should you bring to carry away the rock with? The only real logical thing to do is a bring a very large one! I think that is where we are with concussions, we know we don't know the whole story, so we're erring on the side of caution. Furthermore, you argue that if a player says he can play, he should play. Certainly, that is not in the best interest of the league. Do you know how cool it is to be able to see Wayne Gretzky speak? Hockey is lucky he is still healthy. Who knows what following the NHL lost because they lost 10 years of Lindros' career, who knows what they would lose if Crosby didn't err on the side of caution and played himself out of the league last year. I can tell you it would look very bad for hockey if in ten years you're seeing things like 'Crosby suicide suggested to be due to repeated head injuries'. Let me ask the board this: If you watch NFL, what is the feeling towards the relationship between the league and its players? I think a lot of people think the NFL is basically whoring its players--that an NFL career is not sustainable, that players are sometimes seriously damaged after a 10 year career. Sometimes to a point where they have a hell of a time representing the game well. The NHL would be wise to avoid this type of image, and keeping players healthy is a good way to do it.

Resting/benching Eaves doesn't really mean he's not in the top 12. He's a known quantity, whereas Babcock still wants to know what he's getting with Emmerton and Brunnstrom. With the depth we have, we should view a healthy scratch in a different light than we have in past seasons. I'm all for using our depth to give regular players a breather now and then. Just due to leadership issues, I might not go as high as Dats or Z, but why not use our depth to give Flip or Clears a game or two off? 82 games is a lot of games.

Brought to you by Carl's Jr!

I somewhat agree, although the mark of an honest fighter is not dropping your KO'd opponent on the ice. Asham let Beagle down easy, and, having not smashed his head on the ice, Beagle is better off for it.

Same ol' Flip is good ol' Flip, IMO. Plays great D, knows the Wings' system, usually turns it up in the playoffs. I think Flip playing on the third line has to do with the fact that the Wings like to be strong down the middle, and Flip is a natural center. Larionov was once a third line center.