Drake_Marcus

Friday: New Jersey @ Columbus Anaheim @ Pittsburgh Toronto @ Atlanta Philadelphia @ Florida NY Rangers @ Chicago Edmonton @ Colorado Saturday: Los Angeles @ Dallas Carolina @ Buffalo Montreal @ Ottawa New Jersey @ NY Islanders Boston @ Washington Florida @ Tampa Bay Atlanta @ Nashville Chicago @ St Louis Anaheim @ Minnesota Phoenix @ Calgary Detroit @ San Jose Sunday: NY Rangers @ Pittsburgh Columbus @ Vancouver Calgary @ Colorado Phoenix @ Edmonton Not sure why I'm still trying I'll never recover from two missed weeks and two partially missed weeks.

Fail. I remember the situation with Feds very well. So I'll quickly enlighten you. Detroit dropped a year off the contract without warning Fedorov or giving him time to think about the situation. He had just fired his agent and was dealing with the contract talks on his own at that point, was tied up in a messy divorce and felt hurt by the contract talks and the bitter feelings that popped up there (emotional baggage is one reason why agents are an important middle man in contract talks). Anahiem offered him less money per year, but for a longer period of time. Many speculate that Fedorov wanted a chance to be the main man in his hockey market- something he'd never have with Stevie around. He felt slighted and underapprecited by the Wings management as a result of the bitter contract disputes and most of all he wasn't really in the best frame of mind at that point. I honestly feel for him- it was a messed up situation and the Wings did screw him when they dropped a year off the contract and refused to give him time to consider the new development. The point is that Fedorov ended up being paid less in Anaheim and left a good deal of emotional baggage behind in Detroit. The bitterness behind most Detroit fans treatment of Feds is because of his contract hold out in the 97-98 season that ended with him signing an offer sheet from Carolina. (you'd understand if you knew just how dominant a player he was at that point in his career and that he hadn't yet had his "payday" to at least make up for the ridiculous dominance he displayed on the ice). Fedorov would have had his number retired if he stayed here for his entire career- he was that important. His playoff scoring numbers in Detroit were insane. He was third in playoff scoring during the nineties (behind Lemeuix and Jagr). He's one of only 3 players in NHL history to have 4 consecutive 20+ point playoff runs (Bossy and Trottier share the record with him). Anyone who fails to recognize how much Fedorov meant to Detroit and how critical he was to those three cups is just a moron.

In Kopey's defense a cricket is an incredibly hard target for a human to hit with a check... they're like what? I millimetre long?

Zetterburg is officially slumping... he just doesn't SHOOT. Someone should show him some youtube videos of himself to remind him he's lethal when he shoots. And for the love of god- STOP it with the horrible second line. They have less than zero chemistry. In fact, I think they have negative chemistry. Can we please have Z-D-H back? For one more period? *SIGH* Sorry. You guys and gals know I don't normally do this... but I hate seeing Pronger's gap-toothed mug when it isn't bleeding (figuratively or literally).

Heh, well that article is a pretty clear indication by Jagr to the NHL that he's open to offers if the KHL dissolves!

MAIL IT TO ME! I'll put it in a frame! I love Happy Hudler!

Hooves = not kosher

Dude- don't screw with Rabs. She'll eat you alive and I'll laugh while she does it.

I'm assuming you're not American (otherwise it'd be terribly ironic to hear someone from the most xenophobic nation on Earth calling the French racist!).

I honestly think this is a case of a TSN analysist talking out of his ass about a hypothetical trade just because it involves a Canadian player and a Canadian team. If Lecavalier walks the ownership in Tampa has decided to fold up shop. Bettman will lose his s*** if that happens because the Coyotes are on the verge of collapse as it is. Montreal is a really young team. If they trade for Vinny their ability to hold onto those kids just got a lot smaller. It can happen, but I honestly think it just part of the whole media machine in Montreal. Every year we hear that Montreal's trying to land all the biggest names. I'll be shocked if Vinny ends up in Montreal.

Conklin? Howard makes about $33,000 less than him, Larsson makes $115,000 less. However, Howard MUST come up next season or he'll be exposed to waivers. His minor league time expires this season. It's the exact same situation as we had with Quincey. The question is whether Howard will prove in the next 40 games that he has a handle on his terrible inconsistency. If not... I dunno- the Wings might have to trade him while his stock is high. He looked good last season when he got called up, so that does help him. Larsson won't be up here unless he continues to play allstar hockey in the AHL, surplants Howard in Grand Rapids (he's on the verge of doing that right now, although Howard's been playing much better lately) AND Howard is traded. Zetterberg won't take $5 million- that's insane. We would be lucky to get Franzen for $5 million. If Zetterberg can be had for the exact same contract as Dats we're golden. Holland himself has stated the cap won't change much next season (the season after that will probably be a s***-show).

I'd say there's an equally good chance of Mule leaving. Hossa's agent isn't a prick. Mule's agent is an absolute ******. The Wings struggled to get Mule for a mill last contract when he was a 3rd liner at best with no apparent scoring upside and his agent made Holland's life hell. This is the Mule's last chance at a big payday- he doesn't have much money in the bank right now (unlike Hossa). If Holland were negotiating with Mule directly I'd be less sceptical, but like I said- his agent significantly complicates things. Everyone here who thinks the Wings will get the Mule for 4 million is absolutely insane. The Wings will be amazingly lucky if they get him for 5 million. He'll likely go for a bit under 6 million if he says, 7 million if he goes. Look at the other contracts being thrown around in the NHL!

No way! Porter or Turris would be my vote. Porter is a Michigan favourite and fits the Wings mold. Turris has great top six potential.

Ugggg 12/14 on the weekend, 0/6 on Friday. 12/20 overall. Crap.

2 for 8 Huzza! Here comes my letter from TSN asking for my help on the playoff predictions show.

Ryan Smyth. Because he's bold enough to wear a mullet in 2008. Now that takes a pride in your waving 80's hair. Even Jagr eventually gave his up!

Oh yeah, he's a beast now. It's hilarious considering how much of a twig he used to be before

Ahhh man. I was hoping you'd introduce me to a sweet new hockey league featuring Carrot Top as a power forward

Oh god I wish. I missed two weeks, and had two weeks where I got my picks in nearly a day late... I just can't recover from that. Even assuming I picked terribly on those two missed weeks, say I got 20 points combined out of those two weeks, there's just no way I can make up a 20 pt differential over the last half of the season. I mean it's my fault I missed those weeks, but I think Sibiriak idea is great!

Double post.

Friday: Columbus @ Washington NY Rangers @ Buffalo San Jose @ Edmonton St Louis @ Vancouver Tampa Bay @ Anaheim Saturday: Carolina @ Boston Atlanta @ Florida Pittsburgh @ Colorado Washington @ Montreal NY Rangers @ Ottawa Toronto @ Philadelphia Buffalo @ Detroit Minnesota @ Columbus Chicago @ Nashville Dallas @ Phoenix San Jose @ Vancouver New Jersey @ Los Angeles Sunday: Nashville @ Chicago New Jersey @ Anaheim St Louis @ Edmonton

Good thing it's a WJC game and not something that will matter in the long run All goalies struggle for stretches, every single goalie on the all-time win list had terrible stretches in his career. All that matters is how they rebound from those strings of bad games.

I think that's the key point. Hasek, at least at some level, drove Ozzie to play his best last season. Ozzie plays his best when he's earning his starts.

Nik is a very sneaky man. He lets the other high end d-men think they've got a chance... then WAMM smacks them in the face with his awe-inspiring talent in the second half of the season. Naw, I think it just took some time for him to adjust to the visor and the new skates, gloves and stick. Seems minor, but that kind of stuff does throw your game just a bit.

Well in that case it was a great pick up. He's definitely worth 600k to the Leafs.