SuperCalaFilppulastic!

I mostly agree. This is a different era of managing a team and Holland hasn't fully adapted. It is getting harder and harder to steal quality players from someone else and if you don't draft exceptionally well - then you have to overpay for a quality FA or give up some middle-of-the-road prospects and picks to take a chance on a proven commodity (even short term). Well, he refuses to overpay for a quality player in FA, but certainly loves to fatten up the contracts of role players. For example, he wouldn't sign Jagr or Semin to expensive 1 year deals - but will give useless inflated contracts to injury prone and role players like Samuelsson and Colaiacovo looking for "value" that end up making roughly the same amount as one "star" player. Why? Because Cleary flourished here on a chance. It would make much more sense to tie up some short term money in a star player and have to cut dead weight later if there are cap problems and let your coveted young prospects (that he refuses to trade) get some playing time. Instead he loses out on quality players, pays a ton for mediocre players, lets prospects overripe in the minors instead of gain NHL tangible value, and wastes the remaining years of our star players.... waiting... for something miraculous to happen. In the end he just says, "Aw shucks, we kicked some tires, but apparently you have to actually be willing to give something up". Truthfully, injuries have been the best GM we've had this season. It forced out the useless older players and gave our prospects time to shine. Although, thats the good and bad of it because Holland is like Golem and now Tatar, Nyquist, Andersson, and Lashoff have become the preciousssssss Wings property- which he would never let any go in order to upgrade NOW. And let's go to the other extreme. Since he's not willing to wheel and deal, spend some money on FA, or let go of old players - then at least start a true rebuild and get some draft picks with our soon to be UFAs or redundant players. You won't win in this league by being middle of the road. PS - save the Hossa talk because we all know that Holland literally did NOTHING to make that happen. /rant

What really annoys me about this is that we had several chances to sign him at virtually no risk and now we might part with assets to acquire him? Stupid.

I absolutely don't understand this either. Everyone trades generic players for value except us. It blows my mind - I almost feel like it must be that Holland doesn't even bother to try these trades.

I mean... where do we go from here? We don't have any real assets that would net a worthy return in a trade. At least nothing that wouldn't and couldn't be easily outbid by someone else. Sure, Semin at the right price would be great. But he just saw us offer 13/$90 to Suter and lose out. He's not going to take a discount. Carle... is no better than what we have. It looks like we just have to have a mediocre year and hope for the best.

God, I've always hated this clown.

-edit- See post 80

I did a quadruple take the first time I read it. This can't possibly be right. I know he's a Wings guy, but if we're going to overpay, overpay for someone who has done something. At some point we need to realize that we can spend a little money on FA's who aren't 36+ and/or lifetime Wing's players.

Check your inbox about a stream!

Gosh, these last days have been terrible. SJ gets Burns. Chicago looks like they'll be dumping the Campbell contract to Florida. Columbus picks up Jeff Carter. LA Kings get Mike Richards. Not getting to see the Wings during the draft. : (

I just feel each of the finalists had legitimate critiques and it was a toss-up. I don't understand all the complaining elsewhere. I mean, Weber only finished with a +7 and was mostly paired with Suter (+20) who is way better than any of Lids partners. Not to mention a Vezina-caliber season by Rinne. Chara was on a team that had 11 players with +10 or greater. Eight players with +20 or more. Also, the freaking Vezina winner, Timmay! All 3 are great d-men, but it's not like it is completely ridiculous for Lidstrom to have edged them out.

So exciting!

Is it possible to bench the whole team next game?

http://shockingcats.ytmnd.com/

What is this? A figure skating demo? Imagine if he tossed in a triple axel as he approached the puck, Canada might have imploded.

This is true. I was at the Colorado game because a friend gave me some nice 4th row from the ice tickets. A couple of (very annoying) Colorado fans were pounding on the glass and an usher came over and told them they have to stop.

There are usually around 3 different styles for tickets I believe: 1) The fancy ones with pictures and are a little bigger, usually season ticket holders. 2) The ones that look like Ticketmaster tickets, smaller and more basic. 3) Printable tickets that come out as a full sheet of paper with a bunch of info it. At least, those are the ones from my experience!

Yes! I'm going to the game... I was hoping it would be a decent lineup! YAHOO!

Maybe some sort of Red Wings HOF for having such a unique role on the team. No way he ever gets close to the HHOF.

I used to be a huge card junkie, quit for 10 years, and came back in the last year collecting autographed cards. Here's my small, but growing, Wings collection... http://s889.photobucket.com/albums/ac99/mrgordy_cards/?albumview=slideshow

Not that this is the most exciting thing in the world, but a friend of mine on Facebook posted this late last night. "3 run-ins and a beer with Jiri Hudler.... He's back!!!!!" I thought it was funny.

God, I am so livid. I mean, I can't believe I'm rooting for Nashville first of all, but to completely blow it with a 5:00 PP at the end of the game? And 1 of the PKers is in the neutral zone? They better pull this out.

Fil has been ridiculous this series. He looks like a superstar out there with all that confidence.

That was so bizarre, I mean if that isn't the definition of intent to injure...? What a boneheaded play. Does the NHL need to start putting STOP patches on the back of jerseys? Anyway, good period by the Wings!

One last one of this, plus a gif to come.

Just a stylized version for people to have fun with... And my submission..