Florida Wants Hudler For Bertuzzi

[RyanBarnes! 293]

I seriously doubt the Red Wings would offer a conditional pick that could potentially be upgraded to a 1st. If there are trades to be made I would assume Bertuzzi would be a secondary one where the primary trade (Guerin, etc.) would gobble up that 1st-rounder.

If they're serious about landing Bertuzzi, they probably have no choice. A Red Wings 1st pick isn't even in the top 20. Most other teams can afford offering more for Tkachuk or Guerin and perhaps even Bertuzzi if they dare take the chance.

[SwedeLundin77 460]

Alternatively, Bertuzzi might not play another game this season, and then sign elsewhere in the offseason. Are you willing to give up Hudler and picks for free?

The question is not, am I willing to give up picks and Hudler for free... The question is, am I willing to give up picks and Hudler for a healthy Bertuzzi which the answer to is yes.

Does the trade come with risk - yes. Do we have an opportunity with Florida's permission to have our team doctor's give Bertuzzi a rigorous workout and examination just like we did for Hasek, Belfour, etc...? Yes. So if they clear Bertuzzi to play, I'd say he's worth it for a guy who more than likely won't be an impact player in the playoffs or in our future because he is easy to shut down by other team's top defenses. Again, we do NOT need an undersized soft euro to add to our already soft team.

Does anyone remember why we got shut down so easily in the playoffs last season? Because we weren't tough enough, because Edmonton's bigger tougher guys could suffocate our smaller scoring threats and keep us contained. If we want to make a serious run this season, we need to have some risk. Any trade we make is going to have risk. Guerin may revert back to his Dallas days wit a differnt club because chemistry changes, Tkachuk may take stupid ass penalties and never be a scoring threat in the playoffs, and so on. I am still willing to give these guys a chance because we need the bigger, tougher, grittier goal scorers and these are pretty much our top options right now. Any way we go will come with risk.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I am really on the fence on this one.

Bertuzzi has pretty much all the deliverables the Wings need in an extra player or two...Size, willingness to throw the body, respectable finishing touch.

Will he maintain his health though?

That's the same question we've asked with Yzerman over and over again in recent years. Yzerman is the man, no doubt about it, but I don't care how great of an athlete you are...the body slowly fading physically always wins out, for everybody. And Yzerman did a damn good job of defying time physically for a long while. This is the same question we are risking with Hasek and so far (knock on wood), it's working out.

I don't think the coach or management has it out against Hudler in terms of not giving him enough ice time or anything like that. I bet he's frustrated, but he cannot get ahead of himself thinking he should get 1st/2nd line minutes instanty when he still has to work his way up some. I'd absolutely love for Hudler to work out in Detroit and eventually get to 1st/2nd line status in a few seasons. I just don't know if that will happen though.

I don't like Bertuzzi personally, I think it's embarassing for the part he played in the injuring of Steve Moore (and that's the end of that, I refuse to go in a giant debate over that instance). However, if he were to come to the Wings, I'd keep quiet about my feelings toward him personally.

Do we want results now? If that's the case, go with Bertuzzi.

Do we want to prep for the future? If that's the case, keep Hudler.

I keep going back and forth on this and this would be one of those would-be trades where if it happens, you just don't know if you win/lose until a few seasons down the road.

[Turretin 0]

Two concerns about Bertuzzi:

1. Is he really healthy? I'd like some proof before we do anything.

2. He has always struck me as a locker room cancer. Anybody else get that vibe?

[dicksmack 33]

Well, Guerin may well go to a rival since other teams have more to offer in the way of draft picks and prospects, so it looks as though we have to give Bertuzzi a close look. A roster player is going to have to be involved. ALL of the IFS aside, Bertuzzi doesn't need to be 100% to be effective for us. By 100%, I don't mean the Bert of old, a one-man wrecking crew, like he was against the Blues that year. His hands/vision are first rate and if he can just create space with his strength, as Lang has for us, then he'll fit like a glove.

A team has to deal from its surpluses, and we have plenty of small, skilled guys.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

For the past three seasons Detroit has taken the same route and failed miserably every time. I can't believe people are unwilling to give up Hudler to try a different path.

[johnnyoski 0]

For the past three seasons Detroit has taken the same route and failed miserably every time. I can't believe people are unwilling to give up Hudler to try a different path.

I have no problem with giving up Hudler...I just have reservations about Bertuzzi being the right move.

[RyanBarnes! 293]

I have no problem with giving up Hudler...I just have reservations about Bertuzzi being the right move.

Fair enough.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I have no problem with giving up Hudler...I just have reservations about Bertuzzi being the right move.

Unfortunately we can't really be choosy. Big-ass gritty scoring wingers are not exactly the easiest type of player to find, so when one comes available, you can't say "no, I want a different big-ass gritty scoring winger." No, Bertuzzi's not ideal, but he's the type we want, and Hudler was voted Most Likely To Fold Like Origami In The Playoffs for his high school yearbook (he's EXACTLY the type to get pushed around and disappear) so if Bertuzzi's healthy, it's the move to make.

If Holland is really good he could play it like this: Put up a big stinky fuss about what a terrific talent Hudler is and how it's soooooo risky to trade that amazing talent away for a guy coming off back surgery that we can't even see play, and convince Florida to send a draft pick our way if Bertuzzi's not healthy enough for the playoffs. And offer a conditional pick if Bertuzzi re-signs with us.

[Turretin 0]

There is no way we get Bert AND a draft pick for Hudler. GMs still need to save face. Remember that Bertuzzi was the only thing he wanted in the league in exchange for Luongo. Bert's trade value has already plummeted, but I don't think it's that far down.

[epps 0]

Hudler for Bertuzzi is a no-brainer ASSUMING we have a lot of confidence he will be healthy enough to be effective. Otherwise, I wouldn't give up anything other than a conditional pick that favors us: (i.e. 4th rd pick that becomes a 1st or 2nd if he plays a certain percentage of games this season and maybe another 3rd rd pick if he resigns.)

[betterREDthandead 58]

There is no way we get Bert AND a draft pick for Hudler. GMs still need to save face. Remember that Bertuzzi was the only thing he wanted in the league in exchange for Luongo. Bert's trade value has already plummeted, but I don't think it's that far down.

No, that's kind of what I meant.....if we trade for Bert, and he's unavailable to us - i.e., he's too hurt to play and then signs somewhere else in the summer, that would be the conditions under which we get a pick, in my fantasyland. That way it's a pick for Hudler, at least from our end. Still a gamble, but if Bertuzzi's really hurt, and we give up Hudler anyway.....well, Florida wasn't going to get anything at all for him in that case. So they get Hudler, we get a crack at Bertuzzi, and a pick goes in whichever direction it needs to in order to make up for whoever takes the hit.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

For the past three seasons Detroit has taken the same route and failed miserably every time. I can't believe people are unwilling to give up Hudler to try a different path.

It's obvious you don't think Hudler is going to be that much of a difference maker, but others in here might think he will be just that. Maybe not this year, but down the road if he gets more time. I don't know if a halfway healthy Bertuzzi is worth the risk.

[gbdet 0]

Just want to point out a few things.

The guy made a mistake. He 's got to live with it forever. He was sticking up for his teamate(WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT) and he went overboard. He apologized and he served his sentence. I don't believe for a second that he intentionally tried to break his neck.

"we already have too many smalish centers"

So just because we already have a few that are small , we should trade the rest even if they have great potential because we don't need anymore??????

If a player is gifted, you keep that player and build around them... you don't trade them because "oh we already have a guy that size that plays center"

You don't trade Hudler just because "we already have enough small centers"

Don't get me wrong I don't think Hudler will be the next Zetterburg, but it is his first year in this league, and despite not getting a lot of ice time he has managed to put up decent numbers. To me.... that means potential/

I would trade Hudler for the right guy coming back... but not just because he's small and we have to many of those type.

Hopefully Bertuzzi doesnt play before the deadline so that way Florida would have to lower their demands and we wouldn't have to give up too much..

I would love to have him on our second line.

Bottom line: He is a big guy with scoring touch and can set up plays as well... but the best part is that he is physical, he can fight.......AND HE STICKS UP FOR HIS TEAMATES!!!!!!

Quincey+Williams+(conditional pick) (if he resigns) or (if he plays in all playoff games)

[rick zombo 3,739]

Quincey+Williams+(conditional pick) (if he resigns) or (if he plays in all playoff games)

I'd rather have Quincey (a reliable stay at home, effective defensive defenseman) than Hudler.

NOT that Quicey is a better player, but he is a rare commodity in Detroit's system.

Hudler could possibly be replaced by Mursak or Emmerton.

[TheChosenOne 0]

man, wouldn't that be something if Nashville got him?

[redwing711 0]

Am I on the right boards? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago people here were complaining that Babcock should give Hudler more ice time. Now so many people are willing to just toss him aside for a rental player that may not even be able to play. What if we did get him just to defend Datsyuk and Zetterberg and he reinjures his back on his first night out. How is that going to help us?

[RyanBarnes! 293]

Am I on the right boards? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago people here were complaining that Babcock should give Hudler more ice time. Now so many people are willing to just toss him aside for a rental player that may not even be able to play. What if we did get him just to defend Datsyuk and Zetterberg and he reinjures his back on his first night out. How is that going to help us?

Then at least they tried something new. Detroit is soft and smallish, what is Hudler going to do about that?

[gbdet 0]

Am I on the right boards? Wasn't it just a few weeks ago people here were complaining that Babcock should give Hudler more ice time. Now so many people are willing to just toss him aside for a rental player that may not even be able to play. What if we did get him just to defend Datsyuk and Zetterberg and he reinjures his back on his first night out. How is that going to help us?

What if.... we don't get him and Dats and Zetts are left to fend for themselves and they both get injured...

What if we do get him and we win the cup?

What if Hudler turns out to be better than Datsyuk?

[YoungGuns1340 1]

What if.... we don't get him and Dats and Zetts are left to fend for themselves and they both get injured...

What if we do get him and we win the cup?

What if Hudler turns out to be better than Datsyuk?

If Hudler turns out to be better than Datsyuk, then it will all be forgotten because Filppula will then turn out to be the new Sid Crobsy.

Seriously, if Hudler ever turns out to be the next Datsyuk, then we can save ourselves the 5 years of Hudler's playoff busts.

Edited February 20, 2007 by YoungGuns1340

[TheLegend19 1]

Bertuzzi's probably not even at 100%!! He is way too risky to acquire. Thats like throwing away a good prospect to get an injury ridden player

I'd say he's worth it. For who? I don't know. But we need a guy that can contribute and knock some guys around.

[Guest Crymson]

I'd say he's worth it. For who? I don't know. But we need a guy that can contribute and knock some guys around.

Gimme a break. You assume that he will contribute. If he doesn't, he's just another Brad Norton.

[redwing711 0]

Just want to point out a few things.

The guy made a mistake. He 's got to live with it forever. He was sticking up for his teamate(WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT WE WANT) and he went overboard. He apologized and he served his sentence. I don't believe for a second that he intentionally tried to break his neck.

"we already have too many smalish centers"

Well, I'd like to point out a few things too. First of all, you aren't the only one entitled to an opinion on Bertuzzi's past. Yes, we want someone who will stick up for his teamates, but not someone who will injure with malice ending another's career. Oh, and yes, I've heard the arguement, it was only Steve Moore, he wasn't much of a hockey player anyway. So, does that mean it is ok for Bertuzzi to decide when his career ends? No, league should have been able to decide his value. The funniest part about all of this is that because Bertuzzi did it to an average player, playing for one of our rivals, the incident is of no consequence. I'm sure attitudes about picking up Bertuzzi would be completely different if he had done that to a Wing, say Yzerman or Zetterberg. I really have nothing else to say about the Bertuzzi incident.

If management decides to pick him up I will support this team as always. If they do pick him up I hope he turns out to be exactly what this team needs and not another disappointing trade.

What if.... we don't get him and Dats and Zetts are left to fend for themselves and they both get injured...

What if we do get him and we win the cup?

What if Hudler turns out to be better than Datsyuk?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but Bertuzzi would be a deterrent to other players taking cheap shots at our stars, but he won't be their shadow constantly. Just having him does not mean neither Zetterberg or Datsyuk get injured. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he usually retalliate for a hit on a teammate. Retalliation means the damage has already been done. How is having Bertuzzi going to prevent injuries.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Bertuzzi's return delayed

Bertuzzi's trade value just went down. No GM - including Holland - is going to want to trade a decent prospect for a guy that cant return to the lineup til AFTER the deadline.

[wingslogo19 281]

That's a pretty big slip. No matter what he does or how well he plays, he's always going to be known for hitting Steve Moore from behind and dragging his head onto the ice. It may not be fair, but that's what he's known for. That's what I meant by headcase

Ok well that happend in 2004, GET OVER IT, and he didn't drage his face on the ice it was the other 8 players that jumped on him and Moore.. HE KNOWN FOR BEING A HARDHITTING POWERFOWARD

Bertuzzi did not "drive Moore's head into the ice", nor did he mean to break his neck. Do you hate Dany Heatley too, or just Todd?

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