The sky isn't falling guys...

[Cicada 4]

This is by no means a bad off season. We'll be fine. We're in a LOT better shape than any other team in the Central. I mean COME ON. The blues have pinned their hopes on Paul Karyia.

in defense we lost Schneider and Markov. So yes we lost a vetaren defenseman and a good grindind defenseman. But we got Rafalski, who's a great defenseman, younger and right handed shot. Maybe our #1 PP unit won't be so one sided now. It also gives a chance for players like Quincy, Meech, Ericsson and Kindl to crack the line up, This is no bad thing. If guys know they're only going to come up if they'res an injury, whats their motivation? We've got the deepest defense prospects in the league, i we've still got Nik Lidstrom. It's not the end of the world.

Yes, we lost Lang, Calder, and Bertuzzi.

err....WHO CARES.

There were more threads moaning at Lang last season than any thing else. aflacs gdt's renamed him LAZY AND SUCKS in the firgging graphics. He needed to go. Calder was an utter bust after his hot start. He just stopped playing and was utterly anonymous in the playoffs.

And Bertuzzi...

i was excited when we got him, but he really didn't live up to expectations. He wasn't the physical power we wanted him to be. He wasn't the scorer or grinder we wanted him to be and at times he looked lazier than Lang. I don';t consider it a bad thing that he's gone. So what Anaheim got bigger, well fk them then. I'm not worried about Anaheim.

We've resigned Hasek, good. He's old, but great. If he breaks down so be it, but Howard isn't ready yet judging by his patchy form last year. Who else should we pick up. Belfour? Andrew "Roxanne" Raycroft? Make a trade? Whats they point? Hasek is still on of the best in the league...AND HE'S CRAZY!

I hear all these comments about Hudler. what a waste of money he is. This "Kid" scored 15 goals and 10 assists while averageing NO TIME all year. He was one of the most productive players in the league given point totals to ATOI. When we had injuries and he played 2nd line he more than pulled his weight.

"BUT he's a defensive liability", you say. Not really. The guy was a +16 for crist sake. Defensive liability my ass. He had a better +/- than Homer, Schender and your golden boy Valterri Flipppppulululula. He was certainly a lot more defensively effective than Bertuzzi was, who just seemed to hang about the red line most of the time.

And you guys are moaning about us signing GR depth. Why is that a problem? It won't count against that cap. We have to consider that Dan Smith, Josh Langfeld, Matt Hussy, Brad Norton and the depth that Holland signed last season are gone. These are signings that need to be made. You can't run a team on prospects alone.

Would i like more signings. YES. So would Ken Holland. But this board has spent the 6 years that i've been on it bashing him time and time again. And you know what? He ALWAYS gets it done. So we haven't won a cup since 2002. Thats not his fault. EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR we had the team to do it. And we'll have it again this year. I'm not worried if we don't sign anyone else. I like our line up, it looks solid.

THE SKY ISN'T FALLING.

just be thankful you're not a Nashville fan

[Majsheppard 203]

I decided if the offseason is good by if we are the best in the division.

I decide based on if I think we can win the cup.

Yes we can, but we could have done so much more.

I don't like us choosing Hasek over the talent on the top six forward market.

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

I decided if the offseason is good by if we are the best in the division.

I decide based on if I think we can win the cup.

Yes we can, but we could have done so much more.

I don't like us choosing Hasek over the talent on the top six forward market.

Would you like Osgood or Howard as our starting goaltender? Especially since Hasek played like a $6 million goalie last year? Don't be ridiculous.

[Rice 42]

Yes we can, but we could have done so much more.

I don't like us choosing Hasek over the talent on the top six forward market.

No, no we couldn't have. Once Schneider was gone, Holland had to find a replacement for Schneider. He turned to Rafalski, who is actually an upgrade. Rafalski's deal meant the Wings would have three big money contracts on the team, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Rafalski. The other free agents out there who would've been worth acquiring were Smyth, Briere, Drury, and Gomez -- all of which were out of the Wings' price range after the Rafalski signing. After those guys, there were some mediocre names on the market who all ended up getting much more than they deserve -- unless of course you think Bill Guerin is worth $4.5 million. Hasek did nothing to prevent the Wings from signing (overpaying) for anyone. The market was too high. No point in wasting that cash on mediocrity.

[Cicada 4]

No, no we couldn't have. Once Schneider was gone, Holland had to find a replacement for Schneider. He turned to Rafalski, who is actually an upgrade. Rafalski's deal meant the Wings would have three big money contracts on the team, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Rafalski. The other free agents out there who would've been worth acquiring were Smyth, Briere, Drury, and Gomez -- all of which were out of the Wings' price range after the Rafalski signing. After those guys, there were some mediocre names on the market who all ended up getting much more than they deserve -- unless of course you think Bill Guerin is worth $4.5 million. Hasek did nothing to prevent the Wings from signing (overpaying) for anyone. The market was too high. No point in wasting that cash on mediocrity.

exactly...we sign on of those high priced FA fowards and we're going to stuggle to resign Zetterberg in two years..

[kylee 727]

Would you like Osgood or Howard as our starting goaltender? Especially since Hasek played like a $6 million goalie last year? Don't be ridiculous.

as much as i lovee Ozzie,

there would be no way with this crop of forwards that Detroit would make it out of the 2nd round.

i'll take dom over ryan smyth anyday.

so glad hes back.

if Detroit had to go with a different goalie situation then i would absolutely believe that this year would have been the "rebuilding" year that has been talked about for so long now. Or worse yet, dealing with Red Light Raycroft with the Wings

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

If I shoot a bullet in the sky, will it put a hole in the sky causing it to fall then? Sounds like a good scientific experiment.

[JayUp88 1]

This is by no means a bad off season. We'll be fine. We're in a LOT better shape than any other team in the Central. I mean COME ON. The blues have pinned their hopes on Paul Karyia.

in defense we lost Schneider and Markov. So yes we lost a vetaren defenseman and a good grindind defenseman. But we got Rafalski, who's a great defenseman, younger and right handed shot. Maybe our #1 PP unit won't be so one sided now. It also gives a chance for players like Quincy, Meech, Ericsson and Kindl to crack the line up, This is no bad thing. If guys know they're only going to come up if they'res an injury, whats their motivation? We've got the deepest defense prospects in the league, i we've still got Nik Lidstrom. It's not the end of the world.

Yes, we lost Lang, Calder, and Bertuzzi.

err....WHO CARES.

There were more threads moaning at Lang last season than any thing else. aflacs gdt's renamed him LAZY AND SUCKS in the firgging graphics. He needed to go. Calder was an utter bust after his hot start. He just stopped playing and was utterly anonymous in the playoffs.

And Bertuzzi...

i was excited when we got him, but he really didn't live up to expectations. He wasn't the physical power we wanted him to be. He wasn't the scorer or grinder we wanted him to be and at times he looked lazier than Lang. I don';t consider it a bad thing that he's gone. So what Anaheim got bigger, well fk them then. I'm not worried about Anaheim.

We've resigned Hasek, good. He's old, but great. If he breaks down so be it, but Howard isn't ready yet judging by his patchy form last year. Who else should we pick up. Belfour? Andrew "Roxanne" Raycroft? Make a trade? Whats they point? Hasek is still on of the best in the league...AND HE'S CRAZY!

I hear all these comments about Hudler. what a waste of money he is. This "Kid" scored 15 goals and 10 assists while averageing NO TIME all year. He was one of the most productive players in the league given point totals to ATOI. When we had injuries and he played 2nd line he more than pulled his weight.

"BUT he's a defensive liability", you say. Not really. The guy was a +16 for crist sake. Defensive liability my ass. He had a better +/- than Homer, Schender and your golden boy Valterri Flipppppulululula. He was certainly a lot more defensively effective than Bertuzzi was, who just seemed to hang about the red line most of the time.

And you guys are moaning about us signing GR depth. Why is that a problem? It won't count against that cap. We have to consider that Dan Smith, Josh Langfeld, Matt Hussy, Brad Norton and the depth that Holland signed last season are gone. These are signings that need to be made. You can't run a team on prospects alone.

Would i like more signings. YES. So would Ken Holland. But this board has spent the 6 years that i've been on it bashing him time and time again. And you know what? He ALWAYS gets it done. So we haven't won a cup since 2002. Thats not his fault. EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR we had the team to do it. And we'll have it again this year. I'm not worried if we don't sign anyone else. I like our line up, it looks solid.

THE SKY ISN'T FALLING.

just be thankful you're not a Nashville fan

[Wildwings44 5]

Great Post Cicada! Thanks

Edited July 6, 2007 by Wildwings44

[spydrwebb 0]

agreed, most people need to just relax.

[puckloo39 5,686]

Would you like Osgood or Howard as our starting goaltender? Especially since Hasek played like a $6 million goalie last year? Don't be ridiculous.

You're wasting your time saying "Don't be ridiculous" to this guy. He's determined to find something negative to say about Hasek. Some folks enjoy being venomous. So be it.

For those still pondering what the wait was about, rest your brains. It was Dom, trying to talk the Wings out of paying him too much. Hasek was NOT trying to screw the Wings over (just the opposite). He's NOT the reason we didn't run out and get at least 3 or 4 marquee players. We didn't have the money and Kenny was never going to do that. Now that Dom signed for less than he's worth, maybe they can commit some money to other resources.

[IceMunkee 15]

I decided if the offseason is good by if we are the best in the division.

I decide based on if I think we can win the cup.

Yes we can, but we could have done so much more.

I don't like us choosing Hasek over the talent on the top six forward market.

Wait, wait, wait. A top six forward over Hasek. Hasek signed for 2 mil, possibly 4 after bonuses. 2 mil out of this salary cap. Have you seen what other players are going for. Hasek once again is the deal of the year. He played like better then that goalie we paid 8 mil a few years back. Look at these contracts being signed. If we would have entertained one of those signings we would screw Zetterberg out of a job in 2 years, and I am all about keeping Z-man for life. Look at the teams that signed all the players. St Louis signed Kariya and Tkachuk, over paid severly for both. They still have Manny in net and a lack of defense. So the completed one line 75%??? Colorado added Smyth, Hannan, and a couple minors over paying for each. Who is in ther net? I could go on and on. Realisticly the only team that beat us in the West is the Ducks. They signed Bert, Schnieder and Gigs, Keep in mind what they are losing. Salami Pastrami and Neids. That is a huge hit. HUGE. Yes I would have loved to resign Broke Back Bert but seriously 4 MILLION a year. F' that.

[OsGOD 3]

Would I be worried about Osgood/Howard in net next year... Not really we can't do any worse than not winning the cup which has been the norm WITHOUT them as our tandem...

Give 'em a shot and then we will talk about the issues arising.

Would you really even know if the sky was falling anyways... I mean it seems to be pretty invisible for the most part.

Edited July 6, 2007 by OsGOD

[regwinguofmfan 0]

Im sure Ill get bashed for this but....

Based on the goals Holland set for himself and this team at the start of the off season, he gets an F this year.

He completed 25% of what he wanted to.

I dont think compared to the rest of the league we were that bad, probably a C but when comparing what actually transpired to Hollands goals, I thnk he failed the team.

[Jwo 7]

Now that we have Hasek sign, I am calm.

[Lou_Siffer 1]

If I shoot a bullet in the sky, will it put a hole in the sky causing it to fall then? Sounds like a good scientific experiment.

Good theory, give it a go. Personally, I dont think anything will Fall until the end of Summer....but maybe im just being optimistic.

Edited July 6, 2007 by Lou_Siffer

[Guest GordieSid&Ted]

If I shoot a bullet in the sky, will it put a hole in the sky causing it to fall then? Sounds like a good scientific experiment.

I recently watched the Mark Wahlberg movie Shooter (pretty good IMO). Anyway, in the extra stuff on the DVD they had a real military sniper explaining what would happen if you fired a round at somebody, I think the distance was like 2200 yards or something absurd. Anyway, from that distance you would be literally lobbing the round or firing it up into the air to actually hit your target from that distance. In the military guy's words, basically the round would hit the target on the top of the head and sheer them into a zillion pieces, sending body parts everywhere. Cool, huh! So, if you shoot a round into the air maybe it won't bring down the sky but it could certainly do some damage to something when it came down.

[OsGOD 3]

What goes up must come down... unless it is the sky.

Makes perfect sense to shot the shot at angle or straight up... with the rotation of the earth the bullet would strike its target perfectly... if you had the proper trajectory.

Edited July 6, 2007 by OsGOD

[dirac 0]

The real funny thing is that after this off season, the Wings have to be the Favs to win the President's Trophy. The only decent team in the central decided that it was not going to compete anymore and pretty much dismantled itself this off season. The other teams did not do much to improve their situations. Thanks to the unbalanced NHL schedule, home ice should be ours for the 08 Playoffs.

I know the trophy means nothing without a cup but I just thought I would point this out.

Go Wings.

[OsGOD 3]

Bleh, home ice is over rated.... we had it last season and for the last few seasons if i recal.

[Guest Crymson]

Im sure Ill get bashed for this but....

Based on the goals Holland set for himself and this team at the start of the off season, he gets an F this year.

He completed 25% of what he wanted to.

I dont think compared to the rest of the league we were that bad, probably a C but when comparing what actually transpired to Hollands goals, I thnk he failed the team.

You'll certainly get bashed for this, because you'd find a way to *****, moan and accuse no matter what Holland did. For that matter, you find a way to *****, moan and accuse the Wings no matter what THEY do.

[regwinguofmfan 0]

You'll certainly get bashed for this, because you'd find a way to *****, moan and accuse no matter what Holland did. For that matter, you find a way to *****, moan and accuse the Wings no matter what THEY do.

And Crymson once again you choose to look at a situation through your own colon, and not realize what being said is in fact truth.

He didnt even meet 50% of his own expectations or goals, how could he get a better grade than an F?

Edited July 6, 2007 by regwinguofmfan

[Rice 42]

He didnt even meet 50% of his own expectations or goals, how could he get a better grade than an F?

His goals were to get two defensemen and a forward. He dumped the dead weight and upgraded from Schneider to Rafalski. He's going to sign a depth defensemen. Unless you think it would've been smart to add Guerin for $4.5 or Bertuzzi for $4, he's done a fine job. The prices for forwards were outrageous. It's better to save cap space than to overpay for someone he doesn't think would fit.

[regwinguofmfan 0]

His goals were to get two defensemen and a forward. He dumped the dead weight and upgraded from Schneider to Rafalski. He's going to sign a depth defensemen. Unless you think it would've been smart to add Guerin for $4.5 or Bertuzzi for $4, he's done a fine job. The prices for forwards were outrageous. It's better to save cap space than to overpay for someone he doesn't think would fit.

Two d-men and a top six forward, INCLUDING (at first) signing all of our UFAs that slipped to maybe two, and turned into one.

So there it is 3 things, so he completed how many of those?

1/4 of one.

[Guest Crymson]

Two d-men and a top six forward, INCLUDING (at first) signing all of our UFAs that slipped to maybe two, and turned into one.

So there it is 3 things, so he completed how many of those?

1/4 of one.

You're forgetting certain important things, such as the outrageous FA market prices this summer.

Get real.