If you could bring one player back from '96-'97?

[Guest DetroitIan]

Other than Steve Yzerman and Vladdy, If you could somehow use a time warp and bring back a player from the '96-'97 Championship team, who would you bring back?

I had to go with Fedorov on this one. Feds is good now and all, but the 1997 Fedorov would be unreal with the team we have now. But there are alot of good choices from that year's team.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I'd bring back Shanny, because even though Feds was better, we're pretty loaded at center, while Shanny would give us that physical right-handed winger, who can score goals, and drop the gloves when necessary. He was in his prime at the time as well, and I believe it was statistically his best season in Detroit, although I'm not sure.

[LeftWinger 5,152]

Doug Brown

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

If they were in there 97 prime ... McCarty or Shanny, 2 big tough wingers that could score goals.

[b.shanafan14 733]

Shanny for sure. That was his best season in Detroit and I'm pretty sure he lead the team in goal scoring. I would take present day Shanny back too tho, cause of his scoring touch. He can still produce with a good set up center. He had the game winner in a 1-0 overtime win vs. NJ tonite

[Echolalia 2,961]

Bob Rouse

[IILeiBlazeII 15]

Joey Kocur or Marty Lapointe would be SO AWESOME right now. They would both add that crazy in-your-face physical play that we only have Downey for right now AND they could score timely goals. Besides... I really miss them. ~goes to watch his Red Wing DvDs~

Edited December 10, 2007 by IILeiBlazeII

[BeeRYCE 2]

Fedorov. I still think he should have won Conn Smythe.

Joey Kocur or Marty Lapointe would be SO AWESOME right now. They would both add that crazy in-your-face physical play that we only have Downey for right now AND they could score timely goals. Besides... I really miss them. ~goes to watch his Red Wing DvDs~

Lapointe, goals? Maybe. Kocur? Not really.

[Copenhagen848 58]

Shanny.

[timothy1997 0]

Kevin Hodson

[Guest DetroitIan]

I think Lapointe would be my close second. He just brought to much to the table back then. Scoring, hitting, fighting, and contributing when it counted. He would be a good physical presence for this current squad.

[tony 3]

definatly shanny cause all this team really needs is a couple tough canucks

[rick zombo 3,739]

Although Feds was the better player IMO, I'd take Shanny in a heartbeat. He was the missing piece then, and the 96-97 version of Shanny would be the missing piece now.

I'd also take Murphy for the same "future considerations" he fetched back then. What a steal.

Edited December 10, 2007 by rick zombo

[Rice 42]

Shanahan, pretty easily.

[Grittzkey 1]

Bobby Higginson

[norrisnick 1]

Fedorov without a shadow of a doubt. Let Shanny be the missing/final/last/whatever piece all he wants. He was never a bigger or more important piece than Fedorov.

[seeinred 1,488]

Fedorov without a shadow of a doubt. Let Shanny be the missing/final/last/whatever piece all he wants. He was never a bigger or more important piece than Fedorov.

QFMFT. I'd take Sergei in a heartbeat.

[Donaldjr2448 43]

I would also have to say Feds!! What people don't realize is the fact that Feds was always double teamed, and that is why Draper, Kozlov and a host of others had such big games. Feds ability to draw attention and distract the other team is what the Wings have missed in the playoffs. However I think Dats and Hank are starting to get that attention now.

[interminded 1]

Sergei Fedorov

[auxlepli 17]

That's a tough question, but I'd choose Shanahan.

[akustyk 84]

yeah, Shanny '97 would be huge

other than him... Slava Kozlov or Marty Lapointe. probably Marty as he was more developed at that time and had more physical edge

[Cicada 4]

for what i think the team needs at the moment, i'd take Darren Mcarty, player wise though, it's gotta be Feds

[55fan 5,133]

Imagine the "D" line out there- Drake, Downey, DMac. If someone messed with Z, Dats, or (at the rate he's going) Huds, all we'd have to do is send out that line the next time the offender hit the ice, and the offender would run screaming back to his bench. Kind of like being on the PP. Plus Mac could score, so it wouldn't be like they were just taking up space out there.

Edited December 10, 2007 by 55fan

[dgodzina 0]

I'd bring back Shanny because he'd have more chance to fight Adam Foote like the old Wings/Avs days this season since the Wings play the Jackets 4,603,209 times a season with the current scheduling format.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Although Feds was the better player IMO, I'd take Shanny in a heartbeat. He was the missing piece then, and the 96-97 version of Shanny would be the missing piece now.

I'd also take Murphy for the same "future considerations" he fetched back then. What a steal.

QFT

While Fedorov was the better player, Shanny was the more important player.