Next season's Red Wings

[WhiteLightning91 105]

The rookie max is some 800k, and the bonuses can be deferred a few years I think. If thats the case, and the Wings really wanted him, theyd likely defer the bonuses til '10 when Lidstrom will likely either retire or re-sign for a few million less than he makes now. Just a thought.

Well in that case, I will keep my avatar.

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

I am just trying to figure out why you think you know which posts are pointless or not.

- and by the way, if I wanted to hear my own voice - I'd wouldn't by typing replies on a hockey forum. I have been posting here for 5 years, I don't find pleasure in seeing my own avatar anymore.

Get over yourself and make some informed posts, stop personally attacking people and everything will be cool.

Cheers.

I think you should follow your own advice. I stand by my comments 100%.

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

No clue who the players will be, but hopefully they look like defending Stanley Cup Champions.

I think this post makes the most sense to me.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I think this post makes the most sense to me.

I would make more sense if he said, but hopefully they are defending Stanley Cup Champs

[GoWings1905 2,694]

I would make more sense if he said, but hopefully they are defending Stanley Cup Champs

Yes it would have, now that I read it again. Thanks for the correction.

[Kp-Wings 3]

My ideal lines for next season:

Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Holmstrom

Cleary - Filppula - Ryder

Maltby - Draper - Avery

Gratton - Franzen - Downey

McCary, Kopecky

Lidstrom - Rafalski

Kronwall - Stuart

Montador - Chelios

Quincey

Howard

Osgood

The Wings need to dump these useless players like Samuelsson, Hudler, Lebda, Lilja, etc. They all suck, and I hate them. I feel my replacements are better players anyways.

The main goal of this lineup is to increase the toughness, something the Wings lack. Note that this is all done by adding guys who are NOT goons. Avery and Gratton are both plenty capable of putting up points. Downey will be the teams 4th line enforcer, while McCarty will be the extra guy to start off, until he proves himself. Kopecky, for as much as I don't like him, still has size and some potential, so keep him around I guess. Just make it so he has to earn a roster spot by playing tougher. On defense, I have Steve Montador, who is a good skater, and will make the blueline much more physical. He's a lot better than Lilja, and will make a good replacement. Re-sign Stuart to add a good, all-around defenseman.

The other issue is secondary scoring, something I think will also be addressed. Although I have Avery playing on the checking line, he can easily be moved up to one of the top lines with Cleary, Filppula, and Ryder. I have Ryder signed because he's a former two-time 30 goal scorer, and since he's coming off a bad season, the Wings can get him for cheap. He's also a right-haned shot, which is very useful, and also replaces the one thing that keeps Samuelsson alive on this time.

Now, for the goaltending. I really don't know that much about Howard, and he really doesn't impress me that much, but Hasek is nearing retirement. Somebody needs to step up and take the reins, and Howard will be the guy. For all intents and purposes, it is time.

I obviously don't expect this will happen, but this is what I'd personally like to see. Just saying.

Edited March 18, 2008 by Kp-Wings

[hckypete96 3]

the wings will not go after avery. the wings are a classy organization and will not put up with his s***. i love avery but theres no way.

[daniel1 32]

Last time the Wings were full of big, strong Canadians who would fight and hit...was the 1980s.

I'd rather have a team that played solid, gritty hockey at a high level and had maybe one or two guys who were really capable of fighting than a team full of fighters that only had marginal talent. Just as you can have too many finesse players, you can have too many enforcers.

I think this year's Wings are pretty close to the right mix. Maybe a tweak here and there, but nothing major.

Uh, yea...NOT. Perhaps you remember a few fellas named: Shannahan, McCarty, Lapoint, Macoun, Kocur, Rouse, Ward, and Pushor? This was the last time the Wings had big, strong Canadians would would fight, hit, grind and beat the piss out of oponents. What happened in the playoffs to this group? Oh yea, this was the last time any team in the NHL won back to back Stanley Cups

I'm not saying Kenny hasn't had to make "adjustments" and that he hasn't done a great job keeping the team competitive in the salary cap era; but the Wings would be better off with more of those type of players that I mentioned. Problem is that they don't come cheap, and they don't come with the low draft picks that result from strong regular seasons.

[eva unit zero 271]

Uh, yea...NOT. Perhaps you remember a few fellas named: Shannahan, McCarty, Lapoint, Macoun, Kocur, Rouse, Ward, and Pushor? This was the last time the Wings had big, strong Canadians would would fight, hit, grind and beat the piss out of oponents. What happened in the playoffs to this group? Oh yea, this was the last time any team in the NHL won back to back Stanley Cups

I'm not saying Kenny hasn't had to make "adjustments" and that he hasn't done a great job keeping the team competitive in the salary cap era; but the Wings would be better off with more of those type of players that I mentioned. Problem is that they don't come cheap, and they don't come with the low draft picks that result from strong regular seasons.

The Wings of the mid 90s also had...

Fedorov, Kozlov, Larionov, Konstantinov, Fetisov, Eriksson, Mironov, Holmstrom, Sandstrom, Lidstrom. Basically half the roster was European in those days.