Who gets the 12th starting forward spot?

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I'm sorry but I just don't understand how Darren Helm does not get a roster spot after that ******* sick performance against the best players in the league. His speed is unbelievable. People were chasing him all over the ice. He was getting chances and creating chances in very limited minutes. I look forward to this guy really maturing into a Cleary/Draper level player for years to come on this team.

Because there isn't room for him on this current roster to get the playing time he needs/deserves. He can be down in GR playing a top role and truly developing into an even better all-around player rather than getting 6-7 minutes a night in Detroit. Then when he's out of options or truly ready to crack the Wings lineup, he'll be brought back up and be a better player for it.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

That s the problem with the wing's system. We don t give players enough confidence. If i were a player who are rooting in the AHL instead of playing for sure in any other team of the NHL i m not sure i would appreciate it so much.. After that you undertand more easily the face McGollum made when he was selected by the Wings organization at the draft...

Maybe I'm wrong, but I would like to believe there are players out there that would rather take a little more time in the minors to eventually play for a perennial contender rather than rot away on a team like L.A. or Florida. I'm so sorry if McGollum winced when the Wings drafted him but if playing right now is more important than getting the *correct* amount of preparation/training to be successful on this Wings team or any other in the NHL than it looks like someone has some growing up to do. I'm fairly certain the Wings' brass knows better than any other when a player is truly ready to be successful and make the jump to the bigs.

[StevieY9802 6]

Darren Helm=Jonathan Ericsson

Meaning he is more than ready to be a starter on this team, but there are too many players under contract, and the fact that he can go to Grand Rapids without being exposed to waivers...That means he, like Ericsson and Howard, are not per say bound for Grand Rapids, but it will take one hell of a training camp to take their bags off that bus.

That being said I expect the rosters, t the start of the season to look like this (assuming Kopecky is ready:

Datsyuk-Zetterberg-Holmstrom

Franzen-Filppula-Hossa

Cleary-Draper-Samuelsson

Hudler-Kopecky-Maltby

D-Mac

Lidstrom-Rafalski

Kronwall-Stuart

Lebda-Lilja

Quincey

Chelios

Osgood

Conklin

At first injury call ups are Helm or Ericsson

And they could even surplant somebody from the roster by years end, but they have the short end of the stick in the waiver exempt world of finding an apartment in GR.

I agree with everything right there. I think thats what it will be. I like Quincey more than Meech personally but we'll see. It could be Meech instead of Quincey and Downey instead of Mac but those would the only possible changes from above.

I think that at this point in his career Kopecky is un-met potential, but I see something in him that makes me think he could be a solid 4th line guy on this team, I hope he finds it. He was really starting to come around before the injury last season, and I think that is why I still want to see what he has left and not get rid of him.

I thought he was playing well right before he got hurt. Playing with more confidence and he's just a 4th line center. People say he was unimpressive but he's not supposed to go out and get mad points or anything.

A lot of people are putting Hudler on the fourth line, isn't that a waste of talent or am I missing something?

Was it a waste of talent when he played on the 4th line for the entire playoffs? Worked out pretty well there. And like what some have said where is there a spot on the top two lines now with Hossa here and the way Franzen ended the season? Since he can't play on the top 2 lines I like him there. He gets a lot of points for a guy who doesn't get the minutes and it gives you a little skill on the 4th line that most teams don't have.

I'm sorry but I just don't understand how Darren Helm does not get a roster spot after that ******* sick performance against the best players in the league. His speed is unbelievable. People were chasing him all over the ice. He was getting chances and creating chances in very limited minutes. I look forward to this guy really maturing into a Cleary/Draper level player for years to come on this team.

Like some have said already and I'm just adding to it, there isn't room. I know some here will say get rid of Sammy or Maltby but they like Sammy and Malts is still a good 4th line center who they JUST resigned so he's not leaving. And they also like Kopecky and they aren't going to have Helm be the 13th guy, or Kopecky for that matter, so you have to send one down to GR and Kopecky would have to clear waivers to get there and Helm doesn't. Thats the reasoning behind it plain and simple. I like the guy and wish there was room but there isn't.

[Guest Dump-N-Thump]

Because Maltby is a shell of his former self when it comes to physical play...

Thank you, and not to mention against tougher teams I'd like to see them play Downey or Mac to counter rather than the Maltby we see nowadays.

I'd rather see Mac,Downey and Maltby.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I'd rather see Mac,Downey and Maltby.

On the road, that would be the last line I would want to see given the fact that the opposition will have the last line change. Even at home that line is not talented enough to stack up against anything but other 4th lines.

You can have Mac or Downey in. You can even have Maltby in, but there's no need to dedicate an entire line to that type of player when the team as a whole has shown that it can stand up for its players in one way or another.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Sidenote Dump & Thump: Please make sure when you quote me, you only include things that I say. This sentence: "Because Maltby is a shell of his former self when it comes to physical play..." was not one that I made and even though I agree with it, I don't like when people quote me as saying things I didn't.

Edited July 15, 2008 by Never Forget Mac #25

[tommingthepuck96 1]

i'd have to agree with that..

Don't rule out Leino though, he's a major unknown at the moment..

and theres no way Babcock plays that 2nd line. you don't put a 100 point player with guys who had 30 assists between them this year..

look for Dats and Hank to be #1, #2 centres..

i'd expect opening night to look

Flip - Z - Homer

Mule - Dats - Hossa

Bear - Draper - Sammy

Rex - Kopecky(Helm) - Maltby

though i'm often completely wrong about this..

also look for Kronwall to go down with a 6 month injury in the pre-season - i just have one of those feelings.

I'm not sure what to expect, but i do completely agree that datsyuk and zetterberg will center different lines. As holland said he expects hossa to play with one of them.

What i hope in the event datsyuk and Z are split

hossa datsyuk holmstrom

franzen zetterberg fipula

Cleary Draper samuleson

Maltb helm hudler

[StevieY9802 6]

If they break the twins up then I would expect to see Filppula with Dats and Homer because they have played together before and played well together. And Franzen has played with Hank before too. Can't wait till the season starts.

[Opie 308]

I am almost 100% positive that you will see about 10-12, no exaggeration, line combos that Babs can use when this team is healthy, the D has about 4 or 5 options for the pairings, the first 3 forward lines are almost interchangeable, to a degree.

Sammy, Huds, Flip, Mule, Hossa, and Cleary can play the 2nd line.

Dats, Z, Homer, Mule, Hossa, and Cleary can all play the first line

The third line Draper, Sammy, Cleary, Flip, Mule, Homer, Huds, Helm the list goes on.

Babcock has a team at his availability for the season that for about 80% or the coaches in the league would cream their pants over for just one game let alone a season!!

[egroen 384]

Does anyone remember the lines from preseason last year where Datsyuk and Zetterberg were split? Before Franzen was injured, I remember his particular line was doing really well - and I think he was with Datsyuk?

It was the first hint of things to come with Franzen.

[19Hockeytown5 0]

I think teams would be foolish to take stupid penalties vs Detroit.

I mean do you really want to see Hossa, Zet, Dat, Lid, and Raf out their for 2 minutes on the PP?...We can make them pay with goals and wins.

Detroit isn't a fighting team, but they are tough since Babs came here. They hit, hussle, and don't back down. I would take these type of players ANYDAY compared to people who can swing fists around (and thats it...). I mean Detroit just won the cup, and unless I'm drawing a blank, there was not a SINGLE fight during our playoff run.

I would much rather have helm play than maccarty....

[egroen 384]

...unless I'm drawing a blank, there was not a SINGLE fight during our playoff run.

Mac fought against the octopus thrower from the Avs... had to send a message

[19Hockeytown5 0]

Mac fought against the octopus thrower from the Avs... had to send a message

Indeed, I forgot about that. I was evem at that game which makes it worse

but it's not like it was nessasary for our cup run.

[Guest Dump-N-Thump]

Mac fought against the octopus thrower from the Avs... had to send a message

Mcleod threw the Puss.

mac fought McCormick.

Same thing pretty much, Both are borderline NHL'ers. Only difference is Mcleod talks to much.

[egroen 384]

Mcleod threw the Puss.

mac fought McCormick.

Heh got my Macs and Micks confused!

I've been trying to remember Finger in that series... apparently he did play in two of the games and logged about 20 mins each.

I must have been drinking a lot.

[tommingthepuck96 1]

If they break the twins up then I would expect to see Filppula with Dats and Homer because they have played together before and played well together. And Franzen has played with Hank before too. Can't wait till the season starts.

I think its to much of a waste of datsyuks set-up ability to not put him with a hossa or a zetterberg.

Datysuk with Hossa

Zetterberg with franzen.

As others have said the third guy to be added to those lines can be changed up with many different players.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Maltby is not going to sit out games unless he is injured. Period. The Red Wings don't treat their (nearly) life-long veterans that way. The coaching staff would notify Maltby long before any such action occurred, and Maltby would pick up his game accordingly.

And he won't be traded either.

Kopecky will be 12th once healthy. Hes a great friend of Hossas, and he'll play an important role if the Wings want to lure Hossa into taking a paycut on the long-term. As such, he'll be treated as a kept asset this season. The coaching staff also sees something in him similar to Dallas Drake, for whatever reason. Not to mention the Wings will likely bank on Hossa teaching Kopecky a thing or two on the bench during games. Helm will be down in GR unless someone gets traded out of the current 12, which is highly unlikely at least up until the deadline frenzy, we have a decimated roster, or until post-deadline when the roster limitations are removed. Helm is 21 years old. It is beyond rare that the Red Wings give a 21 year old a full-time position at that age. This is the Red Wings. You get a spot if you can provide something of need, not on talent alone. While Helm is talented, he is far from needed. Abdelkader will be down in GR without a doubt. Leino will as well, barring an explosive training camp. Downey and Mac are basically only going to be on call for injury duty or in extreme cases where the coaching staff expects an excessively dirty game.

Edited July 18, 2008 by YoungGuns1340