What should be done with Filppula?

[TheCaptain19 49]

if we trade him now, we will miss him once hossa leaves next year.

[OsGOD 3]

I say toss him into the detroit river to see if he floats... that way we can tell if he is in fact a witch and then we can decide to burn him!

Edited January 22, 2009 by OsGOD

[esteef 2,679]

I've always maintained that Flip is simply one of those guys that is more valuable to another team than he is to the Wings. Hes superfluous. Hes offers us nothing that we don't already have in spades. Does that make him unvaluable? Not at all. Who wouldn't want a skilled, fast, two-way center who isn't particularly soft or small? A TON of teams. But to the Wings at this point, there are other players who give us a more balanced, powerful, dynamic presence up front, and they need to be kept before we make accommodations for Flip.

Agree 100%. This happens to a lot of players in Detroit too like Quincey and (maybe) Leino this year. Hell I even think Kopecky would be a lot better on another team's top 2 lines. I like Flipper but any scenario where we don't keep Franzen is going to drive me to kick Kenny in the balls!

esteef

[YoungGuns1340 1]

if we trade him now, we will miss him once hossa leaves next year.

...But we'll miss Hossa AND Franzen or Hudler more if we keep Flip.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I love flip, he's one of my favorites. I think if he was given a chance he'd do well. He's always impressing me with how he holds the puck in the zone and makes good plays. There is no way he, or anyone on this team, is traded until the playoffs are over.

Thats not really true. While he is not likley to be traded, Holland WILL trade Flip if the deal makes sense. Our weakness going into the playoffs has nothing to do with offense. Offensively speaking, we can obliterate any team headed our way. But we have goaltending issues and issues on defense as well. If Holland gets offered a chance to make either his defense, or particularly his goaltending stronger (although it would have to be longterm) by sacrificing Flip, he would definitely consider it.

If we go into the playoffs with the same offensive squad as last year, without Filppula and Drake but with Helm and Hossa, we are a better team up front than we were last year.

If we go into the playoffs with our goaltending performing as it is, we are a worse team up front.

Now, if Holland can trade Filppula for a good, relatively young goaltender that is NOT a UFA (Lehtonen, Ellis, Harding, etc.) then not only does he upgrade our playoff squad, but he upgrades our future as well. Anyone with a keen eye can tell Howard isn't wowing the Wings organization and the prospect of going with a goaltending tandem of Howard and Osgood has become scary to say the least, and Larsson isn't NHL ready. If a team can trade similar values from a position of strength - in the Wings case skilled, two-way forwards - for a position of weakness - capable starting goaltenders with starting experience - then theres little logic that would support NOT making the deal.

[Wildwings44 5]

I say toss him into the detroit river to see if he floats... that way we can tell if he is in fact a witch and then we can decide to burn him!

LMAO

You know, very small rocks float.

[T.Low 1,011]

I love flip, he's one of my favorites. I think if he was given a chance he'd do well. He's always impressing me with how he holds the puck in the zone and makes good plays. There is no way he, or anyone on this team, is traded until the playoffs are over.

And Marc Crawford on HNIC was talking about the incredible depth on the Red Wings his example was, "I mean c'mon, they got a guy like Valterri Filppula on the 3rd line for crying outloud. Opposing coachs hate that!"

[puckloo39 5,686]

Make Flip go to the All Star Shame. That'll teach him.

He's as good as pretty much anyone else who is going, seriously.

[Andy Pred 48 337]

Theres nothing to be done with Flip. He's on course for 35-40 points this year which is what he got last year. Just he's up on assist's and down on his goals. Like someone has stated, how many other sides will have a 3rd line C getting that many points? We will probably see

him move up a line next season anyhow's. His salary will be seen as a bargain before it transpire's, much like we have been paying Hank for his production the past few years, who

knows if we will see Flip putting up #'s way above his salary value? Time will tell. Trading him now is not in the best interest for the Wings.

[KronwallCRUNCH 5]

What's so disappointing about Filppula? He's a great defensive player and asset to the team. When he chips on offensively, it's a bonus. Look at the roster, not everyone on this team is going to finish with 60+ pts.