Top 10 lines

[FireCaptain 563]

THN has put together the top 10 lines in hockey today.

No team may be represented by more than one line.

No surprise what team checks in at number one.

http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/2450...ine-combos.html

[germanwing 154]

Nice article.

But i think, there´s only one line to mention:

Z - D - H

[eva unit zero 271]

That list has no credibility via not mentioning Zetterberg's line, which contains two of the ten or fifteen best forwards in the league.

Zetterberg, Hossa, and ANYONE is one of the ten best lines in the NHL. Sorry. Not mentioning that line because the Wings were already mentioned is like not mentioning Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Dennis Wideman, Chris Pronger, or Brian Campbell among the top 20 defensemen in the NHL because of Nicklas Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara, Scott Niedermayer, and Duncan Keith just because some of those guys are teammates.

[thedisappearer 291]

That list has no credibility via not mentioning Zetterberg's line, which contains two of the ten or fifteen best forwards in the league.

Zetterberg, Hossa, and ANYONE is one of the ten best lines in the NHL. Sorry. Not mentioning that line because the Wings were already mentioned is like not mentioning Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Dennis Wideman, Chris Pronger, or Brian Campbell among the top 20 defensemen in the NHL because of Nicklas Lidstrom, Zdeno Chara, Scott Niedermayer, and Duncan Keith just because some of those guys are teammates.

The writer specifically says that Detroit would have had another line if not for the 1 per team rule, but you want to *****. Amazing.

Edited March 21, 2009 by thedisappearer

[eva unit zero 271]

The writer specifically says that Detroit would have had another line if not for the 1 per team rule, but you want to *****. Amazing.

No, I'll admit that I clicked the link and went straight to the list. So anyway, what kind of rule is a one-per-team rule? I still call it BS, and I'll tell you why.

Which line do you think is better, Franzen/Datsyuk/Holmstrom or Cleary/Zetterberg/Hossa, which is the second line that would have been on the list had another Detroit line been allowed.

Interesting question, don't you think? My vote would go to the Zetterberg line. Better than the Datsyuk line, better than any other line via the logic on THN's list, therefore the best line in the NHL. Zetterberg and Hossa are both among the top ten or fifteen forwards in the world.

So by not allowing the Zetterberg line, they have disallowed the line that is arguably the only line with two top-fifteen forwards on it.

[EuroTwin 240]

I'm confused... Franzen/Dats/Homer isn't really a line we play? Isn't it usually Hossa/Dats/Franzen or ZDH?

[thedisappearer 291]

No, I'll admit that I clicked the link and went straight to the list. So anyway, what kind of rule is a one-per-team rule? I still call it BS, and I'll tell you why.

Which line do you think is better, Franzen/Datsyuk/Holmstrom or Cleary/Zetterberg/Hossa, which is the second line that would have been on the list had another Detroit line been allowed.

Interesting question, don't you think? My vote would go to the Zetterberg line. Better than the Datsyuk line, better than any other line via the logic on THN's list, therefore the best line in the NHL. Zetterberg and Hossa are both among the top ten or fifteen forwards in the world.

So by not allowing the Zetterberg line, they have disallowed the line that is arguably the only line with two top-fifteen forwards on it.

They are just spreading the love around. It's not some personal slight or anything. It's basically taking everybody's top line and seeing who's is the best. Relax, we got number one.

Edited March 21, 2009 by thedisappearer

[eva unit zero 271]

They are just spreading the love around. It's not some personal slight or anything. It's basically taking everybody's top line and seeing who's is the best. Relax, we got number one.

I guess it's just the fact that they didn't even get the right 'Best Wings line' from the THN depth charts they said they were using for the article, so how could the article have any credibility at all?

[Carman 387]

Where is the Maltby-Draper-Meech line?

[Earthhuman 8]

Where is the Maltby-Draper-Meech line?

Somewhere in the 80s.

[Datsyerberger 279]

Damn, they didn't even get a normal line right, OR our most powerful line (ZDH or HDH or ZHossaWhatever), and the Wings still come out on top.

[shutoutking 0]

They got your lines wrong, and adding insult to injury your two top lines are better than lines 2 and 3 they have listed.

Even taking off my homer glasses for a moment I would say that Steve Sullivan-Jason Arnott-JP Dumont are better as a unit than that Atlanta line. Obviously, Kovalchuck is a beast, but the SAD line when together for a season puts up big numbers in a sucky offense.

[dat's sick 1,002]

They got your lines wrong, and adding insult to injury your two top lines are better than lines 2 and 3 they have listed.

Even taking off my homer glasses for a moment I would say that Steve Sullivan-Jason Arnott-JP Dumont are better as a unit than that Atlanta line. Obviously, Kovalchuck is a beast, but the SAD line when together for a season puts up big numbers in a sucky offense.

That's an awesome name for a line.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Lately the best line in hockey is Cammalleri - Jokinen - Iginla... No question.

[Datsyerberger 279]

They got your lines wrong, and adding insult to injury your two top lines are better than lines 2 and 3 they have listed.

They had to handicap us so they could put us close to the list, otherwise it'd be five pages long for how long you'd have to scroll to see the #1 selection.

And yea, I think the SAD line should have been rated a little higher.

[shutoutking 0]

Yeah, Arnott is a 30 goal guy this year, Dumont will end up close to 70 points and Sullivan has been on fire since he got back, and they have awesome chemistry. Give them a full season next year and good things happen with Weber and Suter.

Yeah, if they wanted to make a "true" top 10 my top two offensively would've been the Detroit top two lines. Datsyuk, Hossa, Franzen, Zetterberg, Holmstrom....s***!

[TheOwl 77]

The quality of the individuals on the line is meaningless.

_____-Datsyuk-Holmstrom is the Wings best line. And much better a defensive line then Z/H/_. The lines get mixed up so regularly though. You Franzen haters just love to complain.

[eva unit zero 271]

The quality of the individuals on the line is meaningless.

_____-Datsyuk-Holmstrom is the Wings best line. And much better a defensive line then Z/H/_. The lines get mixed up so regularly though. You Franzen haters just love to complain.

I will agree on the first point; but the second point is incorrect, as Zetterberg (and thusly, his line) has been used to shut down the opposing team's top offensive threat for most of the season, hence his drop in points-per-game. My point that the Cleary/Zetterberg/Hossa line was unrightfully ignored is because they seemed to be ranking based on overall ability of each player combined without accounting for chemistry or anything like that...which would give the Zetterberg line the advantage by having Z and Hossa.

Datsyuk has even been quoted to the effect of saying that playing with Zetterberg allows him more offensive freedom because he doesn't have to be the primary defensive player.

Personally, I would play Dats and Z together on the first line with Holmstrom, and then have a second line of Hudler, Franzen, and Hossa. If Franzen leaves in the summer as expected, Kopecky can fill in his spot on that line and take his role.

[TheOwl 77]

If Franzen leaves in the summer as expected, Kopecky can fill in his spot on that line and take his role.

Kopecky isn't even near the type of forward Franzen is, irrelevant of scoring, they play completely different games. And whether Babs matches Zetterberg/Hossa instead of Datsyuk the other teams top line, Datsyuk's line is way more defensively sound, and rarely let in goals.

Seriously though, Franzen leaving will be bad for this team. Hossa wants 6 million at least, having 5 players making over 6 million is not a good idea at all. If Franzen will take 3 million, let Hossa go. Hossa is not worth losing Sammy, Hudler and Leino. Even Franzen at 3, Hossa 6 would mean Conklin, Hudler, Sammy, Leino all can't be re-signed. Hossa is too expensive.

[dat's sick 1,002]

I will agree on the first point; but the second point is incorrect, as Zetterberg (and thusly, his line) has been used to shut down the opposing team's top offensive threat for most of the season, hence his drop in points-per-game. My point that the Cleary/Zetterberg/Hossa line was unrightfully ignored is because they seemed to be ranking based on overall ability of each player combined without accounting for chemistry or anything like that...which would give the Zetterberg line the advantage by having Z and Hossa.

Datsyuk has even been quoted to the effect of saying that playing with Zetterberg allows him more offensive freedom because he doesn't have to be the primary defensive player.

Personally, I would play Dats and Z together on the first line with Holmstrom, and then have a second line of Hudler, Franzen, and Hossa. If Franzen leaves in the summer as expected, Kopecky can fill in his spot on that line and take his role.

Hossa and Z have no chemistry whatsoever. Sadly.

[eva unit zero 271]

Kopecky isn't even near the type of forward Franzen is, irrelevant of scoring, they play completely different games. And whether Babs matches Zetterberg/Hossa instead of Datsyuk the other teams top line, Datsyuk's line is way more defensively sound, and rarely let in goals.

Seriously though, Franzen leaving will be bad for this team. Hossa wants 6 million at least, having 5 players making over 6 million is not a good idea at all. If Franzen will take 3 million, let Hossa go. Hossa is not worth losing Sammy, Hudler and Leino. Even Franzen at 3, Hossa 6 would mean Conklin, Hudler, Sammy, Leino all can't be re-signed. Hossa is too expensive.

Franzen isn't terribly physical, if that's what you are suggesting. Kopecky hits much more often than Franzen does.

As far as the salary side;.

Hossa at $6m, Hudler at $1.8m, Sammy at $1.35m, Leino at $1m, Kopecky at $575k.

Franzen, Chelios, and Conklin sign elsewhere.

The Wings can't sign either Hossa or Franzen and resign everyone else. Or perhaps you haven't noticed that? Trade Stuart if possible, otherwise trade Filppula and Lebda either together or separately and use Meech as double-duty 13th forward/7th defenseman.

The Wings would have between $100k and $210k in free cap space if the cap remained the same, depending on the trade made.

And for reference, Conklin is likely to cost upwards of $2-3m and will probably sign for that reason with a team looking for a starting or 1a goaltender; not Detroit. Detroit's backup will likely be Jimmy Howard.

[TheOwl 77]

^ Well Howard will need to be paid, and what happens when the cap decreases with all these 6+ million multi-year contracts. And what if Osgood melts down in the play-offs? Are we really going to have Howard and Osgood for next season? We'd be lucky to make the play-offs if Ozzy doesn't really turn things around. And if you were Hudler, or Sammy would you sign for bare minimum when your scoring 40-50 points a season, and a guy who scores around 90 makes 6 times more money then you do? 6 million for Hossa is no discount, he's already a multi-millionaire. Time to give people like Sammy, Hudler, Franzen the raises they deserve. If we don't win the cup with Hossa, obviously he didn't make that big of a difference.

Edited March 22, 2009 by TheOwl

[eva unit zero 271]

^ Well Howard will need to be paid, and what happens when the cap decreases with all these 6+ million multi-year contracts. And what if Osgood melts down in the play-offs? Are we really going to have Howard and Osgood for next season? We'd be lucky to make the play-offs if Ozzy doesn't really turn things around. And if you were Hudler, or Sammy would you sign for bare minimum when your scoring 40-50 points a season, and a guy who scores around 90 makes 6 times more money then you do? 6 million for Hossa is no discount, he's already a multi-millionaire. Time to give people like Sammy, Hudler, Franzen the raises they deserve. If we don't win the cup with Hossa, obviously he didn't make that big of a difference.

The numbers for next year I mentioned include Howard's contract.

Check Osgood's record vs. Conklin's. Tell me that Conklin has provided such a huge boost to the Wings' chances of winning that he's worth keeping Conklin at the price he'll cost instead of the skaters that could be kept such as Hudler. If we win the Cup this year with Osgood in net, do we really need to worry so much about keeping Conklin when he's could cost as much as $3m? We would have a goalie who had won the Cup two consecutive seasons.