Wings sign Todd Bertuzzi

[VM1138 1,921]

lazy defense, poor penalty killing, and a bunch of injuries didn't have much to do with losing though

Don't forget those multiple posts we hit during Game 7 as well. If just one of those had been an inch to the side that game would've gone to OT and the Wings would've had a shot, despite playing lazy defense, poor penalty killing, and their injuries.

That's what irks me. Especially Lidstroms post with 10 seconds or so left. The Wings, despite playing half asses for the entire year, were only beaten by a single goal for the Cup by a healthy, young, energetic, talented team. The Wings are going to be out for blood this year.

[StormJH1 231]

Don't forget those multiple posts we hit during Game 7 as well. If just one of those had been an inch to the side that game would've gone to OT and the Wings would've had a shot, despite playing lazy defense, poor penalty killing, and their injuries.

That's what irks me. Especially Lidstroms post with 10 seconds or so left. The Wings, despite playing half asses for the entire year, were only beaten by a single goal for the Cup by a healthy, young, energetic, talented team. The Wings are going to be out for blood this year.

Uh oh, someone here is channelling Joshua Jackson from the Mighty Ducks! On the other hand, if Lidstrom's shot would've been an inch to the other side, he would've missed completely! AND he almost lost a ********. Haha.

I was uncharacteristically serene watching the Wings piss away a home ice advantage and lose in Game 7 of the SCF, but reading posts like yours makes me feel like I'm going feel worse and worse about us losing that game over time. I suppose some of that depends on when our next Cup win is.

[titanium2 867]

I was uncharacteristically serene watching the Wings piss away a home ice advantage and lose in Game 7 of the SCF, but reading posts like yours makes me feel like I'm going feel worse and worse about us losing that game over time. I suppose some of that depends on when our next Cup win is.

Me too. I felt like I saw a team that battled really hard but we just couldn't see it because they were just so hampered by injuries. It'll always sting but I believe they did the best with what they had. Although I won't feel completely vindicated until Pronger and Lappy simultaneously spear Crosby in his implant ******** for game 1 and then Emery does a double shift on that duty for Game 2.

[mmamolo 287]

I don't think the Wings need a Goon but I wouldn't be against adding more hard nosed, gritty guys to the line up that can play a little bit (like Dallas Drake). But one thing that pisses me off is when our current Wings get called soft. I think Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and so on all have a bad rep for being soft. I don't think any of them get the credit they deserve in the toughness department. They aren't the toughest guys in the league but they can take hits, give them and most of all the take the punishment to put up points.

Ppl can laugh all they want but Datsyuk lays out ppl's left and right in the playoffs. That being said, I wouldnt mind seeing some gritty guys on the fourth line. Maltby used to be one of those guys for us. We don't necessarily ened fighters, although that'd be entertaining, but it does help to have guys like Maltby in his prime that can muck it up, play hard, and get under the opposing teams skin.

A team is all about balance. Scoring, defense, grit, skill, experience, poise etc etc. Personally I think we're pretty balanced right now. But that's just my opinion.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Me too. I felt like I saw a team that battled really hard but we just couldn't see it because they were just so hampered by injuries. It'll always sting but I believe they did the best with what they had. Although I won't feel completely vindicated until Pronger and Lappy simultaneously spear Crosby in his implant ******** for game 1 and then Emery does a double shift on that duty for Game 2.

Honestly, it had always been my worst fear to see another team skate the Stanley Cup at the Joe. When it happened last June, it really wasn't the horrifying experience I thought it would be.

Crosby and Co. are in for a tough awakening when the Flyers come to town. I'm hoping for a third consecutive playoff matchup between the two teams. As much a rival as Detroit has become for the Pens, I still think that Philly is their first and foremost foe. Adding Pronger to the lineup will help to give the Flyers that extra edge that they didn't seem to have. That, combined with the Pens losses of Scuderi and Gill will make it a bit easier to get to Fleury. If Emery is able to re-capture the form of 2007, I don't see the Pens beating Philly for a third straight year.

[Yzermania 156]

Uh oh, someone here is channelling Joshua Jackson from the Mighty Ducks!

actually, he's more channeling gordnon bombay, it's charlie who points out that an inch the other way and the shot would have gone completely wide.

[newfy 695]

I don't think the Wings need a Goon but I wouldn't be against adding more hard nosed, gritty guys to the line up that can play a little bit (like Dallas Drake). But one thing that pisses me off is when our current Wings get called soft. I think Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen and so on all have a bad rep for being soft. I don't think any of them get the credit they deserve in the toughness department. They aren't the toughest guys in the league but they can take hits, give them and most of all the take the punishment to put up points.

Ppl can laugh all they want but Datsyuk lays out ppl's left and right in the playoffs. That being said, I wouldnt mind seeing some gritty guys on the fourth line. Maltby used to be one of those guys for us. We don't necessarily ened fighters, although that'd be entertaining, but it does help to have guys like Maltby in his prime that can muck it up, play hard, and get under the opposing teams skin.

A team is all about balance. Scoring, defense, grit, skill, experience, poise etc etc. Personally I think we're pretty balanced right now. But that's just my opinion.

I don't think Franzen's soft rep is undeserved. A guy his size should throw the body way more and I'll never get over him acting like he got shot by Jim Vandemeer last season. Dats does lay guys out all the time in the playoffs, we can for sure agree there and Z can take a hit, doesn't really give them but he's not really that soft.

Anyways, its not your top line players that make or break your team in tuoghness. You should have a couple hard nosed players like yous aid above filing out the bottom lines to make your team tougher to play against. Helm and Ab will be tough to play against in a few years but thats at least 2 away probably. I would like a Maltby in his prime back on this team, someone who can play in the corners, still play the game and piss off the other team. Your top players like Dats shouldn't be called upon to do alot of your teams hitting come playoffs but he has to since Drapes, Maltby and Kopecky barely ever did. I can't wait for Drapes and Maltby to be gone in the next couple years because I think Holland will sign guys that play like those guys did in their prime which is what we need.

If we add one or two Drake types to this team I think we`ll have almost perfect balance but until then we`re not quite there.

[Cern 0]

lazy defense, poor penalty killing, and a bunch of injuries didn't have much to do with losing though

Our team had the best offense of the entire league and only allowed two goals in each of games 6-7. Detroit's loss can't be blamed on defense, there's simply no excuse for only being able to score a single goal in each of those games.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Off topic, but......

the Wings lost the cup when they pulled Ablegator and put Drapes in. I love Drapes to pieces, but that move changed everything.

Great point. Many people here like to rag on Maltby all of the time, but I thought Maltby had a FAR better playoff showing than Draper did. Draper's injury probably played into his minimal effectiveness, but I don't know exactly what Draper brings to the Red Wings at this point. The Red Wings loyalty to players has far more positives than drawbacks, but Maltby and Draper are really wasting roster spots now.

[mmamolo 287]

I don't think Franzen's soft rep is undeserved. A guy his size should throw the body way more and I'll never get over him acting like he got shot by Jim Vandemeer last season. Dats does lay guys out all the time in the playoffs, we can for sure agree there and Z can take a hit, doesn't really give them but he's not really that soft.

Anyways, its not your top line players that make or break your team in tuoghness. You should have a couple hard nosed players like yous aid above filing out the bottom lines to make your team tougher to play against. Helm and Ab will be tough to play against in a few years but thats at least 2 away probably. I would like a Maltby in his prime back on this team, someone who can play in the corners, still play the game and piss off the other team. Your top players like Dats shouldn't be called upon to do alot of your teams hitting come playoffs but he has to since Drapes, Maltby and Kopecky barely ever did. I can't wait for Drapes and Maltby to be gone in the next couple years because I think Holland will sign guys that play like those guys did in their prime which is what we need.

If we add one or two Drake types to this team I think we`ll have almost perfect balance but until then we`re not quite there.

I agree with what you're saying. It's not up to the star players to be hitting etc. I certainly wasn't implying the Wings have a ton of toughness. I was more commenting on those that say overall the Wings are soft. I agree, I would like to see more toughness throughout their lineup but by no means do I think the Wings are the 'soft european' team a lot of ppl claim they are.

I'll also agree Franzen has had his moments where he has looked a little follish in how he reacts to hits etc. But I still think he plays a fairly tough game. Both Zetterberg and Franzen don't make tons of hits but they both drive the net hard, go into the tough spots and absorb their share of abuse. As a matter of fact I think that for the most part the Wings as a team play that way. They may not dish out too much punishment game in a game out but I do think they get into those tough spots on the ice and take the hits to make the plays. With the exception of Williams now (who I dont think necessarily does that) I can't say that I'm ever really overly frustrated with any player not being willing to the abuse. Hudler perhaps could be someone on last year's roster that shyed away a little bit but even that, I don't think I've ever been too frustrated by him.

At the end of the day, ya I agree it would help to add a some tougher guys, who can both dish out and absorb the punishment but I feel like the Wings are a lot tougher of a team than they're given credit for. There's a lot to be said about players and teams willing to take the abuse to score and to win as opposed to players and teams looking to dish out the abuse.

[newfy 695]

I agree with what you're saying. It's not up to the star players to be hitting etc. I certainly wasn't implying the Wings have a ton of toughness. I was more commenting on those that say overall the Wings are soft. I agree, I would like to see more toughness throughout their lineup but by no means do I think the Wings are the 'soft european' team a lot of ppl claim they are.

I'll also agree Franzen has had his moments where he has looked a little follish in how he reacts to hits etc. But I still think he plays a fairly tough game. Both Zetterberg and Franzen don't make tons of hits but they both drive the net hard, go into the tough spots and absorb their share of abuse. As a matter of fact I think that for the most part the Wings as a team play that way. They may not dish out too much punishment game in a game out but I do think they get into those tough spots on the ice and take the hits to make the plays. With the exception of Williams now (who I dont think necessarily does that) I can't say that I'm ever really overly frustrated with any player not being willing to the abuse. Hudler perhaps could be someone on last year's roster that shyed away a little bit but even that, I don't think I've ever been too frustrated by him.

At the end of the day, ya I agree it would help to add a some tougher guys, who can both dish out and absorb the punishment but I feel like the Wings are a lot tougher of a team than they're given credit for. There's a lot to be said about players and teams willing to take the abuse to score and to win as opposed to players and teams looking to dish out the abuse.

That line says it all. If they could dish out even a little punishment I think it would put this dynasty over the top and be one of the best all time. Teams play rough and make it hard for our superstars to play and we say our team is tough cause they can take it. Why do some people here think it would hurt the team to be able to do that to other teams superstars? I would love to see if other teams stars can take it as well as the wings do but that won't happen with this roster right now.

I think Holland is kind of starting to lean towards rougher players then he has in the past now with drafting guys like Ferraro with their first pick this year and picking Callahan. Adding more scouts in the WHL will for sure help because its the toughest Jr league in the world. Our team would be better if we had some toughness in it, any non toughness advocates can argue all you want but its hockey and its proven that if you can play and be tough its better then just playing.

[Electrophile 3,554]

Yay. The endless enforcer/toughness/fighting argument. That's never happened in here before...

It's getting old. Just fraking knock it off.

I don't get it. I'm a fan of a baseball team that is known for having......how shall I put it? Spoiled fans. Kind of like the hockey team I root for. In any event WE don't turn on each other the way Red Wings fans in here do.

[mmamolo 287]

That line says it all. If they could dish out even a little punishment I think it would put this dynasty over the top and be one of the best all time. Teams play rough and make it hard for our superstars to play and we say our team is tough cause they can take it. Why do some people here think it would hurt the team to be able to do that to other teams superstars? I would love to see if other teams stars can take it as well as the wings do but that won't happen with this roster right now.

I definitely don't think it would be a bad thing to be able to do that to other teams. I just don't agree with ppl saying this team is soft. They are by no means the most menacing team to play against but they certainly don't get pushed around on a nightly basis by every team in the league either.

[Bring Back The Bruise Bros 1,029]

A Stanley cup defending team should have more then one energy player up front. Helm is my favourite player on the team after Cleary so no he isn't chopped liver. Having one guy who has barely any experience (not a knock on Helm just a point) should not be your only energy guy. They don't have to be fighters but bringing some meat and potatoes type player into our bottom lines can only improve our team.

No doubt,for example:

2008 "Energy Players"-Dallas Drake,Darren Helm,and Darren McCarty

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Maybe he can be a go-to guy in the shootouts. He also had a pretty nice spinorama move against Luongo that hit the post, would have been a highlighter had it gone in.

[Booster313 138]

Certain "traditionalists" see it as showing off, "look-at-me" and against the team concept.

As for Bertuzzi, great signing at a good price. He was never up to full speed following his back injury when he signed with us last time, and lets not forget he really wanted to sign with us back then but he just couldn't turn down that ridiculous contract that Burke offered him.

He's also playing for his next contract don't forget. If he can put up 20 goals and stay reasonably healthy, he can grab himself a 2 or 3 year deal somewhere.

Most teams don't have as many low numbers retired as we do.

[esteef 2,679]

Bertuzzi is God!

esteef

[Electrophile 3,554]

That's 'cause NYY fans have no morals

Morals when it comes to what? I would consider myself a person that has morals, regardless of the sports teams I root for. Now when you're talking about baseball.....would you say that I have no morals regarding the sport? Possibly. I don't care about steroids and basically think the majority of the sport has been juicing since about 1988, including players on my team that haven't been outed yet. I don't really care, I don't consider myself a purist in that respect. There are players in the HOF now who used amphetamines, cocaine, crack, scuffed balls, used spit balls, stole signs....did all sorts of things that are illegal and meant to give you an advantage over the competition. I'm not going to get all uppity about steroids when far worse went on decades ago.

Now if you mean you can't have morals and root for the Yankees because of money reasons, I have to disagree. It ain't my money, as long as Steinbrenner puts a quality product on the field every year (and he does), I don't care how much it costs. We don't win every year, but we weren't winning when I started following them (1994) so I figure much like the Red Wings, there's a cycle to success. We'll have another run and then we'll go through the valley again. It happens.

Now if you meant morals in some other way aside from what I said above, you'll have to elaborate.

[Rivalred 630]

On the fence until the season is 1/2 way through.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/243127-...ertuzzi-signing

Terry Frie, getting fried, good article, get off Berts back.

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/243127-...ertuzzi-signing

Terry Frie, getting fried, good article, get off Berts back.

Good brief read.

With Bertuzzi, some are just never going to get over his "incident". Nothing will probably change that, that's fine. I'm one to rarely hold grudges on things like that if the person seems like he's paid his dues, is truly sorry and remorseful, and so forth. It'd be one thing if Bertuzzi had an attitude problem like Sean Avery or T.O. or Ocho Cinco in the NFL where they just cannot avoid stupid drama, but Bertuzzi just doesn't strike me as that kind of person. What he did was inexcusable obviously and should never be gotten, but he seems to really be sorry, I've made my peace with it and moved on.

In terms of Bertuzzi the hockey player, first time didn't work out so well due to injury. Who knows this time around but the signing is low-risk, minimum dollars, etc. Hopefully this time around Bertuzzi can use his size a bit more consistently.

[VM1138 1,921]

Good brief read.

With Bertuzzi, some are just never going to get over his "incident". Nothing will probably change that, that's fine. I'm one to rarely hold grudges on things like that if the person seems like he's paid his dues, is truly sorry and remorseful, and so forth. It'd be one thing if Bertuzzi had an attitude problem like Sean Avery or T.O. or Ocho Cinco in the NFL where they just cannot avoid stupid drama, but Bertuzzi just doesn't strike me as that kind of person. What he did was inexcusable obviously and should never be gotten, but he seems to really be sorry, I've made my peace with it and moved on.

In terms of Bertuzzi the hockey player, first time didn't work out so well due to injury. Who knows this time around but the signing is low-risk, minimum dollars, etc. Hopefully this time around Bertuzzi can use his size a bit more consistently.

Bertuzzi seems to be one of those old-school hockey players. Mean as sin on the ice, and did something inexcusable, BUT he doesn't seem like a drama queen or a jack-ass off the rink. I've never heard any horror stories about him off-the-ice so I can only assume he's a decently likable guy.

No problem with having him.

[titanium2 867]

Bertuzzi seems to be one of those old-school hockey players. Mean as sin on the ice, and did something inexcusable, BUT he doesn't seem like a drama queen or a jack-ass off the rink. I've never heard any horror stories about him off-the-ice so I can only assume he's a decently likable guy.

No problem with having him.

If Babs really does put Bert on the 2nd line with Fil and Mule, what are the chances that line becomes just nearly as potent as the Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi line at its peak? Sure Bertuzzi has lost some edge but you still have Mule in his prime and Fil getting closer to his.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

From sportsnet dot ca :

Scouting Report

Assets Big and mobile, he owns soft hands that do damage around the net. Can score goals and set up his linemates. When on his game, he can dominate down low.

Flaws

Injuries have become a major problem. Lacks discipline and takes a lot of bad penalties in the offensive zone. Can get lazy at times.

Career potential

Top six winger.

That "Career Potential Train" has come and gone, especially at $1.5M. See you at the "Triage Tent".

[digitaljohn88 4]

If Babs really does put Bert on the 2nd line with Fil and Mule, what are the chances that line becomes just nearly as potent as the Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi line at its peak? Sure Bertuzzi has lost some edge but you still have Mule in his prime and Fil getting closer to his.

I would really like that line. Filppula and Bertuzzi will hopefully both be 20/30+ guys and Franzen is getting close to being a 40 goal scorer. 150+ points between them would be a fairly potent second line.

It won't be anywhere close to Naslund-Morrison-Bertuzzi though.

Edited August 27, 2009 by digitaljohn88