"I don't even want to think about it"

[Octopus's Garden 147]

I still think he's coming back for one more, but I don't know why.

FanHouse

[AIK'91 22]

Despite being down 3-0, the Wings better be playing their hearts out on Thursday.

IMO, the most important reason not to give up on the season is because our best player may not play next year. Sadly.

[Trapt1307 81]

I really think he's going to call it quits.

Edited May 5, 2010 by Trapt1307

[MCleveland89 122]

He better not retire. He plays like he has more in him. Plus I'd miss him. A lot.

[Tommy_Like_Wingy 25]

IMO, the most important reason not to give up on the season is because our best player may not play next year. Sadly.

Why? Where is Datsyuk going?

[Electrophile 3,554]

I really hope we don't lose this series but IF we do.....please don't lose it at home. I don't want Nick's final game in a Red Wing uniform to be watching this team get swept out of the playoffs. That would piss me off more than actual loss. He deserves better than that, for all he's done for this team and for the sport.

It sucked when Steve retired but it's REALLY going to suck when Nick finally hangs 'em up. People think the team is playing poorly now......

Edited May 5, 2010 by Electrophile

[AIK'91 22]

Why? Where is Datsyuk going?

Even though you can argue he's lost half-a-step, Nick's still our best player

As good as Z and Pavel have been post-lockout, Lidstrom's always been the first guy you'd want in the lineup. Even now.

[wingsownnhl43 14]

Even though you can argue he's lost half-a-step, Nick's still our best player

As good as Z and Pavel have been post-lockout, Lidstrom's always been the first guy you'd want in the lineup. Even now.

Ummm... I know there is an emotional attatchment to Nick Lidstrom, but Datsyuk is easily our best player. Datsyuk is one of the top 3 players in this league, hands down.

[AndaPanda 2]

I don't want Lids to retire...my boyfriend and I are going to Detroit for a couple of games next season. We are driving from Montana and it would suck if Lids wasn't there. I just want him to play one more season so I can see him play in person.

[king_malice 17]

I think he's done to, not because he can't play anymore but because in his head he must read/hear that people are saying he has lost it and now potentially being swept by the Sharks he might be thinking it could be because of his play. I think he should come back one more year and play on the 2nd pairing there would be less pressure on him on that unit and would probably be the best 2nd unit Dman in the league. Ya he is slowed down alot but what he has lost in speed he still makes up for it with the use of his stick and his positioning.

Stuart-Rafalski

Kronwall-Lidstrom

[AIK'91 22]

Ummm... I know there is an emotional attatchment to Nick Lidstrom, but Datsyuk is easily our best player. Datsyuk is one of the top 3 players in this league, hands down.

Easily our best player? With Zetterberg, he's not even necessarily our best forward every game. Sure, Pavel plays a flashy game and is absolutely phenomenal at both ends of the rink. He's probably the league's most exciting player to watch, especially one-on-one.

But, Nick quietly gets the job done. He's the steadying influence of our team. He shuts down the other team's best players and makes those crucial outlet passes (the key to our puck possession style and transition game for years now). Also, there isn't another D-man better at holding the line. It's just all the little things he does that make him night-in, night-out our best player. Datsyuk would say so himself. And so would Zetterberg, Yzerman, and Ken Holland, etc.

I admit though, for the first time ever, he has started to have the occasional bad game. But in many respects, he's still the same Lidstrom we've seen for years. The same Lidstrom that continues to be our best player.

Perhaps nobody else is admitting that Nick is our best player out of fear for having to ponder what this team will look like once he hangs 'em up.

Edited May 5, 2010 by AIK'91

[GORM19 0]

I said it at the beginning of the year and i will say it again, Sadly LIDS will retire at the end of the year

[YzermanLives 3]

Really hope he sticks it out another year or two

Future hall of famer ,quality person,team leader.

He'd be missed.

But like always with the wings the next leader will stand up in

the absence of one.

I hope he plays more but I wish him only the beat if he moves on.

And eagerly wait to see who cam fill his shoes and step it up.

[MotorCityMadness 388]

I don't want to see him retire, but if in the event that he does hang up the skates I think the Wings should do the best they can to keep him around and perhaps even have him replace McCrimmon whom I would think has to be shown the door at season's end

[Bannedforlife 403]

Easily our best player? With Zetterberg, he's not even necessarily our best forward every game. Sure, Pavel plays a flashy game and is absolutely phenomenal at both ends of the rink. He's probably the league's most exciting player to watch, especially one-on-one.

But, Nick quietly gets the job done. He's the steadying influence of our team. He shuts down the other team's best players and makes those crucial outlet passes (the key to our puck possession style and transition game for years now). Also, there isn't another D-man better at holding the line. It's just all the little things he does that make him night-in, night-out our best player. Datsyuk would say so himself. And so would Zetterberg, Yzerman, and Ken Holland, etc.

I admit though, for the first time ever, he has started to have the occasional bad game. But in many respects, he's still the same Lidstrom we've seen for years. The same Lidstrom that continues to be our best player.

Perhaps nobody else is admitting that Nick is our best player out of fear for having to ponder what this team will look like once he hangs 'em up.

I'm sorry, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm not taking anything away from Lidstrom, he's clearly one of the greats, but there are 7 other teams in the playoffs who don't have a Hall of Famer as their number one defenseman, and they seem to be getting along fine. Dan Boyle? Sammy Salo? Sergei Gimpchar? I can't even name Montreal's number 1, is it Spacek? The point is you don't have to have a generational talent on your team in order to compete, and there are other players in this league who can play a little bit of defense. We even happen to have a couple on our team right already. Is it going to suck to not see one of our favorites play anymore? Yea, but I'd be surprised to see us miss the playoffs completely the year after Nick hangs them up. Flame on

[rage 24]

Hope he comes back.

[HankthaTank 1,100]

Nick, simply put, NO NO and some more NO!!!!!

Its not just the nostalgic feeling you get when you watch him, but its the talent level. He can still do it.

[stevieisthebest 80]

I'm going to the game tomorrow, and it never dawned on me that I could witness his last game at the Joe... That is a terribly sad thing to think about.

[dat's sick 1,002]

"I will address that issue once the season is over," Lidstrom said on Wednesday after the Red Wings' brief practice at Joe Louis Arena. "I don't feel this is the proper time to discuss it."

For some reason that really made me feel like he's going to retire. He just doesn't want to make a big thing out of it before the season is over.

I hope I'm wrong, but I could totally see it being that way..

[Red Wings 2010 9]

I think he will do another year. He just doesn't look like he wants to stop playing now.

[BuckeyeWingsfan80 209]

For some reason that really made me feel like he's going to retire. He just doesn't want to make a big thing out of it before the season is over.

I hope I'm wrong, but I could totally see it being that way..

that is the way a guy like Lidstrom would handle it too...very low-key and in a way to not distract from the team.

[russianswede919293 95]

I have had a feeling this would be his last season since training camp.

I hope I'm wrong...

[jmad 18]

Just about the only thing he hasn't done is lead a team down 0-3 to a series win ...

[RockyMountainWingGal 108]

I really hope we don't lose this series but IF we do.....please don't lose it at home. I don't want Nick's final game in a Red Wing uniform to be watching this team get swept out of the playoffs. That would piss me off more than actual loss. He deserves better than that, for all he's done for this team and for the sport.

It sucked when Steve retired but it's REALLY going to suck when Nick finally hangs 'em up. People think the team is playing poorly now......

Yes I think a few of the younger folks on here need to be enlightened on what the Lidstrom-less Wings were like.....not pretty. I don't think it will be quite that bad when he does retire, but I think alot of fans are going to be shocked on how subtly he runs the whole on-ice show. Wings will recover, but it won't be easy or quick....

[Buppy 1,720]

I'm sorry, but this is getting ridiculous. I'm not taking anything away from Lidstrom, he's clearly one of the greats, but there are 7 other teams in the playoffs who don't have a Hall of Famer as their number one defenseman, and they seem to be getting along fine. Dan Boyle? Sammy Salo? Sergei Gimpchar? I can't even name Montreal's number 1, is it Spacek? The point is you don't have to have a generational talent on your team in order to compete, and there are other players in this league who can play a little bit of defense. We even happen to have a couple on our team right already. Is it going to suck to not see one of our favorites play anymore? Yea, but I'd be surprised to see us miss the playoffs completely the year after Nick hangs them up. Flame on

If Nick retires we will almost surely be a worse team for it.

Bringing in new people is always a little dicey. You never really know how well they'll adapt to the system and the other players. When it's your #1 defenseman and most reliable player, who's also the team captain and long time leader, it's even more of a problem.

I'm not saying we'd miss the playoffs for sure. Or that we'll be terrible. But it's hard to imagine Nick's eventual departure as anything but a bad thing for the team. When Stevie left, the torch had already been passed on to Hank and Pav, and Nick was still the best player in the game. We don't have anyone for Nick to pass the torch to. We don't need a 'generational' talent, but we need someone ready to step into the role. Kronner, Stu, and Rafi aren't, IMO.

Maybe when he does retire we'll get lucky and whatever changes we make to compensate will work out fine. Maybe we'll be even better. But I wouldn't get your hopes too high.