So you're firmly in the camp of " No Ty Conklin" then? Because the majority seems to be fighting the "Conklin vs Nabokov" fight over who should be next year's backup.
Not in the Ty Conklin camp. Nabokov might be alright, but I think it's going to be between Osgood or MacDonald backing up Howard unless their is another injury or epic meltdown.
And Ville Leino? How about that one? He's a real popular name right now.
I don't think that's gonna happen. For one, I don't think he enamored himself to Holland. Second, I think the Flyers are going to re-sign him. Third, I don't think HE wants to come back here.
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As for reclamations... Joey MacDonald? Jason Williams? Chris Osgood? Dallas Drake? Darren McCarty?
Ken Holland has grabbed up plenty of former Wings in various capacities. Just as it's not unusual for a GM to raid their old club for players and prospects, Holland sometimes will reach back and pick up a former Wing who fits the need. The need is a mobile, physical, two-way forward capable of playing center and wing, right? Someone who can play on the PP or PK? Say hello to Tomas Kopecky.
Yes, he certainly has grabbed up plenty of former Wings. I think that has worked both in our favor and well, not so much. [Joey Mac as a back-up/AHL veteran. Jason Williams with second attempt in a role that he didn't fulfill the first time around. Osgood... Hey we all have said goodbye to someone too early... and second chances are sometimes worth it, Drake (how long did he play for us the first time around?) a second coming that was oh so sweet. McCarty - nostalgia tour.
Whether they have worked out for us or not they certainly know the system, the expectations, the dressing room, and the fact that it's easy to come back to a perennial contender is a win-win.
I don't like Kopecky. He had flashes of great play here and certainly stepped up once he went to the Hawks, but I waver in ability to praise him as much as you might.
You say mobile: I say, "I remember him falling down a lot and looking like a big oaf a lot of the time."
You say physical: I say, "I don't remember great use of that size and while he's not incapable of fighting, he's no fighter."
Also, like Leino, Kopecky has certainly found a certain amount of success outside of the Wings organization. I don't know how much he wants to come back here either.
Unless the Hawks can't sign him for the money he wants... and if he wants too much money, I DEFINITELY don't want him back.
If I were Holland, I wouldn't be looking in this direction.
