115 replies to this topic

[Richdg]

It is time to part ways with Hommer. To old, costs to much money, and is a liability other than on the PP in front of the net. How do you keep him just for the PP? If we do, then we can't roll 4 lines.......

[frankgrimes]

The more players we have fighting for a spot the merrier. Showing rookies how tough it its to get a spot on this team will only do them favours longterm speaking I would say let him attend training camp and go from there.

Is Almquist ready for NHL primetime?

[FlashyG]

Exactly....only another year older and with a head coach even more frustrated with what he's given to work with.

The coach can hardly complain about Holmstrom since he's advocating bringing him back as well.

Personally I trust that Babcock and Holland know more about the players on their roster than any of us posting about them on the web.

As long as it doesn't prevent them from signing one of the big ticket FA's and it helps keep Lidstrom around another year I'm fine with Homer being brought back. I just don't want to see him on the first line anymore.

Edited by FlashyG, 13 May 2012 - 08:34 PM.

[Echolalia]

This isn't just about being loyal to Homer, nor is it just about trying to get Lidstrom to re-sign. Parise and Suter (who came out and said the next team he plays for ideally will be his last) will be following this news if they're looking to see how they'll be treated at the end of their careers. If I'm Holland, Homer is getting a contract offer this year, because I want Parise and Suter, and any other potential long-term signing to see that we take care of our players. This is a trump card the Wings' brass has built up for years. This very well could be the year that we reap the benefits.

Homer stays.

[kipwinger]

3rd - Bertuzzi-Helm-Cleary
4th - Prust-Gaustad-Eaves/Nyquist

That's where our bottom 6 needs to be. Now, I like Holmer as much as the next guy, but....

Can someone please explain to me why Paul Gaustad is so highly though of around here? He doesn't score (7 goals, 14 assists), he doesn't fight (4 fights, 2 wins, 2 loses), he's not that big (6'5, 212 lbs), he's not fast, and he makes 2.5 million dollars. Presumably everyone wants him because he's a defensive forward who's good in the faceoff circle. We definitely don't have anybody like that...er...Justin Abdelkader: (8 goals, 14 assists), (6 fights, 2 wins, 4 loses), (6'1, 215 lbs.), is faster, makes 1.7 million less, and is a defensive forward who's respectable in the faceoff circle.

[Dabura]

This isn't just about being loyal to Homer, nor is it just about trying to get Lidstrom to re-sign. Parise and Suter (who came out and said the next team he plays for ideally will be his last) will be following this news if they're looking to see how they'll be treated at the end of their careers. If I'm Holland, Homer is getting a contract offer this year, because I want Parise and Suter, and any other potential long-term signing to see that we take care of our players. This is a trump card the Wings' brass has built up for years. This very well could be the year that we reap the benefits.

Homer stays.

On the other hand, they're each gonna be looking for a team that's seriously committed to winning....

Really, though, I don't think Holmer's situation is going to factor much into their decisions re: the Wings.

[LeftWinger]

Wow, lots of Homer love still I guess. At least by all the negs. Of course no one man enough to debate it....

Let me ask the negger, do you like the team you had last season? Sure they were 1st overall in February, but that was because of an anomaly. Think about this, they won an NHL record 23 straight home wins, yet still could not bury the rest of the league...why? Because they stunk on the road, their PP and PK stunk. Look how early the 2001-02 Wings put away the rest of the league and they didn't even sniff a 23 game win streak...If you can honestly tell us that this team, exactly like it was last season, is a Stanley Cup caliber team, then please, explain it to us, don't just neg and run. Of course, just like usual, you won't...

edit: I did what I could to bring everyone back to plus. It's asinine to neg someone just because they think Homer should retire...

Edited by LeftWinger, 13 May 2012 - 08:17 PM.

[SouthernWingsFan]

All for it.

For one, he's my favorite player so that's a captain obvious answer as to why I'm for it (yes I get his time is almost up).

And two, anything to bring Lidstrom back. If this is a reason to, then do it.

[GMRwings1983]

Wow, lots of Homer love still I guess. At least by all the negs. Of course no one man enough to debate it....

Let me ask the negger, do you like the team you had last season? Sure they were 1st overall in February, but that was because of an anomaly. Think about this, they won an NHL record 23 straight home wins, yet still could not bury the rest of the league...why? Because they stunk on the road, their PP and PK stunk. Look how early the 2001-02 Wings put away the rest of the league and they didn't even sniff a 23 game win streak...If you can honestly tell us that this team, exactly like it was last season, is a Stanley Cup caliber team, then please, explain it to us, don't just neg and run. Of course, just like usual, you won't...

edit: I did what I could to bring everyone back to plus. It's asinine to neg someone just because they think Homer should retire...

I plussed you for having a pornstar in your avatar.


As for Homer, he probably should retire. He's accomplished a tremendous amount in his career and his given this team a lot. At this point, he has nothing to prove and this team needs to get younger and hungrier. I don't want this to turn into Draper and Maltby all over again.

[LeftWinger]

I plussed you for having a pornstar in your avatar.


As for Homer, he probably should retire. He's accomplished a tremendous amount in his career and his given this team a lot. At this point, he has nothing to prove and this team needs to get younger and hungrier. I don't want this to turn into Draper and Maltby all over again.

Ya! Thanks for noticing! Anyhow, someone is just going thru and negging everything I say now. It's not because they disagree with me, I know this because someone gets pluses for list the top 10 things Holland will say and I simply reply, nice to meet you Mr. Holland and it gets a neg. No biggie. When their son grows up swallowing a sword, they at least will know why...

[GMRwings1983]

Ya! Thanks for noticing! Anyhow, someone is just going thru and negging everything I say now. It's not because they disagree with me, I know this because someone gets pluses for list the top 10 things Holland will say and I simply reply, nice to meet you Mr. Holland and it gets a neg. No biggie. When their son grows up swallowing a sword, they at least will know why...

Well, I was just guessing it was a pornstar. I wouldn't really know of course.

And I wouldn't worry about being negged or not. Hopefully this forum will eventually get rid of the plus/minus crap, but I'd just keep posting what's on my mind if I were you. There are many posters here who have a homerish love (no pun intended) for some of the players on the team.

[Probie]

I don't want homer back. We need to get bigger faster and younger.

Edited by Probie, 13 May 2012 - 08:48 PM.

[St. Michael (the Red Wing)]

Homer needs to give it up.

[SaCkaveli20]

I agree with most of you..he needs to hang em up. We need speed.
We need guys like Mikkel Bødker...all over the ice, love it,

[Drake_Marcus]

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=sv&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.expressen.se%2Fsport%2Fhockey%2Fnhl%2Fdetroit-fem-kilo-latt-for-en-toppforward%2F


"And Holmstrom?
- It's a difficult question. Much depends on what he is prepared to accept himself, says Detroit's general manager.
What do you mean?
- He would then probably have a different role. Less ice time. Do not play in any of the top chains. And given age is probably also a lower wage.
Holland continues:
- Right now I do not know how Thomas's reaction to it.
Detoitcoachen Mike Babcock has his theory clear.
- I think it will be a package deal. Continuing one of them will be the second to catch on. And of course I really want to either run for another year"

You realize that Babcock spells it out in this translated article (I'll assume it's valid for the sake of argument). They'd be signing Holmstrom to keep Lidstom on and would be doing it at a stupidly low price. If last year's Holmstrom's your 12th best forward I suppose it isn't the end of the world. *shrug* He can still be effective on the 2nd PP unit. If signing him cheaply is what it takes to keep Lidstrom so be it.

[thegerkin]

I'm all for it. He's a role player. We need role players (yeah, yeah, yeah, I know we need a defenseman and a sniper too) but you can't have too many role players. I know Cleary and Bertuzzi could take Homer's spot, but I'd rather have Bert and Clears fighting for the puck in the corner or going up ice for scoring chances. Oh, and he is THE BEST goalie screener in the entire NHL.

[GoWings1905]

On the other hand, they're each gonna be looking for a team that's seriously committed to winning....

Really, though, I don't think Holmer's situation is going to factor much into their decisions re: the Wings.

Exactly. I definitely agree. The precedent for the Red Wings treating veteran players in a very favorable fashion has long been established. Everyone in the league knows this and I highly doubt Parise and/or Suter are going to base their decisions on what happens with Tomas Holmstrom. It's not like the Red Wings organization is running Holmstrom off -- he's a mostly ineffective player with very minimal impact at even strength. Hockey is a business; you don't keep guys around if they can't play the game anymore. You can be loyal and still have limits. Draper, Maltby and Ozzie all knew their time was over and the front office treated all of them in a respectable manner following the conclusion of their playing days.

Parise and/or Suter know what they are getting if they come to Detroit. Like you mentioned, the biggest looming question surrounding the Red Wings if if they can retool from three straight early playoff exits. One of the most glaring flaws in the Nashville series was the team's complete lack of anything from the bottom-six. Holmstrom on the 4th line is just a complete misfit. Need more speed, size and energy -- none of which Holmstrom provides.

[Hatethedrake!]

Can someone please explain to me why Paul Gaustad is so highly though of around here? He doesn't score (7 goals, 14 assists), he doesn't fight (4 fights, 2 wins, 2 loses), he's not that big (6'5, 212 lbs), he's not fast, and he makes 2.5 million dollars. Presumably everyone wants him because he's a defensive forward who's good in the faceoff circle. We definitely don't have anybody like that...er...Justin Abdelkader: (8 goals, 14 assists), (6 fights, 2 wins, 4 loses), (6'1, 215 lbs.), is faster, makes 1.7 million less, and is a defensive forward who's respectable in the faceoff circle.

Generally speaking, any player which the Wings do not acquire is usually viewed as an NHL all star.

[dat's sick]

If we need to sign Homer one more year to get Lids one more year as well.. then yeah, sure, I can accept Homer in a 13th/14th-forward role.

Honestly though, he's done in the NHL. He's been a warrior, an awesome guy, and a key part of the team the past 15 years, but in the new NHL and at his age, he simply is not effective anymore.

With hopefully atleast one or two key signings by Holland, and young guys coming up fighting for roster spots, it's really, really hard to see a place for Homer anymore.

[Ally]

Can someone please explain to me why Paul Gaustad is so highly though of around here? He doesn't score (7 goals, 14 assists), he doesn't fight (4 fights, 2 wins, 2 loses), he's not that big (6'5, 212 lbs), he's not fast, and he makes 2.5 million dollars. Presumably everyone wants him because he's a defensive forward who's good in the faceoff circle. We definitely don't have anybody like that...er...Justin Abdelkader: (8 goals, 14 assists), (6 fights, 2 wins, 4 loses), (6'1, 215 lbs.), is faster, makes 1.7 million less, and is a defensive forward who's respectable in the faceoff circle.

6'5 and 212 lbs isn't big?