424 replies to this topic

[cusimano_brothers]

The penalty kill might get a real workout.

[Wing Across The Pond]

I don't mind this signing at all. He'll give the 4th line some identity. Hopefully Abdelkader will follow his lead. He's a hard hitter, drops the gloves, and very annoying.

I like it.

This. Man that 4th line was painful to watch last year with Emmerton and Homer on it. Had no identity and looked irrelevant every time it took the ice. This signing changes that.

[vladdy16]

tootoo isnt all that much of a tough guy..........

No, but he makes Maltby look like Shanahan. He's a nasty pest who does questionable things and then can't get off the ice fast enough.

Wings fans are too hard to please.. For months now, it's been "Sign a Predator! Sign a Predator!"
Now the Wings sign one and everyone's pissed off...
haha

This one's more like "To Kill a Predator"

[Wings_Dynasty]

All this talk about Tootoo being a d-bag on and off the ice and having personal issues doesn't really have any bearing on his "status" with the Wings Fan Kingdom.

Wings fans love our d-bags. Probert is a prime example. He was an off the ice troublemaker and a bit of a cheap-shotting goon later in his career but he is a mythic player to us now. People constantly bring up retiring his number (with Chelios on the banner) because of his reputation as a tough guy. He had his own demons and it seemed like it only added to his persona.

Now that I mention it. Chelios and Wendel Clark. Two guys that joined the Wings at the same time when most fans thought they would NEVER want to see either in a Wings jersey.

Plus, the Wings have a great history with taking a player viewed as down and out and allowing them playing time to thrive. Cleary, Olausson, Fetisov, Eaves, Larry Murphy, and Dallas Drake (who is very much a similar player to Tootoo that everyone loved while he was here). And of course Todd Bertuzzi, who most of the league and fans had gave up on and the Wings picked up TWICE. Now there are people who are so desperate for toughness on the Wings they are deluded enough to consider Bert our enforcer because he wrestled Weber a little. They are so blind to non-hockey related issues to see that the Wings just picked up one of the premiere agitators who can actually fight pretty well.

Bottom line: He's cheap, tough, and can chip in a goal here and there. Give him a chance before you sell all your Wings memorabilia.

Edited by Wings_Dynasty, 02 July 2012 - 07:50 AM.

[Jusek]

I like this a lot. Heavy hitter and annoying rat who can play and fight too.

[dat's sick]

Atleast we won't have to play against him. Will be a little bit tough seeing him in a Red Wings jersey, but it makes us a more annoying team to play against. We've been missing that element since guys like McCarty and Maltby left.

I see him as a 12th/13th forward, throw him in there against certain team to agitate..

Not my favorite signing but I can't argue he doesn't add something to the team.

[Wings_Toledo]

So far Tootoo has been very respectful of the organization and seems humbled to be here. I say give the guy a fair chance to prove himself. He does bring an element that has been missing from the lineup since Maltby left (and that Abdelkader has thus far been ineffective at producing).

[Echolalia]

I am shocked at how many people dont like this signing.
Tootoo is definitely one of the most notorious agitators in the league, and has a reputation of going over the line, but when you consider all the toughness vs skill debates our forums have had when discussing the bottom six, well here is a guy who provides the best of both worlds. Take a step back and look at what Tootoo is capable of objectively. He is an all heart player who gives it his absolute all every shift. He creates chaos, he hits, he fights, and last year he scored 30 points in 77 games. Physicality aside, those are impressive numbers for a grinder. Since the 2008 season he has also been much more level-headed, amassing 40, 61, and 92 PIM respectively. He isn't going to be a liability for us the way that many other bottom line forwards are.

This guy is everything that Detroit needs in the bottom six, and considering his blue-collar, give-it-your-all attitude, I expect it won't be long until he's a fan favorite here.

Just no whistles please...

Edited by Echolalia, 02 July 2012 - 08:46 AM.

[freshy]

I like it. After I got over my initial emotional reaction and processed the signing I think this will work out well. Guy has been a part of Nashville for what, 10 years? Trotz obviously liked the guy. Helm likes the guy. He brings grit, energy, and toughness. A guy like this(Drake,McCarty) put's the wind in the sails of teammates with the way they play and energy they bring. Look at how deflated we were missing Helmer's energy in the playoffs. The energy caused by hitting and banging ramps up the juices of everyone. 22-Helm-Abby line will get the Joe rocking and hopefully wake Franzen the f*** up out of his coma.

[Doc Holliday]

He doesn't look too shabby in a Wings jersey.

[Hack & Whack Rule!]

I'm torn...I want to like him...but he's a bit of a douch nozzle.

[Dabura]

I am shocked at how many people dont like this signing.
Tootoo is definitely one of the most notorious agitators in the league, and has a reputation of going over the line, but when you consider all the toughness vs skill debates our forums have had when discussing the bottom six, well here is a guy who provides the best of both worlds. Take a step back and look at what Tootoo is capable of objectively. He is an all heart player who gives it his absolute all every shift. He creates chaos, he hits, he fights, and last year he scored 30 points in 77 games. Physicality aside, those are impressive numbers for a grinder. Since the 2008 season he has also been much more level-headed, amassing 40, 61, and 92 PIM respectively. He isn't going to be a liability for us the way that many other bottom line forwards are.

This guy is everything that Detroit needs in the bottom six, and considering his blue-collar, give-it-your-all attitude, I expect it won't be long until he's a fan favorite here.

Just no whistles please...

Truth.

[Learn2LuvIt]

I don't want the Tootoo whistle to replicate here in Detroit. I always thought it gave the Preds opposition a bit of an advantage by letting everyone know what he was on the ice. I guess It could be looked at as an advantage for the Preds (e.g. opposing players getting their head up and not focusing on the play)...but all-in-all I thought it was a slight disadvantage to the Preds. Other teams get a "heads up" that he's on the ice (in lieu of not realizing he's out there and getting hammered). Also, not that coaches aren't fully aware, but it's a timing thing....the whistle let coaches know exactly when he got on the ice instead of a lot of cases it may take a coach 5-10 seconds to identify and match lines accordingly.

[Opie]

All I can hope is that Wings fans DO NOT bring whistles to home games!

[stevie for president]

Tootoo may be a ******, but now he's OUR ******!

Tootoo-Abdelkader-Bertuzzi/Cleary sounds like a 4th line we can all enjoy. Energy line that checks and can pitch in a few goals.

[newfy]

Tootoo is one of the toughest pound for pound fughters in the game too. Once people see him clean some 6'3 players clock after laying out one of their scorers I think most of you will change your tune

[FlashyG]

The penalty kill might get a real workout.

He draws more penalties than he takes and he provides more offence than every single player in our bottom 6.

Add that to his ability to hit and I think this has been our best signing this off-season.

[frankgrimes]

Well Prust for 2.5 or Tootoo for 1.9 I guess I would have chosen Prust. Sure, Tootoo can fight a little but he in no way a much needed enforcer.

Guess we'll have to wait and see an okayish signing.

[dragonballgtz]

He draws more penalties than he takes and he provides more offence than every single player in our bottom 6.

Add that to his ability to hit and I think this has been our best signing this off-season.

Helm says hi.

[FlashyG]

Helm says hi.

Darren Helm - 9g 17a, 26 pts
Jordin Tootoo - 6g 24a, 30 pts