Reds4Life

Yzerman is 6th all time scoring in NHL history,one of 3 players to ever score 155 points in a season (guess who the other two are), three Stanley Cups, Pearson, Conn Smythe, Selke, and an Olympic Gold Medal.

Yes. But there were far better players than Steve (you know, not just forwards ), whether you want to admit that or not. Points are not everything. Messier is second in points all-time. Is he even close to top 4 ever? No freaking way. Yzerman scored 155 points in the 80s, era with most goals per game. When he did that, he was NOT a good two way player. When he became one, his scoring took a big hit. No sane person would even consider taking Steve Yzerman over Mario Lemieux on any team. Ever.

Lemieux was 5x the player as Yzerman ever was.

Agreed. If that. I mean seriously, Lemieux is 1-4 all time, Yzerman is top30-40.

As for Steve Y better defensively? Who cares? Lemieux is so much better offensively that his defense is irrelevant. The other team prayed they do not get scored on. Mario is up there with Gordie Howe. And  do not forget - Yzerman was great defensively when he scored around 80 points, he was not good defensively when he was in his offensive prime.

But since this is LGW and most people are Yzerman worshipers, we are gonna get a lot of neg points.

Perry is actually pretty awesome. Funny guy, brings some laughs to the game. Did he ever cheapshot anyone at all? Why all the hate, yeah he does some trashtalking, so what?

Hossa's chick is hotter than Emma imho.  Too bad she's with such a ******. And Kopecky? Yikes.

Pronger should have won. Toews was mediocre in the finals.

...No.

Why not? Yzerman starts stealing guys from the Red Wings just to put them to Tampa Bay. Why should Holland allow it? Just because Yzerman is a nice guy? Hell no. Let him prove he can find his own staff, not just steal them from organization he just left.

Eh? I was under the assumption cap hits don't apply to a team once the player retires?

They apply if player is over 35 (or 34) years old.

At this point in their respective careers I would rather sign Duncan Keith, even if it were for one year only, than Lidstrom. Keith just signed a new contract for 5.5 mil. I think that should be the basis for Lidstrom's next contract.

Rafalski makes 6 million, how can you be mad if Lidstrom gets more?
He MIGHT take a huge paycut, but some of the fans just expect him to do it by default, which is pretty stupid.

Those goalies (equipment) are not even close really. TBH I did not see anything special or similar. Datsyuk is MUCH better than Gretzky when it comes to dekes and breakaways.

Seriously, I don't understand Lidstrom's motivation.

Probably because you are not a pro-athlete  

Not going to lie if Lids take 6mill or more knowing the Wings are tight against the cap im going to lose a little respect for the guy, and it will show why YZERMAN is the one and only TRUE captain of the Wings.

Yes, because Yzerman did not make A LOT of money when he was a 3rd liner at best.  
But since there was no cap, it was no problem of course (except for maybe Illitch ). Lidstrom can easily command 6 or more million, it would still be a fair price. I think NHL PA would step in if he wanted to take 2 or so million a year.

Yzerman scored 50 goals (6th in the NHL) and 52 assists in 64 games in 1987-88 and was 11th in Selke voting with first-place votes. His projected points line was 63-65-128, which would have placed him 2nd-9th-4th.

Yzerman scored 65 goals (3rd-3rd-3rd) and 90 assists in 1988-89, and was 18th in Selke voting with first place votes. He also won the Lester B. Pearson award that season.

I didn't say Yzerman didn't have to sacrifice offense. But to say he was not good defensively at his offensive best is idiotic.

I did not say he was liability or bad defensively. Just that he became elite defensive player when he was no longer offensive star.

Yzerman scored 155 points in 1988-89. That's a number that only Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux have surpassed. He also received Selke votes, including a first place vote, that season. He was in the Selke voting other years in the 80s as well. It's only because of Fedorov's early 90s Selke/Hart and the fact the Wings went from a powerhouse offensive team to a defense-first championship team, and Bowman made a big deal about Yzerman having to be the leader with regard to that.

But back to my main point; Yzerman's play in the 80s was surpassed only by Gretzky and Lemieux. He took a Red Wings squad that was composed of AHL players and turned it into a team that would win division crowns. The only reason the Wings didn't get past the Conference Finals in any of those years is the fact that they played the Oilers in the CFs.

Lidstrom deserves a lot of credit...but Yzerman was a great defensive player in his early years as well. Not as great as he was later on, but the "Yzerman went from one-way player to defensive star" myth is ridiculous.

155 points .. in the 80's. Also, Steve never even came close to that mark (137 in 92-93 and 127 in 89-90, other than tha no offensive star seasons). And it is a proven fact that he had to sacrifice some of his offense to become a good defensive player, which was needed to win the Cup. Yzerman started getting significant number of Selke votes when he was no longer an offensive star. It is a myth that Yzerman was an offensive star and provided Selke caliber defense at the same time.

You must be really young. Or you have a terrible memory. Steve Yzerman absolutely turned this franchise around. We didn't even get Nick till 1990. Yzerman had already taken the "dead wings" from a bottom feeder, to a playoff team before we even drafted Lidstrom. Yzerman was a one man wrecking crew, and was just as good defensively as he was offensively (6th all time in points).

Yzerman deserves by far more credit than any other former or current Red Wing.

lol at the bolded part

Yzerman was either offensive star (early years) or defensive star (but significantly worse offensive player) later (Bowman). He was one of the most important Red Wings, obviously, but he does not deserve more credit (for the Cup wins) than Fedorov, Lidstrom or Shanahan. And Lidstrom then went to win another in 08. That means he was more important overall.

I blame Holland. He should have sent Williams to waivers and if he cleared let him stay in GR. Holland dropped the ball with Quincey and now with Leino. I sure hope he does not give Homer a multi-year contract considering his poor health and that he is 37 (I think) years old.