Datsyerberger

If this Jaromir Jagr rumor is true and the Wings sign him, I'm going to lose my s***.

Fortunately, s*** is one of those things you don't really worry too much about trying to find if you lose it. Unless you're one of those people where things you lose turn up in the damndest places later... then you really don't wanna lose your s***.

"Oh, here it is, turns out it was in my pocket the whole time!"

Michael Peca won it twice, and he was neither extremely skilled or extremely aggressive.  Something like that is pretty rare though, and I think you're right that Filpulla's style is too subtle to get noticed.  Maybe Peca only did because he was a Captain, I don't know.  I definitely think Filpulla's good enough to be considered that high, but given everthing else I don't think he will be.  I also that that there are many other guys in the league who could boast the same thing as Filpulla and wind up never getting the attention either (I'm looking at you David Legwand and Steve Sullivan).

Personally, I look at the Selke group something like this:

Group A: 'The perennial challengers' (guys who are considered front-runners every year)

Datsyuk
J. Staal
Kesler

Group B: 'The runners-up' (Guys likely to be top 3 or be talked about a lot every year)

Zetterberg
M. Richards
M. Koivu

Group C: 'The also rans' (Guys who could or should get recognition, might show up in top 5 a few times)

Filppula
Bolland
Nielsen
Malhotra
Legwand
Fisher (pre-marriage)

Probably a couple others in each of group B and C, but I feel they serve as good examples.

I've been musing over this for a while.

First, let me acknowledge a couple things:

1. A 'skill' guy like Filppula isn't going to win a Selke unless he's amazing (see: Datsyuk, Pavel). Physically aggressive play is still a necessary component to what many in the media consider to be defense (this is also why the majority of Norris candidates/winners are also physically-oriented guys and why pure skill winners are rare; see Lidstrom, Nicklas).

2. There are people I'd take over Filppula regardless of the above point.

That said, I've wondered how much Selke attention Filppula would get if Datsyuk and Zetterberg were more offense-oriented players. He can PK well and is one of the safest players at ES in the league right now, in my opinion. Most other players in a 2C role that put up his offensive numbers are considerably inferior defensively. Unfortunately, he has an extremely non-assertive style that tends not to get him noticed as much.

I can't see him winning with his style of play nor the shutdown ability of some of the guys out there, but I could see him with a handful of top 5 finishes and a outside-to-decent chance of a top 3 finish or two. Am I alone in this observation?

Who do you think would be a good fit for second line center?

There's this Finnish guy, I hear he has great skating and really good defense for a 2nd line C. Puts up a solid PPG. All of that and I hear he can be had for $3m/yr.

Wish I could remember his name...

I would say lack of scoring lost for them against the Sharks. None of the games were games the Wings lost purely because of bad Defense, and a couple of them they would have won with a key goal late.

I'd say very badly timed penalties putting our equally bad PK on display is what cost us that series.

Last year he took 18 minor penalties... I fail to see anything wrong with that... Which was less than Ericsson and Salei. Equal to or one off from Kindl and Kronwall. 3 more than Stuart. He takes one penalty every 4th game, sounds good to me.

You'll see.. though it's not a huge concern. Biggest one is his incredibly lazy d-zone play.

As was pointed out, starting with most recent season, these are his PIMS totals.

The ones he does take tend to come at very frustrating times.

esplain

Wiz pinches worse than Rafalski, tends to  be lazier in the D zone, particularly with positioning (as opposed to Raffi, who had decent positioning and good skating [when he wasn't injured] but didn't have the tools to do much in most situations). He's about as bad one the giveaways (worse on passes, though doesn't cough up the puck physically as much due to his size/strength). He also takes way more lazy/dumb penalties. Not much more of a shot blocker, either.

Like I said, though, agree with the rest. Just don't expect Wiz to be much of a savior defensively.

better defensively than Rafalski.

Not at all.

Agree with the rest, though.

That is not how a coaching staff should work.

Assistant coaches are almost always on the head coach's suggestions/recommendations/call in the NHL. Assistant selections are all about who the head coach feels has good chemistry with him and his style and feels can help him out with what needs done.

GMs usually play little in assistant coach selection other than "can I afford this guy?" and "does this guy have a history I can live with"? HC makes the selections, GM signs off on it.

I'd really like to see us hire Hitchcock and Boughner, both have been really successful and can add a fresh voice inside the locker room

2 '***** and a Boughner, you say?

http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=69365
http://www.nhl.com/ice/page.htm?id=69478

there are two right there showing him not going in the first round.

Interesting that both of those have Joseph Morrow falling to Detroit at 24. I'd like that. Good offense, and while he's not tall, 197 lbs at 6' at his age isf****** bulky as hell. He's gonna be one stocky dude when he's fully grown. Suppose he has another inch.. 6' or 6'1", 215-220 lbs? That kid is gonna be one strong dude. Also seems to be a guy that likes a good bit of the fisticuffs. Skill set could suggest a large (muscle mass), well-rounded two-way d-man with a taste for the occasional scrap.

Personally, I'd be fine with Mayfield at 24th if there's nothing else incredibly interesting still available. However, if Morrow is still available at 24th I'd take him ahead of Mayfield in a heartbeat.

HAHAHAHAHA F*CKIN HILARIOUS....

God Damn Trolls have nothing good to say about any ideas....

--Reply to hockey23--

-Yes Tim Connolly has only played in 70 games one time since the lockout but you failed to mention that he has 250 points in 302 games since the lockout (0.828 points per game). Which isn't bad playing on a team like the Sabres. He was also playing on the top line for the majority of his time in Buffalo and you can argue that his points per game won't be as high playing on our third line but he also won't be playing against top players in the league all the time. He can easily put up 40-50 points, that along with the fact that he's a right-handed centerman that we desperately need I think he's well worth $4.5m.
Let's look at a comparable cap hit on our team shall we... Johan Franzen's cap hit is $500k less ($3,954,545) but his salary for the 2011-12 season is $750k more ($5,250,000)... Seems how you're so fascinated with passed numbers, since the lockout Franzen has played in 395 games and put up 219 points (0.554), (significantly lower than Connolly wouldn't you say?) and yes his point totals are getting higher, but his injuries are becoming more frequent meaning, like Connolly neither are expected to play a full 82 games...

-Honestly, I don't really care who is or isn't a fan of Zherdev, the guy would put up big numbers on a line with Datsyuk and that's all I care about. Can you or anyone honestly say you were a huge fan of Hossa? I doubt it, he's an offensively gifted player like Zherdev and before he came here he lacked on the defensive side of the game like Zherdev. He was put on a line with Datsyuk for the better part of the year and he flourished in his role and began to quickly learn defense playing alongside the best defensive forward in the world...

-I'd love to know how you are so confident we would not be able to sign Wisniewski for $3.75m? Because no players have come here or any other team for discounts at a real chance to win the cup... Not to mention it being his home state, so he was more than like a Wings fan growing up. And remember, I did have $2.8m in left over cap so if he wanted $4-4.25m I say we still go for it, he's a good defenseman with a lot of upside...

-A Babchuk-Ericsson pairing would cause every LGW'er to gouge their eyes out within the first month of the season. Hahaha I'd love to hear the explanation of this one... let me guess... another Ericsson hater... Both are young guys (27 years old) so they're bound to make mistakes, but they both also have a lot of upside... So if it doesn't work out split them up, there are countless ways to pair the 7 defenseman...

Keep complaining about everything fella's, I'd hate to have your negativity... I feel for you, I really do... actually not all that much.....

Uhhh. Okay, I personally agree with you about Connolly. I like Connolly. However, I'd rather us a (scoring) winger than a (playmaking) center. We have the latter in droves; the former, not so much. I think a team who needs a good center more will be more willing to pay Connolly. I wouldn't mind taking him for the right price... however, aforementioned needy teams will likely pay him more.

Now to the bolded: lololololol no, not even close. Many people here were fans of Hossa beforehand, self included. And he was certainly not a defensive bum before he came here. Hossa was recognized as one of the best backchecking wingers in the league and had a solid record of Selke votes before ever coming to the Wings. On top of that, he's far more offensively skilled and consistent than Zherdev, and a much harder worker. Zherdev has major attitude and commitment issues. They're very different... I suggest you do more research.

We won't get Wiz for 3.75. Actually, at this point I don't think we'll get him at all; last I read Montreal was rumored to be focusing on re-signing him and Markov. In any case, if he goes FA he'll get more than that and I'm not sure I'd want him anyhow (good offense, but he's got a lot of baggage). But even with baggage, if there's one thing that GMs pay for consistently, it's offense, particularly offense from the blueline. He'll get more than he probably should. Also, just because he's from Michigan doesn't mean he likes it and wants to come back. I'm from Florida and haven't missed a day apart from it. Not everyone likes where they come from.

A Babchuk and Ericsson pairing WOULD cause everyone to gauge their eyes out. I'm all for bringing Babchuk in for the right price and I don't mind Ericsson, either. However, aside from them both preferring the right side of the ice (afaik), a pairing of those two would be brutal. Kronwall - Babchuk, Lidstrom - Ericsson, Stuart - Kindl? That's better.

In regards to negativity.. well, personally, I'd rather be realistic and be happy when my expectations are exceeded than be foolishly optimistic and face likely disappointment.

Yeah I said CSS, maybe youre not aware but thats central scouting services. They scout NA skaters. ISS (International scouting servies) are the ones who scout Europe. I figured you would know that or maybe you just didnt notice it, its not like I was trying to hide it or something.

Except that CSS provides ranking lists for both NA and international skaters, and saying simply "CSS" instead of "CSS north american skaters" is an intentional obfuscation of the facts. Keep in mind that particular list also leaves out goalies, both international and NA. Meanwhile, here's your wording.

Well on NHL.com mocks they have him going at 20th and 22nd or something like that, they know quite a bit I would say. That is far from mid second round. CSS has him ranked 24th and I have seen several others putting him in the 20s as well.

You discuss how some people project him in the early 20s, then use the CSS NA skaters only list to make it sound like "the price is right" for Mayfield in the region of the Wings pick. Sorry, but...

We offer 6 mil for Burns. What happens? They don't match, we lose 4 first rounders and drastically overpaid for an above average defenseman.

Actually, 6m would be a 1st, a 2nd, and a 3rd. I'd trade those assets for a year of Burns and a chance to have him on the team/possibly re-sign him.

But uh, Burns isn't RFA this offseason (and he's UFA next).

I think the cap size will factor in considerably in determining our off-season moves. I'm not a personal fan of going after a big name RFA... That's just wayyyyyyyyy too much to compensate. I wouldn't mind something like this... Give or take a few work-arounds. Again, this is my ideal image.. I'm sure everybody has one, right?:

Here's what I saw when I read the cap numbers of that roster:

FORWARDS
Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Johan Franzen ($3.954m) / lolwut
lolomgwtfbbq / Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.937m) / Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m)
Darren Helm ($0.912m) / Justin Abdelkader ($0.787m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m)

DEFENSEMEN
Nicklas Lidstrom ($5.400m) / lmfao
rofl / lol
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)

GOALTENDERS
Jimmy Howard ($2.250m) / Brian Boucher ($0.925m)

SALARY CAP: $63,500,000; CAP PAYROLL: $63,417,044; BONUSES: $0
CAP SPACE (20-man roster): $82,956

Just being honest.

Beyond Brodeur, Thomas, Miller, and Ro8erto 7uongo, I don't see there being another 6-7 Mil goalie.