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For those not watching the FSD feed, Mick is saying Dats is very high on Abby being on his line and Abby was moved down to help the third line defensively against the RNH line.

Hopefully Nyquist can spark Dats and Mule.

Hope Smith is alright. It did look like he turned though. Good to see Q and Abby at get in there.

 
The stubbornness of Babcock to keep two scrubs on a line with Datsyuk game in and game out is such a bad coaching decision and it is so clear to everyone and yet a NHL coach getting paid 7 figures cannot see it and doesn't change it.

The lines were changed today.

Can Toots hang with Brown....he looks like he was weathering the barage and getting set up. Toots dfntly has the second wind nust not sure he wasnt hurt(shoulder).

Tootoo can hang with him. The problem is both of their strategies is to fire so many punches the other player can't respond, and thus it's hard to get going when you're constantly defending.

I could see Tootoo v. Brown tonight.

And Bertuzzi says

 

It really is a no brainer now, and should be grand fathered in the next few years. Ericsson's thoughts on it make no sense, facial lacerations which are pretty uncommon, or safety from having your career derailed because you can't see. There are tons of examples of players missing an enormous amount of time because of a puck/stick close to the eye, Pronger, Berard etc. and others like Lidstrom that came way too close to happening. And there are only a few examples of visors hurting people, and the examples of visors causing a career ending injury? Well let's just say it's not close to not using one.

It's one of the many safety futures that players can choose to use, and it takes it a step further because almost all new players have been mandated to use it at lower levels. What should be mandatory? Visors, neck guards, kevlar socks, kevlar wrist bands, cuff length on gloves, etc? Where do we decide on which to mandate? There are plenty of extra safety features that players choose not to wear. I don't see why these players, being paid millions of dollars to play in the NHL, should not be able to decide if they want to wear a visor. If you want to argue the issue from the NHL GM/Owner's point of view for financial arguments, I can understand the argument, but I don't see why the players should not have a choice. IMO neck gaurds, softer pads, and mouthgaurds are more important.

 

If visors are made mandatory, I would like to see a removable visor for fighting. I don't know if any company have experimented with this, but it would prevent a lot of hand injuries.

FWIW E said he took his visor off because of facial lacerations the visor gave him in the AHL. I like the current system in place. They are mandatory in the CHL and AHL, but optional at the NHL level. Therefore, each player is used to use a visor, but has the option when they enter the NHL.

At least Kronner is otherwise a good defenseman.  Ericsson contributes little and takes the worst penalties.

 

But really, Kronner, c'mon....

E's been playing really well.

Lashoff has two key blocks already.

Ugh..."Good job selling the call". Is that worth praising now?

seems like the announcers volume is low compared to on ice and crowd noise.  Maybe my sister's TV settings??

That's usual for NBC. I prefer it, especially with the NBC crew calling the game.

I like that Tootoo looked back to see if anyone was jumping Emmerton. It's a little thing, but I love having that on the team.

Bert and CocaCola are probably the buy outs, as sad as it is to say, Berts playing days are done more so because of his back. 

 

Sammy and Quincey won't be bought out, to much loyality i feel there...

 

And why oh why is Nyquist getting a raise? lol he can't crack the lineup now

 

elite #1 defenseman?  Not sure who will be avail, it will be who has to dump salary to make space

Bert can be put on LTIR if his back is a problem. This will free up roster space without using a buyout.

 

Nyquist has another year of waiver exemption, and I'd bet large amounts of money that he'll atleast start the season in GR next year.

 

No way the Red Wings don't make any upgrades on the blueline. There won't be any #1 top teir dmen available, but I can see Kenny trying to bring in a #3/4 guy for an affordable price.

 

 

 

 

I doubt the Red Wings will make any amnesty buyouts. They don't have any bad contracts really. All of the players you listed have a year remaining on pretty affordable contracts. They don't have any need to either, they have enough cap space to resign their guys, and bring in some UFA's as well.

I don't think the Wings will make any buyouts, but they might have to if they want to re-sgn Brunner and Flip, as well as start the season with any of Tatar, Nyquist, and Andersson in the NHL. They can also expose players to waivers. IMO Sammy could be a prime buyput candidate if he doesn't produce when he (finally) plays this season. Nyquist and Tatar appear ready to make the transiation to the NHL, and Sammy plays a similar role (2nd/3rd line tweener) to where they would enter the NHL.

 

There will have to be some tough decisions made about Emmerton, Eaves, Andersson, Tatar, and Nyquist made during the off-season. Emmerton may have been passed on the depth chart by Andersson in the near-term, with Sheahan climbing in long-term value. Also, Eaves doesn't seem to be in favor this season.

 

The cap isn't a concern, but setting up the team's future is a concern this off-season. IMO Flip should be re-signed because he is important when Dats and/or Z are injured, and if/when Dats decides to retire from the NHL. He could be a key player in the team transition if Dats decides to return home in the next few years.

 

Also, I think a player like Clowe is important to anticipate Bert leaving in two years. While it would be best to wait, Clowe and Clarkson are UFA's this season, and similar players (Hartnell, Simmonds, Stewart, etc)are RFA or signed to long-term deals. This move makes more sense if the Wings move east to a division with Toronto, Boston, and Buffalo).

 

Further, as everyone is aware of, signing a top-4 d-man would help the team greatly.

What are the odds Abdelkader scores one tonight?

He had two good chances last game so it is possible.

I think Abby is 'trying out' for Cleary's spot next year. He has the tools to be the Homer/Cleary type workhorse on a skilled line or play the 3rd/4th line role, and we're seeing if he can put it together. However, he and Cleary together make no sense with Dats and that line doesn't help the team as much as if Tatar would take one of their spots.

See again, semantics, I think of a sucker punch as an unexpected punch.
 
Sure Dorsett thought he was going to get punched, but by big E who was in front of him, not Tootoo coming from the side of him, pushing him and then punching him.
 
But that is my take, we see it differently.
 
EDIT:
 
I like your above post because Dino's punch is hilariously a sucker punch, I am not sure the guy he hit still knows who hit him!!!

Dorsett threw a punch at Tootoo before Tootoo threw a punch. Dorsett may have been expecting E, but he knew who he was fighting when he got punched.

If Tootoo were about to fight JJ I would expect Dorsett to intercept him. E and Dorsett hadn't started fighting yet so there is no third man in.