rick zombo

Obviously you guys are excited, and you should be.

But speaking as a fan of another team, it's pretty irritating that the NHL keeps putting the same damn teams in the Winter Classic every couple years.  I'm sure you'd feel the same way if Detroit hadn't been in it yet and three other teams had been in it twice already in 5 years.

Obviously Wings and Leafs fans are happy, but I'm not so sure about most other fans.  I hear a lot of grumbling about recycled teams and how people are losing interest because of that (maybe just talk...I'm sure they'd still watch it).
Yes, the original six match up is cool, it's an old rivalry between Toronto and Detroit, I get it...but the NHL needs to get some new teams in there.

You know Chicago will get it again in a year or two (hopefully against St. Louis, in St. Louis)...and surely if Crosby ever comes back, Pittsburgh will get it again in a 2-3 years.  So I fully expect the trend of recycling teams to continue.  I just hope the Blues get in before the NHL decides to scrap the Winter Classic due to falling ratings or the novelty wearing off, or whatever.

I'd rather look at it this way: Like it or not, from your perspective as a Blues fan, The Red Wings are the undisputed class of the NHL in organizational structure, ownership, winning, the generation of TV ratings, merch sales and on and on. They should have hosted the first Winter Classic and it's about time they had one. For once, the game is celebarting the success of two mega-franchises rather then trying to push an agenda of marketing "star" players or pandering to east coast NBC markets.

Add to that the fact that Toronto is a very deserving opponent. Viola!!!! Party time.

You are right.  I thought he was only out 1 game and it was 4.  Thanks for the correction.

Aside from that, I think you are going overboard on your analysis.  Think back to 1996 and 1997 up until the playoffs when Colorado "owned" the Wings.  The Shanahan trade really was huge, but we gave up Coffey and Primeau, who were good players.  I don't see anything the Wings are willing to give up for a player like that this year.  

This year, things will be different than last year.  San Jose is a different team.  Chicago is a different team.  St. Louis is a very different team.  Size means very little when you factor in grit and hard work.  I see these things from the Wings more this year than last year.  If you can't see it by their defensive play alone, then I can't help you.  

What people want is for us to give up a s*** player for a exceptional one, and no team is going to make a trade for that.  I would hope that Holland would NOT trade our future away.  We have cap space, but what we don't have right now are prospects in the system that are exceptional players.  I don't see the next Dats and Z in the system.  I don't see the next Lids in the system either.  I see good players, but no one who is going to light it up.  When Z and Dats are gone, what are the Wings going to do if they traded away their future today?

Just something to think about.  We have far too many people who believe that trading our future away right now is the way to go.  We need to be more careful especially in the salary cap era.

Agreed. But the good news is that Holland can be trusted to do this.

From what I've seen and read they are only getting better and gaining confidence. This is evident with their shutout of the #1 Rangers last night, I don't think they'll slip out too easily.

Yup.

They're getting three things they haven't had in a while:

- good coaching
- consistent goaltending
- balanced scoring

More like "Detroit takeover of cash-strapped Devils' captain".  

Why is Montreal soooo f***ed?

Clearly it starts with management. The team has no identity. In 08/09 and 09/10 they were fast, skilled, and exciting. Then the skill dissapears and they're soft. Now what the hell are they? A mess. If the fans and media would just screw off and let the team conduct business and implement some form of long-term strategy outside of public influence they may turn it around. Aside from their run in the spring of 2010, this is a team that's supposedly been on the re-build since Roy was traded in 1996. This club reminds me of the Rangers organization in every way, except for the results this year's Rangers team has produced.

We can offer as good or better than many teams. We may not want to, and it may not be in our best interest long-term, but we can.

Our first rounder won't carry the same weight as a team that figures to be in the top 10, but other than that our picks are worth about as much as any other team. We have several good prospects that a lot of teams would be interested in. We have guys like Flip, Mule, Abby, Helm, and Kronwall that many teams would be interested in. We do have Datsyuk and Zetterberg.

We don't have a young goal scorer or a budding superstar. But the teams that do probably aren't interested in trading them. Unless the Ducks are going to trade with themselves, I haven't heard of any other young guys like Ryan that are on the market. We can't go around offering or best prospects for marginal players or aging stars, and we probably can't afford to move any defensemen unless we're getting someone equivalent back. Several of our best prospects are still a few years away from the NHL. We many not have a lot of really good trade assets from our perspective, but we have enough to put together one good package. Maybe not the best the Ducks could get, but better than a lot of teams would offer. Most people here only seem to want to offer the players/prospects they don't like, so it seems like we can't offer anything good.

If he is traded, a lot will depend on when, and the Ducks place in the standings at the time. The closer we get to the deadline, and/or the further out of the playoffs the Ducks fall, the more they will start valuing picks and prospects.

Something like Flip-Miller-Nyquist-1st might be enough to get it done.

Anaheim would be crazy not to make that deal. And Holland would be crazy to offer it. Filpulla is 32nd in league scoring right now, tied with Parise and Perry. Not to mention how good he is defensively. That plus our first or second best prospect? A serviceable role player? AND a first round pick?

f*** em.

What needs to be done in a situation like this is, move Winnipeg to the West, move Detroit to the East, and just for s***s, move Columbus to the East and move the Penguins to the Pacific. That’ll teach them.  

The cup winner picks last. So I guess that Wilson kid maybe?  

Bad game for Jimmy.  I'm glad the offense could bail him out, since he's bailed the team out a lot so far this season.

They need to get Conklin between the pipes and give Jimmy a much needed rest.  If Conks still doesn't look up to the job then they need to go get someone.  As nice as it is for Jimmy to be piling up the wins, the Wings are going to need him for the playoffs.

I say: kick Snow in the balls repeatedly until he gives us Nabokov for a 4th rounder.

My feelings? Datsyuk would win two trophies next year if this happens. The Selke, and an Emmy.  

Not sure if any of you caught Babcock's comments on FSD during the Blues game on NYE about his take on a possible 24/7.

Basically he said he has "no say" in whether or not it happens (alluding to the fact that he probably thinks it's silly) but that he doesn't plan on being the "star of the show" if it does materialize. Maybe referring to Torts.

Wilson on the other hand..........."Honta Yo!!!!!!!!!!!"

Either way, Vancouver is once again proving themselves the whiniest friggin team in the league.  

I sort of hope Kesler will end up on another team.  Hopefully in a different environment with better leadership he'd cut out the antics and focus on his game.

1. Pittsburgh
2. Vancouver
3. San Jose
4. St. Louis


My four most hated teams in the league. You could ice two full teams of ******* from these rosters.

I have no respect for Bieksa, Kesler, Hamhuis, the Sedins, and Burrows.

Ruutu is the definition of underrated. He plays a very physical game plus can put up 50-60 points. I'd like to see what he could do on the Wings and on a good team. I've been a fan of this guy for a while and would love to see him here.

As for Hemsky, injury risk and all, i'd take the risk. He's very dynamic and has the makings of a 70 point plus player if he would remain healthy, but I think the price tag is well worth the risk for a potential scoring threat. Hes often overlooked as one of the better players in hockey because of his injury frequency, but the skill set is there. I say good call on both guys here, i'd have zero problem signing both of these guys.

I agree with your opinion on Ruutu. I think he'd make a great second line winger on this team.

Hemsky? I'm not sold on. Not sure this team neads a fragile player and another "pass first" guy.

I have a very strong feeling that we'll see Ruutu here before the deadline.

missing their top 3 centers and top dman?

this is a recipe for disaster.  won't be surprised if the wings take them lightly and the pens win this one.

I was thinking the same thing earlier. About how I liked their chances against a healthy Pens team more. That's seems to be the way these Wings work sometimes.

Who knows. Maybe they'll pound them. Here's hoping.

Yeah, that's true.

They could rotate him with Ericsson and Maxim Kuzne......I mean Kindle.

Yeah right, because Kindl’s really sucking right now with his 7 points and +5 rating.