What about that Hossa rumor for Flip and or Huds + conditional pick?

Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 02/20/08 at 03:35 AM ET

Puck, I hadn’t heard it.  It sounds like the kind of return that Waddell would ask for because he wants to keep Atlanta in the chase even after they trade Hossa. He’ll want an asset in return they can plug right into the lineup. 

Hudler, based on his recent slump and his defensive mediocrity (although improved), remains expendable in my opinion.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 02/20/08 at 03:40 AM ET

Damn, my friend just said his rumor-monger is now saying, Filpula AND Huds for Hossa. Of course as rumors go…
I think Huds + pick(s) would be better. Huds reminds me of a smaller Jason Williams and you see how far that got him in DET. I’d hate to lose Flip, unless Kopecky can pick up his game. Too bad Kopecky lost time last year with that injury.

Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 02/20/08 at 03:47 AM ET

I think Fil’s untouchable Puck.  Kopecky and Hudler? Not so much.

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 02/20/08 at 03:48 AM ET

Oddly enough, I mentioned to a co-worker yesterday how stunned I was that McCarty was actually doing a fair job.

He chuckled at the thought of a line with Downey and McCarty on it.

I’m not surprised - he is free in terms of assets, and if he isn’t signed before the trade deadline they can’t use him, I believe.  May as well have him signed in case - if they don’t use him, they haven’t lost much, and he can just continue playing in Grand Rapids.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/20/08 at 05:23 AM ET

I think that having Mac back just as someone who can come to the aid of our skilled players is going to be great.  This way, other teams can worry about someone other than Downey all the time.  Plus, it will be great for ticket sales, and I just can’t believe that we’ll see that toothless grin wearing the red 25 again.  I, like everyone, has missed Darren since he left, I just hope he gets his game back totally before coming back to the big club.  I know he wants to make the biggest impact that he possibly can.

Posted by Chris from Columbia, Tennessee on 02/20/08 at 06:19 AM ET

McCarty, with Jim Nill and Steve Yzerman in attendance…

yep, Mac is already a Redwing again.

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 02/20/08 at 08:24 AM ET

There is no way they will get rid of Flip.  No way.  And the McCarty signing makes sense to me too.  Bring em back!

Dan

Posted by ITDeuce from Michigan on 02/20/08 at 09:09 AM ET

Just before anyone calls me out… yes, this is me admitting I was wrong about Mac!

With the hands he’s shown, if he gets where Holland wants him to be with his conditioning by early March, Mac would be excellent for this club. He’s obviously still got grit and toughness, but unlike Downey, he’d be able to ride shotgun with Dats and/or Z just a few shifts a game to keep the other team honest. Downey isn’t good enough to do that, but Mac just might be (you could throw a Dats/Z/Mac line out there if the game were getting real rough).

Posted by Nathan on 02/20/08 at 09:22 AM ET

No way can the Wings trade Flip for a rental.  If they want Hossa, they should wait till July.

Face it:  Hossa is going to bring a lot more to Atlanta than the Wings can afford.

Posted by w2j2 on 02/20/08 at 09:55 AM ET

He chuckled at the thought of a line with Downey and McCarty on it.

I’ll go you one better…

Downey, McCarty, Drake.

Yowza.  That’s a true fourth line right there, boys.

And of course…

Maltby, Draper, McCarty.

Imagine the renewed energy of the Grind Line and how that would feed to the whole team.

“We’re puttin’ the band back together!”

Posted by PaulinMiamiBeach on 02/20/08 at 10:02 AM ET

I see a lot of Flip is untouchable comments but I truly don’t believe that’s completely the case.

I think Flip is available, but only for an elite level player IE Hossa, Sundin and I think part of the deal would be for the incoming player to be willing to sign.

Other than that I agree that he’s not touchable and it’s more likely that we see a Hudler/Ellis pick/prospect type package for a second tier player like Fedorov.

Posted by moocat on 02/20/08 at 11:20 AM ET

Not sure if he forgot the word “not” because it seems too good to be true. From the Anti-Digger:

“Nicklas Lidstrom (knee) is not on the ice and is expected to play Friday.”

(http://redwingscorner.blogspot.com/2008/02/rafalski-practicing.html)

Posted by Nathan on 02/20/08 at 01:17 PM ET

I would love to see D-Mac come back and play on the 4th line with Drake and Downey.  The grind line reunion would be amazing as well.  As to the Val rumor, I looked over at KK’s main page and saw this
If this was the case and Hudler and Fil were being traded for Hossa, he better be locked up for a few more years.  But this rumor came from facebook...That may even be worse than Eklund.

Posted by Bryan from Athens, OH on 02/20/08 at 01:17 PM ET

I’ve been saying it all year....

Bring Mac Back!

Posted by Hippy Dave from San Francisco by way of Detroit on 02/20/08 at 01:29 PM ET

Way to go Mac!  Three or four weeks earlier and he could have been in the All Star lineup with Niedermeyer......

Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 02/20/08 at 02:50 PM ET

Imagine the renewed energy of the Grind Line and how that would feed to the whole team.

You know, I read this line once.  After that I went back, and read it again.  And again.  And again again.  And since then, I’ve gone back and read it many times.  It pinged something in my mind.

All other things equal, provided that the team is healthy and playing at least moderately to their ability, it’s often the team that has that X factor that goes all the way in the postseason.  The chemistry, the glue, the what-have-you that means every guy on the team is playing for every other one there.  A state of mind where players stop playing like they have something to prove, and start playing because they want to see every guy on the team hoist that big silver mug and skate around the ice.  That’s what provides the push, the impetus, the force that propelled guys like the Captain, on one leg, in 2002 to give everything they had, to lay down their careers and almost their lives, to bring the Cup not to themselves, but to their team.

And it usually is lacking until guys have gone through some tough times together.  The 1997 Cup victory was built in a way remarkably similar to what we’ve seen over the past two months.  The smashing record, the adversity of the season, the dirty hit on Draper in the 1996 playoffs and the meting out of justice, and the key physical player coming back-- in 1997, it was Joey Kocur.  The emotional charge of all that frustration and anger boiling over.  1998 was the thought of Vladdie in the coma and the word Believe.  The guys in the locker room cared about each other and the extended family that wore red & white.  They wanted to see each other’s names on the Cup.  Now, the six-game losing streak.  The release of a 4-0 shutout over the old enemy.  The vicious hit on the captain, and the doling out of summary justice.  The loss of the best player on the team for at least a few games, and the loss of four of the best-loved Wings for too long.  The coach losing it, showing that playing badly or playing well, he stakes his word to HIS team.  The talking heads pooh-pooing you, your chances, YOUR TEAM.  Something is happening now just like what we saw over a decade ago.

What does Anaheim have?  A big name that attracted guys with no concept of team, just the concept of playing for the ‘defending Cup champs.’ A classless goon who signed a big contract in a town that needed him, then bolted after the first year, to make dirty hits and leave his team shorthanded in the middle of the playoffs.  Two good players who couldn’t be bothered to play the full season, and left their teammates to struggle without them.  Not glue.  Just mercenaries and uncaring hired guns.

we all know how tough it is to win a Cup.  There are great players who have gone their whole career without one, and right or wrong, that diminishes their memory.  It’s not the lucky ones, it’s not the good ones, who get their names on the Cup.  It’s those who play for the guy next to them, not the paycheck, that win Cups.  I want to see us bring Henrik Zetterberg a Cup.  And Nicklas Kronwall, and Daniel Cleary, Valtteri Filppula, and Johan Franzen and Aaron Downey too.  And I want to see the ones who already have a Stanley Cup ring add another to their hallowed places waiting for them in the history of Detroit Red Wings hockey.  And you know what?  I think they want to too.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the tough road to the top of the mountain on 02/20/08 at 02:59 PM ET

“I’ve been saying it all year....
Bring Mac Back!
Posted by Hippy Dave”

Yeah, whatever. You also thought drafting Thomas Vanek on your fantasy team was a good idea too. =)

Sorry ‘bout the Flip rumor. It was fresh when I heard it last night and from a friend that usually doesn’t fall for such cheap sources.

Posted by Puck from San Francisco, CA on 02/20/08 at 03:35 PM ET

If we can get Hossa signed long term and only have to give up Flip I’m all for it.

As far as D Mac back on the grind line, bring it on.

Posted by D town in Bubbaville on 02/20/08 at 05:24 PM ET

can d-mac help? a few years ago the wings gave joey kocur a shot. well, you know the rest of the story. 2 more stanley cup rings for kocur. we’re in it to win it. i can’t wait to see #25 on the ice again. lets go red wings!!!!!

Posted by kate from pa. on 02/20/08 at 07:14 PM ET