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Gary Bettman’s Sick Fantasy Headline: Jason Williams On Wing Radar
by IwoCPO on 07/29/09 at 01:29 PM ET
Comments (42)
Hello. Vacation’s over, and so is the hockey-less existence I’ve forced on myself. We’ll get to that in a minute. First? This from Craig Custance.
Former Columbus forward Jason Williams is part of a group of talented players still on the free agent market who would be a nice boost for teams looking to add scoring depth. Williams, who scored 19 goals last season for the Thrashers and Blue Jackets, is also a very useful player on the power play. The addition of Williams in mid-season helped get Columbus into the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
I seem to recall that Williams on the Wing power play used to make me want to stab myself in the temple.
But see, Gary’s only given us a little, itty bitty motherfu**ing allowance to play with. So we kinda have to take what we can get at this point. Jason Williams is the absolute definition of “take what you can get.”
Andy Delmore is too. Andy Delmore, a Nashville AND Columbus cast-off? Awesome. Bring him in. Bring. Him. In. Kenny. Screw it.
You want to talk UFA’s? Not Mike Grier. Nope. He’s tainted by that heartless gaggle of candy asses in San Jose. I want no part of any player who’s choked that badly, that consistently. Prospal? Too expensive.
Sundin?
For one year?
Interesting.
As I told someone over on Twitter today, the first two weeks following the Wings loss to an inferior team in a Game 7 were oddly easy to handle. Then I went home to Michigan and found that everything related to hockey made me sick. Got back to DC hoping the bad feelings would go away and they were still there.
Now I think I’m getting better but I know I’ve missed a few things. So here’s a review, real quick:
Hossa signed with Chicago but has a bum shoulder well that’s too frigging bad. Guess Dale Talon’s gonna have to make a move or two to compensate. Ooops. Wait. They fired his ass. A Bowman coup bitches. No Hossa for you until November...but hey you still have Huet. And Quenneville.
Happy Oompa Loompa Doopity What the F Did you Do? Dude. You want to leave THIS for THAT? Are you frigging serious? Here’s the thing. If the little guy is willing to leave the best organ-I-zation in all of sports for Russia, for more money? See ya. We came around to digging you, ya little tyke. We did. But no more.
I haven’t checked. Does Todd McClellan Brad McCrimmon (I’m not messing around. I was literally confused when I wrote that. No, I don’t think McClellan should be fired. I do think McCrimmon should be. Soon.) still have a job? I’m assuming that in the month or so I’ve been gone his ass has been fired. Please, someone tell me that’s so.
I haven’t checked. Do we really believe Jimmy Howard has a future in Detroit? Someone, please, tell me we’ve traded him for prospects. Oh, I know. Give the kid a chance. Ok. Tell me how that’s going for you in March.
And I really haven’t checked this: how many articles have you read that predict the Wing run is over? I’m sure George has been all over that. I haven’t read any, but I know they’re out there. What, precisely, is that based on? Add Williams, the junior Enigma, and the Wings corps of forwards is still better than any other team’s in the league. Subtract a big Conk and replace it with a skinny Jimmy and we’ve still got the best playoff goalie in hockey. Keep Lilja out, and I’ve got a bad feeling he’s staying out, and the defense is still deeper than any team’s in the league.
Crappy summer? I guess. But not because of what Kenny hasn’t done. Only because the injury-riddled Wings didn’t complete the job in June. We’re still looking at 45.
As in 45 Tuesdays until the Cup comes home.
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Comments
So much anger. Was coming home really that painful?
Glad to have ya back, you bitter, bitter man.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/29/09 at 12:42 PM ET
Drew, Drew. That wasn’t Angry. Coming home was great. Admittedly, not thinking about hockey for a few weeks was also great.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 07/29/09 at 12:44 PM ET
And Drew. I’m liking the blog. Good work.
Thanks Jenny. Good to be back.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 07/29/09 at 12:47 PM ET
Happy Oompa Loompa Doopity What the F Did you Do?
Best. Line. Ever.
Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/29/09 at 12:55 PM ET
It’s not Grier’s fault he was surrounded by a bunch of heartless chumps, there was too much for him to overcome.
Sundin though? If he played the way Mats Sundin is supposed to play, Vancouver gets past Chicago in round two and gets the honor of losing to Detroit in the WCF.
So instead of plenty of heart, but not enough to overcome being a third liner on a team whose first two lines can’t cut it, you’d rather have a guy who should be top six and should be able to will a team onward but didn’t?
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/29/09 at 12:56 PM ET
Hidey Ho Chief. Welcome back. You have been sorely missed. Ahhhhh. Got my fix.
Do we really believe Jimmy Howard has a future in Detroit? Someone, please, tell me we’ve traded him for prospects. Oh, I know. Give the kid a chance. Ok. Tell me how that’s going for you in March.
Heck, I’ll tell you right now how that’s going for me. No, no, a thousand times no.
Jason Williams? What Paul said.
Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!
Posted by Kate from Pa. on 07/29/09 at 01:04 PM ET
Sundin over Grier ..... pssshhhh. Racist.
Welcome back.
Posted by Triple Deke Tyler from Lansing on 07/29/09 at 01:06 PM ET
I’ll pass on Prospal and Sundin.
I still want Grier and Dandenault.
Welcome back Chief, how was rehab?
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 07/29/09 at 01:07 PM ET
And Drew. I’m liking the blog. Good work.
Somebody has to do SOMETHING while you took your little sabbatical. Didn’t have much to read, so figured I’d start writing. I’m glad you approve though. Praise from Caesar himself…
Kenny’s at the Buick open today, my co-worker just texted me to tell me he got his pic wit Tick Tock, Charlie Buckets, and Malts...mother@#$%er.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/29/09 at 01:08 PM ET
And I really haven’t checked this: how many articles have you read that predict the Wing run is over? I haven’t read any, but I know they’re out there. What, precisely, is that based on?
Way to sock it to those articles you haven’t seen, and may or may not even exist!
Posted by alexcutter on 07/29/09 at 01:10 PM ET
Great to have you back, Chief! You neglicted to ask one other question in your review…
Is Brad McCrimmon still with the Red Wings?
Ugh!
Posted by Cwix from Roanoke, VA on 07/29/09 at 01:14 PM ET
Great to have you back Chief. Hope the vacation treated you well. I’m hoping to get to enjoy some of the motherland’s wilderness, fishing, and sweet, ice cold, delicious hop-filled nectar of the gods before summer is out. I could certainly use it…
Couldn’t agree more about the Howard-backup-clusterfuck situation. Dude’s been given a chance. He’s been wildly inconsistent in the AHL and disastrously consistent when given the chance in the big show. Ship him off. Any of those teams that gobble up our scraps will do… LA, the Kansas City Islanders, whatever. Get him out and get someone with some ability to win games when Ozzie gets in whatever kind of funk chain smoking Parliaments can’t get him out of. Either give McCollum a ticket, or sign one of those guys out there still looking for work for the minimum. The guess here is that it wont happen this summer. Rather, Tick Tock and the gang will give Jimmy a chance to go 0-10 before dumping his ass on waivers and figuring something out. That’s really my only concern. I’m not looking forward to the possibility of not having a stellar October. Otherwise, you are right: the Wings remain the best organ-i-zation in sports. We’ll contend, we’ll hunger, and in 45 Tuesdays we’ll lift #12.
...is it October yet?
Posted by CaptNorris5 from Chicago via Detroit on 07/29/09 at 01:14 PM ET
http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2009/07/this_weeks_beware_the_imminent_2.html#more
They exist, George was all over just as Chief predicted...way to sock it to someone who was absolutely right in his prediction(exclamation point)
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/29/09 at 01:15 PM ET
Waaa, waaa waaa...it is the same allowance that every other team has to deal with, and every team is injury riddled in the playoffs.
Holland is able to convince great players to take a lot less than they could get elsewhere, then have them sign contracts extending until they are AARP eligible. Certainly the Wings make the most of every penny of that allowance.
Posted by tim from Portland, Maine on 07/29/09 at 01:17 PM ET
Great to have you back, Chief! You neglicted to ask one other question in your review…
Is Brad McCrimmon still with the Red Wings?
Ugh!
Posted by Cwix from Roanoke, VA on 07/29/09 at 02:14 PM ET
Dude. You have no idea what you just pointed out. Maybe you do.
This is how out of it I’ve been. When I wrote that I was THINKING of Brad McCrimmon but wrote Todd McClellan. Man.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 07/29/09 at 01:22 PM ET
Jason Williams, one of the softer players to ever lace up skates in the JLA. I doubt he signs though, he wasn’t a fan of Babcock and didn’t feel “appreciated”. The guy’s a loser, stay away
Posted by bababooey on 07/29/09 at 01:27 PM ET
I think I can bid Happy a cordial good-bye without slamming the door on his behind as he leaves—as long as he understands that the door may not be open for him when he wants to come back. No prodigal son storyline here.
Welcome back, Chief.
Posted by BobTheZee on 07/29/09 at 01:27 PM ET
Happy Oompa Loompa Doopity What the F Did you Do? Dude. You want to leave THIS for THAT? Are you frigging serious? Here’s the thing. If the little guy is willing to leave the best organ-I-zation in all of sports for Russia, for more money? See ya. We came around to digging you, ya little tyke. We did. But no more.
Welcome back Chief. Thanks for saying that. This whole Hudler thing has been bugging the crap out of me. I really liked him and wanted him to stay. And now for him to leave for a quick and whorish payday… leaves me a little bitter.
Posted by Jennemy of the Skate from putting the b*tches in the box on 07/29/09 at 01:33 PM ET
Is Brad McCrimmon still with the Red Wings?
Did I miss his obituary..?
Posted by HockeyTownTodd from upset when blogs don’t live up to my expectations on 07/29/09 at 01:35 PM ET
Chief, Delmore will be a full-year GR player. C’mon. You know better than this.
Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 07/29/09 at 02:00 PM ET
Did I miss his obituary..?
Sadly, no. He’s still with the Wings.
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m getting on the stress train and making myself a few drinks. Very strong drinks.
Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/29/09 at 02:10 PM ET
Welcome back, Chief.
On the subject of Grier, he wasn’t tainted by that heartless gaggle of candy asses in San Jose. He was a candy ass that was doing the tainting. Plus he has hands of stone. When has this guy ever done anything that remotely comes close to living up to the hype?
I’ve been on the bring back Dandenault band wagon as long, if not longer than gramps. He still has wheels and at the price point the Wings can afford, he has the highest skills. Git er done, Kenny.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Sunny SoCal on 07/29/09 at 02:20 PM ET
This whole Hudler thing has been bugging the crap out of me. I really liked him and wanted him to stay. And now for him to leave for a quick and whorish payday… leaves me a little bitter.
I was a little bothered by Hudler at the first, but a couple of realizations have softened the blow. First, Happy was never very happy being this far from home. This play in Russia talk has been going on for years, but few of us were listening or chalked it up to a negotiating tactic. Russia is a lot more like his native Finland than Detroit. I wouldn’t want to pursue my career in Finland, so I can’t be upset with him for not wanting to pursue his here.
Second, it may still just be a negotiating tactic or fall back position. Happy’s KHL contract has not been lodged yet with the KHL. If the arbitrator sides with Happy, he may still chose to stay.
This actually levels the arbitration process playing field because if a team doesn’t like the arbitration decision, it can chose not to abide by the decision and the player becomes a UFA. However, if the player doesn’t like the arbitration decision, he does not get to opt out. Well here, Happy found a way to opt out.
As a lawyer, these arbitration provisions that slant so strongly in favor of one side over the other tick me off. What NHL RFA arbitration amounts to is binding arbitration for the player and non-binding arbitration for the teams. This really offends my sense of fairness.
(Yes, I’m aware that he’s an RFA and as such the Wings still have an ownership stake in him, and the player gets the benefit of becoming a UFA if the team opts out, but the UFA status in this situation is conferred well after the intial UFA signing period and many teams are bumping up against the cap by the time UFA status would be conferred, I’m guessing, in mid-August.)
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Sunny SoCal on 07/29/09 at 02:24 PM ET
I’m so happy to see you are back! An agonizingly slow off-season just isn’t the same without your snarky and entertaining insights. Welcome back.
Posted by Christy from Ann Arbor, MI on 07/29/09 at 02:28 PM ET
Not liking the thought of Williams back. Glad to see you return, though.
I want to hear about this run-in you had with a Wing that you alluded to in your last post before your hiatus, though..
Posted by Kris from MI on 07/29/09 at 02:33 PM ET
I seem to recall that Williams on the Wing power play used to make me want to stab myself in the temple.
Williams is Sammy with a slightly more accurate shot but nowhere near the same amount of grit. No thanks. Jonny will do just fine as the point man opposite Kronwall on the second unit.
On the subject of Grier, he wasn’t tainted by that heartless gaggle of candy asses in San Jose. He was a candy ass that was doing the tainting. Plus he has hands of stone.
Man, I just don’t understand where observations like this come from. Every time I’ve seen him play (which admittedly isn’t more than a dozen times a year or so), he always seems to be in the middle of what’s going on. He digs pucks out of the corners. He goes to the net. He was one of the Sharks best penalty killers last year. And he drops the gloves when he needs to. And I don’t see anything wrong with 10 goals and 13 assists from a third/fourth-liner.
Greer just seems like the perfect guy to act as an “enforcer” for the Wings. Unlike a lot of guys who fill that role, he can do the job while still playing a meaningful role on one of the bottom two lines. If he’ll play for about $1.25M, I bet Kenny signs him as soon as Happy’s arbitration hearing is over.
Anyway, welcome back, Chief. It’s been boring this month without you.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/29/09 at 02:55 PM ET
Sundin though? If he played the way Mats Sundin is supposed to play, Vancouver gets past Chicago in round two and gets the honor of losing to Detroit in the WCF.
I’m not necessarily of the opinion that we should sign Sundin, I don’t even think that would be possible because he would want way more than we could give him, but I don’t think its fair to pin Vancouver’s exit on him. Luongo certainly wasn’t posting ELITE performances at the end there.
Posted by stayouttamalibu from Temporarily in Tempe, AZ on 07/29/09 at 03:17 PM ET
Angry and delusional (Wings corps of forwards is still better than any other team’s in the league… best playoff goalie in hockey… defense is still deeper than any team’s in the league), scary stuff, give your head a shake buddy.
Posted by Wendel on 07/29/09 at 03:19 PM ET
I’m not necessarily of the opinion that we should sign Sundin, I don’t even think that would be possible because he would want way more than we could give him, but I don’t think its fair to pin Vancouver’s exit on him. Luongo certainly wasn’t posting ELITE performances at the end there.
Posted by stayouttamalibu from Tempe, AZ on 07/29/09 at 04:17 PM ET
Perhaps I overreacted a bit there. I don’t think it was all Sundin’s fault. I actually blame the coach more than anything; you simply should never try to win playoff games 1-0. They leaned too heavily on Luongo and he couldn’t handle it. That being said, Sundin scoring some goals might have gone a long way towards helping them.
Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/29/09 at 03:34 PM ET
Angry and delusional (Wings corps of forwards is still better than any other team’s in the league… best playoff goalie in hockey… defense is still deeper than any team’s in the league), scary stuff, give your head a shake buddy.
By all means, cite examples for your disagreement. Who has a better corps of forwards? Who’s goalie has been better in the playoffs the last two years? Who else has the best defenseman in the NHL leading it all? Pittsburgh? Hahahaha.
And please, to the trolls who will be like “omggg but whoo won the stnaley cup??!!! THE PENS DID!! hockeytown is pitsburg now!!! your team is old and you have no jobs!!!!!”
The better team doesn’t always win.
Posted by stayouttamalibu from Temporarily in Tempe, AZ on 07/29/09 at 03:36 PM ET
Hudler is NOT Finnish.
Posted by cmk from the top part of MI on 07/29/09 at 03:44 PM ET
Subtract a big Conk and replace it with a skinny Jimmy and we’ve still got the best playoff goalie in hockey
Osgood is a great playoff goalie, but not the best:
Osgood - 2.09, .916, 3 cups total (2 as starter)
Brodeur - 1.98, .920, 3 cups total (3 as starter)
For this season right now, I would probably take Osgood for the playoffs ahead of everyone but Brodeur. For 5 years in the future, neither Osgood or Brodeur would be on the list though.
Posted by wilford brimley on 07/29/09 at 03:54 PM ET
Hudler is NOT Finnish.
Oops, sorry about that. I must have been confusing his nationality with Flip’s. Thanks for pointing it out. For the record, Happy is Czech.
Same reasoning still applies, though.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Sunny SoCal on 07/29/09 at 04:12 PM ET
Grier is not a fighter, nor his he very gritty. The dude is so big and talentless that by mistake he gets in people’s way. He’s not a fighter and I guarantee he’ll break hearts of Wings fans if he does come here
Posted by bababooey on 07/29/09 at 04:25 PM ET
Welcome back, Chief. Hope you had a great trip to the motherland.
Williams? F*ck. No. At one time, I really liked him until Uncle Mike rolled in and demanded more and he cowered at the mere thought of working hard defensively.
Mike Grier? I only remember him being dangled by Datsyuk and he smashed into his teammate. Meh…
The Happy situation. I entertained the idea that there was a talk between Holland and Hudler in that Holland knew he was not going to afford Jeff Finger money ($4 million a year) for Hudler so he gave him an opportunity to make as much money as he wants elsewhere. By taking the Wings to arbitration, Hudler made it known he was not going to sign with anyone else. That, to me (and I know I’m probably alone in this), meant that Hudler can make his millions in another league for a couple of years and then come back to the Wings because the Wings own his rights. Specious, speculative, I know. We only have till the arbitrator’s ruling. We really don’t know the conversation transpired between Hudler and Holland.
Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/29/09 at 04:53 PM ET
Posted by wilford brimley on 07/29/09 at 04:54 PM ET
Could be the greatest Internet name in the history of the Internets.
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste. Marie on 07/29/09 at 06:10 PM ET
Captain--I didn’t mean to sound so cranky in my comment. I am very possessive of the Finns. 
Posted by cmk from the top part of MI on 07/29/09 at 08:26 PM ET
Jason Williams wanted out, so stay the f outta here, chump. I still like the unpopular idea (if he will take the pay cut) of Sundin. #1 He IS from Sweden ;P. #2 Vancouver never lives up to their hype. EVER. I don’t think he fit into their shitty “get one goal system.” #3 Team Sweden can win the gold this year and bring Lord Stanley back to Hockeytown. Sounds like a plan to me, unless Bab’s gets pissed cuz Team Canada gets stuck with bronze. NO JASON WILLIAMS
LETS-----GO-----RED-----WINGS!!!
Posted by Behind_Enemy_Lines from a shitty bunker deep in chicken hawk territory on 07/29/09 at 08:46 PM ET
Mike Grier? I only remember him being dangled by Datsyuk and he smashed into his teammate. Meh…
Thanks for the memories. Hee-hee. They collided with each other like bumper cars. 
Please don’t put Williams back on the point on the power play. I don’t want to gouge out my eyeballs with a grapefruit spoon.
Sorry that your return to Michigan prompted any pain, however unintentionally. At least the weather was beautiful. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/09 at 07:00 PM ET
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Posted by stonehands-78 from the beginning ... a WingsFan, on 07/29/09 at 12:35 PM ET