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Abel to Yzerman

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Trip Notes

by IwoCPO on 02/25/08 at 04:18 AM ET
Comments (5)

Back in DC after a short-fused weekend return to Michigan.  Missed the Calgary game entirely and caught a few minutes of the Vancouver game from “The Post” in Detroit.  UM/MSU game from the Joe was great. 

A few notes from the weekend:

My apologies to the toll-booth operators in the state of Pennsylvania.  Yes, I used the EZ pass lane when I shouldn’t have.  I blame it on “Jane” my british-speaking GPS.  She told me to “stay left.” I did.  I’ll send you the eight bucks. I promise.  And to the residents behind me waiting for me to fill out the “insufficient funds” ticket at the booth outside Altoona, PA yesterday?  You were very rude with all your honking and swearing.  I had no idea the booths didn’t take credit cards.  Yes, I saw the signs.  I thought they were kidding.

First time back in Detroit in about ten years.  I’m going to put this as gently as I can.  I have no idea how the Wings, Tigers, Pistons or Lions sign a single free agent.  That’s all I’m going to say about that right now.

As most of us have agreed, the preferred action for Holland tomorrow would be little to nothing. But I think we’re all starting to sense that’s highly unlikely.  Big moves afoot, I believe. 

Chelios, Rafalski, Lidstrom, Kronwall all down.  Losing in Vancouver was, I suppose, not a surprise at all.  This has gradually become two separate seasons.  The one leading up to the injury scourge and the season that starts Tuesday night in Edmonton.  I still think the best option is to wait for good health and do nothing tomorrow, but I’d say the chances of that are slimmer than ever.  I just hope we don’t look back in two months or two years and say a ten game stretch and big-time injuries caused Ken Holland to do something he would have resisted if not for some seriously bad luck.

Oompa hasn’t scored in 17 games and could very well have choked his way right out of Hockeytown.  Khan(!) points out the fact that he and his pal Val, previously untouchable, are likely on the table if the Wings can acquire the suddenly affordable Hossa.

Its highly unlikely the Red Wings would part with Filppula for a player they are only sure to have for the rest of the season. But if Hossa were to agree to a contract extension—and the Red Wings, wholl sign Zetterberg to a huge pact after July 1, can fit Hossa in under the salary cap for 2009-10 and beyond—perhaps Filppula would be expendable.

More later today

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Comments

I just hope we don’t look back in two months or two years and say a ten game stretch and big-time injuries caused Ken Holland to do something he would have resisted if not for some seriously bad luck.

Thanks.  Now I’ll be nauseous all day waiting for Holland to make a trade that will look horrible when he wakes up the next morning.  Barf.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 06:58 AM ET

Mornin’ Chief.

Quick question - where’s a good spot to park at the Joe? It’s been a few years since I’ve been to a game and the wifey-to-be scored 2 tix for the Dallas game.

I love that woman.

I think I’m gonna drag her to Windsor after the game for a nice late dinner, maybe some poker and a stay across the border in Canuckistan. I’m open to suggestions there, too.

Oh, and no matter what happens with trades, I just hope it involves Sammy going bye bye… I actually had a dream (nightmare) that the ‘Wings traded for Fabian Lang. It was horrific.

Welcome back.

Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 02/25/08 at 07:34 AM ET

The Wings have so many non-producing players. 
Drake, Maltby, Hudler, Samuelson, Lilja...trade them all for Hossa on a long-term contract.
Otherwise, keep your draft picks and next year bring up Meech, Ericson, Quincey, Abdelkader, Helm.
The Wings have so little depth at forward.  Hell, trade Hudler for Matthias.

Posted by w2j2 on 02/25/08 at 08:06 AM ET

Problem is that Atlanta will probably want productive players, since they still want to make the playoffs.

Holland will have to play the “will improve with a change of scenery” card.

I wouldn’t mind seeing Samuelsson go, though.  He can’t hit the broad side of a barn with his shot.

(And don’t worry about Lang.  I read somewhere in the cloud of various trade rumours that the Devils might be interested, although he has been playing okay for Chicago this year.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 08:20 AM ET

I don’t think Kenny will be pulling a headline deadline trade this year by mortaging the farm, for some very simple reasons.  First, with Sundin off the table, there is nobody in the market who is as defensively responsible as Filppula, with the exception of Blake, who is obviously a rental player.  And on Babcock’s Wings, defensively responsible means the coach likes you.  Even Hossa’s been, if you’ll pardon the British-ism Chief, pants in defense-- not like him normally, but that’s been him this year.  So I think Fil remains untouchable (despite his scoring ‘drought,’ although he’s been in the same boat as the whole team there).  Hudler and William Tell (my sarcastic new nickname for SammY) I think are now trade bait, but for either of them I don’t think we could get the monster return unless some GM took pity on us.  It’d take Filppula to land the big deal, and as I said I think he isn’t going anywhere.

Second, if we land a big ‘un like Hossa, Kenny will want to sign him to a big contract for big bucks at big term.  But then he’d be forgetting about someone who can’t remind him that he’s still there because his jaw’s wired shut-- Cleary.  But Uncle Mike will definitely remind him, because Cleary is everything that Babcock wants in a player, and you can be sure he doesn’t want to see him walk in June.  So exactly what message would a massive contract for a big-name player be sending to Cleary?  “Gee, sorry about the jaw, and how you did it in the line of duty for us.  We can’t give you the term or money you deserve because we’re signing this big new name.  Hope the jaw feels better.  Nice knowin’ ya.” Kenny and the front office may be able to live with that, but Babcock won’t let them.

Finally, the aforementioned drought.  It doesn’t take a genius to see that there’s no scoring because there are no top-four defensemen left.  There’s no real consistent scoring threat from the back end, meaning that the forwards have to lug the puck all the way out of the defensive zone, find a way across the neutral zone, over the opposition blue line, and THEN create something.  Gets them tired real quick.  On the power play, there are no real heavy point shots (though it looks like Ericsson may be doing something about that), thus meaning no rebounds or second chances, and because of the inexperience along the blue line, holding the zone after a shot is that much tougher-- meaning that the puck is cleared down the ice, the forwards have to go back, lug the puck all the way out of the defensive zone, find a way across...you see where I’m going with this.  Until we get a defensive corps back that has more than one guy with a complete NHL season under his belt, this’ll probably continue.  And THAT’S what the whole organization should be wishing for at the deadline-- a fully-healthy and rested team.

And mad respect to Sundin for not waiving his NTC.  Not only does it keep him out of the hands of other teams, but he’s giving the finger to the (mis-)Management of the Leaves and the idiocy of the administration.  Plus he showed genuine class with his comments about not believing in the concept of rental players.  If he feels like he wants to spend the whole season from training camp to the playoffs with a contender for a shot at the Cup, I’m sure that Kenny & Co. will be happy to offer him a big one-year deal come July first.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Holland's shoulder-- I'm the little angel whisperi on 02/25/08 at 09:16 AM ET

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