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Abel to Yzerman

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Tuesday Digging

by IwoCPO on 03/04/08 at 03:52 AM ET
Comments (5)

I put the pegs in the holes, then I put more pegs in different holes.  I look at the drawings and I see the arrows but I don’t trust the arrows.  I drink a little, then remove the pegs and examine them.  I throw one to watch it bounce then I draw pictures of airplanes and goblins on the third page of the directions.  I then skip to the sixth page and it all makes sense...until I get to the ninth page when I realize the peg I threw at the beer bottle is missing and the four poster bed will surely fall apart with a child sleeping in it if I don’t find that peg.

And that’s my life according to Ikea.

Is that an excuse for not updating the glossary yet?  Of course it is.  That, and I’ve decided to make the glossary a little bigger project than it needs to be.  Soon.  Really.

Charlie Buckets is going to sign a five-year deal.  Financials are pending but it’s going to happen soon, according to Khan(!).

The sides have agreed on the length of the contract—five years. But they’re still negotiating the salary.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and Cleary’s agent, J.P. Barry, have been talking on a regular basis the past several days, exchanging figures.

The club is eager to get a deal done before the end of the regular season, and certainly before July 1, when Cleary would become an unrestricted free agent.

Hank Zetterberg is the annointed Future Captain, and none of us take real issue with that.  But, it’s equally obvious Buckets has an “A” in his near future.  If he didn’t already have a nickname I’d refer to him as the Italian Stallion. That’s how ridiculous his turnaround has been.  Amazing.

Like the Free Press’ new look?  Me too. Flashy.  And it’s great to see that while the cosmetics have changed, the priorities of the editors haven’t.  Take a look at the online edition of sports page today.  Not sure what qualifies as “above the fold” in cyberspeak, but I can tell you what I had to cursor through before I got to a Wing story.

-A new cornerback and a new tight end are happy to be Detroit Lions, because they “want to help them win.” Insert your own pathetic Matt Millen joke here or anywhere you want.
-Michael Rosenberg continues to ignore the Wings, examining why the Pistons wouldn’t want home court advantage in Character Fest ‘08
-A mock NFL draft, then a Mike Hart story, then another Mike Hart story
-Matt Mantei’s hurt.  Tiger middle relief has the state on its heels.
-Miss Basketball for 2008

Oh and hey, there’s the Wings.  Whew.  That was hard.  Hey...like the looks of Brad Stuart? Me too. He’s hitting like a truck, seeking out opportunities for violence.  You can tell he’s still very much learning the whole “move the puck quickly to the forwards” idea, but it’ll come.  But as good as he appears to be, Helene St. James says his future in Detroit is far from certain.

Will Stuart be tuning his guitar in Detroit next season? That depends on a number of things—chiefly how he and the Wings perform in the playoffs.

The defense already is anchored by Nicklas Lidstrom (who’ll make $7.45 million in 2008-09), Brian Rafalski ($6 million) and Niklas Kronwall ($3 million). Brett Lebda ($650,000) and Derek Meech ($483,333) are also under contract, and the team is trying to extend Andreas Lilja (for about $1 million). Kyle Quincey would have to be put on waivers, so he’ll be in Detroit next season, too.

Frankly Helene...since your comments last week that Chris Chelios would be battling for the sixth defenseman spot, I don’t really put much credibility into, well...how do I say this...your writing.  But I’ll jump in.  So if Stuart continues to play well, and there’s no indication he’ll do anything but improve, the decision would be a difficult one between signing him to a two or three year deal...and putting Quincey on waivers?  Or trading Lebda?  With Ericsson, Kindl and Smith getting closer every day?  Our Diggers.  Brilliant.

Hey, can somebody check the status of Hat Trick Dick?

Yeah, I just like the nickname. 

Nice to see the Dive are getting their character guys back.  Adam Foote....leader.

According to numerous NHL sources, Foote threatened to be “a bad teammate, a bad captain and a bad player” the rest of the season if he weren’t re-signed or traded to his preferred destination—the Colorado Avalanche, where his best NHL years were spent.

What a class act.  Read the whole article, if you haven’t already. 

Svatos and Smyth appear out for the season, and at least until the playoffs, respectively.  Too bad. I’m serious.  It’s too bad. 

Too bad the lovefest over Floppa’s publicity gag had to be temporarily interrupted.  Too bad Adam Foote’s triumphant return had to be overshadowed by injuries to functioning hockey players.  Too bad that, because it’s Columbus--a town largely unnoticed by the hockey MSM--the way the BJ “captain” left that team and those fans is going to be swept away.  Too bad Adam Foote’s going to be able to hide what he did to that team under a blanket of ignorant fawning from the Dive community. 

Get that 8 seed.  Please.

Kinda scattered today.  As mentioned earlier, glossary update is late but worth the wait. 

Oh, and one more thing.  I’ve read a few comments from some of you who are begging off the Train.  Turning in your seats.  I understand.  I do.  I think you’re being a little rash.  I’m staying aboard.  Once I feel the Stress Train moving under my feet it’s hard for me to hop off.  That’s just, you know, how I roll. 

Left you hanging didn’t I?

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

Comments

Thanks, I hadn’t noticed the Freep reformat.

Snazzy, but nicely formatted crap is still crap.

Question: Who is Steve Schrader and how can he fit so much stupidity into a single short article?

“an elite team should stay closer to 0.500 even with injuries”...unless they lose their ENTIRE defense, moron.

Seeing the team lose without Lidstrom might give Pronger ideas?  The man’s a peabrain, but if he hasn’t come up with that one already, he has less intelligence than a post - and a dumb post, too.

And to think that some of these guys actually went to college for this.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 03/04/08 at 08:22 AM ET

Chief, there’s no way I’m disembarking this iron horse after only 1 win.  Got a change of socks & underwear stowed away and the Jagermeister is secured.  I’m here for the long haul.

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 03/04/08 at 09:45 AM ET

I’m hanging with cementslinger in the bar car.  Vodka shots for all!

I can’t even begin to tell you how nauseating the Floppa love fest is here in Denver…

Posted by hockeychic from Denver, CO on 03/04/08 at 10:21 AM ET

Here’s my only source for optimism.  Call it the MJ factor. 

*Disclaimer—I hated Jordan his entire playing career...never even realized he was an unreal player until years later because I was taught to hate the man so much.

That said, the year he took off (’93?) forced the Bulls to become a better team, to win without their leader, who happened to be the best man on any court the year before.  When he came back they were a force, due in some part to the fact that all these other guys had to elevate their game the year before, and now they had their guy back.

While I’m throwing up in my mouth every time I read a Wings box score these past few weeks, I hold onto the hope that us missing our entire defensive core is a little like the Bulls not having MJ during the 93 season and that when we do get all these guys back, we’ll have been a better team for the experience.

**Sincere apologies to everyone here for making you read through any analysis/bullshit that linked our beloved Wings to the Bulls.

Posted by disch from austin on 03/04/08 at 11:36 AM ET

I didn’t notice the Freep had a new format, either… and I still haven’t noticed because I rarely read it.  Pretty much all I need from the Freep is quoted here or at Snapshots.

I had been telling myself that I wasn’t on the Train, that everything was fine, that everything would be fine.  Then I’m watching the Buffalo game, down 1-0, and I experience the epiphany — I realize that I’m already on the Train, that somehow, sometime I had sneaked aboard without my even knowing it.  I sure as hell ain’t jumping off while it’s moving.

Posted by BobTheZee on 03/04/08 at 02:00 PM ET

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