What do you think, Wings fans?

**shudders** The Enigma back in the Winged-Wheel?  Doubtful.  I always said that Lang was the best player in the NHL below the dots in the offensive zone, but he’s useless just about everywhere else.  So I say, “No thanks”.  I think we’d all rather have a cheaper, younger, hard working depth forward.  That or someone who can play the right point on the PP.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/09/09 at 01:21 PM ET

Mike Grier?  Is there something wrong w/ him that no one is talking about him?

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 01:28 PM ET

Mike Grier?  Is there something wrong w/ him that no one is talking about him?

He’s 35 years old.  I’d rather try and get Shanny back if we want a tough veteran-type.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/09/09 at 01:33 PM ET

Unless Lang’s attitude was somehow magically atuned to that achilles tendon, I say no thanks.  No team in the league should have room for a guy who takes shifts off as often as Lang does.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/09/09 at 01:36 PM ET

Lang did give some good between period interviews on FSN.

Posted by Cal on 07/09/09 at 01:38 PM ET

Both Shanny and Lang butted heads w/ Babcock so I don’t know if they would be willing to come back taking orders from him?  Thoughts?

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 01:40 PM ET

Thoughts?

Yeah, I like your avatar.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/09/09 at 01:49 PM ET

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LAZIEST PLAYER ALIVE! It would be such a symbolic step backwards. I’d rather give another Grand Rapids kid a shot than Lang… or (gulp), dare i say i’d rather even have Bertuzzi back playing a third line than Lang… well, maybe not. How about a 9th d-man or a 3rd goalie then? anything but Lang… except Jason Williams of course.

Posted by perfection on 07/09/09 at 01:52 PM ET

Lang wasn’t a fan of Babcock and his coaching, and Babcock didn’t seem to care for Lang and his lackadaisical (langadaisical?) attitude. I doubt Lang would want to come back and I doubt Babcock would want him back. The Enigma can go admire his flowing locks somewhere else.

Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 07/09/09 at 01:56 PM ET

No.  I want hardworking men wearing the Winged Wheel on their chests.  Lang floated around too much for my liking.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/09/09 at 01:58 PM ET

Yeah, I like your avatar.

Thanks.  But I meant about my post.

How about Bertuzzi?

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 01:59 PM ET

Lang wasn’t a fan of Babcock and his coaching

I, for one, am.  And think his level of success has doubled since ridding himself of the floaters.

Posted by Cal on 07/09/09 at 02:04 PM ET

No, no lang.

Posted by Zach on 07/09/09 at 02:14 PM ET

Isn’t Manny Malhotra still out there?  He would come cheaply enough and be effective, IMO.

Posted by Primis on 07/09/09 at 02:15 PM ET

How about Bertuzzi?

How about ‘dear god no’?

Posted by Garth on 07/09/09 at 02:36 PM ET

Bertuzzi, Jason Williams, and Robert Lang top my list of former Red Wings I would not want back.  I’ve made little secret about the fact that I want them to sign Mike Grier, but there are tons of other players out there I would like to see in the Winged Wheel.  Right now Dandenault is the only former Wing I can think of off the top of my head I’d like to have back in red & white.

Posted by J.J. from Kansas on 07/09/09 at 02:42 PM ET

Temo - Bert didn’t look like he has much left this year, I don’t think he is worth bringing back.  Malhotra or Moen wouldn’t be bad pickups, depending on what $$$ they are looking for.

Posted by mc keeper on 07/09/09 at 02:43 PM ET

Bert didn’t look like he has much left this year, I don’t think he is worth bringing back.  Malhotra or Moen wouldn’t be bad pickups, depending on what $$$ they are looking for.

I could see getting Malhotra cheap.  As long as he doesn’t try to catch the puck with his hand as opposed to blocking it with his body.  Moen would be a little more expensive, I suspect.

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 02:48 PM ET

Thanks.  But I meant about my post.
How about Bertuzzi?
Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 02:59 PM ET

Oh....Stillwoozi can stay away.  He really doesn’t have much to offer anymore, much like Lang, we don’t need a large body floating around out there anymore.  Williams doesn’t seem to be popular, so despite my gut, I’ll back the other 18 in saying “No thanks.” I’m still holding out for Moen as our “big” signing but would anyone be surprised to see him pop up in “Toronto: The Might Ducks are Back”?

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/09/09 at 03:16 PM ET

Babcock + Lang = baking soda + vinegar. 

Once you remove a pain from your ass, you don’t say, “Hey, you know, my butt feels better than I thought, maybe that pain wasn’t so bad.”

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/09/09 at 03:29 PM ET

LOL, Mike Babcock hates Lang, give me a break.

Tanguay would be a nice, nice signing if he was willing to fall in their price range, but I don’t see it happening.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 07/09/09 at 03:30 PM ET

I think a Wings-Shanny reunion should be in the offing.  He still has game, he knows the system, he knows the team.  There are no question marks, and I think the supposed “head-butting” between Shanny and Babs is a little overblown.  The big question is whether his wife would let them move the family back to Detroit, as I heard a big part of his decision to leave was about his wife wanting to live in a more cosmopolitan city, hence moving to NY and then holding out for a contract with NJ.

Shanny in ‘09!

Posted by John from Pittsburgh, PA (Wings fan for life!) on 07/09/09 at 03:32 PM ET

Babcock + Lang = baking soda + vinegar.

Once you remove a pain from your ass, you don’t say, “Hey, you know, my butt feels better than I thought, maybe that pain wasn’t so bad.”

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/09/09 at 04:29 PM ET

You put it better than I could have

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/09/09 at 03:33 PM ET

Tanguay would be a nice, nice signing if he was willing to fall in their price range, but I don’t see it happening.

Yeah, and I can’t really imagine him signing on to be a third liner…

Posted by Garth on 07/09/09 at 03:34 PM ET

as I heard a big part of his decision to leave was about his wife wanting to live in a more cosmopolitan city, hence moving to NY

Given the way he was treated in NY, I’d say it’s not an optimal career choice to let your wife decide whether you should play for someone like Ken Holland or someone like Glen Sather.

Just sayin’.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/09/09 at 03:37 PM ET

forget shanny, williams, lang, and bertuzzi… the last thing this new look wings team needs is OLD blood. we need someone with the HUNGER - a la Drake. someone who NEEDS a cup more than anything and will do just about anything to get it (sundin??? at 2 mil for 1 season??? ahem...).

while the kneejerk reaction to losing hudler is to try and replace him with another second line type scorer, i think the wings could use some hungry grit… that is a grinder on a mission. i’m not sure if anyone left fits that. i’m not a huge Grier fan - he’s old and average. moen… meh. malhotra could be the guy. and peca is still available. while he’s been injury prone, he was sure effective a few years back. if he can find that spark and stay healthy, he could be what we’re looking for.

i don’t know… i’m really not crazy about the options. you know, another option is to save that couple of million for an active trade deadline when there’s a different selection. we sure have some d’men we could give up at that time for some serious playoff grit.

Posted by perfection on 07/09/09 at 04:06 PM ET

i should add that come the trade deadline in March or whenever it is, that 2 million is worth a whole hell of a lot more when you’re dealing with a prorated salary. we could theoretically sign a pretty big name for the rest of the season with that kind of dough.

Posted by perfection on 07/09/09 at 04:08 PM ET

No Bertuzzi - he didn’t work out the first time, and now he is even older, slower, and more prone to stupid penalties.

No Lang - the reasons that he left are still there, so there won’t be a magical change in his attitude just because time has passed.

I tend to agree with the above comments that if no good option presents itself, instead of grapping a clearly sup-optimal solution, save the money for later and see how the team works out.  There is no telling in July who might unexpectedly make the team out of training camp, and the need for signing a free agent might go away.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/09/09 at 05:14 PM ET

you know, another option is to save that couple of million for an active trade deadline when there’s a different selection.

Except that we don’t currently have a full roster of forwards.  We kinda need to fill out the team before we start talking about the trade deadline.

Posted by Garth on 07/09/09 at 05:51 PM ET

I saw Robert Lang drinkin a pina colada at Trader Vic’s
And his hair was perfect.

Lets Go Red Wings!!!!!

Posted by Kate from Pa. on 07/09/09 at 06:55 PM ET

I’d support Kyle Calder or Mike Grier

Both are gritty veterans. One played in Detroit before, the other is from Detroit. Neither have a Cup.

They could be this season’s Dallas Drake.

Posted by Guilherme from Brazil on 07/09/09 at 07:11 PM ET

I have to say no to Lang, Bertuzzi, Dandenault, Williams, Calder, and other similar former Wings has-beens, although I am partial to Shanny, and wouldn’t mind seeing him in a Wings’ jersey again. I agree with Baroque. Maybe someone with the hunger and skill will step it up in training camp. Living in San Jose, I have seen a lot of Mike Grier. He’s gritty, has good size, is a good leader, and plays well on the PK. He is also a right-handed shot, which makes him attractive. The problem is he made about $1.8 million last season and had some knee problems. He’d have to take a pay cut to come here, but he may be willing to do so to win a Cup, which he obviously didn’t do with the ever-choking Sharks.

Posted by Seaner in Sharkville on 07/09/09 at 09:03 PM ET

Mike Grier.

Two-way deal for Anthony Stewart.

Posted by WingInTO from Toronto on 07/10/09 at 09:04 AM ET