The Hockey News, bagging on the Wings?  No way.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 08/19/09 at 11:48 AM ET

THN used to be a must read. Used to.

Posted by Predneck from Hicktown on 08/19/09 at 12:07 PM ET

Huh?

AGAIN—why can’t people see this for what it is? A low-risk move on a guy that, if he achieves some of the potential upside that’s there, is a steal, and if he doesn’t, is cheap and easy to cut loose, nothing lost for trying.

Do people think he’s going to run into the Wings’ room and take off his skate, cut Datsyuk’s face, stab Zetterberg in the chest, and punch Filppula in the nut sack?

RELAX. This is a MINOR move. People—both in support and against the signing—are making a bigger deal of this than it is. It’s a flier that is easy to get out of if Bert doesn’t work out.

And as for his last stint with the Wings… it’s not a karma issue—they went to game 6 of the WCF, and the fact they didn’t win the Cup has a lot more to do with:
- The play of the Getzlaf line and Teemu Selanne
- The play of Chris Pronger and Scott Neidermayer
- The play of Rob Neidermayer
- Playing with an injury decimated defense (no Kronwall, no Schneider)

They Ducks played very, very well, and Detroit had some key injuries. This is how the playoffs work. Yeah, Bertuzzi was nothing more than a solid 2nd/3rd line player (which, on a side-note, is exactly what they needed of him them, and need of him now), but it’s not like he clubbed Kronwall and Schneider and knocked them out of that series.

And to blame him for Florida’s poor management decisions is insane. Even if Bert was healthy and scored 50 goals for the Panthers, the Canucks still would’ve gotten a steal in that trade, because an all-world goaltender is the hardest thing to come by in all of hockey.

Bertuzzi made a BAD decision, and did a really AWFUL thing to Steve Moore, no doubt about it. But I think people let their feelings toward that stupid action impact how they regard him as a hockey player, and I’m not so sure that’s fair. Certainly, it’s not fair to criticize Ken Holland and the Detroit brass for signing this guy when, if he’s a bust right from camp, they could tell him to walk away and it would make no difference.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 08/19/09 at 12:12 PM ET

Big Bert then took his show to Calgary, where a Flames lineup loaded with talented players...were doused in the first round by upstart Chicago.

Yeah, what a curse!  Big Bert comes to Calgary and they lose in the first round…

After three straight post-lockout years of...losing in the first round.

Must be that damn Bertuzzi curse, not being a poorly managed team that isn’t built for the “new NHL”.

Posted by Garth on 08/19/09 at 12:15 PM ET

i agree. like the eaves signing - it’s cheap, low risk, and high upside. after the year that Bert “cost us the cup”, the Wings tried hard to resign Bertuzzi. Anaheim overpaid and Kenny wisely backed off, but the fact is, he liked him a ton. It’s hard to argue with signing someone of Bertuzzi’s stature with the hands he has for a little over a mil. if he flops, oh well - we have kids that can fill in. great signing.

oh yeah, and THN doesn’t seem to differentiate between 2nd line Bertuzzi making 4 million a year and 3-4th line Bertuzzi making 1.5 mil a year. the first one scares me… the second one is outstanding.

Posted by perfection on 08/19/09 at 12:19 PM ET

The Hockey News stopped being able to have nuanced and thoughtful opinions on Hockey about three years ago.

Posted by HockeyinHD on 08/19/09 at 12:34 PM ET

It’s official, I hate THN.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 08/19/09 at 12:41 PM ET

The Hockey News stopped being able to have nuanced and thoughtful opinions on Hockey about three years ago.

Agreed. These comments are more insightful and attentive to the details of the situation than that article. Unfortunately, we don’t get paid for our writings here; that pile of crap filled a quota and got him a paycheck. Not a fair world.

Posted by Osrt on 08/19/09 at 12:52 PM ET

I don’t like Bertuzzi because of what he did to Moore and I don’t think much of his playing these days, but the above comments seem pretty spot-on to me. The blame thrown at him in that article is pretty unfair and if any of it is related to Bertuzzi, it’s in that he’s a symptom of some of the problems, not the cause.

Posted by false_cause from DC on 08/19/09 at 12:57 PM ET

Just the fact that they are ruling the Wings out shows how narrow-minded and biased THN has become...it’s ridiculous, really.  Take your (pseudo) science and shove it, Kelly,

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 08/19/09 at 01:03 PM ET

I don’t like Bertuzzi because of what he did to Moore and I don’t think much of his playing these days

I completely agree with both of these sentiments, but I do think that if there’s one organization in the league that has a situation that allows a guy like Bertuzzi to find his game (not 40+ goals, but maybe 25 goals and to get him back to going to the net hard and playing in the tough areas), it is without a doubt the Wings.

Continuity in the front office and locker room breeds positive feelings. Winning consistently for almost 20 years breeds positive feelings. These positive feelings allow players like Dan Cleary, for instance, that need a second chance, to find their niche and be successful.

Read the comments back from ‘07. Read what the other guys on this team said about Bert. Read what Babcock and Holland said about him. He may have been a cancer in other situations, but he was very well-liked in his short stay in Detroit, and had good chemistry with the guys on the club.

Posted by Nathan from Jonny Ericsson's ice cream truck on 08/19/09 at 01:13 PM ET

OK, but what about the Hossa curse?

Posted by Jeff from Colorado on 08/19/09 at 01:37 PM ET

Karma? Hah?
Is that was they use as a point of reference in analyzing the potential of a player’s upcoming season?
Why not tea leaves, or tarot cards? How about reading the stars?
Or how about just pulling a number out of a hat to decide how many games he will miss due to injury.

Posted by Lindas1st from New England on 08/19/09 at 01:41 PM ET

I’d rather read about karma than corsi.

Just sayin’.

Posted by shanetx on 08/19/09 at 01:44 PM ET

I do think that if there’s one organization in the league that has a situation that allows a guy like Bertuzzi to find his game..., it is without a doubt the Wings.

And the same can be said for Eaves...just as it was for Cleary and Sammy. Let’s at least give Tuzzi a chance to put his skates on the ice before we declare this signing a steal or a disaster. I think Nathan has it pegged right. This is a (relatively) minor deal that has good upside potential.

And as for judging Bert by his last appearance with the Wings, let’s keep in mind he was playing at far less than 100% at the time. If he shows up in top condition (and why wouldn’t he), and if he buys into the Wings whole system of play (and why wouldn’t he), then he could be a nice improvement over Sammy. Basically, I think that’s all he has to do in order for this to be an excellent signing.

And THN can suck a rotten egg if they think the Hawks are going to finish second in the West this year. That’s just plain crazy talk.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 08/19/09 at 02:15 PM ET

I’d rather read about karma than corsi.

Just sayin’.

Posted by shanetx on 08/19/09 at 02:44 PM ET

Hahahhaahahhahahhahahahhahahahah.

Posted by moore00 from the Ohio State University on 08/19/09 at 04:00 PM ET

At least we can eliminate some teams from the cup next year…
St. Louis Blues-Ty Conklin curse and/or Paul Kariya curse
Chicago Blackhawks-Marian Hossa curse
and now
Detroit Red Wings-Todd Bertuzzi curse

Am I missing any other curses?

Posted by stoneman from Vegas on 08/19/09 at 08:41 PM ET