The player the Wings gush over the most is left winger Dick Axelsson.

“There’s not a prospect in Europe I would trade him for,” Andersson said.

Here’s some info about Hat Trick Dick from Red Wings Central: bio & stats | “RWC REPORT: Hat Trick Dick has skill to die for”

In addition to the prospects mentioned in the article, there’s no doubt Hakan played a major role in the Wings signing Ville Leino after Brunnstrom signed with Dallas.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 05/28/08 at 08:48 AM ET

If you were to re-draft all of the players in the league, Zetterberg would be considered for the top pick.

Posted by BobS. on 05/28/08 at 09:25 AM ET

You could make a case for Zetterberg as the best player in the league right now (even though you’d be wrong), but there’s no case for him being drafted first out of everyone in the league.  When you say that, you’re saying he’s better over the course of his entire career, ignoring the fact that age and experience matter.  Zetterberg, like all of the wings late-round steals, has taken years to get where he is now.  You can never know how someone like Jordan Staal, Jonathan Toews, or any young player like that will develop, but it’s safe to say that some of them will improve each year, just like Zetterberg has.  And at age 18, Staal last year was miles ahead of where Zetterberg was at the same age.

And let’s not even start talking about former greats, like Lidstrom, Jagr, Fedorov, Hasek, Brodeur, Forsberg, Sakic, or any of the other players who were (or in some cases, still are) so dominant in their primes.  Zetterberg’s unquestionably a great player, but the hyperbole gets to be a bit much.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 05/28/08 at 10:12 AM ET

Settle down there, Ryan. I was simply making a rhetorical point.
However, for clarification, when you say “former greats”, is it limited to currently active “former greats” or can it include former “former greats” such as Howe, Orr, Gretzky, and Lemieux? And if we’re including ‘former"former greats“‘, should we not also include “future greats”, including those future greats yet to be born?

Posted by BobS. on 05/28/08 at 10:51 AM ET

The funniest comment in the article was when he was looking at Datsyuk and was hoping he wouldn’t make the juniors team because then he’d be exposed. 

“I hope he isn’t too successful, because then the secret will be out!”

I really speaks to the trust the organization has in their scouting staff as a whole that they are allowed to take chances - sometimes the players work out, sometimes they flop - but the front office hasn’t let flops sour them on taking chances and resorted to always going with a safe choice.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 05/28/08 at 11:05 AM ET