Kamis, 30 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Chris Osgood...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 8 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Chris Osgood


2009-2010 Regular Season: 23 GP, 7-9-4, 1 SO, 3.02 GAA, .888 SV%
2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: Meh.
Season Lowlight: I'm guessing losing the starting job and barely playing during the second half ranks up there.

Ozzie's season last year was, in a word, bad. We all know that, so I won't bother going into details. He gave up way too many soft goals and never seemed to have the kind of focus I would imagine one needs to play goalie at the NHL level. By the end of the season, he'd been relegated to faceoff-chart duty on the bench for so long that I'm pretty sure his skates were rusty.

He'll be starting this year as Jimmy Howard's backup, but the Wings can't afford to have him phone in his performance again this season. Mike Babcock can't start Jimmy every single game like he seemed to do during the second half of the year, and Ozzie's going to have to pick up the slack. Whatever issues he has are mental (or due to drinking Pepsi during practice?) and I'm not sure they can be fixed by anyone other than Ozzie himself. Goaltending is my biggest concern heading into the season though, and Osgood is a huge part of that. The Wings need a backup they can feel confident playing in front of, and you could see last season that that confidence deteriorated as Ozzie continued to struggle. He's got to find a way to win some games.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Make the saves that need to be made.

Rabu, 29 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Mike Modano...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 9 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Mike Modano


2009-2010 Regular Season: 59 GP, 14-16-30, +/- -6, 22 PIM
2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: The nice farewell treatment he got from fans at the end of the season. Except he didn't retire.
Season Lowlight: I don't really follow the Stars, so I have no idea what to even choose from.

Mike Modano was the Wings' big free agent signing for the summer. The story monopolized Wings coverage for a large chunk of the off-season, so here's hoping he ends up being worth the wait. After tossing it around in my head for a while, I came down on the pro-dano side of the debate that raged amongst Wings fans. I liked the signing for a couple of reasons, including the fact that it reminded me of how the team brought back Dallas Drake for 2007-2008. Not only that, but he brings the Wings unmatched depth.

On the first day of training camp when the Modano-Cleary-Hudler unit hit the ice, I just kept thinking to myself, “holy crap, that's the Wings third line.” If you do a line-by-line comparison with any team in the league, nobody else can compete. We all know Modano's not the same Modano we saw playing a decade ago, but nobody's expecting that from him. This line is going to provide the Wings with the kind of secondary scoring they lacked last season as well as some solid two-way play. He's taking some time to click with his new linemates and the Wings' system, but he'll be just fine.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Make the endless debate this suummer worthwhile.

Selasa, 28 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Drew Miller...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 10 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Drew Miller


2009-2010 Regular Season: 80 GP, 10-9-19, +/- 2, 12 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 1-1-2, +/- 2, 4 PIM

Season Highlight: His flying goal against Nashville.
Season Lowlight: Getting waived by the Lightning.

Drew Miller wasn't really even on my radar at the beginning of the season last year. He was tucked away in one of the league's hockey wastelands, and didn't seem particularly important. He ended up getting waived by the Lightning, which I would consider vaguely insulting coming from the Lightning (of course, this was in the pre-Steve Yzerman GM days). Ken Holland snagged Miller off of the waiver wire (which seems like a rarity for the Wings in the recent past), and it turned out to be another good find on his part.

I was glad to hear that the Wings re-signed him over the off-season. He's fighting for a spot on the fourth line this season and it's not clear what kind of ice time he's going to be seeing. He endeared himself to me last season with his hard work, but he might have a hard time cracking the lineup unless there are injuries. Also, did you know that Ryan Miller is his brother?  Wowzers.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Keep rocking that salt'n'pepper hair.

Senin, 27 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Kirk Maltby...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 11 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Kirk Maltby


2009-2010 Regular Season: 52 GP, 4-2-6, +/- 1, 32 PIM
2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: Scoring a nice goal in his last game of the season.
Season Lowlight: Shoulder surgery that ended his year.

There was a lot of discussion this summer about whether or not Maltby would be back with the Wings again this season. I was sure the Wings would make him an offer, but I didn't know if he would take them up on it or not. His season ended last year with shoulder surgery in what I interpreted as one of the great acts of team loyalty I've seen in pro sports. I'll remain convinced as long as I live that his shoulder could've held out for the rest of the season if the Wings hadn't been facing a cap crunch from players returning from injuries.

Now he's back on a two-way deal for what is almost certainly his farewell tour. He's fighting for a job with younger grinders, and I expect him to spend the majority of the season in Grand Rapids. He's looked good so far at camp and in the pre-season, but I don't think that's going to be enough to earn him a job with the Wings right off the bat. Younger guys have come up and taken over his role and it looks like we're going to be seeing the end of an era this season.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Work hard when he cracks the lineup and keep aggravating other teams.

Minggu, 26 September 2010

Red Wings Training Camp Pictures...

It took almost an entire day of uploading, but I've finally gotten my pictures from training camp uploaded on Photobucket.  I left out the ones of the Commune so that it's strictly hockey.  There are 1,065 images of varying quality to sift through at your leisure.  If you look through them, I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out who my favorite players are, haha.

One of the things I wanted to note about camp that I forgot to put in my post from a few days ago:  One of the coolest things about training camp was getting to see just how much fun the players were having out there.  It seemed like most of them were sporting huge grins all week long.  I don't think Pavel Datsyuk ever stopped smiling.  During one of the scrimmages, Nick Lidstrom was checking Franzen and pushing him toward the boards right where we were standing.  They both had huge goofy smiles on their faces and Lidstrom gave Mule a playful crosscheck.  You could see that they were laughing and having a blast out there.  It was adorable and kind of a fun change from the serious game faces we usually see on the ice.  These guys love what they're doing.  And really, who could blame them?

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Nicklas Lidstrom...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 12 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Nicklas Lidstrom


2009-2010 Regular Season: 82 GP, 9-40-9, +/- 22, 24 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 4-6-10, +/- 7, 2 PIM

Season Highlight: Scoring his 1,000th career point with an assist on a textbook tip-in by Henrik Zetterberg.
Season Lowlight: His goal drought that seemed to last for an eternity.

Lidstrom's numbers suffered a little bit last season, and it spurred talk from the national media about an imagined decline into mediocrity for TPH. Those of us who watch him play night in and night out know better, though. Through all of the Wings' injuries and struggles, he managed to anchor the blueline and keep things in order. Folks like to point out that his offensive output dipped significantly, but those numbers don't take into account the fact that he was the one holding things together during the darkest days of the injury plague. Re-signing him this summer was essential and it makes the Wings a legitimate contender again.

Watching him at training camp this year was fascinating because it's fairly obvious even in drills that he's head and shoulders above the rest of the defensemen. He's still got plenty of good hockey left in him. He and Brian Rafalski have been split up to start the season, and so far Lidstrom has looked good with new partner Kronwall. Then again, he's TPH and there's really nobody he doesn't look good with. Expect more of the same brilliance from him this season. I don't care what the Norris voters say, there still isn't anyone better out there on the blueline than Lidstrom. At camp, we were disappointed to see that he and the Circus line were on the same team because we wanted to see him go head-to-head with the Eurotwins. The consensus was that he was the only defenseman in the NHL that we would trust to be out there marking Datsyuk.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Keep being perfect.

Sabtu, 25 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Niklas Kronwall...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 13 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Niklas Kronwall


2009-2010 Regular Season: 48 GP, 7-15-22, +/- 5, 32 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 0-5-5, +/-2, 12 PIM

Season Highlight: This is a lame choice, but I remember loving this empty-netter he scored on Steve Yzerman night, largely because of the reaction of the crowd as it seemed to inch its way toward the goal. And also because it occurred on Steve Yzerman night. Everything that happened that night is remembered fondly.
Season Lowlight: The dirty knee-on-knee hit he took from Laraque.

Kronwall was having a fantastic start to the season last year. Then, thanks to a dirty hit from Georges Laraque, he spent several weeks out with a knee injury. Even when he returned to the lineup, he continued to have issues with it and never seemed quite right. He had minor surgery during the off-season that hopefully fixed whatever issues he had.

Now that he's been bumped up to the top line to play with Lidstrom, Kronner has a lot to live up to. He looked good in camp and seemed to be skating well throughout the week. He looked like he was re-energized and feeling good. On the top pairing, he should be able to return to the offensive pace he showed prior to getting hurt last season. The biggest question with Kronwall is always his ability to stay healthy. I swear that man is made of glass. If he can keep from getting hurt, he should have a good year.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Stay healthy.

Jumat, 24 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Jakub Kindl...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 14 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Jakub Kindl


2009-2010 Regular Season: 3 GP, 0-0-0, +/- -2, 0 PIM
2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: N/A
Season Lowlight: N/A

Kindl got called up last season to fill in some gaps due to injuries. He didn't see much playing time, and I don't recall him being particularly impressive. It's impossible to make a judgment about a player based on only a few performances, especially considering what the rest of the team looked like at the time.

This year, I think, is going to be a different story. I was impressed with his play at training camp. He looked good.  The Commune can testify to that.  I'm glad I got to write this profile after having been to TC because I feel a lot better about Kindl now. Of course, playing in real game situations is different than in practices and scrimmages, but I think Kindl's ready to step into the lineup this year. Unless Jonathan Ericsson turns things around in a big way, he's going to find himself battling Kindl for a starting job before the year is over.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Kamis, 23 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Jiri Hudler...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 15 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Jiri Hudler


2009-2010 Regular Season: N/A
2010 Playoffs: N/A

Season Highlight: N/A
Season Lowlight: N/A

Jiri Hudler caused plenty of drama last summer when he took a high-paying deal in the KHL. Now he's back in the Wings' fold. I know next to nothing about his performance last year, and I'm really not going to bother looking into it.

As of now, he's slated for the third line with Mike Modano and Dan Cleary. Together, they should provide a nice scoring punch for the Wings. Hudler has good hands and a pretty good shot; the Wings missed his finish last season. On top of that, he has the ability to make ridiculous faces. He's always amused me for reasons I can't quite understand. Here's hoping he steps back into life in the NHL without missing a beat.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Avoid being photographed in bathtubs.

Rabu, 22 September 2010

Red Wings Training Camp Recap...

Heading up to training camp, I didn't really know what to expect. I'd never been before, and I didn't know anyone else who had. I did, however, know that the Commune was going to have a blast. I wasn't wrong. I'm not sure what the proper balance to strike between shanahanigans and actual hockey coverage is because they all kind of blur together. I fully intended to tweet more updates from the practices and scrimmages, but it turns out that the Centre Ice building is even more of a bunker than the Joe and I didn't get cell service anywhere in the building. We ended up with a million hilarious moments that just can't be explained to anyone who wasn't there, a bevy of new nicknames, several thousand pictures between the dozen ladies, and a really interesting insight into the Wings' system.

I never played hockey, so everything I know about it comes from watching the finished product out on the ice during games. It's not like baseball that I grew up playing in one form or another where I know the process that goes into it. I see plays on the baseball diamond and I know the mechanics and preparation that go into it. It's different with hockey for me. I'd never seen the drills that the players run through during practice so this was a very cool behind-the-scenes look at the Wings' system. It was interesting to see Mike Babcock at work running drills and dishing out instructions.

I spent a lot of time taking pictures during camp. At the moment, I've got 1,128 saved in my training camp folder, so I'm not sure when I'm going to get them all retouched and uploaded.  I posted most of my favorites on Twitpic throughout camp and I'll eventually upload them to Photobucket as I get them cropped and color-corrected. My major project for the week is going to be 'Shopping what seems like a million pictures. There are some quality issues because of the netting that ran around the rink and the distortion from the glass, but I got some good shots.

I don't really know how to write a recap of what went on this week, so I'll just jot down some notes about what caught my eye during training camp.

Henrik Zetterberg looks good. Really good. We all know he's a star, but he looks particularly energized right now. I know it's just practice, but he looked better than he did for most of the season last time around. I think he's going to have a good year.

Datsyuk was in rare form, too. On the first day of practice, he was cracking the crowd up by harassing one of the goalie prospects. He's every bit as entertaining to watch during practice as he is during games. Watching him just play with the puck during breaks between drills was fascinating. In other news, he and Hank could not possibly be more adorable together. Every time I looked over at them, they were huddled together talking and laughing. I can't remember who said it, but one of the Commune ladies likened watching them play around with the puck to watching otters at the zoo.

Jakub Kindl looked pretty good out there. I feel a lot better about him now than I did coming into camp. He's going to be challenging Ericsson for a job sooner rather than later.

I like the Salei signing even more than I did before. He looked good out there. He seemed like a steadying presence for Ericsson during the first few days of camp. On the way to Traverse City for the Red and White Game, we were discussing how he might be exactly what Big Rig needs to figure things out. He's not doing anything terribly flashy, but he's making smart plays with the puck and that's exactly what you need from a third pairing defenseman.

Everything I've read so far has been ripping Jonathan Ericsson based on his play in the Red and White Game. Having been there for all four days, I can say that he didn't look as bad as he did during the one televised event. He actually looked pretty good during the practices, but had problems during the scrimmages. The most glaring issue was the huge mistake on a turnover that led to Helm's goal. He still has a tendency to fall back into the routine where he stands around and doesn't move and still makes questionable decisions with the puck, but I hope being paired with Salei has the same effect that Lilja's return did last season.

Mike Modano looked pretty good out there, too. The first day of practice, he was milling around with Cleary and Hudler on the ice and all I could think was, “Holy crap. This is the Wings' THIRD line.”

I really liked Cory Emmerton, and not just because he has impeccable eyebrows. He looked good out there.

Owens is fast. I was impressed with his speed and hustle throughout camp. I particularly liked his play in the Red and White Game.

Jimmy Howard and Chris Osgood both looked good in the scrimmages. I feel a little more reassured about the goaltending situation than I did before camp, but it's still my biggest anxiety heading into the season. Also, Jenn from Hockey Blogette caught a picture of Ozzie drinking a bottle of Pepsi during practice. It was one of the highlights of the week.

Aubry looks like he has good hands and a nice shot. He's someone to keep an eye on as he comes up through the system.

Cleary looked pretty good. It appears that his injury issues were taken care of during the off-season and is ready to come out and have a strong year this time around.

Pearce is my new favorite goalie prospect. There was an annoying little kid at practice on the first day who kept standing right in front of the glass and blocking our view. The next day, Pearce was chilling on the ice waiting for the players to arrive after the scrimmage and he decided to practice clearing the puck around the boards. One of his shots went high, hit the netting, dropped down behind the glass, and landed on the annoying kid who was once again all up on the glass. The Commune was instantly in love.

Poor Tomas Holmstrom can't even score in an intra-squad game without having his goals waved off. I happened to be standing directly behind the net when the puck went in and I promise you that the goal was legit. We were also totally geeking out on the first day of camp when we got to watch Homer stay after practice to work on tipping pucks in front of the net.

Franzen looks like he's gearing up to have a good season. He was doing his Mule thing all camp long and looks as good as new. This is going to be a fun year to watch, I think.

Kronwall looks like he's skating well. His knees don't seem to be bothering him so far. Here's hoping he can finally manage to stay healthy.

I'm liking the break-up of the top defensive pairing a lot more than I was when it was first announced. I still think there's a pretty good chance it won't last, but the more we discussed it amongst ourselves, the more I was sold on it. A lot of my support comes from Rafalski's play during the Olympics. On Team USA, he was the guy and he stepped up in a big way. He looked much better than he has in a Wings uniform. Our theory was that he'll once again be the guy on the second pairing and maybe he'll take charge like he did during the Olympics.

This whole experience was one of the coolest things I've been a part of. I've always wanted to go to training camp, but prior to joining the Commune, I'd never had anyone with whom to go. We had an absolute blast. Part of our group took a short trip out to Sleeping Bear Dunes and hiked up one of the dunes. We got some gorgeous pictures of the lakes and the sunset. During the scrimmages, we Kesler danced along to the music. Mike Babcock and Ken Holland were standing in the suite right above us and I don't think they were amused by our dancing. We're pretty sure we got a few death stares and disapproving head shakes were sent our way. Surprisingly, all of us survived. We rocked out in the car to a CD full of all of the Wings' old playoff songs as well as goofy things like the Zetterberg Song. (I still do a mean rendition of the I Want Stanley Rap.)  We watched the Fight Night game and yelled at Claude Lemieux and had countless hours of ridiculous conversations that wouldn't make sense to anyone outside of the Commune.  I didn't get nearly enough sleep and I'm pretty sure I lived mostly on cupcakes, caramel corn, and garlic-coated balls of dough.  In other words, I had the time of my life.

Through all that, some of my favorite moments were when we sat around and had serious, in-depth discussions about hockey. I don't know where else one would find a group of a dozen women who love to just sit around and talk about defensive prospects and powerplay units and fourth liners and then transition seamlessly to cracking jokes about Todd Bertuzzi. The Commune is truly like nothing else.

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Jimmy Howard...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 16 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Jimmy Howard


2009-2010 Regular Season: 63 GP, 37-15-10, 3 SO, 2.26 GAA, 0.924 SV%
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 5-7, 1 SO, 2.75 GAA, 0.915 SV%

Season Highlight: His brilliant game against LA. His facewash of Sidney Crosby comes in a close second.
Season Lowlight: The first month of the season

Nobody was a bigger surprise last season than Jimmy Howard. I entered the year with very low expectations for him and figured he was a stop-gap solution until one of the Wings' younger goaltending prospects was ready to relieve Chris Osgood. Instead, Howard ended up taking over the starting job and playing brilliantly during the second half of the season. He should've won the Calder. I'll believe that for as long as I live.

This year, he'll face the dreaded sophomore slump. He's much older than your typical NHL sophomore, and he's had plenty of college and pro experience, so I'm optimistic that he'll be okay. That being said, goaltending is my biggest concern heading into this season. The Wings need him to play like he did down the stretch last season, not like he did at the beginning of the year. The team's stacked enough that they don't need hom to stand on his head every night, but he needs to make the stops that count.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Avoid the sophomore slump.

Selasa, 21 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Tomas Holmstrom...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 17 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Tomas Holmstrom


2009-2010 Regular Season: 68 GP, 25-20-45, +/-5, 60 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 4-3-7, +/- 3, 12 PIM

Season Highlight:  Scoring his 200th goal in classic Homer fashion against New Jersey.  (It always seems like he should have more goals than that after all these years.)
Season Lowlight:  Letting Brett Lebda break his foot in practice.

After struggling with injuries in recent years, Homer had a bit of a resurgence last season. He missed some time due to a broken foot suffered during practice (Thanks, Lebda.), but was one of the Wings' most consistent scorers. He ended up contributing a much higher thane expected 25 goals during the regular season. Despite what the media would have you believe, there's still nobody better at screening opposing goalies and causing havoc in front of the net than #96.

Homer's still an essential part of the powerplay, and he's slated for first line duty with the Eurotwins this season. If he stays healthy, he should once again be racking up tip-ins and “unofficial” assists. There are few things more enjoyable to Wings fans than seeing Homer make life miserable for opposing goalies. Plus, any interview with the man is bound to be entertaining, for sure.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Keep introducing goalies to his backside.

Senin, 20 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Darren Helm...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 18 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Darren Helm



2009-2010 Regular Season: 75 GP, 11-13-24, +/- -2, 18 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 1-0-1, +/- -4, 4 PIM

Season Highlight: His pair of shorthanded goals on New Year's Eve.
Season Lowlight: His “wake-up call” benching (stick tap to @lizzlefoshizzle)

Helm didn't exactly get off to the start we expected of him last season as he injured his shoulder during training camp. He didn't miss much time, but seemed to struggle out of the gate, even ending up as a healthy scratch in October. Once lined up with Draper and Eaves, he picked things up and provided the solid, speedy two-way play that the Wings were looking for.

If there's one thing Helm needs to work on this season, it's his ability to finish. His speed seems to give him countless breakaways which almost inevitably end with him shooting the puck right into the logo on the goalie's chest. If he can ever figure that out, he'll score a bunch of goals. Aside from that, he contributes strong defensive play and checking. His speed and tenacity pressure opponents into making mistakes and he has a knack for crating turnovers and digging the puck out from the boards.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Cut out the whole Donut Goalie thing.

Minggu, 19 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Johan Franzen...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 19 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Johan Franzen



2009-2010 Regular Season: 27 GP, 10-11-21, +/- 1, 22 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 6-12-18, +/- 8, 16 PIM

Season Highlight: Game Four against the Sharks. This was the most obvious choice I've made for any of these profiles.
Season Lowlight: Missing most of the season after tearing his ACL.

Last season was supposed to be Franzen's big year after he signed that life-long contract. Instead, he tore his ACL in an early-season game against Chicago. Of course, he still managed to finish the game and score a goal, thus making the news of his injury even more shocking when it was announced the next day. Franzen's absence left the Wings with a huge hole in their roster and missing him was a major part of their offensive struggles.

He did, however, surprise everyone by returning to the Wings' lineup prior to the Olympics and even taking Tomas Holmstrom's place on Sweden's Olympic squad. After missing that much time, it seemed like he didn't fully round into form until the playoffs. There's no doubt, though, that getting him back on the roster played a huge role in helping the Wings power their way up the standings and into the playoffs down the stretch.

This season should be a much different story for the Mule. He has the ability to take over games when he wants to (case in point: the above-mentioned Game Four) and when he's on his game, it can be a sight to see. I have a feeling we're going to see good things from Franzen this season.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Be the Mule we all know and love.

Sabtu, 18 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Valtteri Filppula...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 20 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Valtteri Filppula


2009-2010 Regular Season: 55 GP, 11-24-35, +/- -4, 24 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 4-5-9, +/- 1, 6 PIM

Season Highlight: Scoring this nice shorthanded goal on his birthday.
Season Lowlight: Breaking his wrist.

Last year was supposed to be Filppula's breakout year. Instead, he missed a good chunk of games due to a broken wrist suffered on a seemingly harmless play. He didn't exactly put up the point totals the Wings were expecting from him last year, but neither did most of the other guys on the team.

This season, he needs to finally come into the form that the Wings have been expecting from him. He has good hands and can serve as an excellent set-up man. He needs to find a way to put up the points that justify his contract this season. He's expected to center the second line with Johan Franzen and Todd Bertuzzi, so there should be plenty of opportunities to put the puck in the net.

Aside from that, he's finally going to be challenged for the title of Best Hair in the Wings Organization by the arrival of his brother who is slated to play in Grand Rapids. It's going to be a battle out there.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Be a reliable scorer on the second line.

Kamis, 16 September 2010

Pre-Training Camp Notes...

I'm heading up to training camp with the Commune tomorrow for five days of non-stop Shanahanigans. We'll be attending all of the ticketed events, and have some other activities planned, as well (ceremonial burning of the Crosby shirt, anyone?). I'm not sure how much blogging I'll be doing up there, but I've scheduled the player profiles to continue posting almost every morning. I'm taking my laptop up there, but I have a feeling there won't be much getting posted. I can, however, promise that there will be excessive amounts of tweeting going on during the festivities. If you're not interested in training camp and random Commune updates, now would be a good time to unfollow.

Here's a list of the Commune attendees who are staying together:

Me: @SnipeDangle
Liz: @lizzlefoshizzle and @CWGAP_Liz
Sara: @saraneuie
Sara: @thetinnishflash
Amanda: @nursenitz
Dena: @Wings3_26_97
Sarah: @SPintheD
Lauren: @Lolabythebay
Leslie: @mauvaisgardien
Andrea: @silvrbuttrfly
Jenn: @JennHo

And some other tweeters who I know will be up there (Let me know if I missed you and I'll add you to the list.):

George: @georgemalik
Matt: @onthewings
Megan: @MrsOTW
Kat: @Just_Kat1 and @CSI_Kat
Tyler: @TheTripleDeke

I also added everyone you see here to a list on Twitter.  I'm pretty sure the hashtag #RWTCTC has been set as the standard, at least for Commune coverage. I'd also keep a lookout for #shanahanigans and #redwingscommune tags if you really want to follow along. I've never been to Training Camp before, so I don't really know what to expect. We've been looking forward to this for a long time, though, and I can promise that we're going to have a blast. I'm looking at it as a kind of a warm-up for H2H2 which is apparently going to be a month-long extravaganza.

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Jonathan Ericsson...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 22 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:
Jonathan Ericsson


2009-2010 Regular Season: 62 GP, 4-9-13, +/- -15, 44 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 0-2-2, +/- 1, 8 PIM

Season Highlight: He led the Wings in +/- at H2H (stick tap to Lauren). His +4 that night makes his -15 for the season seem all the more dismal.
Season Lowlight: Getting benched.  This play in which his knee was injured and the Wings allowed a goal was pretty unfortunate, too.

Everyone was really high on Ericsson heading into last season based on his performance in the 2009 playoffs. He didn't quite live up to that promise, though. He even found himself benched. At times, he looked like a deer caught in the headlights, and not having a solid partner upon whom to rely seemed to do him a disservice. He managed to turn things around a little when Andreas Lilja returned to the lineup.

This year, he'll most likely be paired with newcomer Ruslan Salei. Having a veteran presence back there with him will allow him to settle down and hopefully look a little better. He's got a fantastic shot from the point, and has shown the ability to contribute offensively from time to time. He needs to cut down on his mistakes and take care of defensive responsibilities first, though.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Live up to that promise he showed during the 2009 playoffs.

Rabu, 15 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Patrick Eaves...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 23 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Patrick Eaves


2009-2010 Regular Season: 65 GP, 12-10-22, +/- 0, 26 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 8 GP, 0-0-0, +/- -3, 2 PIM

Season Highlight: His fight against Chicago.
Season Lowlight: The  #Eavesed incident.

Eaves came into last season as kind of a wildcard, at least to me. I didn't really know much about him, but I liked his potential. Eaves lived up to my expectations and had a pretty good season in his new home. It seemed like he found a niche in the Wings' roster and settled in. I was glad when he re-signed with the team this summer. Without Eaves and his glorious shootout attempt during the H2H weekend, we would never have had the #Eavesed hashtag on twitter. How can you not laugh when you watch that video?

I expect much the same from Eaves this season, minus the shootout wipeout. Then again, I'd like to think that he won't need to be called upon to take any shootout attempts again, but I guess anything can happen. He should provide the Wings with solid two-way play, and he has the ability to chip in with a timely goal here and there. He'll be fighting with Helm, Abdelkader, Draper, and Miller for fourth line minutes, but I think he'll crack the lineup.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Keep up the solid two-way play.

Selasa, 14 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Kris Draper...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 24 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Kris Draper


2009-2010 Regular Season: 81 GP, 7-15-22, +/- -2, 28 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 0-0-0, +/- 0, 16 PIM

Season Highlight: He scored his 150th career goal.
Season Lowlight: Inspiring the Commune slang “donut goalies” by continuously shooting directly into opposing goalies' stomachs.

Drapes looked pretty good on the line with Helm and Eaves last season. It seemed like being paired with a couple of speedy youngsters reguvinated him a little. The line provided some speedy checking combined with a frustrating inability to convert offensive chances.

This is almost certainly going to be Draper's swan song. His contract ends after this season, and Helm and Justin Abdelkader have established themselves as the future of the Grind Line. There just won't be cap or roster space for Draper beyond this season. He's still a valuable penalty killer and provides essential locker room leadership, but this is looking like the year he finally rides off into the sunset.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Solid defensive play.

Senin, 13 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Pavel Datsyuk...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 25 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Pavel Datsyuk


2009-2010 Regular Season: 80 GP, 27-43-70, +/- 17, 18 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 6-7-13, +/- 3, 8 PIM

Season Highlight: This was my favorite shootout moment of the year. I also love, love, love this goal against former tweeter Dan Ellis.  It was nothing short of amazing.
Season Lowlight: Let's face it, we're talking about Pavel Datsyuk here.

Datsyuk didn't quite put up the offensive numbers that we've come to expect from him last season. That doesn't really concern me though. If he'd been the only player to see his offensive numbers drop (a 27 point differential from one season to another is pretty significant), I might be worried, but the whole team was in such rough shape that it's hardly fair to look at stats like that. I don't really see them as being indicative of the contribution Pav made.

Last year, I fully expected to see a 100-point season from Datsyuk, but the Hockey Gods obviously had other plans in mind. I don't see any reason why he can't finally break the triple digit mark this season. The Flying Circus line is scheduled to be reunited and there should be a lot more offense to go around, both at regular strength and on the powerplay. With a full season of healthy linemates and more regular scoring, Pav's numbers should rebound.

Aside from putting up points, Datsyuk does so many other little things that continue to amaze me. The backchecking and pickpocketing he does are endless sources of amusement. He's every bit as valuable on the defensive side of the puck as he is on offense. Of course, you already knew that, so I really just included that sentence to take up some space. On a night-to-night basis, Datsyuk is one of the most electrifying players on the ice and watching him go to work is a treat for all of the good little Wings fans out there.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Just be Pavel Datsyuk.

Minggu, 12 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Dan Cleary...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 26 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Dan Cleary


2009-2010 Regular Season: 64 GP, 15-19-34, +/- -3, 29 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 2-0-2, +/- 3, 4 PIM

Season Highlight: This particular play is stuck in my memory.
Season Lowlight: Injuries.

Dan(ny) Cleary had a pretty mediocre season last year. He was hampered by injuries that limited the number of games he played as well as his effectiveness. Hopefully, his knee issues were sorted out with his off-season surgery and he can get back to playing as well as he has in the past.

He's expected to spend the season on the third line with Jiri Hudler and Mike Modano. Yeah, I'm pretty excited about the prospect of those three making up the Wings' third line. It almost seems unfair. Not really though. With linemates like Hudler and Modano, I don't see any reason why Cleary won't rebound.


What he needs to do to make me smile: Return to the form we saw from him before last season.

Sabtu, 11 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Todd Bertuzzi...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 27 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Todd Bertuzzi


2009-2010 Regular Season: 82 GP, 18-26-44, +/- -7, 80 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 12 GP, 2-9-11, +/- 4, 12 PIM

Season Highlight: That scoring streak he went on when nobody else could put the puck in the net.
Season Lowlight: Being Todd Bertuzzi.

Todd Bertuzzi made me yell at my TV screen a lot last season. His spin-o-ramas alone probably took a year off of my life. That being said, I was much less anti-Bert when he was signed this summer as compared to last year. I didn't really think he deserved a raise, but there weren't a whole lot of better options out there for the cap hit.

Bert somehow managed to escape the injury plague that struck the rest of the team last season, and with any luck, he'll keep that up. I'm hoping he'll benefit from a (hopefully) stable second line this season. He seemed to have some chemistry with Johan Franzen toward the end of the season last year and having consistent lines should help them build on that.

He led the team in penalty minutes in the regular season last year. While some of those were imaginary calls based entirely on the fact that his name is Todd Bertuzzi, he does take his share of lazy penalties. That's probably the biggest area in which I'd like him to improve. That, and driving to the net more. And if we could do something about those spin-o-ramas, that'd be fantastic now that I think about it.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Refrain from taking stupid penalties.

Jumat, 10 September 2010

2010-2011 Player Profiles: Justin Abdelkader...

Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 28 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:

Justin Abdelkader


2009-2010 Regular Season: 50 GP, 3-3-6, +/- -11, 35 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 11 GP, 1-1-2, +/- 1, 36 PIM

Season Highlight: Finishing third on the team in hits despite spending a third of the season in Grand Rapids.
Season Lowlight: Getting sent down to the minors to clear salary cap room.

Abby had a pretty good season last year. In addition to being Sara's BFF, he got to spend a lot more time up with the Wings than I had originally expected as he was forced to fill in during the injury plague. If I'm not mistaken, he got to center the second line a couple of nights when things were really sparse.

Abdelkader brings some much-needed physicality to the team and he led the Wings in hits for much of the season last year before getting sent down to Grand Rapids. He's shown a willingness to drop the gloves when the situation calls for it and is usually good for a jolt of energy when the team needs one. There's a reason fans were clamoring for him to be inserted into the lineup after a rocky Game One of the playoffs against Phoenix.

My little bro has a passionate hatred for Abby because he doesn't score a lot of goals, but that's not what he's out there to do. He's not going to put a lot of points on the board for the Wings, but he can make their opponents pay the price when he's called upon. He and Darren Helm are slated to make up the Grind Line 2.0, and I think the legacy's in good hands.

What he needs to do to make me smile: Keep crashing and banging.

Kamis, 02 September 2010

Red Wings Blogger Roundtable Part Five...

Hello and welcome to Part Five of the Roundtable. I cleaned up some of the cobwebs that have accumulated over here while I've been slacking this summer in order to play hostess to my esteemed fellow bloggers.

1. Several of the Wings had less-than-stellar seasons last year. Whether they suffered from injuries, failed to meet expectations for offensive production, or took a step back during their first whole season at the NHL level, there are a number of guys who stand to have a rebound season this time around. Who do the Wings need to rebound the most? Who do you think is most likely to step back up to the level of play expected of him? Will that be enough of an impact to fuel the "in house improvement" that the Wings are looking for this season?

Hollis: Considering that the Wings watched their scoring totals drop significantly last season, I'm sure that a case could be made for almost any player on the team, especially Hank of Pavel. That said, I'm going to say Dan Cleary needs to be the guy to REALLY step his game up and earn his paycheck on this team. He's making over $3 million a season, but not necessarily doing a whole lot to support that pay day in terms of putting pucks in nets. Sure, he was suffering through a pretty bad injury last year, which could account for the diminished numbers from him, but I still think he has a decent ways to go to reassure fans that the investment the Wings made in him was a good one. I hope this is the year he shows all of us just how good he can be when he's completely healthy.

Malik: I think that Babcock summed it up best in his "end-of-the-season address": Valtteri Filppula, Jonathan Ericsson, Niklas Kronwall and Dan Cleary need to rebound, big time, Chris Osgood needs to salvage his game and Jiri Hudler must most certainly at least attempt to live up to his salary, never mind Babs' hype.
This really is a make-it-or-break-it season for Filppula. If he's not able to graduate to the 40-to-50-point range working between Franzen and Bertuzzi, he really doesn't justify his $3 million salary, and the Wings may very well cut ties with him if he turns out to be nothing more than a really solid third-line center who can put up 10-15 goals and 35 points on a year-by-year basis. He needs to step up, big time.

Jonathan Ericsson's picture is definitely next to the "sophomore slump" term in the hockey dictionary now, and he has to at least play like a solid #5 defenseman who can move the puck and bang bodies a little harder this year. I wouldn't anticipate a quantum leap in growth, but he needs to reestablish himself this season.

Kronwall needs to return to 50-point territory, pure and simple. When the Wings have Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski and Kronwall healthy and pumping out elite-defenseman numbers, they've got a top three (never mind a fantastic top four thanks to Brad Stuart's ridiculously solid play) that few teams can keep up with and can play an elite puck-possession game. I think the Wings honestly missed Kronwall when he was out and at less than 100% than they missed any other player with the exception of Zetterberg. Kronwall's really the linchpin here--if he can return to his hard-hitting, hard-shooting, slick-passing form, the Wings' offense and defense alike will return to form. He needs to stay healthy for a full season.

Dan Cleary doesn't necessarily need to put up the kinds of numbers Filppula or Hudler are expected to provide. The Wings need Cleary to come to camp ready to take on the forechecking/net-front-man's role on the third line, stirring up trouble (and pucks) for Modano and Hudler as a sort of poor man's Holmstrom, all while providing a solid presence on the PK as well. 15 goals and 35-45 points would be fantastic but his work ethic and ability muck up pucks, screen goalies, retrieve rebounds and grind it out down low will matter much more than his point totals.

As for Hudler, I think Babcock's proclamation of a 70-point season is probably out of line given his 3rd-line status to start the season, but at the same time, I do think that a return to his previous 20-25 goal and 55-point form could happen easily working with Modano and Cleary. The Wings always had the ability to out-depth teams by dressing a third line when they won Cups, and establishing an offensive presence from the third line equals success.

Chris Osgood simply cannot play as poorly as he did last season for the Wings to succeed. The Wings can't make Jimmy Howard play 60+ games on a year-by-year basis without expecting him to break down and Osgood has to get his game together and provide more than mentorship for Howard--he must support the #1 goaltender and deliver in the winning department.

Tyler: I think it might be Chris Osgood. If I stick with my always-wrong gut feeling of a sophomore slump for Jimmy, he'll be needed way more than he was down the stretch last season, when he all but abandoned charting faceoffs and instead was drawing pictures of himself jumping out of a cake naked with the phrase "#400" written on the icing.

Casey: The Wings need Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg to rebound the most. They both had good seasons in 2009-2010 but Datsyuk's was nothing compared to that of the Hart Trophy nomination year previously. Datsyuk can and will rebound and if Zetterberg stays healthy he will have a good season. I think that with those two carrying the load again this year it will allow the others around them to excel without as much pressure so their health and "rebounding" is very important.

Petrella: I think that Johan Franzen needs to rebound the most. And, obviously, it wasn't his "fault" he had a slower than usual season. That injury seemed mighty awful. I think that if he gets clicking right away, he can keep up a torrid pace and -- wait for it -- even lead the team in scoring this season. I think that the re-addition of Jiri Hudler, and to a smaller degree the addition of Mike Modano, will be enough to fuel the improvement on the front lines.

Saler: Osgood's gotta be the guy who needs to rebound the most. The Wings need him to get back to playing competently. I think the way to do that is to get him regular backup work. Given the season he had last year, I don't see bouncing back to be a problem for him, so I'd peg him as the guy most likely to step back up to the expected level. If he does, it'll go a long way in adding to the "in house improvement" the Wings're going for.

A good second choice for guy in need of a rebound year would be Ericsson, who absolutely has to regain some of the ability he showed in the 09 playoffs. He took major steps backward last year and needs to show some progression this season. A veteran partner in the form of Salei should help fix the damage caused by not providing him mentoring partner last year. I hope.

Drew: You asked three questions in your first question (I'm just sayin'). Anyway - who needs to step up and perform this season? Jiri Hudler. He was the one, true departure from the 2008-2009 team that really through Ken Holland for a loop. And he better have worked his little butt off to make sure that he doesn't take a step back from the near 60 point season he had before he bailed for his tax free bucks in Russia. Who's going to step up? I think a healthy Dan Cleary - even playing on the third line - will have his most productive season to date. With a power forward like Dan, a playmaker like Mikey Mo, and a sniper like Hudler...that third line is going to do some damage. I don't know about any "in house improvement" fuel, but let's hope Jonathan Ericsson gets his hands on a canister.

Me: I think the guy with the biggest rebound season has to be Chris Osgood. He’s obviously not the starter, but the Wings need to be able to rely on him to win some games when he relieves Jimmy Howard. Jimmy can’t start every game like he did during the second half of the season last year. At some point, Ozzie is going to have to step in and take care of business. The Wings can’t afford to just surrender wins on nights when Jimmy needs a break.

I think the guy we’re most likely to see a marked improvement from is Dan Cleary. Hopefully he’s gotten his knee issues taken care of during the off-season and with that no longer dragging him down, he’ll return to form. He didn’t do nearly enough to justify his paycheck last season, but I like to imagine that that had a lot to do with his injuries. It stands to reason that if he’s healthy, his play should return to the level that we’ve all come to expect.

I don’t think that one player’s personal improvement is going to do everything. Getting Ozzie and Cleary back on track is a huge step, but so many guys had off-years last season that it has to be an all-around thing. The Wings need Zetterberg and Kronwall and Datsyuk and Franzen and Filppula among others to step up again this season. Even a slight improvement from each of them will be more valuable than adding a pricey free agent.

2. Who do you envision ending up on the Wings' third defensive pairing coming out of training camp? The top two pairings are pretty well established, but Jonathan Ericsson, Derek Meech, Jakub Kindl, Ruslan Salei, and Doug Janik are all slated to battle it out for the last couple of roster spots. Who do you think will end up getting regular playing time? What about Meech's fate? Is he destined to be cheap trade bait before the season starts? Will Ericsson turn things around and show the promise that he did during the '09 playoffs? Are we going to spend the whole season cringing whenever the third pairing hits the ice again?

Hollis: Ideally, the pairings would look something like this:
          Lidstrom/Rafalski
          Kronwall/Stuart
          Ericsson/Salei

That said, I understand that the Wings need to break in Jakub Kindl and I do expect him to see his fair share of playing time on the ice. Of course, it looks like he'll obviously be playing with Jonny Ericsson, but I will caution that I'm not so sure that Niklas Kronwall's knee is going to make it through the entire season again this year, so we may see Kindl get pushed up to the second pairing with the reliable Brad Stuart. I think it's important to get as much mileage out of Salei as possible, especially when he's paired up with Ericsson, which should help the young Swede focus on the solid two-way game that he needs to play in order to shake off the demons of a rough sophomore season.

As for Meech: Good luck in the East.

Malik: To me, the third pair has to consist of Ericsson and Salei. No ifs, ands or butts unless Jakub Kindl absolutely dazzles. Doug Janik's best-suited to a depth role as the dependable guy you call up from Grand Rapids when injuries occur and breaking Kindl in as the #7 defenseman seems most sensible at this point.
Meech doesn't have a future with Detroit barring training camp injuries. He wants to play elsewhere and he's given the Wings a versatile presence as a no-frills defenseman and forechecking forward, but he's earned the right to become a regular NHL'er somewhere else.

I do believe that Ericsson will rebound and that Salei, barring back issues, will hold up and provide a slight upgrade over Lilja. Salei's more dependable in his own end, meaner and has spent a good chunk of his career playing as a Brad Stuart-like #4 defenseman who shut down the opposition's top players. He can't block shots like Lilja can but he has better fundamentals.

Tyler: I'm not really worried about the 3rd pairing like a lot of people are. I'm really high on Ruslan Salei. Really, you'd think I shot him directly into my bloodstream. When I think about it, though, maybe I'm just stoked about Ruslan Salei + the contract he got. That was a pretty sweet deal. I'm hoping it completely distracts me from another season of Ericsson falling over himself like a giraffe that was given three Tylenol PM's and told to go wander across the Ambassador Bridge.


Casey: I think the third pairing will be Jonathan Ericsson and Ruslan Salei. I think they're the most established out of any of the others and the most capable of playing those minutes. That being said, I expect that Kindl will get quite a bit of playing time as the 7th defenseman and will definitely get close to 20 games. I think Meech is gone, I don't think he has enough to outplay the others in camp and with his voiced preference to move on if he's not in the top 6 it's pretty solidified. As for Ericsson I think he will turn around from how bad he was last year but I don't think he'll exactly be great either. I think he'll benefit from having a player like Salei alongside of him instead of Lilja/Lebda and that will help him learn and excel as the season goes on.

Petrella: I'm almost positive that Salei and Ericsson will be the third pairing, but wouldn't be shocked at all if Kindl sneaks in there instead of Rig. Ericsson was nothing if not a big steaming pile last season and Kindl has shown flashes of whoa baby. I also foresee a Babcock-like rotation of the three of them, with occasional peppering of Janik and MAYBE even Smith. Whatever the case, I have to think that the third pairing will be improved because Salei is a lateral -- if not positive -- move from Andreas Lilja.

Derek Meech is dunzo. There's no way he cracks the top six, and -- as promised -- he'll be shipped elsewhere for a draft pick. Best of luck to him, kid seems like he's got a decent head on his shoulders and he deserves a shot to play somewhere.

Saler: Ericsson-Salei. I don't know that Kindl's really ready for the NHL and tend to think the Wings would have kept him in the AHL if they had a choice. He had a good year with the Griffins last year, but the adjustment to the NHL will be tough for him. I think he'll rotate with Ericsson 20+ times. I don't think we'll ever see Ericsson-Kindl, unless injuries screw things up.

If it's Ericsson-Salei or Kindl-Salei, I don't think the cringe factor will be there too much. The big problem with last year's pairing was the lack of an actual veteran. Lebda's few years in the NHL didn't make him a mentor to Ericsson, so you had a real problem of an experience vacuum. Pairing an offensive-minded, jumping up D-man with an inexperienced, unsure of himself, effective rookie wasn't a recipe for success (not that there was any other option, really). With Salei covering for whatever young guy's in there, though, the third pairing should be less of a weak point.

I don't think Janik has a chance of making the team.

As for Meech, I'm basically in the camp that suspects he was promised a trade out of the pre-season, after he's had a chance to up his value with a strong camp and couple exhibition games.

Drew: Six questions in the second question? Come on, Kris! How about I start answering your questions with questions? How about that?

Alright, alright - in all seriousness, I see Ruslan Salei either starting on the third pairing with Jonathan Ericsson, or else he'll come in to replace Jakub Kindl should Kindl falter. Either way - those are the two I have playing on that third pairing...Big Rig is a lock. I don't see Derek Meech sticking around. He wants more playing time and he isn't going to get it here. His contract is a total bargain and we should be able to find a trade partner easily enough. One can only hope that Ericsson can turn things around - and I believe he will. He's still young and he just finished his first full season at the NHL level...he'll be fine. I think without Lebda/Meech on the third pairing, there will be a lot less fear (for fans) when the third pairing hits the ice.

Me: The third pairing has to be Ericsson and Salei. Hopefully being paired with Salei will help Ericsson find his game again. Getting Lilja back in the lineup at the end of last season seemed to help matters. As much as we’ll all miss Brett Lebda’s antics, not having him on the ice with Ericsson can only be a good thing. I think Kindl may see some time in the NHL if there are injuries or the Wings want to get him a little more experience, but barring a total disaster from Ericsson, he won’t be up with the Wings much. Meech is gone unless somebody has a major injury in training camp.

3. What's your overall assessment of the Wings' summer so far? Would you consider them to be off-season winners or losers? Do you think they improved, held steady, or got worse (in general and/or in comparison to their competition) with the moves Ken Holland has made this summer? 

Hollis: I think it's easy to see the Wings as winners in this offseason, simply for the fact that they didn't have anything happen that set them back from where they were last year. How can we forget the nightmare that was last offseason, in which Hossa jumped ship, Samuelsson left for more money and Hudler inexplicably left for the KHL. That was a losing offseason. Landing Mike Modano and re-signing all of targeted free agents can be considered nothign short of a complete success, and that's exactly what Ken Holland and company did this year. If last year was bad, this year was an excellent bounce back for the Red Wings front office.

Malik: I would suggest that the Wings have improved themselves as best they could given their salary cap constraints. That's a win in my department. With Hudler coming back and Modano joining the fray the Wings now have three scoring lines, Salei's an upgrade over Lilja, and simply witnessing a return to relative health bodes well for a team held together with duct tape for long stretches of the 2009-2010 season. Obviously the Wings' fate hinges at least partially upon the expected rebound seasons of the above-mentioned players, but a healthy year and more depth equal a solid "win."

Tyler: I'm Prodano, thumbs way-up on Salei, happy with the re-signings and, most of all, excited for the return of Hudler and whatever Euro herpes he's bringing back with him. I'm very content with things right now.

Casey: I think the Red Wings' off-season thus far has been a win. They didn't have much that they could lose via free agency that would damage their future and I think they'll profit by getting Modano and Salei. Jiri Hudler is the best change to last year's roster and he will be a big contributor in my opinion. I think they improved by more or less staying the same. They've done an exceptional job of keeping the roster together through the years and it helps create a continuity and sense of family not many teams have.

Petrella: I feel like the Wings are huge winners this summer -- and are having one of the best off-seasons of any team in the league, let alone the Central Division. Hudler's return, Modano and Salei's arrival -- costing the Wings only Jason Williams, Andreas Lilja and Brett Lebda? No brainer.

Saler: Getting Hudler back makes them winners in my book. And sneaking in a veteran D-man does too. Modano's also a win, on paper at least. But I really feel like the moves matter less than the team remaining healthy somehow and than the top guns playing like it this year. The moves of the summer are secondary to Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Franzen, Lidstrom, and Rafalski, etc. taking the lead and dominating this season.

Drew: Red Wings are winners this off-season. Any time you don't have room for players that were regulars on the team in a previous year - you have improved. We've only lost Lebda and Lilja...oh and Williams too. Those are not big losses by any stretch. Bringing Hudler back, Modano in, and getting Salei to replace Lilja are all positives in my book. I wanted to keep Lilja, for the record, but he wanted to play hardball, so...see ya, Lils. We have great depth now from top to bottom on offense. The mystery 3rd pairing is only a minor concern since they'll be logging the least amount of ice out of anyone. But when your fourth line is Abdelkader, Helm, and Eaves? Yeah, we're doing just fine.

This regular season is going to be a lot more fun than the last one.

Me: I think you have to look at the Wings as off-season winners. They’re returning the same solid core of players and adding Modano, Hudler, and Salei to the mix. Their only departures were Brett Lebda, Jason Williams (Who?), and Andreas Lilja. I’ll take that swap any day. Not only did the Wings improve, but their chief rivals the Hawks took a major step backward with the departure of a lot of their supporting cast. This season should be a lot more fun than the last one. I’m looking forward to plenty of good hockey to accompany the shanahanigans that are sure to ensue.