SB Nation - Derek Meech

December 8 :: Numbers and Awards

mpetrella — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 00:25:56 -0000

More photos » by Paul J. Bereswill - AP

Even in a draft-centric team re-creation, here's your backup goaltender. (AP Photo/Paul J. Bereswill)

Much is made of the Red Wings' ability to built a championship team while never selecting very high in the draft (**cough**Pittsburgh**cough**). People point to Jonathan Ericsson (the 291st and final selection of the 2002 Draft), Henrik Zetterberg (210th in 1999), and Tomas Holmstrom (257th in 1994) are glowing examples of a draft science that has been perfected by the organization. Sometimes, they pick up guys that haven't lived up to their draft pick, like Dan Cleary and Patrick Eaves, but have you ever wondered what the Red Wings would look like if the team was formed -- and the line combinations were made -- based solely on their draft selection? Well, it would look like this:

Cleary (13) -- May (14) -- Bertuzzi (23)
Eaves (29) -- Ferraro (32) -- Emmerton (41)
Abdelkader (42) -- Tatar (60) -- Draper (62)
D. Axelsson (62) -- Maltby (65) -- Nestrasil (75)
TOP CALL-UPS: Joakim Andersson (88), Valtteri Filppula (95), Johan Franzen (97)

Stuart (3) -- Kindl (19)
B. Smith (27) -- Kronwall (29)
Lidstrom (53) -- Lilja (54)
TOP CALL-UPS: Doug Janik (55), Gleason Fournier (90), Max Nicastro (91)

McCollum (30)
Osgood (54)
TOP CALL-UPS: Jimmy Howard (64), Daniel Larsson (92)

AFTER THE JUMP, some more numbers and award updates

Justin Abdelkader is going to get the opportunity to center the second line against the Blues, but he's the only Red Wing faceoff-taker with a percentage below 50 (minimum 100 faceoffs). He's currently winning only 42.8% of his draws.

The Red Wings have only scored the first goal of a game ten times this season, with Tomas Holmstrom and Dan Cleary each netting that goal twice. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk, Kris Draper, Brad Stuart, Drew Miller, and Justin Abdelkader each have the distinction once.

Kris Draper and Niklas Kronwall co-lead the team in goals against division opponents (3 each). Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Holmstrom co-lead in goals against opponents from other divisions (9 each). Henrik Zetterberg leads the team in points at home (16) and on the road (14).

The only players to have negative +/- both at home and on the road are Dan Cleary, Derek Meech, Brett Lebda, and Todd Bertuzzi. On the contrary, the only players to be positive both at home and on the road are Kris Draper, Patrick Eaves, Brian Rafalski and Nicklas Lidstrom.

Kirk Maltby is the only Red Wing with a point while shorthanded -- an unassisted goal.

Justin Abdelkader leads the way with 78 hits, followed by Brad Stuart (75), Darren Helm (73), Dan Cleary (50) and Patrick Eaves (50).

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defensemen with the fewest goals scored in the most games played. The player must have played in at least 3/4 of the team's games. The award is named for Chris Chelios, who scored 23 goals in his final EXACTLY 600 games as a Red Wing (regular season and playoffs).*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (1 goal in 29 games)
2. Brett Lebda (1 goal in 26 games)
3. Brad Stuart (2 goals in 29 games)
4. Brian Rafalski (2 goals in 26 games)
5. Jonathan Ericsson (3 goals in 27 games)

DANNY CLEARY "SACRAFICE YOUR FACE" AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most blocked shots. Award is named for Dan Cleary, who is used to becoming synonymous with "black eye" and/or "broken jaw."*
1. Darren Helm (20)
2. Danny Cleary (15)
3. Henrik Zetterberg (14)
4. Pavel Datsyuk (13)
5. Justin Abdelkader (9)

DEREK MEECH AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing with the most games spent in the press box. Award is named for Derek Meech, who was a healthy scratch 35 times last season.*
1. Derek Meech (15)
2. Brad May (8)
3. Patrick Eaves (7)
4. Kirk Maltby (5)
5. Brett Lebda (3)

GREG STEFAN AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how they're in the NHL and you aren't. Award is named for Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Red Wings, but only three that had a goals against average under 4.*
1. Chris Osgood (6-5-4, 2.75, .896)
2. Jimmy Howard (8-5-1, 2.55, .910)

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most shots to miss the net. Award is named for Mikael Samuelsson, who literally must have been aiming for the 11th row.*
1. Henrik Zetterberg (52)
2. Todd Bertuzzi (29)
3. Tomas Holmstrom (28)
4. Ville Leino (27)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (21)

PAST AWARD WINNERS
Patrick Eaves Goodfellas Award: Patrick Eaves (last player to be penalized)
Aaron Downey Award: Derek Meech (last player to score a goal)

Two Fake Award Winners in a Row?! It's like Christmas in...well, almost December.

mpetrella — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Mark Humphrey - AP

In his infinite awesomeness, Darren Helm has learned how to control the puck using brainwaves. (Note: does not work on breakaways)

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Well, they were on a bit of a run there for a while. Our boys in red have lost three of four. On the bright side, they've earned points in 13 of their last 17 games played, and Henrik Zetterberg has come alive.

The Red Wings have lost 76 man-games to injury this season. And it's only going to get worse for the next few months. Anyone want a piece of the man-games over/under? If Lilja, Kronwall, and Williams are all out until February, it'll be right around 200 at the Olympic break. Let's call it 200 on Valentine's Day.

A tale of two seasons:
Detroit is 6-3-1 in November. They were 8-2-2 last November.
On November 24, 2009, they are 11-7-4 for 26 points. On November 24, 2008, they were 14-2-4 for 32 points.
They had four losses in only one month last season: January (7-4-2). Reaaaally hoping they win out November...

Of the six players who have taken more than 30 faceoffs, only Justin Abdelkader (40.8) and Henrik Zetterberg (49.2) lose more than they win. The others: Pavel Datsyuk (58.3), Valtteri Filppula (54.5), Darren Helm (50.5), and Kris Draper (50)

Henrik Zetterberg has more than double the amount of points (15) at Joe Louis Arena than his closest competitor (Pavel Datsyuk - 7). He also has the same amount of goals (8) at home as the next three closest players combined.

Only two players have negative +/- ratings at home AND on the road. They are Brett Lebda and Todd Bertuzzi.

After the jump, some more statistical analysis and your Fake Award updates...

93.75% of Brad May's penalty minutes this season have come in the form of majors.

Coming on the heels of last week's dedication of the Patrick Eaves Goodfellas Award, we have a winner of a fake award for the second week in a row!

And the AARON DOWNEY AWARD WINNER is (drumroll, please......) Derek Meech. As a reminder, this honor is reserved for the final Red Wing to score a goal. The award is named for Aaron Downey, who scored his first and only goal as a Red Wing during his 60th and final game. The final three nominees for the 2009-10 version of the Downey Award were Drew Miller, Derek Meech, and Brad May. Drew Miller scored the lone goal against the Predators, and I don't care what LaRue says - Brad May scored, dammit. So, even though Derek Meech has only played six games (by the way, so has Miller), he's the lone guy without a goal.

CHRIS CHELIOS AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings defensemen with the fewest goals scored in the most games played. The player must have played in at least 3/4 of the team's games. The award is named for Chris Chelios, who scored 23 in his EXACTLY 600 games as a Red Wing (regular season and playoffs combined).*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (1 goal in 22 games)
2. Brett Lebda (1 goal in 19 games)
3. Brad Stuart (2 goals in 22 games)
4. Brian Rafalski (2 goals in 21 games)
5. Jonathan Ericsson (3 goals in 20 games)
6. Niklas Kronwall (5 goals in 21 games)

DANNY CLEARY "SACRAFICE YOUR FACE" AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most blocked shots. The award is named for Dan Cleary, who is used to becoming synonymous with "black eye" and/or "broken jaw."*
1. Darren Helm (11)
T2. Dan Cleary (10)
T2. Henrik Zetterberg (10)
4. Pavel Datsyuk (9)
T5. Justin Abdelkader (7)
T5. Ville Leino (7)

DEREK MEECH AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wing with the most games spent in the press box. The award is named for Derek Meech, who was a healthy scratch 35 times in 2008-09.*
1. Derek Meech (15)
T2. Patrick Eaves (6)
T2. Brad May (6)
4. Kirk Maltby (4)
5. Brett Lebda (3)

GREG STEFAN AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings goaltender that makes you question how they're in the NHL and you aren't. The award is named for Greg Stefan, who played nine seasons for the Red Wings, but only three that featured goals against averages under 4.*
1. James Tiberius Howard (5-3-1, 2.76, .898)
2. Christopher Robin Osgood (6-4-3, 2.73, .901)
3. Michael Superfly Petrella (0-0-0, 0.00, 1.000)

MIKAEL SAMUELSSON AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings forward with the most shots to miss the net. The award is named for Mikael Samuelsson, who literally must have been aiming for the 11th row.*
1. Henrik Zetterberg (42)
2. Ville Leino (23)
T3. Todd Bertuzzi (21)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (21)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (16)

VLADIMIR KONSTANTINOV AWARD Update
*Given at the year's end to the Red Wings player that leads the team in plus/minus. The award is named for the legendary Vladinator, who led the NHL in +/- in 1995-96 with +60, a mark that hasn't been met since.*
1. Nicklas Lidstrom (+7)
2. Patrick Eaves (+6)
T3. Kirk Maltby (+5)
T3. Tomas Holmstrom (+5)
5. Pavel Datsyuk (+4)

HONORARY CHRIS HOLLIS/MOTOWN WINGS AWARD
*This is a new one. Its reserved for a Red Wings related player, coach, or situation that - like Hollis's CSSI statistic - I only KINDA understand. It will be given out when deserved.*
November 24, 2009 :: The premiere Hollis Award goes to the Justin Abdelkader. When Brad May scored that obvious goal on Alex Auld, Abdelkader looked right at the puck for about a second or two before he raised his arms. A little quicker reaction, and things may have turned out different. But, its not all bad - he's the only one who actually knew that was a goal. So, like the CSSI, we was very right, but...wait, what?

Post Game Musings: Capitals/Wings Edition

MrNorrisTrophy — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:00:37 -0000

More photos » by Gary Malerba - AP

Gotta love the look on Leino's face as he scores his second of the year (AP Photo/Gary Malerba)

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Wings got the second win of the year, this time against a very good Capitals team. Here are a few of the things I've noticed in the game last night:

Osgood played pretty awesome last night. Sure, the first goal was kind of weak but Oz clamped down after that and had some incredible saves. Two huge saves during powerplay chances were probably the difference in the game, including the incredible desperation toe save on Ovechkin. The second goal was hard to put on Oz as Kronwall was screening him on the shot. Something must have switched his game to the "on" position since returning from Sweden and hopefully it continues at this level.
Since when does Valtteri Filppula hit like he did last night? Although not credited with any hits in the box score, Fil had at least two big hits. The first was against Tyler Sloan and Fil put him on his butt with a solid and clean hit. The second wasn't as big but any time you put a skater like Alex Ovechkin when you're the target is impressive. I remember two or three impressive hits in the Chicago game too, and I like it. Oh and he had two assists, no biggie.
Many of you may have seen that Brad May was wearing a different number last night. What number? 24. Gasp! Apparently, Chelios didn't care when May asked him though so my mood of "what in the crap?" went to "oh okay, well that's cool." I thought it was respectful of May to ask Cheli before assuming the number on the jersey. Also liked how May was the leader in hits last night with 5, second in the game to Ovechkin who had 10.
Derek Meech has been a solid fill in for Brett Lebda. The only real blunder I've noticed so far is a dangerous hit he put on Capitals Quintin Laing that resulted in a boarding penalty. Otherwise, Meech has played a smart, well positioned two games thus far. Meech and Ericsson seem to work well together and have a good sense for what the other is going to do defensively. Although on the ice for the Bradley goal last night, Meech played the puck well and forced the shot to the near post, something you often aim for, but it somehow squeaked through Oz. I'm starting to really like this switch on defense.
The more I see Jason Williams' powerplay goal, the more and more I like it. Although Theodore was screened, the shot was perfectly placed in the top corner of the net, no chance for a butterfly goalie on a shot that fast.
Hmmm...Kind of odd that we've scored 3 goals in all four games thus far. Oh well, I'll take it.
This is the one where I get tomatoes thrown and the big prop hook to pull me off stage. I like the way Todd Bertuzzi is playing so far. I don't think he's the same player he was during his first stay in Motown...he's better. He hasn't had all too many quality chances to prove that he still has the scoring touch but I like the game he is playing. He is hard skater and crashes the net often looking for rebounds. I liked the pairing with Zetterberg and Datsyuk last night because i think he gives them better protection than Holmstrom while still doing a similar job. I may change my mind in the future but I think he is doing a solid job so far in his second stint with the team.

That's it for me for today. Enjoy your Sunday and see you back here Monday for a Sabres preview!

Recap: Red Wings 3, Capitals 2

David M. Getz — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 02:41:49 -0000

More photos » by Gary Malerba - AP

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[AP Recap - Game Summary - Event Summary]

For a team with the talent and expectations of the Washington Capitals, there's really no such thing as a moral victory. But it was nice to see the team come out with more effort, more willingness to dig around the corners, to hit and to let themselves be hit and to prove they can play with the NHL's elite. So once again the Capitals have demonstrated they can play with the best teams in the NHL - when they want to.

While it'd be easy for fans to take comfort in the fact that the Caps can hang with the best, it's impossible not to believe that their poor performances against mediocre teams are costing them on nights like tonight. If the Capitals were truly striving to improve each and every game the breakouts would be a little smoother, the passes a little crisper, and the restraining penalties fewer. In short, you can't keep in top form if don't give full effort every time out.

Ten additional thoughts on tonight's game:

There's no shortage of people ready to let them have it when referees make mistakes, so we'll take this little bit of space to acknowledge them for doing well: the decision to keep play alive after the net was knocked off it's moorings in the moments before Brendan Morrison's goal took some guts and was the right call.
It's fun to watch Shaone Morrisonn play with a mean streak, isn't it?
The Caps defensemen have developed a new habit, likely due to Bob Woods' influence: dumping the puck in to the corner from the point, and we love it. After all, there's no rule that says you can't play the puck in deep just because you've already gained the zone.
Derek Meech is lucky that he wasn't shown the gate for his hit on Quintin Laing.
Last week (and last spring) it was Mike Green's stick's fault that he wasn't playing well. Now he thinks it's his gloves. The questions we have about that twofold: why didn't he resolve this situation over the summer or training camp, and how does this contribute to the fact that he has now taken six minor penalties in five games, five of which have been restraining fouls and four of which have been HHT penalties?
When Nicklas Backstrom bears down on an opposing goalie with his hair spilling out of the side of his helmet I imagine the goalie must suddenly get the feeling he knows exactly what Dennis Nedry's final moments were like.
In a shot- or scoring chance-quality sense, there's no way Matt Bradley deserved his goal. In a karmic sense that takes into account all the other good things Bradley did for the team - relentless forechecking, drawing a penalties, and blocking shots - he couldn't have deserved it more.
Brian Pothier got pushed around on the play that led to Ville Leino's goal, but good on him for getting more physical after that point.
When Pavel Datsyuk beat out Mike Richards for the Selke Trophy last season I was adamant that Richards had been robbed. After tonight's game I'm not so sure.
If the Capitals didn't have Mike Knuble or Brooks Laich, would they set Tom Poti up in front of the net on the powerplay? He's been awfully good at screening goaltenders lately.

On the bright side, the team seems like they're back on track in terms of effort and "compete level". Let's hope it stays that way.

An Intro and By The Numbers :: 10/6 Edition

mpetrella — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 15:00:29 -0000

by NIKLAS LARSSON - AP

2 months ago: Detroit Red Wings Henrik Zetterberg (right), and the rest of the Red Wings, during the national anthems before of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Oct, 3 2009 in Stockholm. (AP Photo/Niklas Larsson)

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Oh hi!

In a few seconds, I'll get to what will become the weekly By the Numbers feature, but I wanted to get a few housekeeping things out of the way first...

First, I wanted to take a quick second and thank Christy and Casey for inviting me to join the Winging it in Motown family -- and congratulate Kyle and Drew, both of whom I've enjoyed reading and can't wait to see what they've got in store for WIM.

Anyway, many of you might be familiar with The Production Line (and I thank you for reading), but for those of you that aren't, here are a handful of things that you should know about me -- right from the start.

1. I'm a big fan of lists. Charts, too. But mostly lists.

2. I'm a selective hockey traditionalist. And by that, I mean I hate the trapezoid, but love the no-changes-after-icing thing.

3. Maltby/Draper/Holmstrom trade or retirement desires of fans literally make me punch myself in the face. In nearly 100 years of Detroit hockey, there have only been a handful of life & death Red Wings, and they are three of them. As far as I’m concerned, they could have roster spots three years after they die, if they wanted them. Sit down. Shut up. Enjoy every shift before they hang ‘em up. There are fans of 29 other hockey clubs that would legitimately run over their mothers to have two decades of any of those guys – let alone all three.

4. Every now and then, you’ll come across a completely random or obscure quote or reference. That means its Simpsons-related. It also means you should watch more Simpsons.

5. During the year, I’ll probably be a little hard on Chris Osgood and Todd Bertuzzi. I’m sorry. I can’t help it. I just don’t like them. The same goes for Henrik Zetterberg, Darren Helm, and Valtteri Filppula. Except the opposite. They can do no wrong. Even if they do wrong, it was on purpose to throw off the enemy.

6. In a fit of what can only be described as a perfect storm of boredom and nerdery, I’ve actually read the CBA. As of this writing, I can understand eleven words of it.

7. Badger, my ass. It’s probably Milhouse.

And now, on to the numbers…

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After nine pre-season games, Justin Abdelkader led the way with EIGHT games player – the most of any Red Wing, followed by Jonathan Ericsson and Derek Meech, with seven each.

Of the 53 skaters that took part in Red Wings training camp, only THREE non-roster players scored a goal in a pre-season game: Jamie Tardif, Jeremy Williams, and Kris Newbury.

As of October 5^th, Andreas Lilja has missed the Red Wings’ last 53 games – including playoffs and pre-season.

Only FOUR Red Wings have a plus rating since the real games began: Nick Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Justin Abdelkader and Kirk Maltby. Lots of players are -1, but only Brett Lebda finds himself more in the hole: he’s -3.

Everyone who thought Kirk Maltby would lead the team in scoring at any point during the season, raise your hand. ....Liar.

Justin Abdelkader is the only Red Wing who has taken more than one faceoff with a percentage below 50% (5/13). Ville Leino is 0/1, Franzen is 1/2, Zetterberg is 14/28, Cleary is 4/7, Filppula is 20/35, Draper is 5/8, and Datsyuk leads the way going 23/33 (69.7%).

After two games, Johan Franzen leads the team with TEN hits, followed by Justin Abdelkader (8), Brad Stuart (7), Dan Cleary and Nik Kronwall (5 each). Can’t wait for Darren Helm to match these totals in his first shift…

The Detroit Red Wings are 0-2 for the first time since 1989. That year, they finished in last place in the Norris Division at 28-38-14. It was the last time they did not qualify for the playoffs.

SURPRISE! Nicklas Lidstrom leads the team in minutes (50), followed by Rafalski (49), Kronwall (47), Stuart (45), and Datsyuk (40). Kirk Maltby is the low man with under 18 minutes played.

Line-up change for Thursday

MrNorrisTrophy — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 02:20:01 -0000

More photos » by Jerry S. Mendoza - AP

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Hoping to jumpstart the defense, Mike Babcock has replaced Brett Lebda on the third defensive pairing with Derek Meech. A move welcomed by many, including me, could pay off for the Wings against the Blackhawks. Meech is slightly bigger than Lebda and is more of a defensive defenseman than Lebda. This should prove to be beneficial against the potent Blackhawks offense that has speed and good passing.

Chris Osgood is expected to start in net for Thursday's game and hopefully he'll be able to bounce back from the opening game loss. Darren Helm is listed as questionable for the game but it's unlikely that he will be rushed back to the line-up.

Link to mlive.com article.

Poll

Is pulling Lebda for Meech the right move?

Yes! About time!

160 votes

Nah, give Brett some slack.

34 votes

194 votes | Poll has closed

Potential Canucks Trading Partners

Sean Zandberg — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:51:40 -0000

There has already been enough speculation over what free agents are left for Mike Gillis to take a stab at to fill in the holes (especially in the top 4 defence pairings). But allow me to use NHL Numbers and analyze each NHL team to see where they are at with quantities at various positions and cap dollars spent. Maybe this can shed a bit of an idea as to another avenue for Mike Gillis to acquire 1 or 2 of the players needed. I'll add my personal opinion on proposals as well.

Anaheim

-Have enough forwards but are lacking about 3 defencemen.

-What are their plans with Jean-Sebastien Giguere if Jonas Hiller is now the #1 goalie?

-$12 million left in the bank.

-Proposal: No help to Vancouver.

Atlanta

- lacking in all areas. Still need to re-sign Kari Lehtonen.

Proposal: Let 'em rot.

Boston

-Running out of money and need another forward, defenceman and backup goalie. Kessel has not yet been signed.

-Proposal: Schneider for Kessel

Buffalo

-too many goalies and defencemen and not enough forwards.

-Proposal: Grabner for Rivet. Tellqvist may be heading back home to Sweden.

Carolina

-still need to sign Tuomo Ruutu..

-have one too many D-men. Hence one commenter saying Dennis Seidenberg would be a great option.

Proposal: Seidenberg for my nutsack.

Calgary

-The Flames look set. They're close to the cap limit but whatevs.

-Proposal: No, we don't want Bertuzzi. I will cut anyone's main artery who says they want him back in Van.

Chicago

-With the potential signing of Versteeg, the Hawks will need to trade a forward or 2 to acquire another defenceman (or 2) and a backup goalie.

-Proposal: Still interested in Versteeg? At the expense of not getting a valid top 4 d-man?

Columbus

-Way too many forwards and not enough defencemen.

-Proposal: Can't help them and they can't help us.

Colorado

-a clear case of too many defencemen and not enough forwards. They still have to re-sign several free agent forwards.

-Proposal: Wellwood for Preissing or Salei. Dream bigm Arnold. Dream big.

Dallas

-All kinds of question marks in Dallas. Do they re-sign Zubov and / or Sydor? If so, they have too many d-men.

-Proposal: I'd gamble on Sydor. Brendan Morrison anyone? I didn't think so. You get that feeling that Vancouver is the only place he belongs though. His body has worn down however.

Detroit

-Too many defencemen and not enough forwards. Plus, they are right under the cap and Hudler has not been re-signed yet.

-Proposal: Draft pick for Brett Lebda or Derek Meech.

Edmonton

-The Oilers have too many defencemen and are closing in on the cap max.

-Proposal: Draft pick for Ladislav Smid.

Florida

-Any takers on UFA's Nick Boynton or Steve Eminger? Other than that the Panthers look set.

Los Angeles

-So many holes to fill in L.A.

-Proposal: Would you take a chance on Frolov? Not me. Too pricey. How about Denis Gauthier? Exactly. Fuck it.

Jack Johnson however is an intriguing option. I just wonder what kind of $$$ he wants.

Minnesota

-Are these guys seriously in the running for Saku Koivu? The have about $4 million left to spend and haven't even signed Kyle Brodziak yet.

-Proposal: A stab at UFA Kurtis Foster wouldn't hurt my feelings. Marc-Andre Bergeron can suck a whale genital as far as I'm concerned.

Montreal

-Look at that shit show in Hab-land. UFA's: Robert Lang, Alex Tanguay, Saku Koivu, Francis Bouillion, Patrice Brisebois, Mathieu Dandenault. RFA's: Tomas Plekanec, etc. Talk about an overhaul.

-Proposal: Can't afford the forwards unless a trade happens to lose salary, even though Tanguay would look great on Line 2. Is Bouillion any good? I hate the Habs.

Nashville

-Wow. I didn't realize they had so many positions to fill. May they rest in peace.

New Jersey

-They are close to being in position.

-Proposal: Would you sign Niclas Havelid as a UFA?

Islanders

-A great-looking young team.

-Proposal: Don't see them doing much. Mike Sillinger and Dean McAmmond are UFA's. Any takers? I've always been a fan of McAmmond but he's not what we need.

Rangers

-Oh boy, Sather must be sucking back 50 cigars a day with this mess. So much work to be done there.

-Proposal: Fuck the Rangers...except...I still think Paul Mara would be a good UFA signing. Derek Morris can rot in obscurity for all I care.

Ottawa

-Yikes! Look at all those players there. The Sens have to move Dany Heatley because they are over the cap. But hey could move a defenceman and get under as well.

-Proposal: Go to hell, Heatley. How about Chris Campoli for a 3rd round pick? If Gillis ever signed Mike Comrie I'd probably poison my own drink.

Philadelphia

-Over the cap with holes to fill. They need to cut back on expensive forwards (Briere).

-Proposal: A few intriguing d-men in Philly. Rich Parent, Braydon Coburn, Matt Carle. The Flyers have to flog Daniel Briere first methinks. Good luck on that.

Phoenix

-Have plenty of money to sign free agents like Scottie Upshall and Nigel Dawes.

-Proposal: Any takers on UFA's Ken Klee or Dimitri Kalinin? I'd take Klee as a depth D guy.

Pittsburgh

-Need defencemen and a backup goalie and are very close to the cap max.

-Proposal: None. Satan, Sykora and Zigomanis are all UFA's. No bloody thank you. Send them to Europe.

San Jose

-Plenty of forwards to re-sign, a backup goalie, and too many defencemen.

-Proposal: Perfect trading partners! Mason Raymond for Brad Lukowich or Mark-Edouard Vlasic?

St. Louis

-Too many forwards and not enough defencemen means not good trading partners

Tampa Bay

-Unless you think Marek Malik or Noah Welch are good UFA signings, there really is nothing here.

Toronto

-Here's my fave trading partner. The Leafs need a bit of help up front and have a shitload of defencemen.

-Proposal: Michael Grabner or Mason Raymond for Ian White. I'm a big fan of Ian White.

Washington

-So much negotiating in Washington that needs to get done and not enough d-men that I would want.

So ther you have it. 3 hours of my life that I can't have back. I'm curious about your insights. Maybe I missed something. Maybe I'm full of shit. Feel free to voice your opinion, because face it... it is fair to say that Gillis is going thrift shopping over the next several weeks.

Wings Free Agency Roundup - 6.24

motownchollis — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:26:00 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Niklas Kronwall (left) and Henrik Zetterberg will be on the ice for the Wings next season. Who's going to join them?(AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Now that we know Steve Yzerman is headed to Toronto as the newest member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, along with former teammates Brett Hull and Luc Robitaille, we can finally settle in and get back to the business at hand: who's going to be suiting up for the Wings next season?

The picture looks to be clearing up a bit, but is still incredibly hazy. Here's what we know so far:

Multiple sources have confirmed that Chris Chelios will not be offered a playing contract for the Red Wings this upcoming season. Cheli is scheduled to meet with the media today to discuss his own future, and he still believes he can contribute big minutes for someone in the league. In terms of immediate impact: everyone knew this was coming. The blue-line is pretty much set for next season with Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Brad Stuart, Andreas Lilja and Derek Meech. Obviously, Lilja's health is still a VERY big question, so a move to shore up the blue line even more may not be out of the question.

With every passing day, it looks more and more like Ty Conklin will probably find his way out of Detroit in favor of giving Jimmy Howard a shot at being Chris Osgood's backup. From Rachel Lenzi/Portland (Maine) Press-Herald:

"Jimmy's earned a chance to get to the top," said Jim Nill, the assistant general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. "We have full confidence that Jimmy Howard's going to come in and be a goalie for the Red Wings, but he has to come in and earn that, and there's an opportunity for him to do that. It's up to him. Is there a job for him? He has to earn that."

Lenzi also talked with Howard about his situation:

"The Red Wings like how I've progressed," said Howard, the 64th selection in the 2003 NHL Draft. "They like how I've gotten rid of the inconsistency bug, and this season, I was a lot more consistent. Next year, I"m going to get my shot and I have to take full advantage of it."

Ken Holland and Jim Nill seem pretty confident in Howard, and now is as good of time as any to give him a shot at competing. The Wings have some good prospects behind Howard, so that should provide motivation for the kid to step it up. This also (theoretically) frees up some additional money for the Wings, as they won't have to shell out to keep Conklin on the roster.

As many folks pointed out this week, Eklund from over at HockeyBuzz laid out a claim that Detroit had all but locked up Marian Hossa for the long term. That's a bit difficult to believe right now, especially considering that, as Ken Holland has repeatedly said, he won't know what he can offer until he gets a solid salary cap figure for the upcoming season. Does this mean Hossa isn't staying? Absolutely not. Ted Kulfan/Detroit News makes a great point:

Hossa is expected to receive an offer in the range of $4 million to $5 million from the Wings, but for anywhere from 8-10 years. Many teams, especially teams contending for the Stanley Cup, won't be able to offer similar lengthy deals.

So what does it come down to? The same thing it has from the beginning: is Hossa serious about putting a long-term deal over making more money. If yes, he's back. If not, he's not. Holland has already said he will meet with Hossa's agent, Ritch Winter, during the draft this weekend, so we should have a better idea of where things stand early next week.

Take this one for what it's worth, but according to Kulfan, Mikael Samuelsson has put his house up for sale.

Samuelsson, incidentally, has put his house up for sale according to several residents in his Novi neighborhood.

No surprise here, as it's been pretty much assumed from the get-go that Samuelsson would be odd man out after this season was over. Barring a major surprise, Sammy's services will be with another NHL franchise next season.

Finally, we know that Holland has made qualifying offers to both Jiri Hudler and Ville Leino, both restricted free agents, in an attempt to keep their rights. Holland has also said that he is currently undecided on offering two-way contracts to veterans Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey. Leino will stick around, as his role should increase this season with the Wings. I would also expect Holland to offer both McCarty and Downey deals, as long as he has the money to do so. As far as Hudler goes, his presence in Detroit is an incredible long shot for next season. Even if he re-signs, he will be one of Detroit's biggest trade pieces, and will likely get moved.

Like I said, it's still hazy, but it should really start to clear up next week once the draft is over with and the free agent market opens up.

Now Comes the Real Fun: Who Stays and Who Goes in Motown?

motownchollis — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 07:34:50 -0000

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Will Marian Hossa be staying around Motown and adding his picture to the wall of legends? (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

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Despite only being two days removed from losing in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals, your friends here at WIM are picking up the pieces and moving forward. What better way to start moving towards next season's Stanley Cup title run than looking at the pieces that will hopefully be raising Lord Stanley next June.

Before we move forward and look at who might not be around, let's take a look at who is already locked up. Up front, Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen, Valtteri Filppula, Dan Cleary, Tomas Holmstrom, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader are all taken care fo for next season. Defensively, the Wings have already secured the services of Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brad Stuart, Jonathan Ericsson, Andreas Lilja, Derek Meech and Brett Lebda. In net, Chris Osgood will be back as the starter and Jimmy Howard is signed for the next two years.

Which leaves us with the following question marks and probable results (which of course are all IMO):

Marian Hossa

Hossa is an unrestricted free agent entering the off-season, but it is widely believed that he will be back in the winged wheel next season, and for quite a few seasons after that. Despite all but disappearing in this postseason, Hossa is still a superstar in the NHL and the Wings are a better team with him in the lineup. However, his price tag is guaranteed to be high, as he garnered 7.45 million this past season. Even if Ken Holland can work his magic and get Hossa to take less money over a long-term deal, his presence bodes pretty unfavorably for some of the other free agents on the Wings roster.
Staying or going? Staying.

Jiri Hudler

Here's where things begin to get complicated. Hudler is a restricted free agent, so all the Wings have to do is offer him, and he stays with the team. However, as Hossa is widely expected to sign a long term deal with the Wings, Hudler becomes one of the players on the outside looking in. Normally, this wouldn't be a major issue, as Hudler has enough NHL experience to receive a crop of offer sheets from other clubs. However, and unproductive playoff - three assists and zero goal in his last 12 playoff games - could lead some clubs to reconsider Hudler. In the end, though, someone should take a chance on him, and Hudler will be playing for someone else when the fall rolls around.
Staying or going? Going.

Mikael Samuelsson

Samuelsson, an unrestricted free agent, is expected to be another victim of a Marian Hossa re-signing. Despite being productive for the Wings early in the playoffs, Sammy fell of the map in the last 10 games, netting zero points. His contract is just over one million dollars, which is completely reasonable for a 20 goal scorer, so someone will scoop up Samuelsson off the market.
Staying or going? Very much gone.

Tomas Kopecky

Kopecky is another major question mark, as the Wings will likely need to shed one more salary, in addition to Hudler's and Samuelsson's, to keep Hossa in a Red Wings uniform for the foreseeable future. The likely answer appears to be Kopecky, who has been out since Game 5 of the Anaheim series after suffering a broken orbital bone. But it won't be easy to cut ties with him, as Kopecky played 79 regular season games and is only 27 years old. But the reality is that Kopecky only put up 19 points over those 79 games, and with younger players like Leino, Abdelkader and Helm gaining experience and playing time, Kopecky's lack of production might help to show him the door in Detroit.
Staying or going? Probably going.

Ville Leino

No drama here. Leino is a restricted free agent, who hasn't played in enough NHL games to really warrant an offer sheet from another team. Leino will be back and will probably get increased time with the big club, especially if Kopecky doesn't get re-signed.
Staying or going. Staying.

Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey

With the young talent making its way up the ladder, I just don't see both of these guys staying. McCarty played in 13 games this season to Downey's four. Combine that with McCarty's status as a fan favorite and someone who is willing to grind it out in the minors to get his shot, and he's my pick to be back in a Wings uniform next season.
Staying or going? McCarty: Staying. Downey: Going.

Chris Chelios

Unfortunately, Cheli's time in Motown is up. With young defensive talent like Jon Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall leading the charge, Chelios' minutes just aren't there anymore.
Staying or going? Gone.

Ty Conklin

So this is one situation that has managed to stay under the radar for the most part, but Conks finds himself as a free agent and the Wings potentially find themselves with an untested backup goaltender in Jimmy Howard. At this point, things get really tricky, and Ken Holland is going to earn his paycheck when this is all said and done. Conklin made $750,000 last season, but happened to turn in 25 wins while Osgood was interested, and will most likely ask for more money. But Jimmy Howard is making $717,000 a season, and also can't be sent back down to the minors without being waived. And if Howard got claimed off waivers and called back up from the minors, half of his salary would be on the shoulders of the Red Wings. It's a predicament, for sure. However, I don't think that the Wings staff is 100 percent confident in Howard's ability to succeed in the NHL, and surely don't consider him a full time backup at this point. Combine that with the fact that there isn't a huge demand for starting goaltenders this off-season and, in the end, I think it looks something like this: Howard gets a few more chances to prove himself during the regular season, but...
Staying or going? Conklin is staying, at least until the trade deadline.

That covers off on all of our free agent action, but there is one more area of concern:

Andreas Lilja

Lilja is signed to play this year, but after getting his block knocked off during the regular season last year, he hasn't been able to return to the ice because of persistent headaches. For awhile, it looked as if he was turning the corner, but now he claims that the pain is worse than ever. I hate to say it (and I hope it's not true), but Lilja sounds like a player who might possibly have played his last game in the NHL. I may very well be wrong about this, but he doesn't sound like he is making a ton of improvement here and I, for one, do not expect him to be ready for the start of next season.
However, if he does somehow make it back to the lineup, it puts Derek Meech in a really tough position. Meech has had a really tough time cracking the starting lineup over the last two years, and if Lilja can return, Meech finds himself squarely on the trade block. However, if Lilja can't return, then Meech finds himself on more secure footing, as long as he isn't passed by another guy from the minors.

All in all, it's going to be a tricky off-season in terms of roster movement. Without a doubt, there will be changes, but the Wings remain in good shape since their core players have all been taken care of. With young, playoff proven talent ready to step up for anyone who leaves town, the Wings should find themselves in a pretty good position when the playoffs fire up again next season.

As always, WIM will bring you all the latest news and notes on the off-season moves for the Wings, so check back frequently for updates and analysis.

[Game Thread] Wings @ Thrashers

Christy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:00:11 -0000

The Detroit Red Wings (47-15-9) will face off against the Atlanta Thrashers (29-36-6) tonight at the Philips Arena.

Valtteri Filppula's status for today's game is questionable so we probably won't know if he'll play until shortly before the puck drops. However, we do know that Tomas Holmstrom will not be in the lineup due to a knee injury. Unfortunately, defenseman Andreas Lilja is still out with headaches and his return is unknown.

The lines during Thursday's practice were as follows:

Franzen-Datsyuk-Samuelsson
Cleary-Zetterberg-Hossa
Hudler-Filppula-Kopecky
Meech-Draper-Maltby

Lidstrom-Rafalski
Kronwall-Stuart
Lebda-Ericsson

As you can see, Derek Meech will play as a forward to fill in for Holmstrom's absence. If Filppula is unable to play, then defenseman Chris Chelios will dress. Yes, that doesn't seem to work since Filppula is a forward and Cheli is not. However, the Wings do not have the cap space to allow the team to call up a forward from Grand Rapids so they will have to make do tonight.

Chris Osgood will start in net for the Wings for the fourth straight game after his solid play over the past few games.

The interesting story of the night will be Marian Hossa's first game back in Atlanta since he was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins by last season's trade deadline.

The game starts at 7:30 p.m. and will be shown on FSDetroit. I will be working the CCHA hockey tournament at Joe Louis Arena all day Friday and Saturday. As a result, I will be unable to comment during the game or write a game recap following the game. Even though I'm not here, please feel free to leave your comments about the game. Go Wings!