Hi everyone, I just posted my review for the Detroit Red Wings 2009 draft at Bleacher Report. I believe the Wings did a great job this time and I continue to be amazed at just how well our scouts are doing at the draft table every single year! I would like to hear your thoughts on how I did analyzing each players strengths, weaknesses and potential. Thanks in advance.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/208634-detroit-red-wings-2009-draft-review

Blue Jays right-hander Jesse Litsch is scheduled to have Tommy John ligament-replacement surgery on his throwing elbow, according to manager Cito Gaston. The operation will likely take place on Friday and will be performed by arm specialist Dr. James Andrews.

Litsch has been rehabbing his arm at the Jays' complex in Florida since mid April and has met with Andrews twice before coming to this decision. In both prior visits, an MRI exam revealed no ligament damage and Litsch continued on his throwing program.

from mlbastian.mlblogs.com

Our young pitchers are getting serious injuries at an alarming rate with Marcum, Litsch, McGowan and Janssen...pretty crappy news.

The Globe and Mail is saying the Alex Rios was originally penciled into todays starting line-up but has been now scratched. Joe Inglett will take his place and bat ninth, Lind will move up to third, and then everyone else but Scoot and Hill move up in the order. It must be an injury because Rios WAS in the lineup, so I doubt Gaston had a change of thought... Keep an eye out for the latest update.

I wrote an article on Bleacher Report about Chris Osgood and how he has proven to us that he is a goalie we should all believe in from now on and why he is the perfect goalies for the Red Wings. Any feedback is appreciated and thanks in advance for reading my article, it is very greatly appreciated (says I need five more words):

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/180299-detroit-red-wings-in-ozzy-we-trust

I'm starting to think that Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom need to be re-united. IMO, Datsyuk and Hossa have been fairly invisible this entire time and they have never showed any chemistry together. Hossa was at his best this season when he was on a line with Franzen and Flip (who has also been terrible.

I think the lines should look like this:

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom

Franzen-Filppula-Hossa

Hudler-Cleary-Samuelsson

Kopecky-Helm-Maltby

Anyone care to agree or disagree? It would also help if Rafalski came back soon.... Lidstrom, Ericsson and Stuart were all double shifting to play with Lebda and Kronner, even a return of 2008 play-offs Kronwall would be nice.

I would like to give my condolences to the Bourdon family and I hope Luc is in a better place right now. May he rest in peace. :( He was WAY to young. Luc was a promising defense men for the Vancouver Canucks and he died in a motorcycle accident this morning. Apparently he only recently got into riding motorcycles and he had just bought one of his own two days ago! This is a huge tragedy for the NHL.

To give my condolences to the Bourdon family and I hope Luc is in a better place right now. May he rest in peace. :( He was WAY to young. Luc was a promising defense men for the Vancouver Canucks and he died in a motorcycle accident this morning. Apparently he only recently got into riding motorcycles and he had just bought one of his own two days ago! This is a huge tragedy for the NHL.

via blog.mlive.com

Ok, I have a question for you guys... Who has been the best defense men for Detroit in this year play-offs? Lidstrom? Nope. Rafalski. Not a chance. According to coach Mike Babcock it has been Niklas Kronwall.

Kronwall's career started rough, with injuries ranging from a broken leg to a fractured sacrum. He was in and out of the lineup so much that it was hard for him to find any consistency in his game. Its seems as though these play-offs are his coming out party. He leads all defense men in play-off scoring and his penchant for the big open ice hit has his teammates impressed.

"It gives us so much more energy," forward Henrik Zetterberg said. "It's unbelievable to see Kronner do it night in and night out. It's nice to see him healthy and playing good in all situations. He makes huge hits and nice plays, so he's a pretty complete package." (Quote courtesy of detnews.com)

The opposition has also noticed Kronwall's physical play as of late. "You have to have your head up and be ready. If your elbows get up quick enough, you have to protect yourself also," Malone, the 6-4, 224-pound Penguins forward, said during a conference call Wednesday. "If by accident your stick gets up a little bit, maybe he learns his lesson. He's definitely a player you have to keep your eye on." (Quote courtesy of Mlive.com)

If the Wings can win their fourth cup since 1997, be ready to hear Kronwall's name in the talks for the Conn Smythe, he definitely deserves it.

Just months after being named interm GM's in place of the fired Doug Armstrong, Brett Hull and Les Jackson have signed contract extensions that will run through 2011. While Jackson is the "brains" of the operation, managing salary cap issues, Brett Hull is a guy that fosters strong relationships with the players and offers unconventional wisdom.

“This unique combination of talents gives us many advantages for our hockey club,” Hicks said in a statement. “Signing Les and Brett to these contracts provides stability for the future.”

Hull and Jackson engineered one of the biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring center Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Forwards Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern and back-up goaltender Mike Smith. Richards was a vital part of the Stars during their play-off run, finishing tied for second in team scoring with 15 points.

“We think the same way,” Hull said in trying to explain why the co-GM role has worked. “He is the ultimate gentleman, and anybody who can’t get along with Les, you’re in big trouble. Mostly it’s the self-confidence we have in ourselves and the confidence we have in each other that makes it real easy.”

Up next for the two is trying to get Tippet to sign a contract extension, something Brett Hull says shouldn't be to hard.

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