More photos » by Henry DiRocco - AP

Mike Grier, a Detroit native, could be an attractive target for the Red Wings.(AP Photo/Henry DiRocco)

Browse more photos »

As the speculation continues about who will fill the gaps in Detroit's roster, another name has been coming up quite a bit: Detroit native Mike Grier. Grier, a gritty forward with some scoring touch, has piqued the interest of the Red Wings community as not only a physical player who can score some goals, but also as another hometown story in the vein of Brian Rafalski. Wings40 called out last week that Grier could be a viable option, however there hasn't been alot of notable movement from either the Wings or Grier's camp that would give us any indication on if this is a real possibility.

I contacted Grier's agent, Jay Fee, today and here's what he told me about Mike's status:

Several teams have contacted me as they see Mike as a very solid asset and a plus for their organization. Detroit is a first class organization in which Mike has expressed interest.  I believe the Red Wings respect Mike as a player and true professional. We’ll have to see where it goes from here.

With Jiri Hudler's arbitration hearing scheduled for the end of this week, hopefully the organization can finally wrap up that chapter and start moving forward towards the upcoming season. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised to see Grier in Detroit, as he provides the grit the Wings need, while adding some scoring, all with the right price tag.

More photos » by Paul Vernon - AP

Could a Jason Williams return be the solution for replacing some of the Red Wings departed scoring? (AP Photo/Paul Vernon)

Browse more photos »

As the NHL off-season continues to move forward at an agonizingly slow pace, Red Wings fans continue to sit and wait for the brain trust to go out and secure some depth for the roster. As a fan, I have to admit that it's hard to sit and watch the other teams in the league scoop up talent from the FA pool, while we are stuck waiting to go to arbitration with a player who won't even be on the roster come September. Quite frankly, it sucks. And in a fashion typical of most loyal fans, I find myself becoming more and more impatient as the days without a signing pass by. I've analyzed who is out there, I've gone over the numbers and know who we can afford and I've talked to other fans about who they would like to see in Motown this fall.

The names I've heard run the gamut: Phil Kessel. Todd Bertuzzi. Mike Grier. Robert Lang. Take your pick of the litter. Almost every forward that is still available has been mentioned as a Wings target at some point or another. That's just the nature of the beast. But one name keeps popping up amongst the fans, and automatically causes a line to be drawn in the sand between them: Jason Williams.

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Carlos Osorio - AP

Jiri Hudler doesn't have to look so nervous anymore, as it appears the NHL can't stop him from heading to the KHL to play for Moscow Dynamo. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Browse more photos »

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland sat down with Ansar Khan/MLive.com to address the Jiri Hudler situation, and the news is good/not good depending which side of the Hudler fence your loyalties lie on.

From Khan:

Wings general manager Ken Holland said today that the club will head to salary arbitration with forward Jiri Hudler on July 30 in Toronto. Hudler's agent, Petr Svoboda, told Holland the 25-year-old left wing intends on playing in Russia next season.

"They have no intention of negotiating a settlement, they want the case heard before an arbitrator,'' Holland said.

The NHL apparently will not be able to prevent Hudler from playing for Moscow Dynamo. Hudler signed a two-year, $10 million (tax-free) deal with the Kontinental Hockey League club on July 8. The NHL has tried to void the deal, claiming Hudler is obligated to the Wings because he filed for salary arbitration on July 5.

Basically, it looks like the Wings are ready to move on and start looking for a free agent or two to replace some of the scoring they lost to defections earlier in this off season. Now that the handcuffs of a potential Hudler contract are off, look for Holland to try and land some low priced, value forwards who can contribute anywhere between 15-20 goals a season. Mike Grier's name immediately jumps to the forefront as a potential contender, and if the Wings could negotiate the right price, Petr Sykora would be another interesting option.

In the end though, this is the best thing for both sides. The Wings don't want a player on their roster that wants to be playing somewhere else, especially if they have to go over the cap to do so. Hudler wants to make his money and have a shot at being a leader for Moscow Dynamo. One way or the other, it's time to put this all to bed and get to work on winning back the Stanley Cup. The train is pulling out at some point and it's doing so with or without Hudler.

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

So long, Hoss! See you across the lake! (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

"Free agent frenzy" kicked off with a huge bang today, and no announcement was bigger than Marian Hossa's. Hoss agreed to a heavily front loaded, 12 year contract with the division rival Chicago Blackhawks, for an average of $5.2 million a season. He takes with him free agent center Tomas Kopecky, who signed a two year deal with 'Hawks, for an average of $1.2 million a season.

Additionally, free agent goaltender Ty Conklin signed a two year deal with another division rival: the St. Louis Blues. Conks will make an average of $1.3 million a season.

As for the Wings, we have yet to see any moves from Ken Holland and the front office, but that is as expected. Stay with WIM throughout the rest of the day, as we will be updating this post as news breaks.

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Marian Hossa is likely done as a Red Wing. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

Multiple sources are reporting that Marian Hossa has turned down a 10 year offer from the Red Wings.

From Sportsnet.ca:

Sportsnet has learned Marion Hossa has turned down a contract offer from the Red Wings that would have kept the all-star with the Red Wings for the next 10 years.

A source compared the length of the deal to the deals Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg signed. It's believed the deal-breaker was the average salary which fell between $3.75 million and $4 million.

The Detroit News confirms, and also offers up some information on Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey:

General manager Ken Holland and Hossa's agent Ritch Winter talked again Tuesday but came to no agreement.

"It certainly appears that way," Holland said. "As I've said all along, we only have so much cap room. We have players that I'm not interested in losing."

Holland also said he'll talk again with the representative for Mikael Samuelsson Wednesday morning in an effort to retain Samuelsson, who is an unrestricted free agent.

Tomas Kopecky, the Wings other unrestricted free agent, will test the market and likely won't return to the Wings.

Holland also said the organization will not re-sign veteran forwards Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey.

**UPDATE (12:57 AM ET)

Craig Custance/Sporting News reports that, even though Hossa reportedly rejected the deal, negotiations will still continue:

The chances of Marian Hossa signing with the Red Wings aren't great, but it still could happen. Despite reports on the eve of free agency that Hossa had turned down an offer from the Red Wings, the possibility of a deal still exists.

An NHL source told SportingNews.com late Tuesday night that discussions between the two sides will continue.

It's not an issue of either side wanting to get a deal completed, it's a matter of finding common ground. The Red Wings would like to keep Hossa at a annual salary cap number in the $4 million range, which would be considerably less than he'd earn on the open market.

Not all that encouraging, but at this point, it's better than nothing. If you want Hossa to stick around, that is.

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Will Marian Hossa be fist pumping with another team next year? (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

On the heels of a great draft for the Detroit Red Wings, some news that is a bit less encouraging.

From Ansar Khan/MLive:

"If there's a (salary) cap number we think can fit in, we'll sign him. We're prepared to do a long-term deal," Holland said. "(Hossa's agent) Ritch Winter is hoping for a bigger cap number, more than what we're offering.

"He's talking to Marian. We'll talk in the next couple of days. I'm not optimistic, but we'll see."

Holland also said the team will not offer backup goaltender Ty Conklin a contract. That means Jimmy Howard will back up Chris Osgood next season.

It shouldn't be a big surprise to see Conklin head out, based on Ken Holland and Jim Nill's recent comments in support of Howard. However, Conklin was a hard-working, "everyman" kind of player that was a fan favorite in Detroit, so there will be more than a few fans that are sad to see him go.

In terms of Marian Hossa: It honestly sounds less and less likely that he will be with the Wings next season. The Wings will obviously continue to pursue him, but Holland is also preparing to listen to offers for Hossa's negotiating rights. While Hossa is one of the top prospects in this year's fee agent class, there is other talent to be had around the league, and Hossa could become one very large bargaining chip for the Wings. That said, nothing is done yet, so let's see what Holland, Nill and company have up their sleeve over the next couple of days.

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)

Browse more photos »

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?

Continue reading this post »

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Mike Babcock is expected to be named the head coach for Team Canada. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

In another move that won't surprise too many people, Tim Wharnsby/Globe and Mail is reporting that Steve Yzerman is expected to name Red Wings coach Mike Babcock as the man who will steer Canada's 2010 Olympic hockey ship.

From Wharnsby:

Mike Babcock will be sworn in as the coach of the 2010 Canadian Olympic men's hockey team in Montreal this week.

...

Hockey Canada and everyone involved has been tight-lipped about the appointment, but a source confirmed last night that Yzerman will announce Babcock as the coach most likely on Thursday in a press conference to take place a few blocks from Montreal's McGill University, where Babcock played defence.

Can't say this is a big surprise, as Yzerman has been high on Babcock from the get-go. I'm guessing Babcock's ties to the Wings organization didn't hurt him much either.

However, there is still some speculation as to who his assistant coaches will be:

The only part of Yzerman's announcement that will be a surprise will be the assistant coaches. Babcock's assistants are expected to come from a group that includes Ken Hitchcock (Columbus Blue Jackets), Claude Julien (Boston Bruins), Lindy Ruff (Buffalo Sabres), Barry Trotz (Nashville Predators) and Randy Carlyle (Ducks).

Congratulations to Coach Babcock!

With rumors swirling for over a week now, WIM has learned that the news will finally be made official: Steve Yzerman and Brett Hull are heading into hockey immortality as two of the newest members of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

"The Captain" will go into the Hall as a three-time Stanley Cup winner as a player, along with a gold medal winner in the 2002 Olympics. His individual awards include a Lester B. Pearson Award, Conn Smythe Trophy, Selke Trophy and Masterton Trophy. Yzerman has the sixth highest point total in NHL history (1,755), trailing only Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Gordie Howe, Ron Francis and Marcel Dionne, all of who are already enshrined in the HOF.

As for Hull, he enters the Hall as a two time Cup winner (Dallas, Detroit) and will join his father, Bobby (1983) in the Hall. as the first father/son duo to be enshrined. {Correction, see below} Hull enters the Hall with 741 regular season goals, third on the all-time regular season scoring list.

The induction ceremony will take place on November 9 in Toronto. Congratulations to both Steve and Brett!

*UPDATE(11:08 AM): Expect the official announcement to come down at about 3:30 PM today.

Correction: Stu Hackel from over at the New York Times correctly pointed out that Brett/Bobby Hull are NOT the first father/son player duo to be enshrined in the Hall, as Lester and Lynn Patrick, 1947 and 1980 respectively, were both inducted as players. From the man himself:

"Lester Patrick and Lynn Patrick were both inducted as players. Lynn's son Craig was inducted as a builder, so that's three generations. Foster Hewitt and his father Wiliam A. Hewitt were both inducted as builders and Foster's son (W.A.'s grandson) Bill was inducted as a broadcaster, which is also three generations. Dick Irvin Sr.is in as a player and his son Dick Jr. is in as a broadcaster. Arthur Wirtz and his son Bill WIrtz are both in as builders, as are George Brown and Walter Brown and Charles Adams and Weston Adams."

Circle takes the square on this one. Thanks for the correction, Stu. I owe you a beer.

More photos » by Paul Sancya - AP

Can the Wings bring the Cup back to Detroit next year? One odds-maker thinks so. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Browse more photos »

It's never too early to start looking ahead, right? Even though free agency is just getting underway and the puck doesn't drop for another three months, one online odds-maker has already released predictions for who will hoist the Stanley Cup next season. Leading the way at 4.5/1? Your Detroit Red Wings. Following closely behind at 6/1 are the current champion Pittsburgh Penguins.

Obviously, this means very little in terms of what will actually happen during the season, but it's still fun to speculate.

And for those who are curious: It's a four-way tie for longshot between Atlanta, Phoenix, Tampa Bay and the New York Islanders at 75/1.

See all of the odds at The Spread.