MSU Red Cedar Message Board

It's funny. Every year we hear the same knee-jerk reaction. If Lidstrom makes $4.8 million (or pick your number) instead of $6 million, do the Wings get an single additional player that wins them this series? Not saying that's your point, but this is always, always, always, the first thing that's brought up at the end of the season.

The Wings didn't lose in 5 games because Nicklas Lidstrom makes too much money. And that's the vibe a lot of people are giving off. They won't win just because Lidstrom takes a pay cut.

They had a number of players who, for myriad reasons, did not produce when they were needed to. Was Lidstrom one? Sure. But out of all the skaters in the series, I'd note only Z as a standout player, and Pav had a few moments. That was about it.

Did I say I was blaming the season on Lidstrom? Not at all. That is you not understanding what I'm saying. I only said that, of all the players on the team, he probably had the widest gap in performance between salary earned and production this year. When you make that type of money, you are expected to produce. He didn't. Not to the necessary level.

Besides, my comments aren't even aimed at this year. I'm looking to next year and the steps the wings need to take to be competitive. One of those things is they need to upgrade personnel. The Wings can't afford to do that paying Lidstrom the money he is making now. So either Lidstrom has to start playing like a $6M a year guy again or he's got to take less money to bring in more talent. That's just the way it is.

We'll do some promotion from within for Homer's spot, resign Helm and Abs for 3 of the 4. We then have to take care of Quincey (RFA), Stuart, and Liddy. We'll also probably shed some 3rd line cap in the form of Cleary or something, I don't know but I would think somebody would go. Production Line thinks it might be Fil if we move Gustav up top. Either way, we'll probably have around 17 million to fill a forward and 3 d spots, so we'll probably have to shed some players to get Suter, Parise, Liddy, and another D.

Note: I know we pay Franzen about 5.5 for the next few years (which makes him untradeable), but since the deal is frontloaded I think the cap is spread out and the cap hit is less than that.

Did you watch him this year? He's still their best 1 on 1 defender, still makes the best tape to tape outlet pass of any D-man in the league. If not hurt he would have finished in the top 20 with the same points as Keith and Letang. Suddenly you're just looking at scoring stats? You must love love Mark Streit, 9th in scoring for D-men and a minus 27.

The problem with the Wings is their other D. Kronwall is good, White was good, but did you see what happened to his play and stats when Lidstrom was out? And the rest......

Stuart - horrible
Quincey -bad
Ericsson - soft and inconsistent
Kindl - erratic

Helm could have completely changed the series?

Nashville didn't have Hal Gill at all in the series if he was playing he could have completely changed the series. Whoops that's right they won the series.

No chance we trade for Nash (let alone Columbus trades him to a divisional opponent). We would have to drain our system of any remaining talent in the prospect pool to go along with a plethora of draft picks.

Pay him what he wants for another year or two, then let him move back to Sweden with his family. See if he's interested in working with Hakan Andersson so we have his successor in place.

I wasn't arguing FOR Nash. Quite opposite actually. I was merely responding to another poster.

Using point production as the measure of a defenseman's worth is a serious problem with your argument. He was still an extremely critical part of the team and I'd say his lack of point production has more to do with the poor play of the forwards on the power play than any decline in his play.

I do struggle with one more year of Lidstrom making $6 million potentially costing the Wings 7 years of Suter and Parise. I do think Bullwrinkle underestimates the likelihood of the Wings getting both.

1. There have been plenty of rumors that Parise wants to come here.
2. Suter and Parise were said to have become friends in Vancouver despite playing for rival teams.
3. Suter played for Babcock in Vancouver.

Lidstrom clearly cannot be paid $6 million if the Wings are to make that kind of splash in free agency.

How drunk we're you when you posted this?

Drew is signed thru next year $837,500

Miller had 14 goals 4 GW goals total of 25 PTA Abs 8 goals 1 GW total 22 pts. Miller is also a tremendous Penalty Killer. Miller is way faster and has better hands. Also miller had 66 blocks to Abs 42. Abs hits way more and usually ends up on the ice as well, I don't think he's a very good skater. Ab's a servicable 4th line center but not very good face offs. I think tWings have gotten more out of him than even they expected but to say he's valuable than Miller is a stretch! Plus, Drew has better bloodlines

I've heard more rumors that he's interested in Minnesota, because I think his dad lives there and he wants to be closer to him.

Travis Moen sucks

good depth for 3rd or 4th line. the wings aren't going to find all the answers this year. they just need to take a year to clear cap and go hard in summer 2013. the reality is our cap situation won't allow us to make a run at the big pieces we want right now. next year would be a great year to develop our younger players. if everyone else we have now is healthy we can still be a contender next year with adding suter. then we can reload that summer and be set for quite a while