Some bad (and sad) news today: Igor Larionov has reportedly turned down a 1 year,$1 million offer from the Wings. He earned $1.5 million last year and if he does in fact continue playing (apparently there is some doubt there on his part), he is likely going to look for around that much again. I’m sorry but who does Igor think he’s kidding? Does he honestly believe he’s worth more than $1 million at this point in his career? He’s lucky the Wings even offered to bring him back, no one else is going to pay more than $1 million for him and I doubt anyone else even really wants him. He is valuable as a teacher to the young players but not that valuable. I’ve been hoping he’d come back, at least somewhere in the organization, maybe as a coach or advisor or something. Doesn’t sound like that will happen now. This saddens me because it seems like there isn’t any pride in being a Red Wing any more. You’d think these guys would want to be on a great team and be successful but we see more bad news every day on how the contract negotiations for Yzerman, Fedorov, MacCarty and now Igor are going. I can’t believe this is happening. Things aren’t looking great for next year. It’s very depressing, especially with the End of the NHL as We Know It coming up in ’04.

Some slightly shocking news: Dmitri Bykov has signed with a team in Russia, supposedly just in case a deal can’t be reached with the Wings. I totally did not expect this because I had no idea Bykov needed to get a contract figured out. I guess I took it for granted that he’d be back next season. It’s not like he’s an awesome defenseman but he would need to be replaced by someone if he does leave. Any deal the Wings reach by July 15 will override the contract with his Russian team. Again, I cannot believe how badly things look to be going for the Wings this off-season. Pretty scary.

More on the Devils vs. Wings debate. As a Wings fan, I obviously think the Wings are the better team over the last 10 years. Sure, the Devils have been great. I would attribute that mostly to their trapping style of play rather than to their skill level, which is quite a bit lower than the Wings. So in at least that respect, the Wings are better. If you like offensively and defensively balanced hockey. If you like the trap more, the Devils are the better team. Even though I still believe the Devils would be nothing if they couldn’t play the trap…. Really, I don’t think the debate can ever be definitively decided for one side or the other. You can’t compare the two teams. They’re from different conferences, play different styles of hockey, have different management philosophies and have had different paths to the Cup.

I don’t think you can fault the Wings for facing the Flyers, Caps and ‘Canes in the Finals just because the Devils faced the Stars, Avs and Ducks there. The Wings had to go through the toughest teams in the West to get to the 4th round those years while the Devils usually have very little competition until the Finals. Besides, those just happened to be the teams that made it to the Finals those years. They weren’t jokes then. Remember, the playoff powder-puff ‘Canes eliminated the Devils last year.

Anyone who says the Wings have bought their Cups while the Devils haven’t doesn’t really know what they’re talking about. The Wings won the ’97 and ’98 Cups on draft picks and trades. The ’02 Cup was a little different but the majority of players on the team were drafted by the Wings or acquired in a trade. Also, the Devils have been in the top 10 in payrolls for years. Take a look at the Avs if you want a team that buys the Cup, every year they make that big trade deadline defenseman acquisition and use that rent-a-player to go as far as they can. But let’s not go there.

Anyway, the Wings are in a much stronger and more competitive conference and in one of the best divisions in the league. The Devils play mostly in the East against much lesser teams. Not their fault. They can’t help their location. The Wings would probably move to the East if the Sens or Sabres move out West so that could be held against them then. Right now, I think being the West gives them some points.

Overall, the two teams are pretty even but to compare them is like comparing Gordie Howe to Wayne Gretzky. It can’t really be done, even though both sides have good points and can probably argue for weeks about it. If you want to compare teams, compare the Wings and the Avs. They are built to beat eachother and might as well be clones. If I weren’t a Wings fan, I’d be an Avs fan because the teams are so similar in so many ways.

The Detroit News’ Red Wings Rap today is all about how the Wings and Devils compare. They have a column from their own staff (Terry Green) and one from a guy in New Jersey (Mike Kerwick).

Terry Green says the Devils have the edge in Cups and Finals appearances because they beat the Wings the one time they faced in the Finals. He says New Jersey has the edge in goalies because they used Martin Brodeur for all three of their Cups and the Wings used Vernon, Osgood and Hasek. Also, the only goalie of those three that was better than Brodeur was Hasek. Green gives the edge to the Wings in coaching since Bowman coached them for all three Cups and the Devils were coached by Lemaire, Robinson and Burns. Bowman also coached Lemaire and Robinson on the Habs in the 70s. Mr. Green also gives the edge to the Wings in history, saying they have more of a past and more glory because of it. He gives the final edge to the Wings when he brings up the fans and the celebrations both teams have when they win. He says if they hadn’t faltered in the 1st round, they would have won the Cup and I totally agree with him.

Mike Kerwick is a little less reasonable. He takes a couple cheap shots at the Wings and the city of Detroit, saying the team is over-hyped. Of course he brings up ’95 and glorifies the hit Stevens laid on Kozlov. His biggest point is the Wings didn’t have to face anyone tough in the Finals, according to him. The Flyers, Caps and ‘Canes are not the Stars, Avs and Ducks obviously but they were still in the Finals those years. You can’t hold that against the Wings. Kerwick says the Devils never hired a “ringer” as a coach like the Wings did with Bowman. So that makes the Devils better? Come on. His last comment is by far the funniest (and most ridiculous): “As I’ve said, I’ve got nothing against Detroit. But if I want hype, I’ll spin by Joe Louis Arena. If I want hockey, I’ll put up with the smell on the New Jersey Turnpike.”

Ted Kulfan’s article does a great job comparing both teams in a more realistic and straight forward way — the numbers.

The DetNews also says today that the talks with MacCarty are not progressing. One of the major obstacles is, besides the money (even though the Wings have raised their offer from $2 million to a higher amount), Mac’s asking for a no-trade clause in his contract. Some of the Wings’ top players, such as Brendan Shanahan, Chris Chelios, Brett Hull and Nicklas Lidstrom, have no-trade clauses.

The NHLFA has released their player awards for this year. Three awards are handed out, Most Valuable Player, Best Bang for the Buck, and Best Role Model. JS Giguere won the MVP, Marty Turco won the Bang for the Buck and Steve Yzerman won the Best Role Model. The Captain has won the award three times in the four years since it was established. Members of the NHLFA (like me) voted a few weeks ago and could name any player in the league. I’d argue the MVP and Bang for the Buck. JS definitely wasn’t the MVP and I can think of a couple more players that have more bang for the buck. Like Sergei Fedorov, until next season. His skills for $2 million a season like he’s been getting since all those bonuses….. Yzerman defintely deserves to be called the best role model. There may be better guys out there in the league but I don’t know of them. Congratulations, guys! Everyone, go join the NHLFA. Have your voice heard!

So the Devils had their celebration in the parking lot on Saturday. Thousands of people showed up. Wow. I thought 1.5 million people in downtown Detroit was a lot…. but thousands of people in a parking lot? Amazing! Wait a second…

What really ticks me off is the Devils have won the Cup 3 times in 7 years and yet they still have trouble filling the arena for any game at all. They had three sell-outs last season. Three. The Wings have sold-out for how many years? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get tickets for the Wings? They practically have to pay those people to go to a Devils game. It’s not just because they’re one of the most boring teams ever, it’s because people there do not care. Those fans don’t deserve the Stanley Cup! If they can’t even build up enough interest in such a consistenly successful team like New Jersey……sorry, it just makes me mad that all 5 Devils fans get to celebrate winning the Cup while the millions of Red Wings, Avalanche, Maple Leafs, Canucks, Stars and all the other teams that actually have a sizeble fan base get to sit at home and dream about next season. All because the Devils play the trap. I’d love to see them forced to play one game of Red Wings/Avs-style hockey. I agree completely with Terry Foster of the of the Detroit News. Today he said

"If I were hockey czar, the only teams that could win the Stanley Cup would be Canadian teams, Original Six teams and Colorado. People in those cities appear to be the only ones who truly care. New Jersey has won as many Cups (three) the past decade as the Wings, but the passion for hockey remains feeble. Can you imagine most games at Joe Louis Arena not being sold out?

The Wings would have to slide a long time for that to happen."

The players on the Devils may deserve to win the Cup but their fans sure don’t deserve for them to win it. I know it’s tough to develope a fan base when you have the Rangers and Islanders a few miles away but come on! “Thousands” of fans?!

Okay, all I have today is a link to an article by Al Strachan. For once I actually agree with the guy, he really knows what he’s talking about here. I think it’s a little old but it’s still relevant. It’s basically about the trap and how it’s affecting the league.

This is how I replied to G.B.:

> Since I personally don't think the Red Wings can
> replace Fedorov and
> since I don't think they can really compete for the
> Stanley Cup without
> him, I don't see where Iliitch has much choice in
> this if all his rhetoric
> is true.

The Wings for sure can't replace him with any of the available players. The only guy out there that would be capable of replacing him is Peter Forsberg and even the most delusional fan knows he is definitely not available. Zetterberg has the potential but isn't ready for the responsibility yet. The Wings have two options: appease Sergei and sign him without "breaking the bank" or let him go and give up any chance on the Cup for next season at the very least.

> Further more despite the fact the many
> wanted more from Fedorov
> than has been shown, I still think that Fedorov has
> been one of the best
> Red Wing players over a very long period of time.

I can think of only one who's been better for the Wings, Nick Lidstrom.

> He
> may not put up Art
> Ross winning numbers but Fedorov is so much more
> than offensive talent.
> He's the Wings best skater,

Imagine what the Wings would be like if they had no one to skate the puck into the zone. Datsyuk and Zetterberg are not ready to receive that torch yet.

>almost always draws the
> tougher defensive
> assignments along with the Grind line,

What happens if Sergei AND Mac leave? Two major defensive components gone and nothing in return.

>has
> consistantly put up some good
> points numbers and has generally been an outstanding
> performer in the
> playoffs.

I'd guess that if Sergei hadn't hit that slump, we might have seen Sergei at the NHL Awards as the Selke winner or maybe even the Hart. We're lucky he didn't have a year like that and that he had a poor playoffs. Otherwise the Wings really wouldn't be able to afford him.

I think that of the bad free agent market this year offers, I'd only like to see Todd Marchant and/or Derian Hatcher come to the team. I doubt either one will but they would bring toughness to a team that needs it. The thing is, if Hatcher ends up signing with the Wings, our worst fears will have come true,
Sergei Fedorov playing for LA or some other city.

What worries me more is the Yzerman contract situation. That just scares me, though I'm sure it will all work out.

Since there is nothing new going on today and since I have nothing really to say, I have a “guest poster” for today’s entry. He doesn’t know he’s a guest poster but he gave me permission to post his comments before so I think that still stands. This is from an e-mail list I think all Wings fans should join.

Mr I. knows how to feed the fan base what they want to hear. Problem I have is this, if the reports are true and it was Illitch himself that made the original 5yr-50mil offer to Sergei after a practice, and supposedly even before Sergei's agents knew, what's the hold up now with the contract??

Sergei supposedly fired his agents after this because he was upset that they hadn't a clue about the offer. Sergei's new agent says that Sergei never declined the Illitch offer but simply wanted time for those pesky personal issues. The stories are that Mike wants Sergei and Sergei wants Detroit. Since Illitch claims "he's ready to spend" despite the first round embarrassment, what's holding Illitch back from going back to the original offer as a starting point to get this resolved?? Nothing has changed with the CBA situation between then and now.

Since I personally don't think the Red Wings can replace Fedorov and since I don't think they can really compete for the Stanley Cup without him, I don't see where Iliitch has much choice in this if all his rhetoric is true. Further more despite the fact [that] many wanted more from Fedorov than has been shown, I still think that Fedorov has been one of the best Red Wing players over a very long period of time. He may not put up Art Ross winning numbers but Fedorov is so much more than offensive talent. He's the Wings best skater, almost always draws the tougher defensive assignments along with the Grind line, has consistantly put up some good points numbers and has generally been an outstanding performer in the playoffs.

I think Mr I. needs to put the 5yr offer back on the table again and quit just talking!

G.B.

I agree completely, G.B.