Sorry for the lack of posting this week. I’ve been otherwise occupied and haven’t been able to put a post together. I missed the game Monday night, but based on what I’ve read about it, that was probably good for my blood pressure. I know the officiating has been wildly inconsistent, so I don’t what the Wings have to do to stop getting called, but they have to find some way to keep the penalties to a minimum as they prepare to face the Sharks tomorrow. It’s going to be interesting.
Anyway, a few odds and ends:
… The Wings have mentioned to Kris Draper’s agent that they’re looking at extending his contract 2 or 3 years, though no actual talks have begun quite yet. Drapes is 36 now, so that timeframe works pretty well, especially given the longevity of other Red Wings. He still brings a lot to the team and is invaluable in the lockerroom. He’s certainly making a case for another contract with the start he’s had!
… The Detroit News reports that Matt Ellis could surpass Jiri Hudler in the depth chart. Apparently, Babcock has been less-than-impressed with Jiri and Ellis has stood out enough to warrant the speculation. The problem with that is Ellis isn’t a replacement for Hudler. He does not have the same offensive upside and wouldn’t necessarily be able to fill the void Hudler is expected to fill in the scoring. I would think that the Wings’ goal would be to get Jiri going, not to demote him. Ellis has looked strong out there and has helped make the fourth line tough to play against, but I don’t see him moving up on the depth chart at Hudler’s expense.
… In that same News article, Ted Kulfan mentions that the November $9 tickets will go on sale Saturday at 10:00 AM. Remember, you can only get them at the JLA box office.
… The League is looking at a revolutionary idea: heated skate blades. The heat reduces the friction between the blade and the ice and will increase gliding speed and make it easier to start skating. The most obvious benefit of these skates would be the reduction in fatigue, which would mean players would have more energy later in games and would be able to play longer shifts.
I’m not really sure I like this idea much. Changes in blade design? Yes. Changes in skate weight? Good. Innovation in arena cooling? Great. Little gadgets attached to skates boosting skating ability? Not a big fan. What’ll be next? HUDs in visors?
For now, only a few players will be given the skates for use in practice. If they work out, they’ll apparently begin to be used in actual games.
… The Detroit News site has been redesigned. It looks pretty good. Their Wings Blog now has permalinks, but still doesn’t have an RSS feed.
… If you’re in to graphs and numbers, check out this excellent post by James Mirtle on NHL attendence.
… Over at Gorilla Crouch, Dave projects the final Central Division standings.
… Finally, some consolation for those of us who are fed up with Andreas Lilja.
And if you thought all that was bad, read this. And for the video evidence: