Author Archive for Matt SalerPage 4 of 92

More on Dom

Published
by
Matt Saler
on August 1, 2006
in Dominik Hasek and Opinion
. 10 Comments

A2Y has a sober reflection on the Hasek deal up. He likes it. I’m still not a big fan of it.

Sure, it could be great. In a perfect world.

Hasek is going to go down with a groin injury. Does anyone really believe he won’t? The only question is when. Will it be 20 games into the season? Or will it come halfway? Say he pulls his groin in an All-Star Game shootout.

“So what?” you say, “They can always make a trade for a goalie, right?” Sure. Holland had a perfectly good goalie market this summer and couldn’t find it in himself to send a precious player from the inviolable roster in order to get it done. He’ll have to get over such sentimentality if he wants to swing a trade at the deadline.

Maybe Hasek’ll make it until after the trade deadline and injure it in a meaningless game after he’s already locked up the Vezina and the Wings have locked up the Conference if not the League. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

It could happen at any time, early or late in the season.

We’ve seen Dom go through both early and late (well, mid-season) groin injuries and he made it back from neither. Maybe this time will be different. Maybe not.

Will it have been worth it if Hasek carries the team to the best record once again but hurts his groin down the stretch and misses the playoffs? Maybe, if you’re satisfied with another President’s Trophy.

If Hasek’s ready for the playoffs, great. In that case, the Wings could go all the way. But they ought to lock him in a cryogenic chamber between now and the end of March, 2007 or else they could be stuck with *gasp* Chris Osgood (horror of horrors!) and end up right back where we were before yesterday when Hasek was still a UFA. Where’s the gain in that? My point here is, if that’s what ends up happening, we’d have been just as well off going with Osgood all along and saving the $750,000 for, say, a forward.

Maybe they should have signed Dom mid-season a la Steve Thomas. My concern is that the healthy Dom will be wasted on the regular season, which no self-respecting Wings fan gives a squat for any more.

I fully expect Hasek to be excellent. He proved last year that he still can be great. But I don’t want Vezina Trophy candidate Dom. I want Conn Smythe candidate Dom and you’ll have to forgive me if his last tour in Detroit put a damper on my hopes for seeing that.

If Hasek end up being healthy all season and through a lengthy (if not successful) playoff run, I will look back favorably on this move. That is an enormous if, however.

Behind the Jersey has a new home

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 29, 2006
in Hockey Bloggers and Links
. 1 Comment

Christy has moved to a new domain and BtJ has a new look to go along with it

Blues in talks with Legace but keeping options open

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 29, 2006
in Blues, Links and Manny Legace
. 0 Comments

This is news to me. Last I heard, Manny wasn’t getting anything. Good to know someone’s interested in him.

Link

Wings sign Danny Markov to one-year deal

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 26, 2006
in Danny Markov and Roster Moves
. 5 Comments

Finally, Ken Holland makes a deal at the NHL level (with established NHL talent). Albeit he’s not the acquisition everyone thougth was coming (i.e. a goalie), but Markov will add to an already-strong defensive corps. Forget Pronger/Niedermeyer. Look out for the Lidstrom/Schneider and Chelios(Kronwall)/Markov defensive pairings, Western Conference.

Kind of disappointing Markov only signed a one-year contract (at $2.5 million, by the way) but maybe he’ll like it here in Detroit and decide to stay longer. The more I read about him, the more I like him. He’s a good skater, good passer, and good in the lockerroom. More importantly, he’s tough and plays a gritty game. Oh yeah, he’s also a one-time Predator who will no doubt love to play his old team eight times next season.

If, as IwoCPO speculates, the pairings will be Lidstrom/Schneider, Kronwall/Markov and Chelios/Lebda, that kinda leaves poor ole’ Andreas Lilja out in the cold, doesn’t it? Too bad he’s not much for trade bait, eh?

Welcome to Detroit, Danny. (And, nice one, Mr. Holland)

As for the goalie question, it looks like the answer very well could be Chris Osgood. Ken Holland told the AP (quoted from TSN):

“I think Chris Osgood could be the No. 1 goaltender to start the season. Chris can win regular-season games for us, but I’d like to get another veteran, too, that can give us an option in the playoffs.”I’m continuing to talk to teams. We could do something in the next six weeks, or we could wait until the trading deadline to make a move for a goaltender.”

I’m okay with that. Now, Kenny, who’s going to be the backup? Are we really going to have to wait until training camp to find out?

Crisis averted: Belfour signs one-year deal with Panthers

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 25, 2006
in Ed Belfour, Links and Panthers
. 1 Comment

Uh, good luck with that, Florida. Looks like it’ll be a trade, if anything, for a goalie, now.

Link

mLive: Physical journeyman Norton signs with Wings

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 20, 2006
in Brad Norton, Links and Roster Moves
. 4 Comments

They list defenseman Brad Norton at 6′ 4″, 225 lbs. He has 118 games of NHL experience since being drafted in the ninth round in 1993. He can earn a spot on the Wings’ roster during training camp but, given the fact that the Wings’ defense is pretty much set, it’s more likely he’ll be in Grand Rapids.

Link

Update (25. Jul, 9:39 PM): The Hockey Blog has some more to add on Norton.

Khan: Wings prepared offer sheet for Luongo

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 16, 2006
in Hockey Media, Links and Roberto Luongo
. 1 Comment

Ansar rehashes a Boston Globe story that reported the Wings had written up an $8.2 million Group II offer sheet for Roberto Luongo. Of course, being a major newspaper, the Globe doesn’t name their sources. However, Khan has an idea of who the source could have been: “Have the Bruins hired anyone from the Wings’ organization lately?” Yes, they have: Dave Lewis.

Link

The Wings neglect to sign MacLean, who goes to Phoenix

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 16, 2006
in Coyotes, Don MacLean, Links and Roster Moves
. 2 Comments

I’d totally missed this last week but it was pointed out to me and I was pretty surprised. If you remember, Don MacLean had an MVP season in the AHL last year, scoring 56 goals and notching 36 assists in 76 many games with the Griffins.

He was brought up to the NHL late in the season and played three games with the Wings, scoring a goal and adding an assist. According to MacLean, however, the Wings didn’t have much of an interest in signing him. So, Phoenix gave him two-year, two-way contract that will pay him the league minimum ($500,000) if he makes the NHL roster.

Quite frankly, I cannot understand why the Wings had no interest in MacLean. He may well prove unable to put up the same numbers in the NHL but surely he was worth giving a chance, especially given the loss of Shanahan. They’ll give little Jiri Hudler a contract but ignore MacLean, who has size, significant scoring ability and who was signed at a can’t-beat price. Real smooth, Kenny. Oh well.

Good luck in Phoenix, Don.

Link

Khan: Wings sign Hudler, Bootland, Kolanos

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 14, 2006
in AHL, Darryl Bootland, Jiri Hudler, Krys Kolanos and Links
. 1 Comment

If I recall correctly, neither Hudler nor Bootland can play in the AHL next year so, barring a trade, they should be with the Wings in the NHL this season. Little Jiri Hudler should bring some offense to the table while Darryl Bootland will add toughness, some scoring and new female fans. Kolanos sounds like more GR roster filler, a la Dan Smith and Matt Hussey, yesterday’s blockbuster signings by the wheelin’-and-dealin’ Detroit front office. (forgive the sarcasm)

Link

The Wings’ 2006-2007 schedule

Published
by
Matt Saler
on July 12, 2006
in NHL, Scheduling and The Team
. 0 Comments

The NHL announced the schedule for next season today and that means we now know who and when the Wings will be playing.

They’ll open the season on October 5th, at home against the Canucks, making them the first team to face Roberto Luongo as a Canuck in regular season play.

They’ll get two of ten games against Eastern opponents out of the way early: on the 7th, they’ll head to Pittsburgh to face Sidney Crosby and Co., and after playing host to the Coyotes on the 11th, the Sabres will come to town on the 13th.

The Wings will face their first Central Division opponent on the 28th, St. Louis on the road.

November includes a three-game Western Canada road-trip beginning on the 14th in Vancouver and ending on the 18th in Edmonton, with a stop in Calgary in between, on the 17th.

They’ll face Toronto, Ottawa, and New Jersey on December 9th, 12th, 16th, and will have a home-away-home series with Minnesota on the 22nd, 23rd and 27th. That ought to be exciting… The annual New Year’s Eve game is against LA this season.

Montreal comes to town on January 15th and the Wings travel to Long Island to face the Islanders on the 30th. They’ll be back to that area on February 5th as they face Brendan Shanahan’s new team, the New York Rangers. They’ll close out their games against the East after playing Philadelphia on the road on February 12th and Dave Lewis’ new team, the Bruins, at home on March 11th.

The season ends with a pair of home-away series with Columbus and Chicago. The final game is at home against the Hawks on April 7th.

Click here for the complete Red Wings schedule.