Archive for the 'Nick Lidstrom' CategoryPage 3 of 4

2/10 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on February 10, 2007
in Danny Markov, Dominik Hasek, Flyers, Henrik Zetterberg, Jiri Hudler, Joey MacDonald, Nick Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Pavel Datsyuk, Peter Forsberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Trade Rumors and Valtteri Filppula
. 2 Comments

Update (4:00 PM): Taking a page from James Mirtle’s book, I’ve added a section the sidebar (”Other reading”) that will display links to hockey-related items of interest that don’t get blogged here (or that I haven’t yet had time to mention). It’s through Google Reader and is something I’ve wanted to do for a while, but it wasn’t very easy to implement on WordPress blogs until recently. - Matt

… Chuck Gormley continued his “Forsberg watch” for the Courier Post yesterday with another installment. Nothing very new, though Gormley expands on his idea that Forsberg would like to come to Detroit, saying that it’s because

“two of the Red Wings’ top four scorers, defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and left wing Tomas Holmstrom, are from Sweden.”

I see your point, Mr. Gormley, but three of their top four scorers are from Sweden. Not sure how you missed Henrik Zetterberg.

Anyway, he goes on to say that the Wings may be interested in dealing either Andreas Lilja or Niklas Kronwall as part of the package. Personally, I think that if the Flyers are dumb enough to take a Lilja package (perhaps with Williams), it wouldn’t be such a bad deal. But if they demand someone like Kronwall or Hudler, I’d hope they’d say “no.” There is little use in throwing away two key pieces of the future for a player who may only be with the team until July 1st.

The story that was being reported earlier in this saga was that the Wings would demand that Forsberg sign a contract with them as part of any deal, and that may still be one of their stipulations. However, it doesn’t look like Forsberg would be willing to do so, as there is talk that he’d look to return to Philadelphia after a playoff run with another team. The Wings may decide Forsberg is worth the short-term benefit and hope that they could convince him to stay afterwards, but I think it would be foolish to give away one or more of their future stars in exchange for a player that could retire (if he does sign a long term contract) or bolt (if he doesn’t) at any moment.

Peter Forsberg certainly has the ability, if healthy, to make a huge impact on the team, as Nick Lidstrom told Ted Kulfan yesterday, but, given the likely asking price, it doesn’t seem to me that the Wings have the organizational depth to pursue a deal without really hurting their future.* Now, if Forsberg works out some kind of Hasek-like deal with Philly (”Don’t take too much from them, I want to be able to win.”) or the Flyers get conned into taking Lilja and Williams, it’d be worth it, if he were healthy. That’s a pretty big “if,” in my mind, even though he seems to have found a solution. My question is: will it last or will it be like the other “solutions”?

… George Sipple reports that Joey MacDonald will get another start in the coming back-to-back series. It will almost certainly be Monday night in Philadelphia as Dominik Hasek ough to be in net tomorrow against Calgary. Joey is still looking for his first NHL win and hopefully his teammates will show up to play this time around. He’s played extremely well in almost all his games this season, but hasn’t gotten the support he deserves from the skaters.

… Sipple also says that the Wings are concerned about their slow starts in the last nine games. I am too, though I have been impressed by their comeback ability and determination not to give up. Still, they’ll have a much harder time pulling off such comebacks in the playoffs, so hopefully they’ll find motivation to play hard from the first drop of the puck to the buzzer at the end.

… There is some variety to the reports on the nature of Danny Markov’s injury: The Freep calls it a “contusion in his middle back” and claims Piet Van Zant’s authority; the News calls it a “sore shoulder, ribs”; and TSN just calls it a shoulder injury. All three say he’s listed as day-to-day.

*There are those fans who dislike Niklas Kronwall, Jiri Hudler and even Valtteri Filppula for mistakes they make and for their lack of production. This is because we were spoiled by Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg making an immediate impact. We have forgotten that most young players need years to develop and that they aren’t likely to be stars right off the bat. Kronwall, Hudler, and Filppula are very likely to be big names in the League in years to come, but they aren’t going to be that immediately, though I personally think they’re pretty good even now. So, that’s why I say the Wings would be mortgaging their future if they trade any of them away, even though they might not seem so valuble now.

11/21 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on November 21, 2006
in Chris Osgood, Danny Markov, Injuries, Jason Williams, NHL, Nick Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall, Notes and Tomas Holmstrom
. 2 Comments

Update (6:50 AM): Ansar Khan reports that Chris Osgood has a fractured left wrist and will be out for 3-4 weeks. Apparently, they’re not calling anyone up at this time.

“My feeling is we’ll go with the two goalies and Dom will be on the bench when he doesn’t start,” Holland said. “But, that could change between now and (today).”

There are back-to-back games this Friday and Saturday, against St. Louis and Nashville. If they don’t call up Liv again, this would force Hasek to back up Joey, probably against St. Louis. It’s possible that they’ll call someone up later in the week, to prevent this. If not…well, let’s hope Joey doesn’t need to be pulled. -Megan

… Helene St. James profiles the Markov-Lidstrom pairing in the Freep today. Among other things, she points out that Markov’s reliability has meant that the Wings have not had to rely so heavily on Lidstrom, who isn’t averaging the near-30 minutes a game he usually plays.

It’s a good piece, but there is one gaffee on her part:

Markov, 30, plays bigger than his slender 6-foot-1 frame; last month, for example, he delivered a crushing open-ice hit on Edmonton’s Ethan Moreau, who is 6-2, 220 pounds. Moreau, who hasn’t played since, coughed up the puck on the hit, and the play led to a goal for the Wings.

It’s the same mistake John Wawrow made a little less than a month ago. I’m not exactly sure why it’s so easy to confuse Moreau and Jarret Stoll.

… Ted Kulfan of the News looks at Jason Williams and his concerns over physical contact in his first game back (Saturday). Apparently, they were unfounded, as there “definitely no shying away from anyone,” on Williams’ part.

Good to hear. So, you’re going to become a hitter now, Jason?

… The Freep’s Steve Schrader looks at the names of the NHL’s trophies and has some suggestions in light of the Cold-FX Mark Messier Award:

But what about the Gordie Howe Trophy, maybe for most Gordie Howe hat tricks?

Or the Wayne Gretzky Award for the top playmaker? The Mario Lemieux Trophy for the top-scoring owner?

Or the Scotty Bowman, for most creative line combinations.

Well, maybe they could rename one award. Instead of the Lady Byng, call it the Claude Lemieux Trophy, just to show a little sense of irony

Don’t forget to tack corporate sponsors to the front, Steve.

… Both papers report that Tomas Holmstrom and Niklas Kronwall are ready to return from groin injuries. “Babcock is confident,” they’ll be back Wednesday for the Canucks game.

As for Chris Osgood’s left wrist:

“I don’t think it’s broken,” he said. “I’ve had broken hands before and it’s not the same thing. It’s something different. It’s just that it’s where I catch the puck all the time, so I have to get it looked at. Hopefully I’ll be back sooner than later.”

Yes, hopefully. There may be more news on Ozzie later today since he was supposed to get his wrist looked at yesterday afternoon.

AP: Wings to name new captain at opener

Published
by
Matt Saler
on September 21, 2006
in Nick Lidstrom and The Team
. 1 Comment

I highly doubt the final decision will come as much of a surprise. It really doesn’t seem likely that it would be anyone other than Lidstrom.

Also, the season begins two weeks from today so regular posting will be coming soon. Expect a season preview in the week leading up to the opener on October 5th.

Link

Helene St. James: Lidstrom to be the captain

Published
by
Matt Saler
on August 23, 2006
in Nick Lidstrom
. 0 Comments

No official announcement yet, this is based on a source the paper apparently has within the organization. Obviously, this isn’t surprising, if it’s true. Congratulations, Nick!

Update (5:16 PM): I found and posted the above link right before I left for work today. If I’d had more time, I probably would have questioned Ms. St. James’ story a little more. Fortunately, while I was at work, others did the questioning, namely IwoCPO at A2Y.

First, he broke down the story piece-by-piece. Then he posted a quote by Mike Babcock (via KK) in a CP report that refuted the Free Press article:

“I’m not saying Nick Lidstrom won’t be the captain but what I am telling you is that we haven’t spent one second on it yet. Anything written about it at this point is pure speculation.”

Obviously the Freep’s source is getting a little ahead of themselves and the organization.

Nick Lidstrom may very well end up being the captain and he probably should be. I still favor this rumor, however.

Update (6:54 PM): Iwo has more here.

Wings Sign Lidstrom: 2 years, $7.6 million/season

Published
by
Brian List
on June 30, 2006
in Nick Lidstrom and Roster Moves
. 4 Comments

GM Ken Holland has worked his magic and gotten Nicklas Lidstrom to sign a two-year, $7.6 million/season contract. This comes despite news that the salary cap will be raised to $44 million next season, after higher than expected profits during this past season (when the cap was $39 million). Based on the increase in cap space, Lidstrom could’ve demanded a raise to around $8.5 million to stay around the same percent salary of cap space. And with his fourth Norris Trophy win, he could’ve even entertained the prospects of a $8.8 million contract (20% of the cap for 2006-2007). Prior to the lockout, Lidstrom was pegged to make $10 million during the 2005-06 season, but the 24% rollback brought that number down to $7.6 million.

This is a honorable move by Lidstrom, who by all reports was expected to get a raise to at least $8 million/season. That extra $400,000 in cap space will allow Holland more flexibility in signing remaining prospects and regulars. And it sets the bar for Shanahan to also sign for the “hometown discount” that Holland has been talking about lately.

Frankly, I’m very surprised that Lidstrom signed for anything less than $8 million, as he had a great bargaining position with his career-high 80 point season and fourth Norris Trophy win. Holland, on the other hand, suffered another first round defeat and knew other teams would offer Lidstrom practically whatever he demanded. It shows Lidstrom’s dedication to the team that has helped him win 3 Stanley Cups.

6/24 Notes

Published
by
Matt Saler
on June 24, 2006
in Chris Pronger, Draft, Nick Lidstrom, Notes and Roberto Luongo
. 1 Comment

… James Mirtle addresses the surprising news out of Edmonton involving Chris Pronger’s trade request. Apparently, “family issues” meant “my rich wife from St. Louis hates Northern Alberta.” Although Pronger did request a trade earlier in the season due to his wife, he obviously didn’t make a big stink about it and was honorable enough to play through the season, becoming the Oilers’ most dominant player through their playoff run.

As Mirtle says, Pronger’s stock is incredibly high now so Kevin Lowe will be able to get a lot in return if a trade does in fact happen. Of course, that fact just makes Brian’s rumor that much more unlikely but it’s still a nice dream, eh?

… Ansar Khan reports that there has been progress made in contract negotiations with Nick Lidstrom. He quotes Ken Holland as saying,

“We had good conversations. We’ve gone back and forth the last couple of weeks with different ideas and numbers. I’m trying to convince Nick on a number, he’s trying to convince me on a number. We’re trying to find a compromise. I’d like to get something done (next) week.”

It sure would be nice to know just how far apart they are (i.e. $8.8 million versus $8 million or $8.8 million versus $7 million, etc.).

No talks will take place this weekend but they will pick up again on Monday.

Khan also reports that Holland doesn’t have a lot happening on the trade front, which isn’t all that encouraging. Perhaps that’ll change today after all the GMs get together for the draft.

… IwoCPO has a further reaction to last night’s big Luongo trade, posted from the Richmond airport today:

Yes, it would have been a move that re-kindled the excitement in Detroit. Yes, it seems that if it were to occur Pavel Datsyuk, at least, would have been sent to Florida in return. Yes, Luongo was the best goalie available, is going to be a great playoff performer and is a franchise player.And if goaltending was the only problem the Wings had against Edmonton, the deal may have been made. But, in the heat of the discussion over whether Holland should have mortgaged the offensive talent pool in favor of Luongo let’s recall a few happy moments. Remember Ryan (Jason, Smith, Smyth) with continued access to the crease, untouched. …

Basically, the Wings need grit, speed, and heart more than they need a big-name goalie. The equation “Luongo=the Wings’ savior” was always a false one (Luongo≠the Wings’ savior). Holland needs to focus on acquiring players that bring those qualities to the team and on losing players that don’t.

Be sure to check out Iwo’s classic timeline of his experience at the airport here.

… Of course, the draft is tonight and, as I posted yesterday, we’ll have whatever information we can find on the Wings’ two picks (29th and 62nd) in today’s rounds (1st and 2nd). Be sure to stop by James Mirtle’s liveblog of the event and checking Kukla’s Korner for updates is always a good idea. Hockey’s Future and Red Wings Central are also good resources for information on draftees (they’re basically where we’ll be going for it).

I should have thought of this earlier, but Hockey’s Future has a Red Wings draft preview here. Their section on draft tendencies is very interesting, noting,

New CBA rules, however, put heavy transfer fees on European players chosen after the second round and force NHL teams to sign European draft picks with two years of their draft date. Consequently, look for the Red Wings to reprioritize the draft and lessen their emphasis on European talent.

I had missed that little fact. It will be interesting to see the impact that will have on the Wings in the future. Their reliance on European talent was made necessary by their success over the years. It has to be easier to find overlooked and unknown players at the isolated rinks of Russia and Sweden than in the well-publicized arenas of the North American systems.

Update (2:58 PM): Christy also will be updating throughout the draft.

Update (4:10 PM): Looks like Luongo was caught off-guard by the trade, since, apparently, he thought he and Florida had a tentative agreement on a four-year contract. I guess that means there was no pre-negotiated long-term deal that the Canucks can count on simply because Luongo was not involved in the trade negotiations. For now, apparently, Luongo is too emotional to think about signing a long-term contract with Vancouver so Nonis will have to wait.

Update (6:50 PM): BoA has a reaction to the news about Pronger here. Definitely sucks for those fans.

Khan: Lidstrom not going anywhere

Published
by
Matt Saler
on June 18, 2006
in Hockey Media and Nick Lidstrom
. 0 Comments

Update (10:52 PM): IwoCPO linked today to a Larry Brooks piece in which the NY Post writer opined that the Wings have gone to Lidstrom hat-in-hand, hoping in vain that he will take a pay cut. Can’t say I fully buy into that story. I suspect the Wings’ and Nick are more on the same page than the rumor-mongers would have us believe. - Matt

In a blog post today, Ansar Khan wrote on something I had forgotten to mention in my short response to Game 6, namely Eric Duhatschek’s comments about Nick Lidstrom on Satellite Hotstove (Real Media file) last night. The panel was discussing possible off-season moves by various teams and when asked by Ron MacLean to discuss Detroit, Duhatschek just said he felt the Wings would have a hard time signing Lidstrom because they wouldn’t be able to throw the necessary money at him. (I’m paraphrasing here and since I’m on dial-up at home, I can’t re-watch the clip)

Duhatschek is a big name in the business, a journalist who knows his stuff and he didn’t say that for the heck of it. He obviously had a reason to believe what he said. However, I am fully with the little Detroit hockey journalist Ansar Khan on this one:

There’s a lot of uncertainty about what moves the Wings will make in the next few weeks, but there is one thing that you can absolutely, positively take to the bank: Lidstrom WILL re-sign with the Wings. Frankly, I don’t understand why that would even be questioned.

Me either. It’s reasonable to expect the Wings to be okay with giving Lidstrom a raise from the $7.6 million he earned last season. Nick could easily demand the league max, which is expected to be just under $8.8 million (20% of just under $44 million) but, as Khan says, I think it’s more likely he’ll get $8 million.

I personally doubt Lidstrom will make it difficult for the Wings. The man used to threaten to leave Detroit and return to Sweden but during the lockout, when others of his countrymen were heading off to the SEL, he didn’t go anywhere except for vacation. He was content to stay in town and let his kids go to school and live their life in Michigan. To me, that speaks volumes about his interest in sticking around.

Two Wings nominated for season-end awards

Published
by
Matt Saler
on May 4, 2006
in Links, NHL Awards, Nick Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk
. 3 Comments

Nick Lidstrom for Norris and Pavel Datsyuk for Lady Byng, just as expected.

Link

Swedish Wings Autograph Signing

Published
by
Christy Hammond
on March 29, 2006
in Autographs, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson, Nick Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Pictures
. 1 Comment

So I went to the autograph signing last night at the Fan Zone in Westland Mall featuring the five gold medalists (Lidstrom, Zetterberg, Holmstrom, Kronwall, and Samuelsson). I had pre-bought a signed 16×20 photograph of the five. I must say that I am very pleased with my purchase. Not so pleased with Fan Zone. But the photgraph will look great in my shrine (aka my room).

Here are some photos from the event. Sorry that they are blurry and not the best, but we weren’t allowed to take photos in the “room” so I shot all but one (which I quickly took inside) outside and people kept walking in front ruining my shots. The first two photos are of my 16×20 photograph & certificate of authenticity. I hope to scan both of them in whenever I can over the next couple weeks, but for now these quick photos will have to work! The guys were lined up with Samuelsson closest to the room’s entrance with Lidstrom farthest away (thus, he’s in maybe one photo).

(click on thumbnail to enlarge and I mean enlarge)


My beautiful 16×20 photograph signed by the Swedish Five


Certificate of Authenticity


All five of them (ok, four of them since you can only see Lidstrom’s hat)


Samuelsson and a kid posing for a photograph


You can see Lidstrom in this photo all the way to the right


Kronwall


Holmstrom


The room


Zetterberg

Update: A girl on the Lets Go Wings forum took some sweet pictures of the signing, which you can view here. My personal favorite includes this photo below:

Image hosting by Photobucket

Detroit Autograph Signings

Published
by
Christy Hammond
on March 22, 2006
in Autographs, Henrik Zetterberg, Igor Larionov, Mikael Samuelsson, Nick Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall
. 0 Comments

I have two autograph signings that I would like to notify my fellow Detroit area readers: Igor Larionov and the five Swedish Wings who played in the Olympics and won gold.

Igor Larionov Signing
This weekend, Igor Larionov (aka The Professor) will be signing copies of his DVD entitled “Farewell from Moscow: The Igor Larionov Farewell Game.” This Saturday, March 25th, he will be at the Best Buy in Auburn Hills from 2-4pm. The following day, March 26th, Larionov will be at the Best Buy in Novi from 2-4pm. A portion of all his DVD sales will benefit The Igor Larionov Youth Hockey Charitable Foundation. The excerpt below has been sent to me by IMJ Communications, LLC.

After an unparalleled 27-year career, one of the greatest hockey players of all time, Larionov bid farewell to the game on December 13, 2004. An inspiration on-and-off the ice, Larionov continues to give back to the community and to the hockey world through The Igor Larionov Youth Hockey Charitable Foundation. Founded by Igor Larionov in 2004, The Igor Larionov Youth Hockey Charitable Foundation is concerned with improving the condition of youth hockey leagues throughout Russia. During his visits to facilities where young, aspiring hockey players in Russia skate, practice and play the game, Igor was strongly affected by the lack of equipment, use of shoddy and broken gear by the young players, and disrepair of the ice rinks. He also saw first-hand, the poverty that plagues towns in the periphery of Russia’s major cities. The parents of children growing up there can hardly afford used skates and equipment and new gear is wholly unattainable. Larionov was so moved by the dedication of the Russian kids to the game that he decided to create a foundation to provide new equipment, repair locker rooms and rinks and motivate the youth to continue to pursue their passion for the game of hockey.In a short span of a year since his retirement from hockey, Igor has made several trips back to Russia, both to the major cities and to the periphery with new equipment, lots of new skates and funding to commence the process of repairing hockey facilities. Through his foundation, Larionov plans to devote substantial time, efforts and funding to building the future of hockey for many years to come.

Since the January 13, 2006 premiere of the documentary at Michigan’s Royal Oak Music Theatre sales of “Farewell From Moscow: The Igor Larionov Farewell Game” have continued to raise funds for the foundation.

Touted as one of the best moments in sport’s history, Larionov’s farewell game, was masterfully captured by Chrome Bumper Films in its entirety and has been incorporated as part of the recently released, cutting-edge documentary/DVD. The fast-paced signature style of A-list director, John “QUIG” Quigley, known for his creation of music videos and other work for leading music artists, including Eminem, brings a vibrant, youthful energy never before seen in a documentary. Under Quigley’s direction, Chrome Bumper Films has remarkably weaved countless hours of footage, both on and off the ice, into a captivating masterpiece befitting a legend. Working closely with Larionov, Quigley threaded a refined, articulate and intelligent portrait of the man who captivated fans worldwide with his talent for nearly a third of a century.

“A Farewell From Moscow-The Igor Larionov Farewell Game” is a must-have for the sports-lover’s collection. The DVD chronicles all the excitement, energy and passion of Larionov’s powerful and emotionally-charged final game while also giving fans a rare behind-the-scenes look at Larionov with candid interviews from him and former teammates and coaches. The DVD is also loaded with many extras, including game highlights spanning Larionov’s career, more than 150 photos and footage tracing the players’ entire weekend in Moscow.

The “Farewell From Moscow: The Igor Larionov Farewell Game” DVD can be purchased at Best Buy. The Auburn Hills Best Buy is located at 300 Brown Rd. The Novi Best Buy is located at 21051 Haggerty Rd. in the High Point Shopping Center.

Five Swedes Signing
This upcoming Tuesday, March 28th, Fan Zone in the Westland Mall will be hosting an autograph signing with the following Red Wings players: Nick Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Tomas Holmstrom, Mikael Samuelsson, and Nik Kronwall.

The signing will start at 7pm. You can pre-order your tickets today by calling 734-762-9618. Here are the prices:

- 16×20 picture of 5 Swedes & signed by the entire group = $150
- Lidstrom is $40 flat / $50 everything else
- Zetterberg $25 flat / $35 everything else
- Holmstrom $25 flat / $35 everything else
- Sameulsson $15 flat / $20 everything else
- Kronwall $15 flat / $20 everything else

The above information was found at Lets Go Wings forums. I called that number inquiring about the group photo and autographs. When I called right before 7pm, there was less than half of the 300 photos remaining. You can order it over the phone with a credit card (like I did), but do it ASAP!