Monday Musings

I was going to put something up on Friday, but couldn't find an "F" word that meant thoughts or opinions without going online, and then I got distracted by something else and....well, let's just say it wasn't going to happen. But, it's Monday afternoon and some stuff has gone down in the last few days that I need to talk about.

Brett Lebda Signs with Maple Leafs - Look, we all had a good laugh when we heard the Leafs had signed Lebda. As I said on Twitter that day, I have nothing against the guy. He was a serviceable fifth or sixth defenseman who didn't do anything particularly well except skate fast and pinch at inopportune times. It's the money: I can't believe that anyone would give that amount of money to Brett freaking Lebda. $1.45M a year for 2 years? Laughable. But what was even funnier for me after the signing was the comments he made to the Toronto Star:

As far as us making the playoffs, and making noise in the playoffs, I found a good mix in that and being able to meet the personal goals I’ve set for myself,” said Lebda, reached by phone at his home in Wonder Lake, Ill. “I’d like to get more ice time. I’d like to contribute more.

“In Detroit, I was more of a depth defenceman, and right now, that’s how the hockey world sees me. I’d kind of like to change that, and be a four or five guy, and contribute more to the team, in special teams, in key situations.”

He played 15 minutes a game as a third pairing defenseman. I'm not sure exactly what he is thinking he can contribute other than drunken antics with inanimate objects, hilarity for Leaf fans, and chips and salsa for the rest of the healthy scratches. It's a shame that he was stuck behind such lame players like Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart. Now he gets to play with such brilliant defensemen like Dion "Sloppy Seconds" Phaneuf and Mike Komisarek. Good luck Brett!

Mike Modano's Continued Wooing: Is anyone else getting pretty tired of this shit? Look, Mike, I'd like to see you as a Wing. I think you'd be a good fit. But if you're going to dick the team around, then just take your shit to San Jose and enjoy being a part of yet another epic playoff failure. I've said before that I would like him in Detroit; just not at the expense of players like Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader. Those 2 guys may not be superstars, but they are quality depth players who have bought into the system in place and will be good for years. They could be big reasons why the Wings have the 3rd and 4th lines that keep them contending for Cups every year. Cups are not won and lost with the superstars; it's the role players chipping in key goals and eating up important minutes, maybe with a big penalty kill or a strong shift when momentum is lacking. I don't think Helm is going to score 40 goals a year; but we all remember his monster shift against Chicago in the WCF in 2009, and that's the type of play that wins championships. I do not want the Wings to give up important players to get him; that's what I have always maintained. But if he feels that he could get more money, then good luck to him. I've always respected and liked him as a player, and that won't change. I just want him to make up his damn mind and get on with it (and don't even get me started on Kovalchuk. Good gravy, he's like the prettiest stripper; everyone knows he's the best one, but you have to look at who you're being compared to).

The Ongoing Saga of the Chicago Blackhawks - We here at THITD (and by "we", I mean me in the royal sense) have not really commented on the happenings of the local NHL team. It started with the trading of Dustin Byfuglien, Brent Sopel and Ben Eager to the Thrashers. Then it was Kris Versteeg to the Leafs. Then Andrew Ladd went to the Thrashers (I guess Atlanta's thought is that if you can't beat them, then get all their players that looked good playing along side superstars). Then, in the best development yet, the Sharks signed Niklas Hjalmarsson to an offer sheet of $16M over 4 years (cap hit of $3.5M), which the Hawks matched today. As it stands right now, the Hawks have just over $100K in cap space, and we are still waiting for Niemi's arbitration date to see how much he gets. The Hawks also still don't have a full roster, even with the little cap space they have. Excuse me for a second.

HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

Whew, I needed that.

A lot of people are pointing at Stan Bowman and saying that he is screwing this all up. I say to those people: what was he supposed to do? He was put in salary cap hell by Tallon with the ridiculous contracts to Huet and Campbell, then he had to sign the big 3 of Kane, Toews and Keith. Now we all get to sit back as this team that less than a month ago was on top of the world is dismantled to a shell of itself. And to any Hawks fans who read this, understand one thing: none of the players that are coming in are going to be as good as the guys that left. That's what makes this so funny. We all know they're going to bury Huet in the minors to get some cap space. Even with that happening, this team will not be as good as they were, and now there's talk that Marian Hossa, Brian Campbell and/or Patrick Sharp could be traded to make room. Personally, I think it would be awesome if Hossa got banished to the Islanders or the Panthers and he never comes close to a Cup again, especially the way he did absolutely dick-all to win for the Hawks. I would also like to see Sharp moved, but not because I dislike him; I actually respect him as a player, and I think losing him would hurt the Hawks more than any other departed player has so far this off-season. And anything that hurts the Hawks (and conversely, helps the Wings) brings a smile to my face.

I will say this: in light of all of the recent events (Lebda, Modano, Hjalmarsson and the rest of the ex-Hawks), I am fucking ecstatic that we have Ken Holland as a GM. Yes, we're all still a little miffed at the Bertuzzi signing. But think about this: would you rather we be slightly perturbed at that, or apoplectic that half of our team has been traded? Or that he signed a depth defenseman for almost as much money as Bertuzzi is making? He's made his pitch to Modano, and if Mikey doesn't feel it's worth it, then buh-bye; we'll just sign Helm and Abby, get a depth defenseman, and get back to dominating the division like normal. He was able to sign Drew Miller and Patrick Eaves to decent deals, with more than enough money to finish his shopping. In Kenny We Trust.

Wednesday Wonderings

Since both of my readers are probably wondering where I have been the last week or so, I decided to weigh in on what's been going down in Red Wing nation the last week or so. It's been a pretty quiet couple of weeks, but in the last few days we've had 2 signings, a courtship, and a tragedy.

Bob Probert passes away at 45 - I really wish I could say this news shocked me. I was shocked that he died so young; anytime someone under the age of 50 passes away due to a heart attack or something health-related that was not overtly known, it's a shock. But when you consider the way that Probert lived his life during his playing career, it's no surprise that he developed heart issues. The man had a known cocaine and alcohol problem during his playing career, and he lived like he played: hard and fast. Being a young lad in Toronto, I remember him and Kocur getting involved with Wendel Clark a lot when they played the Leafs. I also remember him not being able to cross the border into Canada after his arrest, so I didn't get to see him play a lot. What I will remember about him the most was his epic battles with Troy Crowder of the Devils in the early '90s, and his battle with Marty McSorely that was one of the longest fights I've ever seen. RIP Probie.

Patrick Eaves signs 1 year deal for $750K- This hot off the presses, but this is great news for the Wings. I like this deal, although I'm surprised he didn't get a multi-year deal. Perhaps the Wings are making sure last year was no fluke for Eaves. He gets a nice raise, but he was making league-minimum last year and was one of the more consistent Wing players throughout the season. He started off as a 4th line player, but the chemistry he developed with Darren Helm was nice to see, and those two quickly became the Wings' best PK forward unit. I look forward to an entire season with those two playing together.

Drew Miller signs 1 year deal for $650K - It's a little ironic for me that Miller was the first of the RFAs to sign, because in my head I had the priority of signing them in this order: Helm, Abdelkader, Eaves, Miller. So of course Miller signs first. Miller got a nice raise (23%) from what he made last year, when he was a solid waiver-wire pick up while the Wings were in injury Hell. He's a gritty 3rd or 4th line player that can chip in the odd goal here or there, but with the Wings' nucleus in place, they only need to sign depth players. That's exactly what Miller is. I like the money involved, because it leaves ample space to sign the other 2 left, plus a little for cap space. As it stands after the Miller and Eaves signings, the Wings have $3.75M in cap space, which is more than enough for Helm and Abby. Then there's always Mikey Mo.....

The courtship of Mike Modano - This is an interesting scenario brewing. Not being from Detroit, or Michigan, or the US, I don't have any of the "coming home to play" feelings that a lot of people have. Plus, I'm just not that much of a sentimental guy. I had enough of the "guys coming to play for the hometeam because no one else wants them" in the late '90s when the Leafs signed every single player who played in the old MTHL in the 1970s. Personally, I like the idea of Modano in a Wings jersey because I believe he still brings something to the table. It's not like the Wings are trying to get him to be their messiah; they are looking for him to come in and play on the 3rd and/or 4th line, take some heat off of Pavel and Hank, and chip in goals on the PP while bringing veteran leadership to an already awesome dressing room. This is a signing that reminds me of Luc Robitaille in 2002; they are bringing in a veteran for a shot at the Cup. There are some people who feel that bringing in Modano will stunt the growth of someone like Ritola. Let's be honest here: Ritola is not being brought up to the NHL to have an impact. He's being brought up to experience being part of the big club, soak up the experience in the dressing room, and learn what it will take for him to be an important part of this team for years to come. The Wings have the reputation as being one of the most patient organizations in sports; there's no reason for them to deviate from their philosophy now.

It's a shame how Dallas has cast him aside like this. I don't see how you can claim a rebuilding effort and not keep the most important player in the history of the franchise. I understand the need to move forward as a team, but I don't see how not bringing back the face of the franchise helps anywhere; on the ice as a leader, and from a PR standpoint as well. Let's face it: Dallas is not exactly a hockey hotbed, and with Modano gone and the team struggling, will it continue to bring in fans? Hard to say.

I will say this: they better not overpay for him. The Wings' priorities should be to sign Helm and Abby first, then worry about Modano. I would also prefer a 6th defenseman if one is available to replace Lilja, who is all but certain to be gone. But if the money is right and Modano wants to be in Detroit, I say sign him up and let's gun for Number 12.