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Detroit Red Wings management knows first-round playoff exits do not go over well in Hockeytown. That is why the Red Wings picked up All-Stars Dominik Hasek and Luc Robataille for the 2001-02 season. While nearly half of Detroit's players were born before the Nixon administration, the Red Wings have one of the most playoff-savvy teams in the league. And with bargaining chips such as goalie Chris Osgood, Detroit may not pull out of the market madness just yet. Can the Red Wings bring the hardware back to Detroit or will injuries, age and inconsistent defense cripple them once again?
Here are your thoughts on what the Red Wings need for next season:
Hasek pickup sets up epic showdowns with Avs
Obviously, acquiring Dominik Hasek helps. Obviously, adding Luc Robitaille helps. The real question is can Detroit compete with Colorado in a seven-game series? Yes. But only if Sergei Fedorov is healthy and Hasek puts up the same numbers he did in Buffalo. These offseason moves clearly make Detroit and Colorado the two top teams in the West. Besides, who wouldn't want to see Hasek and Patrick Roy go head-to-head for the Western Conference title?
Paul
Bethlehem, Pa.
Osgood trade would cap fine offseason
The Red Wings needed the makeover. Detroit fans are very fickle (although not as much as Montreal's) and the early playoff exits the past couple years had people wondering if the team was past its prime. Add to that the very real question mark with Chris Osgood, and GM Ken Holland has made some good choices. The only addition the Wings need is some grit and toughness to make up for the loss of Martin Lapointe. The team has a lot of older players and finesse types who can't dig for the puck and muscle in front like they could a few years ago. Darren McCarty has been hampered with injuries of late and Brendan Shanahan needs to concentrate on scoring goals, lest he wear our his welcome in Detroit. The big question everyone else is asking now is what to do with Osgood. Trade him! Get some young, tough guy to play left wing (another weakness) and let Ozzie get a fresh start somewhere else. After all, the Wings have a pretty good goalie in Manny Legace, and he filled in nicely last season when Osgood was injured.
Kyle
Waterford, Mich.
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I'd love to call them the Detroit Dead Wings and bring out the wheelchairs! ” |
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— Sam, Espoo, Finland |
Primed for run at Cup
I am once again impressed with the management and ownership of the Red Wings. However, there is one more move they should make. Chris Osgood doesn't want to stay in Detroit. He is expendable, and the team could get a lot for him. The Red Wings' secret is Manny Legace. His last two years have been very impressive and he will continue to learn now that Dominik Hasek is in net. The time for Detroit is now -- they have the experience, the talent, and the teamwork. They only have to hope that injuries don't weaken them this time around.
Steve
Hartland, Mich.
Wings should shop Osgood for youth
Any team with Dominik Hasek can be considered a Cup contender, but the Wings still lack depth at every position, especially right wing. Another story is Chris Osgood. Osgood has already stated he wants out of Detroit. Osgood would be a great starting goalie for any team. Detroit's history has shown that they like to trade for skilled veterans, but as one of the oldest teams in the NHL, I think it might be in Detroit's best interest to trade for some young prospects or draft picks. I think we can expect Detroit to deal Osgood sooner rather then later, but for what?
Dan
Philadelphia
Dom's your problem now
Good luck with the former dominator, Detroit! All the experts talk about how he'll "steal games all by himself" in the playoffs next year for Detroit. Well, he didn't "steal" one game for the Sabres last year in the playoffs, even with the league's top rated defense in front of him! In my opinion he was outplayed by a first-year goalie in the Pittsburgh series. He's over-the-hill and only playing to stay in shape for the Olympics. Plus he hasn't played a full season in two years due to injury. Don't know if I'd be in such a hurry to dump Chris Osgood!
Harry
Bloomfield, N.Y.
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The time for Detroit is now -- they have the experience, the talent, and the teamwork. They only have to hope that injuries don't weaken them this time around. ” |
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— Steve, Hartland, Mich. |
Strategies will be tested
I'd love to call them the Detroit Dead Wings and bring out the wheelchairs! If you look at the average age of their top two or three players at each position, you really feel that they should be playing golf in Fort Lauderdale with the rest of the old-timers! But seriously, the trades made this summer will not make the Western Conference less interesting! It's going to be fun to watch the Avs-Wings rivalry spark up again, now that St. Patrick (Roy) and the Dominator will be battling it out more often during the regular season. We'll also be able to compare the draft-intelligently vs. buy-the-big-shots strategies in action.
Sam
Espoo, Finland
More trades to come
The Red Wings have had an excellent offseason thus far, but they are not yet finished. The current team has the makings of a Stanley Cup favorite, but the addition of a young and talented defender would help take the load off of Nicklas Lidstrom and also help ease the thoughts that the Wings are too old.
Andrew
Winter Park, Fla.
Detroit needs 'D' to vie for Cup
I thought that the Wings should have tried to get Darius Kasparaitis. Everyone says how much he is like what Vladi Konstantinov was when he played with the Wings. Vladi was such a big part of the Wings team when the won the Cup the first time. The Wings could use someone like that. And a great goaltender is a tremendous asset, but he can only stop so much before he starts needing help from good defensemen. Detroit needs some more good defensemen besides Nicklas Lidstrom.
Dave
Pigeon, Mich.
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These offseason moves clearly make Detroit and Colorado the two top teams in the West. Besides, who wouldn't want to see Hasek and Patrick Roy go head-to-head for the Western Conference title? ” |
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— Paul, Bethlehem, Pa. |
Old boys will bow out
The 2000-01 season for the Detroit Red Wings was a successful one, but their postseason play was putrid. I believe the Red Wings will maintain second place in the West next year, and lose in the playoffs in the second round. Detroit added more experience to their team this offseason, something that they don't need. What this team needs is youth. Three years down the road when Steve Yzerman, Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille, Chris Chelios, and Brendan Shanahan are gone, where will the Red Wings be? Now think about where the Colorado Avalanche or St. Louis Blues will be down the road with all of their young stars. Without youth, the Wings will become extinct.
Tariq
Pittsford, N.Y.
Hasek will fade in the postseason
Adding Dominik Hasek and Luc Robitaille will not help an aging Red Wings team hoist another Cup. In the past two years, Hasek has allowed many soft goals and made few spectacular saves (unlike the Dominator of 3-5 years ago). He won the Vezina and Jennings based on the Sabres' defense, not because of stellar personal performances. Detroit's biggest problem last year in the playoffs was that key injuries to Yzerman and Shanahan exposed their lack of depth. Adding aging veterans does not help at this point. In addition, although he was old, Larry Murphy was good. Detroit will sorely miss Murphy and Todd Gill. Look for Detroit to drop out of the top four in the West and be replaced by San Jose.
Mark
Johnson City, N.Y.
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