http://www.detnews.com/2005/wings/0509/11/C05-310777.htm

I hope they can get Datsyuk back. IMO, it's a lot of bad advice from his agent. Do I think he is a Superstar(ov) worthy of $6million? No.

Do I think he has the potential? Yes. Should he get $4Million? I think so.

Should the Wings have traded Shanny? Yes. Should they have released Lidstrom? It would have been tough, but in the new NHL, is he worth 1/5 of the cap?

This new CBA has the Wings' hands tied on this Datsyuk situation. They want him, badly. But Russian teams could pay him more. Pay him more than the most competetive league in the world? I guess so.

Does this mean the NHL isn't the most competetive league in the world now? Maybe it does. If we can't pay the best talent, then how can we say we're the best league? The new CBA has hurt the Mystique of the Stanley Cup and the NHL.

Next year, minus the Lidstrom, Shanny, and Yzerman contracts, we should have a better shot at retaining some of our young talent, and we've got some great youth. 2 NHL calibre goalies in Grand Rpaids. Hudler, Grigorenko... the future is bright...

And this season is not so bright... but I think Dats and Zetts together again, along with Yzerman's fairwell tour would have been bright spots.

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