OK, time's up. I'm back as a fan. Daytsuk, Lidstrom, Shanny, Zetterberg. Man, it looks like this team is loaded. Is it too early to start talking Cup?

You can't fool us Gazoo. You were the guy who started this thread. You know you loved em' from jump. Go on. Admit it.

I'm donning the Stevie Y jersey tomorrow. Got it laid out and ready to go. I wish Captain Couragous was playing tho.

Samuelson has been kicking butt. Give it up for the Wings management.

Everyone was saying that the Wings would be basement dwellers this season, with the new CBA.

But look who has the best record in the league!

Zetts move last night was awesome. Deaked around 3 defenders and still had the skills to toast the goalie.

Datsyuk's goal... the one he swatted out of mid air... man that was awesome.

Shanny playing the old sly veteran move... seemingly out of the play and going around the net, then wrists it... off the defender's stick blade, and off the goalies back, and into the net.

Legace looked pretty sharp still.

Fischer almost burned Foote and flew down the boards on a break away.

Now, my gripe: OLN SUCKS! Did anyone watch the game last night (10/24)??? They went to a commercial break during a scrum. During some fist-a-cuffs!!! Some fighting!!! Fischer had just drilled some guy for trying to rough up Legace... everyone flew into the area... Fischer started shoving/throwing punches... and commercial break.

Then when the commercial break was over, they made no mention of the scrum... no replay... nothing! What the #&%@???!!!!!!

Alright, that's it. Let's go Wings.

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Good post, Superstarov. Thanks for the updates. I don't have OLN on my cable network so I'm SOL. I get tons of Bruins games tho. Too bad the Red Wings don't play them this season. Glad to see Legace getting his due finally. Looks like this team is an offensive beast. And we have Lidstrom, which is always a great thing.

Just to fill anyone in who is not a Wings fanatic, but likes to keep their knowledge big:

Samuelson: Ken Holland (GM) saw him play in some international tourney, and he looked good. He's been on a few other NHL teams, but barely made any impact.

So, Holland went to his other Swedish players and asked them what they thought about Samuelson. They all said he was a good player, and a good teammate, and a good guy. Zetterberg sealed it by saying, "If you get him, he can play on my line."

So Holland contacted Samuelson, who had played in Sweden last year, and offered him a contract for like $500,000, and he was in training camp in short order.

Now the guy has 10 points (8 goals, 2 assists) in 10 games.

Awesome move by the Wings' management.

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That is reminiscent of the Joe Namath/Super Bowl & Heidi thing. Ok, not quite. I'm sure the old folks like me know what I'm referring to.

Thanks for the updates Super.

That's something the Pistons need to do. We need to start using Darko, Arroyo and Delfino as inhouse foreign scouts.

The Spurs do it all the time. That's why they have so many quality Euros. Their own guys sign off on their ability and character.

I was really worried about how smart Holland would be in the new economic climate. It's good to see that he has made some savvy moves (like waiting out Datsyuk)

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To all of my friends, comrades and companions at PF.com

Thank you for another great season!

Go Habs!

I agree with you in principle.

But the crop of basketball players from around the world who are NBA worthy isn't quite like what the NHL has. IMO the NHL/AHL/Juniors is a superior set-up to the NBA/NBADL.

The Wings can take a chance on a guy, and have him develop in 2 or 3 different stages, while still retaining his rights, without paying him a dime. If the guy pans out, awesome, if not, they're not really out much.

I mean, how deep is the NHL draft? 7 or 8 rounds? The NBA is 2 rounds. The NBA, if you draft a guy, you have what, 2 years basically to see if he pans out? Then he's a UFA, or he makes the team, or he's a "bust" (see Glynny).

There are a lot more pockets of untapped talent in the world for organized hockey. The Wings have had exceptional international scouting lately, like each team in the NHL passed on Datsyuk 7 times before the Wings drafted him, and he was an all-star in his 3rd year. I think Zetterberg was passed on 4 or 5 times by every other team.

You don't expect to see draft picks playing in the NHL, unless they're maybe the 1st round, right away. The minor league systems is far superior to the NBA.

NHL teams can draft a guy who is playing in college, and say, "we're going to let him finish his college career, and gain some more experience..." or they can draft a guy who's playing in the OHL, and say "We're going to give him a few years to develop..."

The NBADL and the CBA, kind of proves to me that Basketball fans are not as die-hard as Hockey fans. I know the TV numbers aren't there, but people keep going to minor league hockey games, and minor league basketball leagues can barely stay in business.

I think the NBA should follow the NFL, and try to open up an NBA Europe. With North American players and coaches, rubbing elbows with international players and coaches. With NBA rules. There is a market there for it. Maybe the local leagues would take a hit, but the level of competition would be better, and it would give the NBA a better chance of spotting players who could become superstars.