How are you Wings fans feeling...?

Question

... the day after the Ducks (shaping up to be a good rivalry) signed two strong players off your side? Be honest, I want to know how you feel. I very much enjoyed the Ducks-Wings series, and would have still even iff the Ducks had lost...

Answer 1

honestly, i'm glad to see Bertuzzi go. and i also am glad that he went to the Ducks. he'll fit right in. i always thought he was a liability. it's almost like i had to grudingly find ANY reason to try to like him during the playoffs, and i was marginally successful at best.

as far as Schneider, great move on Burke's part. i'll give him that. good player. am i sad? nope. i have minimal loyalty to Schneider, as he really hasn't been a wing for long. besides, you can see where his loyalties lie, now that he got a ring early in his career. and you can't blame him. but all in all, i say it's a wash ... worst case.

we got rid of a liability (Bertuzzi), and replaced an aging defensemen w/ one of promise and more grit.

good move by Holland to adjust. good move by Burke. i DO find it hilarious that he goes and gets Bertuzzi. does Holland still have a lot of work ahead of him to round out the nucleus? yeah, somewhat, but no one can reasonably argue that Lang or Calder were CRUCIAL pieces to our team. i wish he'd lose his infatuation w/ Hasek though. i think his time is up.

i still think that the Ducks are the team to beat, more for the coach than any other reason. however, good luck defending the hypocritic, fair-weather haters of Bertuzzi. "what a classless move" (to acquire him).

i think the rivalry is increasing. what i find humorous, is that most teams WANT to be in a rivalry w/ Detroit. it's like you haven't REALLY made it until you're in an official rivalry w/ Detroit. no one else flaunts their rivalry w/ another Western team. "hey, the ... Canucks! ... are our rivals." Colorado just hasn't been able to keep up the competition, and i think that they're losing their spot. it's no longer a rivalry, it's a floor-mopping.

so good moves by Burke, but I say that Detroit is AT LEAST in the same position as before. possibly even better. but the Ducks have also improved. we'll see what happens w/ Neidermayer and Selanne.

Answer 2

I don't feel too badly, actually. Bertuzzi played maybe two good games all playoffs, and is likely washed up. Good riddance. Schneider was a great pick for the Ducks, but we replaced him with someone equally good and much younger. You'll like Schneider, but he's no Scott Niedermayer. If that guy retires, the joke's on Anaheim. Considering that most of the other free agents were grossly overpaid, I am quite happy with the Wings right now. They'll have to build from within, and next year there likely will be a better crop of free agents than this year. I don't think anyone out there this summer was worth the money they got (probably not even Rafalski).

Answer 3

It's just too early to decide how to feel. There will be no love loss for Bertuzzi going to the Ducks and Schneider was replaced by a younger and more mobile defenseman with just as good if not better skills. As far as any of the rest go, we aren't in jeopardy of loosing anyone of any significance. I'm not too worried about Hasek but we certainly need to be looking for his replacement but I don't think he will be going anywhere but Detroit for next season. There are still several players out there that we can pick up. So until the quality players, that are still available, are gone I feel fine in the current position.

Answer 4

I myself didn't see the point of signing Bertuzzi to begin with, so I am not sad to see him go. Schneider was worthless in the playoffs, so good riddance to him too. Rafalski is a very fine pickup and he'll be an instant fit. As a Wings gal, I'm comfortable with what's going on with them so far. I'm not worried.

BTW, Wings-Ducks is indeed shaping up to be the new NHL rivalry isn't it?

Answer 5

Well Detroit is my 2nd fav. team BUT....

I don't know, I'm more interested in what duck fans think....you insult these players during the playoffs, now talk about them like they will save your team, huh? Makes me wonder if you guys got Chris Neil from Ottawa if you'd all be calling him a god now. And will it hurt when 2 of the people the led you to the cup will retire? And can you get an easier playoff draw in the first 2 rounds again....?

As for the Red Wings Rafalski makes up for Schneider (an upgrade IMO..nothing against Schneider), and I was always iffy about Bert...so don't really care. Also Detroit is close to Hnidy and in real close talks to Raycroft. They are also busy getting Hasek back, and for offense might pick up Fedotenko as well. I think they'll be fine, with the exception of Lang, their stats leaders (Holmstrom, Lindstrom, Datsyuk, Draper, and Zetterberg) are all back. So how does that make you feel? lol

Answer 6

Sad to see Schneider go but he was getting pretty far up there in age. We really didn't see Bert enough to get a good feeling. He was playing his way into shape as he went and then got hurt again along the way for a bit. I think when healthy they do need someone like him. They need that big strong physical player that they have lacked for years.

I think Rafalski is a great pick up. If they can find another big physical good offensive player I think they will be just fine.

Answer 7

You know I am definitely NOT a wings fan, but I would have to say they're feeling pretty damn good right now. They got rid of Bertuzzi (who was pretty good, but is a dumb@ss) and they also got rid of a soon-to-retire mathieu schneider. They got rafalski to replace schneider anyway. It's the Ducks fans that should be feeling bad right now. How could you sign bertuzzi? He'll just ruin your team.

Answer 8

Well I am upset to see Schenider and bertuzzi go to the Ducks of all teams. However, if i recall correctly, the last player to go to the ducks from the wings was Fedorv and look at him now!! Schenider and Bertuzzi are top players at there position so i would not be surprised if once there contract is up they are gone.

Answer 9

I would much rather have signed Paul Kariya than Bertuzzi.
I don't like the signing at all. He's not the player he used to be due to a bad back. 2 yrs at 4 million is too damn much. Burke looks stupid on this one.

Bringing Paul in would give Teemu another reason to play.

Answer 10

RAFALSKI was a good acquisition for the wings
im upset that they let SCHNEIDER go- he had a great season.
when it comes to LANG, CALDER, BERTUZZI- i honestly couldnt care less. lang had terrible season and hes old, bertuzzi didnt do anything in detroit. and i said from the beginning that they never shouldve traded calder for jason williams because calder sucks and williams is up-and-coming, young and has a lot of potential. the wings should try and get him back.