Wings Pack It Up

The redwings had one final practice at Joe Louis Arena and cleaned out their lockers before parting for what looks like a summer full of important decisions. Obviously, the big decision will be made by Nick Lidstrom about whether or not to come back for a slightly smaller amount of money than the 7.5 million he made this last year. I hope the big guy decides he has another year or two left in him because even though he is noticeably not the Nick of old, he is still extremely solid on the blue line and his experience bring a calming effect to the rest of the team in times of near panic. Without Nick along the back line, the Wings will be in great need of a younger more physical makeover. But if Nick does decides to call it quits I can't fault him as he has been a loyal and instrumental part of the Redwings dynasty and will sit to the left hand of Yzerman among modern Redwing greats.

In addition to bringing Lidstrom back I also think the Wings need to do some addition by subtraction. The strength of the Wings, along with their pure talent, has always been their depth. That's just not the case anymore. Long time fan favorite Kurt Maltby fits into the category of guys who need to be let go in order to open up spots for younger talent. I also think Draper's run is nearing an end but he can still be useful for another year. Along the back end I think Lebda and Lilja should both be sent packing. Some guys I'd like to keep around are restricted free agents Patrick Eaves and Darren Helm along with unrestricted free agents Todd Bertuzzi and Thomas Holmstrom.


And lastly, you gotta make a decision on Jimmy Howard. Is he your goalie of the future? Does he have the mental makeup needed to play one of the two hardest positions in Detroit sports? The other being QB of the Lions. To tell you the truth I don't think he does. Sure, he has shown signs of brilliance and he definitely got the Wings further than they probably would've gotten considering all the injuries but he just doesn't seem to have the ice water in his veins needed to handle the pressure of the job. Dude reminds me of poor man's Tim Cheveldae and that's not a compliment. Jimmy's plus side is that he is real young and should get better. It's just a matter of how patient Wings fans can be in a time where all other Detroit sports are down.