More 2am ramblings

This year, it seems, is the Year for Goaltender shopping. Seems like there are TONS of goalies to go around. Do the Wings REALLY need another one? Barring a catastrophic Jimmy Howard sophomore slump, which Chris Osgood might very well be able to cover, they really don't. We have promising netminders playing for the Griffins, right?

The Red Wings have agreed to sign Valteri Filppula's older brother, Ilari. They aren't twins, but maybe they might have a Sedin-like affect on the Red Wings. They are brothers for chrissakes, they know each other better than anyone else, and have that almost-telepathy that siblings share. Makes a blind, no-look, between the legs pass in traffic a little more likely, doesn't it? Jim Nill says that he will have to earn his position on the team, but doesn't everyone? OK, Nick Lidstrom is pretty safe, but everyone else has to earn it.

Todd Bertuzzi got a raise. Whatever. Part of me could care less, but a little voice tells me to trust Kenny Holland's judgement. Has he ever steered us wrong?

Speaking of GM's, can you imagine Kenny Holland GM-ing another team? We must all understand that GM Holland and AGM Jim Nill are in the crosshairs of EVERY team in the NHL. The other teams try to lure them away with contracts of untold proportions. Luckily, the Wings have signed them to another five years ahead of time, so they are actually guaranteed to be here for another six years, since this coming year was already covered by their previous contracts. Speaking of contracts, it looks like Abdelkader, Eaves, Helm, Meech and Miller are staying, and getting a slight raise into the $800K range. Which means that pretty much takes up the rest of the cap for the Wings.

Who do we get for an enforcer? Bertuzzi? Yeah right. After the Steve Moore thing, he is under the NHL's microscope for life. If he even hints at committing an intent-to-injure penalty, he is probably gone. Again. So Holland has, what, maybe league minimum to spend on a real enforcer? Take a guy from the AHL? Is there even an enforcer on the Griffins?

In any case, if the Wings stay healthy, they will be better at the start of the 2010-11 season with the addition of Hudler and a healthy Filppula and Cleary than they were at the start of the 2009-10 season. Get Johan Franzen going and a good season from Jimmy Howard, and the Wings are going to at least be in the playoffs again.