ESPN’s Scott Burnside had a chat with some fans, and unlike XM’s hour with Gary Bettman, Wings fans didn’t get cut-off or avoided…
Cam (Lansing)
Hey Scott. Where do you think the Red Wings will finish? Other publications have all but handed the Central Division to Chicago, so I was wondering what your take is. Thanks!
Burnside
Cam; I think the Wings have taken a step back losing Kopecky, Hudler, Samuelsson and bringing in Jason Williams and Todd Bertuzzi. Sorry that math doesn't add up. The bigger factor, I think, will be the Olympics where the Wings will see probably half a dozen players jet off to Vancouver for the 2010 Games. Remember the 2005-06 season and how the Wings were upset by the Oilers in the first round after the Turin Games. Never count the Wings out but I think their stock has fallen ever so slightly.
Me
Ha ha, losing Kopecky Hudler and Samuelsson? I think he got his Slovaks mixed up and meant to add Hossa in there. And the Wings “will see probably half a dozen players jet off to Vancouver for the 2010 Games”? Yeah, on team Sweden alone, jackass. The Wings stock may have fallen ever so slightly, but it was so high to begin with, is anyone going to notice? This team we’re going to ice in 2009-2010 is better than the one we had in 2007-2008, with few exceptions (back-up goaltending and such).
Jim (Grand Rapids MI)
Hi Scott-What are your thoughts on Bertuzzi coming back to Detroit? I personally like it for 3 reasons: 1. He brings a BIG body with some skill to the team. 2. He's been here before so he knows what the expectations are and 3. At 1.5M-he's a low-risk gamble
Burnside
Jim; A quick follow-up on Bertuzzi. Injuries, lack of foot speed and a reluctance to play in traffic I think mitigate his usefulness. But he is a low-risk gamble given his salary cap hit.
Me
So if nothing else, he’s cheap? Putting up 44 points in 66 games is the same point per game production as Jiri Hudler, who actually lacks foot speed and has a reluctance to play in traffic. You say Hudler is a big loss, but Bertuzzi isn’t a big gain…something ain’t stirring the Kool-Aid, Scott.
Everyone seems to be jumping on the "Wings are done" bandwagon. Get ready to be dissapointed, Scott.
Oh wait, you work for ESPN…which means I don’t care what you think.
The sad part is that for most of last year Burnside was pretty positive about the Wings. Here I think he's guilty of the same kind of flawed math that everybody else is working off of when they take a look at the players leaving / players joining equation and say that the Wings are done.
ReplyDeleteBesides, the Hawks basically stayed put talent-wise (except for getting shallower in goal) and people are overlooking the details surrounding their run to the WCF. They beat up on a decimated Calgary team. They outskated a Vancouver team that got coached into the ground in the conference semis and they got picked apart like carrion in the WCF. On paper they look ready to challenge, read between the lines and they still have a year's worth of growth to go through before they're ready for a real cup run (provided they can keep most of their core signed).