Red Wings' issues

by user Alex Holowczak

In discussion with piers, the Red Wings seem to have a couple of offseason dilemmas:

1. Legace, Howard or Osgood. Legace wants out, and Osgood is prepared to be a back up. The feeling is that Legace will only ever be a backup, but wants to start. Howard is young and inexperienced, but is the big play goalie that Legace and Osgood are not. There are even rumours of trading up for Luongo.

2. Shanahan becomes a free agent this summer, and there are rumours about his desire to finish his career in Boston, of all places.

3. The departing Centre(s). With at least 9 centres capable of being in an NHL teams four lines, which centres go? Yzerman might go... Lang or Datsyuk are involved in trade rumours. Lang has too much cap room.

4. The Right Wing problem. With square pegs in round holes on the Right Wing, it might help if the Red Wings acquire a genuinely good Right Winger. Samuelsson is a fixture on the all Swedish line, and Cleary isn't that good. Or could Zetterberg move to the Right Wing.

Possible next season lines (without taking draft or my lack of memory into account)...

Offense: Shanahan-Datsyuk-Zetterberg Holmstrom-Williams-Yzerman Maltby-Draper-Cleary Franzen-Hudler-Bootland

Defense: Lidstrom-Kronwall Chelios-Schneider Lebda-Lilja

Goalies: Howard-Osgood

Do you agree?

Date
Tue 05/16/06, 7:47 am EST