Red Wings 2011 Season Preview Questions?

I can no longer contain my homerism. I held out for as long as I could.



I know I asked this yesterday but I only got one answer. What happened to all the Wings' regulars on here?



After the last offseason personnel losses and the plague of mid-season injuries, it follows that the Wings cant go anywhere but up, even though they finished off the season in an admirable fashion and gave an honest push in the postseason. Methinks ending the season earlier (instead of the end of May/beginning of June like 2007, 2008, and 2009) will allow them to gather themselves and rebuild, rest, and be a little more prepared both physically and mentally for the upcoming season.



Some questions to start us off right for another run for Lord Stanley's Cup.



1. 13 players on the Red Wings roster (some with 2-way contracts) will be over the age of 30. Does that tiring stat really matter anymore? I understand age CAN be an issue, but casual hockey fans and haters have been noting their age for years, and for years, theyve been proved naive. What do you think?



2. On the other end of the spectrum, what young guys do you think will have good seasons? Any breakout seasons? Any disappointments? (Id particularly like to hear, but am not limiting you to, speculation regarding Young James, Matthias Ritola and where he'll be in the coming weeks, Jonathon Ericssons progress or lack thereof, and any other AHL guys that will be spending time in Detroit).



3. What role do you think Chris Chelios will establish within the organization?



4. How do you think Ruslan Salei, Mike Modano, and Jiri Hudler will do this season? Will the newcomers mesh well? Will Happy Huds have lost any momentum (due to a substandard level of play in that phony scam of a russian league) or chemistry with the guys?



5. Of Kris Draper, Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Patrick Eaves, and Drew Miller, what three grinders do you think have the most to offer the team if given the most time playing on our 4th line? Do any deserve a FULL TIME spot?



6. Will Filppula be able to shoulder the resonspobility as the 2nd line center (between The Mule and Bert), or will he have another lack-luster season?



7. What can we expect from our alleged 3rd line of Danny Cleary, Mike Modano, and Jiri Hudler?



BQ - Any other Wings-related predictions, thoughts, or comments?Red Wings 2011 Season Preview Questions?
1. It ultimately depends on the players and their roles on any given team. The older Wings players are either highly talented still or fill specific roles that cater to the games each plays. Age is a poor argument unless it pertains to why a team is slipping. I rwad where some bloggers say they are getting old and slow....I would bet big money Modano and Draper can outskate a huge amount of the "younger" guys in the league. Holmstrom was slow when he was in his 20's, you cant lose a step if you never had much of one in the first place. And find me 5 guys in the league who can play in front of the net like Homer. Age can be a factor and will be soon for some Wings....but they all have expiring contracts!



2.Helm will continue to get better and will eventually learn to finish scoring chances. Ericsson is a wildcard, he has the tools to be solid but needs confidence, if he finda any he will be solid and if not he will be allowed to leave via FA next year. Kindl is a guy to watch, he is very talented and will eventually become an excellent 2 way player. He needs to work on positioning but is already very good offensively and skates well. Ritola will need to find decent minutes as he will either be a scoring forward or a career AHL player. Has tools and size, works well with the puck and battles hard in corners but has to prove he can score. The guy that excites me most is Tomas Tatar who may get a look at some point this season. Hudler sized but an offensively gifted kid, will be a top 6 forward soon.



3. Probably a little like Stevie Yzerman did. I imagine he will work with the young D in Grand Rapids (Brendan Smith has great potential, Sergei Kolosov, etc.) and advance scout some while learning front office duties.



4.Hudler will get 2nd unit PP time and will be counted on to net 20-25 goals. Modano will center a very good 3rd line and create energy and speed along with excellent defensive skills, a nice asset for a 3rd line (with Hudler). And Salei will fight for time with Kindl and Ericsson, great depth signing but truly a 3rd pair defenseman who will share time with the young D.



5.Helm will be the best of this group. Abdelkader is the best young grinder who has some offensive upside and the rest fill roles very well. Helm WILL be a full timer, the rest will have to earn their ice time.



6. I believe so. Playing with bigger guys both of whom can work in front of the net plus in the corners will creat plenty of space for Val, he has the tools to exploit that open ice. I expect a 50-60 point season out of him.



7. I expect them to be what many think they are....one of if not the best 3rd line in the NHL. All can score, all can grind, all play solid defense and all an play special teams when needed or move up to the 2nd line and produce in the event of injury to a top 6 forward.



BQ. Looking forward to the season.....they are like everyone good right now, they have to earn whatever they get so no predictions from me.Red Wings 2011 Season Preview Questions?
1. i'd like to pretend age is not a factor but it is, or at least will be in the future. the younger guys need to be developed a bit more in preparation of the day when the vets retire. i would love to imagine our captain, or draper, or now modano playing as well as they did in their peak, but frankly it's just not possible. that said, i think we have a pretty good balance of young blood and veteran skill, so we'll see.

2. jimmy howard is either gonna have a great year or an awful year. there's alot of pressure on him, and he wasn't exactly consistent last season. time will tell. ericsson... man i was so excited about that big boy. he used to be a forward i think, and he's SO BIG. big defenseman that can shoot? i had high hopes. he's been sporadic at best, i certainly hope he has a breakout year.

3. not much that we'll notice. sorry cheli.

4. i'm not that familiar with salei, so i'm not gonna try to address that issue. modano will score some goals, and i'm excited to see a michigan boy play at home. he was great with the stars, but there's that whole age thing again. happy huds? man i love that guy! i am lucky enough to have had a few beers with him, and he is just as smiley in real life. it'll be a transition coming back to the NHL, but he's looked pretty good in exhibition games. hopefully his foot doesn't bother him.

5. helm's a mini datsyuk, eaves adds some grit, and miller could probably hit a 20 goal season if he gets enough ice time.

6. eh, we'll see. filpula's another guy i had much higher hopes for. he has the skill, just can't seem to harness it. expect the mule to score more goals. bert needs to stop turning over the goddamn puck.

7. it'll be pretty strong. cleary's great when he's great and tends to score in streaks. modano has proven ability. huds, i love that little guy, and he knows how to shoot. plus that grin gets me every time.



BQ: just hoping the boys stay healthy and looking forward to a good season.Red Wings 2011 Season Preview Questions?
For Detroit, the biggest question mark would be goaltending- if Howard is on form as he was in the last month+ of the season, then they're in with a shout. If Howard is out of sorts then Ken Holland has some tough decisions; it's likely Lidstrom's last year.



Chicago went through a purge, I'm not sold on San Jose and Vancouver until they actually do something in the playoffs, and the Kings seem like they need something but have a good foundation. In short, write Detroit off at your peril.