OT: Lidstrom probably retiring tomorrow

Submitted by soupsnake on

Per Ansar Khan:

 

The Detroit Red Wings have scheduled a news conference for 11 a.m. Thursday at Joe Louis Arena with team captain Nicklas Lidstrom and general manager Ken Holland.

No other information is immediately available.

Lidstrom has been deciding whether to return next season or retire. A news conference would indicate that he is going to announce his retirement. It seems unlikely that he would call a news conference to announce he is playing one more season.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/05/r...

The Twitters seem to confirm. Ken Holland won't comment, says that he will allow Lidstrom to make the announcement "He's earned that right"

 

aaamichfan

May 30th, 2012 at 3:55 PM ^

Although I would certainly like to see him stick around for another year, I can see why now would be a good time to retire. The Wings current roster isn't anywhere near championship caliber, and the core is getting up there in age. I think it's going to take another 2-3 years for the Wings to retool, and Lidstrom obviously isn't going to be around that much longer. 

soupsnake

May 30th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^

From Holland's comments earlier today it sounds like the Wings are going to go all in this summer to acquire the following.



2 top tier d-men

1 top six winger

1 big grinder

1 backup goaltender



if we get everything on that list and Nyquist and Smith pan out the way they are expected to then this team will be championship caliber... especially if Parise or Suter are included in those plans.



Looking at the Wings current prospect pool there is a lot of talent on both ends of the ice coming up the pipe. I don't think we'll see them missing the playoffs anytime soon if they make it through this next season.

aaamichfan

May 30th, 2012 at 4:11 PM ^

Personally, I think the Wings need a starting goalie(demotion of Howard), but the others sound like good ideas. Especially if the Wings are currently trying to build/fill a new arena, they need the team to reman a contender for the foreseeable future. 

MGoVillain

May 30th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^

If youre assuming they would've had the same teams etc- then yeah they likely would've won more cups.  But right here right now, they have more pressing needs than goaltending.  Wiith Nick and Stuart likely out the door, and the fact they couldn't score to save their lives against Nashville, Howard is amongst the least of their worries.  

justingoblue

May 30th, 2012 at 11:19 PM ^

He was number ten in save percentage, six in GAA, six in wins (while playing damn near 1,000 minutes less than the ice time leaders, and starting fifteen fewer games than the start leader).

In addition, the Wings problems in the playoffs were hardly all on Howard.

D in the 313

June 2nd, 2012 at 1:00 AM ^

Not sure why everyone is all over JH's jock. This is not Nashville. We don't base credentials off of regular season success in Hockeytown. Howard has proven to be a great regular season goalie but a very mediocre goalie in the playoffs. Not to be a dick but it's the playoffs that count here. 

coldnjl

May 30th, 2012 at 5:56 PM ^

The wings will have 20.2 million.

http://capgeek.com/charts.php?Team=15

Enough money to resign Lidstrom and get either Suter/Parise. Without Lidstom, the Wings should be the favorite for both...Weber is a possibility, but he is a restricted free agent I believe. 

I personally hope they trade Erickson for a forward. Don't think he is worth the money, and with Kindl/Smith, I think he is replaceable.

 

ChuckWood

May 30th, 2012 at 3:56 PM ^

He is ireplaceable.  I think he is the best defender in the history of hockey.  I'm intereted to see the moves they make with him gone.  Who will be captain?  Who will they pick up?

fritZ

May 30th, 2012 at 5:01 PM ^

I disagree.  Zetterberg wasn't even wearing the A for a lot of the season, including the playoffs.  I think Datsyuk should get the C for being the best player and an increasingly bigger voice on the team.  So while I love Hank, I think Pavel is more deserving.

weasel3216

May 30th, 2012 at 6:14 PM ^

I don't see Pav being the players to question and talk to refs about the penalties, he is very quiet unless you really piss him off.  To be honest, his english sucks compared to Hank.  It would be hard to have the Captain speak to reporters if no one understands his english  I know this shouldm't be a requirement for being Captain, but i think teams look at things like this with TV interviews following each game.  

Don't get me wrong, Pav is one of the best players in the NHl and deserves to be captain for his play but i think Hank will get it.

Jmilan

May 30th, 2012 at 4:00 PM ^

This offseason needs to be huge. If Holland doesn't step up and make some moves it may tarnish his legacy. No more trading for 6th round picks and trying to get guys that we hope will turn into superstars. We have some good guys that are young like Smith and Nyquist, but what the Wing's need is another goal scorer and a top tier defenseman to either replace Lidstrom if he leaves or bring the kind of help we need if he stays.

Baldbill

May 30th, 2012 at 4:24 PM ^

I disagree, he has had the Red Wings in the playoffs for 22 (?) straight seasons...He has been an innovator at every turn of the game. He was the first to go after some Russian players, he was the first to start going after many of the other Euro stars that are out there. He has navigated the team through many changes such as the salary cap introduction. This guy has been 100% awesome. The Red Wings can't win the cup every year, it is a testament to him that he has them in the hunt every single year.

 

 

I Bleed Maize N Blue

May 30th, 2012 at 6:17 PM ^

I don't know if Montreal was the first, but they drafted Slava Fetisov in 1978.  He wasn't allowed to come over then, and was put back in the draft and NJ picked him in 1983.  Vancouver drafted Igor Larionov in 1985.

Jimmy Devellano was the Red Wings' GM (1982-90) when they began collecting Russians - Sergei Federov and Vladimir Konstantinov were drafted in 1989 and Slava Kozlov in 1990 - and he was GM again (1994-97; after Brian Murray, 90-94) when they traded with NJ for Fetisov in 4/95, and with San Jose for Larionov in the middle of the 95-96 season.

Kenny Holland may have played a role in the trades, as he was asst GM in 94-97 before being promoted to GM in 97.

Lidstrom was also drafted in 1989, and Tomas Holmstrom was drafted in 1994, so the Wings were already looking to Europe (not sure if Holland's prior role as Director of Amateur Scouting would have included Europe).

Jmilan

May 30th, 2012 at 6:35 PM ^

I said it may tarnish and I guess it is probably over the top on Holland. It is very sad if he does go because I grew up with this guy on the Wing's. He has 200 percent earned the right to retire, but I do however feel like Holland has kind of been on cruise control lately. The last big deal he made was Hossa and when you have success like he has in the past you have crazed fans like myself expecting excellence. I personally like Holland as our GM, but was just disgusted with our playoff exit this year. I apologize for the rant, but just thought that I would explain my post a little more.

Champeen

May 30th, 2012 at 4:03 PM ^

Im not much of a hockey fan, but seeing him leave, to me it's like this is not even the Detroit team im used to.  He was the last of the greats, IMO.

Yzerman, then Federov, and lastly Lidstrom.  Those were truly all-time great players IMO, and there just has not been another, and probably won't be for a while.  There always seemed to be a transitional 'passing of the torch' and for the first time, i feel, there will be a void with no torch bearer.

I thought Datsyuk was going to be 'that guy' but he has been just a very good, solid pro.  Never put up the numbers of a Yzerman, Federov or Lidstrom (superstar numbers).

ChuckWood

May 30th, 2012 at 4:07 PM ^

Some would argue that Chris Osgood can be lumped in that group.  I am not one of those people.  This is a sad sad day.  Once Holmstom is gone, this team will be mostly new(er) faces.  I also think Holmstom is going to be a tough replacement as well.  With his bad rep for screening.

GRBluefan

May 30th, 2012 at 4:15 PM ^

is easily one of the top players in the NHL, and has been for the past four or five seasons.  He doesn't put up superstar numbers because he isn't asked to.  His two way ability is basically unparalleled. 

 

Although I have absolutely no scientific research to support this, I would bet that if you asked GMs to pick guys to build a team around, his name would be one of the first thrown out there. 

 

Now, Zetterberg is a different story.  I am disappointed in his last couple of years, and he hasn't turned out to be what I thought (hoped) he would be.

duelThreat

May 30th, 2012 at 5:55 PM ^

1. Misspelling of "Fedorov" is one of my pet peeves, if he's an all-time great, I don't understand how no one seems to know how to spell it still.

2. Datsyuk was the #1 pick in the All-Star Game 'fantasy draft,' it's very difficult to come up with a short list of the greatest players in the world without having Datsyuk very near the top.

stmccoy

May 30th, 2012 at 4:04 PM ^

If this is true it will be a sad day for hockey.  Nicky Lidstrom is the greatest defenseman of all time and a class act.  I'm betting the Wings go after Suter or Weber from Nashville to fill the void.  You can't replace a guy like Lidstrom.  Next year will be weird not having him on the ice at the Joe. 

Trebor

May 30th, 2012 at 4:36 PM ^

It's highly unlikely Detroit can do anything with Weber this off-season since he's got one year left as a RFA, and Nashville will match anything Detroit offers. They'll make an all-in shot at both Suter and Parise now, and probably see where Weber's at in 2013.

alwaystrueblue

May 30th, 2012 at 4:18 PM ^

its hard to even imagine the Wings without him. This is truly a sad thing.

What a great player and class act he has always been.

Not sure he can ever really be replaced no matter who they sign. The goalies will see a lot more pressure without him in there. And that means more goals for the other team.

 

This sucks.

Naked Bootlegger

May 30th, 2012 at 4:21 PM ^

Just like Stevie Y's retirement, I'm not mentally prepared for a Red Wings roster w/o Lidstrom's name.   He has been such a rock and universally praised by teammates and opponents.    I may shed a tear tomorrow.

Dix

May 30th, 2012 at 4:21 PM ^

We've known this was coming for a long time, but it's still going to hurt.  He is one of the last two sports heros of my youth that remains active.  He's one I'll be telling my kids about when they're older. 

 

Brayden09

May 30th, 2012 at 4:32 PM ^

Picks for the Kyle Quinceys of the world is sure gonna hurt even more now. Never really understood that move knowing lidstrom was near the end and we had the likes of Brendan Smith in the minors. I worry about the future if Holland continues these kinds of moves.

All Aboard

May 30th, 2012 at 9:54 PM ^

They traded a pick (in a weak draft class) for a relatively experienced defenseman with room for improvement. Quincey will be more effective at defense NOW than any kind of draft pick taken over the summer. It was a good move, especially considering the fact that we will likely be losing Stuart as well.

Trebor

May 30th, 2012 at 4:34 PM ^

Godspeed, you sexy Swedish stalwart.

All things considered, he couldn't have picked a better offseason to choose to retire. It opens up enormous amounts of cap space for Holland to lay big deals to Suter and Parise (should he choose to leave New Jersey now that they're playing for the Cup). Hell, he could even toss a 1-year "show us what you've got before we do something long-term" offer to Semin. And if Weber still won't commit long-term to Nashville, there still might be enough room under the cap to get him next off-season. Could be an interesting next 13+ months for the Red Wings as a franchise...