commentary...

Red Wings will challenge Blackhawks for the Central Division this year... for the most part,they stayed pat,only adding Jiri Hudler,who came back from Russia,which i did predict last year,pre-blog,and maybe add Mike Modano(but i do not think so),kept most of their free agents,and their core of players intact... Chicago may score more goals overall,but Red Wings will probably give up fewer goals,and play better defense... the problem with Chicago,is not that their marquee players are not excellent(they are),but their grit,and depth have been depleted,and their backup goaltender makes $5.625 million/year,which is not a very good barometer of success,because Roberto Luongo,of the Vancouver Canucks,makes $6 million/year,and plays 70 games a year... the streak of games,after the Olympic break,last year showed me everything about the team,because if Red Wings had not been so injured,they would been much better than they were,and they were very good,later in the season,than any team in NHL,the last half of the season,they were the best team,record-wise... Chicago will defend their Stanley Cup, with gusto,but will they win their own division? because of depth,and lack of grit,i doubt it,but Chicago will fight Red Wings for the division... but Chicago paid a steep price,for their Stanley Cup... unfortunately, they(Blackhawks) are not the same team they were last year,and Detroit may win that division,for the eighth time,in last nine years...