Petr Svboda, Hudler's agent, told the Wings that Hudler will be playing in Russia next year. I doubt Ken Holland thought he'd lose both Hudler and Hossa, but, when you're no longer Stanley Cup champ, I guess you're no longer the prettiest girl in school. Maybe these guys see the Wings as a team on the decline, or perhaps it's just about money.
Hossa, Hudler, Samuelsson, and Kopecky accounted for 206 pts last season. That's a shocking 2.5 pts/game. Despite the harsh reality of those numbers, I still don't think the Wings will be affected. The only game-changer leaving is Hossa. Holland made the correct decision targeting Zetterberg first and Franzen second. Hossa scored 40 goals, but we all know that Z and Franzen were the top Wing forwards in the playoffs. Four years ago, the Mule was an unknown grinder. Most Wings fans wanted (former) Russian phenom Igor Grigorenko in the lineup instead of Franzen. My how times have changed. The bottom line is that Red Wings management knows talent. They may score less this season, but I doubt it will matter in wins/losses.
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