Dominator to Detroit

I don't think many would have thought that the Red Wings would go the way they did, but somehow they went and did it. The Red Wings signed 41-year-old Dominik Hasek to be their goaltender for the upcoming season.

I'll let that all sink in......

What the Red Wings did was just compensate for the leaving of Steve Yzerman and Brendan Shanahan and kept their AARP membership. With all the young goalies out there on the market, it's an interesting decision to get Hasek, even for a year. Granted, it gives Jimmy Howard another season in Grand Rapids, but if Hasek get hurt, as he is known to do, then it could fast track his way to full time in the NHL.

Of course, to Red Wings fans and what he did to them in the '03-'04 season is not lost. Many of him don't like it and will accept it; others would like to have him hit by a runaway car. They are passionate folks, you have to give them that. But Hasek's reputation preceeds him. Stories of being a "locker room cancer" and an "egotistical asshole" are many of the things you hear about Hasek, even though he is one of the most dominate goalies in the past decade.

One thing you wonder is how long will it be before he gets hurt. Last season, Hasek said he was good to go and all healthy....and he went out with a groin injury. Monday he said he was good to go and healthy....the results remain to be seen.

At about $700k, it's a steal if the Wings can get 35 games out of him and have him play well, but the Wings are going the wrong way in rebuilding. They need to get younger before they try to add some veteran leadership into the room.

The Wings have been a good regular season team, only to falter when the time comes in the playoffs. It could be one thing that the Wings need to have Hasek on the team, which gives them two Cup winning goalies on the squad, but if something were to go haywire....the season could be a lot longer for the Wings then what actually happens on the ice.