Nick Lidstrom was too easy -- for mailbag #5, we went with the player who wore that number before Nick, 1976's 1st overall pick Rick Green. Obviously, I was barely alive for his era, but I knew of him because I'm a draft nerd and I know the first overall picks. What I didn't know was that he played 65 games for the Wings in 1990-91, donning the number his successor was able to secure a spot in the rafters with.

Let's roll. We've got a few questions, but I didn't realize how many of them are multi-parters. So, yep, this is gonna get long.

To start, we've got a few questions from Mat, a Wings fan from out in the UK. I love hearing from anyone, but fans overseas always impress me with their dedication (it's hard enough to follow the NHL in America sometimes, can't imagine what they go through), so he gets to start first with a question about re-uniting Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.

Do you think the chemistry between Dats and Zatta should have them paired up or would you keep them apart for depth?

It's not like you can really go long either way, but I'm in the camp that they should be together, as much as possible. They've got chemistry together that's really only bettered in this league by those freakish Sedins. It is nice to spread them out, and I think it might hurt a guy like Todd Bertuzzi to not have gift-wrapped passes on his tape every night, but they're equally the two best playmakers and two best finishers on the team (with Johan Franzen in the mix for that second group). They make each other better. The flexibility is nice, but with depth down the middle this year like we didn't have last year, I'd keep them together as long as health permits it.

Following up on this one, maybe some of you who follow me on Twitter saw this, but last month I stumbled upon the top 20 plays between Datsyuk and Zetterberg. It makes me salivate for the potential of these two guys together for a large chunk of next season.

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And a follow-up from Mat:

Do you see similar levels of chemistry between any of our prospects on the Griffins?

This one is difficult because I caught about ten games last year -- you really need to watch every night to find chemistry. But it's tough to argue against what I saw in what was the statistically best line on the Griffins for the middle of the season in Jan Mursak and Tomas Tatar alongside veteran Patrick Rissmiller, who was actually NY Rangers property who was traded to Atlanta this week.

It would be hard to find a pair on the Griffins better than that. They're the two most exciting offensive players on the team. Both of them work hard away from the puck and don't shy away from traffic despite their sizes, but they're equally electrifying with their puck control and finesse. I hope they're re-united to start this next year, because they were on the scoresheet together every night in November and December.

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Question number three of four from Mat:

Given the lack of defensive defencemen on the roster, do you think Sergei Kolosov could cut it in the NHL?

This is a tough one for me. Kolosov looks great in the AHL to me -- he's mobile and much more reliable in his own zone than he was the first few times I saw him. Obviously, he was in the Olympics for Belarus, but many of their games were lopsided, and since he was hurt for the pre-season this past year, I haven't really seen him against NHL competition. I'm really looking forward to getting a look at him in some pre-season action this year to see if he can keep up and play that Lilja-style of underrated puck moving with few mental errors.

The Wings seem to like him, enough to keep him around another year at least, but he is 24 now. Defensemen, particularly bigger ones, take a little longer to peak, so he's hardly a lost cause. It does seem like Brendan Smith and Logan Pyett are the guys who might get a look over Kolosov, and Holland hasn't really mentioned his name in the mix for a roster spot this year. If they need a defensive guy, they'll probably look to the veteran Doug Janik. To me, it's only a matter of time until a KHL team takes a run at Kolosov, but he's certainly been listening to Detroit and staying in North America, and deserves a long look.

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Last one from our new UK friend:

Do you feel Ritola or Mursak are more NHL ready out of our call up options?

This is another one that I base more on pre-season action. When I watch the Griffins, Ritola looks like the better two-way, all-around player, but Mursak's offensive game is harder to ignore, and his 4th line minutes as a rookie really brought his work ethic to where it needs to be, and he's a useful penalty killer. Last pre-season, Ritola looked very good. His skill lends itself well to Detroit's system. He looks like an entirely different player. Ultimately, I think Mursak's speed and hands make him the better NHL player, but I'd give him another year, while I think Ritola should get a long look at camp and first priority on injury recall.

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Moving on to a question from Erik, asking what to expect out of our favorite little defector, Jiri Hudler:

How would you compare the KHL to the NHL? Everyone is expecting Hudler to put up around 70 points, if the KHL isn't as good as the NHL, then how can we expect more from him then when he left?

This is a good question, and another tough one to answer given that I've never watched a KHL game. I've seen a few exhibition games against NHL teams though, and the KHL is definitely the second best league in the world -- they can compete with the NHL. European leagues are a way different style though, with bigger ice being the main factor. As weird as it sounds, all I've heard is that the KHL is a much more defensive league -- even though they're known more for flashy forwards than steady defensemen, and most people chuckle when recounting high caliber KHL goalies: Ray Emery, Robert Esche, Norm Maracle, and now, Evgeni Nabokov. The leading scorers in the league typically land in the 60-65 point range, so Hudler's 54 points in 54 games were not too shabby.

I think it's realistic to expect more of Hudler for a few reasons. First, he's 26, entering his prime for a forward -- 50 as a 24-year-old with his icetime is very exciting. On that note, he's going to be playing a lot more because, while Babcock hasn't said anything publicly, it wasn't much of a secret that Hudler stuck to the bench if Detroit was protecting a one goal lead. I don't think he trusted him, but his recent comments seem to indicate he's got more confidence in Hudler. He'll be playing with better players (the leading scorer on his team was Matthias Weinhandl, who was a speedster with no finish in the NHL before making Sweden's Olympic team this year) and now he has something to prove. He soured a lot of fans and ended up with a much lower salary then he was worth because he bolted to the KHL. He's going to want to prove that he's the 60-70 point player some think he is.

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Next up is Chalem, who's back for a second time after appearing in an earlier mailbag.

With all the talk about Mike Modano and who's going to center the Wings third line come the start of the season, I've started to wonder what kind of player Justin Abdelkader is. From everything I've read and seen, he's a grinder with some offensive skills. But just how good are his offensive skills, he's shown good hands and awareness a couple times but is that his limit? Also, how good is he defensively? Do we have a potential shut down center / first pairing PK guy, or simply a slightly pesty hitter?

Second, I've really started to like Jan Mursak lately. He seems like a fast, scrappy player with good hands and who plays solid defense. Could he become a player similar to Danny Cleary (but faster), or is he something less? Mursak should be up full time after this coming season right?

I talked about Abdelkader a bit in the first mailbag, so check that for a more in depth explanation. But that's a long and rambling explanation, so I'll try to be more to the point here. Basically, I think Abdelkader shouldn't be judged offensively based on what he's shown in the NHL so far. He knew all last season that once the team got healthy, he'd be sent down. He made it 50 games, but likely only because he did exactly what Babcock told him to do. Playing mostly with Brad May, Drew Miller, Kirk Maltby, etc., on the 4th line, he was told to hit everything in sight and get underneath everyone's skin. If he didn't do that every night, he probably would have been sent down sooner.

Once he got sent down to the AHL, he was given an offensive role, and he looked like he didn't even belong in the league. He probably isn't much of a puck control player in the NHL -- I like the Cleary comparison for him over Mursak -- someone who works hard and can be good in front of the net, occasionally showing off good hands and a good shot. He's scored at every other level, just needs the chance in the NHL. It's true that adding Modano takes away that chance to start the year there, at least while everyone's healthy. I think that playing with, hopefully, Darren Helm and Patrick Eaves will be better for him, they're also energy guys who can show offensive ability, and will probably be able to create a little more offense as a trio than May and Maltby.

Regarding Mursak, he was all hands and speed in his OHL days. Then as a rookie in the AHL, Curt Fraser used him as an energy player and he scored two goals. I was worried he was being misused, but I really think it was the right thing now. Mursak showed an edge and two-way ability that I never saw out of him in the OHL, but his speed (which is freakish, not quite Helm-like, but pretty close) was back and he could create offense on his own again. I don't think he's as gritty as Cleary, but he is a better all-around player, which certainly improves his odds of cracking the lineup in 2011-12.

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Next up, another second-timer in Eliott, regarding Jonathan Ericsson.

I thought Ericsson played much more dependably after Lilja returned and also in the playoffs. Do you think the same, and do you think that will carryover into the next season?

Next, what kind style does Ericsson play? He obviously has size, although I'm not sure he always uses it. What kind of defensive role is he fit for? Finally, what kind of player do you think would fit well with his play?

I think that Ericsson was a lot better down the stretch. He was racking up the minuses like crazy early on in the season, but was able to keep it pretty steady in the second half of the year. I think Andreas Lilja could have been part of that, since he could cover for Ericsson's mistakes better than Brett Lebda. In terms of doing it next year, well, I don't think Jakub Kindl is as defensively sound as Lilja. Though the two did play together for an extended time in Grand Rapids, so who knows what kind of chemistry they'll develop.

The frustrating part about Ericsson isn't what he does, or even does wrong, but what he doesn't do. He was clocked with an 101 mph slapshot a few years ago at the AHL All-Star Game. Whether it was a lucky shot or whatever, he can really wire the puck, and he's a few years stronger now. There have been very few times in the NHL where I've seen him carry the puck to open ice (which I know he can do, he's a strong puck mover) and really put everything he has into a shot. He should be shooting more, carrying the puck more, pushing people with more than just his hands, and making quicker decisions, because he has the ability to do these things well, it's just confidence with him.

At this time, I think he needs a defensive defenseman to help him flourish, which is a little worrisome because he isn't exactly putting up great offensive numbers either. While Kindl is more of an offensive guy, Lebda was someone who wasn't really offensive or defensive, too. Maybe Ericsson will become more of a last man back type who Kindl can set up for one timers, which is basically what the two paired up as in the AHL.

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One more e-mail after the jump -- a long and hilarious letter from thenumber19.

Hey Kyle, big fan of your site (you may have noticed the exclamation point, not too many people are this enthusiastic, but I do aim to please).

Brass Tacks:

What are your thoughts on Cory Emmerton? If I recall correctly, he was a mid-second rounder who's showed some real flashes, but now I get the feeling that people aren't as high on him with the attention surrounding guys like Tatar, Almqvist, or Pulkkinen. Is his development not going well, or is he just not as sexy a prospect as those other guys? And what could give him a better shot at cracking the Wings roster than other prospects?

You're correct, he was a mid-second rounder who was considered a budding elite scorer in the OHL. Injuries, illness, and trade put a damper on reaching his potential. He was good at both end of the ice, and that seems to be what the Wings are trying to cultivate from him in the AHL, though he's been given chances to be a scorer and hasn't produced the numbers to stick in a position like that. To answer your question, he isn't really considered an offensive stud anymore the way those others are, but he once was. I think now he's more of a strong two-way player who could be a 2nd or 3rd line player, if he finds more offensive touch.

To be honest, I don't have a strong opinion on him one way or the other. Some nights he's always on the puck, making smart plays at both ends and creating scoring chances. Other times he really blends in, and just looks like an average AHL player. This year is going to be very telling for him since he must clear waivers for the AHL next year, and Detroit has four UFA forwards (Modano, Draper, Eaves, Miller) they could clear out if they wanted to make room for Mursak, Emmerton, and Tatar for example.

On that train of thought, we'll ride to my next query:

With a dearth* of talented players both up front (Tatar, Mursak, Sheahan, Ferraro, Nestrasil, Jarnkrok, Pulkkinen, and Nyquist) and on the back end (Smith, Almqvist, Lashoff, Fournier, and Nicastro) how do you see the Wings roster cracking out in the not too distant future?

It seems to me that a combination of loyalty to vets and a penchant for reclamation projects has left less room for prospects to hit the top ranks. I'm not really complaining, I'm just looking at 2 scoring lines and defensive pairings with very little room to slot them in for the next few years (even less with FA signings).

You don't have to play Ken Holland here, I'm just curious if I'm the only one sitting in his bomb shelter worrying about this?

*Full Disclosure: I have no idea what this word means!

The bright side is, of the players you mentioned, only Tatar and Mursak will need a decision pretty soon. Mursak will probably be in the NHL in 2011-12, and Tatar will if there's room -- he will be waiver exempt for an additional season, though. Provided all of these players sign contract and come over when they're supposed to, you're looking at long-term deadline guys here. Three years (Smith, Lashoff), four years (Ferraro, Nestrasil, Nyquist, Almqvist, Fournier), five years (Sheahan [though that's if he leaves early, which he intends to], Jarnkrok, Pulkkinen), and possibly six years (Nicastro). Players get three years in the AHL before they have to clear waivers to go back there, so theoretically, if they were of NHL caliber, you'd want them in the NHL after that so they don't get snapped up on waivers.

If you look at the Wings roster three and five years ago, you'll see it's very different. Five years from now, all our offensive stars will be "old" and every player who is "old" now is going to be gone. Technically, Zetterberg and Franzen are the only players under contract. We could just get rid of everyone else if we so choose. So I wouldn't worry about overcrowding now, because especially with the cap, it's impossible to predict what our needs will be. "Worst" case scenario, we have some well-developed young players who we can use as assets in a trade, hopefully having learned not to wait too long, cough, Kyle Quincey.

Within three years, I think Smith, Ritola, Mursak, and Tatar will have cracked the big club -- those are as close as I'll call to "locks." Lashoff, Ferraro, and possibly Sheahan depending on when he turns pro, will all be knocking on the door and Nyquist and hopefully Pulkkinen (highest potential of anyone in the organization, I believe) will have separated themselves from the pack in the "dearth" of offensive talent, looking to be the prime replacements for our soon to be aging Eurotwins and Franzen.

I think it's a nice problem to have, and it's way deeper right now than I've ever seen in Detroit. We're usually pretty deep on the hard-working guys -- and we still are -- but now we have an abundance of high potential players. The bad news is, these players are harder to develop. Realistically, most of them will fizzle out at the AHL level. But the hope is that a few of them will slip through the cracks and maybe 2-3 will become true impact players, top line types. I think we've got the talent right now where we'll see that.

Last and certainly least, Evgeny Ryasenksky.
Have you heard anything more on this crazy Russian? Is he coming to training camp or what? I don't think he's some super prospect, I'm just curious. And when a man gets curious there's only 2 things he can do: take his pants off, and seek guidance.

THN lists him on the Wings depth chart, but I've grown suspicious of them ever since they said that the Maple Leafs could make the playoffs (sorry).

I didn't see a contract for him on CapGeek either, which leaves me confused, which makes me sad (to quote The Chief).

"This crazy Russian" sounds exactly right. The news on Ryasensky is that there is none. I'll defer to my post on it for more details, but as far as I can tell, he decided on his own that he was signing with Detroit. Detroit said nothing about having offered him a contract, or even invited to camp. That makes sense, because with Janik, Smith, Lashoff, Pyett, Kolosov, Piche, Ehrhardt, and the Griffins-contract Amadio all fighting it out for AHL jobs already, I see no room for another body. It's even hard to make room for him if Janik or Smith crack the NHL roster, which they'll be given a chance to. I'm not sure if he really is crazy, or something was lost in translation, but Ryasensky's connection with Detroit seems non-existent. Bad news for a prospect nerd, but good news because players shouldn't be able to sign with teams without their consent.

Thanks for the e-mails, folks, let's keep them coming!