What about Nick?

After reading analyses of the Red Wings' 2005-2006 payroll on Mlive and DetNews, which were curiously similar to my post from Saturday, I was left stumped. Sure, they said to buyout Derian Hatcher and Ray Whitney, maybe even Darren McCarty. But what about Nick Lidstrom? You know, the guy slated to make $7.6 million post-24% rollback? With a $36 million neighborhood cap ceiling, that's more than 1/5 of the total payroll. Last season's payroll was $78 million, making Lidstrom approximately 1/8 of player costs back then. I know it's a taboo topic, but I think it's time to bring up the subject of getting Lidstrom's contract either re-negotiated or deferred, or, God forbid, bought out if he refuses the first two options. We certainly can't pay him $7.6 million. So get past the typical Wings fan loyalty to Lidstrom, and get in the GM seat. Even if Nick is one of the best players in the world, spending 1/5 of the payroll on him alone may actually make the Wings worse off than (gasp!) letting him go and balancing out the team with the money left behind. It'd mean filling out a lot of the roster with Griffins and journeymen veterans if we keep him at that price. Now don't jump all over me and say I want Nick gone and accuse me of Hockeytown heresy. All's I'm saying is that the media is skirting the issue of Nick Lidstrom's dinosaur salary for 2005-2006, and expect for it to be addressed or else the Wings are going to be the Griffins again next season. And you all remember how bad the 2003-2004 season was...and that was due to injuries. So let's not self-inflict it by paying Lidstrom $7.6 million.