BYE BYE LUC: My beloved Red Wings have decided to part ways with Luc Robitaille, the historically uberproductive winger whose scoring has dwindled in the past two seasons. While this is good -- I love how Ken Holland gets down to business every offseason, immediately starts retooling for the next Cup run -- it's also bittersweet. I'll miss the Detroit crowd's loving "Luuuuuuc" (those are not boos you here) cheer each time he does something spectacular, and I'll miss his seemingly affable, steady presence on a team laden with All-Star egos. Still, with Hull, Shanahan, Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Yzerman, and Fedorov, it's doubtful they'll miss his contributions as much as they might have missed the $3 million they'll save by parting ways.

Holland's first order of business is to lock up Sergei Fedorov, of course, but I'm not sure what's next. Cujo has two more years on his contract, so he's not going anywhere. What else can they do? What else should they do?

Thing is, Holland is not afraid to go looking for a blockbuster deal. But what do they need? This team, on paper and on the ice, was easily one of the best teams in the league...until the first round of the playoffs. I suspect we won't see any major moves through this offseason, that Dave Lewis will stay put, and that this year's aberration will, like the horrible Devils sweep of days gone by, serve as fuel for the next Cup run. But then I'm an optimist as well as a Wings fan.

Funny how different it is being a Wings fan than a Cubs fan, though. (I'm both.) As a Wings fan, you have the luxury and joy of imagining the Cup all year long...and the huge disappointment should they lose. Losing feels like a betrayal. As a Cubs fan, though, you expect losing, and so winning when it comes is like Indian Summer, a pleasant surprise that deep down you know won't last.