JOSEPH

These ol' warhorses looked pretty darn studly when reflected in that shiny Cup. But can all those Hall of Famers do it again? Come playoff time, Igor Larionov will be 42, Chris Chelios 41, Brett Hull 38, Luc Robitaille and Steve Yzerman (if he returns from knee surgery) 38. Goalie Curtis Joseph, 35, brought in to fill in for the retired Dominik Hasek, is the latest thirsty geezer to seek a sip from the grail.

	The Big Question
	Q: Plain and simple: Can the Wings repeat with Joseph? This team is again rock solid and can win the Cup again. Dave Lewis takes over, and he is calm and organized behind the bench. With assistants Barry Smith and Joe Kocur, there is strong familiarity. Everyone knows that Curtis Joseph can win games on his own. He will have to make adjustments because he won't have to win every game, just make the saves he's supposed to make. This is not an old team anymore. Pavel Datsyuk, newcomer Henrik Zetterberg, Jason Williams and Jiri Fischer are the future of this franchise. Steve Yzerman's absence will hurt, but in the long run his return in the New Year will add the necessary spark down the stretch and into the playoffs. -- Darren Pang
	Good: Curtis Joseph will get a lot of attention from fantasy owners now that he's in Detroit, but there are some lesser-known players with similarly big shoes to fill. Pavel Datsyuk leads a group of young forwards seeking to fill in for Steve Yzerman and ease the load on the team's other veterans. He should see regular minute and approach 55 points. Bad: Luc Robitaille managed to score 30 goals last season, but he also recorded just 18 assists and finished minus-two on the league's best team. A new coach gives him a chance to start fresh, but it's possible the 36-year-old winger is just fading away. -- Eric Karabell
	Top Prospect
	Danny Groulx, D The Red Wings signed Groulx as a free agent after an excellent junior career in the Quebec Hockey League. He won the QHL's Best Defender Award last season, totaling 112 points.
	Minors Outlook
	Grand Rapids Griffins One of the most consistently successful teams in the minors in recent seasons, the Griffins have a new affiliate in the Red Wings, and a new coach in former captain Danton Cole. Grand Rapids will control several of its own players, so should contend again. -- Bill Ballou

Forwards While Sergei Fedorov can certainly compensate for Steve Yzerman's absence from the Red Wings lineup, the captain's absence affects the defending champs depth at center, especially on faceoffs. Candidates for No. 2 duties come from opposite ends of the experience spectrum -- 41-year-old Igor Larionov or 24-year-old Pavel Datsyuk, who is coming off his first year in the NHL. Brendan Shanahan, Luc Robitaille and rookie Henrik Zetterberg provide better than average depth on the left wing. On the right, Brett Hull is the only true -- and consistent -- scorer. The Grind Line of Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper and Darren McCarty is one of the best checking lines in the league, but isn't relied on for scoring. Western Conference Position Ranking: T1st Defensemen When you've got the Norris Trophy winner and the runner-up, does it matter how much depth you've got? Nicklas Lidstrom (winner) and Chris Chelios (runner-up) play different styles -- one's a greyhound, the other a junkyard dog -- but both are at the top of their games. What better examples are there for Jiri Fischer, Maxim Kuznetsov and Jesse Wallin to learn from? Western Conference Position Ranking: 1st Goalie Isn't it nice to be able to go out and get the best goalie who isn't Patrick Roy or Martin Brodeur? In moving from Toronto to Detroit, Curtis Joseph went from the frying pan into the fire. He won't need to be a savior on a nightly basis, but he will be counted on to save the Wings' bacon every now and then . . . and to win the Cup. That's all. Better yet, if Joseph needs a night off, Manny Legace can more than adequately hold the fort. Western Conference Position Ranking: 2nd

Rankings: 2nd Overall
Forwards | Defensemen | Goalies

RECORD: 51-17-10-4, 116 points Rank: 1st overall 1st West 1st Central Playoffs: Def. CAR in Stanley Cup finals Home: 28-7-5-1 Road: 23-10-5-3 2001-02 results 2001-02 statistics 2002-03 schedule 2002-03 roster OFFENSE DEFENSE GOALS FOR/AVG. Overall: 251/3.06 (2nd) Home: 143/3.49 (1st) Road: 108/2.63 (11th) POWER PLAY Overall: 20.3/73-359 (2nd) Home: 24.3/44-181 (1st) Road: 16.3/29-178 (9th) GOALS AGAINST/AVG. Overall: 187/2.28 (4th) Home: 95/2.32 (13th) Road: 92/2.24 (2nd) PENALTY KILL Overall: 86.0/48-343 (8th) Home: 83.5/28-170 (22nd) Road: 88.4/20-173 (1st) STATS LEADERS GOALS Brendan Shanahan (37) Sergei Fedorov (30) Brett Hull (30) Luc Robitaille (30) ASSISTS Nicklas Lidstrom (50) Shanahan (38) Fedorov (37) POINTS Shanahan (75) Fedorov (67) Hull (63) PENALTY MINUTES Chris Chelios (122) Shanahan (118) Darren McCarty (98) PLUS/MINUS Chelios (+42) Kris Draper (+25) Shanahan (+24) Fedorov (+21) GAA (MIN. 20 GP) Dominik Hasek (2.12)* SAVE PERCENTAGE Hasek (.917)* * - no longer with team