woo-hoo!  hockey news!!

Posted by ColdWar on 07/30/08 at 10:32 AM ET

good deal considering his upside..

but we’re officially in cap hell now..

walking a tightrope already with Chelios/Quincey and Downey/McCarty unsigned.

Posted by Pharazon from England on 07/30/08 at 10:34 AM ET

I was just about to ask if we were over the cap now. Kudos for getting Filppula locked up, though.

Posted by Alan from Atlanta on 07/30/08 at 10:37 AM ET

Wings have about $900,000 to sign Cheli, Mac/Downey. Assuming Cheli makes the league minimum and Mac/Downey sign 2-way deals, the Wings will be alright.

I still maintain Lilja will be gone before the season starts. Methinks Ericsson or Meech will impress enough at camp to crack the lineup.

Posted by Jeremy on 07/30/08 at 10:43 AM ET

$3 million per for a cap hit is a very good deal, considering what others were getting.

And if Detroit is over the cap, I’d rather be over the cap with less than $12 million tied up in goalies. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 10:44 AM ET

This definitely means that somebody’s gone to alleviate a cap crunch, but that was going to happen anyway, so Cheli and Mac will be re-signed, the Wings will go over the cap for a little bit, and some space will be cleared before “the last day of training camp.”

Given the fact that Filppula has some serious upside, this is a solid deal, a Kronwall-type deal that ensures that Filppula will remain a Wing regardless of whether he becomes a solid checking centre who can put up 15-20 goals and 40-50 points or whether he becomes the player the Wings hope will reflect his last AHL season, when he posted a 20-G-50-A-70-point season.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/30/08 at 10:56 AM ET

Oh yeah, by the way...spectacular work, Chief. 

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 07/30/08 at 10:56 AM ET

Kinda crazy - next year you have to give Z at least a 4mil raise and Franzen at least a 3mil raise.  I doubt the cap goes up 7mil… seems like it’d be impossible to keep Hossa longer than a year without shedding some other salary.

Posted by lobsterman on 07/30/08 at 10:58 AM ET

I like the deal. A tad expensive on the front end perhaps, but should work out to be a bargain by the 3rd year.

And then we’ve got Chief, who’s turning into a respectable(Don’t you dare cross that line) blogger and breaking news. Well done sir.

Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 07/30/08 at 11:13 AM ET

And then we’ve got Chief, who’s turning into a respectable(Don’t you dare cross that line) blogger

Motherfu**er...please

Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 07/30/08 at 11:14 AM ET

Wally for 5!
Great news!

Posted by w2j2 on 07/30/08 at 11:21 AM ET

This definitely means that somebody’s gone to alleviate a cap crunch, but that was going to happen anyway, so Cheli and Mac will be re-signed

George, who’s that ‘somebody’ though?  I don’t see anyone on the roster that should be let go just so the Wings can sign Cheli and Mac.  At first glance it looks to be Lilja.....but I don’t know.

(I do know you and I disagree on Cheli however.)

Posted by yawt from norcal on 07/30/08 at 11:21 AM ET

Good Golly Miss Molly!!!  Holland should be declared GM of the year—what an off-season he has had!  Out - Hasek.  In - Hossa (deal of the century), Conklin (on the cheap).  Retained - Stuart (on the cheap), and Fil (at a very reasonable price). 

Perhaps Holland’s new moniker should be “Golden Fleece”. 

He certainly is setting the bar ridiculously high for himself for the summer of ‘09.  We should all make immediate sacrifices to the hockey gods that the cap ceiling goes way up for next season. But that is a bridge that doesn’t need crossing for the moment.

Right now, we should all be salivating over the 08-09 campaign.  Holland has given Wing Nation every reason to believe that the Wings are the odds-on-favorite to hoist the Cup again in ‘09!  He has completed his obligation to the team in spades!  Time for Uncle Mike to do his part with the assembled cast of ridiculous talent!

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 07/30/08 at 11:22 AM ET

Tick Tock hinted right after the Lilly-ya signing that he was probably going to have trade bait during camp ... Given how high the organIzation is on developing it’s own talent (meech, quicners, ericsson), and given how stocked they are at D, I’d say Lilly is on his way out. 

Don’t think Holland hasn’t a plan for this.

Posted by ColdWar on 07/30/08 at 11:25 AM ET

SAWEEEEEET DUDE. I’ve been high on Fil since hearing Stevie give him high praise a couple years ago. He’s coming into his own on about the same pace as Pavel & Z did… it takes a couple of years to truly adapt to the North American game as well as buy into the system.

Chief, well played sir. The answer from Zito was all we needed.
The spoonfed Diggers hadn’t had a chance to have a taste, and once again the 19 are on the prowl.

To quote Andrew..."It’s good to be a Wing fan”.

Posted by MoWingsfan19 on 07/30/08 at 11:28 AM ET

To quote Doug Karsch on the Wings flagship station.

“Filppula will never see the 5th year of the contract, Holland will renegotiate the deal and raise the ante for him”.

Unless a new CBA comes out, can’t happen!

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/30/08 at 11:32 AM ET

If Lilja’s gone, I hope Quincey displays some decent PK ability, or Cheli has a bounce-back year at age 47.  I guess we’ll see.....in Tick Tock we trust.

Posted by yawt from norcal on 07/30/08 at 11:36 AM ET

Wings have about $900,000 to sign Cheli, Mac/Downey. Assuming Cheli makes the league minimum and Mac/Downey sign 2-way deals, the Wings will be alright.

That’s what I came up with as well, Jeremy...$977k to be exact.

I still maintain Lilja will be gone before the season starts.

As Goerge says, somebody’s got to go in order to fit Cheli, Mac/Downey and Quincey under the cap. And the largest salary among those who are “expendable” is Lilja. If he leaves and Cheli signs for $800k, Mac/Downey sign for $500k and Quincey gets maybe $600k, the Wings will have about $250k in “breathing room”...which they may need if they have to call Ericsson up.

Anyway, Fil’s signing could turn out to be almost as good as Kronwall’s and Hank’s last contracts. Just one more example of Kenny’s brilliance as well as the players’ desire to give up a little cash in order to stay in Detroit.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/30/08 at 11:37 AM ET

I wouldnt be shocked to see Hudler go. He’s the only tradeable one with anything even close to a significant cap hit who’s controlable for the future.

Lilja yes, but they just resigned him. I dont see Kenny breaking trust by signing him for cheap and then tossing him out. Not the wings way.

Posted by Nate A from Dark side of the moon on 07/30/08 at 11:44 AM ET

Except Holland has said before that Lilja was essentially insurance in case one of the younger defensemen didn’t pan out.

Lilja isn’t stupid - I’m sure he knows that if he is outplayed in training camp, he loses his job to someone else.  And defensemen are always in high demand, anyway - like pitchers in baseball.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 11:49 AM ET

What about Samuelsson?  With the addition of Hossa, we can afford to shed a skill-player/scorer from the lineup, and Stuart can easily take his spot on the 2nd PP unit.

Like trading Hudler, this clears a few minutes for a grinder to replace Drake (Kopecky / Abdelkader).

Also, Hudler is 24, Sammy is 31.  Hudler still has room to grow.  Samuelsson isn’t going to change much.  Neither would get much value in return, tho.

Posted by Cliff on 07/30/08 at 12:01 PM ET

And defensemen are always in high demand, anyway - like pitchers in baseball

Tampa and Phoenix are two prime targets to send Lilja. Tampa has about 50 forwards and 2 capable D, so I can definitely see them going for a STANLEY CUP CHAMPION defenseman in Lilja.

Posted by rwingscup19 from Dallas on 07/30/08 at 12:01 PM ET

I wouldnt be shocked to see Hudler go.

Yep, I thought the same thing as soon as I read the price tag on Fil.

Well...no...the first thing I thought was “Bill sniffed out two stories in two days?  Crap, we’re going to be hearing about that all Winter long.”

Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 07/30/08 at 12:10 PM ET

Screw this MSU guy, apparently Chief is bucking for the next deep digger job to open up....

security word?
51already

Posted by rwingscup19 from Dallas on 07/30/08 at 12:14 PM ET

Tampa and Phoenix are two prime targets to send Lilja. Tampa has about 50 forwards and 2 capable D, so I can definitely see them going for a STANLEY CUP CHAMPION defenseman in Lilja.

And he’s a MONSTER SHOT-BLOCKER, too! 

I wouldn’t mind seeing Samuelsson go.  I don’t think he’s so much streaky as not particularly good offensively.  By chance his shots tend to go in in groups, but ... if the puck could talk, I’m sure that as soon as it was on his stick it would start screaming, “Not the glass!  Not the glass again!  The pain!  The pain!”

Poor little hockey puck.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 12:15 PM ET

I actually think Lebda should go before Lilja.  It seems to me that it’s kinda redundant to have both Lebda and Meech; they would never form a pairing together, and I just think Meech has the higher upside (and he outplayed Lebda by quite a bit back in February), but Lebda has the ‘experience’ over him.  Lebda with his speed would really excel in the Eastern conference, and with his value being high right now after his performance against the Pens we should be able to get a decent pick for him.

But yeah, we can speculate all we want but it’ll come down to TC and those pre-season games.

Posted by yawt from norcal on 07/30/08 at 12:27 PM ET

I totally agree this is a great signing, a bit heavy for a 40-50 point man right now, but he’s like 21 and looks like an 18 year old.  In two years when he potting in 60-70 and those types of player are going for 7-8 million, we’ll once again be WAY ahead of the curve.

Posted by moore00 from the Ohio State University on 07/30/08 at 12:30 PM ET

N-i-i-i-i-i-i-c-e!

So we can now figure out Zetterberg’s and Franzen’s future contracts.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/30/08 at 12:30 PM ET

Well...no...the first thing I thought was “Bill sniffed out two stories in two days?

Congrats Chief!

By chance his shots tend to go in in groups, but ... if the puck could talk, I’m sure that as soon as it was on his stick it would start screaming, “Not the glass!  Not the glass again!  The pain!  The pain!”

Poor little hockey puck.

Hahahaha...I think the puck from OT of game 5 against the Pens had to retire after all the abuse.  How many shots did he miss in that one?

Posted by yawt from norcal on 07/30/08 at 12:40 PM ET

ahh, now i can stop checking this page 10 times a day and piss off my fiancee who wonders, “didn’t the Wings win the Cup? isn’t the season over ‘til October?”

*#$%@&. yes. Wally!

let’s see the spread sheet for salaries this year and the next. who should we trade? Lebda? William Tell?

and does Wally seriously make more money this year than Hank?! insane!

Posted by Alex from San Francisco on 07/30/08 at 12:42 PM ET

What about Samuelsson?  With the addition of Hossa, we can afford to shed a skill-player/scorer from the lineup

Me thinks there’s about 19 YES votes to that one… but then whom would Uncle Mike have his an crush on?
Hossa>Samuelson in the scoring dep’t.
Agreed on sending Lebbie off before Lilja (did I say that out loud???).
Camp outta be interesting for sure.

Posted by MoWingsfan19 on 07/30/08 at 12:42 PM ET

Great news on a seering hot day in the Rocky Mtn. west.  I think I’ll call the Ass Can to see about getting tickets to the Dec. 27th game against the Dive.  Gotta think cold right now. 
Besides, I have to reconnect with Terry Frei and Woody Page since they won’t talk to me anymore.  Something about being an arrogant “Transplant”.

Posted by Jeff from Loveland, CO on 07/30/08 at 12:53 PM ET

YESSSSS!  You show ‘em, Fil!  Man.  Remember Jimmy D saying that he wanted someone with the Red Wings crest tattooed on his chest for Captain, and that’s how we got The Captain?  Another player shows he’s got the same tattoo.  Along with Nick, Homer, Draper, Maltby, Cleary, Pavs, Kronner, Stuart, etc.

Guess making Fil’s Bobby Orr-style flying goal from Game 2 my wallpaper this week made a difference.  In one year, two tops, this deal will look like a steal.  And we won’t need to worry about re-signing him for a while even if Nick takes another two-year extension and we can concentrate on re-signing Z and either Franzen or Hossa.  Fil on a long-term.  GREAT news.

Yeah, somebody’s gone after camp, but my money’s on Lebda.  We don’t have enough physicality, and Nate’s right-- it’s definitely NOT the Wings way to re-sign and then trade a player, so they’ll try to keep Lilja.  And a forward’s gone now too.  It’ll be one with trade value for picks, one whose contract is at least $1 million.  William Tell or Happy, I’m looking at you...But with either of them gone, here’s hoping Leino pans out.  We’re going to need all the cap space we can get next summer.  There will probably be more trades then, and they will probably be in order to get under the cap.

I think Dave at Gorilla crouch nailed it with Sammy-- he’s a checker who can occasionally score, not a scorer who is streaky.  So he really should be on a checking line, not a scoring line.  Then maybe the jays of the crease-crashers would be a little bit safer.  Not to mention that poor cute widdle puck, Baroque.

And I’ve been a bit busy to comment on everything at length, but one thing about Maltby and Draper: Yeah, you can replace what they bring to the ice, maybe for cheaper, both at even-strength and on the PK.  But you can’t replace the leadership, the morale boost, the experience and intangibles-- the ‘glue’ that was so important to this Stanley Cup victory (perhaps the most important).  The cohesiveness that they bring.  It’s like Downey-- he didn’t touch the ice at all in the playoffs, but he made his contract playing the locker room, and word is he was worth every penny.  What Draper and Maltby bring to the team, even in their declining years, is worth at least the $2.1 million they’ll make between them.

BTW, Osrt, I’m still working on my completion of John Locke’s last work, but...he only wrote two treatises on government-- brilliant as they are (I don’t delve deeply into philosophy, though his political philosophy, especially that on The State, is some of my favorite work), there are none unfinished.  He DID write three Letters Concerning Toleration, and left a fourth unfinished.  But since I’m not that deep on philosophy, maybe I should leave that work to you-- you’re better at it than I am anyway.  I’ll just curl up in the corner with my copy of An Essay Concerning Human Understanding and try to get to grips with Empiricism.

Or maybe, given the hit I had with a one-liner yesterday, I should just stick to brevity.

And now, back to the Mats Sundin watch.  In about a week, I’m going to feel like downing a bottle of whiskey and trying to forget that the Summer of Sundin ever happened.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the A2Y 19, poor in ducats but wealthy in players on 07/30/08 at 01:02 PM ET

Next up:  Hank. 

While this might seem expensive for him this year or even next year perhaps… by the end of this deal, he’ll seem like a bargain for what he’ll bring to the table.

I believe in Flipper.

Posted by HockeyJoe from NY on 07/30/08 at 01:07 PM ET

After his solid play in the playoffs, especially the Finals, I don’t think Happy’s going anywhere...unless it’s part of a package deal that just too attractive to pass up. Right now, the Wings simply need to clear out some salary and Lilja’s salary fits the bill perfectly.

As for moving Lebda instead of Lilja, here’s why I think that won’t happen. With Lilja gone, the final pairing can rotate on a regular basis using Cheli-Meech and Quincey-Lebda. Everybody plays, and each pairing has a stay-at-home defender and an offensive guy. And the first call-up is Ericsson. He’s basically Lilja with more offensive upside.

Personally, I’d like to see Kenny move Lilja, Quincey and Sammy in a package deal for an NHL-ready forward...someone on an entry-level contract who can move back and forth between Detroit and G.R. if needed. The competition for Sammy’s old spot would be between Happy, Leino and the new guy. And the final defensive pairing would come from Cheli, Meech and Lebda.

Now, does anyone have Kenny’s number? I’d like to talk to him about this personally.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/30/08 at 01:08 PM ET

According to nhlnumbers.com, the Wings have only $610k in cap space left:
http://nhlnumbers.com/overview.php?team=DET&season=0809

Hockey Buzz reports the wings have more like $970k left:
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/cap-central/team.php?team=DET

The difference?  NHL Numbers includes Ericsson’s $900k in the cap hit (assuming he’ll be playing with the big club all year), and excludes Meech’s $483k.  Hockey Buzz does vice versa, including Meech but not Ericsson.

So, with that said, I suppose it remains to be seen who actually *will* count against the cap number this year, as we all know it will go to those who impress the most in training camp.  The Wings have 15 forwards, 8 defensemen, and 3 goalies to choose from, with the possibilities of Chelios, Mac, or Downey being offered contracts.  I’m thinking they’ll just jump up over the cap number and weed everyone out in the training camp, ignoring their current “cap room”.

Posted by BuzzFledderjohn on 07/30/08 at 01:35 PM ET

thank you gary’s ass@

Posted by Kristie from Ann Arbor on 07/30/08 at 02:21 PM ET

I’m going to feel like downing a bottle of whiskey and trying to forget that the Summer of Sundin ever happened.

I’d say that’s a physical imposibillium (anyone know the lyrical reference there?) as this is the SUMMER OF STANLEY!
Sundin? Who is this Diva you refer to anyway?

You are a unique individual Andrew… you lose me with your literary references and then completely speak my language? Then again much of my literary material these days is geared to my almost 7 year old little dude....complete with phonemic spelling. Hokd on phonix werkd fer mee.
Oddly enough the word schools is in the security word....

Posted by MoWingsfan19 on 07/30/08 at 03:51 PM ET

That’s because Andrew phases in and out of the current, shared reality - sometimes he is in the same phase with you, sometimes not, and that is when he is completely incomprehensible. 

(That’s my working hypothesis, anyway.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/30/08 at 03:56 PM ET

I’m still working on my completion of John Locke’s last work, but...he only wrote two treatises on government

part of the joke you philosophical drunkard!

Yay FIL!  We should get that kid a modeling job as well so all the tennybopper little girls can have posters of him.

I agree with OTC that Hudler keeps showing too much to be traded. He gets his points and was able to quarterback the powerplay at some points––he’s like a Czech Mini-me of Shanny.

Nate makes a good point about not trading away someone you just signed and Lebda, I think, has more potential trade value. Since everyone is looking for a capable puck moving defenseman, in order to emulate us, why not actually take one of our guys.

Posted by Osrt on 07/30/08 at 05:22 PM ET

I hope this big, new contract came with a big, new set of boots.  Time to start playing like a big boy, Filppula.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 07/30/08 at 08:50 PM ET

Filppula hasn’t earned this yet, so if Holland continues his pattern of signing guys long-term to more money than they appear to be worth before they break out, this deal is genius. If the Filppula doesn’t pan out, Holland can always trade him to Tampa, who will undoubtedly be looking to add another forward.

But take note that there’s no “discount” being given here, since the Detroit “discount” thing is at best, overstated and at worst, a myth. If Filppula didn’t take one, Datsyuk didn’t take one (he got Spezza money, the same offseason, with slightly lesser pedigree and numbers, though D’s clearly the better player now), Chelios never took one, and Lidstrom didn’t take one until he was 38, well, who exactly did? Holmstrom, Datsyuk, Kronwall all signed long-term for at or above their market price (at the time) and then significantly improved, which is an awesome thing for a franchise, but none are examples of a “discount.”

Just reiterating my belief that Zetterberg will follow suit with all of these players and end up with compensation in the $8mm’s. And that the thought of Zetterberg being compensated in the $6mm’s is, as of today, even more ludicrous.

Posted by Steve on 07/31/08 at 07:58 PM ET