Abel to Yzerman
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“Hello? Darren? Anybody Home?”
by IwoCPO on 02/25/08 at 10:19 AM ET
Comments (31)
Memo to Darren McCarty:
Accept the frigging offer
WTF are you waiting on? Isn’t this what it was all about? Getting back to Detroit? Are you expecting more money from someone else?
Oh, it’ s the money? Is that what this is for? Because the longer you wait, the more likely it seems that it’s the cash that’s bringing you back. I suppose I’d be naive to think that the money doesn’t have something to do with it. But, c’mon. Enough already. Do you think Ken Holland has time to dink around with you today? He doesn’t. Bigger fish Darren. Bigger frigging fish today.
Accept the offer....dumbass.
Yeah. I still think major re-construction over the next twenty four is a bad idea. No. I don’t think Kenny’s listening to me. Again. So, I guess it’s time to put myself into the mind of the wunderkind and make a few predictions as to what’s going to shake out before 1500 tomorrow.
Ready? Great. Here we go.
To the Wings: Nik Antropov, Ron Hainsey.
To Toronto: Jiri Hudler, future considerations
To Columbus: 2nd rounder and a prospect, a deep one.
If the Wings were to land a “big name”, who would it be?
Dan Boyle.
Where’s Hossa end up?
East. Ottawa’s my guess.
What about your boy, Jokinen?
Dallas, and that sucks.
And Fedorov?
Still a possibility for Detroit. I’m not counting him out. But if Holland has the choice between he and Antropov, the younger, bigger non-rental would be the guy.
Oh...and since we’re talking Wing reunion tours today...keep Marty Lapointe in your back pocket as a conversation topic when you try and impress your neighbors this evening.
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Comments
I agree. There’s absolutely no reason he should be mulling this over. There was talk over at LGW that its a facade, that there is no mulling and that itll be made official today.
Personally, i could care less if he takes it or not. I love Dmac, and one of my most memorable Wings goals includes his one against the Flyers.
But if I had my choice between him, or someone that helps us out with your secondary scoring… I’d have to go with the latter. (And there is NO WAY he will even be a name we include in a month (if we sign him) in those that we deem secondary scorers).
Posted by GoCryWolfe from Indy on 02/25/08 at 10:31 AM ET
Mac does know that this is his only chance of making it back to the NHL, right? Once his PTO is over and the deadline is past, he’s on the outside looking in, once again.
Antropov would be nice, that’s for sure. Signed through next season, so he wouldn’t be a rental, though he gets a nice raise from this year to next ($1.95 million to $2.15 million).
Not sure Hainsey (or any other defender) is necessary, though. Meech looks like an NHLer already and Ericsson just needs a few more games under his belt.
Posted by Matt Saler from Grand Rapids, MI on 02/25/08 at 10:42 AM ET
On Friday I was wondering about whether he would sign or not, considering other teams are reportedly showing some sort of interest in him. But I’m starting to think this is a non-story. His agent is probably doing exactly what his agent is supposed to do, and that’s make sure his client gets the best deal possible from the Wings.
I imagine his agent is pushing for some sort of incentives, especially considering the Wings are essentially going to pay him $100k and he’s going to be expected to grind long into the playoffs. At the end of the day, he’ll take what the Wings give him and he’ll be grateful.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 02/25/08 at 11:20 AM ET
Antropov for Hudler and future considerations sounds good. I could definitely live with that. But nobody needs Hainsey for a good prospect unless it’s one of the mid-level defensemen we’ve got in the system. And a second-rounder in a deep draft to go with it? Nah. Hainsey doesn’t really bring anything to our depleted defense that we don’t already have.
I think Dallas gets whatever they want from Tampa or Florida-- as Spector pointed out, they have the defense and goaltending prospects that those teams crave.
My guess on D-Mac is that he’s signed, we just haven’t heard about it. But if I’m wrong, then he just went down in my estimation.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from right behind Eklund, sneaking up on him with a clu on 02/25/08 at 11:20 AM ET
Throw in Brett Lebda, too, and I like that Antropov deal…
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 02/25/08 at 11:25 AM ET
Oh, good point about the agent, Gabriel. I’d forgotten about that. Apologies to D-Mac.
Agents are leeching scumbags.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Don Meehan's closet, lurking with a baseball bat on 02/25/08 at 11:26 AM ET
d-mac should stop pussy-footing around. the wings are classy enough to offer him a second chance. up and above that it is probably his agent. after all he has a vested interest in getting more money. i wonder what his cut is.
Posted by kate from pa. on 02/25/08 at 11:29 AM ET
I’m not sure what the percentage the agent takes is...but I’m curious as to why more players don’t just pay their agents a flat fee. I think a couple of football players (inc. Peyton Manning) do that, and it has always made more sense to me - especially for a really simple contract, such as for a rookie. There isn’t a lot of complicated language and it wouldn’t take as long to look it over.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 11:38 AM ET
Taking a flat rate would be like working for a salary versus hourly. Agents, I’d assume, would rather be commission on your bigger name players and salary on the lesser quality players. It would like being salary plus time and a half after 40.
Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 02/25/08 at 11:52 AM ET
Happy and “future considerations” (whatever that means) for Antropov? Well, if Babcock is absolutely determined to bury the kid on the fouth line, then I guess that’s an acceptable trade. I hate seeing a natural stick-handler like Happy go and a natural puck-turner-over like Sammy stay, but if it has to be, it has to be.
As for Hainsey, the description of his “flaws” on TSN.ca says it all for me: Is far too soft for his 6-3, 211-pound frame. Needs more polish in the defensive zone. Is still a bit raw in all three zones. That’s not a Babcock kind of player.
On a personal note, hey, Kate from PA, here’s a suggestion for you. Look at the second row from the bottom on your keyboard. On either side, you’ll find one of the hallmarks of intelligent communication. It’s called the Shift key. You’ll be amazed at how much easier your posts are to read once you learn how to use it. Go ahead, give it a try. Just press, hold and type any letter. Cool, huh! 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 02/25/08 at 11:56 AM ET
I know it’s better for the agents - I just wonder that more players don’t push for it.
Or even just work on billable hours, instead of a percentage of the final contract - I don’t know how much is apocryphal, but you hear stories about agents advising clients to push for more money by threatening to sit out, even though it will hurt the player’s development, because with a higher contract the agent gets more cash. More prevalent in other sports, I suppose, but still not fair to the player involved in such a situation.
Maybe because so many of them are so young when they first get an agent, and that is just the way it’s been done - they don’t think to change the terms themselves.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 11:59 AM ET
OLDERTHANCHELIOS, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR.
Posted by Gabriel from San Diego, CA on 02/25/08 at 12:00 PM ET
I agree with OTC. I’d rather see Samuelsson go than hudler - maybe Toronto would go for a more established player?
I’d hate to see Hudler go anywhere, but I think if he went to Atlanta as part of a return for Hossa he would do very well. I just wish he’s get more opportunity in Detroit.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 12:01 PM ET
Gabriel - Stop yelling! We can hear you just fine.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/25/08 at 12:03 PM ET
hey older than chelois, on a personal note,here’s a suggestion for you. just skip over my posts. that way you won’t be so offended by my lack of shift key usage. just what does the shift key have to do with hockey anyway?
Posted by kate from pa. on 02/25/08 at 12:05 PM ET
Reader friction. First sign that the stress train is reached max capacity.
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 02/25/08 at 12:07 PM ET
I think I heard somewhere that Darren’s agent was part of the hold up; he also represents that Spitfire’s player who died last week and has been dealing with that issue and unavailable. I don’t know that I buy it now, 4 days later, but at the time I saw the story it seemed reasonable.
Posted by wingsfanindenver from 'lanche land on 02/25/08 at 12:09 PM ET
Hmmmm. Struck a nerve there, huh, Kate?
Okay, you skip the oppressive demands of intelligent communication and I’ll skip your posts. Sounds fair to me.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 02/25/08 at 12:14 PM ET
To the Wings: Nik Antropov,
To Toronto: Jiri Hudler, future considerations
How about Sammy instead of Whoodler!!!
At least Whoodler doesn’t have Langsidaisicalitis. Freaking Sammy and his turnovers. I think, with his new mane, he is spending too much time worried about his coif.
Antropov would be a nice fit, big frame, really good point production this season, and he has another year left on his contract after this season at $2.15.
Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 02/25/08 at 12:17 PM ET
Reader friction. First sign that the stress train (has) reached max capacity.
Actually, Chief, I feel remarkably unstressed today...unlike last year. The reason is I think Kenny has learned his lesson about trading top prospects for iffy rentals, and I think this team is pretty darn solid just the way it is. In fact, the recent injuries have shown that Meech is definitely ready for at least third-pairing defensive duty, and Quincy, Ericsson and Howard have shown they’re almost ready for primetime. So, I’ll be happy with whatever Kenny does.
And if he should happen to come up with a second-line scorer (like, oh, I don’t know, maybe Prospal), I’ll be both stress-free and ecstatic.
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 02/25/08 at 12:25 PM ET
The emergence of Meech (and Ericcson) makes Lebda redundant. He’s easy trade bait.
Posted by bababooey on 02/25/08 at 12:28 PM ET
ooooh, i guess you really told me. i wasn’t aware of the grammar police.
Posted by kate from pa. on 02/25/08 at 12:28 PM ET
What about Antropov and Ian White for Hudler and futures? Young, cheap puckmover, seems like a better option than Hainsey.
Posted by Dan from Halifax on 02/25/08 at 12:32 PM ET
I’d be happy to do Hudler and Lebda straight up for Antropov. Not that TO would, but I would!
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 02/25/08 at 12:36 PM ET
OTC, I’m actually with you on this. I’d much rather see William Tell and Lebda go in exchange for Antropov, but if you were an intelligent Leafs fan, would you go for this trade? Neither would I. And of course the moron Toronto management would go for it, but would Fletcher? He’s not as dumb as Barry Trotz looks.
I’d love to see Happy stick around and show us what he can do (especially on the PP) when the whole team is healthy, but I think he’s enticing enough that he could make a trade. Samuelsson and Lebda (I was thinking the same thing on the way home tonight, Bababooey; Meech has shown himself to be a more than capable upgrade over Lebda), on their own or together, probably aren’t.
And Chief, a former Boy Scout like you should know-- excessive friction leads to burning.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from the gypsy tent, for a tarot reading of trades on 02/25/08 at 12:41 PM ET
Obviously, Mac (or his agent) reads A2Y- he has signed for 1 yr.
Posted by mudshark from Divetown, Colorado on 02/25/08 at 01:41 PM ET
Reader friction. First sign that the stress train is reached max capacity.
Friction.......not to pile on Chief, but we are out of Rum in the Club Car. Oh and the Scrabble game is back...but the capital letters are missing.
Posted by Rumbear from Sandy Eggo on 02/25/08 at 01:48 PM ET
Get rid of Lilja first, then and ONLY then will Lebda be our worst d-man and we can dog him much more effectively.
Posted by Dahrken from Grand Rapids, MI on 02/25/08 at 02:59 PM ET
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Posted by bababooey on 02/25/08 at 10:25 AM ET