Abel to Yzerman
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The Pain Will Be So Very Good
by IwoCPO on 06/15/09 at 09:45 AM ET
Comments (67)
It was a tough weekend for all of us. But it’s over and no matter how many times you imagine it differently, none of the shots taken the final 16 seconds went in. And no matter what, that’s really all that counts.
The task at hand now for Tick Tock and Uncle Mike? First…figure out what happened in Games 6 and 7. The Wings essentially played two periods worth remembering, both 3rds. And, as usual, they only really turned it on when both situations were at their most dire. No matter the fatigue, or the injuries or the pressure or whatever. Someone needs to figure out how to get this team away from that kind of malaise.
Oh, fatigue had a bit to do with it. But not entirely. It happened all year. Now that we’re done we can all look back and admit that the ferocity and the surgical precision with which the Wings played right off the hop against Columbus surprised, even shocked, most of us. They really could “flip the switch”. And they did. But the shelf life ran out two games too soon. The switch came unflipped at the same time the Wings faced off against a Pens team that had nothing to lose after getting spanked in Game 5. They were hungrier, grittier and—in those two games—better.
Now? The Wings have to deal with it. Now the players can head home and occasionally remember what they were doing last year at this time. They can consider where the Cup is now, and where it would have been had they been able to sustain the energy from Game 5 for just three more periods. Hopefully the same pain you feel as a fan is consuming them. Hopefully it’s ten times worse. While you and I can escape it, Marian Hossa won’t be able to. And if he stays, that will be a good thing. Same with Brad Stuart and even Chris Osgood, who will think of Talbot’s second goal all summer.
And now? Decisions have to be made. A roster has to be formed and in Tick Tock’s mind I’ll bet it already is. You already know who I believe will be on it…and his sweater includes the numbers 1 and 8 but not the name “Maltby.” Who else? Remains to be seen. I’m hoping Andres Lilja, but we literally have no idea about that. Had he been aboard for this run? Could have been different. Just look at the PK in Game 3 and 4 and imagine Lilja in there. Come to think of it, could have been worse too. Insert a smiley face there if you’re so inclined.
So Ken Holland and Mike Babcock have to find a balance, especially if keeping Hossa is a priority…which it should be. They have to reconcile the idea of losing a popular Jiri Hudler and an inconsistent but at times clutch Mikael Samuelsson. Questions have to be raised about a sudden lack of depth on the blue line and whether Ville Leino and Justin Abdelkader are actually ready for the big time. Another question may center around why there seems to be some institutional mandate that Jimmy Howard be granted a roster spot he hasn’t earned.
But most of all, these two architects need to put their heads together and determine how they’re going to re-introduce the hunger of ‘08 to the team of ‘09, while keeping in mind that this team has played more hockey the last four years (include the Olympics in there too) than any team in NHL history.
While they’re at it…this: Time to tell Brad McCrimmon goodbye. Interestingly, he’s never been fully identified as the guy behind the Wing penalty kill. But I think it’s safe to assume that he is. Uncle Mike needs to find the best penalty killing mind in the business who isn’t an NHL head coach and get him to Detroit STAT. Chris Osgood was the best goalie in the playoffs, yet our PK was disgusting. And it had been all year. It wasn’t a blip or a ten-game stretch. It was an abomination all season long and that needs to be rectified. Find a genius Mike. Find him and bring him to our home.
I don’t know if the Cap is going to decrease. I don’t know what moves the Wings will have to make in order to keep Hossa. I’m also not positive that Hudler and Samuelsson have to be the guys who leave. Darren Helm has to have the organ-I-zation considering a few more options other than the obvious.
So changes are in order, but here’s the thing that is going to gnaw and nag at you all year. It makes no difference what kind of shakeup Holland orchestrates, or what kind of change in motivation this team has over the next ten months if Pavel Datsyuk, Nick Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Kris Draper all get hurt at roughly the same time like they did this season. If they had all been healthy for the Final? Who knows. If Sergei Gonchar had been completely healthy maybe our PK would have been exposed far more than it was.
Changes are coming. The roster’s going to be different. And I would bet that the intensity is going to be off the charts, and not just in late Spring of 2010. I would think that the Wings have one wish, and it’s very specific. Not just a return to the Final, and not just Cup #12. I’m betting that soon, once the physical hurt wears off, an entire organ-I-zation is going to do whatever it can to keep a deeper pain alive until a chance at redemption presents itself. Every move made this summer should be accomplished with that in mind.
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Comments
No matter the fatigure
Fatigure?
Posted by Animal Drew from The Mitten on 06/15/09 at 10:50 AM ET
I’m not allowed to make words up anymore? Is that a new rule or something?
Posted by IwoCPO from Sunny San Diego, bitches on 06/15/09 at 09:52 AM ET
Fatigure?
Posted by Animal Drew from The Mitten on 06/15/09 at 10:50 AM ET
It’s like fatigue, but more tiring. 
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 09:53 AM ET
While they’re at it…this: Time to tell Brad McCrimmon goodbye. Interestingly, he’s never been fully identified as the guy behind the Wing penalty kill. But I think it’s safe to assume that he is.
Totally agree 100%.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 09:56 AM ET
Fatigure
That’s French for “loamy stool,” right?
Posted by TeamDub from The gratch. on 06/15/09 at 09:56 AM ET
I thought Fatigure was going to be the new nickname for that French goalie currently on his way out of Anaheim.
Posted by DetroitHockey on 06/15/09 at 09:56 AM ET
I’m not allowed to make words up anymore? Is that a new rule or something?
Posted by IwoCPO from Washington, DC on 06/15/09 at 10:52 AM ET
It’s like fatigue, but more tiring.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:53 AM ET
Got it. Noted.
On to more important matters, would anyone be surprised if someone drops a Kevin Lowe-esque offer sheet at Happy Feet..err…make that Happy’s feet? I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I love Happy, but if he moves on to greener financial pastures, we’ve got Ville to step into his role. Leino was under-utilized in the play-offs…he’s not a checker and I think he could fill in for Oompa Loompa quite nicely if it comes down to it.
William Tell is another story. This is a guy who’s bounced around from team to team with little success until he got here. He should know that he is a product of the system here so it wouldn’t surprise me if he took a hometown discount to stick around…unless he’s a greedy bastard and ungrateful wretch. Stay tuned.
This is going to be a long offseason…even though it’s going to be the shortest in the league.
Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 06/15/09 at 09:58 AM ET
As in: “We lost the Cup to injuries and officiating. It fatigures.”
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 06/15/09 at 09:58 AM ET
I love this place. This is my first non-cup winning offseason with the 19. And this is exactly the type of post I needed to see.
Friday night still hurts. Aint gonna lie. But here’s to an entire season of STFU next year.
And please, for the love of god, fix the PK. Please.
that is all.
Posted by twistedwrister on 06/15/09 at 10:05 AM ET
I honestly don’t know what’s coming, but after that postseason, and knowing how badly Hossa must be hurtin’ in his soul, I’m actually kinda reconciled to losing Happy (and gaining a few draft picks) over him. If William Tell wants to stick around because he knows he wouldn’t do as well anywhere else, he’ll find a way—probably at the same salary as he’s currently making. If not, after his play in the playoffs, adios. Otherwise, there are only two things I’m interested in fixing: first, the PK. Whoever was in charge of this abortion of an excuse for a penalty kill should be hung, drawn, and quartered, and their head stuck on a pike outside the Joe. If that’s McCrimmon, so be it. He was a great defenseman on the ice, but lousy at defense from behind the bench. Curt Fraser may be a good idea if we can poach him from the Griffs. Otherwise, our scouts need to get on that with the same kind of urgency they’d have if Nick retired. Assume Lilja isn’t coming back and DO SOMETHING.
Second thing? The hunger. The drive. We don’t have a star defenseman in a wheelchair from a drunk driver, and it looks like “Win This One For Hoss” just wasn’t quite enough. I’ll stump up the money to blow that photo of Rosby with the Cup to four feet by two feet and frame it to put it up in the locker room if that’s what it’ll take, and I think it will. I want them all to hurt when they look at it, to remember what could have been with one or two more goals, with tighter and more intelligent defense, with a little more drive.
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 06/15/09 at 10:08 AM ET
There has been so much talk about signing Hossa, but I’m going a little off topic to suggest that the Wings make a play for Laperriere.
Dallas Drake-By-Proxy? Interesting…
Has he ever won a Cup?
Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 06/15/09 at 10:10 AM ET
On to more important matters, would anyone be surprised if someone drops a Kevin Lowe-esque offer sheet at Happy Feet..err…make that Happy’s feet? I wouldn’t be surprised at all. I love Happy, but if he moves on to greener financial pastures, we’ve got Ville to step into his role. Leino was under-utilized in the play-offs…he’s not a checker and I think he could fill in for Oompa Loompa quite nicely if it comes down to it.
No. The signing season does funny things to GMs - some of them seem to run around like guys searching frantically for Christmas gifts on Christmas Eve, racing from store to store with their list, desperate to get SOMETHING to put under the tree. Times like that stores tend to find all the oddball junk in the back room, put it on a table with a sign that says “Great Gift Ideas! Only $10.00 or Less!” and watch the crap vanish. The GMs are just like those guys sometimes.
I’d hate to see him leave, too - but wish him well all the same.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:11 AM ET
I think Larry Murphy would be a wonderful assistant coach.
He might even interpret the Babcock dialect for us.
Could we start a petition?
Posted by w2j2 on 06/15/09 at 10:12 AM ET
Has he ever won a Cup?
Never been further than the 2nd round. I still kind of like the idea though.
Posted by Triple Deke Tyler from Lansing on 06/15/09 at 10:13 AM ET
Can I throw out the crazy idea of assistant coach Chris Chelios?
Posted by DetroitHockey on 06/15/09 at 10:14 AM ET
Granted he ran our beloved Captain, but if he helps bring the cup, who cares what happened in the past (I didn’t much care for Hull or Hasek before they came to Motown). It’s gonna take a miracle just to sign Hoss, so maybe this is wishful thinking.
Posted by Cainer4Wingsglory from Seoul, Korea on 06/15/09 at 11:07 AM ET
True, he did - and I would have unhesitatingly run him over with my car afterwards - but it IS part of his job, and it wasn’t really a cheap shot - and certainly not to the head. As I recall it was a legal and hard check - just irritating because it was Nick who got hit.
I wonder why Colorado doesn’t want him, though? He wouldn’t be expensive, he’d probably like to stay - do they know something about him or are they just not sure what they are doing?
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:15 AM ET
I think Larry Murphy would be a wonderful assistant coach.
He might even interpret the Babcock dialect for us.
Could we start a petition?
Murph can barely describe a 2-on-1 without his head falling off; I’m not sure how well he’d be at communicating to players. However, it would be infinitely entertaining if they still let him be the 3rd announcer on FSD broadcasts.
Posted by Triple Deke Tyler from Lansing on 06/15/09 at 10:15 AM ET
I think Larry Murphy would be a wonderful assistant coach.
He might even interpret the Babcock dialect for us.
Could we start a petition?Posted by w2j2 on 06/15/09 at 11:12 AM ET
You are assuming, however, that Murph and Babble are mutually translatable - what if they aren’t?
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:17 AM ET
Okay, I just cracked up imagining a conversation between Babcock, Murphy, and Holmstrom.
“Jesus, Homer” indeed.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:19 AM ET
Murph can barely describe a 2-on-1 without his head falling off; I’m not sure how well he’d be at communicating to players.
Posted by Triple Deke Tyler from Lansing on 06/15/09 at 11:15 AM ET
Agreed. I’m not sure about that.
Can I throw out the crazy idea of assistant coach Chris Chelios?
Posted by DetroitHockey on 06/15/09 at 11:14 AM ET
I am more okay with Chelios than most people I know, but I would just like him to go away for now.
Posted by jennyquarx on 06/15/09 at 10:27 AM ET
I’m back from Pittsburgh and it’s so nice to be among the 19 again. There were a lot of people from Detroit for the Tigers-Pirates games and I’d often hear a “Let’s go Tigers!” chant in front of the hotel or on a street. When my group would pass them by we’d tell them “Go Tigers! Go Wings!” and the chant would switch to “Let’s go Red Wings!” And this was on Saturday. Detroit solidarity. It made me proud.
Time to tell Brad McCrimmon goodbye.
From your blog to God’s, er, Holland’s eyes. Watching the PK was like watching a train wreck: you knew something bad was about to happen, but you just couldn’t turn your eyes away. I’d like the Wings’ defense to return to its 2007-2008 season level.
I’d like to keep Hudler because despite his average at best defense, he goes to the net and is willing to be punished to get the puck. If he goes at least we’ll get a few draft picks and start building for the future. As for Sammy, yeah he’s a cagey veteran, but his costly mistakes and poor decisions with the puck make it easy for me not to be sorry if he isn’t signed.
Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 06/15/09 at 10:35 AM ET
I am more okay with Chelios than most people I know, but I would just like him to go away for now.
Posted by jennyquarx on 06/15/09 at 11:27 AM ET
I think he needs a gap between coaching and playing so he can have a more honest and detached outlook - but I could see that at some point in the future.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 10:36 AM ET
Can I throw out the crazy idea of assistant coach Chris Chelios?
Well, at least he wouldn’t be on the ice. Would he be more effective than McCrimmon at running the PK? (Part of me says it couldn’t get any worse than it was this year.)
Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 06/15/09 at 10:39 AM ET
If Maltby is thanked for his contributions and sent on his way, and Sammy is unsigned, we’d be down to Rafalski for guys who shoot right-handed. This troubles me.
Our ability to use the entire offensive zone seemed pretty obviously compromised in the finals and Pittsburg’s defense was taking away the rebounds (god knows Fleury gave up a ton of them). We had next to no one-timers because we had no righties and seemed to only ever set up on that right side.
With the wings emphasis on puck handling it’s not much of a surprise we’re so left-handed-shooter dominated but, man, what I wouldn’t give for another right-shooting top-6 type right wing and defenseman.
As for the other guys, in “random thoughts from the peanut gallery” fashion…
I think Sammy needs to come back. He’s a gritty guy that made some boneheaded plays, but not nearly as many as (I felt) Hudler. He also didn’t disappear nearly as much. Hudler, I love the guy, but his size seemed a lot more obvious this year than last.
Stuart, man. I don’t know how to wrap my mind around how many bad plays he made in the last two games. He’s an oddball. You put him on your second paring and play him #4 d-man minutes and he’s your second best defender. You play him #2 d-man minutes and he turns into a basketcase.
I wonder if some time with Nick would help him out. It sure seems to have worked for Kronwall and Ericsson.
What was Meech’s injury in the playoffs? I heard it said, once, he was hurt, right? Seeing Cheli over him repeatedly was one part “role they fill”, but it has to make you wonder if he has any place at all with the team. Lebda, meanwhile, seemed to cement his spot.
I rish there were some way to take back some of Rafalski’s contract…
Posted by shanetx on 06/15/09 at 10:41 AM ET
My understanding was that MacLean coached the PK and D in 07-08, then switched to the forwards this season. Maybe they’ll switch again. (Although McCrimmon-led PP sounds vomit-inducing.)
If Hossa staying means Sammy and Hudler going (and hopefully for them, taking big bucks to do so), then I’m okay with it. If it compromises our depth on D and the signing of Leino and future cap issues (Helm, Big Rig, etc.), then we have a problem. But Tick Tock knows all this. In Kenny I trust.
I’ll stump up the money to blow that photo of Rosby with the Cup to four feet by two feet and frame it to put it up in the locker room if that’s what it’ll take, and I think it will. I want them all to hurt when they look at it, to remember what could have been with one or two more goals, with tighter and more intelligent defense, with a little more drive.
There are two images seared into my memory: That photo of Lidstrom standing with his face buried in his gloves after the game and the shot of Kronwall on the bench with his head buried underneath his gloves. (George had the first on Snapshots, Triple Deke has the screen grab of the second.) I’m not ashamed to say I burst into tears looking at Lidstrom, the Perfect Human, showing such dejection and despair. If there is any doubt in anyone’s mind that those guys don’t hurt more than we do, take a look at those photos. I don’t know what will happen next season. But that drive will definitely be there. And regardless of however many Cups they have and will win, these players will be haunted by this series for the rest of their lives.
Oh, and the one guy I really don’t know what to do with? Homer. It hurt to watch him out there most of this season. I hate to say it, but I wish he’d retire. Except that I don’t think he’d retire under these circumstances, and with the Olympics looming next year.
It’s nice to be among the 19 talking hockey again.
Posted by Bella on 06/15/09 at 10:56 AM ET
First time back since the LB. This weekend really sucked. But y’all are right it is time to move on.
Can the first roster move be to unload Brad Stuart? For three nights I’ve had nightmares about his pinching in game 7. The first night it just led to a goal. Saturday night it led to the re-election of that Iranian, I’m A Dinner Jacket. And last night it led to, well let’s just say those North Korean missiles maybe can reach the US. Like I said, nightmares.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 06/15/09 at 10:56 AM ET
I would bet that the intensity is going to be off the charts
How vomitisously (made a word up, per Chief) mind-boggling was the lack of killer instinct and full-game drive this year? I mean, I still enjoyed the hell out of this past season, don’t get me wrong. But at times this team was an enigma of the first order. It was pretty ironic to see that lack of drive rear its ugly head in the most important game of the year.
All in all, though, a thoroughly enjoyable hockey season.
Time to tell Brad McCrimmon goodbye
Couldn’t agree more. He just never seemed to fit. He always looked so…disinterested, was that it? And we don’t know if the PK was his baby, but it’s a damn good chance it was. Something went terribly askew with that thing. It was a nightmare from October to June.
I would bet that the intensity is going to be off the charts
Was thinking the same thing last night. Losing sucks, but a lot of good can come from it later on. I’m sure Babs- the- psychology- major is scheming right now as to how best use this past season as motivation for next year. The pain and disappointment needs to burn in the pit of the stomachs of the Wings. Not in an overwhelming sense, but just enough to make a difference.
Here’s betting it will. Big time.
Slowly de-programming myself from hockey as we speak. It’s a regular early-summer ritual. Just need to get away from it all, because I let the game (want the game) to consume me from October to June.
I’ll be checking in every once in a while. But it will become less frequent as the next week wears on. So let me just reiterate again how glad I am I stumbled across this site last winter by mistake. More intelligent and witty fans do not exist. Period.
Chief, have you guys ever thought of putting together an A2Y weekend in Traverse City in September? It would be a great way to kick off a new season.
Have a great summer everyone.
Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste Marie on 06/15/09 at 11:01 AM ET
I rish there were some way to take back some of Rafalski’s contract…
Couldn’t agree more. I like him, but he’s not worth $6M a year for a guy that’s small, not that great defensively, and getting up there in age. He needs to be making $3-4M like Stuie and Kronner.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/15/09 at 11:05 AM ET
There are two images seared into my memory: That photo of Lidstrom standing with his face buried in his gloves after the game and the shot of Kronwall on the bench with his head buried underneath his gloves.
That picture of Nick made me want to cry. Especially knowing what he went through. :(
I don’t know about Homer either - he was hurt so much of the year, but was all of his ineffectiveness from the injuries or from his age? And if it was injuries, will he be healthier next year?
/sigh
I think there won’t be any problem with the “killer instinct” or the “hunger” next year. I don’t think it was quite so much complacency this year as they just couldn’t quite work themselves up for the games as often as they could the year before. It happens with all prfessions, sometimes.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 11:14 AM ET
I like him, but he’s not worth $6M a year for a guy that’s small, not that great defensively, and getting up there in age. He needs to be making $3-4M like Stuie and Kronner.
I’d rather have Rafalski than Jeff Finger for that price. Just about everyone gets overpaid. Last year people commented that they thought Stuart was signed for too much per year.
Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 06/15/09 at 11:20 AM ET
How the *#$%@& does a Red Wing goalie prospect ever get to earn a spot??
Ever since Bowman there has been an organizational policy to always have veteran goalies and backups.
Nobody ever gets to really play with the big club and we never ever find out anything. The Wings have been trying for years now to add goaltending depth to the organization but at some point they have to bring somebody up and let them play or they end up dying on the vine in the minors which has happened for a couple of cycles now.
A lot of fans love to say Howard blew his chance (when was that?). Howard played one game for the Wings and didn’t play all that bad despite what the fans would have you believe and has only been up a handful of time prior to that.
Give the kid and his low salary a shot and if can’t do it we have larsson in the minors and there is always a backup goalie to be had.
Posted by Moocat on 06/15/09 at 11:41 AM ET
Rafalski played with a back injury. Lay off him, a bit. He’s an above average defender, great offensively. He lacks a jump in his step, no doubt. But most d-men do.
This team will be better next year, even if they lose talent, in the sense that they will be motivated from the start of camp. They won’t spend 82 games developing bad habits and resting on talent. They’ll be hungry and determined to do it the “right way”—Uncle Mike’s way.
Posted by Nathan from the scoresheet! on 06/15/09 at 11:43 AM ET
My problem with Rafalski is opposing teams know when he’s out there all they have to do is dump it behind him and then hit him when he gets the puck, and bang, instant offense. Rafalski is great on the PP and at moving the puck at even strength when he has time and there’s a weak forecheck, but if the other team can make him muck it up behind the net, they know they can get the puck from him.
Again, I have no problem with him on the team, but the fact that he’s one of our top 4 most highly paid players is a joke. Think about what we could have next year if he was only making half of what he does.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/15/09 at 11:44 AM ET
Can we just say good bye to Cheli? I am not sure what role he plays on the Wings and what that benefit is.
Posted by JR from Mich on 06/15/09 at 11:46 AM ET
Again, I have no problem with him on the team, but the fact that he’s one of our top 4 most highly paid players is a joke. Think about what we could have next year if he was only making half of what he does.
Think about what we have now with Rafalski’s current salary. That’s a damn good core. Even if Rafalski’s salary was cut in half, it wouldn’t be enough to pay the players the organization wants to keep and/or bring in new blood.
I actually thought Rafalski played pretty well, particularly since he had a herniated disk. If you want to point fingers at defensemen that made some costly defensive mistakes, look no farther than Stuart and Kronwall.
Posted by Aphaea from Pennsylvania on 06/15/09 at 11:54 AM ET
Just checking in, mental health and all that.
Still not ready…..
Spent the weekend up on the mountain getting ready for a leadership course. Actually ran in to three Wings fans. We mourned together and lightly discussed the year in hockey.
Yet, I am just not up to reading anything hockey as yet. I sense I will be bombarded by Lil Gary’s marketing wisdumb for the next year….....but not yet.
I am just not ready.
Posted by Rumbear from Top O da Hasek, sippin rum & catchin some rays on 06/15/09 at 11:56 AM ET
If you want to point fingers at defensemen that made some costly defensive mistakes, look no farther than Stuart and Kronwall.
No arguments here, Kronwall frustrated me more than anyone for the entire postseason. His strategy of wait as long as possible before throwing it off a forecheckers skate was excrutiating to say the least.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/15/09 at 12:01 PM ET
Can I throw out the crazy idea of assistant coach Chris Chelios?
Posted by DetroitHockey on 06/15/09 at 11:14 AM ET
You can, even if I threw it out there last post.
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 06/15/09 at 12:04 PM ET
Rafalski’s salary wouldn’t have looked as bad as it does in comparison to others, and it wouldn’t serve as much of a hinderance to the team, if the economy hadn’t tanked so badly and the salary cap had kept going up, even at a slower rate than it had been right after the lockout.
When DiPietro signed his incredibly long contract with the Islanders, I didn’t think that the critics should have been pointing out how much money it was for (as so many of them were), but how often their goaltender was injured. You can pay a guy $100,000 a year instead of millions, but if he only plays in 10 games each year it is still a wasted contract.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 12:05 PM ET
Don’t get me wrong - I love Rafi. But let’s face it… He’s becoming Matthieu Schneider. Great on the PP, getting soft in the defensive zone. But he still helped Z & Lidstrom shut down Cindy, so he still has maximum trade value.
Trade him to Florida, Tampa Bay, or somewhere else that really needs a puck moving defenseman in the East. I’d love it to be NJ, NY, or Philly (so he could play Pittsburgh every year), but you can’t let revenge get in the way of smart moves. And those GMs are much too schrewd to not try to find a way to stick it to the Wings in this move.
Let Maltby go. We can’t just get rid of Drapes, Maltby, and Holmstrom (all 3). A lot of people think that, but the fact is the Wings have gotten players to come here for less partly because of our loyalty to core players. You don’t just jettison someone because they were dinged up one year.
My roster
This is making some big assumptions.
1. Salary cap is exactly flat.
2. Hossa signs 8 year, $43.2 million deal ($5.4 million average). That’s $7.4 million for first 3 years, $7 million, $5 million, and $3 million for final 3 years.
3. You give Hudler a 2 year, $3 million deal ($1.5 million average). Get it done fast. He’ll get a $3 million average offer from somewhere else. Just a 2 year deal to get him to take less money, then tell him he can be a UFA in 2 years when he’s 27 yrs old.
4. Ericsson is the defenseman we expect. Starts out his first full year with 40+ points and a +20 playing with Lidstrom and seeing PP time.
5. Lilja is going to be ok by the start of the season.
This roster gives us about $900,000 in cap room. So you can debate keeping Maltby for Kopecky. But would like a little more room, especially if you have to give Hossa a little more, or want some room to make a trade at the end of the year. Meech & Kopecky can stick around as 7th D-man and 13th forward.
Pavel Datsyuk $6,700,000
Henrik Zetterberg $6,083,333
Marian Hossa $5,400,000
Johan Franzen $3,954,545
Valtteri Filppula $3,000,000
Daniel Cleary $2,800,000
Tomas Holmstrom $2,250,000
Kris Draper $1,583,333
Jiri Hudler $1,500,000
Ville Leino $900,000
Justin Abdelkader $850,000
Darren Helm $599,444
Tomas Kopecky $550,000
Nicklas Lidstrom $7,450,000
Brad Stuart $3,750,000
Niklas Kronwall $3,000,000
Andreas Lilja $1,250,000
Jonathan Ericsson $900,000
Brett Lebda $650,000
Derek Meech $483,333
Chris Osgood $1,416,666
Jimmy Howard $716,666
Posted by CJBear71 on 06/15/09 at 12:17 PM ET
With the pk problems, this could be interesting (from the main site via nj.com):
John Madden has won two Stanley Cup championships with the Devils and remains one of the club’s key veteran forwards, but he hasn’t spoken to general manager Lou Lamoriello yet about a new contract and will therefore test the market on July 1 as an unrestricted free agent.
Thoughts?
He made just under $3M last year and of course is only an option if Hossa doesn’t sign and we also let the likes of Sammy, Kopie, Lebda and probably Holmstrom go as well. At 36 years old I can’t see him asking for a ton of money, and maybe Rafalski can talk him into taking less money.
Probably not possible unless the Cap stays the same and the NHLPA forces it up with the inflator (in which case it is very doable), but it would help the pk.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/15/09 at 12:26 PM ET
Rafalski played with a back injury. Lay off him, a bit. He’s an above average defender, great offensively. He lacks a jump in his step, no doubt. But most d-men do.
I really like Rafalski. I think at even 5 mill a year he’d be okay. I just think he’s a smidge overpaid right now for what he brings to the team, but I know that is because of the situation that existed when they grabbed him and it was still a good signing. We don’t win the cup last year without him and that’s what matters.
Posted by shanetx on 06/15/09 at 12:30 PM ET
CJ, under the salary cap rules you have to buy a player out of his contract when you release him and a sizeable portion of the salary remains against the cap.
Maltby will be back next year for depth, unless Malts chooses to retire. IIRC the Wings would only save 200-300K on the cap by buying out Maltby.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 06/15/09 at 12:34 PM ET
I don’t know that defensive forwards is where we need to look, John.
Z, Cleary, Draper and Datsyuk are all better than Madden, at this point. I’ll buy the argument that less PK time for Dats equates to more offense, but I don’t think that’s sufficient to bring in a defensive specialist.
Our PK wasn’t broke because of the personnel but because of the system, and it’ll be better with a administrative change and a healthy Lilja next year.
Posted by shanetx on 06/15/09 at 12:34 PM ET
Our PK wasn’t broke because of the personnel but because of the system, and it’ll be better with a administrative change and a healthy Lilja next year.
Posted by shanetx on 06/15/09 at 01:34 PM ET
Or, if Lilja is slow to recover, a more experienced Ericsson. Either way, the same people who had an awesome penalty kill one year don’t turn to crap on their own. It takes talent to do that.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 12:36 PM ET
Fair points shane, he’s probably a little old for us anyways, but I just thought it was interesting as a pk specialist, especially if a guy like Draper or Maltby retires, which I doubt will happen. Plus I doubt he’d be willing to take less than $3M on the open market, which pretty much prices us outta of his market.
Posted by John W. from a bubble wrap cocoon on 06/15/09 at 12:41 PM ET
Interesting statement on Madden. I think he can get at least $3 million somewhere in the league. I’d only want a two-year contract too.
Posted by detroitdan1982 from St. John's, NL on 06/15/09 at 12:44 PM ET
I get the desire to keep Hossa, I really do. But this team had no business getting as far as it did with all of the injuries. Depth is what got this team within a game of #12. Let Hossa go.
Remember, the salary cap lags about a year behind the economy. 2009-2010 the cap will likely remain the same. 2010-2011 is when the cap is likely to drop. If Hossa is locked up to a long term deal and the cap drops, then prepare for no depth and nights like the Flames had this season when they dressed only 16 skaters.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 06/15/09 at 12:45 PM ET
Lilja’s headaches have gotten worse in the last couple of weeks. I think the freep quoted him last week as being very worried about his career. Lil’s concussion happened 2/28, almost four months ago.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from Warm and sunny SoCal on 06/15/09 at 12:48 PM ET
Lilja’s headaches have gotten worse in the last couple of weeks. I think the freep quoted him last week as being very worried about his career. Lil’s concussion happened 2/28, almost four months ago.
Posted by CaptainDennisPolonich from It’s D Fish’s Town, Kobe just lives here on 06/15/09 at 01:48 PM ET
I read that, too. It isn’t unusual for full recovery from a concussion to take six months to a year - and he can’t even start working out until his head is right. No way am I expecting him for the start of next season. And with the opener in Sweden, too - I hope he can fly alright by then, anyway.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 06/15/09 at 12:51 PM ET
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