Wow.  It is unusual for Wings’ negotiations to be in the paper.  Holland is letting everyone know that the sides are far apart, and that he might have to move Cleary.  This is also a negotiating tactic on his part.  It seems to me Cleary should take a little less than he wants and take a longer term deal.  In the end, he still would be guaranteed many millions.

Posted by w2j2 on 02/05/08 at 09:46 AM ET

This seems very timely after the wings brass just met over the weekend in Florida to discuss potential trade targets.  Cleary is no doubt a good player, but if he is a key piece to bringing a rental like Hossa or Sundin, I say go for it!  The fact that its being mentioned makes you think that the Wings have Brunnstrom in their back pocket or Darren Helm who is having a remarkable season is ready for the NHL.  Plus several players made good strides to making a roster spot last year in training camp like Ritola and Ryno. 

Its tough to say what Cleary could fetch.  He is very equal to Sharp, and you could also say he is half the player that Datsyuk is… if Dats makes 6.7 a year then Cleary should make 3.35 I think he is worth more in the 2.5 range.  He’s playing a dangerous game.  GMs around the league know he is surrounded by great players; just like they knew Anson Carter was a few years ago in Vancouver.  He could break the bank, or he could end up overseas because he isn’t being offered the money he wants.

Posted by Jdunc from Flint, MI on 02/05/08 at 10:14 AM ET

I look at this with this in mind.  Does the team make Cleary better than what he really is, sort of like a Marty Lapointe situation.

If Cleary was to move to another team, would his prodcution increase, stay about the same or actually decrease.  Those thoughts should be on his mind when considering his options.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 02/05/08 at 10:22 AM ET

Good to hear that Darren Helm is doing well, watched him in junior with the Medicine Hat Tigers and I think he’s slated to have a solid NHL career.

Any coincidence that Ken Holland and Jim Nill are also former Medicine Hat Tigers players?

Posted by dash_pinched on 02/05/08 at 11:04 AM ET

His versatility and hustle are unmistakeable...but I don’t think he would be an offensive force on a less talented team.

Holland is letting everyone know that the sides are far apart, and that he might have to move Cleary.  This is also a negotiating tactic on his part.

They might not be very far apart at all.  Sometimes it isn’t the distance apart in negotiations, but how firmly each side is dug in.  Even if the gap is fairly large, if neither side is already at a point where they will not give no matter what, an agreement can still be reached.

It might also be a case where teams are willing to offer enough for Cleary in a trade that it would be more worth it to move him for the trade return than to sign him at almost any price.  He would definitely be a useful player on any team - and a first-liner on some, I suspect.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 02/05/08 at 11:09 AM ET

If the Wings have offered Cleary something like $2.5 mil for four years, he’d be a fool to take a chance on free agency. He’d probably get more per year, but it might only be for two years. And as folks have said, what are the odds he’d be as effective on another team? And what team would give him the best shot at winning one or more Cups?

Besides, I’d think he would have some sense of gratitude for what the Wings have done for his career. They gave him a chance when no one else would. And they gave him every chance to succeed once he was here.

Careful, Dan, you could end up the next Sergei Fedorov. “And now at center for (name your team), Dan Cleary.” Boooooo!

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 02/05/08 at 11:14 AM ET

Homer took 2.25, so Cleary will not get more than 2.5 in Detroit, IMO.

The difficult decision is with Cleary, not the Wings. The Wings obviously want him, but based on what they are paying other players, I would assume they’ve set a pretty solid internal limit of what they’re willing to pay him.

If Cleary is unwilling to take 2.5 or less, he’s giving Detroit no reason to trade him for Hossa because the money Cleary was demanding would offset the concerns about not being able to afford to resign Hossa. Obviously, that’s hypothetical…

My guess is that the ball is in Cleary’s court. He knows what Detroit will pay him, and there is very little wiggle room from the organizational side. Cleary has to make tough decisions about money versus winning, lots of ice time versus quality ice time, and finding a city and organization that he’s comfortable in. The Wings are second to none by all accounts, so this decision has to be very tough on him.

Posted by Nathan on 02/05/08 at 11:18 AM ET

Correction to my above post—“no reason NOT to trade him...”

Posted by Nathan on 02/05/08 at 11:27 AM ET

Cleary is a great player for the Wings.  I seem to recall that he was given an inviation to Wings camp after less than glamorous stints with the ‘Hawks, Oil, and ‘Yotes.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m all about getting paid, and Cleary has earned the right to a healthy raise from the Wings.  The man works hard and scores 20 G per season.

But, I think the comments above are also correct.  Cleary’s scoring has as much to do with his work ethic as it does with him “being a product of the system.”

And no, I certainly do not think Cleary deserves to earn more money per season than Homer.

Posted by Jeff OKWingnut from Hockey Netherworld on 02/05/08 at 11:40 AM ET

Well put, Okie!

More accurately, I do not think the point is about what Cleary deserves, it’s more about the fact that Homer’s salary is essentially a cap for what Cleary can make because of the similarity of the players. Both are gritty. Homer will score more and indirectly generate more offense, but Cleary is great defensively on the backcheck and the penalty kill. So, these players are of about equal value.

Posted by Nathan on 02/05/08 at 11:57 AM ET

You won’t hear Ken Holland or anyone else from the Wings say it for publication, but $3.9 million for Patrick Sharp in a cap world is way too high. Sharp is a good player, but I think the Blackhawks paid a premium to keep him.

I hope—and believe—Cleary will choose to stay, but who knows?

Posted by YzermanZetterberg on 02/05/08 at 12:02 PM ET

Dan Cleary is Boyd Devereaux. As great as he is playing, he needs a supporting cast to be effective.  He should consider taking about 2.0 mil/season X 2 years, then Detroit won’t be locked into a long contract, and still gives cleary room to improve upon this years performance. 

I say hold onto him for this season.  He is a key part of the team right now and you dont need to disturb the chemistry. If you win the cup, you spend an extra million on him per season, if you lose the cup he can walk, who cares.  The wings will always have walk-on crappy players that turn their careers around and then their prices inflate, only to see them struggle with the new team who is wondering why they only put up 8 points all year when he put up 50 points in detroit.

Posted by DrW from Detroit on 02/05/08 at 12:34 PM ET

If he doesn’t stay with the Wings, anybody wanna guess who will give him the money he wants?  Anybody?  Yep, my guess is the foul from socal.  That’s where all the wannabeoverpaid players leave Motown for.

I hope he takes the $2.5 million offer.  And make it for 5 to 8 years.  Lock that workhorse up, Kenny!

Posted by cementslinger from Midland MI on 02/05/08 at 01:59 PM ET

Seems like a little public posturing by Holland, that’s all. Both sides seem to like each other, and I would hope that Dan would want to stay, knowing that he’s getting ice time with a winning team and with great young talent. My feeling is that both sides will come to an agreement in the offseason.

Posted by Jeremy from Bowling Green, OH on 02/05/08 at 02:37 PM ET

Cleary is a perfect fit in the Wings system and everyone (including Dan & his agent) know that. I have every confidence that he’ll sign for around $2.7 x 4yrs prior to this year’s deadline and will go on to win a couple of cups!!

He’s not going anywhere and I love having him on the Wings - he works his a** off every night.

Posted by Ryan from Toronto on 02/05/08 at 02:43 PM ET