Piss off Hulder....

Posted by Moocat on 07/08/09 at 02:08 PM ET

From KK’s previous post on this:

i had heard months ago that this might be something the wings would wish for. hudler would be off the books, but the wings still retain his NHL rights. this means when we get a bunch of cap room in the next couple of years, he comes back.

i wouldn’t be surprised if Tick Tock’s encouraging him to do this. it solves all of his problems and they lose NOTHING.

Posted by perfection on 07/08/09 at 01:00 PM ET

I actually agree with this.  The cap is expected to go down after this upcoming season and the Wings will have a slew of contracts expiring - poignantly, one of them is Lidstrom’s.  So I think Holland wants to keep Hudler in the fold since he retains his rights but also keep him active at the highest levels.  Sending him back to GR in not an option.

Good luck to Hudler and stay healthy.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/08/09 at 02:15 PM ET

And another douche leaves a great team for money.  Well, if he does come back to the NHL, it sure as hell won’t be for Detroit.

In Detroit there is wasn’t place for me

F-off, if there wasn’t a place why the hell did he file for arbitration??  Good riddance!

Posted by TEMO from LANSING, MICHIGAN, U.S.A. on 07/08/09 at 02:18 PM ET

right. as long as he does stay healthy, this could work out. he will be playing huge minutes and probably has an out clause, meaning he could come back at any point. hopefully his game improves and then he comes back to the wings when we have more space. somehow, it’s just hard for me to believe that this is as unexpected to the team as the media is portraying it. holland’s problems are solved and hudler makes some loot and we lose ZERO assets. i think the salary cap could lead to more of this, basically using the KHL as a high paying, highly competitive farm league.

Posted by perfection on 07/08/09 at 02:20 PM ET

right. as long as he does stay healthy, this could work out.
Posted by perfection on 07/08/09 at 02:20 PM ET

Sorry, I’m not buying this ... it’s not how the Red Wings roll. And I can’t imagine his teammates looking as kindly on this as the other defections this summer. If you want more playing time on this team, if you want a bigger role, you have to earn it.

Posted by Bella on 07/08/09 at 02:24 PM ET

There is no way this part of some master plan by Holland. You don’t let good players go on “hopes” that they’ll be back.

Happy jumped at the green, and he wants to be “the guy” and The Cock © won’t just hand him minutes.

Posted by Moocat on 07/08/09 at 02:28 PM ET

Obviously, this is just us fans talking and having opinions on the matter but Holland deserves a chance to manage the cap as he sees fit.  He’s done wonders for us so let’s just see how this pans out since he still retains Hudler’s rights.  Hudler didn’t want to sign with another NHL club that’s why he filed for arbitration.  The KHL is just another option for Holland.  It is entirely possible that he gave Hudler that option.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/08/09 at 02:31 PM ET

I think it’s a bit out of line to say that Happy hasn’t earned the minutes and money that the Red Wings are incapable of offering him.  Sammy got… 2.75 mill?  I think Happy is worth that, at least, even if I think Sammy is the better all-around player.  Arbitration would’ve gotten him 3.5+, right?  The Wings couldn’t give him that, but he earned it.

Minutes are a different story.  The Wings were so stacked on offense last year that they didn’t have the minutes Happy probably would get in most other places.  No one gets the minutes they would elsewhere.  On another hand, however, I’m not sure Happy holds up at 19 minutes/game like he does at 13:40 that he played this year.

Posted by shanetx on 07/08/09 at 02:35 PM ET

Quit disappearing in the playoffs, and you wouldn’t have had to make this decision in the first place.

No way we want him back after two years. He already had a soft side, and playing in the KHL will just accustom him more to non-physical play.

This generation’s Petr Klima.

Posted by Red Winger from Sault Ste. Marie on 07/08/09 at 02:47 PM ET

Interesting that they’re still headed to arbitration, per Paul’s latest update. Given that the result of arbitration is a contract offer, one wonders if going to the KHL is really a done deal. Either he wins arbitration and gets the contract he wants (assuming Detroit doesn’t balk and forfeit his rights), or he loses but gets the contract and minutes he wants from the KHL (and as someone else suggested, I also suspect his KHL deal comes with an out clause). Is that accurate?

In any event, it has to mean something that he wanted Detroit to retain his rights for the time being. He could have gotten his $3 mill from another team, quite possibly a contender, if only he’d requested a trade (or waited for an offer sheet). He explicitly said he didn’t want to go that route.

I wouldn’t be surprised if he and Holland had a handshake agreement that he’ll go to the KHL for now and see where the roster and the salary cap end up in a year or two.

Posted by Bio on 07/08/09 at 02:57 PM ET

Interesting decision.  The money is nice, but it’s a good opportunity for him to paly in another environment.  Good luck, kid.

I think it’s a bit out of line to say that Happy hasn’t earned the minutes and money that the Red Wings are incapable of offering him.  Sammy got… 2.75 mill?  I think Happy is worth that, at least, even if I think Sammy is the better all-around player.  Arbitration would’ve gotten him 3.5+, right?  The Wings couldn’t give him that, but he earned it.

True, the numbers I’d heard for comparables in arbitration were between $3.5 million and $4 million.  It’s one thing to take a bit of a discount, it’s another thing entirely to work for 50% of what you might be making.  That’s an awful lot - and I for one wouldn’t work at half-rate no matter how much I was making.

Minutes are a different story.  The Wings were so stacked on offense last year that they didn’t have the minutes Happy probably would get in most other places.  No one gets the minutes they would elsewhere.  On another hand, however, I’m not sure Happy holds up at 19 minutes/game like he does at 13:40 that he played this year.

Posted by shanetx on 07/08/09 at 02:35 PM ET

I’ll bet he wonders if he is capable of playing more minutes.  No doubt he feels that he is, or it wouldn’t have been a reason for him to switch teams - but the only way he will find out is to try it.  After a couple years, he will know better if he is or is not capable of playing more minutes, and that is an answer he was never going to get in Detroit because there wasn’t that opportunity on the team.

And after a couple years, he could very well be back in Detroit.  It would be stupid beyond belief to rule anything out in 2011 based on emotions in July 2009.  It will depend on how he plays in the next couple years, how Detroit is structured in the summer of 2011, and if there is a place on the team then that he will fit into.

He’s leaving for a different experience for a couple years, people - he’s not trying to get out of a cult.  I wish him the best of luck in Moscow.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 02:58 PM ET

Wow. So much hate for a guy who’s not really “leaving” the Wings. As some have noted, playing in the KHL for the next two years solves a whole bunch of financial problems for the Tick Tock. And Happy said, “...I didn’t want to go to another (NHL) club.” I would hardly call that disloyal.

As for going ahead with arbitration, I think he just wants to find out what his worth would be on the open market. The only problem I see with that is once the arbitrator rules, the Wings have to accept it in order to retain Jiri’s rights. If they reject it, he becomes a UFA.

So, could this be the scenario that both sides are aiming at:
1. The arbitrator awards Happy something like $3.5M.
2. The Wings accept the two-year option.
3. Happy then goes to the KHL for those two years.
4. In 2011, he returns to the Wings with the $3.5M contract still in effect.

If that’s the “plan”, that’s a win-win situation for everyone. The Wings have two years to open up the cap space for Happy. And he gets two years of experience playing on Dynamo’s top line.

In all honesty, I think this is a great outcome for both sides.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 02:59 PM ET

Funny. Looks like Bio, Baroque and I all came to pretty much the same conclusion at exactly the same time. Great minds and all that.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 03:05 PM ET

I think Holland is one of the best GM’s in sports (if not THE best), but the Red Wings keep losing key players with nothing coming back.I guess they’re going to use Leino ,Abdelkadder ,Filppula ect alot more than they would like. I keep hearing about the Red Wing’s farm system and the way they bring players along slowly (they say that’s the right way). They give examples of low overall picks like Datsyuk and Zetterberg as proof. but wasn’t Hudler one of these players. I think the salary cap has caught up to Hollend.

Posted by Lindas1st on 07/08/09 at 03:09 PM ET

There wasn’t a place for him on the Wings?  That’s BS.  There was a place for him and he fit perfectly into it.  He’s delusional if he thinks he’s a key guy, a top line player.

But fine, if he wants to be a medium-sized fish (sorry Happy, you’ll never be big) in a small, muddy pond then fine.  Being a bigger fish that he should be isn’t going to make him better, it’s just going to grow his ego.

And personally, I don’t want him in two years.  Why make a commitment to him when he’s shoving a fist up Detroit’s ass?

He doesn’t deserve a committment.

With Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen getting their big contracts at 28 and 29 years old, Detroit is setting a good example for their younger guys like Helm, Abdelkader, Ericsson and Leino, that loyalty will pay off.  But if you make this of committment to Hudler, what kind of precedent are you setting? 

“Hey Helm, do you want $4M next year?  Well, go sign with the K for a couple years and when you get back you can have a nice fat Zetterberg deal”?

No thanks.

Posted by Garth on 07/08/09 at 03:20 PM ET

I think Holland is one of the best GM’s in sports (if not THE best), but the Red Wings keep losing key players with nothing coming back.

Um...which key players?

Posted by Garth on 07/08/09 at 03:21 PM ET

Here’s another thing - how old was Hudler when he came to North America?  If I remember correctly, he was very young, and never had the opportunity to play extensively in Europe as many other European players have.  Maybe he feels he missed something.

Look at it this way - in two years at the end of his KHL contract, he will hopefully be a better hockey player, but definitely one with a much better sense of what he is capable of.  As will the Red Wings have a better sense of Hudler as a player if he is actually able to play closer to 18 or 19 minutes each game instead of 13 or 14.  Maybe his development and experience at that point will fit better into Detroit’s roster at that time, maybe not - but it might be interesting to see what he can do with more time.

It isn’t like Radulov bailing on Nashville with a valid contract - it’s a gray area because he is RFA and not UFA, but I can see why he made the decision.  He didn’t want to be traded to another team, but he was disinclined to play for Detroit in the same role he has had and for much less than he could make elsewhere.  I see nothing wrong with wanting to see if you are capable of more - how else are you going to grow in any profession if you never push yourself?

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 03:33 PM ET

how else are you going to grow in any profession if you never push yourself?
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 03:33 PM ET

And by push yourself, do you mean moving from the best organ-i-zation in the best league, to a second-tier team in a second-tier league?  He should have pushed himself to be a better Red Wing.

Posted by Animal Drew from A Nightmare on Helm Street on 07/08/09 at 03:36 PM ET

Funny. Looks like Bio, Baroque and I all came to pretty much the same conclusion at exactly the same time. Great minds and all that.

Now I’m absolutely terrified. 

I don’t think it is a master plan by Holland - but I do think he is flexible enough to take advantage of the opportunity to see how Hudler progresses with a lot more minutes each game than he is used to since Moscow is apparently willing to give him the time.  You need to be adaptable to changing situations.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 03:36 PM ET

No, I mean playing more minutes in a wider variety of situations.  He was never going to get more than 13 or 14 minutes a game in Detroit because there wasn’t room.  Never.  Now he will get the opportunity.

Either he finds that he can handle it, and has an argument in the future (if he wishes to make it) that he should be given more ice time, or he falls flat on his face and realized that he can’t handle the greater role the way he thought he would be able to.

People make decisions similar to this in other jobs all the time - taking a position with a smaller company because the work has a greater variety, or taking a job one doesn’t really like because the skill would be useful for another position down the road.  I don’t see any reason to rip Hudler for wanting more responsibility.

If not going to the KHL, the only other way for him to get more minutes would be to go to another team with less depth so they would have to lean on him, and he didn’t want to play for another NHL team.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 03:41 PM ET

Um...which key players?

I have to agree with Lindas1st. The Wings have lost Hossa, Sammy and now Happy...all because of cap issues. It’s probably the worst opening week of free agency for the Wings in quite some time.

But here’s the bottom line. It’s not who the Wings have lost that’s important...it’s who still here. And who’s moving up from GR to fill in the gaps. Helm and Leino won’t replace Hossa’s and Sammy’s and Happy’s goals, but they do fit perfectly into the Wings’ system. And what team wouldn’t like to see their 5th defenseman be Jonny E?

So we lost some guys. What competitive team hasn’t this summer? Look at the Pens. Or look at the situation the Hawks are in trying to hang onto everyone. All in all, the Wings will be just fine next year. And let’s wait and see what Kenny adds with “Happy’s” money before we get too worried. If it’s someone like Grier, no one will care that Happy has left the building (for two years, anyway).

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 03:43 PM ET

Anyone want to jump on the sign Travis Moen bandwagon?

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 03:44 PM ET

HEIGHT: 6’ 2”
WEIGHT: 215
Shoots: Left
BIRTHDATE: Apr 6, 1982
BIRTHPLACE: Swift Current, SK, Canada

Tempting, Paul.  But Wings are pretty short on right-handed shooters now that Samuelsson’s gone.

Posted by SYF from Las Vegas, NV on 07/08/09 at 03:49 PM ET

Anyone want to jump on the sign Travis Moen bandwagon?

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 03:44 PM ET

Depends.  Is it a slow bandwagon?  I don’t want to get run over. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 03:49 PM ET

Anyone want to jump on the sign Travis Moen bandwagon?

Moen would be cheaper, but I’d rather have Grier...even if it’s at twice the cost (something like $1.5M per for two years).

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:01 PM ET

I thought of Grier too, but his age, 35 in Jan, is a bit of a concern.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 04:03 PM ET

But fine, if he wants to be a medium-sized fish (sorry Happy, you’ll never be big) in a small, muddy pond then fine.  Being a bigger fish that he should be isn’t going to make him better, it’s just going to grow his ego.

That’s what worries me. If he goes and scores 80-100 points in Russia, what’s he going to think coming back to Detroit, probably with around 14 minutes again? The larger role and more ice time can be a good learning experience, but you only get to be a better player by playing with and against players who are better than you are.

I’m a bit undecided on my opinion of him at the moment. Kinda stunned.

I am concerned that our organizational depth takes yet another hit with his departure. Apart from Ericsson, Helm, probably Abby(and maybe Howard), who else in GR is overripe? Lots of nice prospects with the Grifs, but they’re all more than a year away from prime time. Injury call ups are gonna be pretty raw this season.

Posted by Nate A from Detroit-ish on 07/08/09 at 04:11 PM ET

not sure about the rules, but could we not theoretically accept the arbitration, let Hudler go to the KHL and play huge minutes with the supposed “out clause” in his contract, and then even bring him back for the playoffs once the cap is no longer in effect?

Posted by perfection on 07/08/09 at 04:21 PM ET

That’s what worries me. If he goes and scores 80-100 points in Russia, what’s he going to think coming back to Detroit, probably with around 14 minutes again? The larger role and more ice time can be a good learning experience, but you only get to be a better player by playing with and against players who are better than you are.

I don’t think he’s planning on coming back to a 14 minute role.  If he develops as he seems to be gambling upon, he’ll be in line for that 2nd line role that has just barely been eluding him for a couple years now.

I’d like to think the coaching staff has talked to him about his development to the point where he’s aware of his weaknesses.  He’s not assertive enough when put on scoring lines, defers too much to Z/Pav, etc.  Being The Guy for a Russian team, and playing Center to boot (I believe I saw that somewhere) will hopefully kick his development in the butt and make a more complete player out of him.

Posted by shanetx on 07/08/09 at 04:22 PM ET

Injury call ups are gonna be pretty raw this season.

That’s why they signed Jeremy Williams and Keith Newbury to play in GR. Both have a little NHL experience and can at least fill the 13th forward spot if someone is on IR. Malik has more here.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:23 PM ET

The larger role and more ice time can be a good learning experience, but you only get to be a better player by playing with and against players who are better than you are.

True, but how often do fans and others point out “he’s better off in the AHL playing in all situations” even though a player would have lesser competition?

Maybe he’ll improve his defensive play and learn to be a tenacious penalty killer or something.  Or he’ll find that he hates it and doesn’t liek the way the team plays and wants to return to the NHL.  Who knows.

(Right now I’m just wishing I had a job where I could switch countries at a whim if I wanted a different experience.  That would be fun.)

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 04:24 PM ET

I can see the Wings and NHL fighting this, claiming he is under contract with the Wings.

Shanetx, once he plays in another league, he can’t come back.  I believe the cutoff date is early October but really not sure.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 04:25 PM ET

...could we not theoretically accept the arbitration, let Hudler go to the KHL and play huge minutes with the supposed “out clause” in his contract, and then even bring him back for the playoffs once the cap is no longer in effect?

Anyone who plays a game in the KHL after (I believe) December 1, cannot play in the NHL during that seson.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:25 PM ET

I don’t think he’s planning on coming back to a 14 minute role.  If he develops as he seems to be gambling upon, he’ll be in line for that 2nd line role that has just barely been eluding him for a couple years now.

I’d like to think the coaching staff has talked to him about his development to the point where he’s aware of his weaknesses.  He’s not assertive enough when put on scoring lines, defers too much to Z/Pav, etc.  Being The Guy for a Russian team, and playing Center to boot (I believe I saw that somewhere) will hopefully kick his development in the butt and make a more complete player out of him.

Posted by shanetx on 07/08/09 at 04:22 PM ET

That’s my thinking as well.  He wants a bigger role, and his intention is to demonstrate that he deserves it by filling the role elsewhere.

It’s certainly a riskier option than being content with merely filling the role he has right now - and I can respect that.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 04:27 PM ET

I have to agree with Lindas1st. The Wings have lost Hossa, Sammy and now Happy...

Ok, but Hossa was an extra part that they acquired simply because they had extra cap space, knowing from the beginning that they might not be able to afford him.

Sammy and Happy were role-players.

Look at the playoff performances from this year, and from the Finals, and tell me again how many key players they lost.

We lost guys who, frankly, took up slots that otherwise would have been filled by Helm and Leino this past year.

That’s what worries me. If he goes and scores 80-100 points in Russia, what’s he going to think coming back to Detroit, probably with around 14 minutes again?

That’s part of the reason that I think he should be someone else’s problem, should he come back to the NHL.  He’s going to get used to being a top 6 player and he’s going to expect to be getting 20 minutes of ice time. 

The only good that I can see coming out of this is him realizing that he’s not a first-line, 20-minutes-a-game player and comes back a little humbled, appreciating the role he had on the Wings roster.

Posted by Garth on 07/08/09 at 04:29 PM ET

OK, so maybe a right handed shot is needed.

Thinking of a guy who could play on the 2nd PP unit and can score goals.

May be a bit old and may not have the best of relations with the coach.

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 04:37 PM ET

You read my mind, Paul.  I doubt they would bring him back, though.

Posted by drimo on 07/08/09 at 04:52 PM ET

Hmmm. Who could it be? It’s kind of an enigma.

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:58 PM ET

Hmmm. Who could it be? It’s kind of an enigma. 

Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:58 PM ET

An enigma who had a sliced achilles tendon last year, too.  That can be a difficult injury for an older enigma to recover from.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 05:18 PM ET

Hmmm. Who could it be? It’s kind of an enigma. 
Posted by OlderThanChelios from Grand Rapids on 07/08/09 at 04:58 PM ET

An enigma who had a sliced achilles tendon last year, too.  That can be a difficult injury for an older enigma to recover from.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 05:18 PM ET

I thought he was referring to Shanahan? 

Paul - can we get a ruling on this?

Posted by DetCapC19 from Vancouver, BC on 07/08/09 at 05:23 PM ET

Ha, My thoughts were Shanny. 

I don’t even think of Bobby!

Posted by Paul from Motown Area on 07/08/09 at 05:26 PM ET

They’re both old!  Those old guys all look the same sometimes. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 05:31 PM ET

How about Rob Niedermeyer?

Posted by DetCapC19 from Vancouver, BC on 07/08/09 at 05:36 PM ET

I’ve been thinking of Shanny a lot the last few days, Paul.  Great minds and all that.  It would be a great homecoming after his NJ homecoming, although I remember him saying last year how much he wanted to stay in the East for his fam. 

I don’t feel the need to spit acid at happy for this.  If they went ahead with arbitration, we would have been screwed with the cap and had to trade someone that didn’t want to leave to another NHL club (reflected in Happy’s statements).  You’re out of your element with the f- off’ing.

Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 07/08/09 at 05:39 PM ET

Hudler is trying to convice us that Detroit just lost Hossa and Sammy, and still don’t have space on the lineup?

I don’t think he’ll come back when the KHL deal is over, until then Leino or Abdelkader will prove they are more capable than him.

And I would like Shanahan back, bu I think he would be too expensive.

Posted by Guilherme from Brazsil on 07/08/09 at 05:46 PM ET

Right now I’m just wishing I had a job where I could switch countries at a whim if I wanted a different experience.  That would be fun.

NO YOU DON’T.  And no, it isn’t.

I know because I do it.  Far too much for mine, or any sane person’s, liking.  I always return to the same place, and trust me-- a boomerang is much happier resting in a hand than unpredictably careening through the air.

Posted by AndrewFromAnnArbor from Fortress Europe on 07/08/09 at 05:50 PM ET

I think Holland is one of the best GM’s in sports (if not THE best), but the Red Wings keep losing key players with nothing coming back.I guess they’re going to use Leino ,Abdelkadder ,Filppula ect alot more than they would like. I keep hearing about the Red Wing’s farm system and the way they bring players along slowly (they say that’s the right way). They give examples of low overall picks like Datsyuk and Zetterberg as proof. but wasn’t Hudler one of these players. I think the salary cap has caught up to Hollend.

-Posted by Lindas1st on 07/08/09 at 03:09 PM ET

Samuelson is the only skater the wings lost that played in their top 6 in 2008.  Hossa is an irreplaceable loss, but the wings didn’t need him to win in 08, he was just added firepower filling up free cap space.

As far as the farm system goes, Leino and Helm are NHL ready players that have only been kept out of the NHL by the Wing’s roster and the cap.  Filppula?  He centered the second line in 08 and tied with Zetterberg for the team lead in playoff assists this year (with less playing time and almost no PP time).  Abdelkader is the only griffin that might be rushed into the NHL as a result this (only has last year in the AHL).

I agree that the salary cap has prevented Holland from keeping players that he wants, but they haven’t lost any key players.  It’s still basically the same team that won the cup in 08, just swap out a couple of role players.  Ericsson for Chelios.  Leino for Samuelson.  We’ll see what happens to the slots left open by Drake and Hudler.  If they play solid defense, get good goaltending and aren’t crippled by injuries, they won’t need the firepower they had last season.

Posted by UMcastaway from Ann Arbor on 07/08/09 at 08:30 PM ET

UMcastaway, you seem to be nitpicking on the word “key”. Ask Ken Holland if Hossa and Hudler were keys to the Red Wings succes in 2008-09. I have a sneaking suspicion he will say yes. Furthermore, my only point was he has done a great job in the salary cap era so far,but it now seems to be catching up to him.

Posted by Lindas1st on 07/08/09 at 09:33 PM ET

The salary cap is functioning as designed - when a team gets too many good players, it is ripped apart, as is required to make sure other teams have a turn at being good.

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/08/09 at 09:51 PM ET

They’re all good players, but I don’t think any of them are essential to the wings success.  The key players for the wings are the forwards and defensemen that excel at both ends of the rink and allow the wings to be a top offensive and defensive team (and Osgood, of course).  Hossa is a two way player, but he came from nowhere to rent the extra cap space Z and mule now take and was never in the wings plans.  The offense that Hudler and Hossa added to 09 was nice, but if it was needed it was due to regular season laziness and postseason injuries.  Samuelson is the only one of the three that played big minutes in 08, and he’s replaceable- I expect Ericsson to excel on the point in power plays, and I expect Leino to match his offensive contributions.  I’d love to keep them all, but the Wings don’t need them to be successful so I won’t lose sleep over this off season.

Posted by UMcastaway from Ann Arbor on 07/09/09 at 12:21 AM ET

Ask Ken Holland if Hossa and Hudler were keys to the Red Wings succes in 2008-09. I have a sneaking suspicion he will say yes.

But when you look at the list of guys we’ve lost, you look at Hossa and you can’t honestly, realistically believe that we could keep him.  You look at Hudler, you look at Sammy and you look at Kopecky and the only thing we’re really going to miss is a right handed shot on the point on the PP.

Hudler’s good, but -and this is in relation to him wanting to be a bigger part of the team- he didn’t distinguish himself enough to BE that bigger part, and he disappeared in the playoffs.

Sammy’s good, but he was perfect at his pay grade, not at double the money.

And Kopy, well, it doesn’t even look like Holland ever offered him a contract.

I mean, look at it this way.  It kinda sucks that Sammy and Happy are gone, but we have two NHL-ready players who are going to step right into their roles.

And if you look at Hossa, Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Franzen, it’s hardly realistic to have all four on the team, and do you think that Holland would’ve chosen to lose either of the other three over Hossa?  Of course not!  You’ve got a Hart finalist, a guy who probably would’ve won back-to-back Smythes if the Wings had won this year, and the guy they chose to sign first over Hossa.  Makes it pretty easy to swallow Hossa leaving, because Holland made his choice already.

Posted by Garth on 07/09/09 at 08:53 AM ET