NHL '13-'14 Season Thread

[357]

Jim Nill IS awesome. BTW, that front page is the Detroit Free Press aka the Freep. That's why the Madano tie to the Wings given his single season here. Not that it's how I would have written it but that's the rub.

[E.J.]

7M a year for Stastny?

[icehog3]

Stasny to St Louis makes the Blues better.

Avs lose Stasny and Parenteau, get Briere and Iginla....I think it's a wash at best.

And obviusoly Kesler to the Ducks last wee.

I think the Blues and Anaheim just got tougher for the Hawks and Avs in '14-'15.

[E.J.]

Yes, I think Stastny gives the Blues offense, which they need. He is a 2 way player that will grind, I wish the Avs could have found a way to bring him back.....but at less than he was making last year, not with a raise.

I am A BIG Pauly Walnuts fan, but he was overpaid at 6M. Paying 7M a year for him does not seem reasonable.

Iginla is going to be good for that young locker room....hope he finds fountain of youth, not a spring chicken.

Need to get O'Reilly locked up long term. I fear with their continuing to butt heads, when he can, he'll bolt. He's a cat that deserves to get paid.

[drjammer]

I liked Pauly as well but 7m a year, the Blues can have him .

[CRIMPS]

The craziest signing, IMHO, is the Niskanen contract, at 7yrs and ~$40MM. Have fun with that, Washington.

The chances of that working out aren't high. He had one good year, after many very lukewarm seasons.

[357]

I know I'm going to get cheapshots galore but, what invisible plague have the Wings contracted?

I get they are not the same HHOF studded roster they used to have but they get snubbed by 2nd level FA year in and year out for 5+ seasons.

I hear a lot of players don't like Babcock but I also head how just about every Canadian team would cut off an owner's teste to get him.

[icehog3]

Maybe the Wings still prefer to grow their own, and snag guys from Europe, rather than go the UFA route? I haven't heard of any big money UFAs snubbing them, Mike.

[357]

This contains the details.

http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/ne...e-60b1702f1b09

A few snippets...

Remember when July 1 wasn't just Canada Day, it was Detroit's day?

No team rocked the Kasbah on the annual launch of NHL free agency like the Red Wings. Suitors lined up to sign on the dotted line.

Tuesday, as the free agent period opened, the only sound around Joe Louis Arena was crickets.

...


Christian Ehrhoff could have gotten two years and $8 million, but instead signed for one-year and $4 million from the Pittsburgh Penguins.

"My first priority was to be on a good team," Ehrhoff told TSN.

That's got to sting just a little bit, don't you think?

Dan Boyle picked the bright lights of Broadway over Hockeytown for $3.5 million less than the Wings put forth.

The Wings offered Matt Niskanen seven years and $42 million. He chose seven years, $40.25 million from the Washington Capitals.

Just like that, the Wings were the Austin Jackson of free agency - three swings, three misses, go grab some bench - further evidence that Detroit is no longer a destination NHL players covet.

Second-tier defenders also spurned Detroit.

Tom Gilbert already had the offer he accepted from Montreal by the time the Wings called.

Stephane Robidas, saying he wanted to be closer to family, spurned the Wings to take a similar offer from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Wings weren't willing to give Anton Stralman the fiveyear term he received from the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Left standing at the altar again and again. It's a trend that is becoming a recurring theme for the Wings.

Remember the spring of 2012, when Zach Parise and Ryan Suter were the prize UFAs? Flying to Suter's Wisconsin home on owner Mike Ilitch's private jet, GM Ken Holland and Wisconsin grad Chris Chelios did the wooing.

They boarded the return flight certain they had their man.

But Suter signed with the Minnesota Wild.

[357]

Worst of all...

At the end of the day, Detroit's only moves were to keep free-agent defenceman Kyle Quincey, a guy they'd hoped to jettison at the start of the day, for two years and $8.5 million, more than Ehrhoff got from the Penguins.

And another gem

Clearly, there's an image problem afoot for the Wings.

They skate in one of the NHL's most ancient facilities. The view most outsiders have of Detroit is the bleak one presented on the nightly news. They are coached by a demanding, micromanaging taskmaster in Mike Babcock and that's not a quality many of today's pampered athletes seek in their bench boss. Post-season participants for a league-best 23 straight springs, the Wings aren't winning when it matters most - one playoff series triumph in three years, five straight springs absent from the conference finals, their longest drought since 1989-94.

[icehog3]

So they should build a new arena and fire Babcock?

[357]

Not what I'm saying. I keep hearing Toronto would sell their building to buy Babcock if they could. I think he really pushes players, which is a good thing. Also, they are building a new arena but we're a couple years out. I'm just wondering if any of you might know what's going around the NHL watercooler. Clearly Ken Holland doesn't know, the Wings were shocked yesterday. They got denied by everyone they talked to and settled for Quincy who they wanted to jettison. Holland even said as much publicly.

People are just throwing out ideas of why no FA want to come here. I get Detroit itself has a stigma but it has for decades. Something in the past 4-5 years changed.

Honestly I feel the Wings could contend if they were able to add a legit top 3 D-man and maybe a 5/6 D-man. The young forwards with a healthy veteran core should be able to get past the first round if they have some help on the blueline. But, we couldn't even sniff a 1st or 2nd tier FA before they went elsewhere. I just wonder if there's a single reason or if this is a combination effect and unbelievebly bad luck.

[icehog3]

That have some great young forwards in Jurco, Nyquist, Tatar and Helm. But there stars are quickly coming to the end of the line...Zetterberg, Franzen and Datysuk seem to spend more and more time on the IR, Alfredsson, Cleary, Bertuzzi....color them done. Couple good young D-men with Danny DeKeyser and Brendan Smith. Seems to be a good core even with the stars playing less games, so there must be something that isn't being disclosed publicly as to why players are avoiding Motown.

[357]

That's exactly what I'm getting at. I love the young forwards you mentioned along with a couple others. Obviously their starts Dats and Z are old. Kronwall is very good but older. Not as old as Pav/Z. DeKeyser and Smith are good young D-men. We just need a couple more solid D-men. Heck I'd like another forward but I'm not trying to be picky. It just seems to be too much to be a coincidence.

[Ahbroody]

I have been saying for years the salary cap would be the end of Detroits reign and free agents would go else where. As much as Wings fans wont want to face facts back in the day they could pay to get the remaining pieces every year or so to be a cup contender. Those days are gone. The wings last cup was 07-08 and that season the cup had not fully taken afffect as teams could still be over the cap on existing contracts. When 09 came around and every year since nobody comes. Players today dont care about history. Players care about (money as is obvious with the Sharks heartless stars) and winning a title.

Puck daddy just put out an article on the Wings and why no one wants to come. I would just like to say I have been saying this in the nhl thread for at least 3 years. A search of my posts will prove this. The salary cap killed the Yankees errrrr Red Wings. Most fans around the league couldnt be happier to watch this either. Tough for this Sharks fan to gloat to much having a bunch of gutless chokers over here and a team known for under achieving and embarrassing playoff performances

[357]

I understand the cap has created more parity in the league and that the Wings are not the Yankees anymore. However, during the CBA stuff, the salaries were reduced across the board by something like 20% and the Wings have been under the cap since it existed. There was no grandfathered anything. The instant reduction took care of that.

What I don't get is why teams that aren't even in the playoffs, nor are they likely to be in the near future, land better FAs. I understand that great history and $1.00 will get you a cup of coffee. It just seems somehow the Wings are tainted and FAs are avoiding us like the plague. They had to settle for Quincy at 2 years for $8.5 million? Horrible. Absolutely horrible.

3-4 years ago the exuse (for lack of FA signings) was the core is old and no young talent coming up. Now we have good young players on O and D. Yet, no dice. I think Ian White is the biggest name we've signed since Hossa; not counting Alfredson since he's 40. It's frustrating because I feel they aren't that far away. 1 top 4 d-man and one more just to fill out the top 6 and they'd be in a good spot. Assuming they are healthy of course.

[357]

Not saying odds on favorite, but a contender rather than fighting for a 7/8 seed.

[CRIMPS]

There are a number of things going against the Wings, many of which you documented. Part of the Wing's issues, though, may simply be cyclical. With the CBA, teams will go through more of a cycle with their aging players/contracts.

[357]

Good point Zach. I'm used to having my cake and eating it too with them. Similar to how the Michigan Wolverines never had a down year for 3 decades. I mean, a very "down year" was 8-4 and a bowl appearance. I guess I'm spoiled a bit.

[icehog3]

Originally Posted by 357

Good point Zach. I'm used to having my cake and eating it too with them. Similar to how the Michigan Wolverines never had a down year for 3 decades. I mean, a very "down year" was 8-4 and a bowl appearance. I guess I'm spoiled a bit.

Until football season starts.