OT - Pavel Datsyuk signs 3-yr extension with Red Wings
As the title says, Dats is locked in for an additional three years with the Wings (4 yrs total). Good to have him around as he still has the moves that leaves defenders in his wake.
Link: http://www.freep.com/article/20130618/SPORTS05/306180033/Pavel-Datsyuk-Red-Wings-extension
Edit: Clarification of extension added
He has been my favorite Wings player for years. I hope he retires a Wing.
THIS IS A MICHIGAN BLOG!! ....oh wait
Well this thread is obviously alright since it isn't about MSU and Ohio.
Pav, or his agent, said that Pav will only play for the Wings or the KHL.
Pavel seems like the type that will age well. He is more 'crafty' than explosive. He will likely continue to be one of the games top playmakers for a few more years. The area where he may seems fall off is on the defensive side. Even there, however, he is so good positionally that it won't likely be noticeable.
In case of confusion, this is a 3-year EXTENSION, meaning it's added on to the one season he has left on his current contract. Pavel is going to be a wing for four more years.
Fixed
This guy makes some amazing plays each year. Ridiculous off-balance, bad-angle, top-shelf goals. I know he's "defensively responsible" but I'm always surprised he doesn't put up more points. Kings fan here, but much respect. Was very impressed when Doughty lit him up but he came right back and powered down the slot and then absolutely fired one home over Quick's glove. One of my favorite all-time non Kings.
Never been happier to be wrong.
Very good news here. For some reason, the link isn't working for me. What are the highlights of the contract? I know some people were a little wary of what type of deal he would get but I couldn't be happier that he's back and not leaving for Mother Russia just yet.
not much, but this little nugget:
"he has agreed to a three-year, $22.5-million extension with the Detroit Red Wings. His salary cap hit will be $7.5 million per year."
7.5 million per year in terms of the cap hit, keeps him with Detroit until 2017. It's a big chunk of 64 million cap, but I think it is a good deal. Post 2017 I'd likely become more concerned of the oppturnity cost of keeping Pavel around. As amazing as he is, you don't want to cut a young guy who can give you a decade of production just for a year or two more of Pavel.
Edit.
Capgeek has the hit at 7,666,667 a year.
Staying on the topic of the Red Wings here, what sort of offseason deals do you all foresee? Val, Cleary, White, and Brunner are all UFAs. I would like to see Brunner signed but I think they can deal Filppula or Cleary to try and clear up some space for a strong forward or defenseman.
Very likely that only Brunner is resigned from that group. Fil wants too much, Cleary might get crowded out from the young guys coming in, and White had his bags packed a while ago.
Val's contract is up can you really trade him? I think they'll most likely sign Cleary and Brunner again, but I think that the $ Val is looking for won't be from the Wings.
Yeah, I agree with what you guys are saying here. Fil reportedly wants around $5mill/year which, yeah, isn't happening. Bickell would be a great signing. I love how strong he stakes and the way he crashes down to the net on offense.
Kronwall-Ericsson
Then you have Smith, Lashoff, DeKeyser, Kindl, Colaiacovo, and Quincey.
Our future is in Smith, DeKeyser, Lashoff, and Kindl. That is a strong 4 to build around once Kronwall and Ericsson are gone. Quincey and Colo won't last too long, but would likely be replaced by someone on the Griffins.
That's 8 defensemen. We also have several strong defensemen prospects in the AHL in Billins and Paetsch.
Wings have no reason to reach in FA for defensemen or forwards. We have everything we need in the AHL right now.
With how tight the salary cap is going to be down the road, we don't need to overpay for a FA defensemen. They usually go for 5+ million, and I don't think we need to overspend when we have very capable pieces that have the potential to be the next Girardi's, Brian Cambell's, or Keith Yandle's.
I agree with acquiring a D-man but only if it's a top-2 guy. You don't get those guys for $5Mil. The Wings have an opening if they can find an elite, $6 or 7 Mil guy but they have plenty of top 3-4 guys so they do not need to reach by paying a #4 guy $5Mil per year. Going after Suter was okay. Going after Mark Streit would not be.
I believe he is a right-handed shot, correct? I guess you can make a case for him but he is also 29 and doesn't score much so depending on term, that may be a reach (e.g. if he wants a 5-year deal).
Letang seems like a good fit for the Wings but the word is that he wants at least $7Mil per on at least a 5-year deal after next year. I would guess that he will get that.
I agree that someone will likely give him 5 years at $5Mil plus. Just don't think it will be the Wings since they typically do not overspend on UFAs although they certainly did make a big play for Suter. I just think it's unlikely they get in a bidding war unless it's a real top end guy. Letang might qualify.
Maybe DeKeyser can be one of those guys, but the Red Wings power play, which opposing teams normally feared, was merely two minutes of rest for Jimmy Howard while the rest of the team played in the neutral zone or passed the puck around the perimeter in the offensive zone. I think that was what they missed most from Lidstrom on the ice. Hopefully they can fill that void this offseason.
No freep links!
He'll have to put his trip back to Russia on hold for 4 years.
He's critical for the future of this team.
Go wings!
Excited to Pav will be around a little longer!
$7.6 cap is still a great deal considering he is one of, if not the best, in the NHL.
White is gone. Cleary may be resigned for cheap for depth but it's time for the kids to play and I don't think he'll be out there much. Brunner will be the interesting one. No doubt the Wings will want to sign him, but it will be a battle between all the money teams might throw at him in a weak FA market and his ties to Detroit.
Good news about Datsyuk!
I wouldn't be so quick to assign Cleary to "depth" - he's a tough veteran who was second on the team in playoff points with 10 (Z 12, Datsyuk 9, Brunner 9) and led the team against Chicago with 5 (Z & Brunner had 4 each). The kids need to get stronger before they take his PT.
Be interesting to see what Holland does to accomodate the young talent the WIngs need to sign. I assume Fil is gone; wonder whether they are looking to do something with Mule as well.
Franzen isn't going anywhere. His salary only takes under 4 mill of cap every year, and his buy-out is ridiculous. He's a wing for life.
Start cloning him. This team needs more guys with good hands.
Best all around player in hockey.
He is, without a doubt, my favorite player in the NHL, so great to have him back. But moving to the Eastern Conference which is, for lack of a better description, a bit less skilled and a bit more thug-ish is anyone else worried he might be a bit out of his element?
Counterargument: Hagelin, Carl.
I got away from hockey over the last 5 or 6 years and saw that we don't have a bruiser really and was somewhat shocked. My buddy explained it to me thusly: "the RedWings are skilled and they just dont have room for a guy who intimidates if he isn't highly skilled and those guys are really rare." The game has changed so much in the last few years that there really isn't room for a guy like that on our roster. It still worries me, but I understand it a little bit now.
I do think he (Dats) might miss a few more games in the East.
Also, Dats was the best player on the ice in the Ducks series and the Ducks are definitely "thuggish." Dats can handle himself just fine.
Crosby, Malkin, Tavares, Ovechkin, Giroux, Stamkos, St. Louis, etc. I don't really think the east lacks in skill.
The West had the Ducks and the Blues, so it's not like there will be a huge difference moving to the east in that regard. Given the greatly reduced amount of travel (especially less between time zones), I don't see how this can be anything but positive. I wonder if playing in the east motivated Dats to stay around a little while longer, honestly.