OT: Hossa to Wings
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080702/SPORTS0103/8…
Ken Holland's the best.
ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME
KEN HOLLAND: MAN OF MY DREAMS
Odds on favorites now to repeat.
Hossa must be following the old if you can't beat them then join them adage.
Excuse me now while I go pick up my new Hossa jersey...
Hopefully this isn't a "one and done" situation.
...but I think a lot of money from contract extensions hits after next year. So, unless he wants to take a significant pay cut in 2009/10, I think Hossa's a one year rental.
that it isn't a one and done...so i'll bump this 190 pages to the front...also, i wonder how many people will be confused and click this link thinking it is about right now! lol. man i'm bored :(
I'd be shocked if he re-signs (especially with a Detroit win), but he's surprised me before.
paying attention to reports suggesting he is prepared to ink a 7 year deal after the playoffs are over, haven't you?
You missed the reports suggesting he was prepared to ink a 7 year deal after the Playoffs were over last you, didn't you?
Everything I heard said the Pens were prepared for him to test the market. Also, this was all BEFORE the Red Wings came a calling. Seriously, I think if the Wings want him, he's staying. I think they want him. I think he's staying.
Trust me that you're wrong about the Penguins being prepared to test the market. You don't end up scrambling to sign Miroslav Satan late in July if you're prepared for Hossa to test the market.
It's not that I don't think the Wings want him to stay, and even that he might want to stay, but it is highly unlikely they can afford him, especially for a contract of that length. The cap numbers are going to be tight enough as it is, and will be exacerbated by the fact that the cap isn't going up this year. They are already at $51.225M, and that's without dealing with Samuelsson and Leino. Even if they let both of them walk to keep Hossa the most they could give Hossa would be about $5M, since they would have to leave some room in the cap number for in season call ups. Even if Hossa wants to sign for $5M he'd have a hell of a lot of NHLPA pressure on him not to. He's going to be the market standard UFA again this off season and that much of an undervalue would be sure to ruffle quite a few feathers.
The Red Wings are the most creative team in the NHL. If anybody can figure this out, it's Ken Holland. (The best GM in any of the four major sports for my money)
I don't disagree with that. If anyone can figure it out, it's Holland. I just can't see any possible way that Holland can get the cap number low enough to make it work, at least not on the speculated 7 year term. Remember, the numbers I stated in my previous post were assuming that he lets both Samuelsson and Leino walk (which he can't on his own because Leino is a RFA). Also, I forgot in my earlier post that Hudler is a RFA, and they would have to let him walk too. I can't see them letting any of those players walk, let alone all three. If he went 10 or 11 years it's possible, that's a mighty big risk considering the grumbling that's already occurred because of the other long deals like that in the league (i.e. they are contrary to the intent of the CBA provisions regarding age 35 and retirement that they work around). I think Holland is smart enough to realize that if he were to try to do that with Hossa it's something that would be dealt with severely in the next CBA, which could hit the Wings (in particular) very hard, because let's be honest, there isn't a lot of chance that Franzen will still be playing at the end of his contract and neither would Hossa if he signs a similar deal. As the rule states, if either of them retire before the end of their contracts the cap hit evaporates from cap consideration upon retirement (because they are under 35), but one of the responses being floated to these new type of deals is to change it so that they are treated like players over 35 where they count toward the cap until the end of the contract.
Now if only Holland could take over Millen's responsibilities.
Just imagine how far the franchise has fallen in the past weeks. To go from being into the finals to having your best players leave that you traded your future for. It is about the total opposite if your a Wings fans.
ken holland is amazing, red wings back 2 back champs
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love this signing. At the same time, Ducks fans approximately one year ago: "Bertuzzi and Schneider?! LOL! Repeatz!"