Here’s an update to the Red Wings payroll situation, now considering that renegotiations are not allowed and a $39 million cap. I also updated a few salary numbers and players signed. After reading this analysis you will realize the Wings are actually in good shape. I promise.
Forwards
Kris Draper - $2,800,000 ($2,128,000)
Tomas Holmstrom - $1,800,000 ($1,368,000)
Jiri Hudler - $750,000 ($570,000)
Robert Lang - $5,000,000 ($3,800,000)
Kirk Maltby - $1,900,000 ($1,444,000)
Darren McCarty - $2,250,000 ($1,710,000)
Brendan Shanahan - $3,000,000 ($2,280,000)
Ray Whitney - $3,500,000 ($2,660,000)
Defensemen
Jiri Fischer - $1,750,000 ($1,330,000)
Derian Hatcher - $6,500,000 ($4,940,000)
Nicklas Lidstrom - $10,000,000 ($7,600,000)
Jamie Rivers - $425,000 (*$450,000)
Jason Woolley - $925,000 ($703,000) [UPDATE 7/21 Woolley is a UFA, but signed on TSN?]
Bryan Helmer - $425,000 (*$450,000)
Goalies
Manny Legace - $1,530,000 ($1,162,000)
—-$42,555,000 (*$32,595,000) —-15 players
*24% rollback in parenthesis, minimum salary $450,000
Buyouts
Derian Hatcher (-$4,940,000 = payroll of $27,655,000)
Ray Whitney (-$2,660,000 = payroll of $24,995,000)
Darren McCarty (-$1,710,000 = payroll of $23,285,000)
—-$23,285,000—-12 players
Free Agent Signings (need 11 players - $15,715,000 remaining)
Henrik Zetterberg - $1,750,000
Pavel Datsyuk - $2,000,000
Steve Yzerman - $1,500,000
Jason Williams - $850,000
Niklas Kronwall - $750,000
Mathieu Dandenault - $950,000
Chris Osgood - $2,250,000
Dmitri Bykov - $1,000,000
Johan Franzen - $500,000
Mark Mowers - $550,000
—-Cost of additions: $12,100,000 —- 10 players, 22 total
—-Remaining cap room: $3,615,000, which must include bonuses, insurance, and dental coverage
This leaves enough money for the Wings to acquire a good, second-line scoring forward or to keep Darren McCarty. Buyouts of Derian Hatcher and Ray Whitney are all but a formality. They are gone. Here’s a list of players the Wings could sign with this remaining cap room, to obtain the 23rd and final player. Their last salary is shown in parenthesis, to give some indication of market value.
Skaters:
Long Shots
Jason Allison ($8,000,000, 2003-2004)
Bill Guerin ($6,738,498, 2005-2006)
Sergei Fedorov ($6,080,000, 2005-2006)
Milan Hejduk ($5,700,000, 2004-2005)
Adam Foote ($4,400,000, 2004-2005)
Jason Arnott ($3,850,000, 2004-2005)
Scott Young ($3,462,278, 2003-2004)
Possibilities
Martin Lapointe ($4,000,000, 2004-2005)
Glen Murray ($3,850,000, 2003-2004)
Jeff O’Neill ($3,700,000, 2004-2005)
Adam Deadmarsh ($3,000,000, 2003-2004)
David Legwand ($1,775,000, 2004-2005)
Shawn Horcoff ($850,000, 2004-2005)
Goaltenders:
Long Shots
Mike Dunham ($3,600,000, 2004-2005)
Dan Cloutier ($3,050,000, 2004-2005)
Jocelyn Thibault ($3,100,000, 2004-2005)
Roberto Luongo ($2,400,000, 2004-2005)
Brian Boucher ($2,000,000, 2004-2005)
Possibilities
Byron Dafoe ($3,500,000, 2003-2004)
Manny Fernandez ($2,200,000, 2004-2005)
Garth Snow $1,313,000, 2003-2004)
Felix Potvin ($1,300,000, 2003-2004)
FINAL ROSTER
Centers
Pavel Datsyuk
Jason Williams
Steve Yzerman
Robert Lang
Jiri Hudler
Kris Draper
Johan Franzen
Left Wings
Tomas Holmstrom
Kirk Maltby
Brendan Shanahan
Henrik Zetterberg
Right Wings
Mark Mowers
Defensemen
Jiri Fischer
Nicklas Lidstrom
Jamie Rivers
Jason Woolley
Bryan Helmer
Niklas Kronwall
Mathieu Dandenault
Dmitri Bykov
Goaltenders
Manny Legace
Chris Osgood
23rd man:
Glen Murray or Adam Deadmarsh (Martin Lapointe if we can’t do any better and he comes for a cheap price)
1) Osgood? Seems like you kind of glossed over that signing, since all the other guys are in the system already. Did I miss something?
1a) Is Cujo just gone? Did I miss something there, too?
1b) Why Osgood and not one of the other guys on your list of available goalies? Seems like the Wings already decided Ozzie wasn’t going to win another Cup for us. Why go back on that estimation?
2) Adam Deadmarsh will never be a Wing! Never! (I still hate Colorado. A lockout doesn’t change that.) (And, yes, I know he hasn’t played for the Lanche in years. I don’t care.)
The Wings have an option on Cujo for $8 million, before rollback, which they will not exercise. So he’s gone.
As for the other goaltenders who are available, I get the feeling either the Wings won’t have the cap space required, or in many cases, their being restricted free agents will play against us.
I kind of glossed over the signing of Osgood because there’s really no clear answer there - it’s just a matter of who you feel best with in net. I have a sense that there are maybe 3-4 goaltenders we’ll be able to seriously go after: Garth Snow, Felix Potvin, Mike Dunham, and Chris Osgood. I think Ozzie would fit in best of those.
As for why we dumped Osgood - it was the Wings’ managment over-estimating the resiliance of Hasek. I remember the day we put Ozzie on waivers and I was screaming that we should be keeping him as backup. I never bought that Hasek would stay long. That was a terrible decision on our part - we should’ve talked Ozzie into staying as backup for a year. It was a no brainer to go after Hasek when we had that chance, but I still think the Wings had confidence in Ozzie.
Hey, Deadmarsh is a Red Wing killer, so I’d love to get him on our side. That’d be a no-brainer if we have the money available to do it. Glen Murray is also impressive, and this may be a time to gamble on Jason Allison if he comes cheap - he’s missed most of the last two seasons with a whiplash injury. The Kings released him a while back.
What personnel moves do you think the wings need to make to position themselves to compete for the stanley cup?
We do look in better shape than I thought we would. I was so excited when we first obtained Derian Hatcher. Michigan native. Great defenseman. And then he had to tear his ACL. I know what it’s like and to recover from surgery. I’m so frustrated that his contract was for so much and then we couldn’t get a feel of him at his strongest after surgery. And now we can’t afford him and we never got to see him truly play for the Wings.
Big bummer…but hopefully since teams are on a more level playing field- players will want to come where there is a big fan base and an Original 6 team (or that could just be wishful thinking)…
What about Legace as a #1 goalie? Seems like he’s done yoeman’s work as a backup. And isn’t there a kid in the minors who is NHL ready?
Can we skimp on goalie and sign another forward?
What personnel moves do you think the wings need to make to position themselves to compete for the stanley cup?
The first move was getting rid of Dave Lewis (and likely Barry/Kocur). Next the Wings will buy out Hatcher and Whitney (and possibly McCarty, though I have a feeling he’ll stay). Then get on the phone with Pavel and Henrik’s agents and get them signed. Beyond that, I don’t see any problems signing the remaining Wings. If we can get a starting goaltender (Ozzie) and a good forward (Glen Murray), I think we’ll be a Cup contender, easily.
My only concern is that, as Holland has said in many interviews, the Wings are going into the season with 21 players on their roster (many of which are already young), and will add Griffins after that (as I’ve done). Franzen, Kronwall, Mowers, Williams, Fischer, Helmer, Hudler (and Pavel and Henrik). 1/3 of the roster is going to be young guys…this could be frustrating at times but also could save us in the playoffs (the young Flames skated circles around us).
What about Legace as a #1 goalie? Seems like he’s done yoeman’s work as a backup. And isn’t there a kid in the minors who is NHL ready?
Can we skimp on goalie and sign another forward?
Joey MacDonald has been the Griffins’ mainstay goaltender, but I don’t think Illich will settle. We won’t spend a lot, but we’ll find a veteran starter. I don’t think it’s worth skimping at goaltender, especially with all the rules changes slanted towards offense. Penalty shots in overtime, smaller goalie equipment, net moved back, etc.
The Wings have relied on age and experience for so long that it will truly be a major change in philosophy to go with youth. They don’t really have much of a choice though and if they’d kept Lewis or one of the “old guard” coaches, I would be worried about how successful they could be. Mike Babcock is supposed to be a good coach in terms of developing youth so I don’t think we have all that much to worry about.
I also would LOVE to see Osgood back in Detroit! He was shafted when Hasek came to town & I still think we would’ve won with Osgood that year. However, will Osgood want to return to Detroit?