Monthly Archive for September, 2005Page 2 of 2

Datsyuk to return

Published
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Matt Saler
on September 19, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 4 Comments

It looks like the Pavel Datsyuk Saga will have a happy ending after all, if what Ken Holland said tonight before the Wings’ first exhibition game is true. TSN quotes the Wings GM as saying:

“I think he’s coming back to Detroit, unless I get a major curveball. My expectation is that he’s coming back by the weekend.”

Holland has not personally talked to Pavel since September 5th but he has been in touch with his agent, Gary Greenstin. That little tidbit doesn’t exactly instill a whole lot of confidence in me, though, since Greenstin seems to be an inherently bad source of information, given his penchant for misdirectional negotiation style. Still, Kenny wouldn’t just say it if it wasn’t likely. However, he only said “I think” so his “expectation” may not end up actually happening.

I’ll be plenty happy if Pavel does actually come back but I hope the Wings aren’t going to have to pay him the $5 million they reportedly offered him before.

UPDATE (20. Sep 05): TSN has a CP report confirming Pavel’s return here. They quote Holland as saying,

“I spoke to Pavel this morning. It’s all confirmed. He’s coming back. We certainly feel like we’ve won the lottery.”

That’s good enough for me. Welcome back, Pavel. I hope you’re ready to go to work.

Kronwall impresses Wings

Published
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Christy Hammond
on September 17, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 1 Comment

I’m happy to report that I’ve purchased some Wings tickets. For non-season ticket holders, I’ve found it very hard to get tickets to games. I was able to get tickets for my family for the September 25 pre-season game against the Dallas Stars. Today, the first 14 home games’ tickets went on sale at 10am. I was able to purchase 2 tickets each for 3 games: Anaheim, Coyotes, and the season opener. I will only be able to go to one of those games b/c my brothers get to go to a game as well. But I plan on having my Dad take pictures at all the games and whatever turns out, I’ll post here. I am totally and completely excited/ready for Wings hockey. As much as I love being a fan of a winning team with a rich history, the Wings could suck and I’d still love watching my hockey team. Hopefully it’ll never get to that, but the era of “buying wins” is sadly over.

Kronwall impressing teammates and bringing comparisons to Vladdie
In Traverse City camp, Niklas Kronwall impressed teammates and Wings staff alike. Since he was 16 years old, the Wings have watched him play in Sweden and more recently, Grand Rapids. Now they hope to see him develop into an NHL defenseman.

“He’s got good offensive skills — he’s good defensively, great mobility, he’s strong on his skates,” assistant general manager Jim Nill said. “He’s one of our top young players.”

Thus far, 24 year old Kronwall has been paired up with veteran player Chris Chelios.

“He’s going to be a great player in this league for years to come, without a doubt,” Schneider said. He’s one of those guys that is the full package — plays physical, moves the puck well, sees the ice well — and it’s just a matter of experience, now. Not to mention he’s a great kid. He’s got a great attitude. You don’t want to compare him to Nicky, but he’s got the same type of mentality, the same attitude.”

Others have compared Kronwall to Vladimir Konstantinov like in the way he hits players.

“In the sense that they have the ability to catch a guy with his head down in the neutral zone, Vladdie was good that way, too,” Yzerman said. “They’re good skaters, agile, they can adjust to when a guy is moving across the ice. I don’t think he’s as chippy as Vladdie was as a player, but certainly as physical. He’s a great open-ice hitter. He will get a reputation for that, but his first year or two around the league, he’s going to catch people by surprise and then force players to have their heads up coming through the neutral zone.”

While he has already gained a reputation as a physical player, Kronwall broke his leg during the 2003-2004 season causing him to miss out on some games. During the lockout, Kronwall had a chance to work on his game.

“I think I’ve improved a lot, actually, especially my offensive game,” Kronwall said. “I got a lot of good chances last year to work on it. In my own opinion, I think maybe last year was probably the best thing that could have happened to me — I got to play a lot in Grand Rapids and get some more experience on the smaller ice surface.”

Head coach Mike Babcock was quote impressed with Kronwall’s performance at the world championships when he represented Sweden.

“At the world championships, I thought he was outstanding,” Babcock said. “I’ve seen him against the best players in the world, and he was, in my mind, a high-end player. It might take him a little bit of time, but he’s going to be a high-end NHL defenseman.”

Wings re-sign Zetterberg

Published
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Matt Saler
on September 7, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 2 Comments

Ken Holland has rebounded from the loss of Pavel Datsyuk by locking up young forward Henrik Zetterberg, the Wings’ second biggest off-season signing priority, today according to TSN.

Zetterberg, who signed a four-year, $10.6 million deal, will give up one year of unrestricted free agency. That’s an important point for the Wings, who were able to get a satisfactorily long-term deal out of this while giving Hank the freedom to decide his career down the road. Henrik is just 25 and in the prime of his career, which makes it even better.

The Wings now have 10 forwards, 7 defensemen and 2 goalies with $5.5 million left under the cap. Holland isn’t completely ruling out the return of Pavel Datsyuk (apparently, there is still some cloudiness over the out-clause issue) but he will operate under the assumption that he is not coming back this year, at least. It looks like Holland would like to get three more forwards, one of whom may or may not be Datsyuk. A side note: TSN says that Moscow Dynamo matched Avangard Omsk’s offer, bringing Pavel back to Moscow to play with his old team. So that clears up my confusion about Pavel’s apparent pump-faking everyone in the media out by practicing with Dynamo but signing with Avangard. I guess he was sort of an RFA with Moscow as well as with the Wings.

Hank will (according to TSN) earn $2.65 million this season, which isn’t bad for a guy who led the SEL in scoring last season with 50 points in 50 games (19G, 31A). I’m glad Holland was able to bring him back and I’m even more glad Zata didn’t make it any tougher. Good job, Kenny, and welcome back, Hank.

UPDATE (8. Sep): The always entertaining Jes Golbez has a breakdown of Hank’s numbers here.

And for those of you who still have hope that Pavel will be back this season, here’s another damper from the Detroit News:

Datsyuk can play in Europe until Oct. 5, the start of the NHL season. Any player who stays in Europe beyond that date must clear waivers to return to the NHL, and that wouldn’t happen.

No kidding! That’s less than a month away now. So much for a December 1st deadline. Ugh.

More on Pavel

Published
by
Matt Saler
on September 7, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 6 Comments

Well, another young Russian Red Wing has taken the money and run. First it was Bykov, now it’s Pavel. I suppose I can’t really blame him for taking $6 million (that’s the unconfirmed number) when he had the chance but it still is hard to swallow this as a fan. I guess it was a mistake to throw around all that rhetoric about his being the “future of the franchise,” “one of the top young stars in the league,” “one of the most electrifying players in hockey,” etc. While all that was true to a large extent, it apparently got to his head. The age of Steve Yzerman and selfless superstars is over, over, over. It was before the cap and is just even more so with a cap.

The Detroit News reports that the contract has no out-clause so the Wings will be without Datsyuk’s services for at least a season. I’ll go further than that. I can’t really see Pavel ever coming back to the Wings, not after setting a pay precedent for himself like that. I’m sure he’ll perform at a high level in Russia and that will only serve to keep his market value so high, if not drive it higher. I have no doubt a number of GMs in the NHL would have happily paid him $6 million a year.

I don’t blame Holland for not getting Pavel signed. If $6 million was what Pavel wanted, there’s nothing Kenny could have done. The Wings already have one highly paid super star in Nick Lidstrom (for a year, anyway) and there really is not room under a $39 million cap to pay two players $6+ million if you want to have a balanced roster (unless you’re Tampa Bay). When you compare the relative contributions of Lidstrom and Datsyuk, Nick easily comes out on top and therefore would command the most money as well as attention in negotiations from the Wings. So unless Lidstrom leaves next summer and/or Pavel takes a big “humble pill,” I would not expect Datsyuk back in the Winged Wheel.

I almost wish the Wings didn’t draft so well because it’s hard to stay excited about prospects when things like this happen. If you collect too many good young players, you’re just going to lose them to teams that have much more cap space because they don’t have the same young talent you have. I guess the Wings can rely on other teams’ youth or aged rent-a-players (not a new concept in Detroit) while performing as a prospect farm for the other 29 NHL teams. How encouraging.

As I said earlier, I was not surprised at all that Pavel decided to stay in Russia but I was surprised about where he signed. I totally expected him to sign with Moscow and when reports said he’d signed with Omsk instead, I was a little doubtful. However, as a reader pointed out, Dynamo’s offer of $3.3 million could not compete with Avangard’s offer. Given that, it’s no surprise Pavel went to play in Siberia.

I’m obviously very sorry to see Pavel go, even more so because of the hopes we Wings fans had resting on him. I’ll certainly miss watching him with the puck. I think the biggest shame is Pavel’s newly inflated image of himself, after just one good season. He has not yet demonstrated an ability to put up those numbers consistently and has done very little in the playoffs. He’s being paid on potential now and even though he’s already 27, I think he was a couple good seasons away from being able to demand that kind of money.

I’m glad the Wings are confident of their ability to contend for the Cup this year, even without Pavel. Maybe they’re on to something. After all, they still have some big names on the roster. If they get Zetterberg signed, I’ll buy in to their optimism a lot more.

There is some good news, though: Steve Yzerman says his knee feels better than it has in two years.

UPDATE (8. Sep):

This whole situation is getting ridiculous. Is it too much to ask for some kind of concrete answer?!

Matt Schwartz of our sister-site/affiliate LetsGoWings.com has some more news on the whole Pavel Datsyuk Saga and has some reasons for us to hope.

The most important stuff is in these paragraphs:

What has been reported is the financial figure: $3.5 million USD, tax-free. That’s a far cry from the rumored $6 million from earlier this week. Booth Newspapers reported this week that the Red Wings’ highest offer averaged $3.8 million per season, but likely as a four- or five-year deal.

Another development is that Datsyuk’s agent, Gary Greenstin, told the Russian media that Wings GM Ken Holland has agreed to offer Datsyuk a two-year contract, something he was loathe to do previously because it would make the talented center an unrestricted free agent following the 2006-07 NHL season.

So, the Wings could pay Pavel more than he’d make in Russia (even with taxes) and could have him for two years. Sure, we’d like to have him around longer but that’s still a heck of a lot better than not having him at all.

Also, Schwartz reports that, according to Soviet Sport, Pavel’s contract “was never officially filed with the PHL, Russia’s professional hockey governing body. That would also partly explain why Datsyuk has not dressed yet for Avangard or Dynamo, despite the RSL regular season kicking off on Monday, and would leave him free to sign with the Red Wings.”

I’m glad to be ripped out of my depressive pessimism by such reports but all this back-and-forth action is getting real old. I’d like to know the answer to this basic question: could Pavel Datsyuk play for the Wings, if finances allow? (i.e. can he leave Russia or not?)

Report: Datsyuk signs with Avangard Omsk

Published
by
Matt Saler
on September 5, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 3 Comments

It appears Ken Holland’s efforts to keep Pavel Datsyuk in Detroit were in vain, if the reports are true.

According to the news agency Reuters, Pavel signed a one-year contract with the Siberian team Avangard Omsk today. The report also says that Datsyuk rejected a $5 million offer by the Wings last week and was seeking $6 million from Detroit. His Russian salary is not included in the report but it does say his contract includes a clause that would allow him to return to the NHL mid-season.

Well. It’s no surprise to me that Pavel is staying in Russia. What is a surprise is that he signed with Avangard Omsk and not Moscow Dynamo like everyone’s been reporting for months. However, due to that little discrepancy, I’m taking this report with a bit of salt. Until it’s confirmed by the Detroit area newspapers, I won’t accept it absolutely. I full expected him to sign with Moscow but this signing has me doubting.

I’m assuming, since none of the reports say “per year,” that the $5 million offer the Wings made Pavel was a total, not yearly, amount. Same with what he was apparently asking for ($6 million). Although John Niyo has reported the two sides had agreed on a three year term, these numbers seem to indicate a two-year contract length (allowing Pavel to become a UFA in 2007, two years hence). So, under the Wings’ offer, he’d have made $2.5 million each year and under his, he would have made $3 million a year. That meshes somewhat better with his comment here (as quoted in the Russian media):

“I think I am worth at least what (Dany) Heatley or (Joe) Thornton got from their deals.”

Dany Heatley will make $3.5 million this year, while Thornton will make $6.66 million (so Pavel’s a little off).

Maybe I’m interpreting the reports wrong but I just find it hard to believe that Pavel would demand $6 million a year let alone that the Wings would offer him $5 million a year when they’re so hogtied already. With their cap room standing at about $7 million, they would have barely have had room to sign Henrik Zetterberg and would have had no room at all to sign anyone else. If they really want to sign 4-5 more players, the absolutely would not have offered Pavel $5 million a year. Period.

I’m obviously very sorry to see him go but I find some hope in the fact that he was able to secure an escape clause in his Russian contract. It looks like there’s a chance he could play in Detroit after all. If the report is true.

UPDATE (6. Sep 05):

The Detroit News has confirmed the signing. It’s for one year at $6 million, so I did interpret the report completely wrong.

Ugh.

More later, perhaps.

Deadline set by Datsyuk’s agent

Published
by
Matt Saler
on September 2, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 4 Comments

It looks like Ken Holland won’t get Labor Day off like most of the rest of us.

Pavel Datsyuk’s agent, Gary Greenstin, has made September 5th the deadline for the Wings to meet an agreement with his client. If no deal is reached by then, Datsyuk will sign a contract with Moscow Dynamo and negotiations will be delayed until next spring.

John Niyo of the Detroit News reports that Ken Holland is unperturbed and is more interested in the NHL-imposed deadline for Group 2 free agency signings: December 1st. He quotes Holland as saying:

“They’ve got some dates that they feel are pressure points. But those dates don’t mean anything to me. I don’t think that’s a very good negotiation, when I’m operating under a deadline and nobody else is.”

Holland is obviously pushing for Datsyuk to have an “out-clause” if he does end up signing with Dynamo. In that case, the Wings could bring Pavel to Detroit if they free up some cap room at some point down the road. I don’t know how likey it is that Datsyuk would be able to convince Dynamo to incorporate such a clause or if he’d even be willing himself.

It doesn’t look good, folks.

Also, due to a mutual agreement between the two sides, further negotiations with Henrik Zetterberg have been postponed until early next week. So Kenny should have the whole weekend to dedicate to reaching an agreement with Pavel. I hope his time isn’t completely wasted.

Datsyuk closer to signing with Wings

Published
by
Christy Hammond
on September 1, 2005
in Uncategorized
. 0 Comments

Yesterday John Niyo reported that the Wings and Pavel Datsyuk were far apart in negotiations. Apparently, something has changed over the past 24 hours as Niyo is now reporting that the two sides are closer to reaching a deal.

Finally, perhaps, there was a positive sign late Wednesday in the ongoing negotiations between the Red Wings and restricted free agent Pavel Datsyuk.

A report in today’s Soviet Sport newspaper in Russia indicated Datsyuk was a last-minute no-show as the Russian national team left Moscow Wednesday for today’s EuroTour game against Sweden in St. Petersburg, Russia. Datsyuk had been practicing with the national team this past week.

Datsyuk’s agent, Gary Greenstin, last week told The Detroit News he wanted to have the framework for a new deal for Datsyuk in place by Sept. 1. He also said Datsyuk faced a Sept. 5 deadline for signing with Moscow Dynamo, the Russian SuperLeague team he played for last season during the NHL lockout.

Last weekend, Datsyuk, 27, rejected multiple contract offers from the Wings, ranging from 1-5 years in length. Greenstin, who met with Datsyuk in Moscow earlier this week, is believed to have faxed the Wings a counteroffer either Tuesday or Wednesday — a three-year deal appears to be the common ground — but neither Greenstin nor Wings general manager Ken Holland could be reached for comment Wednesday.

UPDATE (Matt, 5:47 PM ET):

Don’t get too excited yet. The AP has another report that puts a bit of a damper on any hopes you might still have. They quote Holland as saying today:

“We’re nowhere near a deal with either player. We’ve made a number of offers and they’ve made offers, but we still have a long way to go to reach deals.”

The Wings have about $7 million left to spend and, according to the AP story, want to sign 4 or 5 more players (this doesn’t fit with what I’ve heard, which is that they’d like to carry 21 players - they already have 19 players signed, all of whom are capable of playing on an NHL roster - that’s 8 defensemen, 2 goalies and 9 forwards without Pavel and Hank). That obviously doesn’t leave a whole lot of room for a couple young studs looking for significant raises.

This is scary:

“I feel we’ve made fair offers and there’s not a lot more we can do under the salary cap. I’m not concerned, but the closer we get to Sept. 12, I will be.”

How enouraging. I hope Kenny has a real reason not to be concerned because that just sounds arrogant. The Wings do not have the draw they used to apparently and that means Holland will have to work that much harder to get players to both come here and stay here. If he’s not concerned at this stage, something’s wrong.

UPDATE (Matt, 5:20 AM ET, 02. Sep 05): Note that the headline to Niyo’s “brief” is misleading. He does not actually say anywhere that the two sides are close to a deal, he just points out a bit of progress that was made (agreement the length of the contract). This doesn’t contradict what the AP said and what Niyo said earlier this week.