Bruce MacLeod reports that the Wings have signed 21-year-old Justin Abdelkader to a three-year entry-level contract.
No financial details have been release yet, of course, but there is a limited range for these types of contracts. As a “Group 1 Player” drafted in 2005, though, Abdelkader can receive no more than $850,000 a year and no less than $62,500 under the current CBA (PDF). It’s a good bet Abdelkader is in the upper half of that range.
He’ll be staying with the team throughout the playoffs.
No surprise here. Abdelkader had until tomorrow to sign in order to be eligible to play in the post-season and you know he wasn’t going to miss the chance to suit up for the Wings before next year. He is a homegrown Michigan boy, after all.
Ansar Khan quotes Ken Holland as saying, “Now it’s up to Mike (coach Babcock) to decide if he wants to use him.” You can bet “Abs” will make a good case for himself.
I figured this would go down and I’m happy about it. I had the chance to see him live at a few MSU games and he was a definite standout at the college level. It seems like his play translates well in the NHL. Adjusting to the speed and finding a groove should be fun to watch. A defensively responsible power forward? We like players like that. I bet Babs gives him tons of ice against Chicago. Too early to really see what he can do, but the Kopecky injury seems to force the issue.