Archive for the 'Johan Franzen' Category

In Which I Title A Post “Monday Musings” Ironically

Published by Matt Saler on February 15, 2010 at 8:31 pm in Johan Franzen, Kirk Maltby and Tomas Holmstrom. 3 Comments

Just a couple things:

… Of course the game we’re unable to watch is the one the Wings win. Of course. But we’re watching March 1st, so the Wings’ll have to win without us not watching. Or something.

… I feel really bad for Tomas Holmstrom. To be Franzen’s mode of entry into the Olympics while Forsberg is still somehow healthy enough to play has to suck. Here’s hoping the layoff will do him good.

… As previously stated, I’m all for Franzen playing in the Olympics. Knowing him, he should come out of the gates in March in prime goalie-terrorizing form. Of course, knowing him, he’ll manage to get injured in one of the cleanest types of hockey…

… How much of a warrior is Kirk Maltby? The guy’s got a shoulder in need of surgery yet keeps playing because the team needs him. And he’s playing well. I still don’t envy him his decision on whether or not to take the surgery. I hope the Wings have one more contract waiting for him so he can hang ‘em up with Draper next year.

Kronwall Still Out, Franzen Still Returning

Published by Matt Saler on February 8, 2010 at 3:58 pm in Drew Miller, Injuries, Johan Franzen, Niklas Kronwall, Patrick Eaves and Tomas Holmstrom. 0 Comments

So, Nik’s still out tomorrow. Nearing “week to week” status. Franzen’s still scheduled to return, though.

Also, Holmstrom is a game-time decision and Eaves is doubtful. But Miller’s supposed to play, so it’s not all bad.

2/5 Notes: Catching Up

Published by Matt Saler on February 5, 2010 at 7:57 pm in Andreas Lilja, Chris Osgood, Injuries, Jimmy Howard and Johan Franzen. 4 Comments

A busy workweek is now over so here’s a bit of a mixer post.

… Kronwall’s out tomorrow, as you probably know by now. I don’t know if there’s an injury prognosis less encouraging than “day to day.” At least with Franzen’s 4-6 months, you have a goal. With Kronwall’s nebulous status, I find it really hard not to think “week to week.” I hope that feeling’s wrong because the Franzen return isn’t going to mean as much if Kronwall’s out and the defense can’t move the puck as well as it would with him active.

For the record, his saying he hopes to play Tuesday means nothing to me. Players rarely get it right.

… Kudos to Helene St. James for missing a pretty important bit of news like Franzen working in on the Zetterber/Datsyuk line. Yeah, that’s not important. Doesn’t mean he’s coming back tomorrow, but it does mean he’s on track.

… Howard’s starting again tomorrow. I dunno. I get that he gives the team the best chance of stopping the Kings’ win streak and that it’s true even if he’s tired. But the idea of his being tired doesn’t scare anybody? Point to the Break all you want, but if he’s tired now, his risk of injury due to fatigue is higher now. Even if a game or two wouldn’t get Osgood going, I wonder if there isn’t wisdom in resting Jimmy now. Why push it?

And before you start spouting off about how other goalies start even more than he does, stop. He’s a rookie playing more often than he ever has (even in GR, he rotated more than this) and facing more shots on a regular basis than he has before. Saying he’s not tired doesn’t make it so. There’s all kinds of evidence that he’s slipping, even if only slightly, and the most obvious culprit is fatigue.

… On Jimmy, it’s good to see that Ellen and I aren’t the only ones not worshiping at the Babcock Goalie Handling Altar.

… So, Kovalchuk’s a Devil now. Big deal (said simultaneously at face value and dismissively-can we move on now?). I said this on Twitter last night, but I’ll say it again here: my takeaway from that trade is that Patrice Cormier is now a piece of Thrasher property. Yes, that Patrice Cormier. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want that disgusting thug anywhere near any Wings’ prospects. Here’s hoping the Thrashers have a philosophy on his QMJHL suspension similar to that of the Devils: let him serve it, don’t put him in the AHL.

The Griffins play the Chicago Wolves six times a season currently. I don’t Tatar or someone else to have their brains scrambled by that pathetic excuse for a hockey player, a guy who shouldn’t play another game for that desecration of the privilege that is to play the greatest game on earth.

… How crazy is it that there’s a West Coast game and we don’t have to stay up until 1:00AM+ to watch it? What kind of miracle is it that the game starts at 4:00PM ET? I don’t remember that kind of scheduling quirk ever happening for the Wings. Can you tell that I’m more excited about that than I am worried that they’ll put on their usual afternoon showing?

… Lilja’s playing in Grand Rapids, in theory. Megan just tweeted that he dropped out of warm-ups early. If he does play, I’ll get some kind of report from her.

… Lastly, if you’re not checking out the H2H site, be sure do so.

Kronwall Back Tuesday, Other Injury Updates

Published by Matt Saler on January 25, 2010 at 2:09 pm in Andreas Lilja, Injuries, Jason Williams, Johan Franzen, Justin Abdelkader, Niklas Kronwall and Tomas Holmstrom. 3 Comments

Big news: The team has confirmed media reports that Niklas Kronwall will return tomorrow night against Phoenix. The injury excuse weakens…

Also, Andreas Lilja may actually be closer than Ken Holland led on in the wake of Redmond’s supposedly ill-conceived comments on Lils’ status. Khan claims he’s gone 13 days without headaches and unless he has one in the next day or two, he could be cleared to play relatively soon.

Tomas Holmstrom is telling the media he plans to be back Sunday against Pittsburgh, but include some salt when you ingest that one. Same deal with Johan Franzen, who’s trying his hardest to be back before the Olympic break. We can only hope, but I’d be surprised if the Wings don’t take the full break to be sure he’s set to go.

Oh, and Jason Williams may be back Friday. Before you say you don’t care, remember would need to happen if he and Homer are healthy this weekend: no more Justin Abdelkader thanks to roster size limitations (for once, not the cap).

On the bright side, if we’re we’re also looking at the “best” case scenario (a healthy Lilja, Williams and Holmstrom by the weekend), we face the forced ditching of Meech or Leino.

Franzen Surgery Successful

Published by Matt Saler on October 16, 2009 at 3:18 pm in Injuries, Johan Franzen and Links. 0 Comments

Update (4:14 PM): MacCleod reports it’ll be four months from today at least. That puts his earliest return after the end of the Olympics, so say March 1st in Colorado. 58 games. – Matt

So says Chris Johnston, CP reporter, on Twitter. Good news, for sure. No word yet on any adjusted prognosis, but expect “at least 4 months” to be adjusted soon.

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Minor Injuries: Datsyuk, Kronwall Skip Skate; More Franzen Details

Published by Matt Saler on October 14, 2009 at 2:57 pm in 2009-2010, Brett Lebda, Chris Osgood, Derek Meech, Injuries, Johan Franzen, Kirk Maltby, Kris Draper, Niklas Kronwall and Pavel Datsyuk. 5 Comments

Update (4:42 PM): Datsyuk is now listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed upper body injury. His status for tomorrow night’s game is uncertain, but it’s possible he could be cleared to play. Babcock claims the injury is minor.

Meanwhile, Kronwall’s still expected to suit up. – Matt

Ansar Khan reports that Pavel Datsyuk and Nik Kronwall skipped practice today with what are apparently minor injuries. Datsyuk’s is “upper body” and Kronwall’s is “lower body.” Both are being tested, but both are expected to be in the lineup tomorrow.

Pavel’s injury doesn’t totally let him off the hook for his uninspiring start to the season as he sustained the injury last night, but his invisibility in Buffalo could have been due to it. Kronwall’s may explain his disappearance after a sorta decent first period, as well.

Khan also has more from Franzen on how he tore his ACL: he and Brent Seabrook collided during the Wings’ first power play Thursday. Apparently, he checked out during the following intermission, though he did put on a brace. The real pain started later. Non-catastrophic (i.e. not obvious major blow-outs) ACL tears are fun that way: sometimes you just don’t know until the next day.

He’ll be having surgery on Friday. No word yet on a more specific recovery period. That should come following the operation.

Also, Brett Lebda apparently will be allowed to venture out of the doghouse tomorrow night, though he’s sure to be on a short leash. Derek Meech will sit. Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby will be back in as well, which likely means Patrick Eaves and Brad May will sit.

Osgood will be back in net.

Breaking: Franzen Out at Least 4 Months with Torn ACL

Published by Matt Saler on October 9, 2009 at 3:50 pm in Injuries and Johan Franzen. 7 Comments

Update (9:32 PM): One more thought: this almost certainly means no Olympics for Franzen Think the Wings’d let him go even if he heals in time? No way. Gotta feel for him on that one. That sucks.

Also, Hockeytown Static points out that he’ll miss 55 games if he misses four months to the day. – Matt

Update (7:08 PM): On possible lines, Filppula seems like the obvious choice to move up to fill in for Johan, as he did in practice today. The downside of that is it would mean breaking up him and Leino after they’ve developed some solid chemistry.

The other possibility would be a Eurotwin reunion, which would certainly maximize offensive output for those two. Babcock likes them split, but he’ll have to consider all options.

Fil could take second line center and keep Leino on his wing, with Bertuzzi and Cleary competing for that second line spot. I’d give Bertuzzi the spot because he’d be a liability on a line with less talent around him.

Maybe:

Zetterberg-Datsyuk-Holmstrom
Leino-Filppula-Bertuzzi
Cleary-Helm-Williams
Maltby-Draper-Eaves or Draper-Abdelkader-May or Maltby-Abdelkader-May (you get the idea)

Of course, this is all speculative. It’s going to be interesting to see how things shake out. - Matt

Update (6:52 PM): George’s wrap-up on the situation is here. A few new bits of info, such as surgery scheduling, included. - Matt

Update (5:10 PM): Khan now says Abdelkader’s been recalled. A blow to the Griffins, to be sure, as he’ll likely be in Detroit for a while. Looks like an outside deal isn’t in the cards, according to Holland’s comments.

Justin’s going to have to mature very fast if he’s going to be a help rather than a penalty-taking hindrance. Should be interesting to watch.

Also, sounds like the injury happened before Johan’s goal last night. Adrenaline’s an amazing thing. Meg points out that could mean this isn’t as bad an injury as some we’ve seen, a theory borne out by the fact that it’s a projected four month recovery rather than the 6+ we sometimes see. Here’s hoping his recovery goes quickly and well. - Matt

Update (4:45 PM): USA Today’s Kevin Allen:

With Johan Franzen now lost 4 months to ACL tear, Red Wings’ concern is now making the playoffs, not winning Centreal. Depth is eroding.

I can see the Central slipping, yes, but not the playoffs. This team still has some serious talent and solid depth enough for that. Unless there are more injuries to come. - Matt

Update (4:15 PM): I brushed off the media’s cries about how much offense the Wings lost this off-season, confident that young guys could step up and that the defense could make up the difference by tightening down, but the loss of Franzen makes me nervous.

Sure, he’s just one player, but he’s one player who was one of a few being called upon to make up for three, and now the Wings will be without him for the better part of the season. That’s not a good thing, and no amount of “the defense’ll make up for it” or “Fil will stop falling over and start lighting it up” changes that. Losing the Free Agent Three this summer was bad, but Franzen’s kinda puts this over the top.

Also, this: not only do they lose the 30-40 goals they needed out of him, they lose the clutch factor he brings to the table (thanks to Meg for pointing that out via email).

A trade or signing may need to happen here. - Matt

Update (4:07 PM): Khan chimes in and notes this is the third time in three years Franzen’s hurt his knee in October and all three happened against Chicago. Awesome. Let’s break that little trend next year, okay? - Matt

Update (3:58 PM): Kukla asks:

With Franzen out at least 4 months, do the Wings think about bringing Shanahan in?

Would he come back? He and Babcock don’t have a great history. Kenny may have to make a move to bring some offense in, but Shanny may not be the guy, despite price tag. - Matt

Update (3:54 PM): Team confirms, with no additional info, except that it’s his left knee. We know it happened last night. When and how? – Matt

The news just broke on Twitter. James Mirtle and CBC’s Jeff Marek report:

Red Wings forward Johan Franzen has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and expected to be out of the lineup a minimum of four months. (@mirtle)

Johan Franzen out 4 months w/knee injury. (@JeffMarek)

“Bad news” doesn’t begin to cover it. This sucks. I’m not even sure how it happened. More as it comes.

Ericsson Okay, Franzen May Not Be

Published by Matt Saler on October 9, 2009 at 2:08 pm in Darren Helm, Injuries, Johan Franzen, Jonathan Ericsson and Links. 0 Comments

Update (2:20 PM): Ansar Khan has the lines used in practice today, which include Helm centering the third line and Filppula on the first line in place of Franzen. If Franzen can’t go tomorrow, though, things get interesting because Helm’s not ready play yet.

Khan thinks Fil would return to the third line, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he were to stay in Franzen’s spot, with Williams trying his hand at center again, perhaps with Eaves on the wing. It’s also possible Williams gets moved to the top line (please no) if Fil needs to be the third line center. - Matt

George Sipple reports that Jonathan Ericsson practiced today, which is great news. Apparently, the shot involved his knee, not his ankle as I previously thought.

But it looks like Johan Franzen’s status for Saturday’s game against Washington is in doubt. Evidently, he “got bumped” last night and may miss the game with a lower body injury after skipping out on practice today. No idea what happened or when. He finished the game with no obvious signs of injury.

We should know more tomorrow, but don’t be surprised if he’s out and both May and Eaves are in.

Also, Helm is close to returning, possibly as soon as Tuesday.

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It’s Official: Franzen Signs for 11 Years

Published by Matt Saler on April 11, 2009 at 1:00 pm in Johan Franzen and Roster Moves. 0 Comments

Update (2:21 PM): Ansar Khan provides a corrective to the Aftonbladet numbers: it’s a $3.9 million a season cap hit (so, $42.9 million total). He also reports that it has a no-trade clause for the first five or six years. - Matt

Update (2:15 PM): Gabriel in the comments at A2Y points to this Aftonbladet article, which claims the deal is for 370 million kroner, or about $44 million. That would translate to a $4 million a year cap hit. If that number isn’t correct, it is probably close, so it looks like there may be some room to try for Hossa after all. Say $6 million or so. - Matt

Here’s the confirmation I was looking for. The Free Press has it from the team: Johan Franzen has signed an 11-year contract. No word on the financial terms yet so we don’t know the cap number, but you can bet it’ll be weighted at the front, like Zetterberg’s contract, so that the number is low.

I admit to having mixed feelings about this. There’s no doubt that Johan is one of the best power forwards around today, but I still have doubts about his longevity. Even compared to Henrik Zetterberg and his back trouble, Franzen’s tendency toward injury seems high. That said, if he can find a way to stay healthy much like Nik Kronwall has, this deal could pay off big time.

Once we know the numbers on the deal, it’ll be easier to determine Marian Hossa’s likely status, though the definitive answer on that won’t come until the cap ceiling is announced after the playoffs.

TSN: Franzen, Wings agree to terms

Published by Matt Saler on April 11, 2009 at 11:01 am in Johan Franzen. 4 Comments

Update (2:07 PM): The Franzen signing has been confirmed, though for 11 years, not 9 or 10. – Matt

Update (12:51 PM): Ansar Khan is the first of the Detroit media to chime in, but all he has is TSN’s information. He has not received confirmation from the team. - Matt

TSN is reporting that the Wings and Johan Franzen have agreed to contract extension, which their sources say is for 9 to 10 years. TSN’s sources provide no further details. Note that this doesn’t mean a contract is signed.

If this is true, it’s definitely great news. However, the Detroit media outlets aren’t reporting anything yet, so it’s probably worth taking this with a grain of salt until they do.

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