Detroit, Franzen agree on a long-term contract

Sources say the deal is believed to be a long one, upwards of nine or
10 years in order to keep the salary cap hit to a manageable level for
the Red Wings.

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=274629

I still can't believe they are giving out decade-long deals with all the uncertainty in the air.

I still can't wait to see how this team does without Lidstrom.

He's still there next year, but you wonder if he'll slow down a bit. Change is coming, it is inevitable. Raflaski can still put up points,but he's nowhere near Lidstrom on the defensive side. They'll need a great goalie to continue playing at this level.

Uhhh...is he not 30 now? Why would...I don't understand. :KJK:

wprager wrote:He's still there next year, but you wonder if he'll slow down a bit. Change is coming, it is inevitable. Raflaski can still put up points,but he's nowhere near Lidstrom on the defensive side. They'll need a great goalie to continue playing at this level.

maybe they have a diamond in the rough goalie that will do it, Jimmy Howard anyone? not sure if he is a game breaker though.

SensFan71 wrote:

wprager wrote:He's still there next year, but you wonder if he'll slow down a bit. Change is coming, it is inevitable. Raflaski can still put up points,but he's nowhere near Lidstrom on the defensive side. They'll need a great goalie to continue playing at this level.

maybe they have a diamond in the rough goalie that will do it, Jimmy Howard anyone? not sure if he is a game breaker though.

The Wings have a successor to Lidstrom already playing...Jonathan Ericsson, 6'4" 206. The kid's a monster already.

Brilliant move by Holland to sign Franzen and make him a Wing for life. The Mule is only one of the best power forwards in the game...and is showing he is getting better.

Franzen is 29, I believe, and if it's 9 years that makes him 38 at the end. Maybe it's also structured in such a way as to have only $1M left in the last year, so he can retire and walk away (like Alfie's contract).

Regardless, I don't know how you can call it a brilliant move without knowing the details. Do they still have room for Hossa?

Lastly, 6'4" 206 does not make you a replacement for Lidstrom. There *is* no replacement.

davetherave wrote:
The Wings have a successor to Lidstrom already playing...Jonathan Ericsson, 6'4" 206. The kid's a monster already.

:****: That remains to be seen.

DetroitFreePress is reporting that the deal is for 11 years, averaging $4M!

http://www.freep.com/article/20090411/SPORTS05/90411023/1053/Wings+sign+forward+Johan+Franzen+for+11+years

wprager wrote:DetroitFreePress is reporting that the deal is for 11 years, averaging $4M!

http://www.freep.com/article/20090411/SPORTS05/90411023/1053/Wings+sign+forward+Johan+Franzen+for+11+years

damn that is a freaking steal for the Mule, good on Holland doing that, helps cap wise and keeps a key cog in the detroit machine around.

So, they will have a 39 year old Franzen eating 4Million and a 39 year old Zetterberg eating 7 MIllion. I hope that next Lidstrom is a really good one :KJK:

The length still frightens me (or would, if I were a GM). Three years from now that could be close to 10% of the cap, and is there any guarantee that he continues at this pace? For 11 years? It would certainly be a steal if he plays like this year, but for 82 games. But he may very well turn out to be Detroit's Fisher, with a much longer term.

Too long IMO. They have him and Zetterberg on extremely long term deals. It migth comme back to bite them.

Not a great deal to be honest. For that length, at his age, I thought for sure it would be 3.2-3.5 a year.

Not horrible, not fantastic though.

504Heater wrote:

davetherave wrote:
The Wings have a successor to Lidstrom already playing...Jonathan Ericsson, 6'4" 206. The kid's a monster already.

:****: That remains to be seen.

Watch Ericsson play...and then tell me what you think.