What's Next for the Red Wings?

He's limiting it to the East? I would think the Kings would be a decent option. Mentor some of the kids there.

How about NJ? Its not exactly like their blueline is overflowing...

Just look for teams with a mediocre crop of D-men and those are you options.

Heh... he's an old man... he'll end up with the Leafs....

HA HA!

asq2 wrote:He's limiting it to the East? I would think the Kings would be a decent option. Mentor some of the kids there.

Sean O'Donnell has done a fine job in that regard, particularly with Doughty. And he's a quarter of a century younger than Cheli-old.

According to The Detroit News, a number of questions remain regarding the Wings' UFAs and RFAs.

Salary cap number does Red Wings no favors
Ted Kulfan, DetNews.com/June 27, 2009

Detroit -- The NHL salary cap has been set and it's not going to help the Red Wings.

The league and NHL Players Association issued a statement Friday before the start of the entry draft that said the salary cap will be $56.8 million for the 2009-10 season.

That figure is $100,000 more than it was last season.

And it reached the $56.8 million figure only after the players voted to apply a 5-percent inflator allowed in the collective bargaining agreement -- otherwise, the cap would be lower because of a decrease in league revenues.

The minimum a team can spend in next season is $40.8 million.

"That's basically what we thought it would be," general manager Ken Holland said after the first round ended Friday night in Montreal, where the Wings traded the 29th pick in the first round. "It presents some challenges."

Since it was introduced, the NHL salary cap has risen steadily each season. It began at $39 million when the lockout ended in the summer of 2005.

The flat salary cap for next season didn't surprise the Red Wings, who expected a number in that general neighborhood.

But it'll prove difficult for Holland to complete deals with all of his unrestricted free agents: forwards Marian Hossa, Tomas Kopecky and Mikael Samuelsson, and goalie Ty Conklin.

The Wings also have restricted free-agent forwards Jiri Hudler and Ville Leino.

The team already has told defenseman Chris Chelios he will not be re-signed.

Holland met with Ritch Winter, agent for Hossa, the last two days in Montreal.
The two discussed possible deals, but probably not as high as Winter would hope.
"I think he (Winter) was hoping for something higher," Holland said. "I told him this was as high as I could go before I had to start dismantling (the roster)."

Holland and Winter are expected to continue discussions throughout the weekend in Montreal, where the draft concludes today.

The Wings are offering Hossa a lengthy contract, maybe as much as eight to 10 years, at an average of $4 million to $5 million.

The benefit to Hossa would be the contract would be front-loaded, with the vast majority of money early in the contract. But that would translate into a lower cap number because the salaries would be so low late in the contract (as small as $1 million to $2 million).

Hossa could be able to get a contract in the $6 million to $7 million range, but a shorter term, on the open market.

Time capsule:

After a lengthy holdout to start the 1997–1998 season, (Sergei) Fedorov, a restricted free-agent, signed an offer sheet with the Carolina Hurricanes worth up to $38 million (with bonuses).

The Red Wings matched the offer on February 26, 1998, ending Fedorov's holdout. The offer broke down as: $14 million for signing, $2 million for 21 regular season games, $12 million for the team reaching conference finals.

$28 million for 43 total games in 1997–98 is the largest single season amount paid to an NHL athlete.

Fedorov helped the Red Wings win their second consecutive Stanley Cup that year.

(Source:Wikipedia)

Hmm...puts things in a different perspective.

One view from Hockeytown as open season on UFAs approaches...

RED WINGS FACE TOUGH DECISIONS WITH SALARY CAP RESTRICTIONS
Helene St James, The Detroit Free Press/June 28, 2009

In another three days, the NHL opens its doors to free agency, and general manager Ken Holland said there is "no chance" the Red Wings will do anything.
Holland is trying to figure out how he can keep together the team that earlier this month came within a victory of the Stanley Cup.

That starts with unrestricted free agent Marian Hossa, and depending on what happens with him, then there's Mikael Samuelsson, Ty Conklin and Tomas Kopecky, plus restricted free agent Jiri Hudler. The Wings have no money to bring in anyone new -- in fact, they'll most likely have to trade or buy out a regular just to be able to reach a full roster.

The good news is the Wings have their core guys signed, and next season will see the full-time additions of Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson and Ville Leino and maybe Justin Abdelkader, relatively inexpensive players who will offset the high-salaried ones. But the fact is, next year's team won't mirror the one that set the NHL on fire this past season with its goal-scoring ability.

"We won't be as dangerous offensively, we know that," Holland said. "It's impossible for us to keep all our forwards from last year. If we re-sign Hossa, if he buys what we're selling, we'll be losing three or four or five players. And even if he's not here, we can't keep the entire team together. Under the cap system, we cannot be on paper next season what we were last year.

"We're excited and optimistic because we're moving in three or four young kids that we think are ready to play regularly in the NHL."

The pressing matter is Hossa. The Wings offered him a long-term contract with an annual salary cap hit north of $4.5 million in March; that wasn't enough for Hossa's camp, and so the Wings instead locked up another of their potential unrestricted free agents, Johan Franzen.

Including Abdelkader, the Wings have 20 players signed for next season, totaling $54,269,120. It was announced Friday that next season's salary cap will be $56.8 million, a mere $100,000 increase over last season.

Hossa, 30, is a marquee player -- regardless of his disappointing playoff performance, he's a 40-goal scorer who plays at both ends of the ice -- and the drama surrounding him and where he'll land will be over soon.

Crunch the numbers, however, and even a Hossa cap hit of $4 million means the
Wings will have to trade or buy out someone already on the team, making moves beyond shipping out Derek Meech and his $483,000 salary. But this is where things get tricky.

Analyzing the situation strictly on the basis of performance, Tomas Holmstrom, for example, would be a prime candidate to be bought out or traded.

He's due to make $2.25 million next season (if bought out, the cap hit would decrease to $742,000 over each of the next two years), a steep price for a player who scored 14 goals last season (none in the last 18 games) and didn't score after the first round of the 2009 playoffs. He's 36, and given the battering he has been taking for the last decade, it's hard not to wonder how much he has left.

Other candidates would be long-term veterans such as Kris Draper, 38, and Kirk Maltby, 36.

However, the reason the Wings have fielded the teams they've had since the salary cap was instituted four years ago ties into the reputation they've built as a team that takes care of its players, that doesn't just discard them. Players trust management. It's why elite players such as Henrik Zetterberg, Franzen, Nicklas Lidstrom and Pavel Datsyuk have taken less money to stay.

Certain guys are safe from being moved: Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, Franzen and Brian Rafalski, for example. Others, like Brad Stuart, have a no-trade clause, and while those aren't inviolable, the Wings see Stuart and partner Niklas Kronwall as long-term building blocks.

Teams would trip over themselves to take on Dan Cleary and his $2.8-million cap hit, but the guy just scored nine goals in 23 playoff games.

The other attractive trade bait is Valtteri Filppula, at $3 million, but he's exactly the sort of two-way playing, smooth-skating forward who makes the Wings so successful.

Over the past three years, the Red Wings have been the most competitive team in the NHL. Keeping them that way, however, is going to necessitate some tough decisions this summer.

Contact HELENE ST. JAMES: 313-222-2295 or hstjames@freepress.com.

Wings columnist Ansar Khan provides his point of view on the Hossa situation and the Wings' approach to their FAs.

Red Wings GM Ken Holland not optimistic on chances for deal with free agent Marian Hossa
Ansar Khan, MLive.com, June 27, 2009

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings are continuing contract talks with the agent for Marian Hossa this weekend, but general manager Ken Holland on Saturday said he was not optimistic he could sign the star free-agent forward.

"If there's a (salary) cap number we think can fit in, we'll sign him. We're prepared to do a long-term deal," Holland said. "(Hossa's agent) Ritch Winter is hoping for a bigger cap number, more than what we're offering.

"He's talking to Marian. We'll talk in the next couple of days. I'm not optimistic, but we'll see."

Holland also said the team will not offer backup goaltender Ty Conklin a contract. That means Jimmy Howard will back up Chris Osgood next season.

The Red Wings have 19 players signed for approximately $53.5 million. The salary cap for next season is $56.8 million. The club needs to sign three more forwards.

Sources said the team is offering Hossa a front-loaded deal in the neighborhood of $4 million a season and that Winter is seeking a pact worth $6 million a year.

Winter could not be reached for comment.

Even if the Red Wings signed Hossa to the lower cap number, they would need to trim some salary, which they are reluctant to do.

Hossa can begin negotiating with other teams on Wednesday. If the Red Wings don't have a deal in place by Monday, they might elect to trade his negotiating rights.

"If what Rich is looking for is not in the ballpark (with what they can spend), then we have to get on with business,'' Holland said.

Holland said he will decide in the next day or two whether to make an offer to right wing Mikael Samuelsson, who also is unrestricted. He likely will receive an offer if Hossa isn't re-signed, but he might pursue a better deal on the open market.

Forward Tomas Kopecky will test the free-agent market, so he is unlikely to return.

Conklin, coming off two strong seasons with Pittsburgh and Detroit, can probably double his $750,000 salary on the open market. That's much more than the Red Wings can afford for a backup goalie.

The club's ability to re-sign forward Jiri Hudler depends on Hossa's situation.

Holland has made qualifying offers to Hudler and Ville Leino, who are restricted free agents, in order to retain their rights. But there is no urgency to get a deal done with restricted free agents.

Even without Hossa, they're still the best in the West, possibly the best in the league.

Big T wrote:Even without Hossa, they're still the best in the West, possibly the best in the league.

I think we may have begun to see the first signs of cracks in the Red Wings armor. Two long playoff runs back to back takes a toll, especially on the older guys like Lidstrom, Rafalski, Holmstrom and Draper. I think you may see them fall back to the 5th or 6th position in the west this year. Teams in their division are all improving and gaining experience, therefore the 2nd place team in that division should have a very difficult time finishing higher than 5th.

I'm not worried about the future of the Red Wings but as a true and honnest fan to my team I have to say that this second run killed our chances of winning the cup next year. I think Wings will be out next year in the 1st round and have a long needed rest that they've been lacking for a while. 2 years in a row Stanley Cup finals and previous to that Wester Conference Finals. The following year will be interesting because Helm, Leino, Adkel and Ericsson will all have that 1 year of full time experience on there belt. They've all ready have a very good experience of playing in the playoffs this year and specially the game 7 this finals.

Also Holmstrom / Maltby's / Lids / Lilja contracts run out. Now if they all retire that's about 12 million of cap space to use for the future of either re-signing our players or just signing key players to the organization. Assuming we don't use the remaining 4 million this year will have about 16 million of cap space to play around next year that's also assuming the cap stays the same.

Now it's all about signing Hudler or not ...

The Red Wings will be bringing up talented players like Leino, Abdelkader and Helm, and giving Jimmy Howard his long overdue shot.

The Central Division promises some exciting competition next season...and a Detroit-Chicago battle that evokes the best of this classic decades-long rivalry.

Let's not forget St Louis as a dance partner...with the Jackets and Preds rounding out the party, we are in for some terrific, hard-fought hockey.

Can't wait.

From MaxHockey.com's Live Blog Free Agent discussion today via Toronto Globe & Mail hockey writer James Mirtle:

mirtle: Detroit's Leino, Hudler still need contracts and Wings have about $2.5-mil to spend. Still squeezing to come folks

From Wings columnist Ansar Khan in Detroit, his look at the Detroit's needs and options:

Red Wings need to spend newfound money on bolstering offense hit hard by exit of free agents
Ansar Khan, Mlive.com, July 9 2009

DETROIT -- Ten days after the start of NHL free agency, there still are notable players available for the Detroit Red Wings, who suddenly have a little more spending money than they anticipated and a need to bolster their offense.
They lost players who combined for 88 goals -- Marian Hossa, Jiri Hudler, Mikael Samuelsson and Tomas Kopecky -- or 30 percent of last season's production.

They will make up some of it by having Ville Leino, Darren Helm and possibly Justin Abdelkader on the roster all season. Players such as Valtteri Filppula and Dan Cleary should help compensate with more power-play time.

The Red Wings will not come close to replacing all that offense, but they have about $1.6 million in salary-cap space to sign a free agent or two.

That figure is a moving target. It fluctuates slightly based on a number of scenarios.

The Red Wings have 21 players signed for next season at a cap number of $55.2 million. That takes into account 11 forwards, including Abdelkader, who might start the season in Grand Rapids depending on other moves.

It also includes eight defensemen. But if Andreas Lilja, out since Feb. 28 with a concussion, is not ready for the start of the season, he will go on long-term injured reserve, freeing up $1.25 million of cap space. If Lilja is ready, the club might opt to trade a defenseman, creating more cap room.

The Red Wings could use a goal-scoring winger and a gritty, fourth-line forward, preferably with decent size.

General manager Ken Holland said he has interest in some free agents. He also said he might opt to stand pat for now, leaving some cap space for a midseason or trade deadline move.

Here is a look at some forwards -- scorers and grinders -- still available in the free-agent market, with last season's team and salary:

Maxim Afinogenov, Buffalo ($3.5 million) -- He has tremendous speed but has been injury-prone and is not the best finisher (16 goals in his past 104 games). He was grossly overpaid by the Sabres.

P.J. Axelsson, Boston ($1.85 million) -- A defensive-minded winger and penalty-killer who would not provide much offense.

Todd Bertuzzi, Calgary ($1.95 million) -- The one-time premier power forward, briefly a Red Wing, has good hands around the net. But he lacks discipline, is injury-prone and has a questionable work ethic.

Mike Comrie, Ottawa ($4 million) -- A skilled player with offensive abilities. But the Red Wings do not need a second-line center and probably would not get good value for their money with him.

Mathieu Dandenault, Montreal ($1.7 million) -- Moved back and forth from forward to defense during much of his nine seasons in Detroit but played mostly on the blue line for the Canadiens. The Red Wings are better off with a full-time forward.

Mike Grier, San Jose ($1.8 million) -- He is what you want in a third-line winger: big, physical, works hard down low, has good defensive instincts and can chip in some offense.

Viktor Kozlov, Washington ($2.5 million) -- A big, versatile forward (6-4, 232) who does not play physical and has been inconsistent throughout his career. He would be good for some offense, though.

Robert Lang, Montreal ($4 million) -- Return to Detroit to play for coach Mike Wang? Forget about it.

Manny Malhotra, Columbus ($1.5 million) -- A center with good size (6-2, 217) who skates well, is responsible defensively and kills penalties. He has underachieved offensively throughout his career.

Travis Moen, San Jose ($925,000) -- A good-sized (6-2, 215), solid role player and penalty killer who would provide grit and a physical presence on the fourth line and would not cost much.

Scott Nichol, Nashville ($750,000) -- He's small (5-9, 175) but energetic, works hard, gets involved physically, agitates and is good on the draw.

Rob Niedermayer, Anaheim ($2 million) -- He's a good skater and dependable defensive player with decent size (6-2, 200) and can play center or the wing.

Mike Peca, Columbus ($1.3 million) -- He would not provide much offense, but he's a good open-ice hitter, penalty killer and faceoff man who tends to get hurt a lot because of his aggressive style.

Brendan Shanahan, New Jersey ($800,000) -- He turned down a one-year, $4 million offer from the Red Wings in 2006, thinking the team was in decline. It helped younger players develop with more ice time. It's unlikely he would want to return or, at age 40, the team would want him back.

Mats Sundin, Vancouver ($8.6 million) -- He would not leave Toronto when the Red Wings wanted him at the trade deadline in 2008. Highly unlikely he would come here now at a much-reduced price. And he probably would take half the season to decide.

Petr Sykora, Pittsburgh ($2.5 million) -- He has good speed and a good shot and scored 25 goals during the regular season. But he was a regular scratch in the playoffs, which raises red flags.

Alex Tanguay, Montreal ($5.4 million) -- One of the top offensive players still available, he is out of the Red Wings' price range.

Jason Williams, Columbus ($2.2 million) -- He has offensive skills and can play the point on the power play, but he lacks grit and does not go to the hard areas of the ice -- among the reasons the Red Wings unloaded him two years ago.

The Hudler dossier is getting some unanticipated attention. Wings chronicler Ansar Khan gives us the view from The Motor City, and the possible impact on the Red Wings' plans.

NHL disputes Jiri Hudler's Russian contract, says he remains obligated to Red Wings
Ansar Khan, MLive.com, July 10, 2009

DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings might not have lost forward Jiri Hudler just yet.
The NHL is contesting Hudler's contract with Moscow Dynamo of Russia's Kontinental Hockey League, saying he is contractually obligated to the Red Wings because he filed for arbitration July 5.

The NHL has asked the International Ice Hockey Federation to intervene and void Hudler's two-year, $10 million pact with Dynamo. The league says that by filing for arbitration, Hudler made a commitment to remain in the NHL next season.

"We believe that Mr. Hudler remains contractually obligated to the Detroit Red Wings," NHL spokesman Frank Brown said in a statement.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is taking a wait-and-see approach.

"I'm not optimistic or pessimistic, but I'm hopeful," Holland said. "We're sitting on the sidelines."

The case is being handled by the NHL, the IIHF and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation. It is out of the Red Wings' hands. They are preparing for a July 30 arbitration hearing with Hudler that is independent of this latest move.

Hudler's agent, Petr Svoboda, didn't return calls seeking comment.

IIHF communications director Szymon Szemberg said in an e-mail that the IIHF informed the Russian Ice Hockey Federation about the NHL's position and the case is under investigation.

"As this is a transfer to an IIHF member league, the player will be needing an International Transfer Card (ITC), approved by the IIHF, to complete the transfer," Szemberg said. "Only upon the IIHF's signing the ITC, the transfer would be finalized and approved."

Szemberg said a fully approved ITC must be signed by the player, the new IIHF member association (Russia) and the old IIHF member association (USA Hockey).

"During the process, USA Hockey would ask the NHL whether they approve the transfer," Szemberg said. "If the NHL says no, USA Hockey will most probably not sign and the ITC would be incomplete -- no IIHF approval.

"If the KHL, through the Russian federation, disputes the NHL's/USA Hockey's refusal to sign, they can take the case to the IIHF and ask the IIHF to intervene. An investigation would follow."

The Red Wings, who have roughly $1.6 million of salary-cap space, are hoping for a speedy resolution because they can't sign a free agent unless they know for sure that Hudler is gone.

"I can't sign $2 million worth of players and then wake up in August and find that Hudler is coming back," Holland said.

Whatever is decided, Hudler's arbitration case will proceed, unless he and the Red Wings agree on a contract. The club's last offer was a five-year deal worth $3 million a season.

If Hudler's deal with Dynamo is validated, he still needs to go through the arbitration process with the Red Wings and honor that contract if and when he returns to the NHL.

Mike Comrie a Wing? The Detroit Free Press says, 'maybe'...

FORMER RED WINGS MIGHT FILL MULTIPLE VACANCIES
George Sipple, Detroit Free Press, July 27, 2009

With the losses of Marian Hossa (40 goals) and Mikael Samuelsson (19 goals) -- and possibly Jiri Hudler (23 goals) to the Moscow Dynamo -- look for the Red Wings to add a scoring forward before the start of training camp.

Among the forwards the Wings are likely to have interest in are former Wings Jason Williams and Todd Bertuzzi, and former U-M standout Mike Comrie. Manny Malhotra and Mike Grier are other possibilities.

Williams, who turns 29 on Aug. 11, never found a home after being traded to the Blackhawks in 2006-07. He scored 17 goals in 63 games over two seasons in Chicago.

After failing to find common ground on a line with Ilya Kovalchuk last season, he was traded to the Blue Jackets and finished with 12 goals and 17 assists in 39 games.

Although 34 and no longer capable of scoring 46 goals as he did for the Canucks in 2002-03, Bertuzzi could be worth considering again.

Comrie, who turns 29 on Sept. 11, scored 21 goals in 76 games for the Islanders in 2007-08.

Malhotra, 29, has scored 11 goals in each of the past two seasons for the Jackets. He never has had more than 12 goals or 31 points in a season.

Grier, a 34-year-old Detroit native, had 10 goals and 23 points in 62 games last season for the Sharks.

Can they compete with the Hawks anymore? I'll have to think on it.

Tartar will develope into a star with Detroit.