Salary Cap: RFA Negotiations: Tatar & AA

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

That's why there are rumors of discontent in the locker room between the "old guard" and the youth.

Yeah... discontent that is so prevalent that any discussion from Mantha was always "Hank told me this and yeah, I need to be better at it."

And frankly, when you're speaking about the old guard... that's not Tatar, Nyquist, Helm, etc. It's Zetterberg, Kronner, Howard, Green, Nielsen, etc.

 

[StargateSG1]

Yeah... discontent that is so prevalent that any discussion from Mantha was always "Hank told me this and yeah, I need to be better at it."

And frankly, when you're speaking about the old guard... that's not Tatar, Nyquist, Helm, etc. It's Zetterberg, Kronner, Howard, Green, Nielsen, etc.

I think it's Hank, Kronwall, Ericsson, Howard, Helm, Abby, DDK and probably Nyquist country club against the newcomers

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I think it's Hank, Kronwall, Ericsson, Howard, Helm, Abby, DDK and probably Nyquist country club against the newcomers

I know because of his contract it'd be easy to include Zetterberg in the country club group but based on what he gives on the ice and everything I've read about him, he sounds like one of if not the hardest working player on the team.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

People conflate country club with lazy. The Wings are overly loyal, but the guys they're overly loyal to are the guys who are easy to like from an organizational standpoint.

The warriors who bust their ass even when they don't have it anymore. I mean, it's a problem that they need to address, but I really don't think the Wings locker room is a "show up, cash check, live forever" location. It's really one where they fell in love with guys with intangibles and valued intangibles and character over talent and skill.

Hank could conceivably coast and just ride out his deal as a 3rd line guy... but he takes the mantle of leader seriously. Kronner and Ericsson could hang them up now and nobody would fault them... but they want to play so they grit it out on bodies that have betrayed them.

They got blinded a little bit because the guys they used to have at the top of the roster were lunch pail dudes who had Cadillac skills. Pavs, Z, Yzerman, Lidstrom, Chelios, Shanny, etc. They were hard edge dudes even when they couldn't play physical. They killed themselves at the rink to stay at the top. The Wings went too far in trying to keep guys with that work ethic but have not been able to find guys with the skill to back the ethic up.

The Wings were good for decades because their skill guys were tough mother****ers. Now, their skill guys are small and neutralized pretty easily and the size they have just isn't that great at hockey.

 

[StargateSG1]

I know because of his contract it'd be easy to include Zetterberg in the country club group but based on what he gives on the ice and everything I've read about him, he sounds like one of if not the hardest working player on the team.

I think it's not about his work ethic, but more about the rumored demands that the Swedes play no matter what, even if they aren't cutting it.

 

[Ezekial]

Henrik "the Don" Zetterberg

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

I think it's not about his work ethic, but more about the rumored demands that the Swedes play no matter what, even if they aren't cutting it.

Right. Which I've heard no reputable source from. The only place I've heard that is here and even for hfboards it's a pretty ridiculous conspiracy theory.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Right. Which I've heard no reputable source from. The only place I've heard that is here and even for hfboards it's a pretty ridiculous conspiracy theory.

http://detroitsportsrag.com/the-red-wings-swedish-mafia-problem/
Not saying its a reputable source by any means, but it goes to show that the thought is definitely there.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

http://detroitsportsrag.com/the-red-wings-swedish-mafia-problem/
Not saying its a reputable source by any means, but it goes to show that the thought is definitely there.

Yeah, we went over that article a couple months ago. That site is joke reporting.

I'm sure there is a little bit of tussle back and forth in the locker room, but there is certainly nothing earthshattering happening in there. I'm sure that AA and Mantha aren't happy when they get criticized, but there hasn't been anyone saying "**** this team." The closest is Tatar and Mrazek and Tats is just saying "Hey, if I'm sticking around through your rebuild, you're gonna pay me to do so." Mrazek is a little more inflammatory, but that's because he apparently was told they'd clear Howard out and they didn't. And also, they buckled and gave him his 4M in arb and he bottomed out.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I think it's not about his work ethic, but more about the rumored demands that the Swedes play no matter what, even if they aren't cutting it.

That Swedish Mafia crap is exactly that... crap.

There has been one tenuously defensible decision regarding a Swedish player in the past three years. Andersson on the playoff roster over Mantha. And even that one has positional backing for why they'd do it.

All of the others, you would play a guy like Ouellet or Jensen over Kronwall if you were tanking, not if you were trying your best to make the playoffs.

You go with track record over "it can't be worse". And with Ericsson, it's more of a money and investment thing than nationality that they keep running him out on the bottom pairing.

 

[StargateSG1]

That Swedish Mafia crap is exactly that... crap.

There has been one tenuously defensible decision regarding a Swedish player in the past three years. Andersson on the playoff roster over Mantha. And even that one has positional backing for why they'd do it.

All of the others, you would play a guy like Ouellet or Jensen over Kronwall if you were tanking, not if you were trying your best to make the playoffs.

You go with track record over "it can't be worse". And with Ericsson, it's more of a money and investment thing than nationality that they keep running him out on the bottom pairing.

Really?

How about Ericsson never getting scratched, how about Kronwal on the 1st PP unit with 1 point in like 2 years when they signed Green to run the PP?
It's much more than just Andersson.

There is never any smoke without some fire.

 

[chances14]

jeff moss articles should be banned from this site. dude is an embarrassment to "journalism"

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

Really?

How about Ericsson never getting scratched, how about Kronwal on the 1st PP unit with 1 point in like 2 years when they signed Green to run the PP?
It's much more than just Andersson.

There is never any smoke without some fire.

Ericsson played well last year. And also, replace him with who exactly? The defensive corps is a mess and the Wings aren't known for giving kids a shot.

If you listen to fans of any team, and I mean ANY team, they complain about their coach playing favorites with players they think don't deserve the ice time.

The Swedish mafia thing is absurd. Blashill is trying to keep his job (or should be). Do you really think he's gonna play someone to avoid upsetting other Swedish players instead of doing what he thinks gives the team the best chance to win? He was making conservative choices, sometimes to a fault.

I'm not familiar with that blog but that "article" is a joke. It cites a tweet pointing out the Zetterberg and Kronwall are the most vocal guys in the room. Given their experience, they should be. I guess because they're not good Canadian boys they must have ulterior motives?

 

[Bench]

I don't believe in the Swedish Mafia.

I do believe that players of that caliber can outrank a new coach and he can consequently feel pressured to play them, particularly when said players have formed a successful unit for years and years.

When it comes to Babcock, E and Kronner were the only reliable defensive unit they had for years. And they were Swedish. The Swedish part was just a coincidence.

 

[StargateSG1]

Ericsson played well last year. And also, replace him with who exactly? The defensive corps is a mess and the Wings aren't known for giving kids a shot.

If you listen to fans of any team, and I mean ANY team, they complain about their coach playing favorites with players they think don't deserve the ice time.

The Swedish mafia thing is absurd. Blashill is trying to keep his job (or should be). Do you really think he's gonna play someone to avoid upsetting other Swedish players instead of doing what he thinks gives the team the best chance to win? He was making conservative choices, sometimes to a fault.

I'm not familiar with that blog but that "article" is a joke. It cites a tweet pointing out the Zetterberg and Kronwall are the most vocal guys in the room. Given their experience, they should be. I guess because they're not good Canadian boys they must have ulterior motives?

Ericsson deserved to be scratched many times last season.
He didn't play well at all.

 

[Bench]

Ericsson deserved to be scratched many times last season.
He didn't play well at all.

You're splitting hairs. If Ericsson needed to be scratched, that means basically everyone did at some point. It was a rough year.

 

[StargateSG1]

You're splitting hairs. If Ericsson needed to be scratched, that means basically everyone did at some point. It was a rough year.

Yes, and some did, mostly Mantha and AA, and Sheahan, once!
That doesn't mean that Sproul could have stepped in and play for Ericsson once in a while, or the Human Noodle

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Kronwall told me that if I mentioned the Swedish Mafia he'd break my legs.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Ericsson pre-injury outplayed DeKeyser by a substantial amount.

He has done a lot wrong over the last few years, but was actually at least okay last year. Before that sure, but he went unpunished last year by in large because he was outplaying everyone not named Green and Smith when he was in the lineup.

 

[Wood Stick]

Ericsson pre-injury outplayed DeKeyser by a substantial amount.

He has done a lot wrong over the last few years, but was actually at least okay last year. Before that sure, but he went unpunished last year by in large because he was outplaying everyone not named Green and Smith when he was in the lineup.

Smith was healthy scratched last season for a reason. I know he's gone so it's the whole he was actually good thing, but E was used properly and performed very well. Jensen outplayed Smith too.

Green was far and away the best D though. 40+ point PPG on a worst PP on a team struggling to score and sound defensively besides his last 15 games where he struggled.

 

[HIFE]

Ericsson pre-injury outplayed DeKeyser by a substantial amount.

He has done a lot wrong over the last few years, but was actually at least okay last year. Before that sure, but he went unpunished last year by in large because he was outplaying everyone not named Green and Smith when he was in the lineup.

I think Henkka's point about quality of competition weighs in but yeah Big E had something of a comeback season, there weren't a whole lot of complaints. As a shutdown D he did his job well.

The bigger concern people have is he's signed for 4.25 another 3 seasons. Not good value. If his health sustains I think Ericsson makes an excellent 3rd pairing guy on any team in the NHL but that contract is jacked up .75 to 1 mil too high.

 

[chances14]

Kronwall told me that if I mentioned the Swedish Mafia he'd break my legs.

I heard from a source, who heard from another source's brother's girlfriend that this is indeed true

in all seriousness though. there's a lot to complain about with this team and management, but this swedish mafia nonsense perpetuated by that hack jeff moss is over the top ridiculous

 

[Henkka]

Guys, the NHL cap is $73 MM right now-- and expected to keep growing. Big money is $8-11 MM. Heck, even $7 MM. $5-6 MM is NOT big money. It's mid-range. Tatar is in his prime right now, and you could lock him up for the rest of his good years.

This is just nuts.

I'm also not sure when the Wings started badmouthing players via the media. I get that coaches will use the media to light a fire under players from time to time, but that is where it should stop. For the real problems, there are policies and rules that deal with those issues.

Great to see Kenny doing hard decisions everybody want him to make.

Forcing Tatar for 1-year deal and then trading him is a rebuilding move.

When our next core will be on their prime, Tomas Tatar won't be anymore.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

It really makes no sense to give Tatar a long term deal. Ideally he should have been already traded. Now he will only be a 30-40 game rental that becomes a UFA at the end of the season. Assuming Holland even ends up trading him at the TDL.

 

[Henkka]

If Tatar will get 4.8M, there's 2.058M left on the cap for Athanasiou. 100k more if waived player is Witkowski instead of Frk.

And we have to ice 22-man roster.

23-man roster needs his caphit to be pushed as low as 1.4M and I don't think it's anyhow realistic.