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Can you please give me some examples of young defenseman with under 80 career games played who signed for 4mil per year?

YAY!!!!! I can finally purchase my Danny D Winter Classic jersey!!!

DD is an undrafted player with less than a full season's worth of games played who has limited offensive upside and still has work to do defensively and getting stronger. Those aren't the guys you sign to 6 year $30 mil contracts.

Glad that's done with ... Contracts low is say but that's only cause it's a 2 yr deal I'd expect him to get 4-5 per next contract if he keeps progressing

Still, after less than a year, he's not perfect. And he's not better than Our number 1 in his rookie season. Of course! Dickie, I appreciate that you often try to level peoples opinions of certain players, but here i think your expectations of him must be unreasonable. he's played in the league less than a year and already solidified a place in the top 4. 2nd in pts for defencemen (with little pp time). You argued against "his amazing development" in another posts. what did you expect? He's gone from undrafted player to solid top 4 in about 4 years. (2010 was his last draft eligible year) Maybe you're arguing against his NHL development because he really good when he first made the team? he has developed a lot since then and been given an increasingly large role. You also said in your other post that he might only become an ok #2. First of all, are we only supposed to be happy with players if they are a future #1? Second, judging a player's ceiling from their rookie season is far from fool proof. Third, you're basically saying that he, as a 24 year old, only has the possibility of improving a very little amount over the rest of his career because I and many others already consider him a solid 2nd pairing defenceman.

No, it really isn't. If that's what you consider complaining, no wonder you think everyone here was doing it. It was an offhanded comment in a post. Other people were speculating that Dekeyser's camp was holding up negotiations but that wasn't complaining to you. And do you think you're improving the nature of discourse here with your sarcasm and condescension? Let me make this clear to everyone here for the millionth time. If you don't like a post about someone criticizing the Wings and feel compelled to respond, politely refute the points they are making. DO NOT insult or attack them personally. If you are unable to respond without doing that, simply ignore the post or put that member on ignore so you won't see any of their posts. Like it or not, criticism and complaining can be on topic. However, complaining about complaining or insulting how someone posts is never on topic. Ever. Posts that are complaints about other posts will be deleted. If the mods repeatedly have to delete posts by the same member, that person will be suspended. If you think LGW has gotten too negative, complaining about it only adds to the negativity. Instead try making a thoughtful and constructive post about hockey that makes the site a little better.

Holy Stamkos Batman!

Yes it is. Any player who plays better gets better deals.... duh Signing DD to this term at this price is GREAT. Complaining about his possible next deal, when he hasn't even played one game under this deal, already, is just digging for something to be mad about. Couple that with the ridiculous "Holland's a low-baller" speak going around, and yeah it's annoying.

Awesome to finally hear it, and I think it's an entirely fair deal as well. Yeah, he's our second/third best defensman, but that's given a sample size of one season. It's also on a defensive core that isn't too impressive personelle wise. A two year deal gives the organization some time to see what kind of player this kid will actually turn out to be, and the plus for Dekeyser is that he should be approaching his prime when it's time to write the next contract (read: $$$). Meanwhile, Holland still has some cash to work with, depending on if Alfie plays, or perhaps some moves at the deadline. edit: according to puckdaddy, the main sticking point seemed to be a long term contract vs a shorter term, with Dekeyser wanting to be locked up long-term. Also, I didn't realize he will still be an RFA when this contract expires?? http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/danny-dekeyser-finds-free-agent-solution--signs-2-year-deal-with-detroit-230044861.html

Mantha with a rocket at 6:40

Can't we all just be happy for once? Everyone's under contract! YAY!

How in the world can you prove Holland lowballed him? Perhaps DD, the loyal Michigander and Wings fan that he is, wanted to get something locked up long term? Maybe Ken got cold feet on a long deal after signing Kindl? Maybe the entire delay was over term, with which they finally agreed on 2 years after adjusting the financials? Or maybe not one of us has any idea whatsoever? Good deal IMO

Screams confident to me.

Possible future complaining? It already started with the "He's gonna demand a ton after this deal"

That's less than I figured... I thought he'd get (and is worth) $2.75M to $3.5M.

A lot less than I thought also now it's quite clear what cost the delay - lowballing. If the guy continues to play this well his next contract will be a huge one that's for sure if he wants to stay. Danny gave a huge hometown discount here just so he can attend the camp what a player what a person.. So now he should be good to go for the camp book him a flight + room and let's start training camp.

One can only hope. I want to see that Tatar/Sheahan/Jurco line reunited. Nothing against Alfie -- I just don't like the lingering injury concerns associated with a 42 year old. I personally am kinda wishing he hangs them up. Especially since we are this close to training camp now and Alfie's back is still an issue.

Unrelated: I wanna change my LGW handle to BuffaloWings

When and where did he get the 2nd Cup? I'm sorry, but I'd respectfully disagree. Babs is a great coach, but several people have said it, these guys are paid to perform and rewarded for it. At a certain level, though, two guys can't get credit for the same job. Is Holland putting the right players on the roster or is Babs extracting more from less? My point is - if Holland is putting the 'right' guys on the roster, Babs isn't getting enough out of them and, conversely, if Babs is getting the Wings into the playoffs with a sub-par squad, then Holland isn't doing his job. If everyone in management is doing their jobs, how are we a 'borderline' playoff team? Holland already got an extension and credit for his job... If Babcock feels he 'deserves' to become the highest paid coach in the NHL, I hope Holland does let him walk. I'm not trying to take anything away from Babcock, but he did take over the defending President's Trophy winner in 05-06, a team which had made the playoffs 14 consecutive times, and three years later he won his only Stanley Cup. I'm not trying to say he's not successful or that he doesn't get a ton out of his players. But a good coach in a great organization has to be that much better to stand out. Compare Babcock's Wings to Bowman's Wings - 9 playoff seasons each - 1 Cup (Babs) to 3 Cups (Bowman) - 2 President's Trophies (Babs) to 3 for Bowman - Bowman has an Adams' while Babs does not - Babs has an edge in regular season win pct. but in the playoffs - Babs 0.542 to Bowman 0.642. Again, not saying Babs isn't a solid coach, but the Wings won't fold as an organization without him.

This is why I'm inclined to think he stays on for at least a couple more years. Mike Babcock is an alpha male. And he has an ego. (He wants to be the "biggest swinging **** in the room, any room.") And he believes in "Leaving No Doubt" that you are as good at your job as you'd have people believe you are. And, at this stage in his career, he wants a challenge that's going to push him to learn some new things and become an even better coach and hockey mind and person. And, finally, he believes in being a Good Man and doing The Right Thing and facing things head-on, head held high, "No big deal, I got this, because if I don't got this, well, that's just unacceptable. Because I'm Mike Babcock, and I'd like to think I'm a Good Man." Further, he's coached Lidstrom, and also Datsyuk in Datsyuk's prime, winning a Cup with them. All of this, taken together, says to me that he's going to want to guide the Wings back to contention and win another Cup with them in two or three years. Heading to Toronto or Pittsburgh would be easy, expected. A lesser coach might do that. A lesser man might do that. Power, money, media fellatio - all tempting. But is that why Mike Babcock's in this business? Not saying he doesn't want those things, but I feel like he'd want that golden ticket to Willy Wonka's factory only after he's "Left No Doubt" and helped coach a team that everyone had written off back to the top of the mountain. That way, there's no "Oh, that Mike Babcock. He's a great coach, sure, but you have to admit he's overrated. He gets Anaheim to Game 7 of the SCF, but he can't get the job done. He realizes this was a miracle run for the Ducks that he's not going to be able to replicate and he jumps ship to perennial contender Detroit. Any coach could've won a couple Cups with those Wings teams, and, actually, he only managed to win one. And those Olympic gold medals? Any person with half a brain could've coached those Canada teams to gold. Then, when things got really hard in Detroit and Lidstrom was nowhere to be found, he jumped ship again. This is a guy who, while certainly brilliant, knows how to pick his spots to enhance his aura. I don't rate him much higher than Dan Bylsma, tbh. If Bylsma had coached those Olympic teams, he'd have one Cup and a couple gold medals, same as Babcock. Scotty Bowman was - and is - a living legend. That's a man who'd really earned the right to pick a role of his choosing in an organization of his choosing. Babcock isn't necessarily the best coach in the league right now, let alone a Scotty Bowman. And no one knows that better than Babcock. That's why he left Detroit instead of sticking it out and trying to prove beyond any doubt that, like some crazy SEAL Ninja Jedi Master, you could dump him in the middle of the ocean and when you get home that night he'll be making love with your woman in your bed, because he's just that damn good."

What has Mrazek to do with Dekeyser's negotiations?

trading mrazek and keeping Howard would be the worst decision since "the choice." don't make another mistake like that! btw, get DD signed! If you have to waive Q and K to free up enough money, do it. Danny is better than either of them.

If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Hitler, Stalin, and the new chick in the Wendy's commercials, I would shoot Wendy's girl twice.

One of the best scripts I've ever seen in a television show. The attention to detail in both acting and directing is just phenomenal.