The Falconer

If there is a blockbuster trade going down it is possible Detroit could get another veteran from Atlanta such as Recchi, Holik or if Holland wants a depth defenseman K. Klee, Zhitnik (please take him away) or even Exelby. who knows? OK I found the quote I was looking for: "Jim Matheson reports the asking price for Atlanta's Marian Hossa and Toronto's Mats Sundin will be steep. Of the teams believed interested in Hossa (Montreal, Detroit, San Jose and Ottawa), Matheson suggests the asking price might involve Chris Higgins, Valterri Filppula, Jonathan Cheechoo and Mike Fisher. Thrashers GM Don Waddell also said he'd give an interested team 48 hours to sign Hossa to a contract extension, but Matheson writes it's unlikely Hossa will sign with anyone until July, when he's a UFA"

Hossa can get $8 million as a UFA. That's the market price. Joe Thornton signed for about that. The Heatley extension is also a point of comparison. Now it is possible that Hossa will take less, but keep in mind that NEITHER Datsyuk or Zetterberg were UFA, they were RFA and they are underpaid compared to their production. Both Datsyuk and Z will be due raises down the year when Detroit will have to pay them market level prices. Detroit is about $5 million under the cap and the cap will go up another $3-5 million next season so there is plenty of room to fit that salary.

You might have to wait a while. If a deal has been reached in principle, the Thrashers would likely give the Wings 24-48 hours to negotiate a new contract with Hossa and then do a sign and trade. So IF they have reached a tentative deal it is possible that Filppula knows about it but it will not be announced for another day or so. Then again this could all be a giant hoax and we are just yapping about nothing. But from the perspective of DW this makes great sense. Hossa probably would agree to an extension with just a few teams (Detroit being at the top or near the top of his list). So the Thrashers can get much more in return if they do a sign and trade than just deal Hossa as a rental player. So it is in DW's interest to let the Wings (or another team) talk contract for 48 hours to the Thrashers can get more back for their star player.

Red Storm: No I'm just not that clever. I don't even have a facebook account. But I've been hoping to see Filppula come to Atlanta. The Thrashers need to expand their number of young talented forwards with an eye towards building a contender in 3-4years. Right now there are just too many holes. If not for a real down year for the SE Division they would be out of it this season. Personally, I think the managment needs to trade veterans to build up the talent needed to become a contender instead of just barely scraping into the playoffs for a 2nd year. As a Wings fan (the Thrashers have only made the post-season once so I always watch all the Wings playoff games). I'd also LOVE to see Hossa in a Detroit uniform. I agree with the poster who said he's probably score 40 goals each season up there. The guy is a tremendous player and I will miss seeing him here in Atlanta but I don't blame him for wanting to get his name on the cup either. He's earned the right to go where he wants to go.

Greetings Wings fans. I grew up in Michigan and still root for the Wings in the Western Conference but Atlanta is my home now and I write a Thrashers blog. A lot of you have come over to my blog tonight and I've been reading this thread. A couple of comments: 1) Hossa turned down a solid offer from Atlanta because he wants to win a Stanley Cup and realistically that is not going to happen in Atlanta in the next 4 years. If he were traded to Detroit I think the odds of him signing a long term deal are VERY good. However, he will expect probably $8 million a year. 2) If you have not seen Hossa play much he can bring some power forward moves the Wings have lacked since Shanahan and Martin Lapionte left. He can get the puck in the corner and just bull doze his way to the net. He is also extremely strong in the corners and along the boards with the puck. It is nearly impossible to take the puck away from him along the wall. 3) He is extremely solid defensively. He back checks harder than most offensive forwards and he is the Thrashers best PK forwards (the opposition almost never scores a PP goal when he is on the ice). He's quiet and won't do much media stuff but he is no prima donna and will be very well liked by his team mates if he goes to the Wings.