ShanahanMan

I suppose we have enough to get some things done, but we could have had a lot more. Plus, cap space doesn't mean a whole bunch if theres no one decent left to spend it on..... But come on, seriously.......this is overpayment but Ericsson at 3.25 isn't? Thats just insane.

You must have been on vacation yesterday.

Have to disagree. While it is a bit high (I was thinking 4.5 mil range) you gotta remember that Wisnewski is a top pair d-man and notched over 50 points last year. Ericsson is a bottom pair d-man with no offensive talent whatsoever. How can people say this is overpayment but Ericsson is fair market value? Denial much?

5.5 Wisniewski>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Ericsson 3.25 by far....

Unfortunately....yes. See my post here: Holland basically stated that he signed Ericsson with the intention of having him be the 5th defenseman. Which just makes me raise my eyebrow even higher.

Which is exactly what it might come down to. People seem to think GMs around the league are eager to trade for our trash. Why the hell would anybody want Hudler and his bloated contract? I'd be really surprised if anyone picks him up.

I think you misunderstood me, cause thats exactly what I was saying. Jimmy has been, in my opinion, pretty damn stellar and signs for price way less than market value. Yet then Holland goes and signs a guy who's been nothing but lackluster for a million more? Pretty insulting if you ask me.

I just don't get it. According to this article: http://www.freep.com/article/20110701/SPORTS05/107010406/Wings-look-best-buys-free-agency?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext% Holland has admittedly said that he plans for Ericsson to be a bottom, 5th defenseman. Is there a single 5th/6th defeseman making over 3 mil a season? Toronto included?

Even if he would somehow get a Burkesque 3+mil contract on the market, which I really dont think he would have, that's no excuse to do the same. If that's what he commanded, you let him walk, even if it hurts us for a bit. You simply can NOT sign a player who's done NOTHING to deserve it for that kind of money. It's slap in the face to all the players on our team who work their ass off on small contracts (Jimmy signed for a little over 2 mil a season!!!) and makes a mockery of our whole management structure. Oh and the "he had few options at this point" doesn't cut it. It's his own damn fault for sitting on his hands while 3 defensemen, including a top two one, were walking out the door. He should have made the move for SOMEONE, maybe Wiz, and got that snatched up. You simply can not afford to be passive in that kind of situation. He was, and paid for it by being forced to make a panic signing. Like I said, his own damn fault.

That's the point though. A great GM would have MADE that work. Hossa was actually adamant on staying in Detroit, but Holland was refusing to make any neccessary changes in order to do so. As gmcom7 said, if you have a star player that's willing to stay for a bargain price, you do what you have to do to make it happen. He took the passive route and refused to pull the trigger.

Are you being sarcastic? Please tell me you're being sarcastic...

Awesome post bud.

Turnover machine, pylon, terrible in own zone, offensively retarded, weak puck handler, and 90% of the time looks completely lost on the ice......yea, I can totally see how enticing he is. The fact of the matter is, we just paid 3.25 mil for a repeatedly benched, bottom pair D-man.

Oh yea, cause if Ericsson s***s the bed, GMs all over the league will be fighting to trade for him at a 3.25 mil cap hit.

With so many holes to fill on this team, I simply can't fathom how you can view this as a "small" signing.

My biggest question is: Did he consult Babcock prior to signing this vomit-inducing contract? I mean, Babcock has benched Ericsson repeatedly over the years, I can't imagine him being too thrilled about this....perhaps even "pissed off".

Heh.. The same guy who's been repeatedly benched for lackluster play just got a 10 mil contract. Oh happy days..

You guys seem to forget this is the same Kenny Holland that welcomed Jason Williams back with open arms.

In Kenny We Trust.... Right guys??? Right???? Can I get a +1 now?

A steal if he accepts it.

Here's a link to the original article: http://www.thehockeynews.com/articles/41032-Campbell-Brent-Burns-trade-moves-Sharks-closer-to-Stanley-Cup.html Actually is Hockey News. Was surprised myself that Babcock would make such a bold statement to the press.

First off, already stated that was a player mix up. It does happen you know. Second, that has anything to do with this....how?

True, but I still believe it's better to wait until July 1st to throw some offers around than to offer 2 mil to a question mark player before FA even begins. Who knows, maybe Richards would be willing to come at a cheaper price for a multi-year deal or sign a discounted one year for a chance at the cup (ala Hossa).....not super likely, but still possible. Plus, there ARE other guys that would be a better pickup than Jagar for 2 mil. For example, I think Laich at 3 - 3.5 is mil a ton better than Jagar at 2 mil. Signing Jagar for that amount would just significantly reduce our options. 1 mil I could deal with, but 2.....come on. The dude has played in Russia for the last 3 freakin years. Can't you guys understand the impact this will have? I mean, we all know it did wonders for Hudler. It's simply a huge risk to sign the guy after that kind of stint, not to mention to do so at 39.

Sure, sure. Modano WOULD have had 40 points, WOULD have put up a fair share of goals, WOULD have saved the team. Woulda, coulda, shoulda. Fact is, he stunk and was benched for a reason. 40-50 points for a guy who is 39 and hasn't played in the NHL in 3 years? Are you serious? We'd be LUCKY if he broke 20, with maybe 7 of those points being goals. Jeez, can Holland not pick up someone in free agency over 36 for once?

Um...Modano had 7 points in 20 games before his injury. He was contributing very little and probably would have continued producing very little, whether the injury happened or not. No matter how you look at it, it was a bad signing. Now we're gonna throw two million at another aging vet and pray the same situation doesn't happen again? Thats just unbelivable. We need to be adding faster, younger guys....not slower, older ones. Especially considering the pace of the game is faster than ever. I just can't believe Holland is ready to and willing to make the same mistake twice in a row. Richards, Bieksa, and Wisniewski = cup