Datsyuk Signs 7-year, $46.9M Contract Extension

[Viperar 16]

And now Mike Bacock is on1270, praising Datsyuk to heavens for his passion, skill, work ethic, defense, and willingness to go to "hard areas".

id agree with babcock, i dont think anyone has stepped it up since zetterberg has been gone, the only other 3 names that come to mind would be hudler, dom, and calder

bert hasnt been on enough to be categorized as that *yet*

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Or what? He'll get a stern talkin' to?

Listen, I love Pavel as much as the next guy, lotsa faith, but this gigantor deal means we're in it for the long haul, for better or for worse.

that's exactly my point.

He better deliver or this was a huge mistake Holland just made.

No one is gonna want to trade for a an overpaid playoff failure with that many years on his contract.

[HuntsVegas Baby 0]

FOR SALE

Large Home in Birmingham area (once owned by a former hockey player!) House equipped with large pizza oven, multiply satelltie dishes and direct pipeline to the Doritos factory. Large brick #20 landscaped in the backyard. MUST SELL!!! MOVING SOON!!!

Edited April 6, 2007 by HuntsVegas Baby

[sibiriak 84]

Mike Babcock: "If you say that any North American player wants to in in the playoffs more than Pavel Datsyuk, you are flat-out crazy".

[Viperar 16]

FOR SALE

Large Home in Birmingham area (once owned by a former hockey player!) House equipped with large pizza oven, multiply satelltie dishes and direct pipeline to the Doritos factory. Large brick #20 landscaped in the backyard. MUST SELL!!! MOVING SOON!!!

maybe hudler is interested

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

FOR SALE

Large Home in Birmingham area (once owned by a former hockey player!) House equipped with large pizza oven, multiply satelltie dishes and direct pipeline to the Doritos factory. Large brick #20 landscaped in the backyard. MUST SELL!!! MOVING SOON!!!

I would be a little surprised if the Wings kept Lang, but it never ceases to amaze me how much grief the guy gets around here when he has done nothing but deliver in the playoffs, when a lot of the other big names on the Wings didn't.

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Or what? He'll get a stern talkin' to?

Listen, I love Pavel as much as the next guy, lotsa faith, but this gigantor deal means we're in it for the long haul, for better or for worse.

I was happy with the deal until i read you're post and realised that if Dats bombs bigtime in the next few seasons, its gonna take a long time for us to get rid of this deal. I hope this ain't the next Alexei Yashin deal.

[ultrapail 0]

I also like the 7 years. Holland probably gave him pretty much what he wanted. I believe he has proven that he's worth it when he plays the way he can play.

The last time the Wings made a significant playoff run, Datsyuk was surrounded by 6-8 Hall of Famers. They won the Cup with him "learning" how to play playoff hockey. He has underperformed since then because of the lack of help from some of the other players.

He has performed well EVERY season. Without his regular season play, the Wings may not even had made the playoffs a couple of times.

Now this contract puts him in the position of being one of the main leaders on this team. I'm sure Stevie told him that (so does the A on his jersey)

Don't you think getting a long term deal gives Dats the opportunity to forget about the money and the whole contract stuff and PLAY THE WAY HE CAN PLAY????

85-100 points per season and 3 great runs through the playoffs is well worth 6.5 mil per year.

Give him a chance to earn his money.

If Holland let him walk, this whole site would be up in arms. Especially if he keeps putting up better and better numbers every year.

I swear some of you folks are never happy. I'm very pleased that Holland, Yzerman and company are running things and not some of you so-called GM wanna-bes.

[Heroes of Hockeytown 694]

I was happy with the deal until i read you're post

Just go back and forget about it! I'm not here to be Mr. Raincloud.

[poxer 0]

Woot! Datsyuk locked up for 7 years. Lets lock up Zetter for 10!.

[akustyk 84]

I would be a little surprised if the Wings kept Lang, but it never ceases to amaze me how much grief the guy gets around here when he has done nothing but deliver in the playoffs, when a lot of the other big names on the Wings didn't.

Lang must deliver in playoffs to show Holland and other GM's that he still has it. 2006-07 regular season was not exactlyt the brightest of his career and so far he has not earned his contract. we can put some blame for this on him, or look at his constant line partner Williams anmd his uninspired play, but the fact remains the same: he has not given his agent good arguments to negotiate for big bucks.

which is why I hope Langer will show his best in playoffs. he'll have to play like a Conn Smythe winner to justify that bold 3.8 M$ for me, though

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Just go back and forget about it! I'm not here to be Mr. Raincloud.

Who said what? I think i had a bad dream.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Thats alot of money for a long time.

I dont like it , but we'll have to see , stevie thinks it worth it , and his word is better then God's.

[betterREDthandead 58]

I would be a little surprised if the Wings kept Lang, but it never ceases to amaze me how much grief the guy gets around here when he has done nothing but deliver in the playoffs, when a lot of the other big names on the Wings didn't.

Because he's not gritty, duh

[Guest Addulous]

sweet! now lets get zett some years to match

[Elshupacabra 0]

I'm glad they re-signed him...more so, I'm glad they re-signed him for seven years! I wanted to resign him the whole time but I never imagined that he would sign for that long! My fear was that they would re-sign Datsyuk for one or two or three years and then once we get to the end of that, then were right back where we started, I think that this deal really shows Datsyuk's commitment to the team and the city, and i'm pretty sure this is one of the best things that could have happend the day after we lost to Chicago!

Datsyuk:

Holland: :deal:

Datsyuk & Holland: :banana:

Edited April 6, 2007 by Elshupacabra

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Datsyuk: Holland: :deal: Datsyuk & Holland: :banana:

LMAO.

[arnoldbuck 0]

Holy Crap!!! Like My McDonalds ... "I'm Lovin' It."

But please prove the world wrong in the playoffs!!!

[Wings3:16 322]

No sir, I don't like it....way too f***in long, those contracts come back to bite in the ass, all the time

[arnoldbuck 0]

Wow ... just read through fully and an average of $6.7 million. That is a lot more than I thought it would be. A lot more. Don't get me wrong, I love Dats, but he had better earn that in the playoffs.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I wonder how the deal is structured (I'm guessing it's not 6.7 million next year), because if Jimmy Howard doesn't work out, the Wings are gonna have to find themselves a starting goaltender. Plus Lidstrom's salary, plus if they try to keep Bert. That's a big chunk of change for the next few seasons. Plus the long term deal they have with Kronwall, who has continued to have untimely injuries and may need to be replaced.

I'm hoping the bulk of it is pushed towards the back end.

Edited April 6, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[Barrie 900]

At first glance, I don't like the deal.

I just hope when Zetterberg is a FA, there's enough cap room to sign him. Plus Datsyuk HAS to start producing in the playoffs.

[Guest GodofHockeyStevieY19]

This is fantastic news! I had a feeling we were gonna sign him long term. But I was thinking like 5 years. So hearing 7 years is like music to my ears. I have a feeling Dats will retire in the Winged Wheel. Nice 7 year deal is a damn good start.

[poxer 0]

Wow ... just read through fully and an average of $6.7 million. That is a lot more than I thought it would be. A lot more. Don't get me wrong, I love Dats, but he had better earn that in the playoffs.

First time in playoffs he was a new player. Second time, I can't remember... Third time he was hurt. This is his fourth time i want to say? If he went to another team you would be angry with the rest of the people doubt Datsyuk. He will produce in the playoffs and I believe thsi to be the year because he's had a solid run at the end of the season and that will carry over. He's been skating and shooting well so that is good. Last year he went straight into playoffs after an injury, no practice. Give him a break.

[sibiriak 84]

No sir, I don't like it....way too f***in long, those contracts come back to bite in the ass, all the time

That's an interesting question. Fedorov's and Sakic's long contracts weren't failures, Yasin's and Jagr's (at least from Washington's point of view) were. Does anyone have other examples of 5+ yr contracts,and how they turned out?