Rafalski a Red Wing: 5-years, $30-million

[JayUp88 1]

Schnieder was good you can't take that away but i think Rafalski could be better

[Flip-check 6]

That could all happen, but it hasn't yet. The Rafalski signing brings stability to the Wings D especially after Lids retires, but there is no guarantee that Lids will be done after the 08/09 season. As many of you know, if there's two guys on the Wings that I want more than anyone, its Z and Lids. I don't want anything to compromise that.

I don't think anything will, given Kenny's general reliability. Neither do I though.

And Rafalski is a damn good pick-up... doesn't keep me from wanting an additional forward pick-up other than Bert though. Don't see it happening though with Grigorenko coming up, because that leaves us with dumping either Kopecky, Sammy, or Hudler.

[Dabura 12,207]

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/2007/07/ex...d_thumbsup.html

I fully agree with this:

July 1, AOL Sports: For the Red Wings, signing Rafalski has to be considered something of an upgrade. Though he's no youngster, Rafalski is five years younger than Schneider and helps the Red Wings shed a few years on a blue line that boasts greybeards like Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios. As for Rafalski, it's hard to imagine a situation better for a puck moving defenseman like him than heading to Detroit, where he may spend some time either helming a power play unit of his own, or spending time beside Lidstrom.

Rafalski was made for the Wings' system. He's going to be stellar.

[BlueMonk 102]

I'm fine with this signing. Rafalski is a very good player. My one and only brush with the Stanley Cup was courtesy of him, at a bar in Rochester Hills, back in 2000.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I don't think anything will, given Kenny's general reliability. Neither do I though.

And Rafalski is a damn good pick-up... doesn't keep me from wanting an additional forward pick-up other than Bert though. Don't see it happening though with Grigorenko coming up, because that leaves us with dumping either Kopecky, Sammy, or Hudler.

Hudler may be gone on his own right.

[sergei_is_still_a_wing 1]

wow. i can't believe people are pissed about this.

schneids was good and i liked him yes, HOWEVER, he is 38. 2 more years and he is most likely out of the league. rafalski is 32. 500k isn't too much more than schneids and rafalskis passing ability is... oh i dont know ABOUT 1000% BETTER THAN SCHNEIDS EVER WAS. his shot will be missed yes, but 100MPH from the blue line didn't score a ton anyways.

i like the move all in all.

still can't belive the sabres came up with bubkiss on the briere drury thing. sabres fans should just start rooting for the wings...

[Zymz 0]

I haven't seen this mentioned yet, but lets not forget Rafalski's skating ability. He brings a Fedorov-like ability to move the puck from one end of the ice to the other, adding an extra dimension to the Wings' offensive breakouts. One thing the team struggled with this last year was in carrying the puck out of the zone. Having Rafalski back there helps improve that aspect.

[Grind_Lines_#1_Fan 0]

I love this deal, great job Kenny! Makin' big news the first day. Hopefully this one works out better then Hatcher

[ltgator333 3]

I love this deal, great job Kenny! Makin' big news the first day. Hopefully this one works out better then Hatcher

Oh man don't say that you'll jinx him!! I have to admit it crossed my mind though.......

I think in swapping Schnieds for Rafalski the wings actually got better defensively. You can't replace Matty's shot though, unfortunately.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Welcome to Hockeytown Brian!

[motorcitykid 42]

No...Schneider for 2 years 5.5 > Rafalski for 5 YEARS 6 mil

It is strange. A deal could not get done with Mathieu. Why? Now unless he says he wanted out of Detroit ...

So let me see, 11 million over 2 years makes no sense, but 30 million over 5 years does? Wow, i'd love a link to some Holland-speak to figure this one out.

schneids was good and i liked him yes, HOWEVER, he is 38. 2 more years and he is most likely out of the league. rafalski is 32. 500k isn't too much more than schneids and rafalskis passing ability is... oh i dont know ABOUT 1000% BETTER THAN SCHNEIDS EVER WAS. his shot will be missed yes, but 100MPH from the blue line didn't score a ton anyways.

What a joke. To hear you tell it - it's great we got rid of such a s***ty, useless player.

I fully agree with this:

July 1, AOL Sports: For the Red Wings, signing Rafalski has to be considered something of an upgrade. Though he's no youngster, Rafalski is five years younger than Schneider and helps the Red Wings shed a few years on a blue line that boasts greybeards like Nicklas Lidstrom and Chris Chelios. As for Rafalski, it's hard to imagine a situation better for a puck moving defenseman like him than heading to Detroit, where he may spend some time either helming a power play unit of his own, or spending time beside Lidstrom.

Big whoop! Schneider never showed "his age" out there. He was as sound a defensemen as they come. But hey, he's gone - so do the normal LGW thing and let the bashing begin. When you play on a team like Detroit, the puck possession game allows the "older than dirt" players, as was implied in the article, hide their age, so it's irrelevant. Refresh our memories - when did Schneider's age become a problem? Edited July 2, 2007 by motorcitykid

[ltgator333 3]

when did Schneider's age become a problem?

I don't think it did. He was a solid defenseman. The wings had/have better defensive-defensemen, but only Lidstrom could rival him on the point. He's a loss and I'll miss him but hey we got Rafalski now, no worries.

[akustyk 84]

Big whoop! Schneider never showed "his age" out there. He was as sound a defensemen as they come. But hey, he's gone - so do the normal LGW thing and let the bashing begin. When you play on a team like Detroit, the puck possession game allows the "older than dirt" players, as was implied in the article, hide their age, so it's irrelevant. Refresh our memories - when did Schneider's age become a problem?

the article doesn't actually point to Schneider's age has become a problem. I'd rather say it points out that it will become a problem. which is true, because in 2 years Schneids will most likely be retiring, while Rafalski has still a couple of seasons to play. to restate the conclusion: we basically get a D-man to stay with us for longer, giving the team better core for following seasons. plus: Rafalski is likely to be there once Lidstrom retires, hence ensuring some continuity(sp) of our top D-men crop. Schneider would not grat this.

one thing about Schneider: we were missing his long range shot on PP badly against Giguere. as well as his physical presence and skills. this could easily be called a major factor in Wings loss to the Ducks. definitely one of biggest reasons

Edited July 2, 2007 by akustyk

[Dabura 12,207]

Big whoop! Schneider never showed "his age" out there. He was as sound a defensemen as they come. But hey, he's gone - so do the normal LGW thing and let the bashing begin. When you play on a team like Detroit, the puck possession game allows the "older than dirt" players, as was implied in the article, hide their age, so it's irrelevant. Refresh our memories - when did Schneider's age become a problem?

Whoa there, easy does it!

Like akustyk said, the blurb seems to be pointing more to the future and the proverbial Big Picture than to the past season or two. In getting a veteran five years younger than Schneider, Holland has guaranteed that we will have at least one quality veteran presence on the blue line when Schneider and Lidstrom and Chelios are no longer playing. And while Schneider's age hasn't had a huge effect on his game, he's getting up there, and he only has a season or two left before it really starts to catch up to him -- or before he retires altogether. If you honestly believe Detroit's puck-possession style allows players to hide their age to the point where it's a non-issue...well, I'd say you haven't watched their last several postseason runs.

Moreover, Schneider is not "as sound a defenseman as they come." This isn't me doing "the normal LGW thing," this is me stating a simple and obvious fact. Schneider's got a great package, no question. But there are better d-men -- Rafalski being one of them. I'm about ten minutes from New Jersey, so I've seen my fair share of Devils games and have become very familiar with this guy. He's every bit as offensively-minded as Schneider, but his positional play, mobility, and overall hockey sense are all superior. Furthermore, he's managed to put up great numbers with a defense-centric, offensively challenged club. His style is better suited for that of the Wings; expect him to blossom into a truly elite player here.

Edited July 2, 2007 by Dabura

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

Big whoop! Schneider never showed "his age" out there. He was as sound a defensemen as they come. But hey, he's gone - so do the normal LGW thing and let the bashing begin. When you play on a team like Detroit, the puck possession game allows the "older than dirt" players, as was implied in the article, hide their age, so it's irrelevant. Refresh our memories - when did Schneider's age become a problem?

I don't think Schneider's age specifically was a problem, but when you've got Lidstrom, Schneider, and Chelios on your blueline, age is a factor. Plus Schneider's had a fair number of injuries over the years. It's a likely bet that will get worse with age.

22-May-07: Missed Game 6 of Round Two against the San Jose Sharks and all 6 games of the Western Conference Finals against the Anaheim Ducks (broken wrist).

07-May-07: Broken wrist, sidelined indefinitely.

05-Apr-07: Missed 1 game (elbow injury).

03-Apr-07: Elbow injury, day-to-day.

02-Feb-07: Missed 10 games (sprained knee).

08-Jan-07: Sprained knee, day-to-day.

08-Nov-06: Missed 3 games (groin).

01-Nov-06: Groin, day-to-day.

18-Apr-06: Missed 1 game (groin).

17-Apr-06: Groin, day-to-day.

15-Apr-06: Missed 7 games (lower body injury).

31-Mar-06: Lower body injury, day-to-day.

23-Dec-05: Missed 1 game (charley horse).

18-Dec-05: Charley horse, day-to-day.

17-Dec-05: Charley horse, left Saturday's game.

03-Nov-05: Missed 1 game (groin).

01-Nov-05: Groin, day-to-day.

Still, he was a very good player for Detroit. Rafalski is just younger and offers a lot of the same qualities, and hopefully will flourish here.

Edited July 2, 2007 by haroldsnepsts

[Flip-check 6]

Hudler may be gone on his own right.

I forgot about that, you're right.

Even though people are flipping out about our size issue (again, lol), to let Hudler go would solve the forward minutes problem we have--but it'd be a loss to lose him I think.

Edited July 2, 2007 by Flip-check

[RedWings Gone Wild 6]

I was dreaming of this from the first moment I heard he would be becoming a FA. I would take Rafalski over Schn any day of the week. He's younger, better, and puts up a very similar number of points.

[Kp-Wings 3]

Wow! Did I ever miss a lot while being gone!

Ok, first off, this is excellent signing on all points. Rafalski can put up just as many, if not more, points then Schneider, and isn't a liability defensivily. He's also more physical then Schneider, and younger too. I have to say, I am impressed by what our good man Kenny Holland pulled out of his hat on this one.

My only complaint is that 6 million a season is a bit much, and 14 million split between him and Lidstrom is a lot of money for 2 defenseman. Nevertheless, I love the Rafalski signing, and look forward to him have a great time here in Detroit!

[Wings_Fan_In_Exile 3]

Great move by Holland. Schneider did well when he was here and hopefully Rafalski will do better!

And Hatcher is no comparison to Rafalski. No worries about that happening again.