Sundin Headed to Free Agency

[eva unit zero 271]

The regular season is for experimentation, but come on, Hudler second line and Franzen third line? If anything I think Franzen more than anyone else has proven and earned a permanent spot on the 2nd line for the season.

Franzen got hot while he was playing with D and Z, and then had a good four-game run playing on the second line against an Avs team that put everything it had against Detroit's top line.

I am not convinced Hudler wouldn't have scored like crazy in the same situation; plus I specifically kept the 'FFS' line together due to chemistry. With Hossa added to the team, FFS can be no higher than the third line unless you have Dats/Zetterberg/Hossa as the first line and Cleary/Hudler/Holmstrom as the third line.

[rage 24]

Franzen got hot while he was playing with D and Z, and then had a good four-game run playing on the second line against an Avs team that put everything it had against Detroit's top line.

I am not convinced Hudler wouldn't have scored like crazy in the same situation; plus I specifically kept the 'FFS' line together due to chemistry. With Hossa added to the team, FFS can be no higher than the third line unless you have Dats/Zetterberg/Hossa as the first line and Cleary/Hudler/Holmstrom as the third line.

You're crazy!

[eva unit zero 271]

You're crazy!

Because I think Jiri Hudler, the Wings forward with the third most raw offensive talent, could have scored just as many goals as Johan Franzen did playing a month on the first line and first PP?

[Winther 6]

Because I think Jiri Hudler, the Wings forward with the third most raw offensive talent, could have scored just as many goals as Johan Franzen did playing a month on the first line and first PP?

I would say that's some crazy linecombos, man what a forward lineup we would have.. Don't want to get my hopes up too much though.

[Hiei 192]

I would say that's some crazy linecombos, man what a forward lineup we would have.. Don't want to get my hopes up too much though.

Yea, but that'd leave a potential mix of:

DRAPER, MCCARTY, MALTBY, then maybe The Drake or Downey! GRIND LINE FANS ASSEMBLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ME LIKE HOCKEY!

[YoungGuns1340 1]

You're crazy!

Hudler is 5 years younger than Franzen and even still topped Franzens point total by four points.

Here's a fun fact for you. Franzen missed 6 games in the playoffs, and he got 301 minutes TOI total in those 16 games. What did Hudler get overall? 255 minutes total TOI in 22 games. Almost 50 minutes fewer for Hudler overall - with lesser linemates - and he only landed 4 points behind Franzen in the playoffs, where anyone will tell you small players are supposed to become invisible.

Franzen also got 5 more minutes ice time per game over the regular season. And for a guy that was 9th in ice time among forwards, Hudler finished T-3rd in points among forwards. Thats pretty damn impressive. Of course, no one will give him credit for it cause hes small and isnt a Selke candidate (you mean some teams have forwards that are just meant to score? crazy idea!).

Hudlers the most underrated guy on this roster. And a hell of a lot more likely to hit the 60-80 point estimates than Filppula will, as some people seem to think Val is capable of..

[glasgowcelticwing 18]

Because I think Jiri Hudler, the Wings forward with the third most raw offensive talent, could have scored just as many goals as Johan Franzen did playing a month on the first line and first PP?

I not only agree with you on this eva but think ge'd have done even better . Huds is vastly underated by Wings fan's . the guy gets a raw deal cause he's small. if he was about 4 inches taller and about 15 lbs heavier he'd be getting more TOI and with that scoring more goals and adding assists , the fan's would love him .

[rage 24]

Hudler is 5 years younger than Franzen and even still topped Franzens point total by four points.

Here's a fun fact for you. Franzen missed 6 games in the playoffs, and he got 301 minutes TOI total in those 16 games. What did Hudler get overall? 255 minutes total TOI in 22 games. Almost 50 minutes fewer for Hudler overall - with lesser linemates - and he only landed 4 points behind Franzen in the playoffs, where anyone will tell you small players are supposed to become invisible.

Franzen also got 5 more minutes ice time per game over the regular season. And for a guy that was 9th in ice time among forwards, Hudler finished T-3rd in points among forwards. Thats pretty damn impressive. Of course, no one will give him credit for it cause hes small and isnt a Selke candidate (you mean some teams have forwards that are just meant to score? crazy idea!).

Hudlers the most underrated guy on this roster. And a hell of a lot more likely to hit the 60-80 point estimates than Filppula will, as some people seem to think Val is capable of..

Hudler is 5 years younger. Great.

What did Franzen do during the last 20 games of the regular season and the Playoffs compared to Huds???

Sorry guys, my money is on Franzen.....He's the man. He's just warming up..............

[Dabura 12,232]

There is no need for a first line player, it would be a complete waste of money.

In looking to establish a solid secondary scoring component within a 4-line forward unit in the salary cap era, a GM can take one of two basic approaches: riding a couple of workhorses, or spreading the threat. Holland, being a fairly sharp guy, is not so hot on the former -- specifically, having two relatively high-priced guys carrying the secondary load. He prefers to set aside four or more spots and fill them with bargain-priced nobodies like Johan Franzen and Mikael Samuelsson. The logic being very simple: it's better to be safe than sorry.

An example of being "sorry" in this context is being caught in a bind because you rely on two high-priced guys for 96% of your secondary scoring needs -- and don't look now, but they're both out with serious injuries and your bottom sixers can't adequately fill the void because, wouldn't you know it, they're all scrubs! And why are they all scrubs? Because you're not smart with your money. And why can't you just pick up, say, a solid FA to help shoulder the load? Check yo' pockets, foo'!

In contrast, the Wings' secondary scoring paradigm is "safe." And it clearly works. The basic asset here is having strength in numbers, which comes in handy when you're dealing with injuries, special teams, and line combinations in general. If you're smart and you have great coaching and scouting systems to work with, you can assemble this small army for about the same amount of $$$ you might otherwise split between two relatively high-priced secondary studs (see "sorry"). This savvy, cost-efficient setup is a big key to the Wings' continual competitiveness in this salary cap world. Given this success, Kenny signing Brian Rolston to anything but a big hometown discount would be tantamount to Kenny punching himself in the face. Which would be hilarious, but only for, like, an hour or two. Maybe a day if you're stoned or drunk or something.

Now, one obvious "consequence" of success through this safe approach is the inevitable raise(s) in salary that your army will have earned. Ironically, this can very easily lead to a hybrid of the "safe" and "sorry" models -- i.e., relatively high-priced secondary scorers and a small army (albeit slightly smaller now) of low-profile secondary scorers (basically, the guys who don't get the big raises). Sammy's still a bargain. Hudler will settle for a shiny bag of pucks because he loves it in Motown. If the planets align in exactly the right way, Leino could be a very cost-efficient weapon in the near future. But Franzen could potentially demand big money, and rightfully so, as he's on the verge of establishing himself as The Player Dustin Penner Was Supposed to Become, aka an elite power forward. As Flip is an RFA for which Kenny has pledged to match "any offer" all through the summer, he could climb as high as 4.

Considering this, adding one or two high-profile secondary scorers makes no sense. Even if you're not sold on Flip's viability as an effective secondary scorer, his salary alone will place him in the category of "big" secondary scorer.

Now, to be fair, adding someone like Sundin to the picture does not, at least on the surface, sound like an infinitely more logical and cost-efficient course of action. My point in all of this, though, has been that Holland manages the secondary scoring situation in a specific and deliberate way, and that, in accordance with the tenets of his "safe" approach (which proved its worth this past season), no big pieces should be added to the secondary scoring unit right now because it's more or less where it should be. You throw Rolston in the mix and things could get messy.

In this sense, the primary scoring force (basically, Hank and Dats. Potentially Mule if he picks up where he left off) is more conducive to additions. If there's a possibility that Sundin can be added at a cost that won't break Kenny's back, making a push for him is a total no-brainer. He's 6'5. He's gritty. He's experienced. He's a great leader. He can log tons of minutes. He can play in special teams situations. He'd give us a big body at center. Perhaps most importantly, he's not suffering through the kind of dropoff in production that you'd expect to see with a guy his age; his numbers are as good as they were several years ago.

"Complete waste of money?"

Um, no.

[rage 24]

Get 'em Kenny!

[Doggy 130]

Make no mistake about it guys. Detroit's defensive dominance won us a championship. I value Franzen and Filppula's defensive responsibility more than Hudler's offensive ability (which is excellent).

But that's just me. I'm all about the D - always have been, always will be. I really hope Hudler can develop his 2-way game more like Datsyuk did.

[Majsheppard 203]

Just as long as Johan still gets top six time, I am fine with Sundin. Though I am not really excited about it.

[VM1138 1,921]

I like all the Wings players (except for Kopecky, who is useless), but to suggest that Hudler is better than Franzen is a bit silly. I don't think it's beacuse Hudler is small. I think it's because he's more inconsistent than Franzen has shown to be. He shows flashes of brilliance but needs a breakout year like Franzen had to put all the pieces together.

[Opie 308]

I like all the Wings players (except for Kopecky, who is useless), but to suggest that Hudler is better than Franzen is a bit silly. I don't think it's beacuse Hudler is small. I think it's because he's more inconsistent than Franzen has shown to be. He shows flashes of brilliance but needs a breakout year like Franzen had to put all the pieces together.

UMMM Franzen was consistent for about 3 maybe 4 months, yet Hudler in inconsistent?

Come again, if you want to say Franzen is better, you should have a reasoning that applies!

Mule was on a tear the last 2 months and the playoffs, yes I will give you that, however consistent is not exactly what he has been, where was he before the month of Februaury?

[daft_davy 0]

Sundin getting huge offers! One team has offered 10 million per season on a multiyear contract.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242175&lid...s=secStory_main

[scotzman 29]

No thanks. Obviously too much.

[omnipotent_hudler 0]

Sundin getting huge offers! One team has offered 10 million per season on a multiyear contract.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242175&lid...s=secStory_main

"vancouver.offer"

edit:also i can pretty much guarantee that the wings are the lowest offer out of the 4

^^

this is why holland is a good gm

Edited July 1, 2008 by omnipotent_hudler

[McCartyFanForLife 17]

Sundin getting huge offers! One team has offered 10 million per season on a multiyear contract.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242175&lid...s=secStory_main

LOL, probably Tampa Bay; the way they're spending money

[40#1Fan 0]

http://www.tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=242175&amp...s=topStory_main

The threat of retirement is not standing in the way of NHL teams taking a hard run at free agent forward Mats Sundin.

Sources tell TSN as many as four teams have tablde offers for the 37 year old, including one undisclosed team that has offered a whopping $10 million per year on a multi-year contract.

Sundin, who remains in Sweden is said to considering all of his options, but has yet to decided whether or not he play next season.

[Rice 42]

$10 million for a 37 year old? There are some desperate teams out there.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Hudler is 5 years younger. Great.

What did Franzen do during the last 20 games of the regular season and the Playoffs compared to Huds???

Sorry guys, my money is on Franzen.....He's the man. He's just warming up..............

He got a hell of a lot more ice time.

[Cicada 4]

i thought many NHL teams were susposed to be losing money?

[shannyfan1414 0]

Is it me, or does 10mill sound like a lot for a multi year deal?

I know he is gifted and all, but he has not been able to take a team to the promise land yet why will he be able to go to a new team and take them to the cup. To much money if you ask me.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I like all the Wings players (except for Kopecky, who is useless), but to suggest that Hudler is better than Franzen is a bit silly. I don't think it's beacuse Hudler is small. I think it's because he's more inconsistent than Franzen has shown to be. He shows flashes of brilliance but needs a breakout year like Franzen had to put all the pieces together.

No one is suggesting hes better all-around. But Hudlers offensive capabilities sure are.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Lets just sign our Dallas Drake Decoy and be done.