It almost isn't even fair.

[stud_defenseman 1]

I wonder how the rest of the teams in the league feel when they keep seeing how so many players are willing to give us a 'deal'.

Besides Hossa, who signed with us for one year, which happened to be far below some of the other offers made there are several other guys who have done us a favour.

Lookign at how Free agency went Brad Stuart would have certainly gotten more money than we gave him. Probably somewhere around 4.25 million. Norris Nick, the best defensemen in the world, maybe even the best player, plays for a salary that is far lower than he could potentially get from another team. Even Chara makes more than Lidstrom. I'm not going to go on, because an argument could be made for many wings that they could potentially make more money.

But I could see how some of the less desirable markets may be getting upset. Does Edmonton think its fair that Hossa is signing with Detroit for 1.5 million dollars less and for three less seasons? Probably not. How do these crappy teams expect to get better when players are willing to sign with better teams for less. As a detroit fan I love it, but this could potentially become a dangerous trend, as poorer teams will have to spend ridiculous amounts of money and still won't even come close to being competitive. Toronto is going to suck for many years to come.

Oh well, I guess I just should bask in the glory, and be happy in the fact that Holland has created a team that elite players are willing to take a discount in order to join.

[McCartyFanForLife 17]

In 2002, everyone said we bought the Cup. Either way, if they aren't fans of the Wings, they will find a reason to hate the Wings. This just adds fuel to the fire.

IDGARA

[stillwater 186]

It's fair.

[Majsheppard 203]

Hey the pens are getting to be in the same place.

Oprik just gave them a deal. Malkin took the same deal as Crosby.

Other teams get deals, we just are so much better right now.

[Hockeytown_Ryan 119]

In 2002, everyone said we bought the Cup. Either way, if they aren't fans of the Wings, they will find a reason to hate the Wings. This just adds fuel to the fire.

IDGARA

It just goes to show that when players say "detroit is a class act organization" word gets around,

who wouldn't want to win a cup?? Everyone Knows Holland wants to win.....

simple as that Remember when either Selanne or Kariya gave COLORADO a deal 1 mill when he was worth more than

that at the time.

Hossa for 7.4 mill....... Ill Take it !!!! another Stanley Cup hat to add to my collection......priceless

[VM1138 1,921]

It's because we generally go after character guys. Every other team in the league generally goes after point guys. So long as they're trying to drag in the trash, the class will continue to cut deals with Detroit.

[Kronner55 1]

I've often heard the guys say they like living here. They & their families are happy & thriving in the metro detroit communities. A lot of these guys have kids & are looking for a good place to settle down & stick around. They are loved & respected throughout the area...yet they aren't hassled to death when they want to go out for a simple cup of coffee or dinner. The organization is top notch & treats them well. Oh, yeah & they win a lot. Why wouldn't they want to stay even if it means a smaller income (when you make that much why does another million matter?) I think the other teams need to be bringing more to the table than salary. Yet I don't know how to make the location more appealing wherever they may be... Hoping I'm not rambling too much & I make some sense.

[eva unit zero 271]

It just goes to show that when players say "detroit is a class act organization" word gets around,

who wouldn't want to win a cup?? Everyone Knows Holland wants to win.....

simple as that Remember when either Selanne or Kariya gave COLORADO a deal 1 mill when he was worth more than

that at the time.

Hossa for 7.4 mill....... Ill Take it !!!! another Stanley Cup hat to add to my collection......priceless

Kariya's deal wasn't about winning. It was about positioning himself for free agency, as well as getting revenge on the Ducks. Bryan Murray declined to pick up Kariya's 10m option in hopes of getting him to take a deal worth 7m so that the team could afford to add Selanne. The Ducks, if you recall, had just been to the Cup finals. Such a deal might have made the Ducks the 2004 champions; adding Teemu Selanne to a team that was a period away from winning the Cup.

Instead, Kariya took far less to sign with a worse team that had a better group of forwards but less chance of winning because they would give him a one-year deal that would hopefully allow him to post a huge season going into UFA.

Kariya's signing with Nashville and St. Louis as the highest bidder further reinforces the fact that Kariya was more interested in gold than silver. If Kariya was truly about winning as some of his fanboys seem to suggest, he'd have taken a cheaper deal to play for a contender rather than sign the deal that had the best moneymaking potential as he saw it, or to sign with a rival because he felt slighted by his GM asking him to take less so his team could add another elite level player.

I have always felt Kariya is a selfish ******. Everything everyone was saying about 'selfish Sidney' during the finals is much more applicable to Kariya, and always has been.

[sixer 37]

Hey the pens are getting to be in the same place.

Oprik just gave them a deal. Malkin took the same deal as Crosby.

Other teams get deals, we just are so much better right now.

+1

Oprik gave them an amazing deal, same with Malkin in terms of what they could have received elsewhere.

It's completely fair. Wings have earned the position their in by drafting well and signing guys they feel would become stars early.

If hadn't of won the cup last year, Hossa wouldn't have signed with us.

Edited July 3, 2008 by sixer

[kadoz 0]

Kariya's deal wasn't about winning. It was about positioning himself for free agency, as well as getting revenge on the Ducks. Bryan Murray declined to pick up Kariya's 10m option in hopes of getting him to take a deal worth 7m so that the team could afford to add Selanne. The Ducks, if you recall, had just been to the Cup finals. Such a deal might have made the Ducks the 2004 champions; adding Teemu Selanne to a team that was a period away from winning the Cup.

Instead, Kariya took far less to sign with a worse team that had a better group of forwards but less chance of winning because they would give him a one-year deal that would hopefully allow him to post a huge season going into UFA.

Kariya's signing with Nashville and St. Louis as the highest bidder further reinforces the fact that Kariya was more interested in gold than silver. If Kariya was truly about winning as some of his fanboys seem to suggest, he'd have taken a cheaper deal to play for a contender rather than sign the deal that had the best moneymaking potential as he saw it, or to sign with a rival because he felt slighted by his GM asking him to take less so his team could add another elite level player.

I have always felt Kariya is a selfish ******. Everything everyone was saying about 'selfish Sidney' during the finals is much more applicable to Kariya, and always has been.

I always thought Kariya just hated the wings, and wanted to play for who was a key rival at the moment. going to colorado before the rivalry died a little bit, then to nashville after a pretty good wings pred series, then to st louis to keep with the theme of having the wings handing it to him.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

I wonder how the rest of the teams in the league feel when they keep seeing how so many players are willing to give us a 'deal'.

Besides Hossa, who signed with us for one year, which happened to be far below some of the other offers made there are several other guys who have done us a favour.

Lookign at how Free agency went Brad Stuart would have certainly gotten more money than we gave him. Probably somewhere around 4.25 million. Norris Nick, the best defensemen in the world, maybe even the best player, plays for a salary that is far lower than he could potentially get from another team. Even Chara makes more than Lidstrom. I'm not going to go on, because an argument could be made for many wings that they could potentially make more money.

But I could see how some of the less desirable markets may be getting upset. Does Edmonton think its fair that Hossa is signing with Detroit for 1.5 million dollars less and for three less seasons? Probably not. How do these crappy teams expect to get better when players are willing to sign with better teams for less. As a detroit fan I love it, but this could potentially become a dangerous trend, as poorer teams will have to spend ridiculous amounts of money and still won't even come close to being competitive. Toronto is going to suck for many years to come.

Oh well, I guess I just should bask in the glory, and be happy in the fact that Holland has created a team that elite players are willing to take a discount in order to join.

You're right in saying that Toronto will suck for years, but its not because of this reason. Plenty of players "want" to play for Toronto. Their management just makes dumbass decisions on who they bring in and what they pay them.

[eva unit zero 271]

Orpik gave them an amazing deal

Orpik what?

Orpik will be making $3.75m per season. He's not worth that kind of money. He is slow, poor offensively, and tends to get caught out of position defensively. He would be overpaid if he made a million less per year.

[octopusonice 0]

Well, I'm a Wings fan and I have said that they bought the cup in 2002, but that doesn't mean that they did not deserve it. Bowman had to do an excellent job to get all the stars on the team to work together. They also showed a lot of character after coming back from an 0-2 hole against Vancouver and Stevie playing on a bad knee that required an unprecedented type of surgery for him to play on afterwards.

The best thing the Wings have going for them is not even so much getting the Cup, but that it's a well run organization, they seem to treat their players well and that they will more often than not do their best to field a winning team.

Edited grammar and to remove earlier quoting of myself, DOH!

Edited July 3, 2008 by octopusonice

[SouthernWingsFan 854]

I wonder how the rest of the teams in the league feel when they keep seeing how so many players are willing to give us a 'deal'.

Besides Hossa, who signed with us for one year, which happened to be far below some of the other offers made there are several other guys who have done us a favour.

Lookign at how Free agency went Brad Stuart would have certainly gotten more money than we gave him. Probably somewhere around 4.25 million. Norris Nick, the best defensemen in the world, maybe even the best player, plays for a salary that is far lower than he could potentially get from another team. Even Chara makes more than Lidstrom. I'm not going to go on, because an argument could be made for many wings that they could potentially make more money.

But I could see how some of the less desirable markets may be getting upset. Does Edmonton think its fair that Hossa is signing with Detroit for 1.5 million dollars less and for three less seasons? Probably not. How do these crappy teams expect to get better when players are willing to sign with better teams for less. As a detroit fan I love it, but this could potentially become a dangerous trend, as poorer teams will have to spend ridiculous amounts of money and still won't even come close to being competitive. Toronto is going to suck for many years to come.

Oh well, I guess I just should bask in the glory, and be happy in the fact that Holland has created a team that elite players are willing to take a discount in order to join.

You've pretty much answered your questions there.

With Detroit getting out of the Dead Wings Era and starting to win more consistently in the 90s, to finally winning Cups in the late 90s and being able to continue to win more often than not, combined with good management who stress the importance of a team and comraderie and sacraficing to win it all, every now and then you'll see people really interested in playing with the Wings for a certain "discount" per se. I totally understand when free agents test the market and measure their worth against similar players to try to get every dollar/penny they can, but every now and then you'll find somebody that might want to play for Detroit a bit cheaper for a better chance to win and for reasons stated above.

[dr_lobster 0]

Hey, it's one of the benefits of having a front office that treats its players well, and only seeks out players that buy into the "we're here to win together" mentality. Hossa signing with us isn't simply us winning the Cup, or Holland being a good GM, it's helped by our history as a franchise over the past decade-plus.

[b.shanafan14 733]

I love that the Illitches have molded the franchise into such a preferred destination for players. Not only is it the focus on winning, but I think that the organization really helps out getting newcomers situated in the community and the lockerroom environment with the mix of quiet, stoic leaders like Nick and character guys like Osgood Draper etc really helps players feel at home. Another thing to take into account is the style of play, and i think Holland finds players who compliment the Wings' system and play to the players' strengths which make people want to stay.

In regards to Hossa, its been discussed to great length that he isn't the best as the number one guy, but is great as a complimenting winger when he doesn't have to be THE guy. Sound like someone we picked up at the deadline and just signed to a 4 year deal? Stuart had a similar career pattern as Hossa, bouncing from place to place, expected to be a number one pairing guy, which doesn't suit him. So he gets to Detroit, and finds near instant chemistry with Kronwall in the second pairing and is allowed to play to his strengths.

I think most players when they are really honest with themselves, would rather find a place like Detroit thats a great environment, both in the lockerroom and the community. Every player wants to find a fit that gets the most out of their play, because success is what makes people happy, achievement, accomplishment, chemistry, comraderie, security - the Detroit Red Wings offer all these things and have become known throughout the league as a team that takes care of their players. I think any player in the league would be clammering to drop a million off the bill to get that package.

[Reds4Life 51]

How's that unfair. It only proves Wings organization is well run, well coached and their only goal is to win Stanley Cup every single year. Players buy into the "you must sacrifice something to win" and they are happy to play for the Red Wings. This is not unfair, it's called desire to win.

[betterREDthandead 58]

My heart bleeds for these other teams

[Opie 308]

It is not the Red Wings fault that (as stated by others) top to bottom the Illitches have filled this org with nothing but class.

Look at the names involved in this Org and tell me one guy who hasn't been class his whole career:

Bowman

Yzerman

Lidstrom

Nill

Holland

Babcock

Then a new guy comes into the fold and when they walk in the door two of the first faces they see, or faces they see around the Joe a lot, Gordie Howe and Steve Yzerman. It is not just the current Wings that love this org!!!

This org shows class towards it current players, treats them with dignity and respect. The only time I can think of anything messy with players was the Feds contract ordeal (Holland and Feds were stubborn and it played out in the media) other than that most contract situations are kept in house.

Do they hire a coach who will yell and scream and blame officials or tear into the media, no they hire Babcock who (appears I am not at practice) preaches hard work and commitment to the team philosophy!!! He wasn't in the presser whining about calls or no calls, he just said we have to play harder. Whatever he said in the locker room is between him and his players, but what he says to the media speaks volumes for how people and this team view him. If he pulls a Therrien and is whining about calls, it makes it seem like he only thinks he can win with the refs on his side.

It all points to winning, and then on top of that they add guys that buy into the system, they don't go after a guy who only plays on the offensive end. Hossa, Dats, and Z are all very talented without the puck, they won't float in their own zone waiting for the break out. They will all (and that goes for all forwards on this team) help out below the face off dots, and yet there are countless times when you see the last forward to clear the zone, be the guy who gets a great scoring chance or a goal. It is hard work, it is the willingness to bust your ass for just another 10-20 seconds instead of hitting the bench for a breather. IN fact that was one of the downfalls of this team in the losses to the Penguins, the players were trying too hard and Dats and Hank were staying on the ice too long. Babs talked to them about it and the next game shorter shifts and a W!

Think about it this way, if you had a chance to take another job, that you knew the benefits were far and away better than your job, but the pay was less, would you take it. Assuming that even though it is less you can still keep you style of life, of course you do, you take the better medical plan, more time off, the flexible hours, the place were your manager is a great guy, it is the intangibles that bring players to the Wings, when you are making 7-8 mil a year what is the big deal with taking 1 mil less, that would be like you switching jobs for better benefits and work environment for 3k less.

[tipetz22 0]

I agree with everyone above, but I think that one thing huge part of the Wings success is there draft picks over the past 15-20 years. The Wings have built a very strong nucleus of players:

1983- Yzerman

1989- Lids, Fed, Konstantinov

1990 - Primeau, Kozlov

1991- Ozzie, Lapointe

1992 -DMac

1994 - Holmstrom, Dandenault

1998 - Fischer, Pav

1999- Z

2000- Kronwall, Kopecky

2002 - Rex, Filp, Meech

Obviously all of these players are not superstars (some obviously are not on the team), but all have contributed tremendously to the success of the Wings. I think that famous movie quote, "If you build it they will come" is true. After we developed these players we added - Fetisov, Draps, Maltby, Shanny, Hull, etc. The sports world has a mentality of "got to win now". However, true success is build over time.

Edited July 3, 2008 by tipetz22

[Stevie4Pres 0]

I totally agree with everything that's been said. But I don't think it's exactly a bad deal from a salary standpoint for Hossa.

Hypothetically, if the Wings win the cup next year then Hossa will hit the free agent market as a player with experience in two Stanley Cup finals and a Championship. Thereby enabling himself for possibly a bigger contract than the ones offered this year. It's not that I disagree with anyone here it's just that I don't look at like it as such a raw deal for Hossa. 7.45 million is a lot of money!!

In any case, it's a great move by Detroit and kudos to Hossa for taking a little less now for the best chance at a cup.

[Winged Scooter 0]

I think it speaks alot of Hossa's character that he would take less money & long term security for a chance to have his name on The Cup. I think also though, that he wouldn't even have considered it, if it hadn't been for Wings Management. Iiltch has proven time and again that he is Top Notch owner, and respects and rewards his players for their loyalty and hard work to a level that no other NHL owner can even come close to. Wings management doesn't pull punches, they don't play games, and appear to be far more honest than any other group in the NHL. If you were an NHL talent, and fairly to moderately secure in your finances (or level of progress in your career), why on Earth would you NOT want to play for an orginzation like the Detroit Red Wings?

Edited July 3, 2008 by Winged Scooter