Babcock, Chelios helped recruit Hossa...

[Shutemdown 23]

From the Free Press:

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=SPORTS05

EDMONTON - Marian Hossa signing in Detroit, of all places, seemed to come out of left field, but the Red Wings actually had a deal in place to trade for the free-agent winger in February and they'd also spoken money with his agent, Ritch Winter.

When the Wings outlasted the Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup, Detroit coach Mike Babcock, so the story goes, came upon Hossa in the handshake line and whispered "See you soon" to the big winger.

Hossa, who was stunned when Pittsburgh traded for him in February, coming into the picture in the last half-hour or so, maybe at the urging of Mario Lemieux, is now on the No. 1 line in Detroit with Pavel Datsyuk (out right now with an undisclosed injury) and Tomas Holmstrom. He signed a one-year, $7.4-million contract, leaving a truckload of money on the table from other teams.

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"I remember Chris Chelios phoning Marian and saying, 'If you're just coming here to win a Stanley Cup, don't do it,' " said Winter. "He told Marian, 'We're good, but even if we're good we don't win every year.' He told Marian the benefit of coming to Detroit would be to learn from (Nick) Lidstrom and (Steve) Yzerman, about the sacrifices you have to make. He can take that to other teams if he doesn't stay in Detroit."

The Wings took on Hossa for this season but GM Ken Holland will have his hands full next year fitting him into the cap because he's working on a new deal for Henrik Zetterberg (at least $8 million a year) and fellow second-line winger Johan Franzen. Lidstrom, out with a broken nose (he's lucky an errant puck didn't smack him in the eye in camp), will also be in the second year of his $7.45-million contract.

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[Z and D for the C 712]

I don't think Z will make more than 8 mil.

[jawbreaker 0]

Zetterberg won't be making more than Lidstrom. Datsyuk makes less than 7M per year and he is at least as good as Zetterberg. I guess Hank will have to settle for 7M per season.

[Wings_Dynasty 267]

I don't think Z will make more than 8 mil.

I think he will get the same amount as Datsyuk. Seems fair since they are equal in most areas.

[Heaton 1]

I think he will get the same amount as Datsyuk. Seems fair since they are equal in most areas.

Except for inflation. Z will make a least 7.4m per year.

[Mors 201]

"Pavel Datsyuk (out right now with an undisclosed injury)"

Did I miss a thread about this somewhere? What's up with dats?

[Shutemdown 23]

"Pavel Datsyuk (out right now with an undisclosed injury)"

Did I miss a thread about this somewhere? What's up with dats?

He's got a groin injury.

[toby91_ca 620]

Zetterberg won't be making more than Lidstrom. Datsyuk makes less than 7M per year and he is at least as good as Zetterberg. I guess Hank will have to settle for 7M per season.

Big difference is that when Dats signed his contract, he wasn't worth the money he signed for (he grew into the contract, but at the time, I certainly questioned the amount). You see a lot of players signing for big dollars now, with the hopes that they turn out to be better players in the future and their contracts turn out to be great deals.

In Zetterberg's case, if he signed for the same money as Datsyuk's contract, he'd be signing below current market value, it doesn't make a lot of sense. Well, he could accept a hometwon discount, but it doesn't make sense from the point of view that Datsyuk is making "x" so Z shouldn't really get much more.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

Relax guys. This isn't factual information. The newspapers always seem to think they know whos going to get what and they're always off. Wasn't Cleary supposed to get at least 3.5M per? Wasn't Stuart "going to have to take pay cut from his 3.5M in order to stay with the Wings"? This just a journalist passing off their estimates as facts. And while these folks do know hockey, typically your run of the mill reporter knows less about market value than those of us who obssess over every little contract signed in the NHL.

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Zetterberg won't be making more than Lidstrom. Datsyuk makes less than 7M per year and he is at least as good as Zetterberg. I guess Hank will have to settle for 7M per season.

Toby and Heaton are correct. No way in hell Z will be signed for $7 million per. You're fooling yourself if you think he'll get Datsyuk money due to the cap increase and where he is at this point in his career compared to where Dats was when he signed his deal.

[FunkedUp 29]

Zetterberg will get somewhere between 7-8/season. I'm guessing it mirrors Lidstroms contract at 7.45, We will see though.

[rwfan007 18]

KH said no one will be making more money than Nick, so bank on something around Nick's pay.

Edited September 29, 2008 by rwfan007

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

KH said no one will be making more money than Nick, so bank on something around Nick's pay.

When the negotiations were taking place with Hossa this summer Kenny also told Marian that he'd have to check with Lidstrom before agreeing to the contract he wanted (which I believe was $8 million for 1 year) with Detroit. Hossa then asked Kenny what Lidstrom made and after hearing his number, he told him not to bother asking Lidstrom if it was ok and that he would just play for what Lids does.

While I believe Nick should be consulted first on any contract that could potentially be worth more than what he makes (simply due to the fact that the Wings are able to stay as competitive as they have due to his paycuts), Z might be the first player to exceed Lidstrom's pay in a long time. If he does, it won't be much more than what Nick makes, and TBH I don't see Lids being upset if the number is slightly more and its a guy like Z thats been around since the start and is now in his prime. It's different with him than bringing in an UFA.

[egroen 384]

Babcock whispering "See you soon!" to Hossa at the handshake sounds like pure BS to me. Though I do not doubt they were working him for a while.

[Guest CaliWingsNut]

Babcock whispering "See you soon!" to Hossa at the handshake sounds like pure BS to me. Though I do not doubt they were working him for a while.

It's been quoted many times before that Babcock said to marian "You should come to detroit", and hossa's response was that he likes detroit. I don't like this article at all, it sorta says what happened but everything has been skewed and summarized (as I know it).

There's no way Z makes more than Lids. He may make more than Dats, but I think Z is being groomed for the next 'C'. I wouldn't be surprised if the contract that gets signed is for how long mgmt thinks Lids will stay around for (that way he gets bumped up one last time, with continued good performance to as much or more than lids makes + inflation).

[Guest mindfly]

Hope zetterberg take around 6million or something, a few million paycut, he'll definitely do it if he's dedicated to the team

[NeverForgetMac25 483]

Hope zetterberg take around 6million or something, a few million paycut, he'll definitely do it if he's dedicated to the team

This has to be a joke.........

?

[12Newf 0]

Hope zetterberg take around 6million or something, a few million paycut, he'll definitely do it if he's dedicated to the team

is this supposed to be a joke?? he would be out of his mind to take 6 million and being dedicated to your team is one thing but its another to forfeit 1.5 million or more per season. the guy is worth more than 6 million and he should be paid accordingly. zetter should get his due and leave the rest to management to make it work.

hopefully his contract will be similar to hossa (7.4), thornton (7.2), iginla (7 million) or heatley (7.5) type money.

Edited September 29, 2008 by 12Newf

[miller76 463]

Hope zetterberg take around 6million or something, a few million paycut, he'll definitely do it if he's dedicated to the team

Dedicated and dumb are two different things. This guy will make what Lidstrom makes or just a litle under. There is no way that Z takes million(s) less than his market value, just to be a 'team player' and 'good guy' to the organization. The good thing is that I believe that KH would move heaven and hell to re-sign Z. And that both sides will give a little to stay together.

[gcom007 1,465]

I think he will get the same amount as Datsyuk. Seems fair since they are equal in most areas.

Yes. I really feel that Datsyuk is every bit as good and thus far has also proven to have notably less health problems than Z. Dats tends to start a bit slow and Z goes out fast, but at the end of the year, Dats has put up better numbers (especially with Z's injuries) and Dats plays as good or better on D, not to mention the obscene takeaway abilities. I just can't see Z asking for more than Dats to stay with the Wings. If he goes somewhere else that's another story but on this team, he should be making $6.7 million per year hit on the cap long term. I tend to think this will work out though. I think he wants to stay and knows what that's going to take and I'm sure he'd like to do whatever he can to keep a guy like Hossa around too.

He's going to be having plenty of money coming in from endorsements and whatnot as well. In that sense, he's better off staying with the Wings too. I don't know the numbers enough to say for certain at all, but I think it's fair to loosely suggest that he might make more money total taking less to stay with the Wings and maintaining a high profile and subsequently making more with endorsements. I don't know, I think things will work out alright. Holland has his ways...

And I think Hossa gets this too and will get it all the more as the year goes on.

[gcom007 1,465]

Dedicated and dumb are two different things. This guy will make what Lidstrom makes or just a litle under. There is no way that Z takes million(s) less than his market value, just to be a 'team player' and 'good guy' to the organization. The good thing is that I believe that KH would move heaven and hell to re-sign Z. And that both sides will give a little to stay together.

I wouldn't be shocked to see Dats, Z and Hossa signed at around $6.7 million long term and Lidstrom joining them or going even lower when he signs a new deal. It's not dumb to suggest this at all in my opinion. Guys buy into a system with this team. Even Dats...he could've gotten far, far more on the open market and signed for a totally reasonable $6.7 million long term. Even look at a guy like Holmstrom making $2.25 million per year. He's a 30 goal scorer if he stays healthy and the best at what he does. That Jeff Finger guy is getting $3.5 million a year! I think on any other team Holmstrom could get $4-5 million but he's bought into a system. Cleary's another example. Even Brad Stuart. I think Z is even more the team player than a lot of those previously mentioned and while that won't translate to a $2 million per year contract, I think it will keep it in the Datsyuk range, maybe just a hair over, $7 million tops. I truly believe Hossa will be right there with him come years end as well if it even takes that long to get a deal done.

[chrisdetroit 189]

I think he will get the same amount as Datsyuk. Seems fair since they are equal in most areas.

No way that they are going to pay Z less than Hossa. Z will get at least as much as Nick. Probably 8

[norrisnick 1]

No way that they are going to pay Z less than Hossa. Z will get at least as much as Nick. Probably 8

Z is making $2.9M this season and Marian $7.45M. At this point neither player is making anything next season.

[chrisdetroit 189]

I wouldn't be shocked to see Dats, Z and Hossa signed at around $6.7 million long term and Lidstrom joining them or going even lower when he signs a new deal. It's not dumb to suggest this at all in my opinion. Guys buy into a system with this team. Even Dats...he could've gotten far, far more on the open market and signed for a totally reasonable $6.7 million long term. Even look at a guy like Holmstrom making $2.25 million per year. He's a 30 goal scorer if he stays healthy and the best at what he does. That Jeff Finger guy is getting $3.5 million a year! I think on any other team Holmstrom could get $4-5 million but he's bought into a system. Cleary's another example. Even Brad Stuart. I think Z is even more the team player than a lot of those previously mentioned and while that won't translate to a $2 million per year contract, I think it will keep it in the Datsyuk range, maybe just a hair over, $7 million tops. I truly believe Hossa will be right there with him come years end as well if it even takes that long to get a deal done.

Z could go to alot of different teams and get the league maximum which is 20% of 56mil or 11mil +. Do you really think that he is going to take a $4 mil+ hometown discount? And Hossa is going to take a pay CUT on top of the cut that he took to come to Detroit?

Wishful thinking. Z will get $8 mil, Franzen will go for $4mil, Rex for $3, Sammy for $2.5, Kopy for $1.5 and Hossa will take his Stanley Cup Ring and go somewhere else.

[rage 24]

WOW!

This thread got derailed!!