Wings & Zetterberg Close to Deal

[40#1Fan 0]

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/20...d_win.html#more

by Ansar Khan

Friday January 16, 2009, 3:56 AM

LOS ANGELES -- Contract negotiations between the Detroit Red Wings and center Henrik Zetterberg appear to be heading toward the homestretch.

A personal familiar with the talks said negotiations have intensified in recent days and that the sides could be closing in on an agreement.

Zetterberg would not confirm the status of negotiations on Thursday, but he denied a CBC report that indicated he had spurned a 10-year, $75 million offer from the Red Wings.

"That's not true,'' Zetterberg said. "I haven't turned down an offer of $75 million.''

If anything, he likely will sign a deal in the neighborhood of 10 years and $75 million, which would be the longest and most lucrative pact in franchise history.

"That figure really is in the ballpark,'' said a person with knowledge of the talks.

Zetterberg, 28, is the final year of a four-year contract that averages $2.65 million a season. Though his production (16 goals, 40 points) isn't on pace with last season, when he finished sixth in the NHL with 92 points, including 43 goals, his value has not diminished.

Last year's Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, Zetterberg is one of the premier two-way forwards in the league and would be one of the summer's most highly coveted free agents if he opted to test the market.

But there is no reason to believe he won't re-sign with Detroit. Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and Zetterberg's agent, Marc Levine, have talked off and on for months and have made significant progress in recent weeks.

Team captain Nicklas Lidstrom, forward Tomas Holmstrom and club vice-president Steve Yzerman also have had one-on-one meetings with Zetterberg over the last two months in an effort to get him signed.

The Red Wings have three high-end players who could become unrestricted free agents on July 1 -- Zetterberg, Marian Hossa and Johan Franzen. They have opened talks with Franzen, but they're not going to sign him or anybody else until they have a deal with Zetterberg. Salary-cap restraints more than likely will prevent them from signing both Franzen and Hossa.

Forward Jiri Hudler, who is having his best season, is a restricted free agent.

[Guest nutz2u]

Given Zs history of back problems I think 10 yrs is too long.

[b.shanafan14 733]

Hopefully it gets done soon, I hate the period before a player is resigned, way too much speculation. And once again, I hate the salary cap, the system is broken in too many ways to name in short, but its bad enough that the chance exists that the Wings have drafted and developed players in Zetterberg, Franzen, and Hudler that are so good they deserve good pay, the Wings are more than willing to give that pay, but because of the salary cap someone is possibly moving on. Explain the significance of making the leagues best teams worse when others hug the floor without improvement and some max out the cap for a single $10mil/year contract with a player, which the cap was supposed to prevent, and still skate a mediocre team.

[swiss_redwingfan 5]

Team captain Nicklas Lidstrom, forward Tomas Holmstrom and club vice-president Steve Yzerman also have had one-on-one meetings with Zetterberg over the last two months in an effort to get him signed.

Interesting! Why is Homer talking with Z about the contract?!

[b.shanafan14 733]

Interesting! Why is Homer talking with Z about the contract?!

Homer is well-liked in the dressing room and besides Lidstrom is the longest tenured Swede on the Wings. I'm sure most of it was just heart-to-heart stuff, being that Hank has been around long enough to know its the best organization in hockey by now. I wouldn't be surprised if it had nothing to do with the contract talks at all and more to do with Hank's frustration with his own play not meeting his own expectations.

[henrik40 76]

There are pros and cons to the salary cap and this is obviously a large con. However, the cap has done was it was supposed to do which was provide parity within the NHL and it has also shown how good a GM Kenny is since salary caps prevent against having dynasties yet the Wings have come as close as possible to a dynasty. In the west you can only eliminate 2 teams realistically from the playoff hunt (st. louis and LA) although st louis is in last and only 10 points back of 8th. So it's definitely distributed the talent among the NHL teams, I mean how fun would it be if the Wings had all the stars and won the cup every year (I know, it'd be great)?

Edited January 16, 2009 by henrik40

[T-Ruff 47]

Glad to see they've also got the ball rolling with Franzen

[JayUp88 1]

Interesting! Why is Homer talking with Z about the contract?!

because Homer is funny when he talks, who wouldn't want to hear him haha

[b.shanafan14 733]

There are pros and cons to the salary cap and this is obviously a large con. However, the cap has done was it was supposed to do which was provide parity within the NHL and it has also shown how good a GM Kenny is since salary caps prevent against having dynasties yet the Wings have come as close as possible to a dynasty. In the west you can only eliminate 2 teams realistically from the playoff hunt (st. louis and LA) although st louis is in last and only 10 points back of 8th. So it's definitely distributed the talent among the NHL teams, I mean how fun would it be if the Wings had all the stars and won the cup every year (I know, it'd be great)?

Its not that the Wings can outbid teams for UFAs and just throw money around which was the precap problem sometimes that I want. It upsets any teams fans when they draft players like Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Franzen, and Hudler, players other teams wouldn't take the risk of drafting, then develop them into superstars or otherwise great players only to have someone say "this is a great marriage, but unless everyone takes about half their worth, someone has to go".

The Wings are always the low-bidder and players except that and sign despite because its a great organization, but its a system in place to prevent teams with revenue from overpaying players to build a monster, ala the Yankies, but its preventing teams like the Wings from keeping the players they have developed when no one else would and players like Hossa who are willing to take much less than market value to play for them. It provided parity by not so much spreading the wealth as they are making the best teams worse, which I don't think is good for the game, but as a Wings fan I'm biased I guess.

Just explain to me how we still have teams like Vancouver overpaying players like Sundin, making $10mil/year offers, all these teams hugging the cap and most of the time skating a mediocre teams anyways because they would rather fill seats with a big name player than win hockey games, and still other teams stuck in such dreadful hockey markets that they hug the cap floor and never improve. Its always going to be the top bunch of teams switching players too, because there are some teams like Florida that just aren't destinations for elite players.

The system is severely broken and IMO doesn't do what it set out to do and in just 3 years has made the lockout seem even more pointless, which I didn't think was possible.

[superstarsingh 23]

I am not entirely sold on 10 years, that is quite lengthy. I feel that a deal for like 6-8 years would suffice. 7 years from now, he will be the captain and the symbol of the team and then he would just receive bumper deals until he is finished, like Lids, Ozzie and even Stevie had.

[VM1138 1,921]

I am not entirely sold on 10 years, that is quite lengthy. I feel that a deal for like 6-8 years would suffice. 7 years from now, he will be the captain and the symbol of the team and then he would just receive bumper deals until he is finished, like Lids, Ozzie and even Stevie had.

That makes sense. There's no need to sign him for 10 years. He's already at his peak, and even if he did have some great seasons, they won't be coming 8 years from now, most likely. It's important to have him locked up through his prime, so I think 6-7 years would be enough. Locking any player up for 10 years is too excessive., Too much can happen.

[Datsyerberger 279]

They said "in the ballpark" not exactly that number. So, I'm going to throw out a guess that's "in the ballpark" (rather long term and similar numbers)

Frontloaded contract at $7.45m/yr for 7-8 years, anyone?

[softshoes 83]

10yrs does seem a like a long contract. Considering other teams would value Hank at more than 7/8 million a year perhaps the only way to get the number down is increase the length. Sorta a give you less now but maybe more than you would get later thing.

Salary cap=creative contract terms

[TheOwl 77]

The Swedes are convincing him to stay Hopefully it won't be a 10 year deal. It's too much risk, sign him for 5 years at like 7 or whatever million, then they have the option to just extend at a later date.

[kainashi 0]

looks like they've given up on trying to keep hossa. guess it was a pipe dream that we'd keep him anyways.

[Guest mindfly]

Whats wrong with 4-6 years? :S

[Drake_Marcus 890]

I am not entirely sold on 10 years, that is quite lengthy. I feel that a deal for like 6-8 years would suffice. 7 years from now, he will be the captain and the symbol of the team and then he would just receive bumper deals until he is finished, like Lids, Ozzie and even Stevie had.

I'd take an extension on Pavel's contract to 10 years total (in other words 3 additional years at the end of this contract), but given Z's injury history I think it's a bit much to gamble on a player that'd be almost 40 at the end of the contract. I'd much rather sign him to a 7 year contract and let him do the extrapolation on his signing after that based on the way other veterans are treated (Maltby, Draper and McCarty are all examples to the rest of the locker room about how loyal the Wings are to the people who are also loyal to them).

[Rivalred 630]

Say no to 10 year deals...

*crossing fingers for a 7 year deal like Pavel"

[stormboy 47]

i know this has been explained in previous threads, but i suck at CBA rules.

let's say that he gets signed for 10 years and 75 million. obviously, he's going to get paid more next year than in the tenth year of the deal, but is the total cap hit distributed evenly throughout the contract? meaning z's cap hit would be 7.5 million each year even though the wings will actually be paying him maybe 9 million next season and 3 or 4 a season by the end of the deal?

it seems to me that z might be a 7.5 million dollar player over the next few years, but isn't going to be a 7.5 million dollar player for the next ten. that means that he'll be getting paid well over 7.5 in the next few years...which seams high to me, especially since he's having an off year (points-wise) in a contract year...but being the reigning MVP, maybe that doesn't factor in much at this point.

[ben_usmc 253]

I'm hoping 49 mill for 7 years. That would be great, puts him at 35 and can set up a better contract for his later years. I would rather it be 6.7 mill a year but I figure with how much he's made he deserves a bit more so just rounded up to 7

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I'm hoping 49 mill for 7 years. That would be great, puts him at 35 and can set up a better contract for his later years. I would rather it be 6.7 mill a year but I figure with how much he's made he deserves a bit more so just rounded up to 7

I agree. This 7 x 7 figure has been thrown around since talks about re-signing Zetterberg ever started coming up, and the fact that that number and term still seem to be around the best fit figure over the past few years says a lot.

And I love hearing that Holmstrom and Lidstrom have been talking to Zetterberg. To me, that says one thing: "we've all taken discounts to play for this club, and its because of that that we remain competitive. Join the club."

[96warrior 11]

http://blog.mlive.com/snapshots/

Holland reports 'progress' made in Zetterberg negotiations

Posted by George James Malik January 19, 2009 05:05AM

The Detroit Free Press's Helene St. James reports that Red Wings forward Henrik Zetterberg should sign a long-term contract with Detroit in short order:

January 19, Detroit Free Press: "We've made progress in the last two weeks," general manager Ken Holland said Sunday. "There's still a little work to be done, but I'm optimistic."

The deal, possibly for as long as 10 years, will be creative, designed to keep the salary-cap hit around $7 million a season. Like every team, the Wings are wary of how the current economic climate will affect the salary cap.

[HockeytownRules19 902]

Great News! If you can sign him around 7 million a year.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090119/SPOR...+long-term+deal

[dat's sick 1,002]

I still think 10 years is a bit long, so much can happen in that time.

But at the same time I want nothing more than for him to remain a Wing for as long as possible, so I'll be glad if it turns out to be true.

And maybe it's the best solution for the both of them, making them able to give him a lot of money right away without taking too big a hit to the salary cap.

[Mike 0]

This is a very important contract for the Red Wings. Although Zetterberg is having an off-season, he is still the second best player on the team. His defense is invaluable and his offense is clutch. We all know that Hossa will most likely leave after this season, so I would assume that Zetterberg will move back on the line with Datsyuk and Homer. That line flat out produced in the playoffs last season and it will continue to produce. Zetterberg's numbers will rebound once he is back on the first line. The Wings are smart to lock him up long term, just as they did with Datsyuk. This will save the Wings money in the long run and ensure continued success in Detroit.