Yet another hometown discount

[HomeNugget 2]

I'm not sure if this has been posted yet, or if this was mentioned when he signed, but apparently Brian Rafalski turned down an $8 million/year offer from another team to sign with the Wings. George Malik mentions this in his blog on mlive.

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

Every time I hear about Ken Holland pulling off these types of deals it never ceases to amaze me.

[VM1138 1,921]

That is awesome. I'm so happy we have the players we do. Class acts, all of them.

[puckloo39 5,686]

That's awesome. I love Raffi, and I am glad he wants to be a Red Wing.

I think most who play for the Wings realize that it's the best place in the world, if you want to be respected by the organization, and play the game at the highest level. I bet many who leave the organization just for the money are sorry ever after.

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

That was good to see. Kenny continues to amaze.

[softshoes 83]

Success breeds success. 30 years ago the only way to get guys to play here was to overpay them. It's nice the pendulum has swung the other way.

[BeeRYCE 2]

Gotta love discounts...

Datsyuk - 6.7M... Should be 8M

Zetterberg - 6M... Should be 8M

Lidstrom - 7.45M... Should be 8.5M

Osgood - 1.4M... Should be 2.5M (at least when he signed)

Kronwall - 3M... Should be 4M

Holmstrom - 2.25M... Should be 3.5M

Rafalski and Hossa are making just the right amounts if you ask me, but they could be making more.

[PROBIE4PREZ 58]

8 mill for Raffi!! What were the Rangers Brass smoking that summer? 7 mill for Gomez 7 mill for Drury and they both got under 50 points .. lol Rafalski might get more points at the end of the season then them.. all there top players are overpaid .. redden to lundquist

[Hockeytown0001 7,652]

Gotta love discounts...

Datsyuk - 6.7M... Should be 8M

Zetterberg - 6M... Should be 8M

Lidstrom - 7.45M... Should be 8.5M

Osgood - 1.4M... Should be 2.5M (at least when he signed)

Kronwall - 3M... Should be 4M

Holmstrom - 2.25M... Should be 3.5M

Rafalski and Hossa are making just the right amounts if you ask me, but they could be making more.

Probably a dumb question but how much is Raffy making?

[egroen 384]

Rafalski signed with Detroit for $6m a year over 5 years.... with a NTC.

[jenova0 0]

Raffi signed a 5 year $30 mil contract when he came, so approx. $6/year.

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

That's awesome. I love Raffi, and I am glad he wants to be a Red Wing.

I think most who play for the Wings realize that it's the best place in the world, if you want to be respected by the organization, and play the game at the highest level. I bet many who leave the organization just for the money are sorry ever after.

See a Mr. Lapointe and a Mr. Fedorov. Their respective careers didn't really sky rocket when they left for the mighty dollar. I can't help but wondering if players that do sign at the hometown discount factor situations like that into their decision.

[DuckSoup13 0]

Rafalski is a great defenseman but not worth 8 mil a year.

Thats crazy! Must've been Atlanta..

[eva unit zero 271]

See a Mr. Lapointe and a Mr. Fedorov. Their respective careers didn't really sky rocket when they left for the mighty dollar. I can't help but wondering if players that do sign at the hometown discount factor situations like that into their decision.

Fedorov didn't leave for money. Detroit offered a 5 year deal worth $10m per year, then pulled the 5th year. Anaheim offered a 5 year deal worth $40m, the same total value as Detroit's offer AFTER the 5th year had been pulled.

Where in this situation is Fedorov following the almighty dollar?

I'll give you a hint, he's going to the club that didn't offer him a 5 year deal and then yank it off the table when he went to sign it. Fedorov's contract situation is #2 on the list of classless things done by the organization during the Mike Ilitch ownership, behind the Larry Aurie number "unretiring" which has a firm grasp on the top spot.

As far as Lapointe...he followed the almighty dollar alright, but he didn't really decline as a player so much as he was overpaid to begin with. Lapointe had one big season in the final year of his contract in 2000-01 and Boston bought him up, then he started performing just as he had been for five years previous. They got the player they were paying for, they just paid too much. And around ae 35, he started to decline as most players do, and his numbers dropped off.

[Echolalia 2,961]

Rafalski is a great defenseman but not worth 8 mil a year.

Thats crazy! Must've been Atlanta..

haha

[YoungGuns1340 1]

I don't think Malik recalls correctly. Rafalski said, days after the deal was signed with Detroit, that one team offered him a deal that would pay him "a little more than what Detroit offered." The fact that he took less to sign with Detroit is old news. I think the $8M was probably the first few years of a front-loaded contract. At the time, the deal that Raffi turned down was speculated to have been worth about 6.6M on average. Its like saying Malone was offered 7M. He was offered 7M, but thats not the average cap hit of his contract.

[egroen 384]

Fedorov didn't leave for money. Detroit offered a 5 year deal worth $10m per year, then pulled the 5th year. Anaheim offered a 5 year deal worth $40m, the same total value as Detroit's offer AFTER the 5th year had been pulled.

Where in this situation is Fedorov following the almighty dollar?

I'll give you a hint, he's going to the club that didn't offer him a 5 year deal and then yank it off the table when he went to sign it. Fedorov's contract situation is #2 on the list of classless things done by the organization during the Mike Ilitch ownership, behind the Larry Aurie number "unretiring" which has a firm grasp on the top spot.

As far as Lapointe...he followed the almighty dollar alright, but he didn't really decline as a player so much as he was overpaid to begin with. Lapointe had one big season in the final year of his contract in 2000-01 and Boston bought him up, then he started performing just as he had been for five years previous. They got the player they were paying for, they just paid too much. And around ae 35, he started to decline as most players do, and his numbers dropped off.

All true -- but I'd say it is still a good point.

Things have not gone as well for players over the past decade who have left the team voluntarily.

Lapointe, Fedorov, Shanahan, Schneider, Bertuzzi - not one Cup or even a conference finals between them all.

And most of them do not find a home for very long.

[puckloo39 5,686]

All true -- but I'd say it is still a good point.

Things have not gone as well for players over the past decade who have left the team voluntarily.

Lapointe, Fedorov, Shanahan, Schneider, Bertuzzi - not one Cup or even a conference finals between them all.And most of them do not find a home for very long.

that is kind of more what I had in mind. Stick with success! If I ever had the opportunity to work for the best place in the world in my profession, they would have to blast me outta there with dynomite.

[Guest Shoreline]

8 mill for Raffi!! What were the Rangers Brass smoking that summer? 7 mill for Gomez 7 mill for Drury and they both got under 50 points .. lol Rafalski might get more points at the end of the season then them.. all there top players are overpaid .. redden to lundquist

Definitely not a surprise for those who've followed what the Rangers have done for the last decade or so.

[therock48880 14]

Fedorov didn't leave for money. Detroit offered a 5 year deal worth $10m per year, then pulled the 5th year. Anaheim offered a 5 year deal worth $40m, the same total value as Detroit's offer AFTER the 5th year had been pulled.

Where in this situation is Fedorov following the almighty dollar?

I'll give you a hint, he's going to the club that didn't offer him a 5 year deal and then yank it off the table when he went to sign it. Fedorov's contract situation is #2 on the list of classless things done by the organization during the Mike Ilitch ownership, behind the Larry Aurie number "unretiring" which has a firm grasp on the top spot.

As far as Lapointe...he followed the almighty dollar alright, but he didn't really decline as a player so much as he was overpaid to begin with. Lapointe had one big season in the final year of his contract in 2000-01 and Boston bought him up, then he started performing just as he had been for five years previous. They got the player they were paying for, they just paid too much. And around ae 35, he started to decline as most players do, and his numbers dropped off.

They "yanked it off the table when he went to sign it?" The offer was on the table for over THREE MONTHS. That's "yanking it off the table?" Plus, where have you seen that he "went to sign it?" I've never seen one source say that Fedorov went to sign the original contract offer.

Back on topic. I'm not convinced Rafalski is worth 6 million, let alone 8 million. I like him, don't get me wrong, but that's a lot of money.

[Nightfall 871]

They "yanked it off the table when he went to sign it?" The offer was on the table for over THREE MONTHS. That's "yanking it off the table?" Plus, where have you seen that he "went to sign it?" I've never seen one source say that Fedorov went to sign the original contract offer.

Back on topic. I'm not convinced Rafalski is worth 6 million, let alone 8 million. I like him, don't get me wrong, but that's a lot of money.

I also recall them yanking the offer off the table and it wasn't 3 months. More like 2 weeks. I could be wrong though, but I can't find any sources on this online. Would be helpful to find a source though if you have a disagreement on something like this.

As for Rafalski, he is worth the money in my mind.

[T.Low 1,011]

Fedorov didn't leave for money. Detroit offered a 5 year deal worth $10m per year, then pulled the 5th year. Anaheim offered a 5 year deal worth $40m, the same total value as Detroit's offer AFTER the 5th year had been pulled.

Where in this situation is Fedorov following the almighty dollar?

I'll give you a hint, he's going to the club that didn't offer him a 5 year deal and then yank it off the table when he went to sign it. Fedorov's contract situation is #2 on the list of classless things done by the organization during the Mike Ilitch ownership, behind the Larry Aurie number "unretiring" which has a firm grasp on the top spot.

As far as Lapointe...he followed the almighty dollar alright, but he didn't really decline as a player so much as he was overpaid to begin with. Lapointe had one big season in the final year of his contract in 2000-01 and Boston bought him up, then he started performing just as he had been for five years previous. They got the player they were paying for, they just paid too much. And around ae 35, he started to decline as most players do, and his numbers dropped off.

eva, you have this response on file and simply cut and paste it in any thread bringin up Feds which works out to about once a week, don't you?!! Cmon, fess up, Dude! (Ohhh, time for the "Feds didn't leave for the money" reply, cut & paste, cut & paste, quickly!)

[Mike 0]

Fedorov didn't leave for money. Detroit offered a 5 year deal worth $10m per year, then pulled the 5th year. Anaheim offered a 5 year deal worth $40m, the same total value as Detroit's offer AFTER the 5th year had been pulled.

Where in this situation is Fedorov following the almighty dollar?

I'll give you a hint, he's going to the club that didn't offer him a 5 year deal and then yank it off the table when he went to sign it. Fedorov's contract situation is #2 on the list of classless things done by the organization during the Mike Ilitch ownership, behind the Larry Aurie number "unretiring" which has a firm grasp on the top spot.

As far as Lapointe...he followed the almighty dollar alright, but he didn't really decline as a player so much as he was overpaid to begin with. Lapointe had one big season in the final year of his contract in 2000-01 and Boston bought him up, then he started performing just as he had been for five years previous. They got the player they were paying for, they just paid too much. And around ae 35, he started to decline as most players do, and his numbers dropped off.

Federov left because he wanted to make a name for himself outside of Detroit. In Detroit, Federov would never be the center of attention and he knew that. Federov left not for money, but to try and glorify his name outside of Detroit. Federov did not want to be associated with a team, he wanted to be associated by his name alone.

Cheers to Rafalski for taking less to play for a winner. He was an important addition to the team and he was a big player in the Cup run. Rafalski is a top notch defenseman and is worth the money.

Edited February 24, 2009 by Mike

[hallelujahlogic 1]

there are things more important than how much money you're making.

and i think the red wings organization is very good at instilling that value in everyone that plays for us.

that being said, i think rafs is worth 8 mil. i'm glad he's playing for less though. good guy.

[ManLuv4Clears 7]

Federov left because he wanted to make a name for himself outside of Detroit. In Detroit, Federov would never be the center of attention and he knew that. Federov left not for money, but to try and glorify his name outside of Detroit. Federov did not want to be associated with a team, he wanted to be associated by his name alone.

Cheers to Rafalski for taking less to play for a winner. He was an important addition to the team and he was a big player in the Cup run. Rafalski is a top notch defenseman and is worth the money.

So is leaving beause you're arrogant and selfish worse that leaving a winning team for more money? Either way, I respect players like Rafalski more, and that being said, could care less if Feds ever gets into the hall of fame.`

Edited February 25, 2009 by ManLuv4Clears

[Mike 0]

So is leaving beause you're arrogant and selfish worse that leaving a winning team for more money? Either way, I respect players like Rafalski more, and that being said, could care less if Feds ever gets into the hall of fame.`

I think they are equally as bad because they are both pretty pompous reasons to leave. I also respect players that take less to play for contenders, especially since a lot of those good players come to the Red Wings.