Aaron Downey and Darren McCarty will not be offered contracts

[uk_redwing 495]

Among the Wings’ other free agents, Winter has told the team Tomas Kopecky will test the market; the Wings, though, didn’t have much interest in keeping Kopecky. Holland has told the agents for enforcers Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey that the Wings won’t re-sign them.

http://www.freep.com/article/20090630/SPOR...ng+Marian+Hossa

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

That really sucks. Cant see at all how they'd hurt the kids in GR. Good luck boys, I think this is the end of the road for McCarty.

[The Big Red Machine 0]

No real surprise with McCarty. The Downey move makes me think that the Wings might be going after a fighter/gritty type guy that can drop the gloves.

[YoungGuns1340 1]

That really sucks. Cant see at all how they'd hurt the kids in GR. Good luck boys, I think this is the end of the road for McCarty.

Or the beginning. Hes going to make an awesome color guy.

[puckloo39 5,686]

not really surprised about Mac. But Aaron?

[Guest Hatethedrake!]

COLTON ORR!

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Or the beginning. Hes going to make an awesome color guy.

Sure will, probably for the Griffins radio.

It's just strange, I read on mlive like 5 days ago they'd both been offered 2-way deals, now it's being reported that they wont be offered contracts at all. In any case, I'll miss em both.

[FunkedUp 29]

Que the Chris Neil supporters...

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

I'd be surprised if Holland signs an enforcer. He did surprise me several years ago when Downey was given a shot, but I expect to see some soft euros on the 4th line when the season begins.

[The Big Red Machine 0]

I'd be surprised if Holland signs an enforcer. He did surprise me several years ago when Downey was given a shot, but I expect to see some soft euros on the 4th line when the season begins.

Because those soft euros have been so horrible for the Wings.

[crotty99 302]

Well we are never going to win another cup now. /sarcasm

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Because those soft euros have been so horrible for the Wings.

The ones on the top 2 lines are fine with me. The ones after that, especially when they try to sneak them into the 4th line, suck at playing any kind of physical hockey. That's what 3rd and 4th lines are for. Not prima donnas, but gritty players.

[The Mule 0]

This is the right move by Holland. Don't get me wrong, I loved having both guys around, but it's time to move on.

[evilmrt 636]

No clue on how this works, but why can't GR just offer McCarty a contract to play there only? I think his role on the team is valueable as far as experience and mentoring.

[sixer 37]

Excellent News! So glad to hear, time to move on.

[miller76 463]

I have no problems with this decision. I have nothing personal against either player, but it's time to shore up any loose ends, and save money where they can.

I want the best players playing on the ice night in and night out. And sorry to say but Kopecky, Downey, and Mac were not it.

[uk_redwing 495]

No clue on how this works, but why can't GR just offer McCarty a contract to play there only? I think his role on the team is valueable as far as experience and mentoring.

They can. Thats up to GR.

[The Big Red Machine 0]

The ones on the top 2 lines are fine with me. The ones after that, especially when they try to sneak them into the 4th line, suck at playing any kind of physical hockey. That's what 3rd and 4th lines are for. Not prima donnas, but gritty players.

The Wings don't need an extreme level of physicality/grittiness for the type of game they play. The Wings should spend no more than $1 million on this type of player and he should be able to skate with some apparent skill.

[russianswede919293 95]

I thought that D-Mac had already been offered a 2-way deal. Im pretty sure it was M-Live a while back.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

The Wings don't need an extreme level of physicality/grittiness for the type of game they play. The Wings should spend no more than $1 million on this type of player and he should be able to skate with some apparent skill.

Every team needs some level of physicality to win. The Wings aren't exempt from that rule. And an enforcer shouldn't be able to skate with some apparent skill. I could care less about his skill when the rest of the team can more than make up for it.

And I wasn't talking about extreme physicality, I was just talking about some physicality. Right now we have extreme non-physicality, except from 2 or 3 forwards. This team is softer than pudding at times, especially when they don't play with 100% effort, which was the case for all of last season.

You may be O.K. with non-chalant efforts, but I'm not.

[The Big Red Machine 0]

Every team needs some level of physicality to win. The Wings aren't exempt from that rule. And an enforcer shouldn't be able to skate with some apparent skill. I could care less about his skill when the rest of the team can more than make up for it.

And I wasn't talking about extreme physicality, I was just talking about some physicality. Right now we have extreme non-physicality, except from 2 or 3 forwards. This team is softer than pudding at times, especially when they don't play with 100% effort, which was the case for all of last season.

You may be O.K. with non-chalant efforts, but I'm not.

Yeah because me not wanting an enforcer = me being ok with nonchalant efforts. Nice fail there. The Wings made it all the way to Game #7 of the SCF without a legitimate enforcer. So, as I said earlier, not a ton of money should be used to obtain a player of this type. And to say that a player on a professional hockey team, no matter if he is an enforcer, doesn't have to be able to skate with some apparent skill is laughable. Downey was a horrendous skater and looked like he was going to fall with every stride he took. Just because the 4th line is out on the ice does not mean the Wings should abandon their puck possession style of play.

[Probie 7]

Every team needs some level of physicality to win. The Wings aren't exempt from that rule. And an enforcer shouldn't be able to skate with some apparent skill. I could care less about his skill when the rest of the team can more than make up for it.

And I wasn't talking about extreme physicality, I was just talking about some physicality. Right now we have extreme non-physicality, except from 2 or 3 forwards. This team is softer than pudding at times, especially when they don't play with 100% effort, which was the case for all of last season.

You may be O.K. with non-chalant efforts, but I'm not.

What do you think will happen with Maltby Draper, and Homer? I agree we need some toughness on the bottom lines, and it would be nice to bring some youth into the picture. The wings and their loyalty, they might try to bring back all three, but we could use Homers 2.25M if he retires, and Maltby could retire. Drapes cant retire cause his salary counts against the cap, and if we would buy him out, its costs us 480k towards the cap? If we have to bring back draper, which it looks like we have to almost, then Myself I would be happy having the 3M+ of salary freed up from Homer and Maltby to sign Neil, and say a travis moan, who arent terribly old and will have gas in teh tank for years to come. What do you think about that? Moan- Helm-Neil on a fourth line? It would wear teams down, and bring energy and create turnovers and create fear to an extent. Its just what the team needs.

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Yeah because me not wanting an enforcer = me being ok with nonchalant efforts. Nice fail there. The Wings made it all the way to Game #7 of the SCF without a legitimate enforcer. So, as I said earlier, not a ton of money should be used to obtain a player of this type. And to say that a player on a professional hockey team, no matter if he is an enforcer, doesn't have to be able to skate with some apparent skill is laughable. Downey was a horrendous skater and looked like he was going to fall with every stride he took. Just because the 4th line is out on the ice does not mean the Wings should abandon their puck possession style of play.

Downey never hurt this team with his style. You are just in denial there.

We need someone to stick up for this team, or else more guys like Kopecky are going to get hurt in fights. Also, enfocers play their ass of on each shift, which is something any team needs to spark the rest of the team.

But what do I know, the Wings play some unique style of hockey that no one has ever seen, thus our players actually are immune from needing someone to back them up. All the other teams in the league are dumb for having players like Neil and Orr. Excuse me for wanting a more balanced team and a 4th line that isn't made up of useless players like it was last year.

[The Big Red Machine 0]

Downey never hurt this team with his style. You are just in denial there.

We need someone to stick up for this team, or else more guys like Kopecky are going to get hurt in fights. Also, enfocers play their ass of on each shift, which is something any team needs to spark the rest of the team.

But what do I know, the Wings play some unique style of hockey that no one has ever seen, thus our players actually are immune from needing someone to back them up. All the other teams in the league are dumb for having players like Neil and Orr. Excuse me for wanting a more balanced team and a 4th line that isn't made up of useless players like it was last year.

Take a second to leave your zone of denial and actually read my posts. I never said don't go after an enforcer and I never said the Wings don't need an enforcer. All I said was that the Wings should not be throwing tons of money at an enforcer, keep it to $1 million or less, and that enforcer should have the ability to skate better than a pee-wee hockey player. The ability to skate directly leads to better defensive and offensive positioning. This Wings team is not about one dimensional players, like enforcers, like Downey. I want an enforcer who can do more than fight.

Edited July 1, 2009 by The Big Red Machine

[GMRwings1983 8,804]

Take a second to leave your zone of denial and actually read my posts. I never said don't go after an enforcer and I never said the Wings don't need an enforcer. All I said was that the Wings should not be throwing tons of money at an enforcer, keep it to $1 million or less, and that enforcer should have the ability to skate better than a pee-wee hockey player. The ability to skate directly leads to better defensive and offensive positioning. This Wings team is not about one dimensional players, like enforcers, like Downey. I want an enforcer who can do more than fight.

Good luck finding one.

People need to get over the fact that there are no Bob Probert like players amongst today's enforcers.