Sportsnet: Hudler awarded 2 year deal 5m total; Still KHL bound

[JeeSpot82 10]

It's been said plenty, but the Sportsnet article has already been debunked by Kenny himself. He's still awaiting the arbitrator's ruling - and it will DEFINITELY be more than $2.5M.

Smart money is on $3-$4M, most likely around $3.75M per.

[JeeSpot82 10]

I'm just waiting for the video where someone tries to put a hat on Hudler's head and he flips out, going straight for their ankles.

I missed this because I was posting... but, WELL DONE.

Very funny.

[mjlegend 155]

Honest mistake. Maybe they were also in arbitration with Rex Hudler.

[uk_redwing 495]

But... but... eva said he was gonna stay???

Does this mean he was wrong.... again???

Oh how you are just ASKING for a page worth of manipulated stats.

[StevieY9802 6]

Oh how you are just ASKING for a page worth of manipulated stats.

lmao!!!!!!

[wingfan1991 221]

i think its funny how everybody naturally ASSUMES he is coming back after 2 years. If somebody offers me 5 million a year, which in real terms like 9 million (if taxed in the US), the only way i am coming back to the NHL, is if my next contract in Russia or where-ever is considerably lower than whatever the NHL awards him in arbitration.

The guy is gone and the only thing that makes him come back to the NHL is another cup, which is yet to be seen.

Bye Bye Huds

i agree, who says he's coming back in 2 years? he might do awesome there or even if he doesnt some other team will offer just as much or more. say then he decides to stay for another 5-6 years then wants to come back.. and say the arbitrator awards him 3.5m/2 year deal.. is this good for Wings? ummm.. no.. that would only f*** them for the cap that year. i dunno.. i dont want him from the first min this story broke. they should wash their hands with this guy, trade him/lose him for nothing whatever. this doesnt sit well at all.

[MadMan Mark 0]

I thought once Hudler filed for arbitration, he wanted to remain a Wing and get paid a fair salary without all the negotiating BS. . . then he pulled this KHL s***. I say let him go.

[cusimano_brothers 1,655]

“The New Face of the KHLâ€. ©

[Pskov Wings Fan 71]

This. Hudler won't stay in the KHL forever. Who knows if the league will be around that long. Maybe he'll get sick of not being paid when his team loses money.

I suspect that most of the KHL teams are losing money. They are typically financed by some business or government entity. There might even be some teams, which are paid for by some wealthy individuals.

[Swayze 81]

You'll still see Hudler in Detroit. A few thousand of Hudlers, that is, who were silly enough to buy his jersey.

I've only seen one Hudler jersey....and Hudler was wearing it.

[Z and D for the C 712]

I can't believe Holland would actually want Hudler in a wings jersey ever again. We're not that desperate. I hope we can trade his rights to some bottom feader team for a 1st and a 3rd.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Z and D for the C

[Cern 0]

i think its funny how everybody naturally ASSUMES he is coming back after 2 years. If somebody offers me 5 million a year, which in real terms like 9 million (if taxed in the US), the only way i am coming back to the NHL, is if my next contract in Russia or where-ever is considerably lower than whatever the NHL awards him in arbitration.

The guy is gone and the only thing that makes him come back to the NHL is another cup, which is yet to be seen.

Bye Bye Huds

You make the flawed assumption that the only thing hockey players care about is money. If that was true, it would be the KHL that's the premier hockey league, not the NHL

[Z and D for the C 712]

It's obviously true for Hudler.

[Cern 0]

I thought once Hudler filed for arbitration, he wanted to remain a Wing and get paid a fair salary without all the negotiating BS. . . then he pulled this KHL s***. I say let him go.

That makes no sense. If he wasn't interested in being a Wing he wouldn't have bothered with arbitration to begin with. He woudln't even need to have bothered with the KHL, there are plenty of bottom-feeding NHL teams with tons of cap room to burn that would make a payday far less complicated than this.

Consider the facts:

-There's no cap room whatsoever to fit Hudler in at a fair salary this offseason. The fact that Hudler is no longer a Wing shouldn't be a surprise to anyone after the Wings' deep cup run, arbitration be damned. Hudler isn't stupid, if someone like me was aware he was going to be one of the odd men out this offseason I'd imagine he did too.

-Barring some astronomical drop in the cap, in two years we're more than likely going to have considerably more wiggle room. Guys like Draper, Maltby, and Holmstrom will probably be gone, while Lidstrom will likely take on a new reduced contract

-Hudler made the choice to go to arbitration, which for reasons already explained would make no sense whatsoever if he had no interest in being a Wing.

-Hudler took a two-year contract. He's a young player who could make a decent impact in the KHL, if he wanted to stay there he would have taken a longer term. Not only that, two years is a perfect length to be off the Wings' payroll since the deductions mentioned in the above point will have kicked in by that point.

You people desperately wring your hands and whine and cry about how Huds 'betrayed' you because the mere sight of the letters 'KHL' sends you into an auto-hissy fit when looking at the scenario with even a shred of logic it's evident that in the LONG TERM this is the best scenario for both parties. The Wings get a bit extra breathing room until they can get some decent cap room freed up, and Hudler can keep himself from getting rusty without being forced to take some long-term contract for another NHL team - with an essentially pre-drafted contract waiting for him in two years for the team he's repeatedly stated is the only one he wants to play for in this league (and could potentially end up being a great bargain should Hudler build up his skills in Russia). Both sides ultimately benefit, irregardless of how much you want to stamp your feet about it. Come on, think a little.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Cern

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Two brilliant thoughts on this...

1. Thank GOODNESS he's gone, I was never a Hudler fan- he's not a hockey player.

2. KHL will be PERFECT for him, checking and being physical is looked at as a sin in that league.

[Cern 0]

It's obviously true for Hudler.

Great use of evidence there!

Seriously, you couldn't convince me that hockey pucks are coloured black if you dangled one in front of my face.

[Guest E_S_A_D]

Great use of evidence there!

Seriously, you couldn't convince me that hockey pucks are coloured black if you dangled one in front of my face.

....huh?

[Cern 0]

....huh?

He's s*** at arguing his 'points'

Christ, it's like I'm talking to children.

[MadMan Mark 0]

That makes no sense. If he wasn't interested in being a Wing he wouldn't have bothered with arbitration to begin with. He woudln't even need to have bothered with the KHL, there are plenty of bottom-feeding NHL teams with tons of cap room to burn that would make a payday far less complicated than this.

Consider the facts:

-There's no cap room whatsoever to fit Hudler in at a fair salary this offseason. The fact that Hudler is no longer a Wing shouldn't be a surprise to anyone after the Wings' deep cup run, arbitration be damned. Hudler isn't stupid, if someone like me was aware he was going to be one of the odd men out this offseason I'd imagine he did too.

-Barring some astronomical drop in the cap, in two years we're more than likely going to have considerably more wiggle room. Guys like Draper, Maltby, and Holmstrom will probably be gone, while Lidstrom will likely take on a new reduced contract

-Hudler made the choice to go to arbitration, which for reasons already explained would make no sense whatsoever if he had no interest in being a Wing.

-Hudler took a two-year contract. He's a young player who could make a decent impact in the KHL, if he wanted to stay there he would have taken a longer term. Not only that, two years is a perfect length to be off the Wings' payroll since the deductions mentioned in the above point will have kicked in by that point.

You people desperately wring your hands and whine and cry about how Huds 'betrayed' you because the mere sight of the letters 'KHL' sends you into an auto-hissy fit when looking at the scenario with even a shred of logic it's evident that in the LONG TERM this is the best scenario for both parties. The Wings get a bit extra breathing room until they can get some decent cap room freed up, and Hudler can keep himself from getting rusty without being forced to take some long-term contract for another NHL team - with an essentially pre-drafted contract waiting for him in two years for the team he's repeatedly stated is the only one he wants to play for in this league (and could potentially end up being a great bargain should Hudler build up his skills in Russia). Both sides ultimately benefit, irregardless of how much you want to stamp your feet about it. Come on, think a little.

I'm kind of confused after reading your long reply. . .

You state that Hudler wants to be a Wing, I said the same. . . that's why he filed for arbitration, made sure he could receive no offers from other teams, and, one would assume, wait for the arbitration to be complete.

However, Hudler negotiated a contract with KHL thus handcuffing the Wings from doing anything until after the arbitration with zero guarantee he would either sign with the Wings for this year or, if he returns to the NHL, sign with the Wings at the rate the arbitration decided.

I don't agree with your "Hudler was the odd-man out" scenario. If anyone should have felt that way it was Sammy. Holland showed good faith and offered Huds $3M/yr for 3, 4, or 5 years, Hudler's choice. Hudler opted to find an alternative, but he miscalculated and will be stuck receiving whatever the arbitration decides IF he returns.

Hudler will soon learn as many before him have, that he is an average player in a system that showcased his strengths. Unfortunately, I doubt he will improve in the areas he needs to in the KHL.

What breathing room did Hudler create? He was a RFA. He needed to be signed and Holland offered him nearly 3 times the amount that he was getting this year. If anything, Hudler shot himself in the foot in the hopes that there may be cap room for him to return in the future. I doubt the Wings are waiting around for him. Quite the contrary, Hudler will be lucky to get back in the NHL because the road leads through Detroit and nowhere else. It's now up to the Wings to determine if they want his services in the future because they will retain his rights upon his return, if that ever occurs.

I'm not whining and I don't feel betrayed. I think he made a miscalculation and in the end will cost him a lot of money.

But I still stand by my statement, let him go. . . we can find players bigger with as equal or better offensive skills and maybe one with some defensive skill as well.

[Z and D for the C 712]

I really just didn't think it needed arguing. What other reason is there to go to russia? He didn't get a big enough offer from the wings - > russia.

And think a little? There is NO REASON for Hudler to go to arbitration. Anyone can see that. Holland said it himself, all it did was tie his hands.

[MadMan Mark 0]

I really just didn't think it needed arguing. What other reason is there to go to russia? He didn't get a big enough offer from the wings - > russia.

And think a little? There is NO REASON for Hudler to go to arbitration. Anyone can see that. Holland said it himself, all it did was tie his hands.

That's how I saw it. . . may Hudler go spend his rubles in a s***tier economy than ours. . . if he gets paid the whole contract

[Cern 0]

I'm kind of confused after reading your long reply. . .

You state that Hudler wants to be a Wing, I said the same. . . that's why he filed for arbitration, made sure he could receive no offers from other teams, and, one would assume, wait for the arbitration to be complete.

However, Hudler negotiated a contract with KHL thus handcuffing the Wings from doing anything until after the arbitration with zero guarantee he would either sign with the Wings for this year or, if he returns to the NHL, sign with the Wings at the rate the arbitration decided.

Holland has already said that he was going to wait several weeks before making a move on a free agent anyway, how can Hudler handcuff him when he was already on record saying he was going to wait? It's not like he cockblocked the Wings from acquiring some big-name first-line guy, we're looking for fourth-liners in what has ultimately been a surprisingly slow free agency offseason. In any case it's moot since, again, there was no way Hudler was going to stay on the team with any kind of a fair salary with our cap as tight as it is in the first place, especially when we're looking for a free agent on top of that. Arbitration wasn't going to change that, and I see no reason why anyone should have believed that it would. Were you expecting arbitration to result in a 1mil contract or something? Hudler did it to guarantee that when he returns he, if nothing else, has first crack at the team he wants to play for with a contract already settled out, meaning a s***load less legal hassle for when he returns. It's living proof in and of itself that in the long run he's committed to the Wings - signing with Dynamo is little more than a way for him to remain productive once arbitration finalized the already-evident truth that he isn't going to fit for the time being. All the better for him that there happens to be a decent amount of money attached to those two years - you're a liar if say you wouldn't accept that kind of money knowing you'd want to come back after those two years are up. It's all well and good pointing fingers and screaming sell-out when you're not the guy in the hotseat.

Frankly all I've heard from these let-Hudler-rot argumentalists is emotional conjecture that dosen't look beyond next season. There's nothing out there proving that Huds won't improve in the KHL and there's certainly nothing out there proving that he wants to stay there long-term (indeed, the OBJECTIVE FACT that he only signed on for two seasons is direct evidence to the contrary). You might as well argue that Ray Emery wanted to stay in the KHL for the rest of his career based on the sheer fact that he happened to play there for one season - there's no substance behind it whatsoever.

I also don't see any reason to believe why there's no chance the Wings would take him in two years - after all, here we are looking set to bring back Jason Williams of all people, and Hudler is clearly an upgrade from him. Indeed, *if* he improves game while in Russia - something nobody has any weight whatsoever in arguing he definately will not - having that pre-arranged contract could turn out to be a bargain in the long term. I appreciate that a lot can change within the Wings roster in two seasons and that ultimately his reacquisition may turn out to be unnecessary, but you're chasing shadows arguing that Hudler is doing this for the money. Everything about the situation points to him ultimately wanting to return to the NHL, and as a Wing.

Edited July 31, 2009 by Cern

[Systemfel 33]

if he gets paid the whole contract

Dynamo Moscow doesn't roll like that. They've got good economy.

[MadMan Mark 0]

Holland has already said that he was going to wait several weeks before making a move on a free agent anyway, how can Hudler handcuff him when he was already on record saying he was going to wait? It's not like he cockblocked the Wings from acquiring some big-name first-line guy, we're looking for fourth-liners in what has ultimately been a surprisingly slow free agency offseason. In any case it's moot since, again, there was no way Hudler was going to stay on the team with any kind of a fair salary with our cap as tight as it is in the first place, especially when we're looking for a free agent on top of that. Arbitration wasn't going to change that, and I see no reason why anyone should have believed that it would. Were you expecting arbitration to result in a 1mil contract or something? Hudler did it to guarantee that when he returns he, if nothing else, has first crack at the team he wants to play for with a contract already settled out, meaning a s***load less legal hassle for when he returns. It's living proof in and of itself that in the long run he's committed to the Wings - signing with Dynamo is little more than a way for him to remain productive once arbitration finalized the already-evident truth that he isn't going to fit for the time being. All the better for him that there happens to be a decent amount of money attached to those two years - you're a liar if say you wouldn't accept that kind of money knowing you'd want to come back after those two years are up. It's all well and good pointing fingers and screaming sell-out when you're not the guy in the hotseat.

Frankly all I've heard from these let-Hudler-rot argumentalists is emotional conjecture that dosen't look beyond next season. There's nothing out there proving that Huds won't improve in the KHL and there's certainly nothing out there proving that he wants to stay there long-term (indeed, the OBJECTIVE FACT that he only signed on for two seasons is direct evidence to the contrary). You might as well argue that Ray Emery wanted to stay in the KHL for the rest of his career based on the sheer fact that he happened to play there for one season - there's no substance behind it whatsoever.

I also don't see any reason to believe why there's no chance the Wings would take him in two years - after all, here we are looking set to bring back Jason Williams of all people, and Hudler is clearly an upgrade from him. Indeed, *if* he improves game while in Russia - something nobody has any weight whatsoever in arguing he definately will not - having that pre-arranged contract could turn out to be a bargain in the long term. I appreciate that a lot can change within the Wings roster in two seasons and that ultimately his reacquisition may turn out to be unnecessary, but you're chasing shadows arguing that Hudler is doing this for the money. Everything about the situation points to him ultimately wanting to return to the NHL, and as a Wing.

No, I did not expect arbitration to result in $1M salary, get real.

Bringing Williams back is a bigger mistake than throwing more than $3M/yr at Hudler.

So what you're saying is Hudler really wants to be a Wing, but not right now and not because of the money in the KHL. According to your argument, he's going to the KHL to improve his skills so he can be a better Wing in 2 years. . . stop fooling yourself. . . it's COMPLETELY about the money.

I think this dead horse has been beat enough.

Bye bye, Jiri.

[edicius 3,269]

All I can say is best of luck to Jiri in the KHL. We'll always have "The Hudlers are laughing at you!"