Future Shock

[pucktividi 472]

Interesting article about the future of the Wings defense

Hradek: Wings face two tough core signings

With Brian Rafalski already gone and 41-year-old Nicklas Lidstrom inching ever so slowly toward the door, Detroit Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland knows he has two very important contract negotiations he'll have to tackle during the next several months.

Top-four defensemen Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart each come into the 2011-12 season in the final year of their respective contracts. Can you imagine the Detroit blue line without those players in the fall of 2012?

Neither can Holland.

"We'll probably start conversations with their agents in training camp," Holland said. "It will probably take some time from there."

Fortunately, this is far from Holland's first rodeo when it comes to signing key players.

"If you look at our recent history, we signed Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) late in the season back in '07 and we got Z (Henrik Zetterberg) and (Johan) Franzen done in the second half of the '08-09 season," Holland said. "It's a process."

It might take time, but Holland simply has to keep those two -- particularly Kronwall -- in the fold if the Wings are going to continue to their long run as a championship-caliber team. As Holland and his top-notch management group understand, you can't be a real Cup contender with a sub-par group on defense.

And there's one other thing. Let's face it -- if Lidstrom has any desire to play past this season, he isn't going to do it unless the team has a chance to win a Cup. So that presents a worst-case scenario in Detroit where Lidstrom, Kronwall and Stuart all could be gone next fall.

That is a nightmare no Wings fan even wants to entertain.

The Swedish-born Kronwall, 30, is the more important of the two defenders to re-sign. He has spent his entire NHL career with the Wings, who grabbed him with the No. 29 pick in the 2000 Entry Draft. Thought to be a shade too small by some scouts during his draft year, the 5-foot-11 Kronwall has developed into a terrific two-way defender who possesses solid puck skills and has the ability to light up an opposing forward with a devastating open-ice hit. (Keep your head up, brother!)

This season, Kronwall likely will figure more prominently into offensive situations for coach Mike Babcock, who will be looking for ways to offset Rafalski's departure. That should mean extra minutes for a player who finished second on the team to Lidstrom last season with an average ice time of 22:52 per game in the regular season. In the playoffs, Kronwall upped the ante, averaging a team-high 23:04 per game.

Stuart, meanwhile, has found a home in Detroit after bouncing from San Jose to Boston to Calgary to Los Angeles in the three seasons after the lockout. Selected No. 3 by the Sharks in 1998, Stuart was acquired by the Red Wings from the Kings at the trade deadline in 2008. He proved to be among the final pieces to the Wings' Cup-winning puzzle that June.

Since then, Stuart has carved a spot as a physical defender who can handle big minutes and work against an opponent's top players. Stuart ranked third on the team in ice time, averaging 21:31 per game during the regular season. And like Kronwall, Stuart can deliver a punishing blow.

The Wings might be able to replace Stuart if he departed, but there's no guarantee they could do that. Keeping him is the preferable option.

"If you look at our recent history, we signed Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) late in the season back in '07 and we got Z (Henrik Zetterberg) and (Johan) Franzen done in the second half of the '08-09 season. It's a process." -- Ken Holland After watching some of the free-agent deals signed by quality defensemen earlier in the month, I have to figure Kronwall could get a significant raise off his current $3 million cap hit -- he'll make $3.75 million in real dollars this year -- if he were to test the market.

Stuart, who carries a cap number of $3.75 million, also could be in a position to get a boost in pay on an open market where credible top-four defenders with winning experience are very hard to find.

Between September and next summer, Holland is going to do what he can to keep both defensemen in red and white. He should have the cap space and real dollars to make it happen unless one or both decides he wants a change of scenery. To this point, there have been no such rumblings.

Holland certainly realizes that while Kronwall and Stuart aren't the sexiest names to wear a Wings sweater during his tenure, they're extremely important to club's immediate future and eventual transition into the -- dare I say it -- post-Lidstrom era.

Kronwall and Stuart no doubt will be expected to help mentor talented prospects like AHL standout Brendan Smith, as well as still-learning young pro Jonathan Ericsson.

Because of Holland's terrific track record, I have to believe he will get his D-men. If for some reason that pursuit goes off the rails, the Wings' long-term future will take a major hit.

The clock already is ticking.

Edited July 22, 2011 by pucktividi

[evilmrt 636]

broken link...

[WingZNut13 99]

Try This Link

I think he makes some valid points here which I'm not used to from NHL.com writers.

[Red Wings Addict 787]

And Kronwall will be (should be) on the first power play unit this year. His contract is not going to be a bargain.

[Nevermind 363]

To beat a dead horse...

In terms of the dollars and our cap situation, I don't care all that much about spending the more than an extra million or so needed for Ericsson. What I do REALLY care about though is the precedent his deal has set.

If Ericsson is worth $3.25M, then what are much better defensemen in Kronwall and Stuart worth? 6 and 5 million, respectively? I don't know, but surely Kronner and Stuey's agents will play this card heavily during negotiations.

And this could have a dramatic effect on our D for years to come. So hopefully Kronwall and Stuart decide to take nice hometown discounts despite E's contract. Or Ericsson plays like a top 4 guy.

[Majsheppard 203]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if both of them are making six next season... I also wouldn't be surprised if they are both making between 5-5.5 million. I assume the latter actually.

[Detroit # 1 Fan 2,204]

Be shocked if Kronwall didn't get upwards of 6, and Stewie upwards of 4. The ridiculous market values in the cap world have skewed values.

[Bannedforlife 403]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if both of them are making six next season... I also wouldn't be surprised if they are both making between 5-5.5 million. I assume the latter actually.

Im hoping between 4-5 for Stuart and 5-6 for Kronwall. I wonder if Holland is going to go with another long term contract for Kronwall before the new CBA? Should be interesting to see how it turns out...

[VM1138 1,921]

I always wonder why any comment made by a blogger or writer includes something preferring Kronwall over Stuart. The two have had very comparable years and complement each other very well. At varying points in each season each appears slightly better than the other. I'd say we need them both equally, if we need one.

6.5 for Kronner. His agent will look at the inflated contracts and the fact that Kronwall is basically who we are turning to to replace Lidstrom. He will be THE big d-man. Anyone in addition will be unlikely to take a spot from Kronner, I think. So we're looking at a 5.5 cap hit, but with 6.5 on the front end. Stuart will be less because he's not as offensively helpful as Kronwall is and offense from the back end is a crucial issue for the Wings. I say he gets 5.5 on the front end, 5 cap hit.

Edited July 23, 2011 by VM1138

[St. Michael (the Red Wing) 422]

Stewie is not worth anything close to 6 million a year. Love him but not at that price.

[ogreslayer 1,069]

So should we go ahead & start the debate on how much of a hometown discount each is supposed to take already?

[Guest Heaten]

To beat a dead horse...

In terms of the dollars and our cap situation, I don't care all that much about spending the more than an extra million or so needed for Ericsson. What I do REALLY care about though is the precedent his deal has set.

If Ericsson is worth $3.25M, then what are much better defensemen in Kronwall and Stuart worth? 6 and 5 million, respectively? I don't know, but surely Kronner and Stuey's agents will play this card heavily during negotiations.

And this could have a dramatic effect on our D for years to come. So hopefully Kronwall and Stuart decide to take nice hometown discounts despite E's contract. Or Ericsson plays like a top 4 guy.

I would love for Kronwall to take $6 million. He's a much better defenseman than Ehroff or Wisniewski... and look at the money/contracts they got. Kronwall might be a tad bit less offensively than Ehroff (though Krowall plays on the 2nd pair compared to Ehroff who gets 1st pair PP time), but players have to be aware of him on the ice, especially in the playoffs. The guy destroys players, even big players such as Ryan Clowe.

Wiz has a bit more grit, but he's a complete ******* bone head; he's only a point guy who is prone to making Ericsson like gaffs game in, game out. He'd be LGWs whipping boy in his first 2 or 3 games had Holland signed the bum.

Edited July 23, 2011 by Heaten