Franzen: "I am not a goal scorer"

[Dominator2005 558]

Just for this quote, I hope he plays on the 3rd line... this is just lazy comment

Zetterberg - Dats - Abdelkader

Tatar - Weiss - Alfie

Nyquist - Andersson - Franzen

Miller/Bert - Helm - Tootoo/Bert

Eaves = trade

Sammy = GR

Kronwall - E

DeKe - Kindl

Smith - Q

[Guest Playmaker]

Agree with GMR. In Franzen's defense, he didn't come into the league as a pure goal scorer/sniper. He was thought to be more of a defensive minded physical player who could contribute a few goals. After the outstanding playoffs, fans expected him to have 50 goal seasons every season. I think if Datsyuk or Helm had said the same thing, everyone would be drooling with what an incredible statement that was...he's a hockey player, not a goal scorer! My own personal opinion is that since he had the problems with injuries, he's played it more safe and plays not to get hurt. I get as frustrated with Franzen as most people, but I think saying he's some lazy bum trying to collect a check and doesn't care is somewhat innacurate.

[10 Minute Misconduct 104]

Wow. Bum. And now the primary Compliance Buyout candidate next summer unless he proves he actually cares enough about his job to actually do it.

Franzen will never be bought out, nor' should he be. Also he is not a "bum". Sorry but people who don't care don't make the NHL in the first place.

Silly post along with half the others in this thread.

[55fan 5,133]

Agree with Playmaker and, by extension, GMR.

If Mule was saying that he doesn't want to score goals, I'd be freaking out. He's saying that it isn't all that he wants to do. He's saying that he wants to be a more complete hockey player.

He didn't start out as a goal scorer. The label was thrust on him when he started scoring goals. (Yeah, I know- "duh" statement of the year.)

If he could get back to what he was before- a guy who earned the nickname "Mule"- and still score the goals, he'd be the player that he's quoted as saying that he wants to be. That's the guy I'm hoping to see.

He's not comfortable in the spotlight. Maybe he needs someone else to do his interviews so he can just go out and play hockey.

[rrasco 1,312]

Franzen will never be bought out, nor' should he be. Also he is not a "bum". Sorry but people who don't care don't make the NHL in the first place.

Silly post along with half the others in this thread.

This is all I was going to say. Don't hold your breath, Mule will never be bought out. He might not be the goal scorer we all want him to be (and yes he frustrates me too), but for what he gets paid, he does his job and the Wings would be complete fools to buy him out.

[T.Low 1,011]

Why is everybody getting their panties in a ruff? It's nothing we don't already know.

The guy is what he is, does what he does, and gets paid what he gets paid. He's not first and foremost a goal scorer. . Too bad, so sad. Not a news flash. He's an asset and a good value.

Edited September 2, 2013 by T.Low

[GoWings1905 2,694]

Why is everybody getting their panties in a ruff? It's nothing we don't already know.

The guy is what he is, does what he does, and gets paid what he gets paid. He's not first and foremost a goal scorer. . Too bad, so sad. Not a news flash. He's an asset and a good value.

Just curious, what is Franzen first and foremost if he isn't a goal scorer? I don't really see what else he provides to the Red Wings if he isn't putting the puck in the net.

[joshy207 156]

Franzen will never be bought out, nor' should he be. Also he is not a "bum". Sorry but people who don't care don't make the NHL in the first place.

Silly post along with half the others in this thread.

I should have said a leading "fan" candidate to be bought out. I highly doubt Holland would do it, unless his production completely falls off the table this year.

But he is a bum. He doesn't appear to put forth a consistent, solid work ethic that the logo on his jersey demands. He has the ability to be a dominant player, that's the frustrating part to watch. He disappears for weeks at a time. When he isn't scoring, he provides nothing.

There have been a lot of players who "don't care". Alexandre Daigle comes to mind. First overall pick, hated hockey, only played because his dad wanted him to. Plenty of other guys have pissed away opportunities because they don't work hard, don't commit to what it takes. Franzen is not that bad... but he's not what he could or should be.

Silly post? No sillier than yours.

[Dabura 12,207]

I should have said a leading "fan" candidate to be bought out. I highly doubt Holland would do it, unless his production completely falls off the table this year.

But he is a bum. He doesn't appear to put forth a consistent, solid work ethic that the logo on his jersey demands. He has the ability to be a dominant player, that's the frustrating part to watch. He disappears for weeks at a time. When he isn't scoring, he provides nothing.

There have been a lot of players who "don't care". Alexandre Daigle comes to mind. First overall pick, hated hockey, only played because his dad wanted him to. Plenty of other guys have pissed away opportunities because they don't work hard, don't commit to what it takes. Franzen is not that bad... but he's not what he could or should be.

Silly post? No sillier than yours.

Scotty Bowman would have eaten him alive. For breakfast.

[chrisdetroit 189]

The haters are going to have a field day with this.

The way I read it is that he said that he is not JUST a goal scorer but a hockey player.

Franzen's biggest drawback is his lack of confidence. Sure, he floats alot. That is because he is by his nature, lacking in confidence. There were articles back in '08 that said that he was very shy and didn't like the limelight. He got over this in '08 but seems to have regressed. Hopefully Alfie will help him with this.

So he isn't a goal scorer? So he confirms my opinion of him being a useless piece of crap and a waste of money and roster space? THANK YOU FRANZINA.

That post was useless and a waste of time. 30 seconds of my life that I can never get back. Thanks

[amato 3,210]

Just for this quote, I hope he plays on the 3rd line... this is just lazy comment

Zetterberg - Dats - Abdelkader

Tatar - Weiss - Alfie

Nyquist - Andersson - Franzen

Miller/Bert - Helm - Tootoo/Bert

Eaves = trade

Sammy = GR

Kronwall - E

DeKe - Kindl

Smith - Q

in an nhl.com 30 in 30 article (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=680048) they say that they think the second line will be alfie-weiss-nyq.. not sure how i feel about it yet as far as comparing it to other lineup options goes but that would more than likely land mule on the third line. and for a guy who only plays as good as the people around him (imo), idk if the third line is the best spot for him.. then again, combined with tatar and helms speed, he might do good there.

[Guest Playmaker]

I kind of wonder, too, if many even read this article or just looked at the headline.

I agree that it would be next to impossible to have a successful NHL career (many would kill to accomplish what he has) and have a poor work ethic.

Interesting angle as far as the confidence/shyness goes. I think it could very well play a part and may be what the point of the article was, to deflect attention away from himself.

[dobbles 252]

we see examples in all sports of athletes that can make it to the top level with a poor attitude or work ethic. they do it by having an immense amount of skill. because of that skill level, they can afford to not put in 100% and still make it.

thats what makes these types of players so frustrating for fans. when you see flashes of brilliance that show just what a player is capable of, only then to see them float around for months and not show it again is just not what most fans pay to see.

sure, i understand if a guy is shy and wants to limit his exposure outside the game. with hockey being a 2nd tier sport in the states, i think most players can do that without much trouble during the season. its not like you see tmz running tons of articles on hockey players.

franzens only saving grace is his cap hit. because its fairly low, he gets slack from a lot of fans. but my recollection was that up until this year he had been the 3rd highest paid forward for a couple seasons. and lets not forget that the only reason its so low is he got that insanely long deal that isnt even possible anymore because of how abused it was becoming. its not like franzen made a sacrifice to keep his salary down. it was just creative work by holland.

[Guest Playmaker]

Its one thing to make it to the top level and another thing to stay there. It's also totally unbeknownst to the fans who has a good "work ethic" and who doesn't. Fans don't always know who is battling injuries or what's going on in a particular players life. I mean, does Henrik Zetterberg have a good or bad work ethic? He goes through numerous goalless streaks and times where he's totally invisible and other times where he looks like the vest player in the world. Sergei Fedorov had similar issues. At times he was spectacular, at other times, barely noticeable. Is it lack of effort or just not possible to keep up that level of play physically and mentally over 82+ games?

[Nyquistfan14 489]

in an nhl.com 30 in 30 article (http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=680048) they say that they think the second line will be alfie-weiss-nyq.. not sure how i feel about it yet as far as comparing it to other lineup options goes but that would more than likely land mule on the third line. and for a guy who only plays as good as the people around him (imo), idk if the third line is the best spot for him.. then again, combined with tatar and helms speed, he might do good there.

Mule could also slot in with the twins making the lines.....

Z-dats-mule

Nyquist- Weiss- alfie

Tatar- helm- Abby

Miller-Andy- tootoo/eaves/Bert

[amato 3,210]

Mule could also slot in with the twins making the lines.....

Z-dats-mule

Nyquist- Weiss- alfie

Tatar- helm- Abby

Miller-Andy- tootoo/eaves/Bert

yeah, i'd like that. i like mule in front of the net. good size/decent hands.. if he stays there all year, he'll have a great year.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

yeah, i'd like that. i like mule in front of the net. good size/decent hands.. if he stays there all year, he'll have a great year.

The problem is that Mule often bails out from in front of the goalie before the shot arrives. He's got the size and hands but I don't know if he has the fortitude to face an oncoming shot like Homer and Cleary did.

[unsaddleddonald 357]

I kind of wonder, too, if many even read this article or just looked at the headline.

I agree that it would be next to impossible to have a successful NHL career (many would kill to accomplish what he has) and have a poor work ethic.

Interesting angle as far as the confidence/shyness goes. I think it could very well play a part and may be what the point of the article was, to deflect attention away from himself.

Well I think the bigger point here is that he is on this team and is seen as THE goal scorer.

Fair or not, that is what his role is supposed to be on this team. So if he feels like that is too much pressure for him, then go out and find someone who is comfortable with that role. Beating a dead horse here.

[Guest Crymson]

The problem is that Mule often bails out from in front of the goalie before the shot arrives. He's got the size and hands but I don't know if he has the fortitude to face an oncoming shot like Homer and Cleary did.

He did just fine in his earlier days.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

He did just fine in his earlier days.

He certainly hasn't the last couple seasons.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Challenge for those complaining about Franzen. Find 5 players who have hit UFA status who have scored more goals for the last 3 years with a smaller average cap hit sincw signing their UFA deal than Franzen. As frustrating as he can be he provides good value for his cap number.

Edited September 3, 2013 by DickieDunn

[GMRwings1983 8,793]

Challenge for those complaining about Franzen. Find 5 players who have hit UFA status who have scored more goals for the last 3 years with a smaller average cap hit sincw signing their UFA deal than Franzen. As frustrating as he can be he provides good value for his cap number.

So because he doesn't have a big contract, that means it's OK for him to not always play hard?

Just score what you're getting paid, and don't worry about the rest?

Sounds pretty lame to me. If Franzen wanted more money, he should have asked for it. He's shown the skill set of a guy that can score more. His attitude and work ethic prevent him from scoring more, not the fact that he's not good enough.

[Wings3:16 318]

First thing that popped in my head;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNcM4YjzgHY

Edited September 3, 2013 by Wings3:16

[Nightfall 871]

So because he doesn't have a big contract, that means it's OK for him to not always play hard?

Just score what you're getting paid, and don't worry about the rest?

Sounds pretty lame to me. If Franzen wanted more money, he should have asked for it. He's shown the skill set of a guy that can score more. His attitude and work ethic prevent him from scoring more, not the fact that he's not good enough.

In other words, challenge denied.

Challenge for those complaining about Franzen. Find 5 players who have hit UFA status who have scored more goals for the last 3 years with a smaller average cap hit sincw signing their UFA deal than Franzen. As frustrating as he can be he provides good value for his cap number.

I agree. He provides a good value now, but he may not provide that good of a value in 4-5 more years. It really just depends.

[DickieDunn 2,571]

Challenge for those complaining about Franzen. Find 5 players who have hit UFA status who have scored more goals for the last 3 years with a smaller average cap hit sincw signing their UFA deal than Franzen. As frustrating as he can be he provides good value for his cap number.

So because he doesn't have a big contract, that means it's OK for him to not always play hard?

Just score what you're getting paid, and don't worry about the rest?

Sounds pretty lame to me. If Franzen wanted more money, he should have asked for it. He's shown the skill set of a guy that can score more. His attitude and work ethic prevent him from scoring more, not the fact that he's not good enough.

It's about value.