Report: Cleary to sign with PHI, 3 yrs, $2.75m/yr, NTC

[T.Low 1,011]

Nothing against Cleary I wish him well but it was time to move on. The Detroit Red Wings need to get younger and also meaner. So good luck in Philly you are going to need it Cleary.

Because Nyquist is meaner than Cleary.

[T.Low 1,011]

You're forgetting Quincey.

And Smith is always just a missed pinch away from a good whippin

[rrasco 1,312]

So I was just playing NHL 14 and I decided I should play my first game against Buffalo just like this year's schedule. I won the game. The weird part, 2 goals including the GWG...by Daniel Cleary.

[Vladifan 680]

I will miss him very much. He worked his ass off, and like someone else said here, he gave his body to the Red Wings. I hope he proves a lot of you to be arrogant, fickle fans.

[kipwinger 8,522]

What an unbelievably bad contract for a guy who, while great in the past, seems to be declining pretty rapidly. That term is brutal.

[GoWings1905 2,694]

He no longer seems to be a useful player, glad he's going elsewhere.

He was pretty useful during the unexpected playoff run. Significantly injured no less and still more productive than Franzen and Filppula.

[dragonballgtz 273]

Well, I said in another thread I thought Kenny would offer him a 3 year deal with a NTC.

Thank god it was another GM that gave him that option.

[Guest Crymson]

He was pretty useful during the unexpected playoff run. Significantly injured no less and still more productive than Franzen and Filppula.

I analyzed his production in the playoffs today. He had one legitimate goal (with a stick and against a goalie), the others being either empty netters (1) or deflections off his body (2); and he had one primary assist (a pass to Smith at the blue line), with the remainder being pedestrian passes to other players who ended up doing the actual set-up work. His numbers are very inflated.

In the meantime, he was making bad defensive plays and turning the puck over regularly. The latter became a commonality during the regular season; Cleary required extra time to bend over and pass it a puck, and even more than that to lift it into the air, and opposing players with no such restrictions in quickness (meaning nearly all of them) would generally catch up to him before he managed to get either of those things done. This was especially troublesome along the boards, because the opposition would simply hold him there and yank the puck away from him.

[Guest DeGraa55]

Thank god Holland has done a good thing this off season. I didn't want him back.

.but with that said. Best of luck cleary. You were a warrior and always gave 100%. Unfortunately we just didn't have the room or cap available for you.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

And Smith.

And Sammy.

[anthonyn66 89]

Guys read this article, scroll to the bottom at the poll, and vote "Cleary got robbed" cuz lol

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/10/ufa-dan-clearly-signs-3-year-deal-with-philadelphia-flyers

[thegerkin 189]

Guys read this article, scroll to the bottom at the poll, and vote "Cleary got robbed" cuz lol

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/10/ufa-dan-clearly-signs-3-year-deal-with-philadelphia-flyers

Done and done

[Echolalia 2,961]

Guys read this article, scroll to the bottom at the poll, and vote "Cleary got robbed" cuz lol

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/10/ufa-dan-clearly-signs-3-year-deal-with-philadelphia-flyers

haha ok

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

I analyzed his production in the playoffs today. He had one legitimate goal (with a stick and against a goalie), the others being either empty netters (1) or deflections off his body (2); and he had one primary assist (a pass to Smith at the blue line), with the remainder being pedestrian passes to other players who ended up doing the actual set-up work. His numbers are very inflated.

In the meantime, he was making bad defensive plays and turning the puck over regularly. The latter became a commonality during the regular season; Cleary required extra time to bend over and pass it a puck, and even more than that to lift it into the air, and opposing players with no such restrictions in quickness (meaning nearly all of them) would generally catch up to him before he managed to get either of those things done. This was especially troublesome along the boards, because the opposition would simply hold him there and yank the puck away from him.

Ahh yes, Cleary's points were inflated because they weren't "legitimate." If only Flip had gotten so "lucky" he probably would still be a Wing.

An empty netter in a one goal playoff game isn't legit? Cleary's empty netter against Chicago came when he was the only one on the forecheck and disrupted the outlet pass from Duncan Keith, leading to the turnover. Then the puck comes back up ice to him and he gets it past two guys from the faceoff circle. Not to mention, your discounting his empty netters overlooks the fact that Cleary was so often on the ice at the end of important games. If he is as awful as you say and constantly turning the puck over, why would one of the best coaches in the NHL have him on the ice in such a clutch situation against the President's trophy winning team (and eventual Cup champion)?

The goals that were deflections off his body are from going hard to the net and screening the goalie. On one Abby threw a weak shot from along the side boards that deflected off Cleary and went in. Are you saying Abby should get the credit for blindly throwing the puck at the net from a bad angle, while Cleary shouldn't get any for screening the goalie? The whole reason the puck got by the goalie was Dan Cleary standing right in front of him. I guess when Homer did it you didn't count those either? Because Lidstrom would probably have 50 more goals in his career without Homer getting "lucky" and having the puck hit him.

But rather than nit pick all his points, the heart of it is this. If he is anywhere near as bad as everyone says, why did Babcock use him so much? Why did he keep putting an old broken, turnover machine on the ice at the end of so many important games? Why did he push for Holland to get Cleary re-signed? I guess he's an idiot because there can't be any other simpler, more logical reason. Yet somehow in spite of Babcock's idiocy, most fans agree the Red Wings overachieved last playoffs. Strange. I guess he got lucky. Him and Cleary.

It's definitely time for Cleary to move on and let the kids play but it's unfortunate he became the whipping boy here in his final season from a fan base that largely considers itself superior to much of the NHL's. Maybe he's going to Philly because the fickle nature of the fans there seemed strangely familiar to him.

[Dabura 12,207]

harold, I'm not sure why you get so worked up over this. I think you're fighting a very vocal minority (people who legitimately hate Daniel Cleary). And Crymson is Crymson.

(Reply-Edit Dealy: By "legitimately" I mean "truly.")

[MidMichSteve 1,115]

He has the heart of a lion. I'll miss him and wish him the best of luck, except when playing against the Wings.

http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2013/09/red_wings_offer_to_daniel_clea.html

Cleary, who played for the Red Wings' 2008 Stanley Cup championship team, was Detroit's second-leading scorer in the playoffs last season with four goals among 10 points. He appeared in all 48 regular-season games, getting nine goals and six assists.

"He's a good player," Holland said. "We liked him. He was a versatile player. He was a vocal guy in the locker room. He could play left wing, right wing and he could play with star players. Dan gave us some years of real good hockey.

"We want to wish him well."

[amato 3,210]

Guys read this article, scroll to the bottom at the poll, and vote "Cleary got robbed" cuz lol

http://www.torontosun.com/2013/09/10/ufa-dan-clearly-signs-3-year-deal-with-philadelphia-flyers

done. and lol, i assume all 27 votes so far are from LGW

[AtomicPunk 296]

Is this a done deal? Cause I read a tweet from the NHL with a link that said they were bringing him in on a try-out contract instead of Simon Gagne.

http://flyers.nhl.com/club/blogpost.htm?id=20000

[AtomicPunk 296]

It appears the Flyers are planning on a very competitive training camp.

Last week it was veteran defenseman Hal Gill accepting a professional try out contract with the Flyers, this week it's veteran left wing Daniel Cleary.

Cleary signed a PTO with the Flyers Tuesday and will be in camp with the team Thursday. This likely means the Flyers will not bring Simon Gagne to camp on a tryout.

If the Flyers want to sign Cleary - or Gill for that matter - they'll have to clear some cap space first, which could be on Sept. 30, when Chris Pronger is oficially moved to the long-term injury list and his money comes off the salary cap.

[dobbles 252]

But rather than nit pick all his points, the heart of it is this. If he is anywhere near as bad as everyone says, why did Babcock use him so much? Why did he keep putting an old broken, turnover machine on the ice at the end of so many important games? Why did he push for Holland to get Cleary re-signed? I guess he's an idiot because there can't be any other simpler, more logical reason. Yet somehow in spite of Babcock's idiocy, most fans agree the Red Wings overachieved last playoffs. Strange. I guess he got lucky. Him and Cleary.

c'mon that is such a cop out argument. your post would have been stronger without it.

look, everyone knows babcock is a great coach. even on a site like this with the full spectrum of opinions, you see very few people that dislike babcock. so its not that people think hes dumb or should be fired. but to imply that someone is wrong because they have an opinion that is counter to what babcock has done is just asinine. the man is just as capable of mistakes as anyone else. he is capable of allowing his personal feelings to cloud his judgement. he is capable of playing favorites. and he is capable of just plain making a bad decision on the attributes of a player.

look dan cleary isn't as terrible as some on this site make him ou to be. but he also isn't as valuable as others on this site make him out to be. his value is somewhere in the middle. but to many of us fans that are happy to see him gone, it was just about allowing an older player that is on the decline to go somewhere else so that we have more room for yonger players on the upswing. everyone here wants to see the wings win as many games as possible. we just all have slightly different opinions on how to make that possible.

[dobbles 252]

Ahh yes, Cleary's points were inflated because they weren't "legitimate." If only Flip had gotten so "lucky" he probably would still be a Wing.

the problem is that the playoffs are a small sample size. so you get statistical anomolies that may not represent what truly happened. so the numbers need to be given context. you have to use what you know from the past to best predict what can happen in the future. barring injury, we can all safely assume a guy like steven stamkos is going to score like a bajillion goals from the exact same spot on the ice. because he has proven over a long period of time that he has the skill set to make that happen. conversely, we cannot count on dan cleary scoring half his goals by deflecting them off his butt. events like that are more random and flukey and lend to outcomes that are not going to carry through over the long term.

so everyone wants to point to the fact that cleary was 2nd in scoring in the playoffs. well thats great and i am thankful for what he gave to the team (especially considering the injuries) but i can't sit here and be confident that if we retain his services (especially for 3 more years) that he is going to be able to contribute on a consistent basis like he did in the playoffs.

[Dabura 12,207]

Flyers fans are not digging this.

[haroldsnepsts 4,826]

c'mon that is such a cop out argument. your post would have been stronger without it.

look, everyone knows babcock is a great coach. even on a site like this with the full spectrum of opinions, you see very few people that dislike babcock. so its not that people think hes dumb or should be fired. but to imply that someone is wrong because they have an opinion that is counter to what babcock has done is just asinine. the man is just as capable of mistakes as anyone else. he is capable of allowing his personal feelings to cloud his judgement. he is capable of playing favorites. and he is capable of just plain making a bad decision on the attributes of a player.

look dan cleary isn't as terrible as some on this site make him ou to be. but he also isn't as valuable as others on this site make him out to be. his value is somewhere in the middle. but to many of us fans that are happy to see him gone, it was just about allowing an older player that is on the decline to go somewhere else so that we have more room for yonger players on the upswing. everyone here wants to see the wings win as many games as possible. we just all have slightly different opinions on how to make that possible.

It's not a cop out argument.

If Cleary is as awful as people here claim, constantly falling down and turning the puck over, why does Mike Babcock, who is a great coach, play him in crucial game situations?

I'm not talking about occasional mistakes. Of course as a coach he's going to make those. But he consistently used Cleary in clutch situations. That says something about Cleary's ability and the faith Babcock has in him as a player.

When you're getting empty net goals because you're on the ice at the end of close playoff games, that means something.

the problem is that the playoffs are a small sample size. so you get statistical anomolies that may not represent what truly happened. so the numbers need to be given context. you have to use what you know from the past to best predict what can happen in the future. barring injury, we can all safely assume a guy like steven stamkos is going to score like a bajillion goals from the exact same spot on the ice. because he has proven over a long period of time that he has the skill set to make that happen. conversely, we cannot count on dan cleary scoring half his goals by deflecting them off his butt. events like that are more random and flukey and lend to outcomes that are not going to carry through over the long term.

so everyone wants to point to the fact that cleary was 2nd in scoring in the playoffs. well thats great and i am thankful for what he gave to the team (especially considering the injuries) but i can't sit here and be confident that if we retain his services (especially for 3 more years) that he is going to be able to contribute on a consistent basis like he did in the playoffs.

Which is why I've said it's time he moves on. But that doesn't erase what he did here.

harold, I'm not sure why you get so worked up over this. I think you're fighting a very vocal minority (people who legitimately hate Daniel Cleary). And Crymson is Crymson.

(Reply-Edit Dealy: By "legitimately" I mean "truly.")

I wouldn't say I'm worked up. Maybe cranky in my old age?

Just surprised and disappointed how Wings fans get so much joy from bashing a heart and soul guy like Cleary instead of just saying thanks and moving on. It's become sport here.

[Yzerfan1999 81]

Elliotte Friedman reporting now via twitter that Cleary's deal with the Flyers is now OFF.

"Not exactly sure why, but it appears as if there is some complication between Daniel Cleary and PHI. Told he will not be joining the Flyers"

[Guest Playmaker]

It's not a cop out argument.

If Cleary is as awful as people here claim, constantly falling down and turning the puck over, why does Mike Babcock, who is a great coach, play him in crucial game situations?

I'm not talking about occasional mistakes. Of course as a coach he's going to make those. But he consistently used Cleary in clutch situations. That says something about Cleary's ability and the faith Babcock has in him as a player.

When you're getting empty net goals because you're on the ice at the end of close playoff games, that means something.

Which is why I've said it's time he moves on. But that doesn't erase what he did here.

I wouldn't say I'm worked up. Maybe cranky in my old age?

Just surprised and disappointed how Wings fans get so much joy from bashing a heart and soul guy like Cleary instead of just saying thanks and moving on. It's become sport here.

Haven't most of these same arguments been used against Franzen, Filppula and others? If Franzen's goal stats are given, it's well, he scores in bunches, or they're not "quality" goals or important goals or he should've scored more if he played harder. Franzen has had an extensive injury history and it's likely that he's played through injuries as well, but he's considered lazy. He would have been ripped to shreds if he had the defensive lapses that Cleary did.

I don't think it's beyond the realm of possibility that Babcock may have overlooked Cleary's shortcomings for whatever personal reasons. It's not unlike the Brandon Inge situation with the Tigers. He was a decent player, but when he had clearly lost his ability to be an everyday player, he was still penciled into the lineup daily. I think had Cleary played on a 3rd or 4th line and was scratched when he was underperforming like other players were, it would have lessened the dissatisfaction with Cleary.