Free Press: Pavel Datsyuk to return to Russia following Playoffs

[paulwoodsfan 52]

A cap hit with no salary owed holds huge value to some teams. We wouldn't have to give up a thing. If anything we would get a late pick or low end prospect.

Sorry but I disagree (obviously). I wish that were so but I fully expect we're going to have to offer a sweetener. Teams will know we are over a barrel on this and won't do us any favours.

[nosyt612 103]

Sorry but I disagree (obviously). I wish that were so but I fully expect we're going to have to offer a sweetener. Teams will know we are over a barrel on this and won't do us any favours.

Teams might know we're over the barrel, but there is a market for a free 7 mil cap hit. Teams like Arizona, Columbus, Florida, etc would all love that cap hit. They're not gonna band together and make Detroit give up something good for one of them.

[paulwoodsfan 52]

Teams might know we're over the barrel, but there is a market for a free 7 mil cap hit. Teams like Arizona, Columbus, Florida, etc would all love that cap hit. They're not gonna band together and make Detroit give up something good for one of them.

Well, we'll see (if he actually follows through on leaving). I will be shocked if we are able to get anything for the contract.

[LeftWinger 4,953]

I wish I wasn't such a pessimist. You have a great attitude. I'm afraid I am too much on the Dark Side here, but I appreciate your outlook!

If you only knew!

[Son of a Wing 1,644]

never heard of the guy before so i guess he is another one of those annoying wannabe experts.

Who? The author of the blog?

He's not claiming to know anything. He's simply linking to a video of Datsyuk talking about it and a couple tweets from respected people.

[marcaractac 3,963]

Sorry but I disagree (obviously). I wish that were so but I fully expect we're going to have to offer a sweetener. Teams will know we are over a barrel on this and won't do us any favours.

It's not about doing the wings a favor. It's about another team helping themselves. I bet a couple small market, rebuilding teams are already hoping Pav leaves so they can swoop in for that cap hit. I'd go as far as to say Holland might not even have to actively shop it.

[LeftWinger 4,953]

Pav's contract for Future considerations....that'll do it.

[brett 1,029]

wondering if Z hangs them up after this season too.. hes got to know hes not what he used to be

kenny will have to make a big splash if Z and dats go

[marcaractac 3,963]

wondering if Z hangs them up after this season too.. hes got to know hes not what he used to be

kenny will have to make a big splash if Z and dats go

Hank would be fine if he played reduced minutes and not forced into trying to carry the team like Blash had him doing this season. Cut his minutes back and reduce his role and suddenly he can contribute for a full season instead of the first 2/3rds only. I'd say even have him play wing starting next season. Reduce the wear and tear on the guy.

[The Datsyukian Deke 127]

Hank has 30/5 left, he's not gonna walk away from that. Not yet, maybe in three years for the last two.

[VM1138 1,921]

He shouldn't have to retire. Like others have said, he's still or top point guy, and he's still a great player. Still a magnifcent playmaker, but he can't carry the load. Put him on the wing and let him be complimentary and he can play for years.

[frankgrimes 1,836]

He shouldn't have to retire. Like others have said, he's still or top point guy, and he's still a great player. Still a magnifcent playmaker, but he can't carry the load. Put him on the wing and let him be complimentary and he can play for years.

Well he shouldn't risk his well being too. Hank is one of my favourite Wings but let's be honest here thanks to injuries his prime was cut short and his decline is sadly and I hate to admit that almost too fast.

If the Wings can ease to load on him, play the guy on the Wing and or as a 3 line center I think he could be able to pull out three more years but if not he's probably done as an effective player. Is he going to retire and walk away from 20 mill? I highly doubt that no sane person would do this.

But man has Kenny cut his work out for him this summer, 1. find a number 1 defenseman 2. a superstar 2 way center and 3. prepare for the post Z era - kicking the tires or looking for a hockeytrade finally won't cut it anymore some packages and UFA signings will be needed because there is no way the Wings are going to be able to fix all of that internally, especially not the defense.

[kickazz 5,459]

Hank runs this damn team. Strip the "C" off that guy!!!!!

Z is the dictator in that club.. there's no democracy, that's probably why Datsyuk wants to leave.

^ I think that's the narrative that I've seen lately from one or two people.

Anyways. I don't know about you guys but the Mitch Albom article seems more distracting than was intended to be. Folks in the media are talking more about about Pav leaving than that actual first round. Even the interviews with the players all were about Datsyuk today.

Edited April 11, 2016 by kickazz

[GMRwings1983 8,794]

Datsyuk must have never seen "The Hunt for Red October"

[LeftWinger 4,953]

I agree....hey when Steve Yzerman was 35, he was 2nd, 3rd line all the time, he finished that year with 52 points and played four more years all with still being an effective leader. Hank had 50 points this year (he is 35 as well) he could easily move down to that 3rd line center and still get 30-40 points a year and be the effective leader he needs to be for the next 4 years or so. Hank played in all 82 games this year, Steve only played in 54 games that year, but given the fact that the game has changed so much since then, its no wonder Hank scored less per game.

I am not saying Hank is Steve, but I am saying that Steve was "demoted" to a lessor role on the ice in scoring and prolonged his career and was still a very effective Captain and actually lead his team better from that position...Hank could do the same. We have two very good, very high end prospects that could become 1st and 2nd line centers in Larkin and AA and allow Z to ease it out now, if we were to acquire Stamkos, it would take even more pressure off Z to score and he could lead better.

[marcaractac 3,963]

I agree....hey when Steve Yzerman was 35, he was 2nd, 3rd line all the time, he finished that year with 52 points and played four more years all with still being an effective leader. Hank had 50 points this year (he is 35 as well) he could easily move down to that 3rd line center and still get 30-40 points a year and be the effective leader he needs to be for the next 4 years or so. Hank played in all 82 games this year, Steve only played in 54 games that year, but given the fact that the game has changed so much since then, its no wonder Hank scored less per game.

I am not saying Hank is Steve, but I am saying that Steve was "demoted" to a lessor role on the ice in scoring and prolonged his career and was still a very effective Captain and actually lead his team better from that position...Hank could do the same. We have two very good, very high end prospects that could become 1st and 2nd line centers in Larkin and AA and allow Z to ease it out now, if we were to acquire Stamkos, it would take even more pressure off Z to score and he could lead better.

This. Let Hank step back and become more of a role guy, have the kids start playing bigger minutes.

[sibiriak 84]

According to a Russian media site Life78, Datsyuk is going to play for SKA St Petersburg.
If true, this is sad news for me. SKA is probably the richest KHL team,
that has the largest Russian oil and gas monopoly Gazprom for a sponsor. It is also almost
1400 miles away from Ekaterinburg where Datsyuk's daughter lives.
In contrast, Datsyuk's hometown team Automobilist Ekaterinburg, can't afford to play
Datsyuk anything close to what SKA can offer. If he chooses the money and plays for SKA,
then all the talk about wanting to be closer to his kid is so much bull..t. If he's going
to talk to her on the phone anyway, he can do that just as well or better from the US.
If Pavel ends up playing for one of the rich St Petersburg or Moscow teams, I will have lost
a lot of respect for him. I really hope that this piece of news is untrue.

[Cali-Wing-Nut 102]

Has anyone considered the possibility that Pavs doesn't retire and goes LTIR at the start of next season?

[Jasper84 333]

Has anyone considered the possibility that Pavs doesn't retire and goes LTIR at the start of next season?

I don't think that this would work. He did say he wants to play in Russia while he still has his skill, so he wouldn't be able to play there if he's on LTIR here I thought? I could be wrong.

Anyways, Pav has been my favorite player since he broke into the league and I won't lose any respect for him at all, he's earned the ability to make his decision. I don't know what to think though, with the newer reports saying that he isn't sure yet, even though what he said to Mitch seemed pretty convincing. If he leaves, I think the Wings will find a way to not be hooked to the cap hit.

[VM1138 1,921]

According to a Russian media site Life78, Datsyuk is going to play for SKA St Petersburg.

If true, this is sad news for me. SKA is probably the richest KHL team,

that has the largest Russian oil and gas monopoly Gazprom for a sponsor. It is also almost

1400 miles away from Ekaterinburg where Datsyuk's daughter lives.

In contrast, Datsyuk's hometown team Automobilist Ekaterinburg, can't afford to play

Datsyuk anything close to what SKA can offer. If he chooses the money and plays for SKA,

then all the talk about wanting to be closer to his kid is so much bull..t. If he's going

to talk to her on the phone anyway, he can do that just as well or better from the US.

If Pavel ends up playing for one of the rich St Petersburg or Moscow teams, I will have lost

a lot of respect for him. I really hope that this piece of news is untrue.

How often does SKA play Ekaterinburg? It could be that he can make big money for a year with SKA while still seeing his daughter much more often. She could come to games, he could visit her on away games, etc. Just giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[puckbags 863]

absolutely agree about the contract. Holland must, MUST trade that contract if Pav decides to retire. I understand a bit not being able to rid yourself of Ericsson's contract or even Z's, but to just let a player retire and NOT dump that contract...not even TRY to? That is completely unacceptable. GM's do it throughout the league, swap dead contracts around in order to free up or take up cap.

Just imagine this sceanrio....Holland trades Pav's $7.5M, trades Smith ($2.75M) Franzen on LTIR ($3.9M) and is able to dump Howards $5.25M....add all that to the projected $17M in cap space we have already for next season...WOW! Thats nearly $37M in cap space before we re-sign our RFA's....that's a s*** ton of money to spend on pursuing what we need.

If Holland doesn't trade that contract, he should be fired. Someone will take it for cap floor issues, absolutely.

I love how you make it sound so easy to pawn off a 7.5 million dollar contract. No one is going to take it. You can't bury money anymore with nothing to show for it even if you need to get to the floor. Life changes, Pav for personal or professional reasons is going home 1 year short of fulfilling his contract. Being the class act that he is he already admitted he should've signed 1 year deals instead of a 3 year contract. His 7.5 million was already allocated for next year so it has no bearing on what we could/would be able to afford but i'm not naive not to admit that extra 7.5 would basically give us unlimited Stamkos money. Fire Holland? Cmon man. Attempt to be semi rational.

[VM1138 1,921]

I love how you make it sound so easy to pawn off a 7.5 million dollar contract. No one is going to take it. You can't bury money anymore with nothing to show for it even if you need to get to the floor. Life changes, Pav for personal or professional reasons is going home 1 year short of fulfilling his contract. Being the class act that he is he already admitted he should've signed 1 year deals instead of a 3 year contract. His 7.5 million was already allocated for next year so it has no bearing on what we could/would be able to afford but i'm not naive not to admit that extra 7.5 would basically give us unlimited Stamkos money. Fire Holland? Cmon man. Attempt to be semi rational.

Many, many people have already posited how the contract could be traded. I don't know why you think it's so impossible and unlikely. Even some of the bloggers and hockey writers have posited the same scenarios. The one that pops up the most is Phoenix with the Pronger contract. It'd be a better deal for them because they would end up with a cap hit without paying out actual money.

[kliq 3,755]

Sorry if someone else posted, but in this article http://www.tsn.ca/datsyuk-decision-not-100-per-cent-1.470019 he says he has not 100% decided yet.

Edited April 12, 2016 by kliq

[WingsallTheway 383]

Sorry if someone else posted, but in this article http://www.tsn.ca/datsyuk-decision-not-100-per-cent-1.470019 he says he has not 100% decided yet.

Really messing with people's emotions. If you arent completely decided don't say anything at all

[The Datsyukian Deke 127]

How often does SKA play Ekaterinburg? It could be that he can make big money for a year with SKA while still seeing his daughter much more often. She could come to games, he could visit her on away games, etc. Just giving him the benefit of the doubt.

Even more important: He might not be able to get his first wife to allow his daughter to move to the US so he can be with er, but chances may be much better to get her to relocate within Russia. Especially when it's to St.Petersburg, one of the places to be in Russia. So some reported choices about SKA, the distance to Jekaterinenburg and so on and so on...don't necessarily make the guy a complete fraud.

Maybe we should all take a step back and be a little more relaxed until there is a final decision.

Edited April 12, 2016 by The Datsyukian Deke