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About Us
WIM Manager (Christy): My name is Christy Hammond and I'm a student at the University of Michigan where I study Sport Management and Communication Studies. I have been a life long fan of all Detroit sports, but the Detroit Red Wings have a special place in my heart. Winging It In Motown was the third SBN hockey blog established in August 2007. I previously blogged at Behind the Jersey.
WIM Editor (MrNorrisTrophy): I'm Casey Richey, a student at Virginia Tech studying journalism and how to amass an incredible debt. I've been a Red Wings fan since I was about 6 or 7 and can think of nothing I'd rather do than watch the Wings play.
WIM Author (motownchollis): I'm Chris Hollis, a displaced Red Wings fan living in the hockey "hotbed" of Seattle, WA. Despite my tendency to be cynical, I've followed the Wings my entire life, and consider myself a true diehard fan of Hockeytown's finest.
Please Note: Everything posted on this blog is our personal opinion and absolutely does not represent the views of the Detroit Red Wings.
Canucks sign Samuelsson to three-year deal
by Christy
on Jul 3, 2009 12:10 PM CDT
6 comments
The Vancouver Canucks signed former Wings forward Mikael Samuelsson to a three-year deal per TSN. The financial terms of the contract have yet to be released. It was Vancouver's first move in free agency (outside of re-signing the Sedin twins). I'm just thankful that Sammy didn't sign with a Central Division team as that seems to be where all of our former players head. [Update: Samuelsson will make $2.5 million per year, earning a total of $7.5 million in his contract.]
"Obviously that (the money) was the key, I shouldn't lie," Samuelsson said in a telephone conference call Friday after signing a three-year NHL deal with Vancouver.
"They have a good thing going and I think my role can be a little different here."
In Other News: Restricted free agent Ville Leino is close to inking a two-year contract with the Red Wings according to the Detroit Free Press. Detroit's other key RFA, Jiri Hudler, is expected to file for arbitration. The arbitrater could decide on a salary likely anywhere from $2.5 to $4 million. If the salary is too high, expect Detroit to trade him away as they simply can't afford a $4 million salary for a player like Hudler.
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The Wings, who were squeezed by their salary cap, offered 10 years for $40 million for the forward. But they knew they likely wouldn't get him and gave his agent Ritch Winter permission a week ago to talk to other teams. They did it out of the goodness of their heart because they could have tried to trade his negotiating rights as Florida did with Jay Bouwmeester; but they felt they owed Hossa for signing with Detroit last year and leaving lots of money on the table elsewhere."
-- Edmonton Journal on the classiest organization in the NHL
2 days ago
Christy
3 comments
0 recs
Hossa, Kopecky to Hawks. Conklin to Blues.
by motownchollis
on Jul 1, 2009 1:48 PM CDT
in News
27 comments
"Free agent frenzy" kicked off with a huge bang today, and no announcement was bigger than Marian Hossa's. Hoss agreed to a heavily front loaded, 12 year contract with the division rival Chicago Blackhawks, for an average of $5.2 million a season. He takes with him free agent center Tomas Kopecky, who signed a two year deal with 'Hawks, for an average of $1.2 million a season.
Additionally, free agent goaltender Ty Conklin signed a two year deal with another division rival: the St. Louis Blues. Conks will make an average of $1.3 million a season.
As for the Wings, we have yet to see any moves from Ken Holland and the front office, but that is as expected. Stay with WIM throughout the rest of the day, as we will be updating this post as news breaks.
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2009 NHL Free Agency Open Thread
by Christy
on Jul 1, 2009 10:13 AM CDT
34 comments
We've spent the past week talking about whether Marian Hossa would return or go elsewhere and it's looking like he'll be leaving Detroit. Free agency kicks off in less than an hour so in preparation for the crazy day, we're posting a thread for people to comment on trades/signings (including the Wings or other teams) and let us know what you think about the deal.
If anything happens concerning the Wings, WIM will create a separate post to talk about what happened.
Until then, Go Wings!
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UPDATE1: Hossa? Nossa.
by motownchollis
on Jul 1, 2009 12:03 AM CDT
in News
3 comments
Multiple sources are reporting that Marian Hossa has turned down a 10 year offer from the Red Wings.
From Sportsnet.ca:
Sportsnet has learned Marion Hossa has turned down a contract offer from the Red Wings that would have kept the all-star with the Red Wings for the next 10 years.
A source compared the length of the deal to the deals Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg signed. It's believed the deal-breaker was the average salary which fell between $3.75 million and $4 million.
The Detroit News confirms, and also offers up some information on Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey:
General manager Ken Holland and Hossa's agent Ritch Winter talked again Tuesday but came to no agreement.
"It certainly appears that way," Holland said. "As I've said all along, we only have so much cap room. We have players that I'm not interested in losing."
Holland also said he'll talk again with the representative for Mikael Samuelsson Wednesday morning in an effort to retain Samuelsson, who is an unrestricted free agent.
Tomas Kopecky, the Wings other unrestricted free agent, will test the market and likely won't return to the Wings.
Holland also said the organization will not re-sign veteran forwards Darren McCarty and Aaron Downey.
**UPDATE (12:57 AM ET)
Craig Custance/Sporting News reports that, even though Hossa reportedly rejected the deal, negotiations will still continue:
The chances of Marian Hossa signing with the Red Wings aren't great, but it still could happen. Despite reports on the eve of free agency that Hossa had turned down an offer from the Red Wings, the possibility of a deal still exists.
An NHL source told SportingNews.com late Tuesday night that discussions between the two sides will continue.
It's not an issue of either side wanting to get a deal completed, it's a matter of finding common ground. The Red Wings would like to keep Hossa at a annual salary cap number in the $4 million range, which would be considerably less than he'd earn on the open market.
Not all that encouraging, but at this point, it's better than nothing. If you want Hossa to stick around, that is.
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2009 NHL Free Agency: Detroit Red Wings Preview
by Christy
on Jun 29, 2009 12:00 PM CDT
9 comments
The NHL free agency period kicks off this Wednesday at noon EDT. In the few days between the draft and the start of free agency, we as fans have a chance to debate what the Wings should or should not do this offseason. The blogging crew here at WIM should have some more in-depth posts up about specific players/news until then, but here's a summary to kick off discussions.
2009 NHL Free Agency: What The Wings Should Do
Pending UFAs: Marian Hossa, Mikael Samuelsson, Ty Conklin, Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, Aaron Downey, Tomas Kopecky
Pending RFAs: Jiri Hudler, Ville Leino, Evan McGrath, Ryan Oulahen
Salary cap space: $4.5-million (approximately)
Projected budget: $56.8-million
Key needs: With the Wings up against the salary cap, don't expect any big splashes in the offseason. Holland will likely find a role player or two to fit our needs on offense for the fourth line, but Detroit is mostly set this year. A lot depends on Hossa. If he stays, the Wings will need to trade away guys to make room under the cap and find some cheap talent and fast. If he goes, there will be more money to target a second or third line player.
Potential targets: Samuel Pahlsson, Chad LaRose, John Madden, P.J. Axelsson, Ian Laperriere
What our Central Division opponents want: Second City Hockey (Blackhawks), The Cannon (Blue Jackets), On the Forecheck (Predators), and St. Louis Game Time (Blues)
What We Do Know: The Red Wings have informed Ty Conklin (goaltender) and Chris Chelios (defenseman) that they will not be offering them deals. Due to the salary cap and Jimmy Howard having to clear waivers now, there's just not room for Conklin. Detroit has offered Darren McCarty a two-way contract, which would allow him to stay with the Wings but will keep him down in Grand Rapids for most of the season. He has not made his decision yet.
If Marian Hossa is not re-signed by today, GM Ken Holland could try to trade away the negotiating rights to the star forward. As we pointed out on Sunday, it's not looking like the Wings are going to get a deal done. If that's the case, let's hope Detroit can get something positive out of it.
Based on their playoff performances, Darren Helm (forward) and Jonathan Ericsson (defenseman) have earned spots on the roster so that will help offset whatever personnel losses the Wings experience during free agency. If Holland can re-sign RFA Ville Leino, he should also join the Red Wings' lineup this upcoming season. Should Hossa stay and the roster is short a few players, expect Holland to insert Justin Abdelkader into the lineup purely for financial reasons.
Now It's Your Turn: Who do you want to see stay or go? Who do you want to see Detroit target this summer? Tell us know in the comments.
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Detroit Red Wings 2009 NHL Entry Draft Review
by Christy
on Jun 29, 2009 1:43 AM CDT
2 comments
So we've had a couple days to look over the Detroit Red Wings picks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. While we won't know the results of these picks for quite a few years, it doesn't hurt to review what went down over the weekend.
Here's a list of our posts on each of Detroit's seven draft picks to learn more in detail about each of Detroit's selections this weekend:
Landon Ferraro -- 2nd Round (32nd overall)
Tomas Tatar -- 2nd Round (60th overall)
Andrej Nestrasil -- 3rd Round (75th overall)
Gleason Fournier -- 3rd Round (90th overall)
Nick Jensen -- 5th Round (120th overall)
Mitchell Callahan -- 6th Round (150th overall)
Adam Almqvist -- 7th Round (210th overall)
Overall, the Red Wings had a slightly different draft strategy than what we saw last year. In 2009, the Wings drafted just one Swede (shocking, I know) and avoided goaltenders altogether (going with four forwards and three defensemen instead). Even more surprising is that they took a chance on an instigator-type named Mitchell Callahan. Scouts and team management hope to grab one, maybe two NHLers, each year at the draft. The Wings are especially pleased with their top three selections and it's easy to see why.
- Ferraro may not have been selected in the first round, but he's a first-round quality player. Don't let the smaller frame fool you, he's a tenacious player who isn't afraid to go to the front of the net or aggressively forecheck. Plus, we know the Wings love guys who can skate and he was named the fastest skater at the Top Prospects Game.
- Tatar was a stud during the World Junior Championships this past winter, scoring seven goals and notching four assists in just seven games. I think his stock fell at the draft because teams weren't sure if it was a one-time fluke or if he could play consistently well like that. Detroit's scouting staff followed him after the WJC and felt confident in his skill level so they were excited to be able to still snag him late in the second round. He has been compared to Jiri Hudler. It also doesn't hurt that he grew up a Wings' fan!
- Nestrasil is a good-sized right winger (6-2, 200 lbs) who knows how to use his big body to protect the puck. Assistant GM Jim Nill says that he does well in the corners and "is bigger than Tomas Kopecky was at that age."
For more reactions to the Red Wings' draft picks, you can view an assortment of press (and blog) clippings after the jump.
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Conklin will not be offered, Holland "not optimistic" about Hossa
by motownchollis
on Jun 27, 2009 11:01 PM CDT
in News
13 comments
On the heels of a great draft for the Detroit Red Wings, some news that is a bit less encouraging.
"If there's a (salary) cap number we think can fit in, we'll sign him. We're prepared to do a long-term deal," Holland said. "(Hossa's agent) Ritch Winter is hoping for a bigger cap number, more than what we're offering.
"He's talking to Marian. We'll talk in the next couple of days. I'm not optimistic, but we'll see."
Holland also said the team will not offer backup goaltender Ty Conklin a contract. That means Jimmy Howard will back up Chris Osgood next season.
It shouldn't be a big surprise to see Conklin head out, based on Ken Holland and Jim Nill's recent comments in support of Howard. However, Conklin was a hard-working, "everyman" kind of player that was a fan favorite in Detroit, so there will be more than a few fans that are sad to see him go.
In terms of Marian Hossa: It honestly sounds less and less likely that he will be with the Wings next season. The Wings will obviously continue to pursue him, but Holland is also preparing to listen to offers for Hossa's negotiating rights. While Hossa is one of the top prospects in this year's fee agent class, there is other talent to be had around the league, and Hossa could become one very large bargaining chip for the Wings. That said, nothing is done yet, so let's see what Holland, Nill and company have up their sleeve over the next couple of days.
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Most Commented
2009 NHL Free Agency Open Thread
by Christy 2 days ago
34 comments | 0 recs
Hossa, Kopecky to Hawks. Conklin to Blues.
by motownchollis 2 days ago
27 comments | 0 recs
Conklin will not be offered, Holland "not optimistic" about Hossa
by motownchollis 5 days ago
13 comments | 0 recs
2009 NHL Free Agency: Detroit Red Wings Preview
by Christy 4 days ago
9 comments | 0 recs
Canucks sign Samuelsson to three-year deal
by Christy about 9 hours ago
6 comments | 0 recs