Wings offer one-year deal to Jason Williams

by Christy on Jul 29, 2009 12:16 PM CDT in News

According to Craig Custance, a hockey reporter at the Sporting News, the Red Wings have made a one-year contract offer to former Wing Jason Williams. He is mulling over the offer as he is also considering the KHL. For any of you Columbus fans, he would like to return but has yet to receive a contract offer.

As WIM speculated earlier this week, Williams already knows the system and can produce offensively so bringing him in wouldn't be too much of a transition for either side. Custance reports the Williams still has a home in the metro Detroit area that he has been renting out.

"I'm not going to close the door on that," Williams told SportingNews.com. "I know over there they're really trying to compete with the NHL. It's a great league."

Williams still has a home in the Detroit area, one he bought right before he was traded to the Blackhawks. He's renting it out now, and only lived in it for about six months before he left Detroit. The Red Wings would be a natural fit for Williams.

"I'd be going back to a spot I'm familiar with," Williams said. "I know the system they like to play - puck possession, good defense."

Based on WIM readers' comments from our last post on Williams, it sounds like you would rather the Wings pursue someone else like Mike Grier for example. But why don't you go ahead and vote in our poll below.

Poll

Do you want to see Jason Williams back in the Winged Wheel?

Definitely.

341 votes

Heck no.

167 votes

On the fence.

299 votes

807 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Williams Offer

Ugh… not a fan. We need someone fresh in here. I know the WIngs are still looking at Grier and Pyatt for some muscle, but I would much rather see Comrie wearing a winged-wheel than Williams. Willams got lit up a few seasons ago against Edmonton ala Torres, and then became a woos around the net. The Wings can do better. Hopefully Willams doesn’t accept. Just my humble opinion…

by Koppinator on Jul 29, 2009 2:42 PM CDT reply actions

I'll take him for < 1 million

Not a huge fan, but it’s all about roles and expectations. 2nd liner? no way. 3/4th? ok, not bad there.

by detroitnick on Jul 29, 2009 2:51 PM CDT reply actions

what the hell?

get Grier damnit! Come on Holland, Williams isn’t that much of a consitent player…. we need grier now!!!

Datsyuk is like Iverson....... Breaks ankles all the time!

by Wings40 on Jul 29, 2009 3:43 PM CDT reply actions

what the helll

i agree with wings40 we need a big tough guy after the losses of downey and mccarty, now we have nothin. we need to stop being such a soft team and show other teams that your not gonna mess with us and push us around any more. holland needs to grow some balls and go get bertuzzi and grier. would you rather have bertuzzi and grier stick up for people and fight or watch z and pav get wrecked and chopped at???? holland stop being stupid and do whats needed

by arcticcat44 on Jul 29, 2009 4:24 PM CDT reply actions

Zetterberg may need some protection but Datsyuk is one of the best hitters on our team. Didn’t he lead the league in hits during the playoffs this past season?

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Jul 29, 2009 6:27 PM CDT up reply actions

Datsyuk didn't lead

but Darren Helm sure did

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jul 29, 2009 8:12 PM CDT up reply actions

The Wings are a tough team...

They held there own against, what others called a tougher teams, in Chicago and Anaheim. But, I do think that if we had a guy like Grier opposing players would think twice about trying to run one of our players.

We need to start a sign Grier campaign.

by jryno on Jul 29, 2009 8:49 PM CDT up reply actions

lost downey and mccarty? how many games did those guys play in a wings jersey last year?

Grier and Bertuzzi aren’t horrible, but they’re both prone to take pretty stupid penalties at inopportune times, I don’t either of them is that panacea that some of you guys think they are

by detroitnick on Jul 29, 2009 4:40 PM CDT reply actions

no apocalyptic0n3

no he wasnt, darren helm was, you wanna know why, cuz hes a good canidan boy that plays hockey the way its suppose to be played. he hits cuz hes not a european sissy. big deal if they take penalties its hockey get over it. the red wings are turing into the worst team to watch. all they care about is scoring and not hitting and sticking up for their players. thats whay you saw more mccarty jerseys than lidstrom, datsyuk and zetterburg. detroit has enough scoring. they need some grit so bad its obvious. like i mean honestly holland wake up and look at all the other teams. if holland signs this guy instead of bertuzzi or grier, or both i hope that they physically get the crap beat out of them for being stupid and not waking up.

by arcticcat44 on Jul 29, 2009 6:35 PM CDT reply actions

Datsyuk...

can hit, and to deny that Kronwall can hit is like saying that birds don’t fly. Ericsson, Franzen, and Lilja (when he’s healthy) can all play an incredibly physical game. And if you haven’t noticed, there has been an exodus of European players from Detroit this offseason—although it’s not necessarily for being “soft” as you’re suggesting—but has opened the door for the minor leaguers or a few free agents.

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jul 29, 2009 8:21 PM CDT up reply actions

To me...

I just can’t understand how you bring back a player that wanted out. Maybe he’s matured a little bit but it’s hard for me to understand this. I hope that if Williams does come back to Motown, he has matured both mentally and hockey-ly (?)

I would have loved to see Mike Grier in a wheels uni but at this point, the amount of free agents available for the amount of cap space available are few and far between.

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jul 29, 2009 8:16 PM CDT reply actions

If he wanted out...

…then I doubt he’d agree to the contract, right?

by jryno on Jul 29, 2009 8:55 PM CDT up reply actions

maybe he thought “well…perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to leave the best franchise in modern hockey…woops” haha

Winging It In Motown

by Casey Richey on Jul 30, 2009 6:15 AM CDT up reply actions

No to Williams

I agree with the majority, we don’t need Williams, and like the rest we do need some muscle. The faithful like Grier, he is a local boy, I say he is worth a chance for one year. Invite him to training camp. As for Bertuzzi, I’m sorry he bolted from the Wings in a hurry so SOL to him.

by Jim P on Jul 29, 2009 9:03 PM CDT up reply actions

Willy

I always liked Williams, I don’t care what anybody says. Sure he was streaky, but so is Hudler and so was Samuelsson and so is Daniel Cleary and many other players on the Wings. I would be happy to see him back. Even though I would REALLY like to see Mike Grier sign with the Wings, Williams is ok in my book. I would much rather have Grier over Bertuzzi. Grier is a great penalty killer, and it would be nice to have another grinder go out and kill penalties. Bertuzzi is just to passive since the " incident". He never was the same after it. I do agree that Grier fills a role the Wings need more than the role Williams would fill, but they really need to do something at this point.

One thing though is that with the signing of Andy Delmore, they finally have another right handed defenseman who can play the second PP unit. He’s got a great shot and as a bonus… HE’S A DEFENSEMAN. So no more being really scared when Sammy has to go back and play D.

by dewman8810 on Jul 30, 2009 2:26 PM CDT reply actions