Would you welcome back Happy Hudler?

Absolutely, no questions asked. Well written post, pretty much covers why I’d welcome him back.

liked him a lot

he is a good player, definitely would solidify the third possibly with cleary, and probably helm. not to mention he was averaging a point a game in russia with some probably average teammates (also against average goaltenders too) but still. bring him back!

with a lot of heart…. definitely someone i didnt want to see let go

I was mad at him for leaving, not because of the money, but the timing. It was so late in the summer that and we only had the dregs of the free agent market to take his place. But I’m over it now – I didn’t want him to leave, so why wouldn’t I want him back?

Personally, no. Most probably not.

him in the talks again. Huds got along with everyone on the team, great chemistry with everyone as well. He produces and is far from any problems in the locker room, I know i would love to have his 20 goals this season.. and my mind isnt going to change next season.

If anyone here can tell me that, at the age of 25, you would be receiving 10 million, tax-free, guaranteed money, or 2.5 million, what would you take?

Not everyone is Lidstrom or Zetterberg and will take less money, but in Hudler’s case, it was more money, more playing time, and more responsibility. AND we retained his rights.

I think we benefit out of this in the sense that he was able to mature a little bit, and we would get a more veteran player who is only TWENTY SIX!!

Get younger and better? Sign me up.

i go there to compliment them then they all start crap…turning out to be a fun time lol

…and if it’s not Hudler with his clucking, then the universe is meaningless to me.

Given that the Red Wings had crap for space in the cap last off-season really hurt the chances of him re-signing. The whole mess went to arbitration and he found a home for a year in the KHL. The way I see it was that Holland wanted to keep him, didn’t have the cap room, and decided that letting him play in the KHL couldn’t really hurt that badly and if ever wanted to come back to the NHL, he’d be Detroit’s by way of the legal process.

I’m trying to remember, but my impression was that Kenny Holland was ready and willing to give Hudler whatever he got in arbitration. I don’t think he signed Bertuzzi or Williams until after Hudler left for Russia, so I think Holland would have had the money no problem.

You can make an argument that Bertuzzi has been more valuable at 1.5M than Hudler would have been at 2.5M. Maybe if Hudler was with the team this year, they don’t have Miller or Eaves.

It is an interesting “what if”, but I think he would have been a Wing if he’d wanted to be.

People expect that if Lidstrom plays next season he will take a pay cut (probably no more than 1.45).
Holland doesn’t want to keep 8 defensemen and at this point I don’t think you can argue against re-signing Lilja (maybe he also takes a Detroit special, perhaps .25 less), so Lebda is likely gone (.65).
Unless Williams somehow manages to finish with 20 goals and takes a pay cut, I don’t expect he’ll be re-signed (1.5).
Bertuzzi will probably be back at the same or lower salary.
Holmstrom will likely be back unless he gets seriously injured late in the season / playoffs.
Maltby may be back at a lower salary (.133 at least, likely an additional .25).

Probably a little more than 4M extra to spend on Hudler, RFAs, and bringing up some other guys. Clever cap games can get it higher. I’m sure Holland can work out the salary for next season and still have enough for a bigish signing if he’s inclined (like if Hudler doesn’t return).

He’s a spunky little guy who had a scoring touch in very few minutes.

More even than the tax-free big money in Russia, I wonder if part of it was wanting to play in Europe (since he came to Grand Rapids as a teenager, I think, and never played in or near his home country like many other players have) and part of it was wanting to get more ice time so he could prove to the Red Wings that he deserved more ice time in the NHL, too. When he left Holland wished him good luck and told him to remember what he learned and keep working hard, he’s kept in touch, there really aren’t any serious bad feelings – I wouldn’t mind having him back with the Wings at all.