It's official: Homer inks 2-year deal with Red Wings
by Ryan Weiss on Jun 4, 2010 3:46 PM CDT
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PrintNHL goalies, prepare to be bothered for two more years.
Rumors from last night indicated that net front wizard Tomas Holmstrom was close to re-signing with the Detroit Red Wings, and today the Detroit News' Chris McCosky confirmed them to be true. Holmstrom will make $3.75 million over the next two seasons, a modest cap hit of $1.875 million each year.
Wings GM Ken Holland and Homer's agent Howard Gourwitz both knew Holmstrom could make more on the open market, but like many Red Wings before him, that was never really an option.
"I never wanted to go anywhere else," Holmstrom said. "I want to finish my career here. I've been here 14 years and had a lot of success winning four Stanley Cups. I wanted to stay here and get one more chance, at least, to win another Cup before I retire.
Holland said Holmstrom didn't deserve to make less money than the $2.25 million he made last season after notching 25 goals, so that's what he'll make in 2010-11. There's a slight paycut for 2011-12, but the cap hit will remain the same.
The Wings now have $52.3 million committed to 17 players next season, about $5.7 million under next year's expected cap. By signing Holmstrom and Nicklas Lidstrom to what are essentially hometown discounts, Holland will have a little more wiggle room to get a deal done for Todd Bertuzzi, and restricted free agents Darren Helm, Justin Abdelkader, Drew Miller and Patrick Eaves. Helm and Abdelkader will be the top priorities of that group, and McCosky didn't rule out bringing back long time veteran winger Kirk Maltby and defenseman Andreas Lilja either.
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Are we content with essetially the same team coming back next year?
I know injuries were a big deal, but I’m just wondering if we’re comfortable putting the same guys out there and saying, “Yeah, I think we can win it all.”
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
Me in 140 characters
question might be whether Jiri Hudler returns enough scoring punch to the team
You’d think Howard will be better with some playoff experience, and another year under his belt, but the defense will essentially be the same, and the offense may improve a bit with Hudler’s return. Is that enough to get past the Sharks next year, let alone challenging the Blackhawks? Guess we’ll find out.
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Hawks have a top of cap issues
They won’t be anywhere near the same team.
Back off man, I'm a scientist
what concerns me more
Is if Howard has a sophomore slump and Osgood is the same as he was this past year. Injuries happen or not, and there isn’t much that anyone can really do about them – if the team is hammered by injuries again next year, it won’t matter who is actually on the roster, they will be bad. If they are healthier, they will be better.
But players who are counted on to play well falling off, despite health – that is more of a concern.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
Science nerd and proud of it!
as some people have echoed
I think Hudler brings a big asset to the team. He’s a great puck possession player and can contribute offensively. I think if the injuries aren’t as radical as they were last year, there’s no reason for the Wings not to make the playoffs again. I think Howard will actually be better next year and that the offense will be a more congealed unit, it took all year pretty much to finally get the right lines in order because of injuries and now it looks like they could start the year with a full team and hopefully continue some success those lines had last year.
re: Howard
I hope so. I can’t help wondering how much of the “sophomore slump” is the rest of the league becoming more familiar with the goaltender and how much is a still very young man just being worn out from a long, tough season (as so many of the sophomores are still just kids, only 20-21-22 years old).
There’s nothing anyone can do about the league knowing more about Howard this year than last – unavoidable. But if a part of the slump is tiredness of a youngster, then hopefully the fact he is in his mid-twenties and already a grown man will limit that. He may have been a rookie, but he’s played enough professional seasons that he should have an idea of how to get himself ready for the next one, more than a 20-year-old who doesn’t know the physical limitations of his own body as well yet.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
Science nerd and proud of it!
I was "meh" on Homer
Good to see him back, he still has something left.
I think Hudler coming back is pretty good news. The Wings can use his firepower
In life, a man is either the hammer or the anvil. Ndamukong Suh is both
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