DETROIT, MICH — News has surfaced about Justin Abdelkader, and his impending status as an unrestricted free agent. We all knew that Ken Holland was working diligently to get him re-signed, but the specifics from TSN’s Bob McKenzie are quite, well, revolting:
Justin Abdelkader on verge of finalizing 7-year contract extension with DET. AAV is expected to be $4M+.
— Bob McKenzie (@TSNBobMcKenzie) November 12, 2015
Seven years for a guy who is 28 years old, and has recently hit his career-high in points last season with 44 in 71 games. Currently riding a scoring slump, he has seven points in 15 games, three of which came in the first game against Toronto.
I have no problem with Justin Abdelkader, he performed very well last season, and deserves a contract extension. I can live with upwards of $4 million per year, but seven years? Asinine. He would be 36 at the end of his term. How is this a good idea? For a guy who came up watching the Red Wings in Muskegon, this doesn’t strike me as a “hometown discount.” Why is Ken Holland potentially derailing his team with a contract like this?
Until the deal is finalized, it’s all hearsay at this point. For all we know, Ken Holland could be leaking a tidbit of information to national media, and crowdsourcing what fans think about the reported deal. It is entirely possible that Justin Abdelkader lives up to this deal, just like it is entirely possible for Santa Claus to take a dump in my ’81 Honda on Christmas morning.
UPDATE:
Well, they did the dumb thing, and the deal is done. The Red Wings have signed Justin Abdelkader to a seven-year with an AAV of $4.25 million. Read all about it HERE.
