Zetterberg signs and other Wings news
While Pavel Datsyuk probably won’t be playing for Detroit this year (although I can’t say that with 100% certainty), Henrik Zetterberg will be returning to Hockeytown. The four year contract is valued at $10.6 million, definately a big raise from his $625,000 last season. The Wings also get the added comfort that they’ll have Zetterberg for an additional year after he becomes an unrestricted free agent. “We feel Hank will be a good player for a long time here,” general manager Ken Holland said. “He’s an important part of our team.”
During the lockout, Zetterberg played for Timra in the Swedish Elite League where he led the team in scoring with 19 goals and 31 assists in 50 games.
“I saw a few of his games over in Sweden while I was there scouting,” Holland said, “and he did play very well. He’s the type of player who works hard every day at practice. He’s a pro. He’s responsible at both ends of the ice. I don’t know if Hank will be a big-time scorer, but he’s going to be a point producer in this league.”Â
Holland hopes to sign three more forwards with around $5.5 million left under the salary cap. And while most Wings fans hope that Datsyuk will be filling one of those spots, it sure seems unlikely. Two days ago, Moscow Dynamo matched Avangard Omsk’s contract. Gary Greenstin, Datsyuk’s agent, has said that the deal in Russia has a no-trade clause, but that Datsyuk still desires to play for the Wings. I’d be so frustrated in Holland’s position. Frustrated or seriously confused because I can’t figure out what Datsyuk wants. Since Russian hockey contracts aren’t as secure as the NHL’s, there is always a chance (a remote one) that Datsyuk could still play with the Wings. Datsyuk has until October 5 to return to Detroit. Once that date passes, he will be unable to leave his European team for an NHL squad. “We’re going under the assumption that Pavel will not be with us this season,” Holland said. “But I’ll continue to keep in touch with Gary Greenstin and stay on top of any developments.”
Osgood happy to be home
It appears that Chris Osgood is enjoying his return to Detroit. During an informal workout, Osgood could be seen joking with fellow goaltender Manny Legace, talking with old teammates (like Kris Draper, Brendan Shanahan, and Kirk Maltby), or even in his old locker stall.
“I’m excited about the opportunity,” Osgood said. “It’s a big opportunity for Manny and I. That’s the way we’re approaching it. I know what it’s like (playing in Detroit). I didn’t have any second thoughts at all. I keep going back to the fact we have a good team and we have a chance to win.Â
I like playing here. It’s like that for every player. If you don’t play well, they’ll (the fans) get on you. Over the course of 82 games, you won’t have a great game every game. I have a good feeling things will work out this year.
When I left, it’s like anything else in sports, few guys get a chance to play for the same team (for an entire career),” Osgood said. “I pretty much had run my course. I’d been in the organization for 10 years. It was time for me to go play someplace else. I was disappointed at the time, but I knew it was time to go.
And I had fun in New York. It was one of my favorite years in the league. But after being away for four years, I felt now it was time to go back and try it again. I was fortunate I had a chance to see what it’s like on another team, and I had a great time. But when I had an opportunity to come back, I jumped on it.”
“There’s been some good days and some not good ones,” Osgood said. “Health-wise, I feel great. It’s just a matter of getting the timing back and getting back to where we were before we had the break.”
Informal conditioning workouts at Joe Louis Arena
This week, Darren McCarty got a chance to say goodbye to his friends and now ex-teammates during an informal conditioning workout. Afterwards, he went around the dressing room hugging the guys and saying his goodbyes. “I’ve come to grips with it, but it’s still sort of surreal,” McCarty said. “It really was nice to be with the guys one more time, yukking it up. Nostalgic, you know?” He left Wednesday for Calgary to start preparing for the upcoming NHL season. “I played with the guy his entire career,” Yzerman said, “and it’s sad to see him move on.”
As of Tuesday when they did the informal workout, Steve Yzerman believes his knee is feeling much better than before the start of the lockout although that could all change once the season gets going. “Right now, I’ve got to say the layoff really helped,” said Yzerman. “We’ll see eight weeks from now if the soreness comes back, so I’m not going to get overly excited. But it feels better than it did at any time the last two years. I’m pleasantly surprised.”
Source: The Detroit News
Some of the veteran players admitted their disappointment when they found out Datsyuk wasn’t re-signing. “It’s definitely disappointing, but as teammates, we’d like to think the door’s not closed on Pavel coming back,” Brendan Shanahan said. “I think the expectations remain high. This team has a lot of depth. We’d all rather have Pavel, but when you compare us to other teams in the West, there’s no reason for us to use that as a crutch.” And while Yzerman agrees that it will be more challenging without Datsyuk, he still believes in the team’s competitive strength. “We’re worse off without Pavel,” Yzerman said. “We still should have a pretty strong lineup, but there’s no question we don’t have the depth we had a year and a half ago.”
Other Wings had something to say regarding the Datsyuk situation…
Mathieu Schneider: “There’s still a lot of depth on this team. Many people tend to forget we have Robert Lang. He was injured soon after he came here and played with a broken hand in the playoffs. Kris Draper had a big year for us and increased his confidence offensively. People like Nicklas Lidstrom, the depth we have on defense, the goaltending. We still have a very formidable team.”
Jiri Fischer: “You never know in these things. You never know what a person is thinking. It’s a very individual situation. For Pavel, this is an opportunity to stay near his home, play close to home, play in his home country. You can’t argue with that.”
Manny Legace: “It’s a different way of life there, I can tell you that right now from playing there (during the lockout). But if you’re from there, it’s your home, it’s something a player has to decide for himself and his family. Not having Pavel leaves a big hole on this team, but we have a lot of guys who can fill that hole.”
Chris Chelios: “We knew that with the salary cap, we’d be one of the teams that would be most affected. Time will tell, but we have some new faces and there are still some pretty good players around here.”
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