Wings re-sign Johan Franzen
Johan Franzen will be staying in Detroit for three more years after signing a contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Financial terms have yet to be disclosed. The Wings don’t have any other player to re-sign, but are still looking for a winger to help replace the offensive void left by Brendan Shanahan who had 40 goals and 41 assists last season.
“Johan had a very good rookie season in the NHL,” Wings GM Ken Holland said in a statement. “He was a big part of our penalty killing, provided us with a physical presence and played very well in the playoffs. Moving into his second NHL season and beyond, we’re hopeful he can gain some confidence and increase his contribution in the scoring department as well.”
Update: TSN.ca is reporting that Franzen’s three year deal is worth $2.825 milllion, which averages out at $947,667.00 per year. The Wings now have even more depth at the center position. This doesn’t leave Holland with a lot of money to sign a forward like Anson Carter or JP Dumont if he wants to leave $1-1.5 million as a sort of salary cap cushion for emergencies.
Update #2: According to the Free Press, Franzen will make $775,000 the first season, then $900,000, and $1.15 million in the final year of the contract.
“After watching Johan last year, he’s a player we think can be an important part of our team,” general manager Ken Holland said Friday. “He’s 26 years of age, really just coming into his prime. He’s a big body, about 225 pounds, hard to bang around. He has good hands. He’s very aware of his defensive responsibilities.”
“We think he can fit into a checking line, be comfortable there, and kill penalties,” Holland said. “But he gives us the versatility to slide him up to play with offensive players because he can make plays and pass the puck. We’re hoping he gains confidence around the net. He’s never been a natural scorer, but the coaching staff tried to encourage him to do more with the puck in the offensive zone. We don’t think he’s a 30-35 goal scorer, but we like to think he can score between 12-20 goals every year and continue to be a responsible defensive player.”
Related Posts
One Response to “Wings re-sign Johan Franzen”
Leave a Reply
August 29th, 2006 at 12:25 pm
[…] Johan Franzen re-signed with the Red Wings for three years and just over $2 million. The good news is that he’s only 26-years old, and should continue to improve at forward. [BtJ] […]