Waived: Danny DeKeyser

[lomekian]

Is Dekeyser done? Been reading up on his 2020 season and seemed like he had a back injury, but has he looked awful? The blueline in my team has not gelled well (Hughes really needs a stable defense partner in particular), could Danny still have some top-4 caliber play in him still in the NHL? (if the Wings are down, we can swap washed up vets, e.g. Loui and a 4th for Dekeyser; most of Loui's contract was front-loaded and in a defensive role he can still hold his own; and you'd also get a pick for taking on an extra $1 million per season; same term length as DD).

A fit DDK is a perfectly serviceable 4th D man on a decent to good team. Right now, he's not fit, which is no big surprise after last year. The question mark is whether this is recovery and some games in GR will help or if his goose is cooked at this level - a question only the medical people can really answer at this stage

 

[Henkka]

Will Edmonton claim him?

No, they are already against the cap and waiving guys like Neal because of that.

 

[Go Wings]

Did not expectt his but I do approve. Dekeyser has not been good the last couple of seasons.

 

[Hugh Mongusbig]

Sounds like DDK has some lingering nerve issues in one leg, which is not surprising to me.
I had the same issue. when I ruptured a couple discs in my back, I had a lot of nerve issues in one leg, and still do.

I lost all reflexes in my right leg. dead. tap on all the reflex points in my leg with the hammer and nothing.
Losing the reflexes, also led to me losing strength in that leg. post surgery, some strength was regain, and my reflexes did come back, but the damage was done.
My right leg will never be as strong as it once was. Sounds like DDK has the same issues with one leg. They probably hoped he'd be able to work it back to full strength but now its not looking so good.

 

[heyfolks]

His shot is as powerful as Mr. Burns (Simpsons) right hand.

 

[heyfolks]

30 Mil for 6 years... I know many liked that deal, but I cringed. Never much of a fan.

 

[ShelbyZ]

My guess is they want the flexibility to get him to GR for conditioning but for longer than the 2 weeks afforded with a "conditioning loan". That or they figure if he isn't going to be in the lineup for the foreseeable future, might as well just move him to the TS so he can keep practicing with the team without taking up a roster spot.

His cap hit, remaining term, current health and having barely played any hockey in 2 years pretty much guarantees he clears.

 

[SirloinUB]

He did a solid job filling a role on this team healthy. I’d love to see him go to Grand Rapids and continue practicing while working on his strength for a few weeks, then get some games in and called back up to big squad to see what he has left.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Sounds like DDK has some lingering nerve issues in one leg, which is not surprising to me.
I had the same issue. when I ruptured a couple discs in my back, I had a lot of nerve issues in one leg, and still do.

I lost all reflexes in my right leg. dead. tap on all the reflex points in my leg with the hammer and nothing.
Losing the reflexes, also led to me losing strength in that leg. post surgery, some strength was regain, and my reflexes did come back, but the damage was done.
My right leg will never be as strong as it once was. Sounds like DDK has the same issues with one leg. They probably hoped he'd be able to work it back to full strength but now its not looking so good.

Sorry to hear this. Was it a sports injury?

 

[redwings8831]

 

[Gniwder]

Sounds like DDK has some lingering nerve issues in one leg, which is not surprising to me.
I had the same issue. when I ruptured a couple discs in my back, I had a lot of nerve issues in one leg, and still do.

I lost all reflexes in my right leg. dead. tap on all the reflex points in my leg with the hammer and nothing.
Losing the reflexes, also led to me losing strength in that leg. post surgery, some strength was regain, and my reflexes did come back, but the damage was done.
My right leg will never be as strong as it once was. Sounds like DDK has the same issues with one leg. They probably hoped he'd be able to work it back to full strength but now its not looking so good.

It's interesting how those of us with back injuries have a more dire outlook for DDK. People don't seem to understand that working out doesn't fix nerve issues, sending him to GR isn't going to help him.

If he's lucky, the disc will dry out like mine did. I have no leg issues anymore, but now I have a joint issue. The joint hurts when I bend over but I haven't had sciatica in the past year. No way I'd consider playing contact sports. I was invited to play in a non-checking beer league by an ex-NHLer and passed up on it.

I'm 90%+ sure he's done.

 

[Hammettf2b]

Everyone cleared

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

 

[WingedWheel1987]

It must be so demoralizing for a player when he clears waivers.

 

[Tasteslikekevinbacon]

It must be so demoralizing for a player when he clears waivers.

Probably for a younger guy but I’d assume the older guys are happy not to have to uproot and move. A guy like DDK is probably happy to stay close to home.

 

[SoupGuru]

It's interesting how those of us with back injuries have a more dire outlook for DDK. People don't seem to understand that working out doesn't fix nerve issues, sending him to GR isn't going to help him.

If he's lucky, the disc will dry out like mine did. I have no leg issues anymore, but now I have a joint issue. The joint hurts when I bend over but I haven't had sciatica in the past year. No way I'd consider playing contact sports. I was invited to play in a non-checking beer league by an ex-NHLer and passed up on it.

I'm 90%+ sure he's done.

I'm honestly thinking he wouldn't have been cleared to play if he still had nerve issues. "Hey, the nerves don't really work in one of Danny's legs but you should put him in the lineup" doesn't seem like a good way for a doctor to keep his job.

To me it seems like more of a fitness issue. The atrophy of such a long time being unable to work out, the short amount of time to get back into game shape, the lack of a training camp, and a compressed season makes me think it was more of a "The are no medical issues preventing Danny from being in the lineup. Whether he's fit enough isn't our call."

But yeah, maybe everything seemed fine but now after a few game they're noticing things. But then he's not out for an "injury".

So, who the hell knows?

 

[Gniwder]

I'm honestly thinking he wouldn't have been cleared to play if he still had nerve issues. "Hey, the nerves don't really work in one of Danny's legs but you should put him in the lineup" doesn't seem like a good way for a doctor to keep his job.

To me it seems like more of a fitness issue. The atrophy of such a long time being unable to work out, the short amount of time to get back into game shape, the lack of a training camp, and a compressed season makes me think it was more of a "The are no medical issues preventing Danny from being in the lineup. Whether he's fit enough isn't our call."

But yeah, maybe everything seemed fine but now after a few game they're noticing things. But then he's not out for an "injury".

So, who the hell knows?

I can't imagine he would've been cleared if it was atrophy either, not to mention that would impact both legs, not just one.

Nerve issues will come and go. I broke up a bar fight once, the guy wound up pulling me down when I threw the idiot on the ground and it actually alleviated my back problem for 3 months. Then I hit a bump wrong while skiing, and it came back just as bad.

Even if DDK comes back, he's one crosscheck away from LTIR. I get $5M/yr is a lot of money, but he needs to consider retirement while he's still able to walk. Same thing I said about Kronwall's knees. He needs to start thinking about life after hockey, being a cripple is no fun.

 

[RedMenace]

I can't imagine he would've been cleared if it was atrophy either, not to mention that would impact both legs, not just one.

Nerve issues will come and go. I broke up a bar fight once, the guy wound up pulling me down when I threw the idiot on the ground and it actually alleviated my back problem for 3 months. Then I hit a bump wrong while skiing, and it came back just as bad.

Even if DDK comes back, he's one crosscheck away from LTIR. I get $5M/yr is a lot of money, but he needs to consider retirement while he's still able to walk. Same thing I said about Kronwall's knees. He needs to start thinking about life after hockey, being a cripple is no fun.

Yeah, and while knees can be problematic in general, aggravated back injuries (especially nerves) can lead to all sorts of other, more debilitating issues down the road.

For his sake I hope we're over estimating the injury, but an LTIR seems like it might be the better option for everyone involved.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

It must be so demoralizing for a player when he clears waivers.

Almost out of the league most of the time...

 

[heyfolks]

My guess is they want the flexibility to get him to GR for conditioning but for longer than the 2 weeks afforded with a "conditioning loan". That or they figure if he isn't going to be in the lineup for the foreseeable future, might as well just move him to the TS so he can keep practicing with the team without taking up a roster spot.

His cap hit, remaining term, current health and having barely played any hockey in 2 years pretty much guarantees he clears.

Agree. He'll clear, head to GR and either play his way back into shape and comeback next year or go to LTIR and then retire. Can't see him back in Detroit or the NHL. As you state, he's hasn't been playing in the League much for two years.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

I can't imagine he would've been cleared if it was atrophy either, not to mention that would impact both legs, not just one.

Nerve issues will come and go. I broke up a bar fight once, the guy wound up pulling me down when I threw the idiot on the ground and it actually alleviated my back problem for 3 months. Then I hit a bump wrong while skiing, and it came back just as bad.

Even if DDK comes back, he's one crosscheck away from LTIR. I get $5M/yr is a lot of money, but he needs to consider retirement while he's still able to walk. Same thing I said about Kronwall's knees. He needs to start thinking about life after hockey, being a cripple is no fun.

1. Challenege Accepted #OldDudesBarFightClub lol /s \s ...I stopped drinking ~10 years ago so it'll take me a while to get upto speed on the liquid courage.

2. the 1st rule of Old Dudes Bar Fight Club is we do talk about it amongst our peers & exaggerate it to our kids/grandkids/colleagues.

3. I bought numerous herbaceuticals for 15+ yrs from PurityProducts.com. Had the gout a few times & cleared it up in 1 day with this:

H.A. Joint Formula - Hyaluronic Acid | Purity Products

4. One knows they're getting old when they're passing on health related advice from 10+ yrs ago.

 

[Gniwder]

1. Challenege Accepted #OldDudesBarFightClub lol /s \s ...I stopped drinking ~10 years ago so it'll take me a while to get upto speed on the liquid courage.

2. the 1st rule of Old Dudes Bar Fight Club is we do talk about it amongst our peers & exaggerate it to our kids/grandkids/colleagues.

3. I bought numerous herbaceuticals for 15+ yrs from PurityProducts.com. Had the gout a few times & cleared it up in 1 day with this:

H.A. Joint Formula - Hyaluronic Acid | Purity Products

4. One knows they're getting old when they're passing on health related advice from 10+ yrs ago.

1) Wasn't drunk. I work the door at that bar on big events, though I wasn't working that particular night. We had a guy try to throw a punch at a staff member, his cousin tried to get involved so I threw him. (It's the bar that my buddy owns.)

They don't let me drink when I work the door, so I only work big events as a favor to the owner.

2) Of course.

3) I've never had gout, that would be a good reason to quit drinking. I haven't quit but my alcohol consumption is down considerably since they keep shutting the bars down. I don't drink at home.

4) I'm 49, but back injury will age you 10 years easily.

 

[Retire91]

I don't understand this thinking. He has only one year left at 5 million. It's not a big contract even if he is done as a top 4 or even top 6D in the NHL (which I hope he isn't). We're going to have something like 50 million in cap space next season and our LHD side is weeeeeaaaaaak, if Dekeyser could rebound to even become a serviceable #4D it would be huge for our ability to compete.

Teams aren't going to claim him because he isn't healthy, even at a much smaller contract no one wants to pick up a guy that might not be able to play at all due to health reasons. Also, this season a lot of "surprising" guys will end up on waivers and GMs will want to keep some unwritten rule of letting these guys pass through waivers.

He is just one of those players for me like Abby that was played over his ability but also paid for it in his salary and I resented that. When your team is devoid of talent and a 3rd liner is on your first line and their agent demands first line money and you pay it, it handcuffs the team because now you got money in an unmovable contract for a player that is doing a mediocre job in what they are asked to do. And then the injuries started piling up. I just want to start moving on from players that are no longer part of the core and also from players that were never part of a new core but Holland shoe horned a square peg into a round hole. I will be happy when DeKeyser is no longer a wing and if it can happen sooner then that is all the better.

 

[Vandalay Industries]

They won't need Nielsen's contract to reach the cap floor. There is only a $1M difference between his cap hit if he's bought out vs not bought out. They can easily find that somewhere else if they are that close and want to free up the roster spot. After they re-sign Bertuzzi and Hronek they would be about $15-16M from the floor, with the need to sign 8 forwards, 4 defensemen, and 1 goalie. Shouldn't be difficult.

It's more likely they keep him around to meet the expansion draft exposure requirement, but even then I kinda doubt it at this point (I expect they'll re-sign Erne and expose him and Namestnikov to meet the req). At this point, I'd bet on Nielsen getting bought out.

I've been looking at this a lot recently and I don't agree with this. Although I have to admit I don't understand exactly the real-money effect of the buyout. But from a cap floor perspective I don't think they will do it.

I agree they shouldn't have Nielsen in the line up, but I don't agree with buying him out. Simply because it's a short term fix that they don't need with this very weak roster. It will free up money for 21/22 that they probably won't bring to use anyway. It will be more usefull to just have Nielsen completely off the books in 2022/23.

Now, my speculation starts elsewhere: Namely at looking at what prospects we have coming into the team:

In my eyes there are only five potential forwards for next season and it would be a miracle to see all five of them slide into the line up: Jonatan Berggren, Lucas Raymond, Alexander Kadeykin, Otto Kivenmäki and Joe Veleno. To me Berggren and Kadeykin seems most ready for next year, but none of the five are a guarantee. Of course we might add a draft choice in 2021 to this, but it seems that there might very well not be any NHL ready forwards in play at this draft. So I think we will get a defenseman in this draft.

I would love to add Svechnikov and Rasmussen to the possible list for next season and even Hirose, but since they don't spend this season getting them ready for NHL, I am writing off these guys - I just don't think they will make it. I'll be happy suprised if they manage to get one or two of them into the roster next season, but I just wouldn't count on it when they don't use them over Nielsen this year.

Now, we have Filppula, Gagner, Helm, Glendening and Ryan as UFA's and Erne and Bromé as RFA's. I would like to keep Ryan and Glendening, but the other ones would depend on what Yzerman will be able to fetch on the market.

But that is a lot of players going out and with only MAYBE a couple of young players able to step in it will be necessary to make some serious scoops on the market to close these holes. And I just can't imagine a scenario where Nielsen becomes completely expendable to a degree where it becomes a good enough deal to buy him out.

I think it will be better to just let this contract run for the last season.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

1) Wasn't drunk. I work the door at that bar on big events, though I wasn't working that particular night. We had a guy try to throw a punch at a staff member, his cousin tried to get involved so I threw him. (It's the bar that my buddy owns.)

They don't let me drink when I work the door, so I only work big events as a favor to the owner.

2) Of course.

3) I've never had gout, that would be a good reason to quit drinking. I haven't quit but my alcohol consumption is down considerably since they keep shutting the bars down. I don't drink at home.

4) I'm 49, but back injury will age you 10 years easily.

The link was for your joints, back, knees, wherever. The stuff works really well.