News Article: Would Fedorov be good for Yzerman's personnel?

[newfy]

Man...backstabbing Mr I?
A little dramatic for my taste.

And Fedorov is better than a few guys up there.

If Mr I didnt want him up there because Fedorov was an a-hole to him when he left the wings, then Illitch dies so they throw him up there what would you call that? Going behind his back or going against his wishes, its still back stabbing him after he was the one who built this organization back up from the dead wings.

I'm not sure hes better than a few up there either. Maybe one, possibly two at most, defniteyl not a few though. Definitely not better than Howe, Lindsey, Kelly, Sawchuk, Yzerman or Lidstrom.

Maybe you have a chance at arguing hes better than Abel I guess as a player but they were close for sure. But when you combine the history of the production line, the dynasty Abel was a part of while being the captain, plus a season where he led the league in goals and won the Hart I dont really see it from a jersey retirement stand point as Fedorov being more deserving. I dont really think theres any argument for him being a better "Red Wing" than Delvecchio either. Until Lidstrom came around, Delvecchio played the most games with one team in NHL history. Delvecchio is 3nd in goals, 4th in assists and 3rd in points in a red wings jersey all time. He won a bunch of cups and was also part of the new production line. He also wore the C on his jersey longer than anyone not named Yzerman in franchise history.

So while he might be a bit better then a couple (not a few) of these guys at hockey, at absolute most. Which one is he more deserving than to have his jersey retired? Fedorov would have the weakest claim for his jersey being up there right now. Its fine if you want to lower the standard of Red Wing jersey retirements and put him up there and I might be open to that, but lets not pretend he deserves his number retired over any of those guys, plain and simple he doesnt.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

The Wings played a significant part in his departure. Both sides shouldn't be happy with how that played out.

I think he could come back though and I don't think retirement of the jersey is out of the question for him.

They pulled contracts out from under him in those negotiations, keep in mind also what was going on in his personal life. He was beginning to figure out he had been defrauded, was switching agents and was being dumped/divorced depending on who you listen to by Kournikova. That he needed more time wasn't shocking. That you went from 5 X 10 to 4 X 10 to 4X9 each time you talked to him kind of was. It is what it is, he took bad advice signing a poison pill contract with one of Ilitch's mortal enemies in Detroit. They weren't willing to cut him a break when the next negotiations turned hard and felt annoyed considering they were offering him massive contracts. Really with the lockout and salary slashing and the fact he never seemed to capture his same form outside of Detroit I think both sides probably look at that very differently than how it was going in the middle of that negotiation.

I think he is the next most deserving guy, but I am not sure they will do it and he would be the weakest profile in terms of jersey retirement up in the rafters as @newfy is pointing out. Zetterberg probably comes in after Fedorov in terms of the case to be made. Ebbie Goodfellow is probably the only real old timer worth discussing. Datsyuk is also in that discussion though I would be surprised if he went up either.

But more hockey minds isn't a bad thing in terms of an organization. I would think he could join our European team and be some sort of advisor or relocate to Detroit if he is open to it. He would have to want to grind, Yzerman and company work pretty hard in a way that I am not sure KHL organizations are going to have lined up with.

 

[Peter Tosh]

On the number issue; The dynasty we experienced from mid 90s to 2010 was extraordinary. Players who contributed to this should have their numbers retired, IMO. If it was up to me, we’d retire 13, 14, 30, 33, 40 and of course 91 to commemorate an era with an amount of success, over such a long time, we probably will not experience ever again.

 

[deca guard]

all the off ice soap opera between feds and wings should have nothing to do with his number being retired . i dont care what feds said to mr i or jimmy d or if they think feds did something wrong leaving , thats between those individuals . jersey retirement is about what a player did on the ice for the team and the fans and absolutely nothing else . only way that varies is if a player were to commit some type moralless criminal act against society , then yes he shouldnt be respected . but its childish behavior if mr i and or jimmy d have prevented feds number retirement because of personal conflict with feds .

 

[newfy]

On the number issue; The dynasty we experienced from mid 90s to 2010 was extraordinary. Players who contributed to this should have their numbers retired, IMO. If it was up to me, we’d retire 13, 14, 30, 33, 40 and of course 91 to commemorate an era with an amount of success, over such a long time, we probably will not experience ever again.

Absolutely disagree. Retired numbers should be reserved for not only guys with a lot of talent and impact on the ice but the guys who were high end examples of leadership, showed respect etc etc. Theyre the guys you would want to represent your team off the ice as well. As fans, a lot of people dont care about the behind the scenes stuff but it matters. Fedorov leaving Detroit the way he did with the hold out and everything plus the rumours about being unhappy it was Yzermans team not his are enough of a black mark compared to anyone elses numbers in the rafters that hes kinda the odd one out.

Its not like he was a crazy talented player compared to others up there, he might honestly only be better than one of them but that guys red wing resume trumps Fedorovs completely. I really dont think Zetterberg or Datsyuk should be up there either but I like the fact that they have really high standards for retirement of numbers. Fedorov, Datsyuk and Zetterberg would all stand out as not belonging with the other group of guys up there right now honestly from an all time stand point

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

I dont know if thats really all that impressive. The KHL is a joke of a league with a bunch of owners and the president scratching each others backs with corruption. Did Fedorov turn them around with smart hockey moves? Its possible but who the hell actually knows with how that league is ran



If his jersey is retired he's likely the least accomplished up there and left with a bad impression. A lot of other teams likely would but the wings are the hardest rafters to get into. Seems like back stabbing Mr I. to wait for him to die to just retire it afterwards with everything he did for the wings and Detroit

What?

 

[newfy]

What?

Exactly what I said, sound it out. Its not like the wings have some plugs in the rafters. Everyone up there is more or roughly equally accomplished as a red wing than Fedorov was on the ice. Fedorov would be in the argument for least accomplished on ice as a Red Wing (I think he would be the least accomplished) and he has that baggage with Illitch to go along with it. Its pretty simple.

Removing the BS with Illitch, you would still have trouble arguing he deserves to be up there over anyone. Add it in and hes definitely least deserving. Its fine if people want to lower the standards to allow a guy like Fedorov to get up there but given the standard right now, he doesnt deserve it.

 

[Claypool]

Its fine if people want to lower the standards to allow a guy like Fedorov to get up there but given the standard right now, he doesnt deserve it.

Fine by me, just don't complain when Zetterberg and Datsyuk don't go up then.

 

[newfy]

Fine by me, just don't complain when Zetterberg and Datsyuk don't go up then.

I've already said I dont think they should go up. I like the wings having a high standard. I loved Z and Datsyuk on the wings but they werent really close in accomplishing what the other guys up there accomplished. I think Fedorov should go up before those two but I dont think any of the three really should at this point

 

[HisNoodliness]

Should have retired his number a while ago. If it isn't up because they didn't think he was good enough, fine. I don't agree, but it's fine. If it's not up because of the way they departed and hurt feelings...well that's more a statement about the Illitches than Fedorov.

Concerning a managerial position, things seemed to go well for CSKA but it's pretty tough to say if he's actually any good. I'd be ambivalent.

 

[ShelbyZ]

Really with the lockout and salary slashing and the fact he never seemed to capture his same form outside of Detroit I think both sides probably look at that very differently than how it was going in the middle of that negotiation.

In all reality, Fedorov leaving when he did probably actually helped preserve his legacy in Detroit. If he had re-signed for the reported $9-10 million, or even the $8 million he got from the Ducks, the Red Wings enter the first season of the cap era with over 1/3 of the cap tied up in just Lidstrom and Fedorov. That means they have to do a good bit more gutting to the core of the roster than they had done without him. If (or more likely when) his game drops off like it actually did after the lockout, I have to think some Red Wings fans would throw some blame his way if the team takes a sudden drop from the top of the league and enters a rebuild much sooner than they did. That said, I'm sure the organization/HSJ/etc. would've done their best to keep it aimed at the introduction of the cap itself.

That's 1 of 2 interesting "what if" scenario's to look back on with Fedorov. The other being what if the Wings decline to match the Canes offer sheet and take the 4 first round picks.

 

[FireBird71]

Hell Yes

 

[saska sault]

I've already said I dont think they should go up. I like the wings having a high standard. I loved Z and Datsyuk on the wings but they werent really close in accomplishing what the other guys up there accomplished. I think Fedorov should go up before those two but I dont think any of the three really should at this point

While I don't agree, I can see why some want the organization to have a higher standard. In my opinion, all three should be retired.. Some of the 3 most talented players at both ends of the ice I've ever seen since I've watched hockey as a kid about 20 years ago. The creativity, on both ends made you glued to the TV. I doubt we see a talent equal to any of those 3 in a Winged Wheel for another 20 years.. If we do we should be counting our blessings. I think the fact we are spoiled with Lidstrom and Yzerman amongst others at the same time, maybe in a small way hurt each players legacy in some fans views.

Any of those players, with the same accomplishments, on any other team in the league would be a matter of WHEN and not IF their jersey would be retired.

 

[newfy]

While I don't agree, I can see why some want the organization to have a higher standard. In my opinion, all three should be retired.. Some of the 3 most talented players at both ends of the ice I've ever seen since I've watched hockey as a kid about 20 years ago. The creativity, on both ends made you glued to the TV. I doubt we see a talent equal to any of those 3 in a Winged Wheel for another 20 years.. If we do we should be counting our blessings. I think the fact we are spoiled with Lidstrom and Yzerman amongst others at the same time, maybe in a small way hurt each players legacy in some fans views.

Any of those players, with the same accomplishments, on any other team in the league would be a matter of WHEN and not IF their jersey would be retired.

Thats the thing though. The wings are spoiled by who is up in the rafters because the wings likely have the second best roster of all time and even despite their lack of cups compared to the Habs, the wings all time roster could give them a run for their money. The wings have 100 years of history, youve been watching 20 years and have seen a couple go up there, thats pretty good. I dont really care if Datsyuk and Zetterberg would be retired in Anaheim, or Columbus or anywhere else that doesnt mean they belong up there for the wings. If theyre a borderline hall of famer (which both those guys are unfortunately) I dont think they should go up there. Its reserved for the absolute all time great red wings and as great as those guys were, one didnt even crack 1000 games. They were some of the best Ive seen too but they can be respected for that without having their jerseys up there

 

[ShelbyZ]

If theyre a borderline hall of famer (which both those guys are unfortunately)

While I agree that maybe they aren't the greatest players to potentially have their numbers hang at LCA, "borderline" is selling them real short... Guy Carbonneau and Dave Andreychuk recently got inducted for christ sake.

Datsyuk was included in that "100 Greatest Players of All Time" list from the league a couple years back after his NHL career was over at that point. The list included HOFers and guys like Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Kane, Keith and Jagr. Since then he's joined the triple gold club. He may not be first ballot, but there's no way Datsyuk is"borderline" for the HOF...

 

[Retire91]

I don't get the hate. I fault management on Fedorov moving to the ducks more than Fedorov. He just helps the team to their 3rd cup of that time, and wasn't just a role player, Fedorov could have been con smythe any of those wins. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I think he led the team in postseason points each cup win. Sure keep taking money off the table every time he takes a day to think things over. In a non-cap era and a player that marketable that is a surefire way to alienate someone from a negotiation. Fedorov's stay might have been shorter than other Jersey's up there but he was still here for 13 seasons and over 1000 points in a wings jersey and the 97-02 timeframe was historic for the wings 3 cups that he was a huge part of. His contribution to the team is grossly undersold by controversy, you would be hard-pressed to find players in the lengthy wings history with that kind of resume that are not already up there. There are always at least two sides to an argument but I definitely think there is a wrong side to this one.

Edit just throwing this in here:
Fedorov is 11th 'all-time' in games played as a redwing
There are only 5 players above him in scoring 'all-time' on that list and Henrik Zetterberg is the only one in that list not in the rafters
Instrumental in 3 cup wins
Heart Trophy, 2 Selke

I would be interested to see a post for someone with a better resume who is not up there

 

[saska sault]

I don't get the hate. I fault management on Fedorov moving to the ducks more than Fedorov. He just helps the team to their 3rd cup of that time, and wasn't just a role player, Fedorov could have been con smythe any of those wins. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I think he led the team in postseason points each cup win. Sure keep taking money off the table every time he takes a day to think things over. In a non-cap era and a player that marketable that is a surefire way to alienate someone from a negotiation. Fedorov's stay might have been shorter than other Jersey's up there but he was still here for 13 seasons and over 1000 points in a wings jersey and the 97-02 timeframe was historic for the wings 3 cups that he was a huge part of. His contribution to the team is grossly undersold by controversy, you would be hard-pressed to find players in the lengthy wings history with that kind of resume that are not already up there. There are always at least two sides to an argument but I definitely think there is a wrong side to this one.

Edit just throwing this in here:
Fedorov is 11th 'all-time' in games played as a redwing
There are only 5 players above him in scoring 'all-time' on that list and Henrik Zetterberg is the only one in that list not in the rafters
Instrumental in 3 cup wins
Heart Trophy, 2 Selke

I would be interested to see a post for someone with a better resume who is not up there

This. We undervalue the contributions of our greats, Federov especially. All 3 should be hanging from the rafters... In my mind the 2 iconic Wings are Howe and Yzerman. Between the two the represented what.. 50 years of Red Wing hockey? After that you have Lidstrom, Lindsay, and so on... The third tier is the ones we are speaking of. All should be hanging from the Pizza Palace rafters. I could care less if we eventually have to switch to 3 digit jersey numbers.. Small price to pay for watching those guys (as a fan).

Forgive me for leaving out many names, I'm speaking in general terms.

 

[newfy]

While I agree that maybe they aren't the greatest players to potentially have their numbers hang at LCA, "borderline" is selling them real short... Guy Carbonneau and Dave Andreychuk recently got inducted for christ sake.

Datsyuk was included in that "100 Greatest Players of All Time" list from the league a couple years back after his NHL career was over at that point. The list included HOFers and guys like Crosby, Ovechkin, Toews, Kane, Keith and Jagr. Since then he's joined the triple gold club. He may not be first ballot, but there's no way Datsyuk is"borderline" for the HOF...

I think Datsyuk gets in but hes not a slam dunk like you said, might take him a while. Zetterberg I'm not so sure about though. Carbonneau definitely wasnt the player they are but hes credited as being the first real shut down center and got the boost from being a hab. Andeychuk, say what you want but he wasnt all that far off in goals as Datsyuk was in games played. He had more goals than either of them had assists. I think they both will get in but they arent as slam dunk as you think, especially Zetterberg

I don't get the hate. I fault management on Fedorov moving to the ducks more than Fedorov. He just helps the team to their 3rd cup of that time, and wasn't just a role player, Fedorov could have been con smythe any of those wins. Someone can correct me if I am wrong but I think he led the team in postseason points each cup win. Sure keep taking money off the table every time he takes a day to think things over. In a non-cap era and a player that marketable that is a surefire way to alienate someone from a negotiation. Fedorov's stay might have been shorter than other Jersey's up there but he was still here for 13 seasons and over 1000 points in a wings jersey and the 97-02 timeframe was historic for the wings 3 cups that he was a huge part of. His contribution to the team is grossly undersold by controversy, you would be hard-pressed to find players in the lengthy wings history with that kind of resume that are not already up there. There are always at least two sides to an argument but I definitely think there is a wrong side to this one.

Edit just throwing this in here:
Fedorov is 11th 'all-time' in games played as a redwing
There are only 5 players above him in scoring 'all-time' on that list and Henrik Zetterberg is the only one in that list not in the rafters
Instrumental in 3 cup wins
Heart Trophy, 2 Selke

I would be interested to see a post for someone with a better resume who is not up there

Fedorov only led in 97, Yzerman led the other 2 cup runs. I dont think anyone is syaing theres a player more deserving than Fedorov to be in the rafters next. But if he was up there he would be the least deserving

 

[Goalie guy]

You could say the same (debateably) about Brendan Shanahan, but where would he fit?

There can only be one man at the top, and that's Stevie. We have a whole host of ex-players in the organization (Draper, Cleary, Fischer, Verbeek), what role would there be for Fedorov?

He was a coach at 6 of my hockey camps growing up, yes I'm a goalie but for 11 years of every summer skating with pro players none and I mean none where as smooth or as fast. That alone would help our team, and he would be a huge in on the Russian player front.

 

[avssuc]

Yzerman knows Federov better than anyone involved in the article, better than everyone in the front office, better than us here. From his time in Tampa it seems he likes Russians more than many GMs. If Federov can help in any way and there's mutual interest and need, it will happen.

The Wings should start by hanging 91 in the rafters. Dude was arguably one of the best players in the 90s. He had 120+ playoff points (with 1 team) in that decade alone, 2nd to Super Mario. It seems insane that people find a reason to keep his number at ice level.

 

[GBFP]

His on-ice career deserves to be in the rafters, but his number should never hang there because of his scumbag antics working with Karmanos to almost bankrupt Ilitches at the time.

Pull 91 out of circulation, but he never should be honored with his jersey in the rafters.

 

[Electric Eric]

Having trouble finding the article/quote but I'm pretty confident I remember Holland saying 40 will be in the rafters.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Having trouble finding the article/quote but I'm pretty confident I remember Holland saying 40 will be in the rafters.

Devellano has also said that one as well if I remember right. We will have to wait and see.

 

[TheMule93]

Having trouble finding the article/quote but I'm pretty confident I remember Holland saying 40 will be in the rafters.

Active NHLers who are a lock for jersey retirement as Devils announce honor for Elias - TheHockeyNews

Just ask GM Ken Holland. Speaking with THN’s Ken Campbell on Thursday, Holland made it clear he has no desire to move Zetterberg and chances are he remains a Red Wing until he decides he’s done with the game. If that’s not enough, Holland said, “Zetterberg’s jersey is going in the rafters.” Enough said.

 

[TheClap]

If his jersey is retired he's likely the least accomplished up there and left with a bad impression. A lot of other teams likely would but the wings are the hardest rafters to get into. Seems like back stabbing Mr I. to wait for him to die to just retire it afterwards with everything he did for the wings and Detroit

4th all time Red Wing in Goals, 6th in points.
5th all time in Red Wing Playoff Goals, 3rd all time in playoff points.
3 Cups.
First ballot HOFer.
The last Red Wing to win a Hart trophy and the only to win since the days of Gordie Howe.

Get outta here with this "least accomplished" nonsense.

Mr. I was a stubborn old man who couldn't forgive and forget. The petty grudges should be dead and buried with him.

Retire 91

And if they want him here in some management capacity, that'd be great. Given Yzerman's penchant for drafting Russians in Tampa, bringing Fedorov aboard in the front-office seems like it'd be a good fit.