Confirmed with Link: Abdelkader placed on waivers for buyout

[Mister Ed]

Maybe he's a fit in GR for strength & conditioning? Teach the kids how to pull a piano etc.

That's what I had in mind. I mean, piano-pulling is where it's at.

 

[Retire91]

You think datsyuk left because Abby was on his line? I was always under the impression that he requested to play with Abby. Where did you hear differently?

I didn't imply Daytsuk left "because" of abby IMO Daytsuk left because the wings became a joke of a team and they were not playing any talent around him to make it worth his time. Abby is just a good example of that, I honestly can't believe how much ice time that plug got on Daytsuk's wing

I don't recall Daytsuk publicly requesting to play with Abby but if that is out there I have to believe that is Daytsuk public relation team speak. Even if its true he knows they are not playing Zets with him any more and who else is even on the team to substitute when there is literally zero depth. Abby is just an example of the wings having no answers after Lidstrom retired and refusing to rebuild trying to bubble with a bunch of plugs. I am not surprised, nor do I blame Daytsuk for leaving and I think having Abby and Cleary as wingers is undoubtedly part of it. None of this is Abby's fault personally, but it still happened weather its his fault or not. Good riddance and try not to polish the turd of your career with a bunch of sappy Detroit news articles to stay relevant.

 

[MBH]

I didn't imply Daytsuk left "because" of abby IMO Daytsuk left because the wings became a joke of a team and they were not playing any talent around him to make it worth his time. Abby is just a good example of that, I honestly can't believe how much ice time that plug got on Daytsuk's wing

I don't recall Daytsuk publicly requesting to play with Abby but if that is out there I have to believe that is Daytsuk public relation team speak. Even if its true he knows they are not playing Zets with him any more and who else is even on the team to substitute when there is literally zero depth. Abby is just an example of the wings having no answers after Lidstrom retired and refusing to rebuild trying to bubble with a bunch of plugs. I am not surprised, nor do I blame Daytsuk for leaving and I think having Abby and Cleary as wingers is undoubtedly part of it. None of this is Abby's fault personally, but it still happened weather its his fault or not. Good riddance and try not to polish the turd of your career with a bunch of sappy Detroit news articles to stay relevant.

Rather than scolding anger, I prefer cold indifference.
Abby did f*** all in Detroit.
Darren Helm, at least, had a nice role in a cup-winning team.
It's not Abby's fault he got promoted to the first line.
He was just a hard-nosed, low-event hockey guy who worked hard. Never should have left Line 3. Never should have made more than $1.5M a year.

Can't blame him for taking the money.
But you can judge him against his salary - and, in fact, you must in a salary cap era.

I said when he signed here - in fact, before he signed here - that he'd be our David Clarkson.

Abdelkader:
Y1 4-14-21 Top linemates: Larkin, 297; Helm, 196; Zetterberg, 174
Y2 13-22-35 TL: Nielsen, 428; Helm, 310; Larkin, 258
Y3 6-13-19 TL Larkin 338l Glendening 256; Nyquist, 238/
Y4 0-3-3 TL Ehn, 205; Helm 119; DelaRose 100

He wasn't quite as awful as Clarkson - at least until the end. Then again, not sure Clarkson played many minutes on the top line and PP in Detroit.

One small thing in defense of Abdelakder last year. It's been a long time since I've seen a coach this clueless about 4th lines.

 

[MBH]

Maybe he's a fit in GR for strength & conditioning? Teach the kids how to pull a piano etc.

Rather give the job to someone who's qualified - and not just have an ex-player brigade. Strength and conditioning are sciences.

We have Cleary, Horcoff, Fischer, etc etc etc... how many good old boys do you need on the payroll?

 

[ShelbyZ]

I doubt the team or line mates had much if anything to do with Datsyuk's departure. For the right amount of guaranteed money, he probably would've played on a line with Al Sobotka and a fan chosen at random before each game.

Abdelkader could've suddenly been possessed by 1982 Wayne Gretzky and scoring a goal per game and Datsyuk still wouldn't have wanted to play for that $5.5M when the NHL was keeping most of the 15%+ they where withholding for ESCROW.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Rather give the job to someone who's qualified - and not just have an ex-player brigade. Strength and conditioning are sciences.

We have Cleary, Horcoff, Fischer, etc etc etc... how many good old boys do you need on the payroll?

Agreed 100%. I was really just trying to sway some folks away from the idea that he could/should be with the Wings.

 

[ShelbyZ]

I think I mentioned it somewhere earlier in this post, but IMO at this point Abdelkader's only hope for another job on an NHL roster is going to be a league minimum contract or PTO that becomes one in that Dallas Drake/McCarty2.0/Brad May/David Booth vein. He'd end up some #12/13/14 forward that won the spot on hard work and/or is some rallying point for the team because with his 4-7 minutes of ice time when dressed, he's using his old broken body to hit anything that moves or acts as a punching bag to put a better player from the other team in the penalty box for 5 minutes.

Problem is, those guys were better than Abdelkader at skating, being a tough guy or both. Some also had an edge due to their history with the team/players/coach/management/etc., where they were from, or in Brad May's case the coach had a long time stiffy for them during their prime. Most of those circumstances would point to Detroit in Abdelkader's case and obviously he can't come back (yet? ). And unfortunately (for Abdelkader that is) if Babcock still has a stiffy for him, he doesn't have an NHL coaching job where he can lobby to bring him in.

All that said, Abdelkader probably needed to do AT LEAST that if he had any hope of continuing his dream of playing for the Red Wings, so I'm not sure if he'd be interested in doing it for less money elsewhere...

As far as a front office job goes, I'm pretty sure Abdelkader ended up finishing his degree in something business related so he if he seems qualified and motivated who cares if they give him something to do. It's not like they'll tag him right away with anything that'll have any sort of direct or future consequence to the teams success and it's not like they can't send him packing if it doesn't work out... And it doesn't even have to be in hockey ops... They could make him "Ambassador of Children's Literature". Even then, pretty much all NHL front offices have some level of "old boys club" going on whether it be former players of that team or buddies of people in charge. Even the infallible Steve Yzerman has given jobs to guys like Verbeek, Roest, Pusher, his own brother and more recently Jesse Wallin and Kronwall...

 

[kliq]

I didn't imply Daytsuk left "because" of abby IMO Daytsuk left because the wings became a joke of a team and they were not playing any talent around him to make it worth his time. Abby is just a good example of that, I honestly can't believe how much ice time that plug got on Daytsuk's wing

I don't recall Daytsuk publicly requesting to play with Abby but if that is out there I have to believe that is Daytsuk public relation team speak. Even if its true he knows they are not playing Zets with him any more and who else is even on the team to substitute when there is literally zero depth. Abby is just an example of the wings having no answers after Lidstrom retired and refusing to rebuild trying to bubble with a bunch of plugs. I am not surprised, nor do I blame Daytsuk for leaving and I think having Abby and Cleary as wingers is undoubtedly part of it. None of this is Abby's fault personally, but it still happened weather its his fault or not. Good riddance and try not to polish the turd of your career with a bunch of sappy Detroit news articles to stay relevant.

I highly doubt it was Datsyuks PR team, at the time he was being criticized for it. It would be better for him to have the public think it was a Babcock move. Sorry, I just assumed this was common knowledge, on LGW.com this was talked about all the time back then.

I could be wrong, but I think Abby was taken off his line and he fought to have Abby put back with him. Personally I didn’t have an issue with him playing there, my issue was with the contract he got down the road.

 

[lilidk]

I didn't imply Daytsuk left "because" of abby IMO Daytsuk left because the wings became a joke of a team and they were not playing any talent around him to make it worth his time. Abby is just a good example of that, I honestly can't believe how much ice time that plug got on Daytsuk's wing

I don't recall Daytsuk publicly requesting to play with Abby but if that is out there I have to believe that is Daytsuk public relation team speak. Even if its true he knows they are not playing Zets with him any more and who else is even on the team to substitute when there is literally zero depth. Abby is just an example of the wings having no answers after Lidstrom retired and refusing to rebuild trying to bubble with a bunch of plugs. I am not surprised, nor do I blame Daytsuk for leaving and I think having Abby and Cleary as wingers is undoubtedly part of it. None of this is Abby's fault personally, but it still happened weather its his fault or not. Good riddance and try not to polish the turd of your career with a bunch of sappy Detroit news articles to stay relevant.

Team did not have respect at that moment for Datsyuk. Anybody remember Datsyuk got elbow in the head by rocky . No one answered that.
Pavel Datsyuk improving after head hit
Datsyuk after that hit was never the same. I bet it was the trigger to quit playing for Red Wings

 

[Henkka]

I didn't imply Daytsuk left "because" of abby IMO Daytsuk left because the wings became a joke of a team and they were not playing any talent around him to make it worth his time. Abby is just a good example of that, I honestly can't believe how much ice time that plug got on Daytsuk's wing

I don't recall Daytsuk publicly requesting to play with Abby but if that is out there I have to believe that is Daytsuk public relation team speak. Even if its true he knows they are not playing Zets with him any more and who else is even on the team to substitute when there is literally zero depth. Abby is just an example of the wings having no answers after Lidstrom retired and refusing to rebuild trying to bubble with a bunch of plugs.

When looking on 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Abdelkader played a lot of minutes with Zetterberg (81% of ES minutes), and not so much with Datsyuk (37%).

Datsyuk played most with Tatar and Helm on those years.

If someone carried Abdelkader to that fat contract, it was Zetterberg.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

Not to go off on a Tangent but wasn’t a big part of Datsyuk’s departure about him losing custody over his daughter and wanting to be near her?

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Abdelkader is a major fail. If he continued to improve he would have been the captain of the team. If his PPG even stayed the same since before his fat contract he would have the same case as Larkin has now...

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Not to go off on a Tangent but wasn’t a big part of Datsyuk’s departure about him losing custody over his daughter and wanting to be near her?

No, though it is one of the things some people have said over the years so it isn't an unusual angle.

Datsyuk's first marriage with that daughter ended in 2010 and they lived in Yaketeringburg for the most part, I don't think they were really in Detroit full-time, but permanently in Russia after the divorce though I think she visited a couple times during long homestands in season from accounts at the time. His second wife with his second daughter lived here in-season if I remember right. He also has had a son since returning to Russia. I would think he sees his teenage daughter a lot more with the switch back to his hometown team now.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

When looking on 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Abdelkader played a lot of minutes with Zetterberg (81% of ES minutes), and not so much with Datsyuk (37%).

Datsyuk played most with Tatar and Helm on those years.

If someone carried Abdelkader to that fat contract, it was Zetterberg.

Datsyuk kind of memorably bounced a few (really more than a few I think) of pucks off Gator on the PP during that time period is why I think this was a big thing. To talk about before the knee fall off, that was their preferred end of game line though at times in terms of Zetterberg - Datsyuk - Abdelkader. Like Abdelkader was making Team USA, he wasn't that awful gang. He might have been a player you wanted to argue others over, but before the World Cup injury he was in that top 25 discussion in terms of US born players. That isn't really a nothing statement. I wish it would have ended a lot better for him and our fan-base for sure though.

 

[Ezekial]

Rather give the job to someone who's qualified - and not just have an ex-player brigade. Strength and conditioning are sciences.

We have Cleary, Horcoff, Fischer, etc etc etc... how many good old boys do you need on the payroll?

100%, and positions like that (and skating coaches) actually have a relative amount of women that can excel. IIRC a few Wings go to a female skating coach.

Bringing Abby into something like that just doesn't make sense. They're specialized positions.

 

[Frk It]

Abdelkader is a major fail. If he continued to improve he would have been the captain of the team. If his PPG even stayed the same since before his fat contract he would have the same case as Larkin has now...

What the f***? Trolling, I’m assuming ...?

 

[GreatGordie9]

Does any NHL club want to take a chance on Abby?. Likely go to Europe or the minors.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

What the f***? Trolling, I’m assuming ...?

How is that trolling? If he would have kept that production and or increased it he would be one of the better players on the team and is from Michigan too blah blah blah. Also to be the captain you don't need to win the art ross.....

 

[Frk It]

How is that trolling? If he would have kept that production and or increased it he would be one of the better players on the team and is from Michigan too blah blah blah. Also to be the captain you don't need to win the art ross.....

We were going to go from Lidstrom > Zetterberg > Abdelkader?

Yeah, absolutely no shot. He was never a player that looked good enough to be captain of this team. Hell, we are making Larkin wait, and he is 10x better than Abby ever was. And he got a contract he didn’t deserve, absolutely. But that’s not his fault.

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

We were going to go from Lidstrom > Zetterberg > Abdelkader?

Yeah, absolutely no shot. He was never a player that looked good enough to be captain of this team. Hell, we are making Larkin wait, and he is 10x better than Abby ever was. And he got a contract he didn’t deserve, absolutely. But that’s not his fault.

You are missing my point. I said IF he PROGRESSED and was a leader he could have been the captain. He has the exact same background as Larkin. Never said he is on par or better than Dylan. Think of Gionta on the Canadiens for example....

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

Hofer->Hofer-Hofer->Larkin (All-Star)

or

Yzerman-Lids-Z- Abby(Punching Bag/part-time piano puller)?

one of these is not like the other.

 

[Frk It]

You are missing my point. I said IF he PROGRESSED and was a leader he could have been the captain. He has the exact same background as Larkin. Never said he is on par or better than Dylan. Think of Gionta on the Canadiens for example....

How much better did you think he was gonna get? What about his game made you think that?

The Red Wings organization is different. They weren’t going to give a checking line player the C. Again, they are making Larkin earn it and he is way better and has shown way more.

No one else had this opinion you did. Which is why I had to assume you were trolling.

 

[Killerjas]

Does any NHL club want to take a chance on Abby?. Likely go to Europe or the minors.

Only if he drops his salary demands

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

Hofer->Hofer-Hofer->Larkin (All-Star)

or

Yzerman-Lids-Z- Abby(Punching Bag/part-time piano puller)?

one of these is not like the other.

You are failing (conveniently) to mention Gators career falling off a cliff ... he COULD have been an all star and if he lived up to his contract COULD have been considered a captain.

 

[Ghost of Ethan Hunt]

You are failing (conveniently) to mention Gators career falling off a cliff ... he COULD have been an all star and if he lived up to his contract COULD have been considered a captain.

But, but, but if Gretzky was just a little bit stronger, he could've won the Mr. Olympia body-building competition. Hyperbole? Yes, just like Abby being an all-star.

Taking "could" to the extreme, to a world of hypotheticals (to that point) is non-sensical.