norrisnick said:
He really had no other choice. The Wings had an option and Hasek wanted to return to the league. If Kenny hadn't excercise it, Dom would have been UFA with Colorado (Roy just retired), Philly (Clarke just booted Cechmanek), and others in need of a big-time goaltender.
Sorry, I don't buy that at all. Hasek was quoted as saying he wanted to return ONLY with the Red Wings. Maybe it was true, maybe not, but Holland should have said thanks for the memories, but we're set. You can't sign every 8 million dollar player that comes on the market just to block him from signing with your competition. If he had no choice but to bring him back, why was he able to let him walk under IDENTICAL circumstances only a year later? All the reasons people give that Holland "HAD TO" exercise that option in the summer of 03 were still there in 04. And at a much lower rate! Yet in 04, they said thanks, but no thanks and he signed with another contender.
Besides, Philly & Colorado were both rumoured to be in the market for a goalie all year and they stuck with their young guys, so it's presumptuous at best to suggest they would have had an interest in an 8 million dollar head case with a faulty groin that hadn't played in over a year. It was a huge gamble and Holland lost big time.
norrisnick said:
He ate $17M(at the time. Hasek gave back $2M for a NTC and another $3-4M because he was injured and couldn't play) in goalies but that was better than letting him go to the Avs or Flyers. Granted Dom lasted all of 12 games or so, but for all he knew he could have been good to go.
I believe he deferred the $2 million for the NTC - he didn't give it back altogether. And there was talk that he didn't take a paycheck from the Wings after January but who among us really knows how much $ that amounts to and I would imagine he could still get it from the Wings at any point. Given the character he's shown in the past, it wouldn't surprise me if he comes back to them for it. All in all, we'll call in $15 million all spent on one position for three guys and only one can play on a given night. Outrageous. Some of that could have easily gone towards making arguably their best player - Fedorov - an offer he really could not refuse.
I also think the shabby treatment Cujo received by the organization - being sent to the minors and so forth - only a year after he was given the red carpet treatment to move his family from Toronto where he was a hero sullied the Wings reputation around the league in the eyes of potential future free agents. I think Detroit has long been seen as a place where they treat you right, but the way they did Joseph (I think one of the most popular guys around the league) was just plain wrong.
norrisnick said:
I'd say the manner in which Osgood was let go for nothing when he first traded for Dom was worse, IMO. There were rumors of an Osgood for Atlanta's #1 pick swirling before he acquired Dom. Those promptly went away with Atlanta knowing they had a shot at him through the waiver draft. Kenny should have dispatched of Osgood before the entire league knew he had to give him up.
Yes, that was a big time bonehead move too. I had forgotten about that one! Osgood had a lot of value at that time and they let him go for nothing. There were also rumours that had Osgood going to the Rangers for Mike York but Sather wanted the Wings to pick up part of Ozzy's salary and Holland balked.
Okay, Ken, let me get this straight - you're okay with paying $17 million in a year for a single player (each game), but you can't come up with, say, a million to add a pretty good young player to your team?
I think you have me confused with someone else, because I certainly never said anything like that.
