OT: Hurricanes sign Alex Semin, 5 years @ $7 million

[mindfly]

Take a look at the Red Wings drafting habits, UFA signings and trades since Fedorov left.

There has been a sharp and noticeable decline in this franchise's interest in Russian players... especially considering the important role the Russian 5 played in bringing Detroit to prominence

It's spelled KHL, before KHL, the russian highest league didn't pay that high salaries so all the drafted russians came over if they got drafted, now a pretty bug number doesn't ever come back, or just get here and then back again because they got minor league salary or missed motherland russia too much.

 

[jaster]

Last night, Datsyuk's effort did not match his ability.

Zetterberg's effort hasn't matched his ability in a couple weeks now.

Regular seasons are long, with ebbs and flows in production.

There certainly are ebbs and flows in production, and even effectiveness, but I can't agree with the rest at all. Production ≠ effort. Datsyuk's and Zetterberg's effort are top notch night in and night out. Hank has been great in several recent games, even if he wasn't piling up points.

Fedorov's effort/compete level/work ethic was not at the level of Zetterberg's and Datsyuk's, consistency-wise.

It's amazing that all these Wings fans don't apply their logic about Fedorov and Semin to Zetterberg.

 

[jaster]

They played together for Russia and looked to have great chemistry.

You're arguing semantics.

I mean perfect from Datsyuk's perspective, not from ours.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

There certainly are ebbs and flows in production, and even effectiveness, but I can't agree with the rest at all. Production ≠ effort. Datsyuk's and Zetterberg's effort are top notch night in and night out. Hank has been great in several recent games, even if he wasn't piling up points.

Fedorov's effort/compete level/work ethic was not at the level of Zetterberg's and Datsyuk's, consistency-wise.

Your dead wrong. No surprise.
Zetterberg scores 23 goals and 70 points -- he's hard worker.
Fedorov scored 30 goals and 70 points while playing Selke caliber defense- he's a floater.

It's more of the loony, insulting anti-Fedorov crap from people who will never appreciate what he gave the franchise.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

It's spelled KHL, before KHL, the russian highest league didn't pay that high salaries so all the drafted russians came over if they got drafted, now a pretty bug number doesn't ever come back, or just get here and then back again because they got minor league salary or missed motherland russia too much.

The KHL formed in 2008. The steering away from Russians began before then.

89 Fedorov Konstantinov
90 Kozlov
91 Motkov Malykhin
92 NONE
93 Yeresenko
94 Golubovsky Agarkov Suursoo
95 Kuznetsov Ustyogov Samokhvalov
96 Afanasiev
97 Butsayev
98 Datsyujk
99 Maximenko Borodkin
00 Semenov Seluyanov Bumagin
01 Bykov
02 NONE
03 NONE
04 Stolyarov Kolosov (Belarus)
05 NONE
06 NONE
07 NONE
08 NONE
09 NONE
10 NONE
11 Marchenko
12 NONE

So from 89 to 01, we drafted 21 Russians in 13 drafts, drafting a Russian every year but once.
In the 11 years since, we've drafted 2 or 3, depending if you count Kolosov as a Russian.

Now, maybe the Wings realized they suck at drafting Russians. Other than Datsyuk, the Russians have had lousy success with Russian picks over 20 years.

And this started before the KHL.

I would agree that the salary cap and the rookie salary cap has played an enormous role in this. But I think good Russian players are being passed over even in later rounds, where they are worth the risk.

 

[Flowah]

Just replaced a Russian well with a Swedish one.

How much of that is just ease for Hakan, his own Swedish heritage, and that there's a ton of talent there to choose from?

"My drafting philosophy is that I start with the rink closest to me and I work outward from there," says Andersson. "I make sure I know everyone in Stockholm, then all of Sweden, and then Finland. If some other team gets a player that we missed out of a small town in Russia, that's disappointing. But it wouldn't be nearly as embarrassing as losing someone I'd missed from Sweden. That may be why we have an over-representation of Swedish players."

Read More: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/20...y/05/09/wings.swedes/index.html#ixzz2Ohoga7WZ

 

[jaster]

Your dead wrong. No surprise.

I'm not dead wrong, I'm jaster. And that indeed is no surprise

Zetterberg scores 23 goals and 70 points -- he's hard worker.
Fedorov scored 30 goals and 70 points while playing Selke caliber defense- he's a floater.

You still don't get it. It's not about points. Production ≠ effort. And I don't think Fedorov was ever a floater. I already said that.

It's more of the loony, insulting anti-Fedorov crap from people who will never appreciate what he gave the franchise.

Haha. Not even close. I have defended Fedorov countless times. Huge fan. Most talented player I have seen in Detroit. But he wasn't perfect. He didn't give 100%, 100% of the time. It was obvious. Your insanely strong pro-Russian bias apparently won't let you see it though.

 

[Bench]

Your dead wrong. No surprise.

You guys are idiots.

Now please go read my blog and follow me on twitter.

 

[BinCookin]

Is Fedorov good or bad?

WTF does this have to do with Semin?

mmmm mmmm... oh i get it....

in a round about way by insulting one of our former stars.. you are saying Semin is a slacker???


ok... hes a slacker with 30pts
Zetterberg is a super work horse with 32pts

If their point production is the same each year... Do i look like i care which has "more natural talent" and which is "actually slacking?" this is a stupid analysis.

Stats say the two players are equal.
In fact if we start digging deeper into stats, we mind find Semin has an edge in many categories.

Does that mean i like Semin over Zetterberg? Hell no.
But... I am saying Semin is worth this contract, and I would be happy with the Wings paying him this kind of money to be on our team... but that is all "in another world" because he will never be a wing now.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

I'm not dead wrong, I'm jaster. And that indeed is no surprise




You still don't get it. It's not about points. Production ≠ effort. And I don't think Fedorov was ever a floater. I already said that.




Haha. Not even close. I have defended Fedorov countless times. Huge fan. Most talented player I have seen in Detroit. But he wasn't perfect. He didn't give 100%, 100% of the time. It was obvious. Your insanely strong pro-Russian bias apparently won't let you see it though.

Insane pro-Russian bias? WTF

No player gives 100 percent 100 percent of the time. And if you think they do, you really need to stop lecturing people about "wishful thinking."

 

[f1seb]

I heard there's a team paying Ville Leino 6 million a year.....

Yeah this is a good signing.

 

[jaster]

Insane pro-Russian bias? WTF

I wouldn't expect you to realize you have an irrational bias towards Russians, few people choose to be irrational To be fair, there is (or has been, at least) a lot of anti-Russian bias out there. It deserves a response, but you often go overboard. Unlike other nationalities, Russians are perfect it seems. Are you sure you're from Canada?

No player gives 100 percent 100 percent of the time. And if you think they do, you really need to stop lecturing people about "wishful thinking."

Red herring. The point is, Fedorov's effort level, on average, was not as high as a lot of other guys, like Zetterberg and Datsyuk. The same goes for Semin. Though I regret the comparison, because, frankly, Fedorov was much closer to what Zetterberg and Datsyuk are than what Semin has been in previous years.

Sounds like it's possible Semin has got his sh** together this year. Good for him.