Helene St. James Prices likely too high; Wings may well decide to go with what they've got

[mindfly]

It's 5 years.

https://twitter.com/RenLavoieRDS/status/352201683687833600

Right.

Twitter is confusing sometimes, report different things.. Seems to be official with 5 years @ 4.5M per

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

Been saying it for a while, but I wish Nill was our GM.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Best GM in the NHL.

I wonder if Ken Holland realizes that the price will always be too high?

 

[Nemesis Prime]

Guys, guys. CALM THE ***** DOWN OKAY?! I mean you're forgetting we have a head coach and a GM who are basically smarter than all other humans COMBINED okay? Like jeeze, we made the playoffs a lot of times in a row, A LOT OKAY? alright?

"I like our team." You're forgeting how many realgud guys with have like Danny Cleary (he's got a lotta heart) and Tuzz (plus his newphew!) and obviously we're expecting a lot of development from within even though none of those guys will SNIFF JLA ice until Babcock has squeezed EVERY OUNCE of HEART, CHARACTER, PASSION, PRIDE and umm some other **** I can't remember right now from Cleary, Tuzz, Sammy and maybe Stephen Weiss; if we're lucky!

Screw it, even I don't believe this anymore

I laughed then I cried.

I wish we had Nill as our GM.

 

[ricky0034]

what does that pace thing she keeps reporting with Lecavalier even mean?

he's been a 62-70 point pace player over 82 games for the past 5 seasons now(this season was 68)

he's been remarkably consistent about that

 

[RedWingsNow*]

You still don't get it that the MAIN problem was the TERM?

And at $4.5M it's not such a big problem.
I assumed this was going to be $5+M, maybe for 6 years.

I was willing to go 3 years, 19.5M --- maybe he would have accepted that, right?

Whatever. He made a crappy offer he was never going to accept.

 

[SportsballChic]

I like you already

I just bought it. Stupid me. I really did believe we barely missed on Suter (and to a degree Parise) and that Holland really did go all in; just miss and that's why we did all that crap last offseason.

I really did think you were a nutbag and that this year would be different because we wouldn't have to contend with a ****ing bromance.

Silly me.

 

[MrTaterSalad]

Press conference highlights...

And I'm usually a Holland apologist.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

what does that pace thing she keeps reporting with Lecavalier even mean?

he's been a 62-70 point pace player over 82 games for the past 5 seasons now(this season was 68)

he's been remarkably consistent about that

Considering the way St. James fawns over Bertuzzi and Cleary -- two guys older and slower than Vinny -- her criticism is bizarre at best

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

I do wonder if Vinny's evaluation and I do know that he took less money because of the buyout and some other circumstances including age, but what it just did to the center market?

Everyone gets paid in free agency, but a guy like Ribeiro cannot be happy with what Vinny just did to the market for 33 year olds. People like Filppula, Weiss and Bozak cannot be super pleased with this. I wonder if it eats into their next contracts a little?

They have been looking to Grabo and Zajac, but the #1 center on the market just really hurt those deals. Maybe someone still pays up after all it is free agency, but this had to sting that movement a little.

 

[Henkka]

Whatever. He made a crappy offer he was never going to accept.

Because Wings management will want our prospects to jump in earlier. Will you hate that idea?

 

[Yzerman1919*]

I am SO FU**ING ANGRY RIGHT NOW. 4.5 A YEAR FOR VINNY LECAVALIER and LETS HIM GO.

To keep Damien FREAKIN Brunner and Cleary?

YET is supposed to be taking a serious look at Nathan Horton and Stephen Weiss for 5+ a year. OMG

He could have done 4 years 5.5 per and I'd be happy as a clam.

FU** YOU KENNY. Sick of this game. This is 4 years without squat but a mediocre, soft team.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Considering the way St. James fawns over Bertuzzi and Cleary -- two guys older and slower than Vinny -- her criticism is bizarre at best

Is it really that bizarre? One player is a Red Wing. The other is not.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Because Wings management will want our prospects to jump in earlier. Will you hate that idea?

You can't argue that when you re sign Danny Cleary and don't buy out Mikael Samuelsson.

 

[Heaton]

Considering the way St. James fawns over Bertuzzi and Cleary -- two guys older and slower than Vinny -- her criticism is bizarre at best

Did you guys hear the exit interview with Babcock where he mentioned that he gave Holland his list of changes/additions to make for the following season? I'd love to be the fly on the wall when Holland does nothing and hands over the stinky duffel bag of the same stuff from last year. I will be absolutely shocked if Babcock re-signs after his deal is up, why would you stay with a GM who never improves your team after back-to-back final appearances?

I was extremely impressed by the playoff run and think the kids will get better, but GMs that want to win re-enforce their team when they're at this stage. Holland sits back and collects dust on his collections.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

I'm more mad now than last summer over the Suter/Parise/Semin fiasco. Holland sucks.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

what does that pace thing she keeps reporting with Lecavalier even mean?

he's been a 62-70 point pace player over 82 games for the past 5 seasons now(this season was 68)

he's been remarkably consistent about that

Pretty big mixed message.

We cannot play all these small kids at once, we want to get bigger and ideally with skill.

We are concerned about the pace in VLC...

Well which ****ing thing is it?

 

[Henkka]

You can't argue that when you re sign Danny Cleary and don't buy out Mikael Samuelsson.

I'm speaking of the situation after 2 years for the future that is different than situation in the past. You can't compare them. Lots of our most promising prospects coming.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

I do wonder if Vinny's evaluation and I do know that he took less money because of the buyout and some other circumstances including age, but what it just did to the center market?

Everyone gets paid in free agency, but a guy like Ribeiro cannot be happy with what Vinny just did to the market for 33 year olds. People like Filppula, Weiss and Bozak cannot be super pleased with this. I wonder if it eats into their next contracts a little?

They have been looking to Grabo and Zajac, but the #1 center on the market just really hurt those deals. Maybe someone still pays up after all it is free agency, but this had to sting that movement a little.

It's another good point.
Weiss, coming off his 4 point season ... how much is he worth? $3M? Filppula can't be worth more than $4.5M.

There aren't many teams with big cap room. Expect contracts to be squeezed a bit

 

[Hckytwn]

You know, when you think everyone around you has gone crazy there's a good chance you are the one that's actually crazy.

Holland: It's not the market that's out of whack, it's you.

 

[Heaton]

It's another good point.
Weiss, coming off his 4 point season ... how much is he worth? $3M? Filppula can't be worth more than $4.5M.

There aren't many teams with big cap room. Expect contracts to be squeezed a bit

I don't think we have to worry about any UFAs given the article in the 1st post.

 

[ScottyBowman]

I remember James Wisnieski was saying that the Red Wings were a cheap organization a few years ago during free agency. He is right. I can't blame Holland in this. Its Illitch who doesn't want to spend the money. You know damn well that any GM wants to spend as much as they can. Holland is just spewing the company line. God, I can't believe we are stuck with Bertuzzi and Sammy and Cleary for another year in our top 6.

 

[MrTaterSalad]

You can't argue that when you re sign Danny Cleary and don't buy out Mikael Samuelsson.

More than making no trades or significant UFA signings, this depresses me the most. No reason either guy should take up roster space from Tatar and Nyquist and yet you know they will.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

Did you guys hear the exit interview with Babcock where he mentioned that he gave Holland his list of changes/additions to make for the following season? I'd love to be the fly on the wall when Holland does nothing and hands over the stinky duffel bag of the same stuff from last year. I will be absolutely shocked if Babcock re-signs after his deal is up, why would you stay with a GM who never improves your team after back-to-back final appearances?

I was extremely impressed by the playoff run and think the kids will get better, but GMs that want to win re-enforce their team when they're at this stage. Holland sits back and collects dust on his collections.

Only way Babcock stays, IMO, is if he's been promised the GM job.
Which, after the draft, I'm beginning to wonder about.

 

[RedWingsNow*]

I remember James Wisnieski was saying that the Red Wings were a cheap organization a few years ago during free agency. He is right. I can't blame Holland in this. Its Illitch who doesn't want to spend the money. You know damn well that any GM wants to spend as much as they can. Holland is just spewing the company line. God, I can't believe we are stuck with Bertuzzi and Sammy and Cleary for another year in our top 6.

If we were trying to save money, why spend $3M on Sammy?