Who Loves Justin Abdelkader?

[Reddwit]

Its no secret that the Wings have been using Abdelkader as a focus in their marketing campaigns for the past several years, but watching the closing ceremony for the Joe made me realize just how much marketing value they think Abdelkader has - or perhaps want him to have. You've got the eyes of hundreds of thousands (millions?) watching the closing ceremony of the Joe, and you call to the stage Vernon, McCarty, Holmstrom and....Abdelkader? Not Zetterberg or Kronwall or even Howard...but Abdelkader.

Clearly I'm missing something. I understand that the Wings want Abdelkader to be seen as a player in the vein of Holmstrom or McCarty, but he isn't even a blip on the radar screen of memories for me. He's lost way too many fights (has he even won one?) for me to think of him as a McCarty type and he's been more often inconsequential in Holmstrom's position than beneficial for me to even associate him with that role. But not only that - I don't even associate him with the nostalgia of a championship or series win like I do Vernon.

So I guess my question is, who loves Justin Abdelkader? Do you guys? Do your friends? Do you know people who do? Does he sell a lot of jerseys? Do you guys find him especially likable?

I need to know. Otherwise it just feels like they're trying to make Abdelkader a thing.

Click to read more...

 

[Bench]

I liked him as an energy guy on the 3rd or 4th line on short contracts. He plays hard. He is a Michigan product. He's an honest player. He's likable in many ways.

But soon as he found himself elevated to top line and power play specialist, it's hard to be as enthusiastic. I don't blame him for signing that contract, but now he gets to feel the weight of the expectations that come with it. And so far, not a good start.

 

[Shaman464]

I mean I'm sure his mom loves him. And his wife must too. So there's two. That's a number.

 

[YpsiWings]

I like Abby a lot, he is great in his role. Unfortunately he was the only forward on the team capable of it and Holland signed him to that awful contract, which coincidentally is the reason that fans dislike him.

Abdelkader plays physical, goes to the dirty areas and wins battles, sticks up for his teammates, and loves driving the net. Those are the qualities you want in complimentary players. But when Abby signs a 7 year extension it looks like he is supposed to be a core player which he never was or will be.

I will readily admit that Abby was disappointing this year. Hopefully it was a nagging injury because he was mostly invisible. Really hoping for a bounce back year next season.

 

[Bondurant]

He's lost way too many fights (has he even won one?) for me to think of him as a McCarty type and he's been more often inconsequential in Holmstrom's position than beneficial for me to even associate him with that role.

Losing fights isn't relevant to me. He steps up. That's what I care about.

 

[Reddwit]

I like Abby a lot, he is great in his role. Unfortunately he was the only forward on the team capable of it and Holland signed him to that awful contract, which coincidentally is the reason that fans dislike him.

Abdelkader plays physical, goes to the dirty areas and wins battles, sticks up for his teammates, and loves driving the net. Those are the qualities you want in complimentary players. But when Abby signs a 7 year extension it looks like he is supposed to be a core player which he never was or will be.

I will readily admit that Abby was disappointing this year. Hopefully it was a nagging injury because he was mostly invisible. Really hoping for a bounce back year next season.

See, I never liked him before the "disappointing" year or the awful contract. I guess I've just always compared him to Draper, Maltby, McCarty, Holmstrom, et al and he just falls short in every respect. He's not a defensive bombshell, he's a poor agitator by comparison, he intimidates no one, and he isn't a craftsman in front of the net. But even beyond that, I just don't find him likable. I mean, I always hated Ott on the other side of the fence, but I found Ott more likeable as a Wing than I ever found Abdelkader.

Good to hear everyone's opinion, though. Keep 'em coming, even if you're relaying someone else's opinion...

 

[silkyjohnson50]

Let's face it: he was on stage because he's from Michigan and they wanted to be able to tell the "I want to be a Red Wing when I grow up" story.

I hate to say it - because he seems like a good kid and the Michigan story is nice - but I absolutely hate watching him play.

He's mediocre at best at everything.

"He plays with sandpaper"
"He goes to the tough areas of the ice"
"He'll standup for himself"

Yeah, but he's not very good at any of them. Dan Cleary jokes aside, prime Dan Cleary was a much better player than Abdelkader.

 

[YpsiWings]

See, I never liked him before the "disappointing" year or the awful contract. I guess I've just always compared him to Draper, Maltby, McCarty, Holmstrom, et al and he just falls short in every respect. He's not a defensive bombshell, he's a poor agitator by comparison, he intimidates no one, and he isn't a craftsman in front of the net. But even beyond that, I just don't find him likable. I mean, I always hated Ott on the other side of the fence, but I found Ott more likeable as a Wing than I ever found Abdelkader.

Good to hear everyone's opinion, though. Keep 'em coming, even if you're relaying someone else's opinion...

Abdelkader is great on the forecheck, it is a refreshing change of pace on a team full of perimeter players. Draper and Maltby were amazing on the 4th line, which is where they spent most of their careers. If Abby was playing on the 4th line would you still judge him so harshly? And Homer was the GOAT in front of the net, of course Abdelkader isn't going to measure up.

Your last sentence is pretty vague, is that an accusation that I'm ripping off other people's posts? I can handle an insult, even if it is a completely unfounded lie.

 

[Shaman464]

I like Abby a lot, he is great in his role. Unfortunately he was the only forward on the team capable of it and Holland signed him to that awful contract, which coincidentally is the reason that fans dislike him.

Abdelkader plays physical, goes to the dirty areas and wins battles, sticks up for his teammates, and loves driving the net. Those are the qualities you want in complimentary players. But when Abby signs a 7 year extension it looks like he is supposed to be a core player which he never was or will be.

I will readily admit that Abby was disappointing this year. Hopefully it was a nagging injury because he was mostly invisible. Really hoping for a bounce back year next season.

Looking at his career to this point, this looks like a return to normal. Without an elite playmaker to do everything for him but actually put the puck in the goal, he's the same 20ish point player he always was.

 

[Leadzedder]

A thought about Abby...

you have the Zetterberg and Kronwall group core. Then there's the new age group Larkin, Mantha, etc. Once Z and co are done you need that middle group to carry over the Wing Way on to the younger generation. Sure the contract is too high and he's no holmer or McCarty but he's an important cog in maintaining the culture.

 

[Ezekial]

Justin Abdelkader is a formidable 3rd liner and I like him in that capacity. Contract he was given, not so much.

 

[Reddwit]

Abdelkader is great on the forecheck, it is a refreshing change of pace on a team full of perimeter players. Draper and Maltby were amazing on the 4th line, which is where they spent most of their careers. If Abby was playing on the 4th line would you still judge him so harshly? And Homer was the GOAT in front of the net, of course Abdelkader isn't going to measure up.

Your last sentence is pretty vague, is that an accusation that I'm ripping off other people's posts? I can handle an insult, even if it is a completely unfounded lie.

My last sentence had nothing to do with you. I was addressing the thread at large, particularly from people who know someone who really does love Abby.

I disagree Abby is "great" on the forecheck. Maybe its because of the deep memory of past players who were actually intimidating, actually good on the forecheck, and/or actually physical that I just don't see Abdelkader as anything other than a pretender filling a needed role. Or rather its that he's being paralleled to those players by the Wings marketing team that make him pale in comparison. That has nothing to do with what line he's on, especially when he's even less noticeable as a 4th liner nowadays than he used to be.

And don't blame me for comparing Abdelkader to Holmstrom. That's the entire point of this thread. He's been paraded around the Wings organization as though he's of Holmstrom's ilk when it comes to being a Red Wing. That's the whole reason for this discussion.

 

[mouser]

Love Abdelkader, but hate the contract more then I love him.

Third line forwards should never be given deals longer then 3 years at well above the average NHL salary. It rarely turns out for the best.

 

[Martinez]

Positives:
He's a Red Wing
He's gritty/hits
He sticks up for his teammates
Decent personality

Negatives:
Way overpaid
Higher in the lineup than he should be
MSU
Kind of dirty
Loses every fight
No hands

Overall:
He's a wing so I cheer for him. He's one of my least favorite wings though. I don't love abdelkader

 

[YpsiWings]

My last sentence had nothing to do with you. I was addressing the thread at large.

I disagree Abby is "great" on the forecheck. Maybe its because of the deep memory of past players who were actually intimidating, actually good on the forecheck, and/or actually physical that I just don't see Abdelkader as anything other than a pretender filling a needed role. Or rather its that he's being paralleled to those players by the Wings marketing team that make him pale in comparison. That has nothing to do with what line he's on, especially when he's even less noticeable as a 4th liner nowadays than he used to be.

That's fair, thanks for explaining your opinion. Part of the reason I like Abby is because he is so different from the rest of the team. That may be a flawed way to judge a player, just can't help it. So sick of watching Red Wing players skate into the offensive zone, be forced wide by the opposing D, go behind the net/attempt a stupid pass, and turn it over. I have a soft spot for players who attack the middle of the ice, and while Abby is far from perfect he does that regularly.

 

[Pavels Dog]

I'm not sure about the exact moment you talk about but he wears an 'A' so obviously he's one of the main representatives of the current squad. Kronner is more of a face of the team but frankly was the team's worst player this past year and maybe his knees were too sore for him to get up to the stage.

 

[Reddwit]

That's fair, thanks for explaining your opinion. Part of the reason I like Abby is because he is so different from the rest of the team. That may be a flawed way to judge a player, just can't help it. So sick of watching Red Wing players skate into the offensive zone, be forced wide by the opposing D, go behind the net/attempt a stupid pass, and turn it over. I have a soft spot for players who attack the middle of the ice, and while Abby is not a perfect player he does that regularly.

No, that's great. That's exactly the type of opinion I'm looking to hear from people.

I guess I've just never really bought into the idea that Abby is so different from what we had because I had such vivid memories of what physicality and grinding play actually looked like. I grew up on the Grind Line, saw Lapointe in his prime, watched Holmstrom grow, etc, and nothing about what Abby has down comes close to that in my book.

The other big factor for me is, when it came to the "new guys" being game-changers for the Wings during their last Cup runs, Helm was the man in my eyes. He was the little ball of hate, tearing up the PK, throwing his under-sized body around, using that blazing speed...Abby was solid and a great add, but he didn't have that special element that Helm seemed to have, and even though Abby matured and progressed, I never saw him as having anything special in the grand scheme of things. I still don't.

Hence the question: Who loves Abdelkader?

I think the scariest but most honest answer might just be that, outside of the flavor-of-the-year hyped prospects (AA, Mantha), Detroit doesn't really have many beloved players anymore.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Even If he was a nyquist type star nobody would remember him. Not flashy. Not great. Not even close to grindey enough like McCarty holmstrom and many more. He's just there.

 

[SpookyTsuki]

Let's face it: he was on stage because he's from Michigan and they wanted to be able to tell the "I want to be a Red Wing when I grow up" story.

I hate to say it - because he seems like a good kid and the Michigan story is nice - but I absolutely hate watching him play.

He's mediocre at best at everything.

"He plays with sandpaper"
"He goes to the tough areas of the ice"
"He'll standup for himself"

Yeah, but he's not very good at any of them. Dan Cleary jokes aside, prime Dan Cleary was a much better player than Abdelkader.

If they didn't hang onto him for that long he'd be more loved then abdelkader.

 

[The Zermanator]

Who wouldn't love him? We've got 20 points guaranteed for the next 6 years at over 4M!

Love Abdelkader, but hate the contract more then I love him.

Third line forwards should never be given deals longer then 3 years at well above the average NHL salary. It rarely turns out for the best.

One of Holland's many missteps over the last half-decade. He couldn't convince a Michigan-born bottom 6 grinder to stay in Detroit for less than 7 years, 30M?

 

[Bench]

One of Holland's many missteps over the last half-decade. He couldn't convince a Michigan-born bottom 6 grinder to stay in Detroit for less than 7 years, 30M?

Played some real hardball on that one. Gave him maximum UFA term.

[warning: football talk] Can anyone imagine a manager like Bill Belichick giving 7 years to some role-player on his squad? His veteran running back Blount just scored 18 touchdowns (2nd most in the entire league), helped the team win another Super Bowl, and they won't even pay him what he wants so stay.

They turned around and signed a younger guy to a 1 year show-me deal. You want free agency money? That's nice, dear. Next man up.

 

[Martinez]

Played some real hardball on that one. Gave him maximum UFA term.

[warning: football talk] Can anyone imagine a manager like Bill Belichick giving 7 years to some role-player on his squad? His veteran running back Blount just scored 18 touchdowns (2nd most in the entire league), helped the team win another Super Bowl, and they won't even pay him what he wants so stay.

They turned around and signed a younger guy to a 1 year show-me deal. You want free agency money? That's nice, dear. Next man up.

Keep the core, swap in and out the role players. Like the patroits and Blackhawks.
I think Holland feels that Abby is part of the core

 

[WingedWheel1987]

I have never been a fan of Gator, but i could appreciate his skill set when he was being paid appropriately.

Now he is just a constant reminder of everything that is wrong with this organization.

 

[Retire91]

Abby personifies the organizations commitment to replacing elite talent with plugs. His contract is like a billboard over the new stadium that covers up the old hockey town culture with country club atmosphere. He is going to be marketed like a franchise player and will probably be captain when zetterberg retires. He is the poster boy for the end of the streak, a big piece in the way the wings declined to a lottery team.

I get that people like him for his work ethic and 4th line capabilities. But the contract and his top line presence make it impossible for me to like him. In fact I actively hate him for what he stands for. Long term commitment to non-contention.

People that have him in their heart in the same place as a drapper or Holmstrom have to be pretty casual fans that don't see what Holland has done to this team with the commitment to players like this.

 

[JPE123]

I like him as a 4th line player