Why do people dislike abdelkader so much?

[PelagicJoe]

If he was paid like a 4th liner, there would be no issue. His contract sucks. The only 4th liner worth the money he is making was prime Kris Draper.

 

[RedWingzz]

I don't like him because he is terrible. He takes dumb penalties, he lacks skills, he has no creativity. He's just not good enough to be in the NHL. You can't blame him for the contract, that's all on Holland. It does however make me like him even less, even though that isn't really fair. He is also never held accountable for anything. Never misses a shift, never gets talked about by the coach. He just gets a free pass for whatever reason.

I like Helm, however I dislike his contract. I dislike Abdelkader and loathe the contract. If his cap hit was 1 million, then sure I wouldn't hate having him around as a 13th forward.

4.25 million, for FOUR MORE YEARS, and he wears an A.

 

[FMichael]

Is it him as a player you dislike or the 4.25M cap hit? If he had a 3M cap hit would he not receive as much hate as he does on these boards. Would the wings have a hard time trying to find a fair offer for him from any other team?

I don't mind him - he seems like a good guy/teammate, but as others here have already mentioned - he's not very good, his #'s of years past were courtesy of Hank/Dats, he was never really a good fighter, and his overall skillset is AHL level at best.

And to think he's signed on for 4 more seasons.....

 

[Dotter]

He's basically Andrew Shaw and earns $350,000 more AVV because he plays on a rebuilding/bad team. I like Abby, but he isn't very good this season. He's giving his haters a lot of ammunition.

 

[ricky0034]

He's basically Andrew Shaw and earns $350,000 more AVV because he plays on a rebuilding/bad team. I like Abby, but he isn't very good this season. He's giving his haters a lot of ammunition.

he's also 5 years older and signed for a year longer

big difference between being signed until you're 30 and being signed until you're 36

 

[Steve Yzerlland]

His deal was absolutely horrible the second it was drafted. No clue why it had to be that long. Holland is notorious for negotiating against himself. Who cares if Gator walked! What's even more sickening is Holland has never had to address publicly why he gives these dumbass contracts out, that is the most frustrating!

 

[TheMule93]

he's also 5 years older and signed for a year longer

big difference between being signed until you're 30 and being signed until you're 36

and hes worse than Shaw

 

[Dotter]

he's also 5 years older and signed for a year longer

big difference between being signed until you're 30 and being signed until you're 36

Yeah. But I suspect Andrew Shaw to get a payday when he nears UFA. Though I think he'll get short 3 or 4 year deals (unless he goes to UFA, and there's a bidding war). But if he get's those shorter 3 or 4 year deals, that will put him at 34/35 years old until his contract expires. Playoff teams love having guys like him.... and they are so few of them in the NHL.

 

[Hammettf2b]

I called it...
Hilarious Whipping Boy Poll!

 

[WingsMJN2965]

He was given a 7 year, $30M contract for the one 20G season he had, which were mostly the result of Datsyuk shooting pucks in off his body...

Does that answer your question?

 

[GettingYourMoms]

Cuz they are jealous of his skillz and all that hot wammen he is sleeping with.

 

[Kronwalled55]

This is the one thread on this forum where everyone seems to agree on something

 

[kliq]

I don't like him because he is terrible. He takes dumb penalties, he lacks skills, he has no creativity. He's just not good enough to be in the NHL. You can't blame him for the contract, that's all on Holland. It does however make me like him even less, even though that isn't really fair. He is also never held accountable for anything. Never misses a shift, never gets talked about by the coach. He just gets a free pass for whatever reason.

I like Helm, however I dislike his contract. I dislike Abdelkader and loathe the contract. If his cap hit was 1 million, then sure I wouldn't hate having him around as a 13th forward.

4.25 million, for FOUR MORE YEARS, and he wears an A.

I understand the "not missing a shift" part, but how do you now what Blashill says to Abby behind closed doors?

 

[The Red Line]

Honestly the thread was created asking about why people dislike Abby, but this a just a thread of people giving examples of why Holland is bad.

Nobody here would say no to 4.25mil a year for 7 years if someone offered it t you. Especially if you don't even have to be good at hockey!

I don't like the contract, the term, or the AAV, but that doesn't mean I dislike the guy for accepting it. The issue here is Holland, not Abdelkader.

 

[Gniwder]

What about his recent effort on the ice? He wouldn't even be playing on any other team. For that kind of money at least he can play like he gives a sh....

 

[Lazlo Hollyfeld]

What about his recent effort on the ice? He wouldn't even be playing on any other team. For that kind of money at least he can play like he gives a sh....

Honestly when Witkowski has been in the lineup I've noticed him doing more positive things than Abdelkader. At least Witter hits guys from time to time.

 

[Hatter of the Beach]

He's basically Andrew Shaw and earns $350,000 more AVV because he plays on a rebuilding/bad team. I like Abby, but he isn't very good this season. He's giving his haters a lot of ammunition.

Andrew Shaw is a much better player and agitator than Abdelkader ever has been

 

[DetroitRed]

The Good:

• He's ranked 25th in the league and 1st on the team for hits thrown this season.

The Bad:

• Mediocre face-off guy.
• Mediocre shot-blocker.

The Ugly:

• Rookies Rasmussen, Cholowski and Hronek have better PPG averages than Abdelkader this season.
  
• Glendening, Helm and Dekeyser have Abdelkader's PPG average beaten also.
  
• Moreover, the only one of those six who have gotten more total ice time than Abdelkader this season is Glendening.
  
• Both Rasmussen and Helm have averaged less TOI per game this season than Abdelkader.
  
• Abdelkader's shooting percentage would make you think he was a bottom pair defender instead of a forward (defenders Chowloski, Hronek, Dekeyser and Ericsson actually have Abdelkader's S% beaten).
• Abdelkader has a minus (-) OPS, second worst OPS on the team behind only de La Rose.
  
• And... Abdelkader has the worst plus/minus average (+/-) on the current team. He was second only to Cholowski for team worst previously.

If this is my assistant captain, I want the "A" the off his sweater. You have to do more than hit. He is a legitimate AHL/waiver candidate.

 

[Gniwder]

If he was paid like a 4th liner, there would be no issue. His contract sucks. The only 4th liner worth the money he is making was prime Kris Draper.

If he was paid like a 4th liner, he'd be buried in GR by now.

Also, the above poster forgot to mention that he missed an open empty netter this season. His head is simply not in the game.

 

[BinCookin]

Abdelkader's play makes him questionable to continue to remain in the NHL.
Abdelkader's contract was UNANIMOUSLY voted as bad on DAY 1.

His decline is expected.
His Bad contract was locked in.

There is just very little to be happy about when realizing that the team HAS to play this player going forward.
The other option is to demote him to the AHL and just admit they were wrong about him, and take a cap penalty for a while.

The reason this has not happened is they are hoping he has 1 good year, so he becomes tradable. This will not happen.

 

[Gniwder]

The team looks better without Abby. I really hope they send him off to GR next season.

 

[lilidk]

Always like Aby ,but his contract is ridicules

 

[obey86]

Abby isn't going anywhere next season (i.e. to the AHL) unfortunately. Only 4 more seasons of him on the Wings after this one!

I'll be honest, I never really minded his cap hit too much on his contract, just hated the term of the deal.

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Abby isn't going anywhere next season (i.e. to the AHL) unfortunately. Only 4 more seasons of him on the Wings after this one!

I'll be honest, I never really minded his cap hit too much on his contract, just hated the term of the deal.

It was likely a bit too high, but the aav is something you can live with. You've got to meet the cap floor and it's not my money they're spending so the aav doesn't bother too much. It's not the most efficient use of cap space but it's also not the end of the world.

I agree that the term is really what makes it an awful deal for the Wings. The contract shouldn't have been more than 4, maybe 5 years, and those extra 2 or 3 years hurt. Imagine the cap flexibility that we could have if his contract was up next year. I guess we're just fortunate that we weren't competing while his contract was on the books.

 

[jkutswings]

Perhaps all these reactions to Abdelkader are contagious, and he develops a mysterious allergy to being in the lineup. Nothing painful, mind you. Just an extended (4 year) rehabilitation process of rest and relaxation.