Confirmed with Link: Wings Buy Out Final 3 Years of Weiss' Contract

[Vladdy84]

What's the "lowdown" on why the Wings dumped Weiss!?

I refuse to give HSJ clicks.

 

[HockeyinHD]

I can't speak for Heaton, but I think Brunner and Alfie were included to show he has dome some things right but 66.7 percent of those signings were bad which is still a bad grade

A) What percentage of depth FA signings usually work out?
B) Do you feel that list was inclusive of all relevant signings?

 

[Nut Upstrom]

If he isn't signing anyone in FA there was no reason to buy Weiss out this year. He is already allowed to talk to other teams UFAs so this should mean he already has an agreed upon deal. If he buys Weiss out and doesn't use the cap space this is just terrible management.

Or it means he has more options and more room in further negotiations with FAs. This move seems all about creating options and cap space for potential moves this off-season without disrupting the ability to take care of the coming crop of FAs and RFAs.
I do assume this means Kenny is trying to land someone, if he doesn't I am still ok with this move, but hindsight would show that doing it next year would have been more beneficial.
Oh well.

 

[HockeyinHD]

What's the "lowdown" on why the Wings dumped Weiss!?

I refuse to give HSJ clicks.

TLDR version:

He sucked, Babcock made him sign the guy, and they were going to have to buy him out after this year anyway to pay for the UFA's in 2016-17.

 

[Avery Rule]

good ol Kenny and his tire kicking!
I have a feeling he actually gets green.

 

[Eggberto]

A) What percentage of depth FA signings usually work out?
B) Do you feel that list was inclusive of all relevant signings?

I don't have a solid number for that, but when it comes to short term depth signings I'd have to say the number is closer to 60% for. I'd argue this mostly because "depth" signings generally take up a smaller portion of a cap therefore they have a lesser impact and if they "don't work out" it is a lesser impact than a marquee player signing and not working out.

B.) It depends. There really isn't a specified time frame so we could have gone further back, or even only looked at all signings over say the past two or three seasons. The big one left out is probably Dekeyser, but seeing as we technically signed Cleary out of free agency, and Quincey too, both of those players could be added as well.

 

[Adityase]

Seeing Hamilton and Saad being traded likely to preempt impending offer sheets I wonder if there's Nyquist chatter and we need to free up the cap space just to keep him.

Also people complaining about signing Weiss? That's crazy. At the time he was a bigger center with #1 experience being paid less than Filppula to replace him. Some may have had doubts about how soon he'd come back, but no one thought he'd be this useless. At the time it was a good signing.

Or we're just freeing up space to sign Cleary.

 

[RedWingzz]

I predicted this, and am glad its happening! Bring on Pulkkinen full time.

 

[Flowah]

TLDR version:

He sucked, Babcock made him sign the guy, and they were going to have to buy him out after this year anyway to pay for the UFA's in 2016-17.

He was a Babcock hire? And then got doghoused that fast?


Geeeeez.

 

[RedWingsfan55]

Seeing Hamilton and Saad being traded likely to preempt impending offer sheets I wonder if there's Nyquist chatter and we need to free up the cap space just to keep him.

Also people complaining about signing Weiss? That's crazy. At the time he was a bigger center with #1 experience being paid less than Filppula to replace him. Some may have had doubts about how soon he'd come back, but no one thought he'd be this useless. At the time it was a good signing.

Or we're just freeing up space to sign Cleary.

Actually I did. On another site I use to be I opposed his signing. Bringing up his previous injury issues as my biggest reason why....look what happened.

 

[Adityase]

Actually I did. On another site I use to be I opposed his signing. Bringing up his previous injury issues as my biggest reason why....look what happened.

If people thought it would be a disaster because of the injuries then that's understandable, but few thought even the injuries would make him useless for the life of the contract... which at this point is assured.

 

[Heaton]

He was a Babcock hire? And then got doghoused that fast?


Geeeeez.

I imagine a lot of these signings went like this.

Babcock: I need a big right handed winger.

Holland: Here's Samuelsson!

Babcock: I need someone to replace Filppula if we don't sign him

Holland: Here's Weiss!

At the time, I liked the Weiss signing, thought he would rebound nicely. He didn't, and Holland dragged his feet too long when it was embarrassingly apparent that Weiss was no longer useful. Now, once again, Holland is getting rid of a guy without getting anything out of it. It's been a common theme recently. I'm sure Babcock had influence over who was signed and probably gave a bunch of bad ideas too. But we've seen how Holland has managed the team, finding ways to blame things on other people when he's the GM... is a little weird.

 

[sepster]

Also from that article: " Former coach Mike Babcock pushed hard for the move, expecting Weiss to fill the second-line center spot vacated by Valtteri Filppula, who later signed with the Tampa Bay Lighting."

Well, that's an interesting revelation if true. I don't recall seeing too much finger pointing when it came to things failing before. Once you leave the shield, the shield leaves you I guess.

Probably because, as I pointed out in April of last year, Babcock was alone in pushing for Weiss while others did not want him.

It was actually Babcock who pushed for the Weiss signing. Devellano and the front office staff did not want him and warned that he wasn't the player Babcock thought he was, wouldn't have the work ethic or the attitude to fit in the locker room. But, Babcock kept pushing for him and Holland caved. Remember the article about how Babcock phoned Weiss and made it clear that he would have to work his ass off and "are you ready to work like a Red Wing?" That was Babcock making sure the player he wanted was aware of the situation he was walking in to.

Weiss and Cleary are both here because Babcock pushed for them. In the future, I would suggest Babs sticks to coaching and let the front office staff pick the players.

Weiss was Babcock's guy. Weiss flopped, Babcock's gone, so now is his baggage.

For the record, I did like the Weiss signing at the time. At least they tried something that looked good on paper rather than getting another Colaiacovo or Samuelsson (which, ironically enough, is exactly the same player we ended up with).

 

[FlashyG]

From that article:


I seriously think Holland says that to troll the internet fan base of the Red Wings.

 

[Claypool]

holy **** this is amazing.

 

[Petes2424]

Tells me they have options tomorrow. Fehr is the best acquisition they can get up front in UFA. A type of guy they really don't have up the middle. I wouldn't rule out Frolik either. They should stay away from Vermette. It'll be interesting to see what Beleskey gets tomorrow from somewhere. Just don't think the Wings will give him a huge deal.

 

[sean3250]

******* priceless

 

[HockeyinHD]

I imagine a lot of these signings went like this.

Babcock: I need a big right handed winger.

Holland: Here's Samuelsson!

Babcock: I need someone to replace Filppula if we don't sign him

Holland: Here's Weiss!

Well, that's just how you imagine all the bad signings go. I'm sure all the good signings are the result of a great deal of teamwork and group decision-making.

At the time, I liked the Weiss signing, thought he would rebound nicely. He didn't, and Holland dragged his feet too long when it was embarrassingly apparent that Weiss was no longer useful. Now, once again, Holland is getting rid of a guy without getting anything out of it. It's been a common theme recently. I'm sure Babcock had influence over who was signed and probably gave a bunch of bad ideas too. But we've seen how Holland has managed the team, finding ways to blame things on other people when he's the GM... is a little weird.

Here is the action tree, I guess:

If Holland doesn't sign a UFA he's passive.

If he does sign a UFA and the guy isn't great, he stinks.

If he does sign a UFA that stinks and doesn't get rid of him immediately he's dragging his feet.

If he gets rid of a guy after 2 years of a 5 year deal, he's getting rid of a guy without getting anything for him and should get ripped.

Looks like pretty much any eventuality but a UFA signing working out perfectly means Holland is a dork.

Tough crowd.

 

[mindfly]

How much capspace do they have right now with the buy-out, slightly increased salary cap etc?

 

[abbbaron]

He was a Babcock hire? And then got doghoused that fast?


Geeeeez.

Probably because, as I pointed out in April of last year, Babcock was alone in pushing for Weiss while others did not want him.



Weiss was Babcock's guy. Weiss flopped, Babcock's gone, so now is his baggage.

Do you have anything to support that? Other than this line that Khan has dropped in a few of his recent articles? I can't find anything to corroborate it and I find it rather curious that it's only now coming out. I can't find anything connecting Babcock to Weiss specifically and, while he had some nice things to say about Weiss after the signing was announced, Babcock already seemed to be hedging himself in the press before Weiss even played a game. Holland had been known to be interested in Weiss since the guy was in Plymouth...

 

[r0bert8841]

Ankle injuries have made him an ineffective Tire Kicker.

 

[Actual Thought*]

I am surprised by the move and I think it means Holland is going to try to prop up Blashill by going hard if free agency. I see no other explanation. He needs to get substantially better fast if they are going to make the playoffs.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Actually I did. On another site I use to be I opposed his signing. Bringing up his previous injury issues as my biggest reason why....look what happened.

At the time I loved the Weiss signing, living in Florida and having seen a lot of him over the years I was always a big fan. I do remember that there were a few who, at the time, did not like the move. It was a minority but the injury issue seemed to be what those people pointed to. Was a very good call on your part.

Despite the points Weiss put up he really was just a shadow of his former self and the buyout is what his play demands considering how much he is getting paid; real pity the signing didn't work out, I was very excited at the time.
I wish Weiss the best wherever he ends up.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Oh my god I am rolling! ****ing hilarious!

 

[Run the Jewels]

I support this move.

Yep, totally expected Holland to eat at least one more year of that contract. Good move.