Bob Duff: Silence from AA camp good news for Wings It would seem highly unlikely at this point that Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent forward Andreas Athanasiou is planning to play in the KHL.

Go away Bob.

Someone is reading Ted Kulfan:

http://www.detroitnews.co...l-without-deal/105517036/

Seems like AA really doesn't want to play in the KHL but wants more money. This is now turning into a Mexican standoff between the Redwings, AA, and the salary cap.

The easiest solution would seem find a team with a cap space and make a move with them and de-escalate the situation.... find a middle point in the contract and move along. Unfortunately, I think from last years Pavel Datsyuk situation Ken doesn't want to make it that worthwhile for anyone to help him out. In that case some (AZ?) bailed Ken out in the cheap because there was no real dollars. This situation isn't as 'easy'.

New blogger would be great, thanks.

Someone is reading Ted Kulfan:

http://www.detroitnews.co...l-without-deal/105517036/
- BooBoo997

Yikes

Seems like AA really doesn't want to play in the KHL but wants more money. This is now turning into a Mexican standoff between the Redwings, AA, and the salary cap.

The easiest solution would seem find a team with a cap space and make a move with them and de-escalate the situation.... find a middle point in the contract and move along. Unfortunately, I think from last years Pavel Datsyuk situation Ken doesn't want to make it that worthwhile for anyone to help him out. In that case some (AZ?) bailed Ken out in the cheap because there was no real dollars. This situation isn't as 'easy'.
- Queenie_5_hole

The easiest solution would be for AA to sign the 2 year deal and let the organization figure out how to become cap compliant.

I would love to understand how causing further rift with a player who has truly begun to make an impact on a team that has looked lack luster otherwise is a good thing. Even if the waiting game proves the KHL is a bluff that didn't pan out, you're putting a kid who brings excitement, speed and growing skill to a team that had little of it last year against a wall. I'm certainly not saying AA is the next Datsyuk, or even Larkin for that matter, but he's a skilled player who shows up. And that's the player you want to demonstrate loyalty, or at least market value to. Not dangle around and risk losing. But maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about...

Someone is reading Ted Kulfan:

http://www.detroitnews.co...l-without-deal/105517036/
- BooBoo997

holy battman copy pasting

Stop deleting my comments or banning me for saying Bob is a terrible blogger.

I would love to understand how causing further rift with a player who has truly begun to make an impact on a team that has looked lack luster otherwise is a good thing. Even if the waiting game proves the KHL is a bluff that didn't pan out, you're putting a kid who brings excitement, speed and growing skill to a team that had little of it last year against a wall. I'm certainly not saying AA is the next Datsyuk, or even Larkin for that matter, but he's a skilled player who shows up. And that's the player you want to demonstrate loyalty, or at least market value to. Not dangle around and risk losing. But maybe I have no idea what I'm talking about...
- Pavfan13

Loyalty is a two way street. 2x1.9 is market value, it's the lower end of market value, but market value where it has been set nonetheless. AA is one of my favorite wings, but I think he's overstepping his station in this.
If AAs agent hadn't shown a penchant for fake European leverage in the past I'd be more like to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Stop deleting my comments or banning me for saying Bob is a terrible blogger.
- Feds91Stammer

Oppression of the voice of the public.

Stop deleting my comments or banning me for saying Bob is a terrible blogger.
- Feds91Stammer

Cheap copy and paste. Awfull even for low Bobs standards...

Cheap copy and paste. Awfull even for low Bobs standards...
- Mozgoid34

Bob has standards?

Stop deleting my comments or banning me for saying Bob is a terrible blogger.
- Feds91Stammer

Bob is a terrible blogger who is an embarrassment to Red Wings fans. He should be ashamed of himself. He's Ken Holland's puppet with no knowledge or original thoughts of his own. He's by far the worst blogger on hockey buzz which is saying something. Bob, I award you charter membership into the Hockey Buzz Hall of Shame. Now please, for the love of Gordie Howe, GO AWAY!

Bob is a terrible blogger who is an embarrassment to Red Wings fans. He should be ashamed of himself. He's Ken Holland's puppet with no knowledge or original thoughts of his own. He's by far the worst blogger on hockey buzz which is saying something. Bob, I award you charter membership into the Hockey Buzz Hall of Shame. Now please, for the love of Gordie Howe, GO AWAY!
- gergeswillems

I had no idea of the hate that goes around in these threads

I had no idea of the hate that goes around in these threads
- willschulme

I don't think that Bob has contributed a single sentence of his own writing during his entire embarrassing tenure as a "blogger" on HockeyBuzz.

I had no idea of the hate that goes around in these threads
- willschulme

He doesn't seem to get the format. He writes like he still has his newspaper column, both in terms of the style and the substance. That might make sense if you're writing to casual sports fans who still get most of their updates from the local paper (a rapidly shrinking demographic, which is no doubt why he no longer works for the Windsor Star). It's not going to cut it here.

The first lesson of professional writing 101 is know your audience. In transitioning from newspapers to blogging, Duff seems to have forgotten that lesson. People here have less than zero interest in reading the same quotes and the same stories and the same surface-level perspectives over and over again. Kulfan, St. James, Khan, etc. are already doing that job. Fans who go to the blogs are there because they want something deeper, more opinionated, more insightful.

I don't have any personal animosity toward Duff. He's probably a nice guy. He's a competent writer. But aside from giving us a new comment forum to post in every 2-6 days he doesn't add anything of value to this site or to the Red Wings blogosphere at large. If he can't understand that what worked for newspapers doesn't work here, and he can't recognize he needs a different approach for a different audience, then he needs to be replaced -- and he's going to keep getting trashed by the commenters until he is.

Loyalty is a two way street. 2x1.9 is market value, it's the lower end of market value, but market value where it has been set nonetheless. AA is one of my favorite wings, but I think he's overstepping his station in this.
If AAs agent hadn't shown a penchant for fake European leverage in the past I'd be more like to give him the benefit of the doubt.
- ezekial

While I completely agree with you that it is a two way street, had Holland managed the cap better, he could show that actual production is what receives reward rather than overpaying others who may not show they deserve it. So in that sense, I do not think he is overstepping his station. If he's demanding 3 a year, than I'd agree. But I'd think 2.25 to 2.5 is not insane.

You're right about that agent though. Seems they are getting louder now-a-days and not always towards the benefit of their clients.

Enuff with Duff! This hack needs to go!

I nominate Sven as the new Wings blogger

Under a mill per season is slap in the face to aa imo. Holland sucks at managing money and now aa is supposed to take a pay cut because holland overpaid 75% of the team. Had blash been giving aa the minutes he deserves the offer would have to be much higher, maybe a strategic move to try and keep his worth down? I am 100% on aa's side here, just another classic situation holland has screwed up.

I nominate Sven as the new Wings blogger
- dcz28

Down with Duff!

Under a mill per season is slap in the face to aa imo. Holland sucks at managing money and now aa is supposed to take a pay cut because holland overpaid 75% of the team. Had blash been giving aa the minutes he deserves the offer would have to be much higher, maybe a strategic move to try and keep his worth down? I am 100% on aa's side here, just another classic situation holland has screwed up.
- hockeyislife99

Under a mil per season, eh? You have no clue what you're talking about.
2 years 1.9 mil per, that's the offer on the table.