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With the Detroit Red Wings announcement today of the re-signing of winger Daniel Cleary to a one-year contract, fans of the Winged Wheel appear to have thrown their hands in the air in complete anger and dissatisfaction with GM Ken Holland's decision to bring the 35 year-old Cleary back for another year after his 8 point season in 52 games played during the 2013-14 NHL regular season.
Needless to say, the Summer of "Ken" is failing to live up to Wing fans hopes and expectations.
Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press attempts to outline the principle reason Holland offers for going ahead with this signing:
General manager Ken Holland said the decision, "has more to do with last year. My program has been one of loyalty, and there's good things and bad things that go with that. Way more good, in my opinion. I reached out to a lot of people before signing Dan, and he's very popular in our organization and with our on-ice leaders."The answer lies in loyalty, and in untangling a web of agreements from last September. After rejecting contract offers from the Wings – his team since 2005 – in June of 2013, Cleary verbally agreed to a three-year, $8.25 million deal with the Philadelphia Flyers. A day before training camp, Cleary flew to Traverse City and met at the airport with Holland and head coach Mike Babcock.
LOYALTY??? Wasn't taking Cleary back at the stroke of midnight last fall ENOUGH in the way of loyalty? In particular after Cleary spurned initial contract offers from the Red Wings in the summer?
Cleary didn't appear to have many concerns about loyalty in verbally agreeing to a contract with the Philadelphia Flyers last summer.
Bottom line, mistake #1 by the Wings GM had nothing to do with allowing Cleary and coach Mike Babcock to convince him to re-sign the long time Red Wing last September to a one-year deal. His error was in also "guaranteeing" a future on Detroit's playing roster beyond the one season. If Cleary's main task was to obtain a multi-year contract, Holland's job was to shake Dan's hand, thank him for his many contributions as a Red Wing and wish him well in Philly. It certainly was not to tell Cleary, "We will take care of you beyond the one season just because you don't want to leave Detroit for 3 years in Philly."
Holland said that if Cleary doesn't have a big camp, "he won't be in the lineup."
But his ONE-WAY contract status will continue to hit the team's salary cap.
With the signing of Cleary, the expected signing of Daniel Alfredsson later this summer when he confirms his back is healthy to go and the expected re-signing of RFA Tomas Tatar, the Red Wings will likely be at 15 forwards come the start of training camp.
UNLESS....Holland looks to move a forward or two via trade. Whether it is a young forward to assist in acquiring a top-4 rearguard or moving a forward like Joakim Andersson to provide him with a greater opportunity elsewhere.
I also like how Holland suggests "loyalty" has been good for "his" program over the years. Funny how for some reason it doesn't appear to have helped the club in attempting to lure free agents to Hockeytown this past summer.
Kris Draper wasn't offered a one-way contract in the summer of 2011 after posting 11 points in 47 games, albeit he was 40 years old. Kirk Maltby at the age of 37, signed a two-way contract heading into training camp the following year after an injury plagued 52 game season in 2009-10. Somehow, Cleary turns down the Red Wings, agrees to a lucrative contract elsewhere, yet still receives a performance-laden one-year, one-way contract.
Perhaps TSN's Scott Cullen sums it up best:
Trying to find room to fit its overflowing stock of young forwards, DET signs 35-year-old coming off a terrible year: http://t.co/eVtDDiXJHu
— Scott Cullen (@tsnscottcullen) July 10, 2014Would love to know what Tomas Jurco is thinking right now? Jurco played in 36 games and had a Corsi For % nearly ten percent higher than Cleary. Babcock suggested these "kids" had earned their NHL spots and were here to stay. Yet given the fact Jurco is the lone current Red Wing forward that is exempt from having to clear waivers, he better start looking for living arrangements in Grand Rapids...or perhaps Buffalo or Washington.
Holland calls the NHL a "man's league". Yet two of the Los Angeles Kings best forwards during their 2014 Stanley Cup run were 22 year-old Tyler Toffoli and 21 year-old Tanner Pearson. How many 2014 NHL Draft prospects were secretly hoping they weren't drafted by Detroit a couple weeks back for fear they weren't going to see the NHL full-time until they were 24?
Can't wait for the next chapter of the Summer of "Ken".
mark.spizzirri@hockeybuzz.com
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