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Free Press “who’s back, who’s not”
Moving forward a bit from a possible Strome bromance (stromance?) which you can read about
here The reason that the low risk signings and trades are possible will be, in part, due to shedding of players and contracts. Helene St. James offered some interesting perspective on one in particular, Justin Abdelkader.
The Detroit media can tend to be overly loyal and optimistic when it comes to the “character” players on the squad. A big part of this started nearly 20 years ago from within the Red Wings room itself. The hallmark of Detroit’s 97, 98 and 2008 championships (2002 was an all star squad for the most part) was the leadership elevating the “grind line” as being every bit as important as the star players. That mentality went a long way and culminated in McCarty scoring the cup clinching goal in Philadelphia for that first chalice in more than 40 years. Like many, I loved the accolades for the grinders and bruisers. Never to be confused with hall of famers they were, nonetheless, the on ice representation of what remained of the blue collar identity that the city would cling to. Guys like Draper, Maltby, McCarty, Kocur and Holmstrom paid the price (or made someone else pay it) and seemed to leave their own indelible mark.
Fast forward to obscurity. Detroit is now without the Hall of Fame talent that made elevating the grind line possible. But the past management as well as fans of old still valued the tough guys who could grind down the opposition. It’s a bit like having a series one Hummer with no engine. The only forward movement happens when going down hill and when someone inadvertently runs into you and falls down. Otherwise, the league will skate right around you while you plummet to the bottom of the hill.
To her credit, HSJ correctly notes that a standard buyout would be a net loss for Detroit. She recommends, instead, a demotion to Grand Rapids. A virtual certainty to pass through waivers, Abdelkader can collect his full salary with around $1 million in cap relief for Detroit. More than that, it sends another signal that Yzerman is trimming the fat and won’t submit to the shackles of long contracts. A very different approach for sure. St James is also one of the writers who tends to understand the pulse of the organization. If there’s any chance of a retraction required, she probably won’t print.
The other 5 “gone guys” included Howard, Goloubef, Perlini, Ericsson and Daley, as well as a change in position for Blashill. No surprises there, but I think Perlini could get a PTO. Disturbingly absent from the gone list - Erne (HSJ predicts an extension), Bowey (she adds that he may not last long), and possibly Nielsen (too costly to buyout). Of those three, Erne is the head scratcher. It’s more palatable with Abdelkader moving out, but yeesh. If Bowey can get his decision making and defensive game honed in, there’s always that upside. But there were some cringeworthy moments (for the whole team to be fair).
Nielsen. This is one that I feel bad about. A genuinely hard worker and good guy. IF the league gives the compliance buyout, that may be the fate of Frans. At a lower salary for a deeper team he could lend some valuable depth. For a goal starved rebuild, it’s not ideal right now. Still, if the song remains the same he will likely be at camp wherever and whenever that happens.
There is a sigh of relief still to be had just in Big E, Daley, Howard and Abby. On a team that was desperate for defense, goaltending and scoring, these 4 just stood out. Let me know your thoughts on St James predictions in the comments, thanks for stopping by!
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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