Your draft picks have been reviewed and all we can do is wait. With many of the teams beginning Phase 2 tomorrow, it feels as though the season is finally laid to rest (though we knew Detroit was done a while ago). Inevitably, Steve Yzerman will begin the process of extensions and exits. Trades are feasible, but I have to believe that our GM is waiting until the draft for many moves.
Robby Fabbri was a breath of fresh air this year. His contributions seemed to indicate that he may still be a diamond who had a rough start in the NHL. Among the many things I like about him is his attitude regarding Detroit. If you click on the link on his name, you’ll see that he “couldn’t be happier” with the opportunity in Detroit.
At this point, Yzerman hasn’t had any contract conversations with Fabbri’s camp. He can be qualified for less than $1 mil as a restricted free agent, and interestingly, he was moved to center late in the season, a position he played throughout his pre NHL career. There is definite upside on keeping Fabbri in the fold, and potentially at a friendly cap hit. However, the CBA is still being debated. There’s no hard cap number and escrow is going to be the big dividing issue. At this point I’ve heard 20% for three years to make up for the lost revenue, and as high as 35% next year. Though I’ve gotten beaten up for the revenue numbers I’ve put out, from Sean Avery’s interview with “The Athletic” the breakdown can be 40-50% in taxes (plug in $1,000,000 into Turbo Tax and see what your bracket looks like), 10-15% agent fees (before escrow is taken) and then 10-15% escrow. With that increasing, players will have to petition to keep taxes from being taken out. The glaring exception from this is signing bonuses. No escrow and limited taxes. I wonder if the new CBA will do a modified escrow. Put into perspective, Luke Glendening pays way more into escrow than Austin Matthews at this point.
And so, the waiting will continue for a bit. With the “Q” hoping for an October start, they have gotten in front of the concern of young players opting for European teams in the case of a later start. If training camp is really in December, it won’t be surprising to see NHLers opt to start out in Europe in the fall to break up the long wait of up to 10 months between NHL games.
Fabbri and the rest of the group will probably start to understand their futures after the cap number and draft picks are finalized.
on the topic of finality Jimmy Howard let MLive know that he believes he can still play in this league. He acknowledges that it may not be in Detroit; a 4.20 GAA left a bitter taste for the veteran netminder and he wants some redemption. Going 2-23-2 didn’t help either. As with Jeff Blashill, Jimmy had a hard road ahead. I’ve been watching replays of Boston, St Louis, Washington and others. What stands out is how those teams clear the puck out and help their goalie by eliminating second and third chances. Detroit had more turnovers than a bakery, and many in their own zone. Yes, the goalie needs to give you a chance, but it was a nasty barrage many nights. I truly believe Jimmy could play backup on a team who has more defensive structure at this point. He’s not the guy like Freddie Anderson who can carry a team for stretches. I’d like to see Robin Lehner, but he is looking for his big payday and I’m sure he wants to contend at this point.
Strangely enough, it seems that Yzerman has grown a beard while in quarantine. It’s hard to imagine, but possibly a dead ringer for Kenny Loggins? He’s working, all the time. It’s amazing how much “The Captain” still loves this game. His passion and work ethic are inspiring as he keeps going. It’s a good chance the now bearded Yzerman has several moves ready to go. When they come, they’ll probably come in bunches.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»