OT: Wings sign Abdelkader to a too long deal

Submitted by teldar on
7 years, 4.25 per. Way too long, imo. Quite a discussion going on at wingingitinmotown.com
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Michology 101

November 12th, 2015 at 1:09 PM ^

Yeah, that's how they kinda do things in the NHL. They give players more years than they deserve to get the player to accept less money per year than the player most likely wants. Abby probably wanted well over $5 million per year. The Red Wings gave him more years to cover the pay difference.

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JClay

November 12th, 2015 at 12:06 PM ^

I'm more concerned about a roster crunch than anything else. 4.25 is going to be like 2.5 mil today in year 5 of that deal. I agree its nutso but I think people are missing that fact that in about three years, Abdelkader really doesn't belong in the top 6 with the young guys coming in.

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CompleteLunacy

November 12th, 2015 at 12:17 PM ^

Abbie is not going to be in the top 6 for longer than 3 years, tops.  Power forwards simply do not last long, the ones that do are few and far between. And Abbie had just barely established himself as a top 6 guy, but I'm extremely skeptical he has what it takes to keep up the pace from last year. A 3-year contract would be teh ideal length, I might even accept 4...but 7 is cray.

So, assuming we can get 3 good years of top 6 value from him (which is a big assumption), then for four more years, he's going to be an overpaid 3rd-4th line grinder, even when considering cap increases during that time.

It's just...ugh. Sometimes it's OK to move on from a guy who was good for you up until now. Kenny seems to have forgotten that. Far too much loyalty lately...

 

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Blue In NC

November 12th, 2015 at 12:12 PM ^

I agree that is too long.  That's hoping he consistently scores at least 20 per year and plays a power game for 7 years.  If so, good signing.  Otherwise, could be a problem.

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MichiganG

November 12th, 2015 at 12:45 PM ^

I find it hard to believe there is any scenario in which this is a good signing - unless, after 400 games in the NHL - he suddenly transforms into a much better player.  It was only two years ago that Max Pacioretty signed a 6-year, $27 million deal and he was already a proven 30-goal scorer.

This is one of the most expensive contracts in the entire NHL for a forward who hasn't shown much offensive potential.  There are a couple others (Beleskey, Silfverberg, Benoit Pouliot, Bolland, maybe Soderberg and Anisimov, though those two are probably more proven); so it's not entirely surprising he was able to get this much money.  But these are the sorts of deals you want other teams to be giving their players; not the team you cheer for.

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gutsnglue

November 12th, 2015 at 12:16 PM ^

This was the same excuse he used for giving Franzen the big contract over Hossa. Sorry, but Abdelkader will probably never score more than 20 goals again (especially if he's not playing on the first line with Pavel or Z).

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CompleteLunacy

November 12th, 2015 at 12:25 PM ^

Kenny, I understand it's hard to find a power forward who can put up 20+ in a year. But he's done it ONCE. You know who else had a 20-goal season once? Kris Draper (who was one of my favorite Wings, but he was definitively not a top 6 guy). I have no problem giving Abby a chance to demonstrate he can maintain that goal production with top line minutes, but 7 years is way over the top.

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gutsnglue

November 12th, 2015 at 12:31 PM ^

Plus...Holland had all the leverage here. There's no way another team was giving him a 7 year deal. 4/5 years max and at the right price, otherwise trade him or let him walk like he did with Marty Lapointe. Seven year contracts are down right stupid, unless it's a proven young superstar.

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Hannibal.

November 12th, 2015 at 7:04 PM ^

This is a lot worse than the Franzen deal. Franzen was justifiable at the time given his post season scoring success and the insane hand-eye coordination and finishing talent that he had showed. Nobody could have foreseen that he would go on to be a concussion machine. Abdelkader in the other hand is an average "energy" forward who has had one really good scoring season.

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93Grad

November 12th, 2015 at 12:29 PM ^

Of course they did. Holland is a one trick pony who only knows how to resign and overpay his own players or aging free agents. He has zero creativity or guts to make actual hockey trades to improve the team in the modern salary cap era



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sambora114

November 12th, 2015 at 12:30 PM ^

I am similarly displeased 

Lots of great forwards coming up. Why not sign him for 3 or 4 years (I know that Abdelkader would have nixed as this is his last chance to sign a big deal) when Bertuzzi can fill the role after?

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WCHBlog

November 12th, 2015 at 12:48 PM ^

It's not just that Abdelkader has only one 20-goal season, it's that that season came in a year when his shooting percentage was double his career average. He's a 10 goal/year guy that had a very lucky season. Those guys are pretty easy to find.

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SMart WolveFan

November 12th, 2015 at 12:50 PM ^

I remember when fans loved it when a player earned the chance to stay with your team for his whole career, now it's all about cap hits.

 

Congrats Justin look forward to watching you score 20 goals a year.

 

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SMart WolveFan

November 12th, 2015 at 2:09 PM ^

What Pavel wants > what you think

 

Seriously though, hockey teams need guys in the "dirty areas", especially the Wings who are full of wipsy skilled euros, so I think it's a good move to lock him in; sure it was a reward contract like Franzen got and they more than likely overpaid but they'll probably win a couple cups anyway so I'll just cheer them on and try to ignore what they get paid.

 

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MichiganG

November 12th, 2015 at 2:16 PM ^

I appreciate your optimism, but this isn't a team that's going to win a couple Cups.  Compare their roster to the top teams in the league, and the Red Wings, even when healthy, are a good margin behind.  Deals like this only reduce their flexibility to make up ground.  Looking to next season, if there isn't a significant change in the salary cap, there are 6-8 roster spots that need filling and not a lot of money to fill those.

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mich_hockey_6

November 12th, 2015 at 2:52 PM ^

The Wings, unfortunately, will not be winning any Cups anytime soon. And stupid decisions like this from the front office insure that. Aside from his lucky season last year (and only because he cleaned up garbage on the first line), he has done nothing to make him worth more than a cool million per. He takes dumb, untimely penalties in the playoffs, doesn't produce consistently and when he does, it's pure luck. He has gone far for a high school hockey player, but this is just a mind-numbingly bad move by Holland.

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m_go_T

November 12th, 2015 at 1:07 PM ^

But even I can tell this deal stinks.  I'm not sure why you would do this after the complete messes that are the Franzen deal and the Jimmy Howard deal.  I don't know if it is a Detroit thing or an Illitch thing, but it seems that the Tigers and Red Wings are crippled with the fear of losing their fan favorite players, and as a result, they enter into really unfavorable contracts that reward past performance at the cost of hamstringing their ability to retool the respective teams.    

I wonder if Holland is not suited for the salary cap era.  His last Stanley cup win was right at the beginning of the salary cap era.  Since then he has made a lot of long term deals, many of which have not panned out.  I think its time for them to part ways and to try to lure Steve Yzerman from Tampa.  But what do I know, I like footbaw

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Zoltanrules

November 12th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^

Abby is a vital cog in this team on and off the ice. If you go to the Joe you see his value to the team. Scoreboard watchers just look at goals. He busts his ass most every night, is versatile, and has skill for a grinder. Not every player suffers concussions/injuries which limit their abilities. Yeah it's a gamble but not a huge one imo.

His salary cap hit is below average for an established player who can play on any line. If he doesn't work out down the road that contract is very tradable.

Most bad teams have their money tied up in a couple players (Lions). I 'd rather see this team have 15 above average, hard working players making 4 million/year.

Doubting Holland is like doubting Harbaugh. Every Wings/ UM fan should thank their lucky stars we have these guys running the shows.

I love this Wings' team playoff potential with Abby and the depth when we get a little healthier.

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