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Signs of organizational change, would Donato fit? |
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The draft is coming and I still won’t guess Yzerman’s moves. We had some good back and forth, but the Captain has a penchant for surprise. We’re seeing a willingness to take on assets for draft picks (Marc Staal) and more could be on the way.
Tampa Bay is going to need to clear 10K in salary, and possibly more. TJ fans take note...
Ilitch Holdings have kept employees on for the Tigers, Red Wings and the Fox Theatre. While operations staff for Hockey and Baseball are expected to be safe, other positions will be cut. I expect that the Operations side is safe “for now”, as there is still no start date for the NHL. It’s admirable that Ilitch Holdings has gone this far, and hopefully there will be some sort of comeback for those affected.
per Crains via George Malik, Detroit Medical Center has backed out of a new building (70M) in which they would be a primary tenant. Finally, YouTube TV is dropping Fox Sports Detroit. Usually, this is a “temporary” issue while per subscriber fees are argued over. In this case, it’s difficult to tell. Cable/Satellite and FSD direct subscriptions pay significantly more than the Youtube PSF. There may be a genuine lack of appetite to continue this relationship for now.
So, what does it all mean? Changes continue to come.
We talked a bit about the “hockey apocalypse” just over a week ago. The changes, post Stanley Cup, are popping up. Small bits have been put into place to “brace us” for the uncertainty. I am extremely grateful that the Ilitch family continues to face forward and have been slow in making decisions to cut expenses. The Crains piece notes a reality that “sports was hit first and hardest, and may be the last to come back”. The NFL is in its groove, but on a much richer TV deal. We still don’t know how much money teams need or want to shed from payroll and operations.
The Minnesota Wild have been busy shipping out and shopping players. Another player from the 2014 draft (2nd round this time) is available in Ryan Donato. At 1.9 million for the next season and then RFA(arbitration eligible), it has piqued my interest. The 2nd line center position is up for grabs. Fabbri needs some consistency in linemates. Depending on the ask, this may be an interesting pickup. Bill Guerin is going full bore and making big changes.
Ek had posted recently that up to 4 teams may be looking at closing their doors without some sort of State/Provincial/Federal intervention. It’s going to be a tough sell as, across the board, revenues are way down. A Private sector solution may need to be pursued for cash strapped clubs with new co ownership/sponsorship, or players driving Uber part time. It’s a brave new horizon. Where do you think we’re headed?
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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