Bob Duff: Yzerman keeps it short but is it sweet? In his first free-agent period as Detroit Red Wings GM, Steve Yzerman signed C Valtteri Filppula, D Patrik Nemeth and G Calvin Pickard to two-year, one-way contracts.

Be battling Ottawa all year. Filpulla as 2C?? Sheesh

Be battling Ottawa all year. Filpulla as 2C?? Sheesh
- Just5

That might be the idea.
Still need that jackpot top pick in the next 2 years

Looking like the Yzerplan, For this up and coming season.

same poop , different GM.

What did you guys expect him to do lol? He's not a kneejerk type of gm, he's methodical. It should have been obvious that he would take the time to fully understand what he has within the organization, see how it progresses and go from there. Just be patient, it'll take time.

same poop , different GM.
- wingz4life

Respectfully: come on.

You are equating Yzerman's performance today with that of the man who signed the following deals:

7 x $4.25m for Justin Abdelkader
6 x $5.25m for Frans Nielsen
6 x $4.25m for Jonathan Ericsson
5 x $3.85m for Darren Helm
6 x $5m for Danny DeKeyser

None of the contracts Yzerman signed today are even in the same universe as these ones.

I get it, they're not sexy players, they're more mediocre vets on a team with a boatload of mediocre vets already. I don't love today's moves either. But let's keep some perspective at least.

- Nemeth is the signing I like the least since the D corps is already jammed, but he's a moderate improvement over Daley / Ericsson who is getting paid less than them despite being about 8 years younger. If all three are on the opening night roster I'll be annoyed, but if one of the older vets finds a way out of town (by injury, by trade, by I-96, whatever) that's a clear (albeit modest) win.

- Filppula, yeah, laugh it up. But he's an okay 3C and PK specialist. He's the same age as Nielsen, probably as good, makes less money and somehow still has his contract up first. If his presence means AA can spend more time on the wing instead of center, and Larkin can spend less time on the PK and more at even strength/PP, and Jacob de la Rose can spend more time in the press box instead of the ice, I'm cool with that. And if a bunch of the kids step up and Fil has to chill on the third or even fourth line? Great. I got no problem with that. At least he's not going to be a total liability in that role -- unlike, say, Vanek.

- Pickard is a bad NHL goalie but he's getting paid barely above league minimum and should hopefully be in Grand Rapids most/all of his tenure. He's insurance in case Howard/Bernier get injured or Larsson sucks.

Honestly I would have been fine if the Red Wings had done absolutely nothing today and just rolled with what they have. I don't feel that any of these deals were strictly necessary, and none of these players are particularly good.

But cut Yzerman some slack here. None of these contracts are going to cripple the team. None of them are going to put us in cap hell or force us to sell off good players. The Red Wings are probably a marginally better team with these guys on the roster than they would be without them, and with any luck by the time two years is up and they're all gone at least a few of Zadina, Veleno, Hronek, Cholo, Larsson, Hirose, and whoever else will be impact NHL players.

It's going to take more than two months to fix this shipwreck, and realistically there was nothing Yzerman could have done today to take any huge steps forward. These deals won't make it much easier, but they won't make it harder either. Patience.

same poop , different GM.
- wingz4life

Lol wow, fire Yzerman now and cut your losses

Respectfully: come on.

You are equating Yzerman's performance today with that of the man who signed the following deals:

7 x $4.25m for Justin Abdelkader
6 x $5.25m for Frans Nielsen
6 x $4.25m for Jonathan Ericsson
5 x $3.85m for Darren Helm
6 x $5m for Danny DeKeyser

None of the contracts Yzerman signed today are even in the same universe as these ones.

I get it, they're not sexy players, they're more mediocre vets on a team with a boatload of mediocre vets already. I don't love today's moves either. But let's keep some perspective at least.

- Nemeth is the signing I like the least since the D corps is already jammed, but he's a moderate improvement over Daley / Ericsson who is getting paid less than them despite being about 8 years younger. If all three are on the opening night roster I'll be annoyed, but if one of the older vets finds a way out of town (by injury, by trade, by I-96, whatever) that's a clear (albeit modest) win.

- Filppula, yeah, laugh it up. But he's an okay 3C and PK specialist. He's the same age as Nielsen, probably as good, makes less money and somehow still has his contract up first. If his presence means AA can spend more time on the wing instead of center, and Larkin can spend less time on the PK and more at even strength/PP, and Jacob de la Rose can spend more time in the press box instead of the ice, I'm cool with that. And if a bunch of the kids step up and Fil has to chill on the third or even fourth line? Great. I got no problem with that. At least he's not going to be a total liability in that role -- unlike, say, Vanek.

- Pickard is a bad NHL goalie but he's getting paid barely above league minimum and should hopefully be in Grand Rapids most/all of his tenure. He's insurance in case Howard/Bernier get injured or Larsson sucks.

Honestly I would have been fine if the Red Wings had done absolutely nothing today and just rolled with what they have. I don't feel that any of these deals were strictly necessary, and none of these players are particularly good.

But cut Yzerman some slack here. None of these contracts are going to cripple the team. None of them are going to put us in cap hell or force us to sell off good players. The Red Wings are probably a marginally better team with these guys on the roster than they would be without them, and with any luck by the time two years is up and they're all gone at least a few of Zadina, Veleno, Hronek, Cholo, Larsson, Hirose, and whoever else will be impact NHL players.

It's going to take more than two months to fix this shipwreck, and realistically there was nothing Yzerman could have done today to take any huge steps forward. These deals won't make it much easier, but they won't make it harder either. Patience.
- Sven22

Nemeth to me means Kronwall is retiring. Filppula to me means no forcing AA, Rasmussen, or Veleno to play C. Anyone that doesn’t realize this team is 2-3 years from being a legit playoff contender is clueless.

Nemeth to me means Kronwall is retiring. Filppula to me means no forcing AA, Rasmussen, or Veleno to play C. Anyone that doesn’t realize this team is 2-3 years from being a legit playoff contender is clueless.
- Feds91Stammer

As usual you and I seem to basically agree, except that I took way more paragraphs to say it.

As usual you and I seem to basically agree, except that I took way more paragraphs to say it.
- Sven22

Well you’re our unofficial blogger so that’s why your posts are longer.

Good grief... Filppula as our #2 center just confirms the lack of depth this team has up the middle. I guess you could say he's a stop-gap for a couple years but this team has a long way to go with our lack of quality centers in the system. Really hoping Veleno will turn into an impact NHL center (I was ecstatic when he fell in their lap at #30). Maybe next season's draft gives us some hope.

I would have been very happy if Stevie had done nothing in free agency. I'll be very curious to see who the players are in Grand Rapids this coming season. It will be a very different team from last season.

Frank you for KH, signed Oilers fans.

Thank you from talking me down off the ledge. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither will the Wings' desperate re-build.

Respectfully: come on.

You are equating Yzerman's performance today with that of the man who signed the following deals:

7 x $4.25m for Justin Abdelkader
6 x $5.25m for Frans Nielsen
6 x $4.25m for Jonathan Ericsson
5 x $3.85m for Darren Helm
6 x $5m for Danny DeKeyser

None of the contracts Yzerman signed today are even in the same universe as these ones.

I get it, they're not sexy players, they're more mediocre vets on a team with a boatload of mediocre vets already. I don't love today's moves either. But let's keep some perspective at least.

- Nemeth is the signing I like the least since the D corps is already jammed, but he's a moderate improvement over Daley / Ericsson who is getting paid less than them despite being about 8 years younger. If all three are on the opening night roster I'll be annoyed, but if one of the older vets finds a way out of town (by injury, by trade, by I-96, whatever) that's a clear (albeit modest) win.

- Filppula, yeah, laugh it up. But he's an okay 3C and PK specialist. He's the same age as Nielsen, probably as good, makes less money and somehow still has his contract up first. If his presence means AA can spend more time on the wing instead of center, and Larkin can spend less time on the PK and more at even strength/PP, and Jacob de la Rose can spend more time in the press box instead of the ice, I'm cool with that. And if a bunch of the kids step up and Fil has to chill on the third or even fourth line? Great. I got no problem with that. At least he's not going to be a total liability in that role -- unlike, say, Vanek.

- Pickard is a bad NHL goalie but he's getting paid barely above league minimum and should hopefully be in Grand Rapids most/all of his tenure. He's insurance in case Howard/Bernier get injured or Larsson sucks.

Honestly I would have been fine if the Red Wings had done absolutely nothing today and just rolled with what they have. I don't feel that any of these deals were strictly necessary, and none of these players are particularly good.

But cut Yzerman some slack here. None of these contracts are going to cripple the team. None of them are going to put us in cap hell or force us to sell off good players. The Red Wings are probably a marginally better team with these guys on the roster than they would be without them, and with any luck by the time two years is up and they're all gone at least a few of Zadina, Veleno, Hronek, Cholo, Larsson, Hirose, and whoever else will be impact NHL players.

It's going to take more than two months to fix this shipwreck, and realistically there was nothing Yzerman could have done today to take any huge steps forward. These deals won't make it much easier, but they won't make it harder either. Patience.
- Sven22

Frank you for KH, signed Oilers fans.
- truthservedcold

Wait until he starts giving away prospects and picks for old washed up hasbeens at the deadline. You can also look forward to him recycling players over and over again every July 1st even though they keep getting worst and worst and him giving them NTCs. Hell he gives everyone NTCs even if he vastly overpays them making sure nobody wants that contract anyways.


Anyhow enjoy Holland, i'm just glad he isn't the Wings GM anymore. I just hope at some point Blashill, Abdelkader, Helm, Ericsson, Nielsen and Howard can follow him to Edmonton too