I like Sheldon..but his mobility on the blue line is nothing compared to Rafalski's..but i do like Sheldons shot..any other mobile d-men still out there?
Preissing, Kubina is available through trade for next to nothing.
Definitely. I'm excited about the prospect of having him anchor the D with Lidstrom, but I'm worried about Zetterberg.... he's a franchise player, and Detroit needs to keep him, at all costs.
At first glance, my thought was that this would cause some cap problems for Detroit with Zetterberg needing a raise in a couple of years.... but then again, they have 2 years before they have to worry about that, and they can find a way to make room between now and then. For now, the bottom line is this: Rafalski > (and younger than) Schneider.
Robert Lang was a $3.8 million cap hit for them last year, so if they can replace him cheaply then they should have no problems coming up with the extra $4 million or so they'll need to keep Zetterberg (a $4 million raise would give him Datsyuk money, which is probably a reasonable guess). If it becomes a problem, they've got two years to dump somebody and make room.
Wow they lose an older defensemen and sign a better and younger defensemen for only 500k more. Wow. Wings are the top class of the NHL when it comes to management.
Well after calming down..the Devils couldnt match 6 Million..thats fishy..gomer staying..something bigger in the works?
Rafalski is getting 6 million to play in his home state, so I can't really blame him for taking that deal. And nothing has been confirmed yet on Gomez, so anything is possible.
I think this is a strong signing for the Wings. Rafalski was the best puck mover on the market, and when the Wings have Lidstrom and Rafalski on separate pairs, they will be a team that will be incredibly efficient at moving the puck out of their zone and onto the attack. This Detroit team seems to be developing into a powerhouse again provided they keep their core togethor.
Blasted evil filthy Wings, taking the best UFA defenseman on the market that I wanted the Avs to sign....oh well, can't win em all. Rafalski probably won't contribute more than Schneider did offensively, but it goes without saying that his defensive efforts are miles ahead of Scheids. Detroit has a very solid group of veterans in Lidstrom, Rafalski, and Chelios to tutor Kronwall and Lebda. Can't say I'm happy, but can't say I'm suprised either.
Rafalski a red wing
Re: Rafalski a red wing
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