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Wings Notes: Mrazek, Howard, DeKeyser

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When the list of 24 players who filed for arbitration was released by the NHLPA yesterday, the absence of certain names stuck out like a sore thumb. As we touched on, young Detroit netminder Petr Mrazek was among the most prominent names that were left off.

Now, Ken Campbell of The Hockey News reports in his latest column that the Red Wings are likely to take Mrazek to arbitration themselves, filing before today’s deadline of 6pm. Detroit was the only NHL team to take a player to arbitration by today’s deadline. For more on how the arbitration process works, check out the first part of our guide.  Here are more notes from Campbell’s column:

  • As Mrazek deals with his arbitration uncertainty, the other goalie in the Motor City is unsure of his future with the club as well.  Campbell tells us that Ken Holland has said trading Jimmy Howard would be “good for the organization”.  Earlier this summer, we reported that Holland has also said Mrazek will definitely be the Wings’ number one goalie this season, meaning that Howard – and his $5.3MM cap hit – may find himself playing somewhere else in 2016-17.
  • It sounds much more positive on the Danny DeKeyser front however, as Campbell reports that the star blueliner is close to a deal with the club that will pay him somewhere in the $5MM range. DeKeyser filed for arbitration yesterday, but can still negotiate with the team until his hearing. After three solid seasons in the NHL, DeKeyser is looking to sign a long-term deal with his home town team.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Murray, DeKeyser

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National Post writer Steve Simmons spoke with Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello about the slew of choices facing the Maple Leafs. Simmons expects the Leafs, along with everyone else in the hockey world, to select Arizona native Auston Matthews with the first overall pick. Simmons compares Matthews to former Leafs icon Mats Sundin. Lamoriello also told Simmons that the acquisition of goalie Frederik Andersen from Anaheim secures the Leafs’ goaltending for at least the next five years. After that, the decisions are murky. Simmons writes that the $25MM in contractual obligations to players who may never wear the jersey is just one of several problems Lamoriello must solve.

Other news around the Atlantic Division:

  • As Buffalo prepares to host the NHL Draft tomorrow evening, Sabres general manager Tim Murray ponders what moves he has to make next. Buffalo News reporter Mike Harrington writes that Murray has “reeled in” a number of big names to construct a powerful young core, but that his work is far from over. Harrington reports that Murray may be targeting Anaheim defenseman Cam Fowler, and that the Sabres might be willing to part with their eighth overall pick in the draft to do so. Additionally, Harrington lists St. Louis Blues d-man Kevin Shattenkirk and even New York Rangers forward Rick Nash as potential targets.
  • Detroit Red Wings restricted free agent Danny DeKeyser told MLive’s Brendan Savage that he doesn’t anticipate any issues signing a new deal with Detroit. Speaking to Savage after throwing out the first pitch at the Detroit Tigers game, DeKeyser indicated that while negotiations have yet to get serious, the 26-year-old defenseman expects to be suiting up for the Winged Wheel once training camp begins. DeKeyser is one of four restricted free agents that the Wings have yet to lock up.

Free Agent Focus: Detroit Red Wings

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The 2015-2016 Detroit Red Wings were a team in transition. Jeff Blashill took over a team that on paper, looked ready to build on their performance from 2014-2015 where they nearly upset eventual Eastern Conference Champion Tampa Bay. Instead, the Red Wings were an inconsistent bunch, struggling mightily on the power play, especially in the playoffs, and searching for an identity between their storied past, and their dynamic future, which includes budding superstar Dylan Larkin. The Red Wings were bounced in five games by the Lightning in the first round, and general manager Ken Holland found himself facing a restless fanbase and crucial offseason.

Cap Space: $11,073,789 according to CapFriendly. This number will change if Pavel Datsyuk’s contract is moved to another team. Additionally, the Red Wings are looking at a number of trades to free up room. 

Key UFAs: Darren Helm. The 29-year-old center has been with the Red Wings for his entire career, first making an impact during the Wings 2008 Stanley Cup run. Helm has blazing speed and is a huge factor on the penalty kill. After having a career year in 2014-2015,  Helm posted numbers a bit below with 26 points. (13-13). The Red Wings expected Helm to show a consistency in scoring, but the lack of a scoring touch has been missing from Helm’s game, especially on breakaways. Helm has already been offered a contract, but with the emergence of speedster Andreas Athanasiou and Larkin, Helm’s loss wouldn’t be devastating should they not come to terms.

Other UFAs Forwards Brad Richards, Drew Miller, and Joakim Andersson. Defenseman Kyle Quincey.

Key RFAs: D Danny DeKeyser, and G Petr Mrazek.  DeKeyser was expected to be a top 4 defenseman in Detroit and might be paid as such. With Niklas Kronwall aging, and the core of Detroit’s defense disappointing, DeKeyser is seen as a steady presence who can log more minutes. Mrazek is a completely different case. With over $5.2MM invested in Jimmy Howard, Mrazek is widely seen as the #1 goalie in Detroit and will be compensated as such. The Red Wings have already started shopping Howard to free up money for Mrazek. The 23-year-old Czech was stellar between the pipes, and is seen as the caliber of a goalie who can steal games. In the regular season, Mrazek won 27 games and had a .921 save percentage.

Other RFAs: F Teemu Pulkkinen, D Alexey Marchenko.

For several seasons now, Ken Holland has swung and missed with trades and free agency. The Red Wings are no longer the dominant team they once were, and are clearly in transition with young players like Athanasiou, Larkin, and Anthony Mantha looking to take over. Holland vowed to make changes. His first order of business will be determining what to do with Datsyuk’s contract.  After that, the pressure is on Holland to reshape the roster into one that will bring the Red Wings back to dominance.

Pavel Datsyuk Not Returning To Detroit

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Accoring to former NHLer Aaron Ward, and confirmed by TSN’s Darren Dreger, Pavel Datsyuk will hold a press conference tomorrow to announce he will not return to the Detroit Red Wings.  Detroit will now look to move his contract to another team, in order to get out from under the $7.5MM cap-hit his contract will incur due to being signed after his 35th birthday.

Datsyuk has long been considering heading back to his home in Russia to play out his final hockey years in the KHL and be closer to family. The 37-year old has scored 314 goals and 918 points in his surely hall-of-fame career, winning two Stanley Cups along the way.  He was awarded the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for sportsmanship four times, while collecting the Frank J. Selke, awarded to the league’s top defensive forward, three times.

Datsyuk’s departure will leave a hole not easily filled in the Detroit lineup, as even at his advanced age his presence on the ice was important.  He scored 49 points this season, a down one by his standards, but still logged over 19 minutes a night playing against the oppositions top lines.  Centres like Riley Sheahan, who recently re-signed for two seasons, and Dylan Larkin will now be relied on more heavily on game nights. Henrik Zetterberg, the last bastion of a past era of Detroit excellence will continue to lead the team, now without his longtime partner in crime.

If the Red Wings can move Datsyuk’s contract, it will give them some much needed cap relief, as the team currently sits at just over $60MM in salary for only 16 players, with notable restricted free agents Petr Mrazek and Danny DeKeyser still to sign.

Riley Sheahan Inks Two-Year Extension

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According to Ansar Khan of MLive.com, the Detroit Red Wings have given Riley Sheahan a two-year extension worth $4.15MM.  The 24-year old winger was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, after completing a two year deal signed before the 2014-15 season that saw him earn $1.9MM.

After a season in which Sheahan scored 14 goals and tallied 25 points, the former first-round pick looks to have a lock on a bottom six role on Jeff Blashill’s Red Wings. Those 14 goals actually ranked him sixth on the team, and with Brad Richards, Darren Helm, and Pavel Datsyuk all expected to leave this offseason, the Red Wings can’t afford to have a drawn out negotiation with some of their home grown talent. Sheahan put up just a single point in the Red Wings first round exit this season, and will need to continue to develop his offensive game if he’s to ever climb up the Detroit depth chart.

The Red Wings will now turn their attention to remaining RFAs Danny DeKeyser, Teemu Pulkkinen and Petr Mrazek. The 24-year old Mrazek is the most important of the three after putting up a solid season as the Red Wings number 1 goaltender. With Jimmy Howard already under contract for just under $5.3 million per season, the Wings will look to sign Mrazek to a similar low-numbered bridge deal for the next couple of seasons.

DeKeyser played a big role on the Red Wings’ back end, logging almost 22 minutes of ice time per game.  His 20 points was a disappointing total for the 26-year old, but he’s set to get a substantial raise from the $2.9 million he earned last season. With Kyle Quincey coming off the books this season, the Red Wings will probably re-invest in DeKeyser who will be looking at around $4 million per season.

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