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Justin Abdelkader

Custance’s Latest: Teams Hurt By Cap Recapture Rules

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In the salary cap era, there is nothing worse than a bloated contract, especially one susceptible to the cap recapture rules. ESPN’s Craig Custance listed a number of teams who suffer from such a fate, and explains as such:

For some teams, that pain has arrived. And it could be worse than originally projected because of cap recapture rules since put in place in the new CBA to punish teams if the player retires early or the contract is traded.

“Teams that did those contracts essentially embarrassed Gary [Bettman]. We found a way to circumvent the CBA legally,” said one executive. “He was incensed, and said ’I’m going to get you back.’ Which he did.”

Now because of decisions made years ago, in the name of winning it all or rewarding players who helped make it happen, there are a group of teams that have legacy costs built into their current salary cap structure.

Two teams who managed to stay in good shape contract wise–while contending– are the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins, with the Pens not having any legacy costs. But the teams below, according to Custance, are the ones who suffered from the wrath of Bettman.

  • Los Angeles Kings

Dustin Brown, Marian Gaborik, and Matt Greene are the contracts that have the Kings on the hook for awhile. Along with Mike Richards’ cap recapture hit of $1.32MM, the Kings have a legacy cost of $8.545MM. Though they won two Stanley Cups since 2012, the cost may have hurt them in terms of losing Milan Lucic and Justin Williams due to a lack of cap room.

  • Chicago Blackhawks

Sure, they’ve won three Cups since 2010, but the Marian Hossa deal will eventually be a “real headache” since it still has four years left. Further, Custance writes that the Hawks could be in for real trouble by the 2019-20 season when the core of the Hawks, namely Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Brent Seabrook, and Corey Crawford are all into their 30’s and saddling the payroll with a combined $40MM.

  • Detroit Red Wings

General manager Ken Holland anchored the team with a number of long term, and expensive contracts. Custance’s list doesn’t include the new deals that include a 32-year-old Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader, and Darren Helm. Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, and Johan Franzen combine for a legacy cost of $9.34MM. Custance believes the Wings could get out of the Howard contract by trade, but Kronwall and Zetterberg’s deals will cripple the Wings for years to come, especially as their play declines. The legacy cost for Detroit: $9.34MM.

  • Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks have a few big contracts, namely the Sedin twins, Alex Burrows, Alexander Edler and Roberto Luongo ($800K retained). Custance notes that while he would take the Sedins on his team any day, their decline is certainly happening.

 

Red Wings Recall Nosek, Lashoff

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With Justin Abdelkader sidelined for the next 2-4 weeks, the Detroit Red Wings have recalled big-bodied forward Tomas Nosek from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL.

The Red Wings have also recalled defenseman Brian Lashoff, according to MLive’s Ansar Khan. Neither Nosek nor Lashoff are expected to play Saturday night in Pittsburgh. It appears Drew Miller will take Abdelkader’s spot in the lineup against the defending champs. Miller has played 17 games with the Red Wings this season, and has two goals to show for it.

To make room on the roster, the Red Wings placed Abdelkader on injured reserve (IR). They have also moved Andreas Athanasiou from IR to long-term injured reserve (LTIR), retroactive to November 11.

[Related: Red Wings’ depth chart]

The 6’3, 209 lbs Nosek is hovering near a point-per-game this season in the AHL after back-to-back seasons with 30-plus points. Nosek was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Red Wings back in 2014. He’s been held pointless in six NHL games so far in his career, all played last season.

Should Lashoff get into the lineup during this recall, it will be his first NHL game since 2014-15, when he played 11 games for the Red Wings. The 6’3, 220 lbs defenseman has 13 points in 117 NHL games in his career, all with Detroit.

Neither player will count for much against the salary cap. Lashoff is the higher-earner of the two, making $650K at the NHL level. Nosek is in the first year of a two-year extension signed in May and makes $613K at the NHL level.

Atlantic Notes: Barkov, Red Wings Call Up Candidates

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A breakaway goal may just be what Aleksander Barkov needs to get going writes the Sun-Sentinel’s Harvey Fialkov. Barkov was sprung loose during the Panthers’ 2-1 overtime victory last night when a Red Wings line change led to Barkov being wide open at center ice. He took the long outlet pass, raced to the net, and scored a five hole winner on Petr Mrazek. Before the game, new bench boss Tom Rowe chatted with the youngster and had this to say:

“I told him not to focus on scoring, that they will start going in,” Rowe said Friday on an unscheduled day off in Ottawa given as part reward, part mental and physical break during a season-long six-game road trip.

“Keep playing the right way and have some fun.”

Fialkov writes that the goal snapped Barkov’s 21-game goal drought, the longest of his career. He adds that Barkov reacted with humor after being asked about it. His response? “I don’t even remember my last goal, so it was good to see one go in.”

In spite of a scoring drought, Barkov is second on the team in points with 15 (3-12).

In other Atlantic Division news:

  • Though Drew Miller could take the vacated spot after the Red Wings announced that Justin Abdelkader will be out 2-4 weeks, general manager Ken Holland said that a move would be made from the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins. Some candidates? Forward Matt Lorito has been dynamite for the Griffins, being a point-per-game player since the Wings picked him up as a free agent this summer offering a two-year, two-way deal. Lorito was recently named AHL Player of the Week and currently sits seventh in the league with 19 points (7-12) and is also waiver exempt. Another candidate? Mitch Callahan, who is second on the Griffins in points with 14, has been knocking on the door for years. He’s a feisty winger who would go into the corners while also trying to score the “greasy goals” coach Jeff Blashill harps on.  One other candidate could be Eric Tangradi, a big bodied forward who had a call up last season. It’s more likely that Miller slots in, as Blashill has already hinted that the veteran will get the call.

 

Justin Abdelkader To Miss 2-4 Weeks

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After leaving Thursday night’s game with a lower-body injury, Red Wings forward Justin Abdelkader is expected to miss 2-4 weeks with a “slight MCL sprain” according to MLive’s Ansar Khan.

Abdelkader injured his right knee after hitting it into the boards while finishing his check. He left the bench shortly thereafter. Following the game, Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill told the media that the team may call up a forward to replace Abdelkader, but could also insert Drew Miller into the lineup. On Friday morning, GM Ken Holland said there will be a call-up from the AHL, but he won’t play on Saturday night.

While he’s posted 40+ points two years in a row, Abdelkader has struggled this year with just eight points in 22 games after a much-maligned appearance with Team USA at the World Cup.

Abdelkader is the latest in a long list of injured Red Wings, which includes forwards Darren Helm, Andreas Athanasiou, and Tyler Bertuzzi; defensemen Alexey Marchenko and Brendan Smith; and goalie Jimmy Howard.

The Wings are sixth in the NHL’s Atlantic Division as they look to make the playoffs for a 26th straight year.

Justin Abdelkader Leaves Game With Lower Body Injury

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MLive’s Ansar Khan tweets that Justin Abdelkader has a lower body injury and will not return to the game tonight.  During the first period of the Detroit Red Wings’ matchup with the Florida Panthers, Abdelkader left the ice after finishing a check and banging his right leg into the boards following the hit. He was seen wincing on the bench and flexing his knee as he skated off the ice.

If Abdelkader is out for a number of games, he will join wounded Wings Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Alexey Marchenko, and Brendan Smith. It’s been that kind of a season for Detroit, who is seeking its 26th consecutive playoff appearance.

Abdelkader has eight points (4-4) in 21 games and after signing a massive seven-year extension last season, he was to be counted on for a net-front presence and to chip in at least 20 goals. His absence from the lineup creates another hole in an already ravaged lineup.

The Red Wings, through November 27, lead the NHL in man-games lost with 141.

Red Wings Notes: Struggles, Little Caesars Arena

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Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin said that the team is “sick” of losing writes the Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James. The Red Wings are mired in a slump that has seen only two wins in their last 11 games, and has plunged Detroit into the Atlantic basement. Worse, the Red Wings have looked sloppy and uninspired during many of the losses in the stretch.

St. James writes that the Red Wings are the only team in the Eastern Conference with double digit losses, while newly acquired Frans Nielsen said tonight’s game against Buffalo will show everyone what the team is made of. From St. James:

“We’ve got to realize where we put ourselves,” Nielsen said. “The good thing is it is still early, but we have to stop the bleeding. The other good thing is we know we can put a streak together, we have done it before this year. But we have got to realize we have to start playing here soon, or it is going to be too late.

“You can say everyone goes through ups and downs, but it’s just been too long for us. We can’t afford any more this year. Pretty much, from now on until the end, we have to be solid.”

The Red Wings were expected to struggle by many analysts, but this is unprecedented for many in a fanbase who have never seen the Red Wings not make the playoffs. Though they’re certainly trying to make it a 26th consecutive season for the playoffs, things are not looking positive for a team that re-signed Justin Abdelkader and Darren Helm to expensive, long-term deals and also snagged Nielsen for six years a tune of $5.25MM AAV.  The Red Wings, though, have not seen a return on investment. Nielsen has not played up to the expectations, posting a -7, and only posting eight points in 19 games. Further, a player signed for his puck possession skill, Nielsen’s CF% is the lowest in his career at 46.1%.

While the Red Wings have been saying all the right things, the product on the ice speaks a much different message. Through many of the contests, the Red Wings have been significantly outshot and outplayed for long stretches of games. How they respond against Buffalo will be telling.

In other Red Wings news:

  • The Detroit Pistons will be moving from their home in Auburn Hills and sharing the new Little Caesars Arena with the Red Wings next season. The move is another sign of Detroit’s renaissance writes the Detroit News’ Bob Wojnowski.  Called the “right move” by Pistons owner Tom Gores, Wojo’s colleague Tony Paul reports that the Red Wings-Pistons merger means that Detroit will be the only North American city where all four professional teams play within four blocks of one another. Further, Paul writes that Detroit mayor Mike Duggan told Red Wings owner Chris Ilitch that he wanted the Pistons back in Detroit. Though scheduling will be trickier with two teams in a single building, both owners feel the move will be beneficial for the city.

Detroit Notes: Helm, Sproul, Howard, Abdelkader

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Detroit’s decision to re-sign Darren Helm to a five year deal worth nearly $4MM per season moments before the beginning of free agency came as a surprise to many but in the early stages of this season, Helm is living up to the contract.  Through six games, he has four goals and one assist, leading the team in the goal department.  As is often the case, Helm offered up the standard lines when asked about his early success but one comment in particular stands out from the 29 year old:

“I’m just having fun right now.”

As Gregg Krupa of the Detroit News notes, that wasn’t exactly the case for everyone last season which was part of the reason why it was surprising that Helm, who was disenchanted with being viewed strictly as a checking center, opted to come back.  However, head coach Jeff Blashill currently has him with a pair of strong offensive wingers in Gustav Nyquist and Thomas Vanek which is allowing Helm to show that he can bring more to the table than just his speed.

[Related: Red Wings Depth Chart]

More from Detroit, who have won four straight games to match their longest winning streak from last season:

  • Defense has been the key to their recent success, writes MLive’s Ansar Khan. Blashill in particular has been impressed with rookie Ryan Sproul, who made his season debut recently and has two points in two games.  The team is currently carrying seven defensemen which will turn to eight when Niklas Kronwall returns.  Sproul is waiver eligible which means he’s playing for his job right now, or least an opportunity with another organization if the team decides to try to send him down over carrying two extra blueliners.
  • After a tough season last year, goaltender Jimmy Howard is off to a much better start this season, with a .980 SV% while allowing just one goal in two starts so far. He tells Khan that a big reason for the strong start is better understanding the backup role.  After being the starter for several years, he lost that spot to Petr Mrazek last season, a role he maintains to start 2016-17.  With a cap hit just under $5.3MM, the Wings are undoubtedly hoping he can keep up his hot start to build back some trade value or perhaps entice Las Vegas in next June’s expansion draft.
  • Left winger Justin Abdelkader didn’t play over the weekend due to a lower body injury. GM Ken Holland told reporters, including Dana Wakiji of their team site, that he’s listed as day-to-day.  Abdelkader has a goal in five games this season.

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