Confirmed with Link: Jimmy Howard re-signed for 6 years 5.3m per year

[detredWINgs]

Actually, Vokoun said he wanted to play for Washington over the Wings because he believed that the Caps would go further in the playoffs that year (he was correct).

He also said he wanted to go to a team where he didn't want to play as a backup (any team). SO that nixed the Wings right there. The Wings were in the running just because Holland was pursuing him. But he wanted no part of the Wings, as he believed they weren't going to make the playoffs/go far.

EDIT: “Looking at Washington’s lineup compared to Detroit, they are comparable teams,†Vokoun said. “But Detroit in last 10 years won three times Stanley Cup. And Washington never won it. But that’s a lot better challenge for me and the team, to be able to do something special.â€

He later added: “My belief is this team has a better chance to win than Detroit does. And they showed a lot more interest, so that was the key for me, too.â€

It's like he contradicts himself. It's a challenge to play on Washington...but he believes they have a better chance to win.

Well this is a cluster****. Either way, he ended up signing with Pittsburgh when he was the clear-cut back-up, so obviously the terms of a contract can alter his outlook on the deal and that isn't surprising. Money talks.

 

[Dynheart]

Look, I get you don't like the signing.

Who would you sign NOW, at the end of this year. No more hindsight analyzing.

Who will be a UFA this year worth taking.

Because you really only get two choices.
1) Keep jimmy and pay him
2) find a new Goalie.

The only possible solution I keep reading is let Howard go, and then bring up Mrazek. Because, you know, he's already an elite goalie. So that makes him better than Howard in every way. A goalie who's a proven starter in the NHL. Pretty much a top 15 goalie in the world. Let him go, and hope Mrazek is the firecracker everyone thinks he is....in front of a defense that may get lucky and crack top 25 this year (performance wise).

There's your NHL 13 solution.

 

[BinCookin]

The only possible solution I keep reading is let Howard go, and then bring up Mrazek. Because, you know, he's already an elite goalie. So that makes him better than Howard in every way. A goalie who's a proven starter in the NHL. Pretty much a top 15 goalie in the world. Let him go, and hope Mrazek is the firecracker everyone thinks he is....in front of a defense that may get lucky and crack top 25 this year (performance wise).

There's your NHL 13 solution.

LOL. NHL '10 or NHL '09 would be preferable for many posters who really hate Holland though

P.S.

When you don't have a strong team. The people who are mediocre (and look good in comparison) ask for more money.
And then you overpay them. Many teams have this problem. Looks like this is becoming a problem in Detroit.

 

[Kronwalled55]

After finally seeing this, I will put in my brief 2 cents.

I'm not mad that Howard got this contract, I'm mad because Mrazek has a good chance of being better than him for less. Then we could have two solid goaltenders on average payrolls, and we wouldn't put all this money into just 1. That's how I look at it.

 

[theYman]

Not sure how I feel about this. I like Howard and all, but too long for that price. 3-4 yrs tops. Or less money. We need defensmen Kenny!!!!

 

[detredWINgs]

Look, I get you don't like the signing.

Who would you sign NOW, at the end of this year. No more hindsight analyzing.

Who will be a UFA this year worth taking.

Because you really only get two choices.
1) Keep jimmy and pay him
2) find a new Goalie.

Wrong.

What are you talking about? Is this forum all of a sudden the front page of the Detroit Free Press? No. You obviously don't remember the days of the Detroit media calling out our goaltenders. That's what I'm talking about.

And for the record, I'm not particularly pissed off about this contract. Is it pretty? No. Is it ever going to be pretty? No. But is it ugly? No.

What I will say, however, is that this contract is just one more strike against Holland being "the best GM in the NHL." You don't get to keep signing players to deals that a run-of-the-mill GM could make and still retain the right to be called "the best GM in the NHL."

Also, this contract would be a lot more palatable if we had any players who are currently underpaid. We don't have any Zetterbergs making $2.65M. We don't have any Kronwalls making $3M. What we have, instead, are a ton of average players getting paid as though they had hit the free agent market.

You keep looking at these things as though they're in a vaccuum. The fact is, Holland did NOTHING to put himself in a better position to make this signing.

1. He could've signed a better back-up to give himself more leverage.
2. He could've signed Howard before Lidstrom announced his retirement, which put our defense under even more scrutiny.
3. He could've signed Howard before the season started, i.e. before there was concrete evidence in our record, team statistics, and the standings that we're a borderline playoff team with a questionable defense.
4. He could've actually addressed the losses of Rafalski, Stuart, and Lidstrom with quasi-adequate replacements so that we didn't need to rely on goaltending so much to begin with.
5. He could've even dangled Howard on the trade market to see if Tampa, Philly, or Toronto were willing to give up a nice roster player for Howard that would've addressed one of our many other holes in the lineup besides goaltending, and then signed a stopgap in the interim.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

Wrong.



You keep looking at these things as though they're in a vaccuum. The fact is, Holland did NOTHING to put himself in a better position to make this signing.

1. He could've signed a better back-up to give himself more leverage.
2. He could've signed Howard before Lidstrom announced his retirement, which put our defense under even more scrutiny.
3. He could've signed Howard before the season started, i.e. before there was concrete evidence in our record, team statistics, and the standings that we're a borderline playoff team with a questionable defense.
4. He could've actually addressed the losses of Rafalski, Stuart, and Lidstrom with quasi-adequate replacements so that we didn't need to rely on goaltending so much to begin with.
5. He could've even dangled Howard on the trade market to see if Tampa, Philly, or Toronto were willing to give up a nice roster player for Howard that would've addressed one of our many other holes in the lineup besides goaltending, and then signed a stopgap in the interim.

You're avoiding the question.

Who should Holland have gotten?

 

[detredWINgs]

You're avoiding the question.

Who should Holland have gotten?

Jonathan Bernier. Using the assets he acquired when he traded Howard.

 

[detredWINgs]

LOL. NHL '10 or NHL '09 would be preferable for many posters who really hate Holland though

P.S.

When you don't have a strong team. The people who are mediocre (and look good in comparison) ask for more money.
And then you overpay them. Many teams have this problem. Looks like this is becoming a problem in Detroit.

Great. So then what you're saying is Ken Holland isn't any better at remedying the problems that many other teams have.

That's fine. But what follows from that is that Ken Holland isn't an elite GM.

Which is ultimately what this and so many other arguments come down to.

 

[obey86]

No problem with the deal. I think I read he has the 10th highest cap hit among goalies in the NHL? That's about where I have him ranked. 4,5 years would have been better but whatever, it is what it is.

He might be the 3rd best player on this team now (maybe that's not saying much but still).

 

[Dynheart]

You're avoiding the question.

Who should Holland have gotten?

A stopgap.

And the 100GA would be 125GA instead. Sure, instead 99GF, we could have 109-114 (that's if we got a really good player), maybe? But we are still worse off if we get rid of Howard.

Unless that stopgap is bringing up Mrazek before he's ready? That's just as dumb as Filppula situation he put himself in. If not? Worse.

Holland should have made some moves during the trade deadline. If he did, the Howard signing wouldn't be frowned on right now. He banked on Bertuzzi. Sammy, and Helm..as "new" players. These guys are most likely done for the year.

Now that Howard is close to getting signed. Flips wants probably more than what Howard is rumored to get. People are looking at the Howard signing as a negative thing because there were no new roster improvements.

So once again, as always, the goalie becomes the scapegoat. Even on payday!

 

[DatsyukToZetterberg]

Wrong.



You keep looking at these things as though they're in a vaccuum. The fact is, Holland did NOTHING to put himself in a better position to make this signing.

1. He could've signed a better back-up to give himself more leverage.
2. He could've signed Howard before Lidstrom announced his retirement, which put our defense under even more scrutiny.
3. He could've signed Howard before the season started, i.e. before there was concrete evidence in our record, team statistics, and the standings that we're a borderline playoff team with a questionable defense.

Unless Howard has a sub .905 sv% this year he is getting at least 4M from any team that needs goaltending help. You keep on bringing up that Holland could've re-signed Howard at a lower rate in the offseason or the beginning of the year but if that was the case why would Howard sign it? If Howard felt he could put up numbers like he is now why should he take a deal where he'll loss out on up to 1M dollars a year? Howard and his agent made the right choice and regardless of who we had on D he would be getting at least 5M this offseason. He's the best goalie available & is still in his prime, he was getting paid from somebody soon. Also a backup goalie really doesn't do much to hamper a goalie's value or do you feel that because Rask has Khudobin playing so well as the backup that he won't get a) a 4M dollar bridge or a 6M+ long term deal.

 

[The Zetterberg Era]

Jonathan Bernier. Using the assets he acquired when he traded Howard.

Bernier was not available entering the season because of Quick's health issues. More than a couple teams approached LA and were rebuffed on that attempt.

 

[VladTheImpaler]

SIAP, but this contract could come back to bite us in the ass in 4 years if Mrazek developed quickly along with some of our other high-end prospects in the system that would all be due for sizable raises around the same time.

We'll see though. There was demand around the deadline for aged goalies with high cap hits, even though the demand was short and the offers weren't true market value. Lol.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

Jonathan Bernier. Using the assets he acquired when he traded Howard.

Why would LA want Howard? They have Quick.

If that's not the trade, why would a team trade significant assets for a UFA-to-be goalie? They could end up minus the assets and with no goalie to show for it. If you don't think it would take significant assets to land Bernier, then I think you're underestimating the price LA is asking.

 

[detredWINgs]

Unless Howard has a sub .905 sv% this year he is getting at least 4M from any team that needs goaltending help. You keep on bringing up that Holland could've re-signed Howard at a lower rate in the offseason or the beginning of the year but if that was the case why would Howard sign it? If Howard felt he could put up numbers like he is now why should he take a deal where he'll loss out on up to 1M dollars a year? Howard and his agent made the right choice and regardless of who we had on D he would be getting at least 5M this offseason. He's the best goalie available & is still in his prime, he was getting paid from somebody soon. Also a backup goalie really doesn't do much to hamper a goalie's value or do you feel that because Rask has Khudobin playing so well as the backup that he won't get a) a 4M dollar bridge or a 6M+ long term deal.

Where exactly do you get this estimate from? As though the .905 save percentage is some sort of threshold for making $4M. I do agree, though. He would get at least $4M from someone.

And who cares what Howard "felt?" Howard could feel he'll be the best goaltender in the NHL and thus he's entitled to $7M per year over 6 years. Doesn't mean he's going to get it.

As for having the better back-up goalie - yes, it matters. No one is going to believe you when you say "well, we'd feel OK going into the season with Gustavsson as our starter."

And why would Howard sign it? Because the team pushes the contract negotiations and has a plethora of reasons why they don't want to give him over $5M per season. "We're looking at some trades that put us in a better position to compete for the Cup, but we're going to need as much wiggle room as we can get." "We have a history of not giving our goaltenders a lot of money.." "We don't think we can be successful unless we can spend more money on X, and there's a free agent we're targeting that we need some wiggle room to sign."

This signing was made during a time when the Wings have the weakest amount of negotiating power imaginable. At this point, they should've waited until the playoffs.

 

[detredWINgs]

Why would LA want Howard? They have Quick.

If that's not the trade, why would a team trade significant assets for a UFA-to-be goalie? They could end up minus the assets and with no goalie to show for it. If you don't think it would take significant assets to land Bernier, then I think you're underestimating the price LA is asking.

Trade Howard to another team, then trade for Bernier.

 

[detredWINgs]

Bernier was not available entering the season because of Quick's health issues. More than a couple teams approached LA and were rebuffed on that attempt.

Yes. Entering the season.

 

[Michael Brand Eggs]

Trade Howard to another team, then trade for Bernier.

What do you think we could get for Howard? What do you think LA would take for Bernier?

We have to take that into account to determine the true price of going from Howard to Bernier.

 

[redwings85]

not a fan of the length, and price... ugh

 

[DRWCountryClub]

Howard's career stats aren't that far off other good goalies. Backstrom, Price, Halak, Hiller...

I just don't think you need to pay that much for a goalie, tbh.

 

[Claypool]

Howard's career stats aren't that far off other good goalies. Backstrom, Price, Halak, Hiller...

I just don't think you need to pay that much for a goalie, tbh.

Those deals were signed years ago. A starting goalie in the NHL costs you $5 million at least.

 

[Point Shot]

I'm fine with this. Howard's proven he can handle the load and he's still doing well even with six pylons for defencemen this time around.

Now if we had a D corps to speak of, we'd be rollin'.

 

[sarcastro]

No Lidstrom + nobody else on D that plays defense + Howard is very good = 6 years $32 mil.

This is pretty simple math.

Mrazek isn't ready and wasn't going to be ready enough for the Wings' standards any time soon.

The only two decent UFA alternatives this summer would have been Backstrom (who is 35 and has had increasing injury issues the last few years) and Mike Smith, who was terrible his whole career, was great last year, and then went back to being terrible this year.

I don't know why people would have a problem with this, aside from the people that have a problem with everything.

 

[sarcastro]

Howard's career stats aren't that far off other good goalies. Backstrom, Price, Halak, Hiller...

I just don't think you need to pay that much for a goalie, tbh.

When you have an elite defense, you don't have to pay that much.

Ipso facto, the Wings have to pay that much.