Conference Watch: Red Wings loaded and ready to go again

Tuesday, August 19, 2008-9:30:am
/Andrew's Dallas Stars Page                             Email | Print

Recent history says the Detroit Red Wings are unlikely to repeat as Stanley Cup champions. Recent history also says they are unlikely to make it out of the first round of the playoffs. On paper, though, the Red Wings look as strong, perhaps stronger in some regards, to the team that proved to be the best in the NHL during both the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season.

That's why, despite what the recent history says, many of the experts are picking them to repeat at Stanley Cup champs in 2008-09.

The Red Wings return basically the same team as last season, plus they boosted their lineup by landing one of the big prizes of this summer's free agent season when forward Marian Hossa passed on long-term, big money offers from other teams and signed a one-year, $7.4 million contract to play in Detroit.

"Any time somebody walks away from $50 million, $60 million, $70 million - I don't know exactly what the number is  - he's coming here because we give him the best chance to compete and get his name on the Stanley Cup," Detroit GM Ken Holland told radio station WDFN last month.

Detroit coach Mike Babcock thinks Hossa, who is talented offensively and responsible defensively, will be a "perfect Red Wing."

And the addition of Hossa will give Babcock and his staff a lot of options as they put together the pieces of a deep and talented set of forwards.

"We're much deeper up front," Babcock said earlier this summer on WJR radio. "Do we split up Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg and play Hossa with one of them and Mule (Johan Franzen) with the other? I don't know that yet, but I am thrilled."

And it's a forward group that hasn't changed much from last season. The only key departure so far has been Dallas Drake, who retired.

The group of defensemen, led by Nicklas Lidstrom, will look pretty much the same as well thanks to Holland being able to re-sign unrestricted free agent Brad Stuart for four years at $3.75 million per season.

"We thought our team was so much better after he arrived just with the fact that we didn't have to play [Nicklas] Lidstrom as much," Babcock said of Stuart, whom the Red Wings picked up at last season's trade deadline. "Lidstrom's a great player, but we don't need him playing 30 minutes a night. Twenty-five is just fine."

Brian Rafalski, Niklas Kronwall, Brett Lebda and Andreas Lilja are all back. Chris Chelios remains unsigned, but media reports out of Detroit say he is still talking to Holland. The Red Wings are also expected to finally let Jonathan Ericsson, one of their top prospects, see some playing time on the blue line. Ericsson has size, mobility and a cannon of a shot.

"Ericsson is going to be a big part of next year's team," said Babcock. "He's a 6-5 stud that we've had in the program and he'll get a chance to show."

The Red Wings will have a slightly different look in goal. Chris Osgood, who played the final 18 games of last season's Stanley Cup playoff run, is back, but Dominik Hasek has retired. That's left Osgood as the No. 1 goalie and Ty Conklin, signed as a free agent this summer, will battle it out with prospect Jimmy Howard for the backup job.

"Conklin had the best year of career last year," Babcock said. "Pittsburgh might not have made the playoffs without him. It's great to have him aboard, but Ozzie's obviously got the ball. We don't plan on wearing him out. Fifty games is good, so it's a good opportunity for Conklin or Howard."

The signing of Hossa and the Red Wings' other offseason moves to do date have pushed them close to the $56.7 million salary cap. They still have between $500,000 to $1 million with which to work, depending on which players are slotted into the opening night roster.

Who ever is on that opening night roster, Babcock has high expectations for his 2008-09 Red Wings. He sees the Red Wings as possibly being a better team because many of the team's key players - like Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Hossa and Kronwall - are just entering their prime years and there are other young players who are starting to emerge.

"We'll be better (this) year," he told The Hockey News. "That doesn't mean we'll win more games or (the Cup), but we got great kids coming up and our core guys are young and are going to be better."

Holland: Extensions for Zetterberg, Franzen top priorities

As training camp approaches expect Red Wings GM Ken Holland to get busy tacking extensions for forwards Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen, who are both scheduled to become unrestricted free agents in the summer of 2009. Holland said he is counting on both players, who are seen as key members of the Red Wings core, taking the hometown discount to stay in Detroit.

"Well, we usually find a way to keep our guys. I don’t anticipate a problem," Holland told radio station WDFN last month. "I want to talk to the agent and I like to sit down and make sure that the player hears from me, what I’m trying to get them and my reasons for what we’re offering because usually what we’re offering is a little bit below what they can get on the open market. But I also think that goes on around the league as well. Not every player can get his market value from the home team.

"Every player is going to have to make decisions and so I don’t anticipate any problems but certainly Zetterberg is priority No. 1 and Franzen is going to be priority No. 2 heading into this upcoming season."