Datsyuk Done Deal
TSN is reporting the Detroit Red Wings have signed Pavel Datsyuk to a seven year contract extension. The deal is believed to be worth $6-$7 million per season.
The Detroit Red Wings locked up star centre Pavel Datsyuk with a US$46.9-million, seven-year deal Friday, making one of the NHL’s top offensive players the club’s centrepiece into the future.
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Datsyuk, 28, led the Red Wings in scoring last season with 28 goals and 59 assists. He also won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player and represented Russia at the Olympics.More importantly, he gave the Red Wings another dominant offensive presence on the top line reminiscent of the retired Steve Yzerman and departed Sergei Fedorov.
‘’Everyone in the organization wanted him to stay with us,'’ said team owner Mike Ilitch.
The price will be the big question mark. If Datsyuk tears it up in the postseason this will be seen as a great move. If he struggles there is sure to be lots of criticism directed at Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. As far as my opinion, I think it was a good signing. It’s actually at the high end of what I speculated when Christy asked me about this topic in her Behind the Blog series. But it isn’t completely out of line, especially given that it is a long-term contract.
I’ll have more commentary on the ramifications as well as my final grades for the regular season this weekend.
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[…] Dave at Gorilla Crouch reflects on the signing as well: The price will be the big question mark. If Datsyuk tears it up in the postseason this will be seen as a great move. If he struggles there is sure to be lots of criticism directed at Red Wings general manager Ken Holland. As far as my opinion, I think it was a good signing. It’s actually at the high end of what I speculated when Christy asked me about this topic in her Behind the Blog series. But it isn’t completely out of line, especially given that it is a long-term contract. […]
[…] Update (4:45 PM): Christy has posted a reaction to the signing here and Dave has posted his here. Here is IwoCPO’s again, in case you haven’t seen it. - Matt Update (4:10 PM): TSN reports the contract is for $46.9 million. If it’s divided evenly, that means $6.7 million a season, which jives with the reports that it’s between $6 and $7 million. Of course, it could be some kind of tiered thing rather than the same number for each year, so all we can say at the moment is that it’s $6.7 on average. - Matt […]