Replacing the Drake?
MLIVE’s Ansar Khan writes what most have suspected: Dallas Drake is going to go out on top and retire from the NHL.
Drake, as expected, has told the Detroit Red Wings he is leaning toward retirement, general manager Ken Holland said.
The physical left wing provided some much needed abrasiveness, particularly in the playoffs. He had signed a one-year free-agent contract with Detroit last summer because he wanted a good opportunity to win his first championship. The 39-year-old had three goals and three assists in 65 regular season games and appeared in all 22 postseason games, picking up a goal and three assists.
Khan indicates the Wings will either try to find a replacement via free agency or will hope that Tomas Kopecky can continue his development and fill that role in Detroit. I took a look at some of the free agent options for goaltender and forward, so let’s take a look at some of the options for a banger that might be available to Detroit starting on Tuesday at noon.
Cooke working along the boards
The guy who probably best fills the role of a banger in Detroit might be Matt Cooke. Traded to Washington by Vancouver, he’s a physical player who can also chip in on the penalty kill. He has no offensive skills to speak of and was paid $1.5 million last season so he’s definitely affordable, which might not be the case with Darcy Tucker.
Tucker is a tough customer and has solid offensive instincts but given his likely salary demands and his game not being a really strong fit for Detroit’s style of play I question whether he’d work well as a Red Wing. But I wasn’t a fan of signing Drake so I could be completely off in my estimation of how Tucker would fit in Detroit.
Avery back in the day
Sean Avery looks like he’s ready to test the free agent market and he is Darcy Tucker on steroids. The former Red Wing can skate and bang with the best of the agitators and has solid offensive production for a third liner. However he crosses the line far too often and it has been suggested he’ll likely receive offers that will pay him $4 million per season. With those two factors in play there’s no way Detroit signs him.
Darcy Hodichuk is a guy who could be had for a very reasonable salary but he’s had injury problems so he might not be the best piece for the puzzle Ken Holland is trying to assemble. He might be an option late in the summer if no one else is available. Along those same line, Brad Winchster might have caught Detroit’s interest with his physical play during the Western Conference finals. You’ll get absolutely no offense out of him but he’s a guy who can be had for a very reasonable salary.
If Martin Lapointe hadn’t already won two Stanley Cups in Detroit perhaps he’d be the ideal Dallas Drake replacement. I don’t think he’d be a likely replacement for Drake, as he’s probably still a bit overpriced given his dropoff in offensive production. There are likely cheaper options out there to be had. Jarkko Ruutu might be a good fit as his salary is likely in line with what the Red Wings would pay. Add in the fact it would help to further dismantle the Pens and he would be a welcome addition in Detroit. Chris Gratton could also fit the bill particularly if Darren Helm spends most of next season in the AHL for further development. My guess though is that the Wings are looking more for a winger than a center.
Matt Cooke seems like the best fit given he could replace Drake on the penalty kill. Ruutu was a nominal participant on the PK in Pittsbugh so he seems to provide less utility despite being paid close to what Cooke made last season. Sean Avery and Martin Lapointe don’t contribute enough on special teams to justify the amount they are likely to earn which will likely be far outside of Detroit’s budget.
Darcy Tucker has good PK numbers but played so sparingly that he was likely spending the majority of his time short-handed against the opponent’s second PP unit. Chris Gratton was in the same boat but put up terrible PK stats in Tampa. Detroit can do better for the amount of money Gratton might garner on the free market.
Darcy Hordichuk and Brad Winchester don’t contribute on the PK but are both reasonable salary-wise so they might be options later in the summer if the Red Wings can’t fill Drake’s role before then.
brad winchester chris gratton Dallas Drake darcy hordichuk darcy tucker jarkko ruutu Martin Lapointe matt cooke Red Wings Sean AveryNo Comments
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