Opportunistic? Well that works several ways.
Hossa highlight reel
I haven’t commented on the criticism regarding Marian Hossa’s one-year deal to play in Detroit. George Sipple touches on it briefly in this article that covers his first informal skating session over at the Joe:
[Hossa’s] decision to sign with the Wings opened a floodgate of media criticism in the days that followed. Some wondered how Hossa could turn down long-term job security and tens of millions of dollars. Some considered him opportunistic, jumping on the bandwagon of a defending Cup team with most of its parts still in place. Some wondered why he didn’t return to Pittsburgh, which lost some key players, but returns three stars: forwards Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury.
I don’t really buy the long-term security angle as he’s already made $18 million on his last contract and this new one-year deal will mean he’s made a little more than $25 million over the past four seasons. So this isn’t quite the same as Paul Kariya and Teemu Selanne signing cheap deals to try and win a Cup in Colorado. Hossa is being paid much closer to true market value, albeit for one year rather than 6 or 8 or 15 [hello Rick DiPietro]. The Wings in fact made a longer-term offer to him but for a lower annual salary. Hossa decided to make a short-term decision that provided him with the best of both worlds: an increase in salary and a good shot at getting his name engraved on the Stanley Cup.
Regardless of what happens in Detroit you can bet the former Senator, Thrasher and Penguin will have several huge, long-term offers thrown at him next summer. So I don’t see the point in criticizing the guy for making a decision that isn’t based 100% on making the most money possible right now, particularly when that sacrifice [an interesting use of the word to be sure] makes sense on other levels. For instance Hossa has said he really likes the way Detroit plays. Do you hear NHL players say that about New Jersey or Minnesota?
Photo: David Guralnick - Detroit News
Marian Hossa had some insight into the Red Wings locker room in countryman Tomas Kopecky. Dave Waddell mentioned that in this article in the Windsor Star:
Kopecky began working on Hossa after the Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Finals in early June. He said he concentrated on informing Hossa on the inner workings of the Detroit dressing room and how well the players are treated in Motown.
“He loves to joke around in the dressing room,” Kopecky said. “I think he’ll fit perfectly here.”
Waddell also has a good quote on the right wing’s view on Detroit’s defense and also writes that the Red Wings were given permission to negotiate with Hossa’s agent for a new contract as a prerequisite to Detroit trading for him before the trade deadline. Obviously the Penguins were the team that claimed his services late last season.
Hossa had a very solid playoff performance in Pittsburgh [26 points in 20 games] and had a first-hand account of what it was like to play there. He had plenty of nice things to say about the team and the city but decided not to extend his stay. Is there a commentator who can claim to have a better handle on Hossa’s experience there than Marian Hossa? I’m guessing not so what’s there left to discuss? He went to Pittsburgh, played a major role in getting the team to within two victories of claiming the Stanley Cup and decided to move on. This is the most cut and dried and least controversial part of the “controversy”.
So if the guy is seen as being opportunistic, couldn’t the same thing be said about Atlanta and about Pittsburgh? Atlanta knew there was no chance he’d re-up with them. So they had to trade him and acquire as many assets as possible or lose him for nothing. Pretty opportunistic, right? Pittsburgh had the best mix of assets and acquired him via trade on February 26. Here was my take prior to the conference finals last season:
The Pens made a smart calculated move to make the trade for Marian Hossa. There was no way they could afford the abundance of riches they had built up through the draft so they decided to trade some prospects for a guy who could help them immediately. By making the trade they correctly realized their window is right now and adding Hossa - who scored the series-clinching goal against the Rangers - has paid dividends as they have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals.
That sounds pretty opportunistic to me. If not for that trade do the Pens make it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals? We’ll never know but at least we can say Hossa played a big role in their success. Another thing to keep in mind is Detroit was trying to negotiate a long-term contract with him as a pre-requisite to trading for him. Pittsburgh didn’t make that a non-negotiable part of the trade. If they did, do they still acquire him and if not do they have the same playoff run? Hossa of course had final say as he didn’t have to agree to a long-term deal with anyone. So this summer he becomes a free agent and he’s the one entity that isn’t entitled to be opportunistic?
O RLY?
I hope Red Wings fans will accept this for what it is and you don’t have to take my word or opinion on the matter. General Manager Ken Holland said the Wings had a one-year window where Henrik Zetterberg and Johan Franzen were signed to dirt cheap contracts so the team had the ability to sign a high-end talent like Marian Hossa, but only for the upcoming season. So guess what, the Red Wings were being opportunistic too! They used up all of their cap space for one year to improve a team that lost very little in the way of talent after winning the Stanley Cup. Here’s Ken Holland:
So the big surprise is nearly everyone involved in the NHL has been opportunistic with regards to Marian Hossa - including Marian Hossa. The Thrashers got some return by trading him, the Pens had a great playoff run after acquiring him as a rental [they never secured a long-term extension as part of the trade], and the Red Wings will get one year of service out of him. Hossa is opportunistic by by getting a bump in pay to play for a team he is clearly familiar with and wants to play on. Oh, and he’ll have a pretty decent shot at winning a championship.
So let’s put aside the outrage and realize players have the same rights NHL franchises do once they gain unrestricted free agent status. Is anyone bitching about Montreal being so close to being a legitimate Stanley Cup threat and that it’s “opportunistic” of them to acquire Alex Tanguay? To suggest as much would be utter nonsense. And you can bet I’ll have the same outlook if/when Hossa signs with another team after this upcoming season.
Marian Hossa Red Wings Tomas KopeckyNo Comments
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