the AAV is kind of okay. The term makes it bad and the NTC makes it ridiculous. Abdelkader must have an amazing agent.
Holland has had quite a few stinkers over the last few years, this is just another one.
overpaid an injury-prone Weiss, had to buy him out
let Hudler and Filppula go (while paying Weiss similar money instead)
re-signed Dan Cleary ... three times
traded proming prospects like Jarnkrok, Janmark and Backman for short-time rentals
gave Mike Green 6m/year with an NTC
gave Abdelkader over 4m/year and an NTC for 7 years
not very good GMing there. His former assistants Yzerman and Nill have both been far superior since leaving Detroit. Detroit is lucky that their scouting and drafting is still excellent, there's a constant influx of talent coming from Grand Rapids which masks Hollands bad recent trade/UFA record.
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This money on a 4 year terms would've been generous, but 7 years is insane.
He's a 0.5 PPG player who is a good all around competitor.
I'd compare Backlund to him, and he's on a 3-year $3.575 contract.
Abdelkader is better than Backlund, and I'm a Backlund fan. Has more offensive upside and is good defensively as well while competing every single game and can move up and down the lineup.
The money is fair, the term is about 2-3 years too much. Another team would probably offer him more with less term.
Abdelkader is better than Backlund, and I'm a Backlund fan. Has more offensive upside and is good defensively as well
Abdelkader has 139 points (65 goals) in 413 NHL games
Backlund has 134 points (53 goals) in 314 NHL games
Almost the same production, but a difference of 99 NHL games. Abdelkader has seen his production go up because he's had an opportunity to play top minutes (his most frequent linemates this season are Zetterberg, Larkin and Nyquist). And let's be honest here, Backlund would easily be a 0.5 ppg player like Abdelkader is right now if he could play on a line with those players ...
Just like Backlund, Abdelkader is a fringe 2nd line forward, but a pretty decent 3rd line forward. Usually those don't earn north of 4m over 7 years with a full NTC though.
Abdelkader has 139 points (65 goals) in 413 NHL games
Backlund has 134 points (53 goals) in 314 NHL games
Almost the same production, but a difference of 99 NHL games. Abdelkader has seen his production go up because he's had an opportunity to play top minutes (his most frequent linemates this season are Zetterberg, Larkin and Nyquist). And let's be honest here, Backlund would easily be a 0.5 ppg player like Abdelkader is right now if he could play on a line with those players ...
Just like Backlund, Abdelkader is a fringe 2nd line forward, but a pretty decent 3rd line forward. Usually those don't earn north of 4m over 7 years with a full NTC though.
Blashill and Babcock disagree that Adbelkader is a fringe 2nd line forward. They are giving him the 3rd most TOI after Zetterberg and Datsyuk fo all of last year and continuing on for this year.
Last year Backlund was not considered by Hartley to be a fringe 2nd liner. He had the 3rd most TOI after Monahan and Hudler and just a bit more than Johnny G and Glencross This year Backlund is playing like a fringe 2nd liner. b
Abdelkader has 139 points (65 goals) in 413 NHL games
Backlund has 134 points (53 goals) in 314 NHL games
Almost the same production, but a difference of 99 NHL games. Abdelkader has seen his production go up because he's had an opportunity to play top minutes (his most frequent linemates this season are Zetterberg, Larkin and Nyquist). And let's be honest here, Backlund would easily be a 0.5 ppg player like Abdelkader is right now if he could play on a line with those players ...
Just like Backlund, Abdelkader is a fringe 2nd line forward, but a pretty decent 3rd line forward. Usually those don't earn north of 4m over 7 years with a full NTC though.
Let me know when Backlund does something like this and then they might be similar players.
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Blashill and Babcock disagree that Adbelkader is a fringe 2nd line forward. They are giving him the 3rd most TOI after Zetterberg and Datsyuk fo all of last year and continuing on for this year.
Last year Backlund was not considered by Hartley to be a fringe 2nd liner. He had the 3rd most TOI after Monahan and Hudler and just a bit more than Johnny G and Glencross This year Backlund is playing like a fringe 2nd liner. b
Very flawed logic. He gets top line minutes because he fills a specific role. Its just like when they played Holmstrom with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Not because Holmstrom was the 3rd most talented forward they had, but because he offered a skill set that was complimentary to the line.
The problem with overpaying for Abdelkader is two fold. First, his skillset is not really all that unique. You are paying for something that most other teams have. Unfortunately for the wings they are averse to playing anyone with grit. Secondly, giving a large contract to someone that is relied upon as the sole source of physical play is a big risk as his body and play will have a much increased chance of decreasing over the life of the contract.
And lets not forget, before last year he had never scored more than 10 goals in a season. It took him top level linemates to get to 23 goals. And the problem is that top talent is aging and will be gone for a good chunk of the contract. While guys like Nyquist and Tatar have grown into good players, I don't think they will make it to the level like Datsyuk and Zetterberg where they can be among the top 15 or 30 forwards in the league.
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What's the point of posting this video? He can hit? Good for him I guess.
Devo's point stands, he's a fringe 2nd liner just like Backlund. He's not talking about their playing styles.
His offense is similar/worse than Backlund (although you can make the same argument for Backlund about linemates and icetime), but he brings an entirely different dimension to the game other than points.
The contract is obviously rich so I'm not trying to defend that and I agree with what dobbles wrote above, but Abdelkader at least has a dimension that allows him to play in a top 6 role even if the points he puts up are lacklustre in that role.
He's a fringe 2nd liner who has done OK on the 2nd line. Backlund is a fringe 2nd liner who hasn't been adequate in top 6. There's a difference.
His offense is similar/worse than Backlund (although you can make the same argument for Backlund about linemates and icetime), but he brings an entirely different dimension to the game other than points.
The contract is obviously rich so I'm not trying to defend that and I agree with what dobbles wrote above, but Abdelkader at least has a dimension that allows him to play in a top 6 role even if the points he puts up are lacklustre in that role.
He's a fringe 2nd liner who has done OK on the 2nd line. Backlund is a fringe 2nd liner who hasn't been adequate in top 6. There's a difference.
If you line players like backlund and Abdelkader with players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg, they will put up points. Abdelkader brings a physical dimension, Backlund brings a cycling the puck dimension.
Backs needs good players on his line to produce just like JA. He hasn't played with Hudler/Gaudreau.
Very flawed logic. He gets top line minutes because he fills a specific role. Its just like when they played Holmstrom with Datsyuk and Zetterberg. Not because Holmstrom was the 3rd most talented forward they had, but because he offered a skill set that was complimentary to the line.
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Very flawed comparison..... Holmstom did not ever get top 3 forward ice time ... His very best year he was #4 in TOI and his usual 15 min/game put him as #5/7.
Holmstom got to play with D&Z on the PP a whole lot which is the lasting, if not factual image of them being linemates.
This year Abdelkader has been on a line with Zetterberg and Larkin. Very hard to argue that Abdelkader is not making it easier for Larkin to play in the NHL as a 19 year old.
I really do not like the contract, any more than I like the long term commitment the Flames made to Frolik.
Right now it would be a real Flame homer to say that over the next 2-3 years Frolik will be better than Abdelkader.
As a Wing fan who would you take: Frolik or Abdelkader?
If you line players like backlund and Abdelkader with players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg, they will put up points. Abdelkader brings a physical dimension, Backlund brings a cycling the puck dimension.
Backs needs good players on his line to produce just like JA. He hasn't played with Hudler/Gaudreau.
Time Abdelkader has spent playing with Datsyuk over the last 2 years.... very little.... This year it has been Larkin and last year Nyquist on the Zetterberg/Abdelkader line.
Abdelkader has been riding shot gun on the top Detroit line allowing the smaller skilled players to succeed.
Time Abdelkader has spent playing with Datsyuk over the last 2 years.... very little.... This year it has been Larkin and last year Nyquist on the Zetterberg/Abdelkader line.
Abdelkader has been riding shot gun on the top Detroit line allowing the smaller skilled players to succeed.
Last year he spent nearly 90% of his even strength playing with a combination of Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Nyquist. 28% of that was with Datsyuk so not very little.
You can complain about Frolik as much as you want to but I'd take Frolik and his contract over Abdelkader and his contract 10 times out of 10.
Abdelkader is a product of his line mates, which is not a horrible thing if you can find that chemistry, but when Dats and Zetterberg move on and other younger talented players make a push you won't get that production from an aging banger in Abdelkader.
Right now it would be a real Flame homer to say that over the next 2-3 years Frolik will be better than Abdelkader.
As a Wing fan who would you take: Frolik or Abdelkader?
for the same money, I take Frolik and it's not even close. Frolik has more offense than Abdelkader, can play in all situations and is also a very good penalty killer.
Very flawed comparison..... Holmstom did not ever get top 3 forward ice time ... His very best year he was #4 in TOI and his usual 15 min/game put him as #5/7.
Holmstom got to play with D&Z on the PP a whole lot which is the lasting, if not factual image of them being linemates.
This year Abdelkader has been on a line with Zetterberg and Larkin. Very hard to argue that Abdelkader is not making it easier for Larkin to play in the NHL as a 19 year old.
I really do not like the contract, any more than I like the long term commitment the Flames made to Frolik.
Right now it would be a real Flame homer to say that over the next 2-3 years Frolik will be better than Abdelkader.
As a Wing fan who would you take: Frolik or Abdelkader?
Fair response. I have no desire to look into statistics on the issue, so I will take your numbers as true and not go trying to search for any other breakdowns that might counter the opinion. Ain't got no time for that!
For the bolded... Sorry to burst your bubble, but I gave up on the Wings a few years ago and decided to become a Stars fan. We moved to Tulsa so they are the 'local' team and it coincided with Nill going to Dallas and showing he was by far a better GM than Holland. I could not stand Hollands obsession with Dan Cleary. It drove me away. So I decided it was time for a change!
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