Detroit Red Wings: Now is not the time to be loyal to a fault

The overvaluing of his own players and being reluctant to move “his” players have left the Detroit Red Wings compromised for at least the last eight years.

Ken Holland has struggled to move on from players he’s drafted and groomed in the past. I don’t know if it is ego, or stubbornness, possibly false hope. Whatever the reason, it’s time for the Detroit Red Wings long-time General Manager to change his philosophy and turn his loyalty into more of a defiant mood for the sake of the franchise.

The overvaluing of players have hampered the Detroit Red Wings for many years, but it always seems they overrate middle of the road players rather than the top end talent. Why didn’t we “overvalue” a star like Sergei Fedorov and try and mend the relationship rather than hold it against him and allowing him to walk?

I understand it’s a two-way street and maybe Fedorov didn’t always help the situation. Brendan Shanahan left the franchise to play for the New York Rangers, certainly a financial decision. Why didn’t we consider overpaying him? The term “overpay” sounds foolish but I would rather overpay Hall of Famers than a middle of the road talent.

More from Octopus Thrower

They say money is the root of all evil and that has come to fruition for the Detroit Red Wings. Although Ken Holland couldn’t make it work with star caliber players in the past, he dishes out lucrative long-term deals to average and below average players.

Jonathan Ericsson earned himself a 6-year-deal worth 4.25 million per season. When did Ericsson ever prove he deserved such a long term deal? Justin Abdelkader had a couple of terrific seasons playing on the wing of Pavel Datsyuk. With all respect to Abdelkader, Datsyuk earned him a 7-year-contract worth 4.25 million per season– Oh, and he has 5-years remaining on the deal. For the record, he’s earned 5 goals this season in 60 games while spending some time on the Detroit Red Wings top line.

Why not sign players like these to a 3-year deal? Was it because he was afraid they would look elsewhere? Of course, that is the reason, don’t be so afraid to have a player or two walk out the door. That is why the draft is so critical these days, it allows you to replace lower end veteran talent with similar, younger, cheaper players.

We’ve seen the loyalty spread out to many players in the past, way too many to mention in this article but one that stands out above the rest is the Dan Cleary experiment. Cleary was a vital piece to the Detroit Red Wings success; he was a valuable bottom-six forward who chipped in on the score sheet. He could bang the body, but he was never a top-six forward or a big-time scoring threat. He was a nice depth piece on a good club.

(Photo by Dave Reginek/NHLI via Getty Images) /

He all but signed a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers back in 2013. His best days were long gone. Ken Holland couldn’t fathom the thought of Dan Cleary leaving. Cleary basically had a handshake agreement with the Flyers on a 3-year-deal worth nearly 3 million per season. Holland panicked and guaranteed him a roster spot if he would sign and sit tight, while Holland shuffled some money around to fit his deal under the cap. That’s the definition of loyal to a fault. Why not just turn Cleary loose, whose needle at the time was on empty?

Although Holland finally moved on from the likes of Tomas Tatar, it took a massive haul to do so, and kudos to Holland for realizing he had a deal on the table no one in their right mind could resist for Tatar’s services.

With the trade deadline fast approaching, a week from today to be exact. Ken Holland and the Wings can’t afford to “overvalue” their own. I believe Gustav Nyquist is worth a first-round pick. Ken Holland should have a market for Nyquist, and he would be foolish to ignore it.

That being said, the Detroit Red Wings could be hard pressed to find a first round pick for Jimmy Howard. Many contenders and top teams already have a number one goaltender in place. Who is going to give up a first-round pick for an insurance policy? That’s mostly what Howard would be for the high-end teams.

The Wings would be wise to drop the asking price to a second-round pick or multiple picks if there isn’t a market for a first-rounder for him. That is yet to be seen, but I can see that being a real possibility. Ken Holland and the rebuilding Detroit Red Wings can’t afford to sit on their hands and burn these pending UFA contract for nothing in return.

The Wings are not going anywhere this season, so why not acquire something rather than nothing? Ken Holland should be actively shopping Nyquist, Vanek, Kronwall, Howard, and Jensen and not talking about how he’s open to resigning them. Since when does free agency start prior to July.1st?

It’s time for Ken Holland and the Red Wings to understand the current state of the organization. It is a rebuilding franchise that is not prepared to immediately contend for a championship. Now is not the time to command a fortune for expiring assets. Find a happy medium and move players for their worth according to the current market.

Now is not the time to bluff, get the best deal available and pull the trigger. Don’t give players away by any means but don’t overvalue them so much that teams’ are reluctant to even negotiate a trade.

I would like to mention it isn’t all bad. Ken Holland did have a terrific draft this past summer. He signed Dylan Larkin to a very team-friendly contract, especially with how he’s been performing this season. He signed both Anthony Mantha and Andreas Athanasiou to solid bridge deals. Taking the Tatar trade last season into consideration Holland has done an excellent job in recent memory, although he dropped the ball on Mike Green at this time last year.

Next. Trade Deadline Chatter: Who is staying, who is going?. dark

For the sake of the franchise moving forward, keeping that as his primary concern, Ken Holland needs to get it right this trade deadline. Ken Holland needs to prioritize what’s best for the franchise rather than his personal preference for the Detroit Red Wings to be able to turn the corner. The clock is ticking, and we the fans expect to have a firm grasp on the direction of the franchise over the next week.

Home/Red Wings News