Of brief Red Wings-related note this Tuesday morning:
- The Red Wings earned a nod for Steve Yzerman’s free agency work via NBC Sports’ Adam Gretz, who suggests that the Wings’ signing of Pius Suter may provide significant value for Detroit…
2. Pius Suter, Detroit Red Wings (2 years, $6.25 million). It is surprising that the Blackhawks, a team that is lacking forward depth, could not find a use for Suter. Instead they opted not to tender him a qualifying offer and allowed him to become an unrestricted free agent. The Red Wings got him on a two-year deal to add some much needed skill to their forward lineup. Is he a star? Probably not. But he could be this year’s Anthony Duclair — a talented, young forward that did not get tendered as a restricted free agent and found a new home somewhere else.
2. And in the free agency category, “All time” version, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff posted a list of five of Ken Holland’s best signings. I think #3 on his list earns a mention here:
Steve Duchesne, D (1999): Journeyman defenseman Duchesne took a significant haircut to join the Wings in 1999. He signed a one-year deal for $1 million. That was much million lower than than the career-high $3.75 millon he was earning the previous season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
Duchesne signed two subsequent one-year deals with the Wings. Each was for $1.6 million. In a tandem with Chris Chelios, they ended up forming a stellar second pairing behind Lidstrom and [Fredrik Olausson] on Detroit’s 2001-02 Cup-winning squad.
The fact that Duchesne gave up his front teeth in Game 4 helped sway my memory…
