ESPN’s Greg Wyshysnki checked in on several players who remain unrestricted free agents as of August 31st, and here’s his report on former Red Wings defenseman Danny DeKeyser:
Danny DeKeyser, D
Age: 32 | 2021-22 cap hit: $5 millionBack in 2019, DeKeyser probably thought this summer was going to be a financial windfall. Back then, he was playing over 21 minutes per game on average with the Detroit Red Wings and making $5 million against the cap. It wasn’t outrageous to think that he would be due for a raise as a 32-year-old free agent in 2022 as an established NHL defenseman.
Then came the back injury in late 2019, followed by the back surgery. That basically derailed DeKeyser’s career. He was limited to eight games in 2019-20 and then saw his ice time drop by nearly four minutes per game on average in the following season. He played in 59 games last season, passed through waivers and saw his 10-year run in Detroit end in a whimper, even as he felt better physically while the season progressed.
Agent Matt Federico and O2K Sports Management started working with DeKeyser a few weeks ago after the veteran defenseman was unable to latch on with a new team. The biggest questions they had for DeKeyser were about his health and his expectations. They found a player feeling good about his physical status, but one who might have been priced out of the market initially this summer. There were just too many question marks to justify a $5 million AAV deal for DeKeyser under a flat salary cap.
So expectations were adjusted and the interest started to build, Federico said.
“We weren’t sure what the landscape was going to be. But we’ve been pretty encouraged,” the agent said. “The interest has been good. We feel pretty confident that he’s going to get a deal before training camp here. It’s going to take some time to shake out. Hopefully we know more this week.”
Federico is confident that DeKeyser will have a deal in place before training camps open next month. It could be in the range of a $1 million “show me” contract, as DeKeyser attempts to rebuild his reputation.
“It’ll be a lower money deal, but it’ll be a chance to showcase himself outside of Detroit,” Federico said. “We kind of look at him as a Jack Johnson type, where he had to kind of reinvent himself and play at these lower numbers. But [Jack] is getting more years out of his career having done it. Danny has to reestablish himself.”
Continued; I hope that DeKeyser does find employment at the NHL level, but I also hope that it’s not with Detroit.
