The Red Wings signed defenseman Justin Holl to a 3-year contract at $3.4 million per season, and Detroit Hockey Now’s Nate Brown voices concerns with the deal:
The former University of Minnesota standout was never a unanimous Toronto fan favorite defenseman. They thought he had too many turnovers.
But some fans believed Holl was the scapegoat when the real defensive problem was the forward group not backchecking.
The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
But Holl is not the first Toronto defenseman that came to Detroit with a low approval rating in Toronto. One of the legendary tales in Red Wings’ lore is how defenseman Larry Murphy was booed heavily when he played for Maple Leafs and then was traded to Detroit and played in a significant role in helping the Red Wings win back-to-back Stanley Cups. Murphy is now in the Hall of Fame.
No one is suggesting Holl can be a Hall of Famer, but it is possible he could be a steady performer for the the Red Wings. He posted 139 blocked shots and 151 hits last season for the Maple Leafs. Holl’s career Corsi rating is above 50%.
3 year deal, wtf?! I would’ve much rather had someone like Gudas.
Plus we literally drafted a bunch of big lumbering d-men in the 2nd day of the draft so how many of these guys do we need?