First, sorry for the delay. I just got back from vacation, and I spent an amazing 3 days up north at my buddy's cottage. Nothing but sun, swimming, and boating. After that, it was back to the folks' house for some golf and relaxing by the pool combined with visiting with family. Unfortunately, I neglected both Twitter and the blog while I was up there, and I've been feeling very disconnected lately. However, when I did check the site and email, I received queries as to when the next entry in the series will be up. I am happy to report that time is now. Presenting #17 of the Greatest Red Wings of My Time.
Dino Ciccarelli
Pertinent Stats: 254 GP, 107 G, 133 A, 241 P, +48, 292 PIM
Awards: None
Dino was another one of those guys that was picked up by the Wings in the mid-90s to give them some veteran depth and experience. Unfortunately, he was also one of the guys who was shipped out just prior to the Wings winning it all, so he never experienced a Cup win while part of the Wings (or with anyone else, for that matter). Although he was only with the Wings for 4 years, he had a big impact on the team not only because of the goals he scored, but because of how he paved the way for Tomas Holmstrom to become an important part of the team.
Dino was already an established scorer and power play specialist when he was brought in by the Wings in a trade for Kevin Miller. He also had a reputation as a guy who played He immediately became a force for the Wings, racking up 97 points in his first season as a Wing. Unfortunately, in what I call "The Season From Hell", it was not enough as the Wings lost to the Maple Leafs in the 1st round of the playoffs. He never really put up the numbers after that while in a Wing uniform, and he was eventually let go.
His impact for me was understated. Essentially, he was Holmstrom before Homer became what he is now. However, for me, it took a long time to really appreciate what Homer means to the team (more on him soon). It's the same with Dino. I didn't really get what he brought to the team until after he left. He was a good scorer who could put the puck in the net, even if it wasn't always pretty. He played with an edge, and provided some grit during the playoff runs in '95 and '96. Unfortunately, he just didn't have what it took in order to get them over the top, but he was part of the teams that gained the experience necessary to succeed.
One thing that got me about Dino when writing this up was wondering what the reaction was when they brought him in. Obviously, Dino was picked up before the internet and blogs, so the only way to know what other fans' reactions were was to talk to them. Growing up in Toronto, those fans were few and far between, so I didn't have any real opinion on Dino other than that he was a giant pain in the ass and I was glad he was now a teammate and not an enemy. But Dino came with his set of demons from the past, most notably his McSorely-chop on Luke Richardson in 1987. That I remember because he was vilified in the Toronto papers for the cheap shot (as he should have been), and he was even charged with criminal assault. I bring this up because it makes me wonder how we would react to the same signing today when we can all converse and voice our opinions to a broader audience. For me, as I pondered this, I couldn't help but think of Todd Bertuzzi, and I realized there are a lot of parallels there: the Wings took a guy who had talent, but had fucked up at one time and was a major pariah throughout the league. When that player became a Wing, the idiocy stopped and they became a decent contributor to the team and helped them get close to achieving the ultimate goal. I guess that's why I cut Todd a little slack; I've been through this once before. But that's another discussion for another day.
So there you have it. Dino wasn't here long, and ultimately he couldn't get the Wings to a Cup. But without him I don't think the Wings would have let Homer developed the way he did, and that's a big thing in my books. That is why he gets the coveted spot of #17 of the Greatest Red Wings of MY Time.
Showing posts with label Todd Bertuzzi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Todd Bertuzzi. Show all posts
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Just Because I Don't Care Doesn't Mean I Don't Understand
In case you are wondering, the title of this post is a Homer Simpson quote from Lisa's Substitute, when Mr Bergstrom is her teacher for a little while. It also sums up my feelings on Todd Bertuzzi and the news that he's going to be a Red Wing for 2 more years.
I want to feel something about this signing. I really do. It seems like this contract has polarized Red Wing Nation more than any other (more on that in a minute). But I just can't muster up either the hate that some people have, nor the good feelings others do. For me, I just don't care that much one way or the other.
So what do I do when I don't have any real emotions tied up in something: look at it objectively. I'm not sure what to make of this signing. I'm a little disappointed that his salary went up, but I think a large part of that is due to the cuts we just saw Lidstrom and Holmstrom take. Drew over at NOHS argues that Bertuzzi does not owe the Wings any hometown discount, and I actually agree with that statement. The Wings brought in Bertuzzi last year as a cheap forward to play some PP and get around 10-20 goals and 40-50 points. He accomplished that, and at times was the Wings' best forward last year. When you take a look at other players with a similar cap hit around the same age as Bertuzzi, the names that stand out are striking: Robert Lang, Mike Knuble, Andrew Brunette, Todd Marchant, Bill Guerin, Brendan Morrison, and Mark Recchi. I can say that out of those players, there isn't one I would take immediately over Bertuzzi. Bert may be inconsistent, but this past year he demonstrated a willingness to play solid defense, and while he was a very streaky scorer at times, when he was on, he was blisteringly-hot. Plus, if you look at the players I just mentioned, most of them make more than Bertuzzi, so we would actually be getting a discount on a player of the same caliber.
I realize that Bertuzzi has his shortcomings. His scoring, as noted, is wildly inconsistent. He sometimes believes that the puck is his own personal property, and we've all seen the Bertuzzi spin-o-rama. I hate it, you hate it, we all hate it together; it's what makes us a family. He's prone to lazy penalties at times. He doesn't play very physical considering his size. But what he brought last year makes up for most of that. Sure, I'd love to see him be consistent and bring solid, smart play every night; but that's not his game. If there were a way to turn him around, I'm pretty sure it would have been done by now.
Now, as I said before, this signing, and Bertuzzi in general, has created a fissure in Red Wing Nation. Personally, I can't think of another player that has divided the fans like Bertuzzi has; maybe Chelios when he was traded to the Wings, but no one else I can think of comes to mind (if you have any ideas, let me know). It sure seems like there is a love/hate relationship with him, and rarely are you going to find someone in the middle. The "love" camp is smaller than the "hate" side, but those people who love him are vocal. I wonder what the reason for the hate is. I figure it's one of two things: leftover resentment/anger from the Steve Moore incident, or disgust over his abilities and style of play.
The Steve Moore thing was so long ago now, I really hope that Red Wing fans don't continue to hold that against him. I'm not condoning what he did, and I was really disappointed at Bertuzzi for giving hockey a black eye, the same way I was pissed at McSorely for his incident. But, he's paid his league-mandated price, he had to deal with criminal charges, and it was just announced that the lawsuit against him will continue, with Bertuzzi being personally responsible for any damages awarded to Moore. Regardless of anything that Bertuzzi did prior to the Moore thing or after it, he will forever be stigmatized as a goon and thug because of one very stupid, ill-advised decision. But let's face it: he wasn't a Red Wing at the time, he didn't do it to a Red Wing, and he has been squeaky clean since then. So why should we continue to resent him for something he did a number of years ago? It's not like the Red Wings have always been angels themselves; Dallas Drake was a guy known for playing on the edge and may have crossed it at times; Niklas Kronwall has often left his feet to lay a guy out; and Chris Chelios was never nominated for a Lady Byng. I realize that none of these guys did anything near what Bertuzzi did, but the Wings employ "tough guys" that make a living bending or even breaking the rules.
Does his style of play bother you? Well, that's a different story, and one I can appreciate. Some people point out his inconsistency as an issue: Dan Cleary and Valtteri Filppula were both up and down all year last year, and in fact Flip only really came on after being put on a line with Bertuzzi and Zetterberg. Last year, not one single forward on the Wings was consistently good all season. Don't like his style of play with all of the puck-handling and lack of physicality? He did the same thing as Mikael Samuelsson, and had Hudler made his intentions known about going to the KHL earlier, I can guarantee you the Wings would have brought Sammy back and most fans would have been happy about it. I know he's got a history of being injured: Henrik Zetterberg has never played more than 77 games in one year over 7 seasons, Tomas Holmstrom hasn't played more than 70 games in season for the last 3 years, and Niklas Kronwall has played more than 70 games once in his career. I don't point out these things to disparage the players they have; it's more to point out the double standard under which Bertuzzi has to operate as a Red Wing. Truth be told, the only players on the Wings that have no issues similar to Bertuzzi are Datsyuk and Lidstrom; everyone else on the team, Zetterberg included, has a "black mark" so to speak on their resume.
Look, I'm no Bertuzzi-lover. I'll admit I was not crazy about the signing last year, but after the season he had, I've changed my tune a little. I still don't think he's a great player, but it's pretty clear he fits in the system the Wings have in place, and while he's making more than I would like, he's still a bargain. If he gets hurt, well, we'll have to deal with it; I don't recall anyone saying "boo" last year when Niklas Kronwall got hurt, and he's got just as much of an injury history as Bertuzzi while making more money. Given the injury issues last year, if Bertuzzi is the only one that gets injured, I'll be singing gospel songs and dancing around in my underwear on my front lawn (there's a mental image for you). Remember that if he does get hurt and goes on IR, his salary comes off the cap. I think the reason that a lot of fans don't like Bertuzzi is because they don't consider him to be a "Red Wing"; the roster is full of guys that were either drafted by the Wings or have been with them so long that no one even remembers who else they played for. Bertuzzi doesn't fit that mold, so we nitpick everything he does and say that it was a bad signing. We as fans don't have to agree with every single move the organ-i-zation makes; but we have to understand why it was made. Bertuzzi is a Red Wing for 2 more years; accept it and let's move on.
I want to feel something about this signing. I really do. It seems like this contract has polarized Red Wing Nation more than any other (more on that in a minute). But I just can't muster up either the hate that some people have, nor the good feelings others do. For me, I just don't care that much one way or the other.
So what do I do when I don't have any real emotions tied up in something: look at it objectively. I'm not sure what to make of this signing. I'm a little disappointed that his salary went up, but I think a large part of that is due to the cuts we just saw Lidstrom and Holmstrom take. Drew over at NOHS argues that Bertuzzi does not owe the Wings any hometown discount, and I actually agree with that statement. The Wings brought in Bertuzzi last year as a cheap forward to play some PP and get around 10-20 goals and 40-50 points. He accomplished that, and at times was the Wings' best forward last year. When you take a look at other players with a similar cap hit around the same age as Bertuzzi, the names that stand out are striking: Robert Lang, Mike Knuble, Andrew Brunette, Todd Marchant, Bill Guerin, Brendan Morrison, and Mark Recchi. I can say that out of those players, there isn't one I would take immediately over Bertuzzi. Bert may be inconsistent, but this past year he demonstrated a willingness to play solid defense, and while he was a very streaky scorer at times, when he was on, he was blisteringly-hot. Plus, if you look at the players I just mentioned, most of them make more than Bertuzzi, so we would actually be getting a discount on a player of the same caliber.
I realize that Bertuzzi has his shortcomings. His scoring, as noted, is wildly inconsistent. He sometimes believes that the puck is his own personal property, and we've all seen the Bertuzzi spin-o-rama. I hate it, you hate it, we all hate it together; it's what makes us a family. He's prone to lazy penalties at times. He doesn't play very physical considering his size. But what he brought last year makes up for most of that. Sure, I'd love to see him be consistent and bring solid, smart play every night; but that's not his game. If there were a way to turn him around, I'm pretty sure it would have been done by now.
Now, as I said before, this signing, and Bertuzzi in general, has created a fissure in Red Wing Nation. Personally, I can't think of another player that has divided the fans like Bertuzzi has; maybe Chelios when he was traded to the Wings, but no one else I can think of comes to mind (if you have any ideas, let me know). It sure seems like there is a love/hate relationship with him, and rarely are you going to find someone in the middle. The "love" camp is smaller than the "hate" side, but those people who love him are vocal. I wonder what the reason for the hate is. I figure it's one of two things: leftover resentment/anger from the Steve Moore incident, or disgust over his abilities and style of play.
The Steve Moore thing was so long ago now, I really hope that Red Wing fans don't continue to hold that against him. I'm not condoning what he did, and I was really disappointed at Bertuzzi for giving hockey a black eye, the same way I was pissed at McSorely for his incident. But, he's paid his league-mandated price, he had to deal with criminal charges, and it was just announced that the lawsuit against him will continue, with Bertuzzi being personally responsible for any damages awarded to Moore. Regardless of anything that Bertuzzi did prior to the Moore thing or after it, he will forever be stigmatized as a goon and thug because of one very stupid, ill-advised decision. But let's face it: he wasn't a Red Wing at the time, he didn't do it to a Red Wing, and he has been squeaky clean since then. So why should we continue to resent him for something he did a number of years ago? It's not like the Red Wings have always been angels themselves; Dallas Drake was a guy known for playing on the edge and may have crossed it at times; Niklas Kronwall has often left his feet to lay a guy out; and Chris Chelios was never nominated for a Lady Byng. I realize that none of these guys did anything near what Bertuzzi did, but the Wings employ "tough guys" that make a living bending or even breaking the rules.
Does his style of play bother you? Well, that's a different story, and one I can appreciate. Some people point out his inconsistency as an issue: Dan Cleary and Valtteri Filppula were both up and down all year last year, and in fact Flip only really came on after being put on a line with Bertuzzi and Zetterberg. Last year, not one single forward on the Wings was consistently good all season. Don't like his style of play with all of the puck-handling and lack of physicality? He did the same thing as Mikael Samuelsson, and had Hudler made his intentions known about going to the KHL earlier, I can guarantee you the Wings would have brought Sammy back and most fans would have been happy about it. I know he's got a history of being injured: Henrik Zetterberg has never played more than 77 games in one year over 7 seasons, Tomas Holmstrom hasn't played more than 70 games in season for the last 3 years, and Niklas Kronwall has played more than 70 games once in his career. I don't point out these things to disparage the players they have; it's more to point out the double standard under which Bertuzzi has to operate as a Red Wing. Truth be told, the only players on the Wings that have no issues similar to Bertuzzi are Datsyuk and Lidstrom; everyone else on the team, Zetterberg included, has a "black mark" so to speak on their resume.
Look, I'm no Bertuzzi-lover. I'll admit I was not crazy about the signing last year, but after the season he had, I've changed my tune a little. I still don't think he's a great player, but it's pretty clear he fits in the system the Wings have in place, and while he's making more than I would like, he's still a bargain. If he gets hurt, well, we'll have to deal with it; I don't recall anyone saying "boo" last year when Niklas Kronwall got hurt, and he's got just as much of an injury history as Bertuzzi while making more money. Given the injury issues last year, if Bertuzzi is the only one that gets injured, I'll be singing gospel songs and dancing around in my underwear on my front lawn (there's a mental image for you). Remember that if he does get hurt and goes on IR, his salary comes off the cap. I think the reason that a lot of fans don't like Bertuzzi is because they don't consider him to be a "Red Wing"; the roster is full of guys that were either drafted by the Wings or have been with them so long that no one even remembers who else they played for. Bertuzzi doesn't fit that mold, so we nitpick everything he does and say that it was a bad signing. We as fans don't have to agree with every single move the organ-i-zation makes; but we have to understand why it was made. Bertuzzi is a Red Wing for 2 more years; accept it and let's move on.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
1 In, 1 Out
Since I can't bear to watch Little Brother and the Flyers win games, I needed a distraction. Thankfully, there was actually some news out of the Wings yesterday. One was a signing, one was a defection, and another was a potential signing.
Mattias Ritola signs 3 year deal with Red Wings - There are a couple of things about this signing. First, sayonara to Jason Williams. It’s a shame that my last memory of you in a Wing uniform will be you trying to shatter the glass with your slapshot in game 3 against the Sharks. But, when you consider that the only other thing I remember you doing this season was breaking your leg, maybe that’s a sign you just weren’t a good fit here. Oh well, good luck wherever you go. I like this signing, because this will inject some youth into the lineup. The cap hit is essentially nothing ($500K for the first year), so that’s not a big deal. The interesting part is that it is a two-way deal, but they will have to waive him if he gets sent down to Grand Rapids. My take? I think the Wings have decided that this year is Ritola’s make-or-break year. If at some point they feel he’s not good enough to hack it in the NHL and have to send him down, they are not going to worry about whether he’s claimed off waivers or not. This won’t be like the Kyle Quincey situation where they had too many d-men already on the roster to give him a spot: Ritola is going to get a chance to earn an everyday spot in the Wings’ lineup next year. Queue the calls of “Riiiittttoooollllaaaa” from the commercials.
Daniel Larsson signs with Swedish team - So, it appears that the Wings’ AHL goalie has signed a contract with a Swedish team (ironically, the team that just lost another one-time Wings’ prospect, Stephan Liv). There are 2 things I get from this defection. First, it’s always tough to lose a goaltending prospect, even if that goalie was not expected to ever become the #1 guy for the Wings at some point. Look at the Flyers this year: they’ve had every single goalie in North America play for them at some point, and they are 2 games away from going to the Finals. Larsson put up good numbers in Grand Rapids last season, and from what I’ve been reading, there was talk he was going to become the backup to Jimmy once Ozzie retires, which may be as soon as 2011-2012. So that’s a bummer. However, if he continued to play really well, then he could have earned the backup job in Detroit or been used as trade bait to secure some other asset for the Wings. The second part of this is that clearly Thomas McCollum has become the “next-in-line” guy for the Wings. He’s still young, and as we saw with Jimmy, the Wings are not going to rush Tommy (I’m imposing this nickname now) up to the NHL. It will be interesting to see what the Wings do with Tommy going forward, but maybe it’s time he got the full-time job in Grand Rapids to see if he can handle being the number 1 guy for the team.
Todd Bertuzzi and Wings start talking - I read this article and immediately thought of the Weezer song “Say It Ain’t So". However, after picking myself off the floor, I thought this may not be that bad a scenario. It will all depend on the money involved. If the Wings can get Bertuzzi for no more than $1.5-$1.75M per year on a 2 year deal, I would be ok with it. He can put up 10-15 goals, 40-50 points, and he was one of 3 Wings to actually play in every game. Plus, he can score in the shootout, which was a real bugaboo for the Wings this year (on an aside, can someone pull Zetterberg away from what he’s doing and tell him he might want to practice breakaways? When have you ever seen someone so talented suck so bad at shootouts?). There was a time late in the year and in the first round where he, Zetterberg and Filppula were the best line the Wings had. I can’t believe I am actually typing this, but maybe signing Bertuzzi is a….sm….art……move. Ok, I’m going to go vomit now.
Still no official word on Nicklas Lidstrom, but rumours are that he is going to make a decision by June 1st so that the Wings can proceed with their plans. Much like a Game 7, I am filled with anxiety and excitement waiting for him to announce that he is coming back for at least 1 more year. Please let that be the announcement. I can't take the thought of the Blackhawks and Flyers being in the Stanley Cup Final at the same time as Lidstrom retiring. I might have to lock myself in a dark room for a few weeks to ward off all of the demons in the world, because clearly there would be some dark spirits afoot if that all happened at the same time.
Mattias Ritola signs 3 year deal with Red Wings - There are a couple of things about this signing. First, sayonara to Jason Williams. It’s a shame that my last memory of you in a Wing uniform will be you trying to shatter the glass with your slapshot in game 3 against the Sharks. But, when you consider that the only other thing I remember you doing this season was breaking your leg, maybe that’s a sign you just weren’t a good fit here. Oh well, good luck wherever you go. I like this signing, because this will inject some youth into the lineup. The cap hit is essentially nothing ($500K for the first year), so that’s not a big deal. The interesting part is that it is a two-way deal, but they will have to waive him if he gets sent down to Grand Rapids. My take? I think the Wings have decided that this year is Ritola’s make-or-break year. If at some point they feel he’s not good enough to hack it in the NHL and have to send him down, they are not going to worry about whether he’s claimed off waivers or not. This won’t be like the Kyle Quincey situation where they had too many d-men already on the roster to give him a spot: Ritola is going to get a chance to earn an everyday spot in the Wings’ lineup next year. Queue the calls of “Riiiittttoooollllaaaa” from the commercials.
Daniel Larsson signs with Swedish team - So, it appears that the Wings’ AHL goalie has signed a contract with a Swedish team (ironically, the team that just lost another one-time Wings’ prospect, Stephan Liv). There are 2 things I get from this defection. First, it’s always tough to lose a goaltending prospect, even if that goalie was not expected to ever become the #1 guy for the Wings at some point. Look at the Flyers this year: they’ve had every single goalie in North America play for them at some point, and they are 2 games away from going to the Finals. Larsson put up good numbers in Grand Rapids last season, and from what I’ve been reading, there was talk he was going to become the backup to Jimmy once Ozzie retires, which may be as soon as 2011-2012. So that’s a bummer. However, if he continued to play really well, then he could have earned the backup job in Detroit or been used as trade bait to secure some other asset for the Wings. The second part of this is that clearly Thomas McCollum has become the “next-in-line” guy for the Wings. He’s still young, and as we saw with Jimmy, the Wings are not going to rush Tommy (I’m imposing this nickname now) up to the NHL. It will be interesting to see what the Wings do with Tommy going forward, but maybe it’s time he got the full-time job in Grand Rapids to see if he can handle being the number 1 guy for the team.
Todd Bertuzzi and Wings start talking - I read this article and immediately thought of the Weezer song “Say It Ain’t So". However, after picking myself off the floor, I thought this may not be that bad a scenario. It will all depend on the money involved. If the Wings can get Bertuzzi for no more than $1.5-$1.75M per year on a 2 year deal, I would be ok with it. He can put up 10-15 goals, 40-50 points, and he was one of 3 Wings to actually play in every game. Plus, he can score in the shootout, which was a real bugaboo for the Wings this year (on an aside, can someone pull Zetterberg away from what he’s doing and tell him he might want to practice breakaways? When have you ever seen someone so talented suck so bad at shootouts?). There was a time late in the year and in the first round where he, Zetterberg and Filppula were the best line the Wings had. I can’t believe I am actually typing this, but maybe signing Bertuzzi is a….sm….art……move. Ok, I’m going to go vomit now.
Still no official word on Nicklas Lidstrom, but rumours are that he is going to make a decision by June 1st so that the Wings can proceed with their plans. Much like a Game 7, I am filled with anxiety and excitement waiting for him to announce that he is coming back for at least 1 more year. Please let that be the announcement. I can't take the thought of the Blackhawks and Flyers being in the Stanley Cup Final at the same time as Lidstrom retiring. I might have to lock myself in a dark room for a few weeks to ward off all of the demons in the world, because clearly there would be some dark spirits afoot if that all happened at the same time.
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