(Former) Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk wasn't bluffing when he set Labor Day as a deadline for the Wings.
He has turned down an offer of one year at $5M to stay with the Wings, and has apparently signed a one year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Russian Elite League. Datsyuk has been the subject of much speculation this summer. While many thought that the Wings wouldn't let him slip through the cracks, many others hoped the Wings would call his bluff. They called it, but he had a pretty good hand.
However, Datsyuk must be on some sort of designer drug to make the following comment:
"I think I am worth at least what (Dany) Heatley or (Joe) Thornton got from their deals," Datsyuk told the Russian media.
I actually laughed out loud when I read that comment.
I'm not sure what newspaper he's been reading, but the deal that Detroit offered him is better than the one Heatley has with Ottawa If it's about the duration of the contract, he's got nothing to stand on. He was offered several deals ranging from one to five years, but turned them all down. If it's about money, comparing himself to Dany Heatley is retarded. Heatley has a three-year deal that averages to $4.5m/season over three seasons. This year he will "only" make $3.5M. The Winged Wheels were offering Datsyuk $1.5M more than that, but he wouldn't have it.
But since he brought it up, let's take a look at his NHL numbers when compared to those of Joe Thornton and Dany Heatley.
DANY HEATLEY, OTTAWA SENATORS. AGE 24. 3 NHL SEASONS
2001-02 82 GP ... 26G...41A...67TP...-19...56PIM
2002-03 77 GP ... 41G...48A...89TP...-8 ...58PIM
2003-04 31 GP .... 13G...12A...25TP...-8 ...18PIM
JOE THORNTON, CAPTAIN, BOSTON BRUINS. AGE 26. 7 NHL SEASONS
2001-02 66 GP ... 24G...46A...68TP...+7 ..127PIM
2002-03 77 GP ... 36G...65A..101TP...+12..109PIM
2003-04 77 GP ... 23G...50A...73TP...+18...98PIM
PAVEL DATSYUK. AGE 27. 3 NHL SEASONS
2001-02 70 GP ... 11G...24A...35TP....+4....4PIM
2002-03 64 GP ... 12G...39A...51TP...+20...16PIM
2003-04 75 GP ... 30G...38A...68TP....-2...35PIM
Where, exactly, does he find ground to compare himself to Heatley and Thornton? Because he's had ONE season in which he scored exactly 30 goals? Who in the hell does he think he is? His numbers don't even come close to comparing. Aside from the numbers game, maybe Pavel never noticed it, but there's a 3" capital C on the front of Joe's sweater. Those two things separate a guy like Thornton from a guy like Datsyuk. And although Thornton may throw like a girl, he doesn't cry like one.
Datsyuk is a whining prima donna that the Wings will be better off without. You can get those 30 goals elsewhere with less attitude.
This reminds me of when Keith Primeau was demanding a Jagr-like salary after he had ONE thirty goal season with the Canes, so I'll bring back the famous quote. The original quote was 'Canes owner Peter Karmanos, talking about his refusal to deal with Keith Primeau, but I'll edit the exact quote to make it fit with Datsyuk.
The exact quote about Primeau:
"We refuse to pay a prima donna, a petulant, pouting player who had 30 goals last year the same money as Toronto is paying Mats Sundin or Pittsburgh is paying Jaromir Jagr."
as could be applied by Wings owners to Datsyuk:
"We refuse to pay a prima donna, a petulant, pouting player who had 30 goals last year the same money asToronto is paying Mats Sundin or Pittsburgh is paying Jaromir Jagr.Boston is paying Joe Thornton."
Enjoy your stay with Avangard Omsk, Pavel.
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2 comments:
I think you made your case pretty well, without stooping to characterizations like "all Russian players are selfish and lazy". I tend to see that kind of stuff a lot.
Thanks for stopping by my blog, by the way.
While I agree the comparison to Thonton is a huge stretch, let's see, Datsyuk in last three seasons +22, Heatly last three seasons, - 35. Pavel is simply far more skilled than Heatley, in whose vocabulary the term backcheck doesn't exsist. Datsyuk was easily Russia's best player in the world championships last year, and virtually every scouting report I've seen had him n the top five in Europe last year.
And remember how I said this situation with the Russian players was going to get worse... the Detroit News is reporting today that Ilya Kolvachuk is about to sign a deal to remain in Russia. And Henrik Zetterberg is on the verge of signing a $2.5 mil contract to play in the Swedish Elite League. About the only person who can be happy about this is Don Cherry, who thinks only Canadians should be allowed to play in the NHL.
Truth is, loosing these young stars hurts the credability of the NHL, as well as the quality of the on ice product.
Oh yeah, and did I mention Pavel would be a fool to turn down $6 mil tax free?
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