Quote:
Originally posted by sterlingice
Toronto can't spend like Detroit, Colorado, St Louis, or New York, tho. The Wings are the Yankees of hockey: greatness through excessive spending.
SI
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Excessive spending? Yes, they have the second highest payroll in the league, but I don't think you could call any of the Red Wings' spending "excessive." They really did not go out and buy the Cup. TI'll use the 2002 team as an example.
They had an incredibly deep and strong talent base through a few very good drafts (Yzerman, Fedorov, Lidstrom, McCarty, etc.). They then went ahead and made some good trades (Shanahan, Chelios, Maltby, Larionov, etc.). And added a few final pieces in free agency (Hull, Robitaille, and Hasek).
Yes, Hasek was acquired via a trade, but in reality it was a salary dump by the Sabres.
Robitaille and Hull signed for around 4.5 and 5 million a year, respectively. I don't think that could be considered "excessive" for the type of pedigree and talent these two future hall-of-famers bring to the table. This isn't 9.5 million for a third-line checking center here.
Hasek was brought in for around 9 million. This, it could be argued, was excessive given hockey's lack of a big-time TV contract, etc. THere is no more important position in sports, in the post-season, than a goalie in the NHL (see: Giguere, Fernandez, etc.).
Yes, the Wings did pay "excessively" to keep its own players. They had to fork over a HUGE boat-load of cash to keep Fedorov (thanks to the Hurricanes) and pay Lidstrom and Yzerman around 10 million and 9.5 million, respectively. But again, the best defensemen in the league two years running and the heart and soul of your team. Excessive, perhaps a bit. But it's not like they went out and out-bid other teams like the Yankees or Rangers. That's not how the team was built.
I can't think of one player in which they spent "excessively" on to get the Cup 2002. They didn't steam roll other teams by offering excessive contracts. Robitaille got dicked over by the Kings. Hull got barely any offers of note and lingered for weeks in free agency. Haske took LESS to come to Detroit (sorry Primer/Mizzou).
The Yankees the Red Wings are not.