Modano Good or Bad? The Buzz-saw Says Good!

Before I get to my thoughts on the entire off-season to this point I want to clear something up about a high profile yet somewhat controversial signing. Mike Modano was rumored to either be retiring or returning to his hometown, Michigan, immediately following his last game until the moment he texted that he was signing. However, during Modano’s decision making process, much to my surprise, the opinion on if Detroit should bring him into the fold was mostly split. Most loved the cache Modano’s resume carried, others scanned the roster and saw him as a perfect fit or as another mentoring figure, another group reflected back on his time as a member of the Illitch family Little Caesars youth team over 20 years ago. Despite all that there was a very loud and often vocal following that screamed the 40 of his age, his declining production, and the feeling that his addition would slow down the progress of young players such as Daren Helm. While literally all of those points are valid and whether brought with knowledge or not do carry some merit, I just keep going back to one main point, this is the Red Wing way.

Detroit, one of the most successful franchises in sports over the last 20+ years and arguably one of the top three best in the history of hockey has made a habit of getting more then predicted out of old supposed washed up veterans. This can be traced all the way back to their first of the 4 recent cups, 1997. In that season, only two years removed from a historic runner up Vezina Trophy season for Osgood, the Wings handed the keys to their cadillac to the aging and plummeting Mike Vernon. The former Flame and soon to be hall of famer led Detroit to their first Stanley Cup title since 1955, his second ring. Not only that, Vernon captured the Conn Smythe trophy that post-season compiling an eye popping 1.76 GAA in the playoffs.

This trend would continue into the turn of the century. The famous or infamous, depending on your team affiliation, summer of 2001 saw Detroit run a press conference gauntlet that would have made George Steinbrenner blush. The winged wheel brought in perhaps 3 of the best at their respective positions in NHL history that particular summer. Dominik Hasek, Luc Robitaille, and Modano’s former teammate, Brett Hull, walked through the doors to “The Joe.” While Hasek was still widely believed to be the best goalie in the league at the time, Robitaille and Hull were already seen as grizzled vets who had nothing left in the tank and only added due to a strong friendship with Steve Yzerman. Those labels did nothing but act as motivation for two legends who had something to prove. In Robitaille’s case he was embarking on a quest for the allusive ring, he only had appeared in 1 prior finals and lost. Hull on the other hand was coming off of back to back finals appearances and scoring the game winner off of Hasek to capture his first title in 1999 (sorry Sabres fans). Ken Holland and the Detroit brass did not blink an eye at adding either player, both had not been offered deals by their incumbent club. Now of course who knows what would have become of their signings had they been picked up by say the Panthers, they landed in the best possible location. An immediate championship was won thanks to the “Hall of Fame Squad” as the 3 new legends felt right at home with some of greats already in Hockeytown. The reason they were able to keep their careers going while in Detroit is simple, they left their egos at the door and as a wise man, The Rock, once said they knew their roles and shut their mouths. Robitaille played as a fourth line forward and Hull eventually just became a mentor to Datsyuk and Zetterberg as they matured.

Acquisitions like those in one off-season will never happen again in the salary cap NHL, however, if those additions of this same front office were not questioned going in, then why is this one now? The 2010-2011 Red Wings could win another cup, I’m not predicting it, or they could put together another season like last year in which Detroit hockey fans wiped sweat from their brow upon clinching the franchises 19th straight post-season birth. Either way, Modano is a fabulous signing and will be right at home. No extra pressure will come along with him. This is not a mission 16 W scenario, the U.S. career leading scorer will be relaxed as he has nothing left to prove in his illustrious career. Mike Modano, who came into the league as Minnesota North Star and then became the best player in Dallas history, has already played on 3 Stanley Cup finalists, earned a ring thanks to Hulls foot being in the crease, and registered the individual landmark of 500 goals, he has 557. So he will not be chasing a necessary ring or even attempt to bump his numbers up for enshrinement, Modano is already a champion and a sure fire hall of famer. All Mike Modano will be asked to do is bolster scoring on the third line, mentor young players, something he has said he will cherish doing, and increase ticket sales. As I see it check, check, check. A homecoming always will put butts in the seats (especially in a hockey hotbed), even though he has not recorded a 70+ point campaign since 2006, he has consistently put up an average of about 45 each of the past 3 seasons on significantly less games and shots, and was already humbled once when he lost the C on his sweater a few years back with the Stars. Mike Modano has always had a great reputation as a tremendous teammate and other then a celebrity marriage has shown no signs of being a distraction anywhere. If he could handle losing his captainship in the franchise he put on the map, I highly doubt he wll complain about any role given to him on the darling Detroit Red Wings.

Last year Helm and Valterri Filppula each spent time as the teams third line center and would have done the same had Modano not been brought in again this season. Production wise Helm recorded 24 points and Filppula put the biscuit in the basket 11 times sending 35 total points on the stat sheet. While those are certainly adequate numbers for players in their roles and ages, they are relatively similar to what Modano did, last season the former Star put up 30 in only 59 games. If you go back two seasons, Mike recorded 46 and three back, blasted 57 points. While Modano will most likely not sniff 60 ever again his ceiling is far higher, even at his age, then even the two young studs. Jiri Hudler, who is returning after a season in the KHL netted 57 points his last NHL regular season, the exact same total as Modano’s best recent year, however, Hudler only put up 42 the year before, more comparable to a Modano Red Wing projection.

On top of everything else, Modano did not let money be an issue, he agreed to a 1 year 1.25 million dollar deal. He most likely would have commanded more from either Chicago or San Jose, the two other teams in the rumor mill. The potential bonuses of an extra $500,000 will also only be added to the 2011-2012 salary cap if earned, not for next season. Every member of the Red Wings from the current captain and fellow legend Nicklas Lidstrom, general manager Ken Holland, head coach Mike Babcock, and owner Mike Illitch spent time recruiting Modano as if they were Texas trying to land a 5 star high school senior. Every guy I mentioned will be in the Hall of Fame one day, if they all agreed and knew how important the Modano signing could be to this coming season then who are we to argue? I love this signing and knew this was the best possible move to make this summer all along. More importantly I am pleased Mike Modano decided to take his talents to Hockeytown instead of retiring and also appreciate he did so without broadcasting it in a VS network one hour special. I can not wait to see Willa Ford cheering on the new number 90 from a luxury box in every arena possible.