Report: Why no one wants to sign with the Wings

In his latest article for Wings Nation, a Detroit Red Wings blog, Wings blogger Nick Seguin analyzes the current incarnation of the team and makes several arguments for why the team has had such a difficult attracting top end talent the past few seasons.

The idea was spurred on by Seguin’s interaction with a Wings fan who proposed that the team take a run at pending free-agent John Tavares from the New York Islanders. Then Seguin goes on to recount the failed pursuit of Steven Stamkos over a calendar year ago. What Seguin makes clear is that it’s not just the constraints of the NHL salary cap that’s keeping back the Wings, it’s the mediocrity of the team in its current state.

Stamkos chose to remain with the Tampa Bay Lightning because he feels he has a shot at winning the Stanley Cup there. In the end, he wouldn’t even take Wings’ GM Ken Holland’s phone calls. Ditto for Tavares. Even if he winds up with a different team than the Islanders, could he really see Detroit as an option for winning a Stanley Cup?

The point is, the Holland and the Wings have a lot of work today before they find themselves back in the mix for top-end free agent talent. The days of plucking stars like Brett Hull, Luc Robitaille and Brian Rafalski off the free-agent market are long gone.