Detroit – The Detroit Red Wings expect restricted free- agent center Pavel Datsyuk to re-sign with the club this weekend, general manager Ken Holland said Tuesday.
“Ten days ago it was looking like we would have to go without Pavel,” Holland said. “All of a sudden to hear he’s going to be here again; it’s a great addition.”
Datsyuk and his agent, Gary Greenstin, have been negotiating since before the NHL lockout began Sept. 16, 2004.
Holland said Greenstin told him Monday, “We have a deal.”
Holland said he spoke Tuesday with the 27-year-old Russian.
“He’s going to be in Detroit this weekend. When he arrives we expect him to sign the standard player’s contract,” Holland said.
The Red Wings have offered Datsyuk a two-year deal worth $3.8 million per season, Holland said.
Datsyuk signed a contract this month with Avangard Omsk of the Russian SuperLeague. That contract was matched by Moscow Dynamo, another SuperLeague team Datsyuk played with during the NHL lockout.
An arbitration hearing to determine which of the Russian teams owned Datsyuk’s rights was scheduled for Tuesday. But his desire to return to the Red Wings “was certainly expressed to me (by Datsyuk and Greenstin) during the negotiations,” Holland said.
“I stayed in touch for two reasons,” Holland said. “If we didn’t have Pavel, I wanted to make sure we had open communication for next year to get him back then. At the same time, I was also told by Gary that even though Pavel had signed a contract in Russia, his first desire was to be in Detroit. They were never saying it’s a done deal.
“We’re thrilled to have Pavel back in Detroit.”
Datsyuk had a breakthrough season in 2003-04, finishing tied for the team lead in scoring with 30 goals and 38 assists for 68 points.
Datsyuk is the final major piece of the puzzle Holland faced under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement and its $39 million salary cap – about half of what Detroit has spent in the past.
“Like winning the hockey lottery,” Holland called it.
“He’s really just coming into the prime of his career,” Holland said. “I’d like to think his confidence level, and with the way they’re going to call the game, which is going to be an advantage to a skill player. … He’s a great addition. A great addition. I think for us, Pavel can make a play or do something that can create a scoring chance in a few moments.”
Holland re-signed another restricted free agent, forward Henrik Zetterberg, on Sept. 7, and brought back veteran centers Steve Yzerman, Kris Draper and Robert Lang.
Holland is also awaiting the arrival of another forward, 28-year-old Swedish right wing Mikael Samuelsson, who was signed last weekend to a one-year deal worth $537,500. Holland said he hopes Samuelsson’s visa will come through in the next few days, so he might be in Detroit this weekend, too.
