One of a few major question marks for Detroit heading into training camp this Friday has been answered.
Danny Dekeyser, after a summer of ongoing negotiations, finally signed his pact for an extension. The deal is for two years with an averaging annual salary (cap hit) of $2.187 million, per Helene St. James(Freep.com). The “anxious” Dekeyser and the Red Wings had been longing for this to get done, with the mulling being over the “business terms” of the deal, according to the 24-year old defenseman. This is to be expected, as he desired a considerable raise from his $925K entry-level contract out of Western Michigan. However, with playing only 76 NHL games so far in his career and sustaining two injuries that have each lasted a month long, there is a difficult base of negotiation that has little foundation. However, one cannot argue with what he has brought to the table in such a short time at such a ripe age.
Dekeyser plays with incredible poise and makes that great “first pass” out of the zone as good as any blueliner in Hockeytown. His offensive game is lacking, as he put up 23 in 65 contests last year, but at 24, he’s got some time to improve. His positional play is fantastic as well as his hockey sense that seems to slow the game down for him and the rest of the team.
The former Bronco might have liked to sign for a few more years on the term but taking a look at the relatively solid but short body of work, the deal fits for the present and short-term future. Safe, low-risk, and high reward for GM Ken Holland, the Wings, and Dekeyser.
Dekeyser will join the team in Traverse City at the end of the week and begin training camp on Friday, looking to continue his solid start to his young career, carrying a significant responsibility on a young defensive core.
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Dekeyser stats courtesy of HockeyDB
Contract details courtesy of Helene St. James and the Detroit Free Press
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