Hudler Re-Signs in Detroit With New Two-Year Deal
 

DETROIT -- Today, Red Wings general manager Ken Holland announced the team has re-signed forward Jiri Hudler to a two-year contract.

In his first full NHL season in 2006-07, Hudler appeared in 76 games and led all Detroit rookies in goals (15), assists (10) and points (25). He finished strong down the stretch, collecting over half (13) of his 25 points in the final 20 games of the season. The Czech Republic native also made his Stanley Cup playoff debut in 2007, playing in six games with two assists.

Hudler was voted the 2007 Red Wings' Rookie of the Year by the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association. Past winners of the award include Johan Franzen (2006) and Henrik Zetterberg (2003).

ugh...not happy about this. He has a nice shot, but thats about it. Plus I think living with Lang rubbed off on him. Not surprised though.

This will make a lot of Detroit faithful thrilled I'm sure. :D

His offensive skills arent bad, as his numbers indicate, but would it kill him to rub someone out along the glass - or fight through a check?

Yes. Yes it would.

why why Why WHY WHY!!!!:angry:

Another worthless Euro.

For the second time this free agency I say BOO. Why sign this midget? Yes he has a good shot but he is a so small but he must be are gritty winger.

absolutely not.. have you ever seen him play? Jiri Hudler is very small but he's very feisty and he will finish checks! I have no problems with this signing because I did not want to lose Hudler for nothing.. He obviously doesn't help the lack of size/toughness but he is a pretty tough little guy and is highly skilled

EDIT: I want a tough guy as much as everyone else but that doesn't mean that Jiri Hudler cannot be signed... it would be dumb to pass this guy up, it's guys like Maltby/Draper/Cleary/Franzen/Samuelsson/Kopecky who are mooching the ice time that should be going to a tough guy

Franzen and Samuel*shootfromanywhere*son apart those which you have have named are tougher and grittier than Hudler. Still, at least he wasnt expensive and hes not exactly a Pavel Datsyuk in terms of toughness.

I like Franzen because he throws the body around but he is a defensive centermen and we already have one in Draper so there really isn't room for both of them.. and the only reason Samuelsson is on the team is because he shoots right, Hudler is better player with better hockey sense and a much better shot, if Hudler was right handed he probably could've scored 35-40 goals last year in Samuelsson's position....and he is younger

Get out of dream world will you. Hudler would not score 40 goals if he was right handed, he is a good player but there is no way in hell he would score that many goals I don't what you are on or what games you watched last year. Franzen is the biggest girl on the team he checks every once and a while but he turtled like a bitch in his so called fight he had. As big is Franzen is he should hit every thing that moves but doesn't because he is a euro women like the rest of the team.

He checks where am I at when this happens? He avoids checking as much a possible. He is not tough at all just because he every once and a while swats at a guy for rag dolling his small as doesn't make him tough. He is skilled not highly skilled, I don't where you came from with these statements. This little midget is taking the space for a fighter or gritty winger. I agree that malbty and Samuelsson are worthless but all the other statements are way off base.

I watched preseason, 82 reg season games and all of playoffs so that is what I'm basing everything off of.... saying he would have scored 35-40 seems a bit realistic I'll admit but I honestly believe he could if he was used like Samuelsson was used... I know this has been said time and time again but Hudler got 15 goals with like 5 minutes of ice time a game with 4th line linemates....unreal... right-handed, Datsyuk/Zetterberg as his set up man.. PP time... he would be scoring a whole lot, he has an amazing shot.

And Hudler does not avoid checks at all.. if you watched him throughout the year you'd know that, he drives the net, goes into corners...he plays much bigger than he is, I understand that he brings 0 intimidation factor and its unlikely hes going to knock an opponent over with a hit but to say he shys away from physical play is just wrong, the guy had that stereotype put on him the second anyone sees him listed as 5'9 or 5'10... If you saw any Grand Rapids games in the 05-06 season you would know what Hudler is about...he lit up the league, he had like 95 points and was money in the playoffs

there is a need to address toughness on this team but you don't have to sacrifice young talented players/prospects for it... thats why I brought up Franzen/Maltby and those guys... THAT is where our "toughness" lies, and THEY should be replaced, not a 23 year old upcoming star player

This is the wrong team for him.

He'll be competing for the third line and most likely will get 5-7 minutes per game. That 5 minutes could go to someone who makes the other team accountable for their actions.

Boy, I can't wait for another year of Wings players and management complaining about liberties being taken towards their team. I'll look back at the resigning of Hudler and Maltby and just laugh myself to sleep.

Given the amount of penalties called I don't have a problem with Maltby since killing penalties is his main role.

Let's not confuse him with an offensive force or an enforcer. But three years for Maltby seemed a year too much.