Red Wings Sign Dallas Drake

[Thrillhouse]

DETROIT - Today, general manager Ken Holland announced that the Red Wings have agreed to contract terms with forward Dallas Drake on a one-year contract.

Drake was selected by the Red Wings in the 1989 draft (sixth round, No. 116 overall) and played two seasons in Detroit. In 1994, Drake and goalie Tim Cheveldae were traded to Winnipeg for goalie Bob Essensa and defenseman Sergei Bautin.

In two seasons with the Red Wings, the former Northern Michigan star, tallied 28 goals and 48 assists in 119 games.

"We’re very pleased to have Dallas join the Red Wings,” Holland said. “He’s a very physical player who will add grit to our lineup and make our team even more difficult to play against. He’s a veteran player and you can never have enough experience and leadership on a team.”

In 14 NHL seasons, Drake has scored 174 goals with 297 assists and 844 penalty minutes in 944 games.

[drwdan19]

You gotta be sh**in me. What is it with us and oldies. At least he still has some grit to offer.

[kwnger1371]

Holland needs to put the phone down and walk away. What is the point of this signing a old washed up player. He does provide grit but there are others the provide a little more in all departments.

[Svyatoslav]

St.Louis-Detroit brawl comes to my mind. When Drake paired with Draper and beat him well.

[Merlin401]

Detroit has their tough guy! Congratulations The long lineage of Detroit enforcers and elite fighters will not be broken after all:

Gordie Howe
Dan Maloney
Bob Probert
Joey Kocur
Darren McCarty
Andreas Lilja
Dallas Drake

[Snipes19]

LOL, I'm glad the Wings got Drake! He's slower than horse sh*t now.
The Wings pick up another washed up old guy ... surprise, surprise ...

And also, Drake is not even near the hitter he used to be, and he's not that great of a hitter anymore, so he doesn't really add much grit to Detroit.

Anyways, the Wings and Blues rivalry should be pretty interesting next year!

[Colt Seavers]

We'll pass on Simon. We don't need his physical pesence. Asham-proven 4th liner who can fight, lay on some crunches, and put points on the board? Nah! Dallas Drake-he's available? 38 years old? SIGN HERE!

[ProbieRules]

Ken Holland???????????????????????????

"Very Physical player"...is he the Wings new tough guy?

pathetic

[Kingdog819]

Hmm, curious signing here. I really don't understand why they would sign Drake. He is very injury prone and just isn't the player that he use to be. If he stays healthy, he will score 30 points if that. He will throw a big hit every once and a while, but he is not the physical, tough player that he use to be. I would say that he will get in a scrap or two this year though to answer a cheap hit that he threw on someone, sadly it will be a hug fest though

[Snipes19]

Originally Posted by Kingdog819

Hmm, curious signing here. I really don't understand why they would sign Drake. He is very injury prone and just isn't the player that he use to be. If he stays healthy, he will score 30 points if that. He will throw a big hit every once and a while, but he is not the physical, tough player that he use to be. I would say that he will get in a scrap or two this year though to answer a cheap hit that he threw on someone, sadly it will be a hug fest though

Drake won't get 30 points. Hell, I'd be surprised to see him even top 20 ... he just can't score points anymore.

The guy is too old, he's fragile and gets injured a lot, he's slower than sh*t, and he's not even a physical player anymore. I bet the Wings just picked him up because of the hits he's made in the past ... but I wouldn't expect to see anymore huge hits from Drake for the rest of his career. The guy is DONE.

I'm excited to see him slow their team down, haha...

[BrianTheAdsFan]

Old? What are you talking about? He's only 38! Lmao!!! Holland strikes again!

[skacore]

kinda hard to get excited about this one... I'm not too disappointed really except that he takes up another roster spot from a real tough guy, I just hope Kenny has a deal in the works before the season starts

[Colt Seavers]

I rather have McCarty. He offers more than this guy.

[Kingdog819]

Originally Posted by Wes McSnipes

Drake won't get 30 points. Hell, I'd be surprised to see him even top 20 ... he just can't score points anymore.

The guy is too old, he's fragile and gets injured a lot, he's slower than sh*t, and he's not even a physical player anymore. I bet the Wings just picked him up because of the hits he's made in the past ... but I wouldn't expect to see anymore huge hits from Drake for the rest of his career. The guy is DONE.

I'm excited to see him slow their team down, haha...

I am going to stand by my opinion here saying that he will get close to 30 points. There are a lot more offensive weapons on Detroit that can dish the puck better and put the puck in the net better. Lets face it, Detroit is a better team than St. Louis, and when a player is on a better team, he tends to score more points. In order to get an assist, all Drake has to do is pass the puck once. Then, the guy who receives the puck can shoot and score, or pass it to another guy who can shoot and score. What I am saying here is that by being on a team as skilled as Detroit, it makes it easier to score points, therefore I think he will.

[Snipes19]

Originally Posted by Kingdog819

I am going to stand by my opinion here saying that he will get close to 30 points. There are a lot more offensive weapons on Detroit that can dish the puck better and put the puck in the net better. Lets face it, Detroit is a better team than St. Louis, and when a player is on a better team, he tends to score more points. In order to get an assist, all Drake has to do is pass the puck once. Then, the guy who receives the puck can shoot and score, or pass it to another guy who can shoot and score. What I am saying here is that by being on a team as skilled as Detroit, it makes it easier to score points, therefore I think he will.

Your logic here makes no sense.

Yes, Detroit is a skilled team, but Drake is going to be playing on the 4th line and on the penalty kill unit. He isn't going to be playing on the first line with Detroit's skilled players like Datsyuk and Zetterberg, kingdog.

So it doesn't matter what team he is on. He won't score more than 30 points - probably only around 20. Just because he is on a good team won't make HIM put up more points, because he won't be playing with very good players.

He will go from playing with Mayers, Hinote, and King in St. Louis to Draper and Maltby in Detroit. Do you think that's an improvement? No! So I don't care who is better between Detroit and St. Louis. His production WON'T go up just because he is playing on DETROIT'S 4th line. Draper and Maltby won't make it easy for him to score points. Draper and Maltby aren't fancy stick-handlers, passers, OR shooters. You act like he's going to be playing with amazing superstars like Sidney Crosby. Well, he isn't. He's going to be playing with some other 4th liners that aren't skilled at all. That won't increase his points. I'm sorry, but your logic here is pretty insane.