Rafalski Retires?

Various rumours popping up that Brian Rafalski will be retiring.

3 Stanley cups, 762 points and over 1000 games spanning the NHL, the SM-Liga and the playoffs.

Not bad for an undrafted D-man! Enjoy your retirement

I just saw that on TSN. Big hole for the Wings to have to replace.

http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=366668

Better than Gretzky if you listen to the british olympic commentators, that will be a difficult hole to fill indeed.

Gutted at this news. Rafa was a mainstay of our defence and pretty much the best D-Man other than Lidstrom, which is no small praise.

True, we've now got a $6m gap in the salary cap to replace him, but other than someone like Doughty, or Weber, I can't see how I would replace Rafalski with a top D-Man. What's more likely, is that Kronwall and Stuart will fill the ice-time, and we'll either bring in someone for lower down the roster, or we'll call up Kindl for a permanent place as 6th D-Man.

Lidstrom-Kronwall
Stuart-Ericsson
Salei-Kindl

Tip of the hat to Brian Rafalski for a heck of a career - he was an excellent Dman, and one if the few Red Wings openly admired by all. Shame that injury has taken another top player from us...

But this means Lidstrom comes back next year. No way does he leave Detroit in the lurch - one more year, maybe the Wings offer sheet Weber at $8m?

Azzy Luongo wrote:
maybe the Wings offer sheet Weber at $8m?

This is being touted around quite a lot. Doughty and Weber are both worth the decent D-Man wage, and worth the picks it would sacrifice to get them.

Imagine Lidstrom and Weber as your D core...

The Wings getting Doughty or Weber should be illegal. That is unless the Stars get moved to the Central then please let them sign Doughty so that Benn can continue to pick his pocket for easy goals