PAT CAPUTO: NHL free agency signings cement still lofty status of Detroit Red Wings


The Red Wings continue to prove the notion of their imminent demise was greatly exaggerated.

They didn't miss the playoffs this past season. They won a playoff series and pushed the eventual Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks far harder than any other team before being ousted in the Western Conference semifinals.

Now the Red Wings have proven the idea they are no longer a prime destination for free agents couldn't have been more false.

Stephen Weiss, a consistent 20 or more goal scorer and an excellent two-way center, clearly targeted Detroit when he became a free agent. So did Daniel Alfredsson , Ottawa's captain for eons, who desperately wants to play on a Stanley Cup championship team.

The moves not only figure to benefit the Red Wings greatly on the ice, but also re-establishes their cache as one of the NHL's "have" teams.

Mixed in with signing goalie Jimmy Howard during the regular season (he might have been the top free agent had he hit the market as an unrestricted free agent) and signing Pavel Datsyuk to a contract extension, the Red Wings are set to make Stanley Cup playoff runs the next couple seasons.

Last season was billed as a "transition" year. It's a term which is often used as an excuse for a rebuilding plan that doesn't work (just ask the Pistons) than anything tangible.

But in the Red Wings' case, it was just exactly that - a transformation from an older team that was being pieced together with veterans to one that is exceptionally balanced.

The Red Wings infused a lot of young players into their lineup last season with excellent results. Yet, they still have a mixture of veterans on their roster from pretty much every age group.

Alfredsson is 40 and Weiss 30. The Red Wings' resident stars, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, are aged in-between. Datsyuk will turn 35 this month, Zetterberg 33 in October.

The Red Wings in 2013-14 won't necessarily be an older team or a younger team. They will be a balanced team.

Weiss is essentially replacing departed free agent Valterri Filppula. In regard to talent, it's a wash. Filppula didn't have his best season last year, but was a good two-way player for the Red Wings for a long period. It's not a coincidence he received a five-year, $25 million deal from Tampa Bay and general manager Steve Yzerman. Obviously, Yzerman is a top hockey mind and very familiar with Filppula. Filppula followed his best season in 2011-12 with his one of his worst in 2013, but he wasn't going to be easily replaced. Weiss is a capable replacement. He was once the fourth overall pick in the NHL Draft. He is a better goal scorer than Filppula and his skill was wasted with Florida, one of the NHL's deadbeat franchises.

Alfredsson was once one of the NHL's best players, but it is questionable how much he has left in the tank. I specifically recall watching him the last couple seasons and trying to access how good a player he remains. At times, he's looked like the Daniel Alfredsson of old. Other times, he's looked like an old Daniel Alfredsson.





They are trending upward.

The NHL's free agent signing period is just another reason why.
