Vacation Free Agents, Part two

Yesterday we began looking at free agents that the Red Wings will have heading into the 2010 offseason.  Today, we’ll look at the largest contingent of free agents: players in their first year (or first year back) with the Wings.

THE FNG’s

 #43 Darren Helm, center (RESTRICTED)
Age: 23
Years in Detroit: 1
2010 salary: $599K
Re-sign priority: HIGH

He’s fast, he kills penalties, and can even score goals.  He’s consistently the hardest working player on the ice and gives 100 percent effort night in and night out.  And most importantly, he’s young.  At just 23, Darren Helm is already a fan favorite in Motown, and Red Wings fans would like to keep it that way.  He’s a restricted free agent, so there’s a good chance the Wings re-sign him.  Hopefully, it’s to a long term contract.

 #8 Justin Abdelkader, center (RESTRICTED)
Age: 23
Years in Detroit: 1
2010 salary: $850K
Re-sign priority: HIGH

Abdelkader seems to be the heir apparent to Kirk Maltby, and if they do indeed let Maltby go at season’s end they would most certainly re-sign Abdelkader.  A young forward out of Michigan State, Abdelkader doesn’t bring a whole lot offensively, but he more than makes up for it in the energy department.  When he was up with the big club, Abdelkader was consistently the Wings hit leader, and plays the agitator role like he was born for it.  If Maltby goes, the Wings won’t miss a beat if Abdelkader is still on the roster.

 #17 Patrick Eaves, right wing (RESTRICTED)
Age: 25
Years in Detroit: 1
2010 salary: $500K
Re-sign priority: MODERATE

Along with Helm and Kris Draper, Eaves helps form one of the most formidable energy lines in the entire NHL.  The unit hits hard and goes all out all the time.  He kills penalties, blocks shots, and probably has the most underrated shot on the entire team.  The Wings will be hard pressed to find another energy player at the price they got Eaves for.  Like Helm and Abdelkader, Eaves is a RFA.

 #20 Drew Miller, left wing (RESTRICTED)
Age: 26
Years in Detroit: 1
2010 salary: $525K
Re-sign priority: MODERATE

Many didn’t know what to expect out of Drew Miller when the Wings claimed him off waivers from Tampa Bay.  Already a journeyman in his four short years in the NHL, Miller hadn’t scored more than 4 goals in a season before landing in Detroit.  In his 53 games in Motown, Miller has eight goals and nine assists while playing a mainly third line role.  It seems as though Detroit’s gotten its money’s worth out of Miller, who was brought in during the rash of injuries earlier in the season.  Miller is a solid third line winger and can also play center, which is where he’s spent the most of his time lately.  Like his young counterparts, Miller is a RFA and probably will be offered a 1-year deal to come back in a third line role.

 #44 Todd Bertuzzi, right wing
Age: 35
Years in Detroit: 2 (first since 2006-07)
2010 salary: $1.5M
Re-sign priority: LOW

Technically not FNG’s, Todd Bertuzzi and Jason Williams were both former Red Wings brought back this year to fill roster spots.  Brought in at a mid-level $1.5 million, Bertuzzi was expected to score 15-20 goals to help make up for all the lost offense this season.  Though he has fallen into that range, Bertuzzi is beginning to play himself out of the picture for next year, and may find himself searching for another job yet again.  While he has deposited 15 goals and 22 assists this season, he has not scored a goal in 18 games.  He seems to be suffering from playing on the third line instead of with the top unit like he was in December (well, who wouldn’t).  He makes passes that make you scratch your head, and has become a liability on defense.  Detroit should look elsewere to fill his roster spot; a Jiri Hudler return could solve the problem.

 #29 Jason Williams, left wing
Age: 29
Years in Detroit: 7 (first since 2006-07)
2010 salary: $1.5M
Re-sign priority: LOW

Like Bertuzzi, Williams came back to Detroit after a four-year absence at a cheap price of $1.5M.  The problem with evaluating Williams this season has been his injury, which has forced him to miss half of the season.  He’s come back fairly strong in 2010, scoring a few highlight worthy goals.  His ability to man the point on the power play makes him a more valuable asset than Bertuzzi, but if Hudler returns in 2010 they may not have room for him.