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Niklas Kronwall set to be Detroit’s next big contract commitment

San Jose Sharks v Detroit Red Wings - Game Four

DETROIT - MAY 6: Niklas Kronwall #55 of the Detroit Red Wings looks on while playing the San Jose Sharks in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2011 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on May 6, 2011 at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

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One of the effects this summer’s free agent market may have is how it helps next summer’s crop of free agents cash in. We’ve seen a host of different defensemen score big on the open market this year from Christian Ehrhoff’s titanic ten year, $40 million deal in Buffalo to the likes of Steve Montador getting paid big by Chicago to provide defensive toughness for them. One guy that might be watching things play out like that and skewing the market for blue liners is Detroit’s Niklas Kronwall.

Kronwall has always shown the potential to be a force defensively as a big hitter, but during the playoffs this past season he showed the ability to play well offensively and steadied his game defensively to help show that he’s emerging into a top level two-way defenseman. Playing alongside Swedish countryman and future Hall Of Famer Nicklas Lidstrom has rubbed off on Kronwall in all of the best ways and the Red Wings know that getting him locked up long term before he becomes a free agent next summer is a priority.

NHL.com’s E.J. Hradek discusses how getting Kronwall and fellow future free agent Brad Stuart locked in could prove to be tough negotiations for Detroit GM Ken Holland.

“We’ll probably start conversations with their agents in training camp,” Holland said. “It will probably take some time from there.”

Fortunately, this is far from Holland’s first rodeo when it comes to signing key players.

“If you look at our recent history, we signed Pav (Pavel Datsyuk) late in the season back in ’07 and we got Z (Henrik Zetterberg) and (Johan) Franzen done in the second half of the ’08-09 season,” Holland said. “It’s a process.”

It might take time, but Holland simply has to keep those two -- particularly Kronwall -- in the fold if the Wings are going to continue to their long run as a championship-caliber team. As Holland and his top-notch management group understand, you can’t be a real Cup contender with a sub-par group on defense.


In the playoffs, Kronwall had two goals and four assists to go with a regular season that saw him score 11 goals and add 26 assists, his best offensive season in the NHL. With Kronwall being as old as he is (30 years-old) he’s not about to get a monster deal the way Johan Franzen and Henrik Zetterberg got. With potential labor issues on the horizon next summer as well, that too will cut into Kronwall’s ability to truly cash in. That said, Detroit is in a pickle because they can’t afford to let him get away.

What’s working in Detroit’s favor is how much salary cap space they’re due to have next season. According to CapGeek, in 2012-2013 the Wings have just over $35 million committed in salary to 13 different players. Depending on how the new CBA takes things and the effect it has on the salary cap and what other assorted shenanigans could shake loose, Detroit could have a ton of cap space to play with and handle things accordingly.

That’s a ways off yet, but for the Wings and Kronwall, it could benefit both sides to get something worked out before a potential labor hell erupts next summer. Detroit would likely want to play things cool while Kronwall is looking to cash in. With Lidstrom on the brink of retirement, Kronwall is the heir to the throne in Detroit to be the #1 guy and Holland and owner Mike Ilitch will make sure to take care of their own.