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Osgood as backup
The Wings are still looking for a goalie and the name Loungo is still in the mix.
 John
NHL ROUNDUP: Wings may want Osgood as backup
The Red Wings are ready to explore bringing back goaltender Chris Osgood.
Wednesday afternoon, Rollie Thompson, the agent for Osgood, said there had been no contract negotiations between the sides but that there had been "an indicator they're interested, and we'll probably talk in two or three days."
General manager Ken Holland confirmed as much, saying, "I have interest if it fits into what we're trying to do."
Last week, Holland told Manny Legace he would not receive a contract offer. While Osgood and Legace entered training camp last season on equal footing, Osgood's progress immediately was hindered by a groin injury, and by the time it healed, Legace had grabbed the starter's role. Legace had a very good regular season, going 37-8, but his chance of returning flat-lined after going 2-4 in the first-round playoff series against Edmonton.
Instead, the Wings will look to free agency and trade possibilities to upgrade in net, but bringing back Osgood, 33, as a possible backup is attractive for a couple of reasons: He made $900,000 last season and probably can be re-signed for around the same figure.
Holland also is negotiating new contracts for elite defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom and forward Brendan Shanahan. Last season Shanahan, 37, had 40 goals and 80 points, and made $2.28 million, and Holland told the Free Press last week that "we're prepared to offer more than he made last year." Anaheim's Teemu Selanne, who last season had 40 goals and 90 points, just signed this week for $3.75 million, but there is no way the Wings will give Shanahan that much. It's doubtful they can go much above $2.5 million.
Although Holland is talking to the agents for both players, "I don't see anything happening this week," he said. In Lidstrom's case, the negotiations also are affected by the fact the new salary cap (expected to be $43-44 million) won't officially be announced until June 30; until that time, the maximum Lidstrom's side can seek is $7.8 million, which is 20% of this season's $39 million cap.
As for the goaltending situation, Internet message boards have been red-hot regarding the possibility of Florida's Roberto Luongo being traded to Detroit. However, Holland remains adamant that he won't trade Pavel Datsyuk, and Luongo wasn't the topic in recent talks Holland had with the Panthers. "We were talking," Holland said, "about an exhibition game."
DALLAS: The Stars exercised a one-year contract option on winger Jere Lehtinen and traded a conditional 2008 draft pick for New York Rangers center Mike Green.
VANCOUVER: The Canucks acquired Finnish right wing Tommi Santala and a fifth-round pick in the 2007 draft from the Atlanta Thrashers for a fourth-round choice in 2007.
This post was last modified: 06-15-2006 08:36 AM by Wingsfan.
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