Question from Wings fan

[datsyukiandeke]

First off I just wanna say you guys have an awesome board, secondly I have always respected the Devils and their consistant success (except '95 when you beat us in the finals!). When Shneider left to the bastard Ducks we lost a puck moving d-man with a hell of a shot and offensive capability. I've heard Rafalski is a good puck moving defenseman, and on a defense minded team put up decent offensive numbers last season. Also Ive heard that hes good very good defensively. Sounds like a solid pickup for the Wings. To the people who watched him for years, will he be good #2 d-man for 5 years? Was he worth the price?

[Confusious]

Worth the price, I don't think so personally. But he was a great defender with us so I can't see that changing in Detroit. He's used to logging a lot of minutes too, so that'll come in handy for you.

[Masked Fan]

1st off - There aint no such thing as "worth the price" anymore.

B - Yes, he will kick ass for your team for the next five years. He will score more for yer team than he did for the Devs, and he will be in the right place at the right time. He used to be the speedy guy. Now he's the savvy guy.

Enjoy, he's not gonna give up the puck in front of Hasek either.

Edited July 27, 2007 by Masked Fan

[aylbert]

I believe he is worth the price this year and next. The 3rd year, you will claim that he is just having a down year. Years 4 and 5 - he'll be your whipping boy. Players like Rafalski don't age well... He'll get slower and that will be his demise.

What to expect from him now... He's going to be good at reading the play and staying in position. He'll also make some decent passes... His point totals mostly came from secondary assists. He has no shot to speak of, so don't look for him to launch a hard slap shot from the point.

Overall, he's going to help your team more than it hurts, and you'll love his dedication to the team game. You'll be frustrated because his shot lacks power, but he'll be caught out of position with his current speed and will make some good break out passes.

[MantaRay]

Rafalski is a brilliant signing for the Wings. Last year he was asked to carry the team on the blueline because alot of injuries and a lack of confidence in the younger players and it took its toll on him. I don't see that happening in Detroit where you have alot more vet depth.

I will not be surprised to see him in the top 5 scoring defensemen next year and probably a huge plus (+30) on your team.

You made the steal of the UFA market because Lou misread the market.

[sean1827]

I agree with most of what everyone has said about him.

I just want to point out a couple observations/thoughts that haven't been said.

In my opinion, Raf is fustrating to watch at the beginning of the season, and at the end of the season, especially the last few years without a stud d-man like Stevens alongside him.

It seems like it takes him a month or so to get his A-game going, then he has very good and solid mid-season play(thats where he gets his points/reputation/worth), and he seems to maybe wear down at the end of the season- or buckle under pressure.

It does suk that he doesn't have a slap shot, but that wrist shot is perfect for deflections and very accurate(if it doesn't get blocked). He may do much better for you guys in that he's comfortable back home in Michigan, he's got stud d-men around him, and Detroit always has a good system and structure. If he flew off to any other team, I think he would bomb. Is 6 mill a year too much, YES. But, thats free agency for ya.

[NJDevs4978]

When Shneider left to the bastard Ducks we lost a puck moving d-man with a hell of a shot and offensive capability. I've heard Rafalski is a good puck moving defenseman, and on a defense minded team put up decent offensive numbers last season. Also Ive heard that hes good very good defensively.

Well you got two out of three, a good puck-moving defensemen and decent numbers offensively. But his shot is pretty much non-existent. It's accurate and deflectable (part of the reason he can pile up a ton of assists), just not particularly hard. And yes he is very good defensively, maybe a few too many turnovers at times over the last couple of seasons trying to do too much in the wake of being the new number one defenseman but that won't be an issue as long as Lidstrom is there. And Devil fans do tend to nitpick because he's not Stevens or Nieds and he's not terribly physical. He's a solid pickup though. As someone said nobody's really worth a UFA contract anymore but you should be more than happy for 3-4 years of the deal at least. And I'll be shaking my head every time he and Lidstrom are on the ice at the end of another Detroit win.

Manta I don't think it was so much Lou misreading the market for Raf as it was him wanting to get Souray and his offensive and physical skills over Raf's other attributes. Even Lou had to know there was no way he could get away with offering under $4.4 million per year for Raf after the Timonen contract. Maybe he thought he could get Souray at the same lowball deal he offered to Raf but he certainly misread his ability to forcefeed Kool-Aid down Souray's throat

[halfsharkalligatorhalfman]

Rafalski's shot is underrated. It's not a hard slapper but it's a deceptive wrist shot as its been said it's deflectable.

Rafalski's the epitome of solid. Theres nothing he does amazingly well in terms of talent. His talent lies in his positioning and ability to read plays (both defensively and offensively in terms of break out passes). So although his skill set is limited he knows how to play the game. You'll enjoy him along with all those old fogies you got there now.

[Risky]

You'll get 2-3 great years out of him. Good luck years 4 and 5. That's why none of us were too upset by the loss. If this was a 3 year contract, we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

[MantaRay]

Manta I don't think it was so much Lou misreading the market for Raf as it was him wanting to get Souray and his offensive and physical skills over Raf's other attributes. Even Lou had to know there was no way he could get away with offering under $4.4 million per year for Raf after the Timonen contract. Maybe he thought he could get Souray at the same lowball deal he offered to Raf but he certainly misread his ability to forcefeed Kool-Aid down Souray's throat

HAS, respectfully disagree. I don't think Lou had ANY interest in Souray most of these rumors turned out to be pure fabrication (probably through Souray's agent).

I think Lou put too much emphasis on Rafalski's desire to stay here at the home team discount. When Nieds was about to announce his retirement, the Ducks upped the market by grabbing Schneider and the market for Rafalski the best UFA defensemen avaiiable just skyrocketed.

The assumption that Lou could get Souray at the lowball offer is ludicris seeing how Souray turned down much more money in Montreal in early May. And especiallyl more unrealistic as Rafi is a better overall player than Souray in every respect.

Rafalski's shot is underrated. It's not a hard slapper but it's a deceptive wrist shot as its been said it's deflectable.

Rafalski's the epitome of solid. Theres nothing he does amazingly well in terms of talent. His talent lies in his positioning and ability to read plays (both defensively and offensively in terms of break out passes). So although his skill set is limited he knows how to play the game.

Exactly, Rafi is a huge loss for us and is not replaceable. The fact that Detroit has alot of depth will probably prolong his career in Detroit.

[SC Devs Fan]

5 years? No, probably not worth it in the 4-5th year, but you guys will be happy with him this year. Eats minutes, plays smart. You'll be driven crazy by his lack of slapshot -c'mon, wristing from the point??? - but overall you'll be happy he is on your roster.

[emptynet]

He doesnt have a booming shot, and dont expect him to lay people out. He's a smart defender whose rarely out of position, and when he is he can get back into position quickly...although his speed has diminished a little. The first three years will be worth it. 4 and 5 could be questionable, as I said he doesnt have that much size so it's not like he could transform himself into a stay at home punishing defender.

Paired with Lidstrom (probably one of the smartest d-men to ever play the game) they will be a tough pair to play against.

I hope Brian does well in Detroit, I was sad to see him go.

[moustic]

And of course... Welcome aboard !

You can stay here...

(ok.. we will eat you alive)

[Devil Dan 56]

There's alot of talk about his wrist shot from the point, but I think that'll work out real well with a guy like Holmstrom in front making a mess and tipping in rebounds. I can definitely think of a few times that Gionta deflected a couple of those wristers in.

But of course, if the offense can tip them, so can the defense.

We'll miss him, thats for sure.

[insanity_gallops]

There's alot of talk about his wrist shot from the point, but I think that'll work out real well with a guy like Holmstrom in front making a mess and tipping in rebounds.

That was my thought about Rafalski's offensive contributions.

Also, Red Wings fans will love his ability to keep the puck in the offensive zone during the powerplay -- it's remarkable.

[datsyukiandeke]

thanks for the info guys, gives me a good idea who we are getting. I agree with what some of you have said ... although it sucks he doesnt have a big slapper, with the jedi tomas holmstrom in front, those deflectable wristers could be deadly. also many of you say that the last years of the contract he will decline. is this just based on his age? i guess im spoiled since shneids and lidstrom were in their upper 30's last season and of couse father time chelios at 45.

[SueNJ97]

thanks for the info guys, gives me a good idea who we are getting. I agree with what some of you have said ... although it sucks he doesnt have a big slapper, with the jedi tomas holmstrom in front, those deflectable wristers could be deadly. also many of you say that the last years of the contract he will decline. is this just based on his age? i guess im spoiled since shneids and lidstrom were in their upper 30's last season and of couse father time chelios at 45.

The only issue with his 'deflectable shot' is that it tends to deflect right back at him or out of the zone altogether. With so many more shots getting blocked these days lots of times his shot simply never makes it through. So be prepared for some games where you will be completely frustrated because you can't figure out how he could keep shooting it into the opposing player again and again.

But, he is probably best decribed as a good #2 d-man...and, as people have pointed out, he probably will be for about another 3 years. Because he is on the small side but his lower body is stocky he isn't particularly effective at moving players out of position but players do find him somewhat hard to move. You'll like Brian. He'll work hard for you and except when he is shooting the puck into the opposing players he will be useful, but not a star, offensively, and he'll be extremely dependable. Considering the fact that he has been expected to carry the load here for the past few years after being able to work with Stevens and Niedermayer before he may enjoy the chance to settle back and work with Lidstrom et al.

[eldon]

you're going to curse his name, when he lets the puck get out of the zone, countless times.

[metallidevils]

You'll get 2-3 great years out of him. Good luck years 4 and 5. That's why none of us were too upset by the loss. If this was a 3 year contract, we'd all be screaming bloody murder.

I'm fairly certain that a lot of people were very upset about the loss, myself included.

[brodeurrocks]

Rafalski brings a lot of good qualities to the Red Wings (as mentioned in above posts) as well as sometimes being a frustrating player to watch (blocked shots, giveaways). He will fit in wonderful in the Red Wings system and has the chance to be the best free agent signing of the off-season. Enjoy watching him.

[stevestevens]

He is a great signing for the Red Wings. It is a smart move by them but the only complaint i would file is the years. The money for the first , 3 years, is it worth it? Of course. Players like Rafalski dont age well so after the first 3 years i dont see him worth it to keep him, but its not a bad move to acquire him. Its a good move. He is a good defensive player, being in the right place at the right time and then he will be a good offensive force at the blueline.

[brodeurrocks]

Oh, and how rude of me....=welcome to the board!

[section 110]

Welcome to the board.

Raffi is consistent - whether that means a solid every day d-man that gives you 25 or so minutes a game or the guy that you know will turn over the puck at least a couple of times each game.

One thing about him as you probably noticed - he is quite durable. Perhaps because his style is not too physical. He'll fit in well with Detroit. We'll miss him here for sure.

And yes, I think Lou just didn't want a long term deal at $6mm per. He knew that he would have to pay up soon for Martin and Parise and tying up capital in a 35+ player wasnt too appealing.

[squishyx]

he sucks. I would suggest sending letters to your local GM asking that he be traded back to the Devils. We can offer you half of the leagues 7th defenseman....

[devils26]

you're going to curse his name, when he lets the puck get out of the zone, countless times.