Why Detroit? Because Marian Hossa wants to win and he feels his best chance of winning the Stanley Cup is with the defending champion Red Wings.
The Pittsburgh Penguins, though, look at Hossa's signing with Detroit for one year and $7.45 million as a slap in the face. Why is that? Because of the term, not so much because of the money.
The Penguins would have been more comfortable had Hossa just gone to the Edmonton Oilers and accepted their multi-year deal for $60 million or more because that would have represented a financial decision.
All along, Hossa was telling Penguins management that he would like to sign with Pittsburgh, but he asked for the chance to test the free agent market and see what was available on July 1 and ended up signing with Detroit.
Pittsburgh would have matched this had they been given the opportunity.
The Sundin Watch
Mats Sundin is still contemplating his offers, including the 2-year, $20 million deal from the Vancouver Canucks, which tells you how much money he's got stashed away in a Swedish bank somewhere.
For now, he's turned his back on $10 million next year, and $10 million the year after, to play with Vancouver. He's also got offers from the New York Rangers, the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.
His agent, J.P. Barry, pushed Sundin this morning to decide on his future. Sundin said he could not make that decision right now. Barry asked if the decision would be coming sooner or later, and was told that, without question, Sundin's decision on whether to play or retire still remains weeks away.
I anticipate that Sundin will not declare his status for the 2008-2009 season until sometime in August. We're going to be talking about this for quite some time.