Mike Green – Detroit Red Wings – three years, $6 million cap hit
For years the Detroit Red Wings sought a legitimate top-4 right-handed defenseman. Last offseason they finally managed to get their hands on one as Mike Green put pen to paper on a three-year contract with the Detroit Red Wings.
While Green no longer puts up the mind-numbing offensive numbers he did earlier in his career, he can still contribute offensively as he leads Wings’ blue liners in points (30) and shots (114) in 66 games.
On top of his solid point production, Green has also driven possession for the Red Wings. At 5 v 5 the Red Wings control 55.1% of the shot attempts with Green on the ice and just 50.7% without him. His influence shines through in scoring chance numbers, too, as the Wings control 54.4% with Green and 50.3% without him.
Sure, it’d be nice to see him put up a few more points, but he is still productive and has done a nice job of driving play for the Wings while logging more than 20 minutes on a nightly basis. Given the money is reasonable and the Wings aren’t committed to Green long-term when his play goes south, this is shaping up to be a very nice signing for the Wings.