GM: Wings won't bring back LangJune 21, 2007
BY HELENE ST. JAMES
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER
Red Wings general manager Ken Holland has a full lineup of agent meetings scheduled over the coming two days in an attempt to lock up most of his free agents before the market opens.
One player who will not be asked back, though, is center Robert Lang.
"I've contacted Petr Svoboda and told him we will not be offering a contract to Robert Lang," Holland said Wednesday.
This isn't much of a surprise. Lang, who entered the 2007 playoffs as the team's leading scorer during the previous two playoff runs, had just two goals and eight points in 18 games this spring. His ice time hovered around 15 minutes -- low for a player considered a top-six forward -- and there was tension between Lang and coach Mike Babcock.
Before the NHL draft begins with Friday night's first round, Holland plans to meet with the agents for Dominik Hasek, Mathieu Schneider and Danny Markov. All three are eligible to become unrestricted free agents July 1.
BOSTON: The Bruins kept quiet -- but scheduled a news conference for today -- following a Canadian Press report that former Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils coach Claude Julien would be named their head coach today. The job has been vacant less than a week since former Wings coach Dave Lewis was relieved of his duties and offered another position within the organization.
CALGARY: Re-signed forward David Moss. Moss made his NHL debut last season for the Flames, registering 10 goals and eight assists in 41 games. Moss also appeared in all six playoff games against the Red Wings, recording one assist. The Livonia native and ex-Wolverine was taken in the seventh round of the 2001 NHL draft.
CAROLINA: Scott Walker passed on free agency and will return to the Hurricanes after agreeing to a three-year, $7.5-million contract. Walker, a rugged right wing, could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He had 21 goals, 30 assists and 45 penalty minutes last season, adding toughness to a roster built primarily around speed.
Contact HELENE ST. JAMES at 313-222-2295 or
hstjames@freepress.com. Check out her Red Wings blog at
www.freep.com/sports. Free Press news services contributed.
Copyright © 2007 Detroit Free Press Inc.
