Big Mike Commodore is back with a winning team! The guy known as "Commy" (probably spelled wrong but I refuse to spell it such that I would be confused with calling him a communist) all 6'5" of him (not counting the 3'6" of red hair) is coming to Motown!
He signed a 1 year, $1 million contract, which is about what I expected him to sign after having two disappointing years in Columbus (of 3.. his first year was pretty good with the Jackets).
Here is a nice perspective by Bill Roose.
Big Mike won a National Championship with UND in 2000 and has won a Stanley Cup with Carolina in 2006. He was drafted in the 2nd round by New Jersey. The Wings are his sixth team.
Notable in useless trivia: He was traded to Ottawa for current Wing Patrick Eaves (then to Carolina).
This now gives the Wings a forest of a D line, with 4 of 6 defensemen over 6'4" tall.
What does this mean? I hope it means that the Wings will have a crushing defense. However, what I hope it doesn't mean that the Wings defense will be pylons. Then again, with 41 year old Nicklas Lidstrom still playing effectively (Suck it Chelios) it may not matter. I'm still going to be excited about Kronwall (the best open ice hitting defenseman in the NHL... He reminds me a LOT of Konstantinov but Kronwall is taller), Stuart (meh), Kindl (younger version of meh), and Ericsson (jury's still out) playing with Commodore. Commodore isn't going to score any goals or be as great a puck mover as Stuart, Lidstrom, and perhaps Kindl and Ericsson. Commodore brings grit on the blue line, something I feel Detroit has lacked a bit in recent years.
I hope his career takes off.
Here's Mike Commodore vs. Matt Greene:
Here's Mike Commodore leveling Bruins' forward PJ Axelsson a few years back.
