Red Wings Make Big Free Agent Splash

So after striking out on the big name free agents, the Red Wings, despite having a backlog of young offensive talent, gave Daniel Cleary 1.5 million dollars. This deal, as reported by Helene St. James, was awarded based on his loyalty in resigning with the Wings last year rather than bolting for Philly. I have complete faith in this explanation as his numbers from last season give no reason for any team to sign Cleary to a new deal. In an injury shortened season he managed only 8 points in 52 games to go along with his CF% of 47.3. Luckily for him, Stephen Weiss' bust status mostly overshadowed Cleary's struggles. The lone ray of hope regarding this signing, is the potential for Cleary to return to the form shown during his lockout shortened season. While his 15 points in 48 games leaves us mostly wanting more, he did manage to drive possession with a CF of 53.5%. To increase optimism, his 15 points came despite an on-ice shooting percentage of only 4.7%, so he should be due for a slight uptick in the points department if that returns to average levels. Obviously I am grasping at straws here, but what else can you do when your team signs a 35 year old with bad knees and limited offensive ability for 1.5 million instead of promoting a young potential star.