Could Detroit Red Wings Use Colton Orr Next Season?
Nov 30, 2013; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens right wing George Parros (15) and Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Colton Orr (28) fight during the second period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Red Wings in recent seasons really haven’t been a team that has fighters. In fact in my life time of watching Red Wings hockey, I have never known them to be a team to have big strong fighters on their team. People my age basically grew up with the Henrik Zetterbergs and Pavel Datsyuks players and those guys never really fought.
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Now that is not to say they haven’t, Chris Osgood fought Patrick Roy, then the next season Roy fought Mike Vernon. The team has also had players such as Chris Chelios, Darren McCarty, and Bob Probert. I’m sure if you look at any Red Wings team you will more than likely find a few tough guys.
Erik Cole was brought to the team at the trade deadline this season to help the team make their way to the playoffs. However, Cole is now out for the rest of the season and may have to question the rest of his career due to his injury. The guy Cole was brought in to replace was Johan Franzen, who also is looking at missing the rest of the season and could be thinking of his career ending soon as well.
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So what are the Detroit Red Wings to do? They are basically a in the middle team who have a good amount of young talent that is starting to make their move in and some older players, who while still good, aren’t what they once were. The older guys serve as the leaders and still manage to produce for the team. However, the team could use a big body, it is after all why they brought in Cole.
How about Colton Orr.
Orr is in his last year of his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs and basically the entire season has been playing on their American Hockey League team the Toronto Marlies. However, Orr was called up by the team today to play in their last game on Saturday against the Montreal Canadiens.
Yet, however when the season ends, Orr will be a 33 year-old free agent looking for a team to play on. I pose this question to you Red Wings fan; why not sign Colton Orr to be our resident tough guy and he can protect our high scoring players who prefer to not fight.
Take an earlier incident from this season as an example for why at least signing a tough guy is a good idea. The Red Wings were in Dallas taking on the Stars. Dallas Star Jamie Benn doesn’t really get into with Zetterberg, but manages to some how sucker punch him in the head. This caused Zetterberg to miss the last four games of February. I don’t know how to fully explain it so watch it.
While Benn got a penalty on the actually hit, this is hockey and well, you settle things a bit differently. Usually if you go after one teams players in a not so nice way, you or someone on your team get to fight the tough guy on the other team. It is just how things are settled on the ice and it is a productive way players take care of things.
Yet I saw no one do this for Zetterberg. However, if they had a player like Orr playing on their fourth line, maybe he could have come in a picked a fight with someone and then the opposing team wouldn’t go after certain players on the Red Wings team. Having a guy that can fight on your team helps you in the NHL, even if people say they don’t fight enough anymore, they do, and those people are just ridiculous.
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So why Colton Orr? Well he is somewhat old, he will 34 by the end of the next season, but with that, you aren’t going to have to over pay him. If you look at the two teams that Orr has spent most of his career with; the New York Rangers and The Toronto Maple Leafs he really hasn’t had great coaching. So there could be a good player somewhere in there, but lack of good coaching could have used him more as a tough guy than player.
Maybe Orr is someone the Red Wings look at this off-season. He isn’t going to cost you much and you can use him if Cole doesn’t come back and you need a big man on your team. What do you guys think? Would you take a chance on Orr for the next season? Let us know below. Don’t forget to stay connected to Detroit Jock City for all your Detroit Red Wings news.