What Kyle Quincey's Contract Says About Ken Holland's Job Performance

Kyle Quincey today signed a 1-year, $1.25 million deal to play for the New Jersey Devils.

That's about what 6-7 defenseman should be paid in the NHL. And that's about what Kyle Quincey is.

That's what he was when Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland traded a first rounder to get him in a three-way deal with Tampa and Colorado. People seem to forget that Quincey was a healthy scratch in Colorado.

And that's about the level he played at in Detroit.

For whatever reason, Babcock overused Quincey. Babcock tried to pretend he was a rugged defenseman like Brad Stuart, the guy he essentially replaced. But Quincey was never that guy, even if he was a little nastier than most Wings defensemen.

Of course, after trading a first round pick to get Quincey, Holland overpaid Quincey to keep him in Detroit, twice awarding two-year deals worth about $4 million annually. Many Red Wings weren't fans of these deals, especially with younsters like Marchenko, Almquist, Ouellet, Sproul and Backman on the way. Many fans thought that you could just wait and pick up a Quincey-level defenseman for $1 million  a year, like Scott Hannan or Barrett Jackman.

And today, Quincey proved those fans right. Once exposed to the market, Quincey found no takers. He was forced to wait until late September to find a job. And he got about what he's worth.

There's no shame in being a $1 million/year athlete in the NHL. This isn't a bag on Quincey. The shame is when your talent analsysis is as skewed as Holland's.