Fisher builds confidence with Red Wings, Lidstrom

September 21, 1999

BY HELENE ST. JAMES

FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

Expect Jiri Fischer to be a part of the Red Wings this season.

The young defenseman has done nothing but impress coaches and management in the last two exhibition games, and he clearly benefits from being paired with All-Star defenseman Nick Lidstrom.

"I play with more confidence now," Fischer said Monday. "Playing with Nick is very good. When we are together, he talks a lot to me on the bench, about how to support the puck, support him, how to give him an option when we are playing around the net."

The only snag to keeping him in Detroit could be financial. League rules mandate that the Wings sign Fischer by Sept. 29 or return him to his junior club. There's no question Fischer, 19, will lock in at his draft year's rookie salary cap of $975,000 a season (which includes a signing bonus), but a stickier issue is ironing out how the money should be distributed over the three-year period.

Fischer's side will want the final season to be at the maximum, since that amount will set the bar for the next contract. Performance incentives do not fall under the salary cap and present another hurdle.

Jiri Crha, Fischer's agent, said there has been no progress during talks.

"I plan to talk with him a lot more as the deadline approaches," general manager Ken Holland said. "We'll make every attempt to sign him."