Detroit acquired Leddy for Panik, 52nd pick and there isn’t a lot of “middle ground” in the comments. People either like the trade or don’t. On the plus side, I do think Leddy will help on the left side this year. Staal came in and did a nice job, and this is another 1 yr deal that’s quickly off the books. For those who don’t love the deal, a 2nd round prospect is always valuable. Detroit still has 2 more kicks at the can in the second (and the first). But time will tell, and if the Islanders get a genuine NHLer out of the deal, it won’t be quickly forgotten. (Quincey cost us Vasilevsky. It still hurts).
The roster freeze is on, and soon we’ll know who Detroit is protecting for the expansion draft. So, in the meantime, Detroit did a quick Youtube hit on Chaz Lusius and Mason MacTavish. Both centers are pegged as first rounders. At least one mock draft has Detroit picking MacTavish. Both are centers, and it’s another position in need of a player. This draft is basically like going to the grocery store when you’re hungry. A lot of things look good, and there’s plenty of need to go around.
Chaz Lusius had an injury shortened season. He scored 13 goals (and 7 assists) in 13 games. The highlight reel shows some nice shots, good movement. I do love right shot centers. Decent size at 6’0”. Limited scouting this season, but since he was on North American ice and active definitely got a lot of looks.
Mason MacTavish had a good year. 9 goals and 2 assists in 13 games playing on loan in Sweden. He followed it up with 5 goals and 6 assists in 7 games for the WJC. Really nice skating for the 6’2” center. Got some impressive looks. I find myself putting less and less stock in the world competitions. Players can have a huge breakout (Elmer Soderblom) but without the adrenaline and all star type teammate selection it doesn’t always translate. Still, that’s really impressive stuff from M2.
My caveat to the draft is this, the shutdown kept a lot of players from getting looks. GMs spent a lot more time on overseas play this season. So many programs and universities were shut down that players ranked the year before have slid quite a bit. Yzerman, in the first 2 seasons here, has gone a bit off the board. He could be in a different zip code altogether this time. These two centers are certainly worth a look, but always the asterisk of “what will Yzerman do” will be lurking on any of these posts.
Let me know if you’ve warmed to either player. The expansion and entry draft are fast approaching. Soon enough it will be highlight reels for a completely different reason. Trying to project future lines/pairings (and possibly when a goalie will break into the league).
I will be featuring the writings of Kevin Allen for a summer reading program this year. It’s tough to break up the summer months, and the one on one formats that Kevin has perfected is not only a pleasure to read but gives insight that isn’t easy to come by. I’ll be starting with Chris Chelios “Made in America”.
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