In what was a busy NHL Draft weekend for most teams, the Detroit Red Wings slowly began to re-tool their lineup by adding six prospects into their stable via the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, with an apparent eye towards having a bigger lineup in the future.
A combo of size and skill is what appeared to be the most important attributes for the Red Wings each and every time they approached to the microphone this weekend in Pittsburgh to announce their selections.
In an interesting side note, Buffalo GM
Darcy Regier shared some of his findings which stated that on average, 54 draft picks each year have a career of 80 NHL games or more. That works out to an average of 1.8 players per NHL team.
When examining the Red Wing draft classes from 1997-2008 under
Ken Holland, the Wings have had 22 players over that 12 year span (an average of 1.83 players per draft)
Eighteen of those players have already reached that mark of 80 NHL games, while another four (Cory Emmerton, Jan Mursak, Brendan Smith and Gustav Nyquist) will likely reach it at varying points of this season.
It should be noted that of those 22 players, twelve were drafted out of Europe and 10 drafted out of North America.
More recently, another interesting stat courtesy of Luke DeCock of the News & Observer in Raleigh, N.C., suggests that only 30 players drafted (or 6%) taken outside of the top 100 have played 100 NHL games.
So when we hear GM Ken Holland suggest the following, we should all take note:
“We’re going to be active and very involved in free agency because we have cap space and holes we’d like to fill, but to be successful, you have to draft and develop guys.”
I believe he is indicating his belief to the fan base that his main priority is to further progress the development of some of their current prospects that have not reached the 80 game NHL mark, but are pegged as potential successful NHL players.
Players such as: Thomas McCollum, Petr Mrazek, Teemu Pulkkinen, Calle Jarnkrok, Riley Sheahen, Tomas Jurco, Ryan Sproul, Maxime Ouellet, Alan Quine, Marek Tvrdon, Matthias Backman, Nick Jensen, Adam Alqvist, Landon Ferraro, etc.....
These players (and others) and their development is just as important to the future of the Detroit Red Wings as the club’s pursuit of a Ryan Suter or Zach Parise and other potential free agents this July 1st.
However, the likelihood is on average, only 3-5 of those names mentioned above will ever play 80 NHL games in their career. As a result, it may appear to have been a smart play by Holland to prepare Red Wing fans with that statement for the possibility that despite their cache as a first-class, winning organization with an abundance of cap space, Detroit could come up empty-handed given the fierce competition when it comes to landing the three biggest free agent prizes this summer in
Ryan Suter,
Zach Parise and collegiate defenseman
Justin Schultz.
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A more thorough examination of the Red Wings 2012 Draft Class as provided by the Red Wings and Grand Rapids Griffins, along with my viewpoint on each selection
:
RW Martin Frk - 2nd round, 49th overall - Halifax (QMJHL)
Height: 6’0 Weight: 204 Shoots: Right Born: 10/5/93 in Pelhrimov, Czech Republic
Scouting Report: Frk recorded 29 points (16-13—29) in 34 games with the QMJHL’s Halifax Mooseheads. Frk (pronounced FERK) was ranked 20th by the NHL’s Central Scouting Bureau but saw his stock slip out of the first round due to an injury-plagued season. The skilled winger is known as one of the best pure goal-scorers in the draft due to his heavy shot and elusive puck handling ability. Frk, who will return to Halifax next season but can join the Griffins in 2013-14, cites Pavel Datsyuk as his favorite current NHL player and wears #91 because of his childhood idol, Sergei Fedorov. Click here to view his YouTube highlights.
Mark’s viewpoint: Excellent value for Detroit getting a first-round talent in the middle of Round 2. The Red Wings have not shied away from grabbing highly touted players coming off of injury plagued seasons (see Teemu Pulkkinen and Marek Tvrdon).
G Jake Paterson - 3rd round, 80th overall - Saginaw (OHL)
Height: 6’0 Weight: 176 Catches: Left Born: 5/3/94 in Mississauga, Ontario
Scouting Report: Paterson was the ninth goaltender selected this year, part of a third round that featured seven goalies drafted overall. Paterson played in 42 games for the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit this season, posting an 18-18-3 record with a .904 save percentage. He is known for his outstanding quickness and determination. Paterson is due for at least two more seasons in major junior before potentially joining Grand Rapids.
Mark’s viewpoint: Paterson is a project but his play in the second half of the season and playoffs for Saginaw in the OHL has provided glimpses that he possesses the talent to produce at the next level. He should fully benefit from more full-time play in junior before moving to the Griffins at a similar pace as
Petr Mrazek. In my opinion, it doesn’t hurt to have several goaltending prospects in development within the system.
LW Andreas Athanasiou - 4th round, 110th overall - London (OHL)
Height: 6’0” Weight: 179 Shoots: Left Born: 8/6/94 in Woodbridge, Ontario
Scouting Report: Athanasiou was part of a stacked London Knights club that won the OHL championship and advanced to the CHL Memorial Cup Final. Like Tomas Jurco, Athanasiou has made waves on YouTube for his unique puck skills and creative shootout moves. The 17-year-old winger recorded 37 points (22-15—37) in 63 games for the Knights this season.
Mark’s viewpoint: Once again see this as good value to obtain this type of skill in Round 4. His speed alone could make him a prospect similar to how Darren Helm utilizes his speed to his advantage. This draft pick will all come down to Athanasiou’s future development, but there is no doubting he has NHL speed and skills with the puck. It will come down to whether he can become a better player without the puck. He should receive more opportunity next season in London to play a more pivotal role.
D Mike McKee - 5th round, 140th overall - Lincoln (USHL)
Height: 6’4” Weight: 232 Shoots: Left Born: 8/17/93 in Newmarket, Ontario
Scouting Report: When analysts describe the typical Red Wings player or prospect, they often focus on speedy, skilled players who are average or below average size. In McKee, the Red Wings added a 6-foot-4, 232-pound defenseman who led the USHL with 237 penalty minutes and 12 fighting majors. McKee is said to skate well, and he also contributed 19 points (2-17—19) to the Lincoln Stars blueline. McKee is committed to play college hockey for the Western Michigan Broncos next season.
Mark’s viewpoint: Worth a stab at this juncture of the draft to select a big, hulking defenseman that could develop to be a useful part down the road. He went undrafted last year when he was draft eligible. Certainly doesn’t hurt the Wings chances that he will play alongside Danny DeKeyser at Western Michigan, as the Red Wings are hoping to sign the free agent DeKeyser when he decides to turn pro. McKee is a long-term project but his size alone will make him an intriguing prospect to follow. Have until 2016 to sign him to a contract.
D James De Haas - 6th round, 170th overall - Toronto Lakeshore (OJHL)
Height: 6’2” Weight: 197 Shoots: Left Born: 5/3/94 in Mississauga, Ontario
Scouting Report: Detroit’s fifth selection was De Haas, a two-way defenseman who notched 29 points (10-19—29) in 45 games for Toronto Lakeshore in Ontario’s Jr. A circuit. De Haas is slated to play college hockey at Clarkson University in 2013. He is known for his defensive zone awareness and shutdown ability, but he possesses a strong skating ability that helped him lead his club’s defensemen in scoring.
Mark’s viewpoint:Another long-term project as he is expected to play in the B.C. Junior Hockey League next season before going to Clarkson University. The Red Wings feel he has upside and at this point in the draft, you have to select players you feel can outplay their draft position. The Red Wings prefer drafting these types of players (Jr. A. players bound to college) later on in the draft as they allow the team a 5-year window before having to offer them a contract versus the 2-year window required for players drafted from the CHL.
C Rasmus Bodin - 7th round, 200th overall - Ostersunds (Sweden-3)
Height: 6’6” Weight: 207 Shoots: Left Born: 5/5/94 in Sweden
Scouting Report: Detroit’s ability to find late-round gems is an annual topic of discussion at the NHL Entry Draft. Glancing at the roster shows that Pavel Datsyuk, Henrik Zetterberg, Johan Franzen and more recently, Gustav Nyquist, were all late-round picks who rose to stardom. The team is hoping for another diamond in the rough in the behemoth Bodin, who stands at 6’6” and was the tallest player selected this year. Bodin split the season between Ostersunds IK’s under-18 team and third-tier men’s team, recording 26 points (9-17—26) and 94 penalty minutes at the junior level and 10 points (3-7—10) in 20 games at the senior level. He will play for the more well-known HV-71 junior team next season.
Mark’s viewpoint: Another Hakan Andersson special? We can only hope at this point, yet once again, the Wings will gladly allow Bodin to slowly develop overseas before determining if he is a player worthy of a contract. Andersson feels Bodin could be in the mold of a bigger
Justin Abdelkader. The next 2-3 years will be key to see how he continues to develop playing against stronger competition and as he becomes more comfortable in his large frame after a significant growth spurt in recent years.
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I will come out and say I am a big fan of the expected
Damien Brunner signing later this week, despite not ever having seen Brunner play. Not sure how you cannot be excited with the possible addition of a talented, speedy,
gritty forward to the lineup, especially when it comes with minimal risk and a low initial cost.
As I’m sure most Red Wing fans have heard already, the 26-year old Swiss forward is expected to sign with Detroit on or after July 1st . Brunner led the Swiss league in scoring this past season and has put up better than a point per game in each of his last 3 seasons, totaling 164 points in just 132 games.
He’s been described as “
Jiri Hudler but with speed and grit”. So basically the two things that Jiri Hudler has always been knocked for not bringing to the table, this guy brings to the table? And you don’t have to pay him $4 million per season? It’s no surprise Holland and Babcock were ecstatic to get him to sign the dotted line.
Will he be able to fill in for Hudler’s spot in the Wings top six forward group as
Mike Babcock appears to suggest right off the bat? Only time will tell. I am comforted by the fact that the Red Wings thoroughly scouted him during the World Hockey Championships this spring and were able to attain his services with other teams such as Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay also attempting to acquire him.
In a summer where Red Wing fans are looking for Holland to make a big splash, it
could turn out that the Wings best move all summer long will be the signing that falls under everybody’s radar, if Brunner can make the adjustment to the NHL game rather quickly.
Without question, making that adjustment will be easier said than done, but the fact he is 26 years old may aid him and making the transition more seamless than if he were in his early 20’s and relatively inexperienced at the pro level.
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In addition, the Red Wings announced that assistant coach
Jeff Blashill would be replacing
Curt Fraser as the new head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s AHL affiliate:
JEFF BLASHILL NAMED HEAD COACH OF THE GRAND RAPIDS GRIFFINS
... Detroit’s Assistant Coach Leaves Post to Become Griffins’ Bench Boss …
Detroit, MI... Detroit Red Wings Executive Vice President and General Manager Ken Holland today announced that Red Wings assistant coach Jeff Blashill has left his current position with the team in order to take over duties as head coach of the Grand Rapids Griffins, Detroit’s American Hockey League affiliate. Blashill becomes the ninth head coach in Grand Rapids’ history. He replaces Curt Fraser, who left the organization earlier this week to accept an assistant coaching position with the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. Fraser guided Grand Rapids to a 146-130-18-22 record over his four seasons with the team. He ranks first in franchise history in both regular season games coached (316) and wins (146).
“We’re very excited to name Jeff the next head coach of the Griffins,” said Holland. “He’s a talented coach that has a proven track record of working well with young players. He did a tremendous job for us in Detroit last season and we look forward to having him groom and mentor our prospects in Grand Rapids. We would also like to thank Curt Fraser for his four years of service behind the Griffins’ bench. He did an outstanding job for us. We wish Curt and his family nothing but the best in Dallas.”
Blashill, 38, joined the Red Wings’ organization as an assistant coach on July 8, 2011. The Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., native helped guide the Red Wings to a 48-28-6 regular season record and a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference standings in 2011-12. Detroit secured its 12th consecutive 100-point season and made its 21st consecutive postseason appearance last year.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to be the head coach of the Griffins,” said Blashill. “I had a tremendous experience in Detroit last season and will lean on that experience as I make the transition behind the bench in Grand Rapids. I worked with most of our young players at training camp and in the preseason last year. We have some great talent in the organization. I’m looking forward to getting started.”
Prior to joining the Red Wings, Blashill spent one season behind the bench at Western Michigan University, where he led the Broncos to a 19-13-10 regular season record and their first berth in the CCHA Championship Game since 1986. Western Michigan posted an 8-20-8 record the year prior to his arrival. For his efforts, Blashill was a finalist for the CCHA Coach of the Year Award and was named National Coach of the Year by College Hockey News, USCHO.com and Inside College Hockey. Blashill previously served as Head Coach and General Manager of the USHL’s Indiana Ice, with whom he captured a Clark Cup title in 2009. Prior to his two-year stint with the Ice, Blashill worked as an Assistant Coach at Miami University (Ohio) from 2002-08 and at Ferris State, his alma mater, from 1998-2002. The former goaltender and father of three has been a member of Team USA’s coaching staff three times – at the 2009 World Junior ‘A’ Challenge, the 2009 IIHF World Junior Championships and the 2006 U-18 Junior World Cup.
A good opportunity to be a head coach at the pro level and continue to work and develop younger players which should mesh well with his past experience as the head man at Western Michigan University.
As for the Wings,
Mike Babcock will be looking to once again fill an assistant coach position quickly.
Bob Boughner might be a good fit. The current coach of the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires has pro experience as a defenseman, in addition to recently working for a season as an assistant coach in Columbus before stepping down so he could be closer to his family situated in Windsor.
Detroit is one of the few pro jobs I could see Boughner having interest in given its immediate proximity to his family. Now whether Babcock feels Boughner can add enough value to his staff to warrant being hired is a different matter and a personal decision Babcock will make as the head coach.
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