NHL committed to mediocrity

So I’m trying to keep this thing updated but there’s just not a lot going on. I’ve got various Wings related things I plan to put up sometime late today or tomorrow, but it’s not a lot. I anticipate things will get more chaotic in the next few weeks as trade rumors heat up and the playoffs get closer.

But right now I want to address a very specific event, the All-Star Game. Obviously the game is for the fans, means nothing, and for the sake of argument among hardcore hockey heads, it’s a joke and not worth talking about. However, I do enjoy the All-Star Game and I think the NHL should be ashamed of the product they put out this weekend. The league was riding a high after the Winter Classic, surely making some kind of mark in drawing new fans in and perhaps getting some old ones back. But everything they accomplished with that game was set back with this weekend’s events.

The message the NHL sent was clear: we are not in the same league as the other big sports. The NHL continually fails to use its celebrity to attract relevant people to the event and fails even more when it comes to marketing its own players. Granted, their wonderkid Sid was held out of the game, but sooner or later the NHL needs to market some of the other rising stars. And on that note, I really need to applaud the NHL. I have seen more NHL on Versus or general NHL commercials this season than ever before. But when? I seem to only see them during NHL games! I never see commercials on for the NHL at any other time. Granted, I never really watch Versus for stuff other than hockey but neither does anybody else. I watch plenty of NBC but the NHL seems content with NBC’s strategy of “maybe if you don’t tell anyone, they won’t notice” agreement they have going.

First off I’m going to stray from the bad marketing and just talk about the bad product. The NHL Skills Competition. I was pretty excited about the upgrades made to it, but nothing delivered. I watched the shenanigans on Versus and nobody had any clue what was going on. I didn’t know what was going on. Versus never showed results on the graphics. Doc Emerick and Ed Olcyzk (who might legally be retarded) were just bewildered all night and even a couple times didn’t know the order of the events. It was just chaotic overall.

The puck control/saucer pass/one-timer/goalie shooting thing, is actually more ridiculous than it sounds. They took an event which did a good job showcasing some of the talent the guys have, with their ability to skate at near full speed, turn on a dime, and still take control of the puck and frankly, ran it right into the ground. The first guy maneuvered through 8 pucks in a straight line, something that coaches make kids practice after the age of 12 or so, so already they’ve severely dumbed down the skill of it. Then when he’s done the next guy fires five or so saucer passes over a two foot board into a mini-net. Great, saucer passes. Fighting? No. Scoring? No. Hitting? No. Great gloves saves? No. Nobody wants to see that shit. Who are we, Pierre McGuire? When did this become exciting? Let’s have players dump it in the zone and time how fast they get to the bench. A couple guys got lost trying to figure out where they were supposed to go, because then someone was supposed to feed a defenseman one-timers from the blueline. I don’t think a single defenseman was able to hit the target. And then the goalies launched shots from their own end. And by launched, I mean, mostly misfired. Goalies scoring is a really hard skill and it’s nice to get them involved but at no point in any of that was I amused. But I digress.

Fastest skater was downright puzzling. It’s now a sprint from the goal line to the far blueline. In the first race (I believe), Duncan Keith beat Brian Campbell by nearly a full body, and pushed his stick across the censor as most players do. For some reason he didn’t get a reading and Campbell won. Campbell then later had to race Ovechkin and lost by at least three full lengths. I didn’t understand it. The Versus guys could not figure out who was going when and I didn’t see times for any of the skaters. Is it too much to ask what’s going on? Because watching guys race is rather boring when you don’t know who’s winning.

The youngstars game was probably my favorite part. It was much more exciting than last year and the 3 on 3 led to basically breakaway after breakaway. Versus did a great job ruining this though, as they chose to try to show replays after the play and you’d come back from the replay just as they’ve scored again, since it’s a running clock. It was confusing and disorienting and incredibly poor broadcasting. Emerick and Olczyk did not know when they were going to replay and what was being shown. In a live broadcast it would be much easier just to show all the highlights together, instead of just general overhead filler shots of the arena like we were subjected to when the players switched ends. Poor production of a great event.

For that matter, the elimination shootout sucked. The idea was cool, but Versus had the great idea to have a cameraman follow the player in on the shot. There’s a couple things wrong with this. First, the cameraman is holding a camera, and secondly is not an athlete. The cameramen struggled to follow along and the camera bounced around, sometimes losing focus, making the play look very confusing overall. Also, do you know what you’re looking at when you’re behind the player? His ass. Great shots of every ass in the elimination shootout. Players generally keep the pucks in front of them so as cool as the shot did look sometimes, for the most part you could not see the puck or any head or body fakes as the player went to the goalie. The angle would be very cool for replays, but was overall just very unnecessary and messy.

The last event was the one thing I was excited for, the trick shot thing. Among celebrity judges were Taylor Kirtsch (??), Dominique Wilkins (a basketball player), Scott Mellanby (because when I think of shootouts, the first guy I want shooting is Scott Mellanby), and Bill Clement (he just needs work). The thing was very confusing and I don’t think the players clarified with the judges what was being judged, because apparently it was to see who could flip the puck higher and not who could score. Datsyuk scored on a nice deke, but it was unoriginal and got scored of 4-6. Kovalchuk came in with his patented shootout/breakaway move, cutting in from the right wing and throwing the puck above the goalies left shoulder as he cuts across, a very lethal move that looks great when executed. He didn’t score, the judges yawn. For his next move, he takes a few strides, falls onto his knees, and shovels some sort of flipping, turning puck into the goalies’ chest. This pleases Eddy Olcyzk, who kept saying something about wanting to see players kick pucks of their ankles as if that’s really impressive, and also Bill Clement who gave a big 9. For falling on his knees. He didn’t get anything on the shot. Ovechkin then tried a series of flipping the puck up and batting it in, and missed each time, ending up winning without actually completing a move. Very impressive.

Now, I play roller hockey and everyone thinks they can dangle like Datsyuk. If you show up to a pick up roller hockey game all people want to do is toe drag and bounce the puck off their blade and puck it up on their heel. Watching 30 and overs fail at it is no more impressive than watching NHL players fail at it. I thought this would be a good thing for players to showcase their skill and pull off the best moves they have in their arsenal. Instead the competition was all about being “original” and nobody scored. The NHL is all about scoring now, so I’m happy that the braintrust is pleased with a shootout event that nobody scored at.

Anyway, it was a bitter weekend overall. The actual game itself was weak, not a lot of guys giving effort. Kovalchuk obviously wanted to score for the home fans but nobody else was shooting. Versus gave another lacking broadcast and Chris Simpson, who is not fun to look at and also probably enjoys knowing people think she’s a man since she goes by Chris, interviewed several celebrities who scalped tickets because they know the NHL will put them on TV so people will know they’re still alive.

The Hives led the pregame festivities with a few of their hits, which I’m sure have received radio play. Then something called “Ne Yo” played at what Versus kept calling “halftime”. I feel dated for not having heard Ne Yo but I’m also in college, so I’m not exactly out of the music scene.. and none of my friends knew what that was supposed to be either. The little blurb from TSN’s post game article basically sums the night up:

Among the celebrities at the game were actors David Boreanaz from the TV show Bones, Taylor Kitsch from Friday Night Lights, Matthew Modine from Weeds, Thorsten Kate of All My Children, Alyssa Milano from the ’80s show Who’s The Boss as well as country music superstar Garth Brooks and Atlanta Braves pitcher Tom Glavine .

Because when I think hockey I think… oh what’s the use. Fuck the NHL.

On the bright side, the NHL agreed to extend the deal with Versus through to the next decade.

Wings draft good players

Please forgive the obvious title. Allow me to explain.

I formulated this theory because I came on here intending to talk about Shawn Matthias; I will do that in time, but in digging for stuff on Matthias I found I could make this post much more than that. I’ve come to the conclusion that Detroit drafts good hockey players.

Still not interesting to you? You know this already? Well, I’m not talking about guys like Zetterberg, Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Holmstrom, who were all passed over in their first draft eligible and have a combined draft position of about 800. 800 hockey players better than any of these guys? Anyhow, I’m not talking about them. This post focuses on the guys that didn’t make it — not in Detroit anyway. I’m going to focus on guys that are either doing well with the teams they’re on or playing at a high level. This is just me wanting everyone to recognize that the Wings have a great eye for good hockey players. Sure, there are still plenty that never made it anywhere, but Detroit has a high percentage of guys who have. And for the record, I just looked at players that Detroit does not have rights to anymore.

2006
Shawn Matthias, Florida Panthers (NHL)
I came in here wanting to talk about Matthias so I might as well start with him. Since being traded from Detroit, he’s established himself as an OHL star, made the Canadian World Junior team (and set up the overtime gold medal winning goal), and made his NHL debut. In 11 months. His NHL stay is likely short lived — since he signed last month he can play up to 10 games without losing a year on his NHL contract, and Florida seems likely to send him back to the OHL, but he did make his NHL debut last night at just 19, and did not look out of place. He took a penalty and did not register a shot.

2005
Christofer Lofberg, Rögle (SWE-2)
First, from here on out, when I say SWE-2 I don’t mean Swedish Second Division. If you don’t know how Swedish leagues work, I’ll briefly run it down. The SEL is the top league, the Elite League or Elitserien. There’s also the Allsvenskan, where teams can be promoted to and from the SEL, which can be called SWE-2. Players in the Allsvenskan are not usually the top Swedish players but there is still a lot of talent there. After that is Swedish First Division (SWE-3) and Swedish Second Division (SWE-4). But I will keep it to the first two tiers. Anyway, Lofberg played in 77 games in the SEL before he turned 21, an impressive feat. His numbers were not good and he was having personal issues so he did not get a contract from Detroit. Hakan Andersson told him to play a tier down and that Detroit would keep an eye on him. Lofberg has done well since then, with 14 goals and 25 points in 27 games, playing on the top two lines.

2004
Tyler Haskins, Utah (ECHL)
Haskins excelled in his OHL years but Detroit did not sign him. After an unsuccessful NHL tryout he has made a nice debut into professional hockey. He has 26 points in 25 games in the ECHL and has appeared in 12 games in the AHL with Bridgeport.

2003
Mikael Johansson, Färjestad, (SEL)
I touched on Johansson in my post Swede Hunting?. Johansson has had a breakout season with 20 points in 34 games and is attracting NHL attention. At just 22, there’s still a chance he comes to North America.

Andreas Sundin, Bofors (SWE-2)
After bouncing around the Swedish Allsvenskan, and a brief stop in second-tier Finland, Sundin is back in Sweden and has found his niche. He is first on his team in scoring with 29 points in 29 games. He will likely get a chance in the Elite League next season.

Tomas Kollar, Södertälje (SEL)
Kollar helped his team move back into the Elite League after a season in the Allsvenskan, and is enjoying his best year in the SEL yet. Kollar, who has always been compared to Tomas Holmstrom, has 11 points in 27 games. I realize that really doesn’t sound impressive, but keep in mind scoring is lower in the Swedish leagues and they play a shorter season, so that does equate to about 40 points on an 82 game schedule. Kollar’s previous high was 15 points in 50 games.

2002
Tomas Fleischmann, Washington (NHL)
After just 10 points in his first 43 NHL games (spread out over two seasons), Fleischmann is an NHL regular this season and has 16 points in 42 games. Fleischmann was traded to get the dreaded Robert Lang, so it is only fitting he enjoys some success to make Detroit regret ever trading for Lang.

Christian Söderström, Färjestad (SEL)
Soderstrom is now in his eighth full season in the SEL. His numbers have wavered over the years but he’s produced 116 points in 363 games and appears to be on a pace for a career high with 14 in 27 this season.

Jimmy Cuddihy, Dalhousie (CIS)
The once QMJHL all-star is playing in the league for Canadians going to university, which admittedly isn’t even close to what the NCAA is for hockey. But still, Cuddihy is in his third season with the team, is third in scoring with 32 points in 28 games.

2001
Dmitry Bykov, Khimik (RSL)
Bykov, who played 71 games for Detroit in 02-03, has established himself as one of the top defenders in all of Russia. His numbers won’t reach anything close to the 11 goals and 17 points he put up last year, but he remains a highly regarded commodity in Russia’s top league.

Drew MacIntyre, Manitoba (AHL)
The product of Prince Edward Island, MacIntyre was part of a logjam in net last season and was traded to Vancouver for future considerations. He has starred for Manitoba since then and made his NHL debut last month, coming in as relief for 27 minutes, letting in two goals.

Andreas Jämtin, HV71 (SEL)
The little ball of hate was once a near lock for an NHL contract, but the Wings let him go. Since then he has perhaps improved his stock even more, as he’s headed for career highs this season with 10 goals and 19 points in 34 games. Of all the Europeans on the list, he’s probably one of the most likely to get a tryout with an NHL team some day.

2000
Stefan Liv, HV71 (SEL)
After the whole North American thing didn’t work out for him, Liv picked up where he left off in Sweden. He is one of the country’s top netminders and has posted a 2.47 GAA and a 90.9% save percentage in 31 games this season.

1999
Kent McDonnell, Skellefteå (SEL)
McDonnell played 32 games for Columbus over a couple of years and was re-signed by Detroit in 05-06 for depth. After leaving Detroit, he jumped to Finland and now Sweden to continue his career. He has 26 points in 35 games so far this season.

Jari Tolsa, MODO (SEL)
Tolsa has had a rather rocky Swedish career, but has put up 113 points in 307 games in the Elite League. After playing in Finland last season, he joined MODO for this season. A two-way playmaker, Tolsa is buried on a talented MODO team and has 5 points in 32 games.

1998
David Petrasek, HV71 (SEL)
Petrasek is among the best defenders in Sweden. Now in his 14th SEL season, Petrasek has 14 points in 36 games to add to his career totals of 174 points in 625 games.

Tomek Valtonen, Södertälje (SEL)
After 128 points in 404 games in Finland’s top league, Valtonen has moved to Sweden this year. He has just 1 point in 4 games though, and appears to be hurt.

1997
Quinten Laing, Washington (NHL)
11 years after being drafted, Quinten Laing is in the NHL. After a career in the AHL with just 3 games with the Chicago Blackhawks to give him a taste, Laing appears to be a regular in the Washington lineup, with 4 points in 19 games. Washington appears to have loaded up on things that once belonged to Detroit. They have Laing and Fleischmann — and two more rookies that were taken with first round draft picks once belonging to Detroit. Dave Steckel (the 2001 first rounder sent to Los Angeles for Mathieu Schneider) and Mike Green (the 2004 first rounder sent to Washington for Robert Lang).

Petr Sykora, Pardubice HC (Czech)
Petr Sykora, obviously, not the one with Anaheim, has always been a proficient scorer. He is among the top scorers in the top Czech league, with 21 goals in 31 games this season after 37 in 50 last season.

1993
Anders Eriksson, Calgary (NHL)
Last but not least, I put Anders Eriksson on here. There are plenty of other players between 93 and 97 I could put here, and others earlier than that, but I just wanted to talk about Eriksson. He did play 3 years for Detroit, and then bounced around various NHL teams and then the AHL, and then Sweden and Russia, but now he’s back in the NHL. He gets his fair share of abuse but he’s put together a couple of consecutive good seasons now. Last season he had 23 points and was among Columbus’ +/- leaders with a +12. This season he’s on pace for a career high in points with 13 points in 43 games so far with Calgary. It appears that finally, maybe, Anders Eriksson is showing signs of what prompted Detroit to take him in the first round 15 years ago.

This kind of helps me sum up my overall point here. That nobody, especially if they have been deemed talented enough to be drafted by Detroit is limited from making a positive impact somewhere even if they don’t catch on right away.

Is it 1998?

So I haven’t updated this since I came back to school. To be fair, there hasn’t been a whole lot going on with the Red Wings. News concerning Detroit has revolved around a couple of names — Chris Osgood, Darren McCarty, and Sergei Fedorov.

The big news is that, due most likely to the withdrawal of Roberto Luongo from the NHL All-Star Game, Osgood will be joining Evgeni Nabokov and ex-Wing Manny Legace on the Western Conference roster. Osgood joins Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, and head coach Mike Babcock, as Wings that will be headed to Atlanta. Not joining them is Brian Rafalski, who sits second behind Nick in most defensive statistical categories. He was “snubbed” in favor of Chicago’s Duncan Keith, as the NHL decided to enforce the rule that all teams must have a representative.

The highlight of Osgood’s week had to be the contract. Osgood signed a three-year contract extension that will cost Detroit exactly $1,416,667 dollars in cap space for each year. This is an important signing, and also a great one. Osgood has had his struggles in Detroit to be sure, but he is a much different goalie than he was in the 90s. The numbers speak for themselves. 50-11-12 since returning to Detroit. And this season, 19-2-1 with two leading statistical figures — a 1.68 GAA and a sharp 93.2 save percentage.

This contract puts Detroit in a very good place for the goaltending present and future. Osgood being under contract next season ensures that we have a starting goaltender, very important. It also speaks a bit into Detroit’s plans for the other two goaltenders in the system, Dominik Hasek and Jimmy Howard. Hasek has been much more consistent of late but struggled at the beginning of the year. He’s already 43 and says this could be his last year, but he “doesn’t think about it.” (basically he just wants to win the Cup and retire.. again). But Detroit might be forcing his hand a little bit, saying that Dom is a great goalie, but maybe if he returns it won’t be with Detroit. Osgood is very cheap and its hard to sit a goalie who’s playing like Osgood is right now, for a goalie who has so many sides to him. Should Detroit go down early in the playoffs and Hasek plays inconsistently, it’s safe to say he’s gone. Should this happen, Jimmy Howard can easily come up and play backup to Osgood. Prior to this season, I was unsure of our goaltending future because Osgood did not look like a starting goaltender. Now that he’s had the season he’s having right now, I feel perfectly comfortable with an Osgood and Howard tandem for next season. Of course, Detroit needs to make the decision on whether or not they should bring Howard back. He had a bum start to his season but has fired up of late, putting himself in the All-Star Game and winning AHL Goaltender of the Month for December.

Of course, Chris Osgood followed this slew of good news with his worst performance of the season with a 5-4 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild. But to be fair, a lot of other things went wrong that game. And for having one of the scariest shootout lineups in the NHL — Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Hudler — we sure don’t win many of them. Whatever the reason, I’m willing to forgive him.

The next two names concern mostly with rumors. The first being the comeback of legendary grinder Darren McCarty. McCarty has decided he’d like to attempt a comeback at the NHL, and the IHL’s Flint Generals (partially owned by Kris Draper, but I’m sure that’s no coincidence) threw him a contract. Now, this story could now go in two directions, and I don’t know which one is correct. Some articles out there, like the one Bob Duff of the Windsor Star did, would lead you to believe McCarty is the same player he was 10 years ago and has already sat down with Detroit and outlined a plan to fast-track his way back to the NHL, starting with a couple weeks with Flint and moving on to a tryout in the AHL with Grand Rapids, before jumping onto an NHL roster. That’s nice to believe; I like McCarty, I really do. I wish him all the best, especially since I know he’s had some problems in his personal life.

But logic would suggest other things about McCarty. McCarty only played 32 games for Calgary last year after suffering a rather bothersome knee injury, and recorded no points. He became a free agent and didn’t attract any NHL interest. He’s more than a year removed from a a high level of hockey, so it will likely take him more than a couple of weeks to be ready for something other than the IHL. There’s also the issue of how crowded Detroit’s bottom six is right now. Matt Ellis and Aaron Downey are healthy scratches if Detroit is not plagued with injuries. Ellis goes at 110% every night and Downey is quickly becoming a fan favorite and is a hit in the locker room. Adding McCarty means Detroit has to get rid of another forward, which is pretty hard to do at this point, when all the candidates to come out are playing so well. It would be another challenge to put him in the lineup. Who comes out? Dallas Drake? He’s nearly the same age as McCarty, and probably offers a nearly identical package of what McCarty would bring — a couple fights, no points, and leadership, and it’s tough to justify getting rid of a guy like Aaron Downey (who I’ve chosen as the most likely guy to leave because he’s been waived a few times this season) to get a player that we already have. And I love McCarty, but to answer the question I’ve posed in the title, it is, in fact, not 1998 anymore. I’m rooting for him to do well, and if he gets a contract, I probably won’t complain much. I just don’t find it likely.

Nevertheless, McCarty’s IHL career has started. In 3 games, he’s got a goal, an assist, and a fight. He’s currently in the process of playing four games in five nights. He also helped the Generals sell out their first game of the season, nearly doubling the attendance averages for home games to that point. That’s certainly a bright spot; Wings attendance numbers have sagged, but McCarty is still a beloved guy in this city and I will be so bold as to say his return game would sell out. This would definitely be a move that would help marketing more so than the actual team.

Finally, briefly, the “other” rumors. It’s still January, but the trade deadline is next month. The names are starting to trickle in. The biggest of which being Mats Sundin, who has said many times he will never leave Toronto, but really, he deserves a Cup that he will not get in Toronto, at least with the direction they’re going right now. Also Peter Forsberg, who announced he thinks he can return to the NHL this season, leading many people to say “FORSBERG = SWEDISH SWEDISH = RED WING,” justifying the onslaught of the usual rumors. Lastly, Sergei Fedorov is getting a mention, as he does fit perfectly into that rotating hole on the point of the second powerplay that Mikael Samuelsson currently has, and also shores up our secondary scoring. To be certain, none of them will come cheap. Sundin will have the highest pricetag and he truly may not want to leave Toronto, which can be respected. Toronto would definitely want a young star for the next generation of Leafs. Columbus would not give up Fedorov to a division rival (especially since they are on the playoff bubble) without a severe cost and Forsberg has always demanded top dollar even though his health has fluctuated.

Personally, I would rather have McCarty.

Swede Hunting?

While the Wings quietly stretch their lead in the Western Conference and Steve Yzerman takes care of the day-by-day duties of running an NHL hockey team, GM Ken Holland and Swedish superscout Hakan Andersson have decided to take a vacation. It isn’t a leisure trip, thankfully, as the purpose of the trip was to watch the World Junior Championships in the Czech Republic. Detroit has two prospects playing in the tournament, Logan Pyett with Canada and Joakim Andersson with Sweden.

However, an interview conducted with Hakan in a Swedish newspaper shows that he and Holland have quietly been doing some scouting work on the side. Now, if you click that link you’ll notice something — it’s in Swedish. And I don’t talk about myself a lot so I’m sure your wondering: does our dear blogger speak Swedish? And the answer is no. But I know where to look for translation.

The General Manager is on set in Sodertalje today.
Division one last year.
Tonight Fabian Brunnstrom is being scouted by Detroit’s GM Ken Holland
- He’s one of the players we’re looking at, says Hakan Andersson chief-european scout for the Detroit Red Wings.
Most clubs have scoutleaders in Europe now since JWC is in focus. Detroit has had a good eye to swedish players since 20 years back. That’s why GM Ken Holland is atleast once every year in Sweden and scouting for good bargains.

Watching the game tonight
Tonight he’s in Axa Sport Center watching Sodertalje playing Farjestad.
- Those players that Detroit are interested in, that no team has any rights too are Linus Videll, Linus Klasen and Fabian Grunnstrom, says Hakan Andersson Detroit’s chief scout in Europe.
The trio are rookies in SEL and all three have had a stellar last season. Videll belonged for 4 years to the Colorado Avalanche, but they chose to not sign him this summer. Detroit is now going to watch Linus and see if he’ll fit in with their system.

Making the team
- It’s also interesting to see how Klasen develops, He might make the team with us in the future, Hakan Andersson says.
In Farjestad it’s Fabian Brunnstrom that is attracting the attention.
He played division 1 hockey last year and had a great development. Sofar he he has scored 25 points and leads Farjestad in total points.
- On saturday Ken Holland is watching Djurgarden-Lulea. He wants to see how things are going for Dick Axelsson and Daniel Larsson. They are doing great in Djurgarden and the visit shows that we’re going to sign them to a a contract this spring. We have to do it or else we’ll lose the rights to them.

Detroit’s Wishlist:
Fabian Brunnström, f, Mikael Johansson, f, Färjestad, Linus Videll, f, Linus Klasén, f, Södertälje. (f stands for forward)

Players who are drafted by Detroit:
Daniel Larsson, g, Dick Axelsson, f, Djurgården, Joakim Andersson, f, Frölunda.

Swedes in Detroit:
Nicklas Lidström, Tomas Holmström, Henrik Zetterberg, Mikael Samuelsson, Johan Franzén, Andreas Lilja, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson, Johan Ryno, Mattias Ritola.

The Brunnstrom train has already rolled through the station once. After The Hockey News referred to the Swedish rookie as ‘the next Alfredsson,’ the hype starting building and everyone wanted their team to get him suited up immediately! Due to the rules of the new CBA, Brunnstrom, 22, is an unrestricted free agent in the NHL despite never having been drafted. He’s Swedish, so it’s obvious Detroit’s got some automatic interest in him. However, Hakan kind of cooled off Wings fans enthusiasm for Brunnstrom when he said that “if Brunnstrom is good enough, he will get a contract” instead of what everyone was hoping to hear: “he’s SO GOOD we will DEFINITELY sign him and he’s definitely BETTER than Alfredsson.”

Most had heard of Brunnstrom before but this article sheds light on some other players Detroit’s looking at this weekend, and so, since it is very late at night and I am bored, I’m going to briefly introduce this players and leave it up to you to decide which players Detroit should try to acquire.

First, Holland scouted the game between Farjestad and Sodertalje, looking at the following four players.

Fabian Brunnstrom, LW 6′1 203 .. 30 GP 5G 17A
Brunnstrom spent his entire career in third and fourth tier Sweden (Division 1, as it is called, is one league below the Swedish Allsvenskan, so the third highest league he could have been playing in) before being signed by Farjestad, in the top Swedish league, this offseason. So far he has been one of the league’s most impressive rookies, and at 22, he’s obviously getting NHL attention. Fast, strong, and offensively gifted, whichever team ends up signing Brunnstrom will likely give him a shot to jump right into the NHL.

Mikael Johansson, C 5′10 183 .. 29 GP 4G 12A
If you follow Detroit prospects or you’ve ever studied a list of players drafted in the 9th round of the 2003 draft, you’ll recognize this name. Yes, in fact, Detroit made Johansson the 289th player selected in that very draft. Although he jumped in to the Swedish Elite League at a young age, Johansson never played a big role, leading to him not getting a contract and his rights were released last summer. However, Johansson centers a line with Brunnstrom on the wing and is enjoying a breakout season of his own, with 16 points in 29 games already compared to 22 in 101 in his first two seasons. Now 22 and about 20 pounds heavier than he was when drafted, Johansson may finally be showcasing the offensive ability that Detroit saw in him when they drafted him.

Linus Videll, RW 6′3 212 .. 31 GP 10G 9A
The hulking Swedish winger was selected 7th round, 2003, by the Colorado Avalanche. After originally being impressed with the improvement he showed in his first few seasons as an Avalanche prospect, they elected to let him go and now he finds himself a free agent. Videll plays a well rounded game but is especially good around the net, despite being an average skater. He bounced around the Swedish Elitserien and Allsvenskan for a few seasons, finally hitting his stride last year in the Allsvenskan with Sodertalje, now transferring that success to the top Swedish league and grabbing the scouts’ attention.

Linus Klasen, C 5′8 176 .. 28 GP 6G 7A
I have to preface this by noting how irrational I’m thinking right now. I really want Detroit to sign these last two guys just for the novelty of having two players named Linus. However, Klasen is much different than Videll. Klasen is small in stature but extremely speedy and smart with the puck. Unlike Videll, he saw almost no exposure in his draft year, as he floated between the Swedish U20 and U18 league for a couple seasons, then spent part of one playing junior hockey in the United States, and for whatever reason, not finding any NHL team calling. Last year with Huddinge in second-tier Sweden (the same team prospect Dick Axelsson made a name for himself with last year), he put up big numbers and signed a contract with Sodertalje this season. He’s having a solid rookie season, and despite the size, certainly has proved he deserves at least a look. Based on Hakan’s comments, though poorly translated, it sounds like Klasen has impressed more than Videll.

And for the record, the game was played tonight, Farjestad winning 2-0 and Brunnstrom scoring a goal.

Friday, Holland and Hakan are trekking back to Pardubice to watch the two semi-final matchups in the World Junior tournament, Canada vs. USA and Sweden vs. Russia. But Saturday, it’s back to Sweden as Holland will catch at least one more game before returning to North America. He’ll be watching Djurgarden take on Lulea. Lulea doesn’t appear to have any emerging Swedish stars (and their only player named Linus is Linus Omark, Edmonton property), but Djurgarden has a trio of Red Wing prospects: Johan Ryno, Dick Axelsson, and Daniel Larsson. The latter two are seeking contracts this offseason and are having exceptional years, and Holland will be equally curious to see how Ryno has fared his first six weeks back in Sweden.

Meech a Griffin again

..for two weeks, at least.

According to Ansar Khan at MLive, Derek Meech has been assigned to Grand Rapids on a two-week conditioning stint. He’s only played in eight games with Detroit this season since the top 6 has been — knock on wood — healthy, with Meech only getting a couple games to rest Chris Chelios.

Meech would need to clear waivers to otherwise play in Grand Rapids, and Detroit doesn’t want to risk losing him. Meech will play six games for the Griffins before returning to Detroit for the next West Coast swing.

A Glance into the Prospect World

The midseason review was fun to write but it took a really long time. I realized halfway through I didn’t need to make it as long as I did and it probably isn’t that interesting to read that way either. So, with the new blog look, I’m gonna do things a little differently. I’m gonna try to do more updates that are shorter in length, and try to cover a broader amount of topics. This will be a little longer (but condensed as much as I can) but useful nonetheless.

This is the first of what I hope to be a regular feature, prospect rankings. I’ll touch on what they’ve done so far but I don’t plan on going in depth. I love following prospects and so I think something like this would be useful for Detroit fans who care about prospects, but don’t have the time to really follow. I truly believe Detroit has some absolute gems right now, but I don’t think fans are fully aware of what some of the players are accomplishing. The actual number rankings are just my opinion and they fluctuate a lot. Potential is definitely at the front but I took a lot of current season success into account. I firmly believe that Jakub Kindl is the most talented defensive prospect Detroit has, but because of his rocky start into professional hockey, I’ve bumped him down a ways.

1. Jimmy Howard Grand Rapids (AHL)
27 GP .. 12-13-2 .. 2.54 GAA .. 91.4 Save% .. 2 SO
Grand Rapids has struggled, but Howard has not. After a sluggish start his numbers are very good for an average team and he gives the team a chance to win every night. Just today he was named AHL Goaltender of the Month for December.

2. Dick Axelsson Djurgården (Swedish Elite)
26 GP .. 8G 7A .. 12 PIM
‘Hat Trick Dick’ is having a sensational rookie season in Sweden’s top league. He was Detroit’s third 2nd round pick in 2006, who nobody had ever heard of, but he’s proved that Detroit scouts did their homework. His modest penalty minute total shows that he is playing more disciplined, but by all accounts, he’s still physical.

3. Justin Abdelkader Michigan State (CCHA)
19 GP .. 6G 8A .. 0 PIM
The future of Detroit’s Grind Line is looking good wearing the ‘A’ in his junior year at Michigan State. He plays on MSU’s top line and sees powerplay and penalty kill time. He nearly left to go pro last year, so it seems there is a good chance he foregos his senior season.

4. Jan Mursak Belleville Bulls (OHL)
29 GP .. 6G 20A .. +3 .. 15 PIM
One of the OHL’s top rookies last year, Mursak hasn’t scored at the same pace this season. He was just traded to a stronger Belleville team, which more closely resembles the Saginaw team he had so much success with last year in terms of offensive depth. He had 2 points in 3 games before joining Slovenia at the World Junior Championship.

5. Brendan Smith Wisconsin (WCHA)
18 GP .. 2G 11A .. 26 PIM
Smith is off to a good start, as a freshman on a freshman-heavy team. He’s leading defensemen in scoring and is quarterbacking the first powerplay unit. He’s working closely with former Badger standout and ex-NHLer Mark Osiecki, as he enters only his fourth year as a defenseman. He was a cut from the Canadian World Junior team, but has a chance at making the team next season.

6. Cory Emmerton Brampton (OHL)
27 GP .. 14G 21A .. -11 .. 6 PIM
Emmerton had a decent start to the season playing on one of the worst teams in the league. He’s been traded to Brampton, definitely an OHL contender, and would be playing for Canada at the World Juniors but he was sent home with mono. He will be back in time for Brampton’s playoff run and will hopefully be able to stay healthy for the remainder of what is likely his final junior campaign.

7. Jonathan Ericsson Grand Rapids (AHL)
35 GP .. 5G 11A .. +1 .. 38 PIM
Ericsson has picked up right where he left off in his second year of North American hockey, and the last pick from the 2002 draft keeps rising up the depth chart. His 6′5 frame combined with his skating and puckhandling abilities leave scouts drooling and he has a good chance at grabbing an NHL roster spot next season, if he can improve his consistency.

8. Jakub Kindl Grand Rapids (AHL)
31 GP .. 2G 6A .. -16 .. 32 PIM
Kindl has had a tough time adjusting in his first professional season. His offensive numbers are low for someone with his skillset and he’s a team worst -16. He’s not even 21 yet, so he has plenty of time to turn it around. As Grand Rapids gets more consistent overall, hopefully Kindl’s numbers improve. Kindl also had a rough time his rookie season in the OHL too, and really turned it around the following season.

9. Logan Pyett Regina (WHL)
39 GP .. 14G 16A .. +10 .. 38 PIM
Pyett is captain of his team, third in team scoring, second in goals, and first in plus/minus. He’s also alternate captain of Canada at the World Juniors and picked up a point in his first game. He’s doing everything he can to get a contract from Detroit, who is already pretty stacked with defensemen, especially smaller puck-moving defensemen such as Pyett. He, like most of Detroit’s 2006 draft class, will probably get a contract this offseason.

10. Johan Ryno Djurgården (Swedish Elite)
10 GP .. 1G 4A .. 10 PIM
After 12 games in Grand Rapids, with 3 goals and 7 points, Ryno decided to return to Sweden, joining Dick Axelsson with Djurgården. He has said he is learning English and has every intention of returning to North America next season. So far, he’s picked up where he left off in Sweden, with pretty impressive numbers for a young player. And from all accounts, he was definitely not out of place his short time in Grand Rapids.

11. Joakim Andersson Borås (Swedish Allsvenskan)
27 GP .. 5G 11A .. 26 PIM
Due mostly to his style of play, Andersson is playing for a second-tier men’s team in Sweden instead of in the Swedish junior league like most 89 born players. He’s got solid offensive totals on a below average team, and put up 5 assists in Sweden’s first four games at the World Juniors. His skating looks much improved since he was drafted.

12. Daniel Larsson Djurgården (Swedish Elite)
27 GP .. 92.2 Save% .. 2.29 GAA .. 4 SO
Of all the prospects on this list, Larsson might be the most underrated. A third Detroit prospect playing for Djurgården, Larsson won the starting job late last season and is enjoying a marvelous year his first year carrying the load. His numbers are among the best in the league and he’s quickly rising up the Swedish goaltending depth chart. He’s expressed interest in playing in North America next season and could take over for Howard, not just as Grand Rapids starter, but perhaps as one of Detroit’s top prospects next season.

13. Kyle Quincey Grand Rapids (AHL)
29 GP .. 2G 4A .. -1 .. 48 PIM
Quincey is feeling the effects of Grand Rapids poor performance this season as his numbers don’t look like they will reach last year’s. He’s a defensive defenseman first and foremost, and he proved in the playoffs last season he’s very close to being ready for a full-time NHL job. Detroit, knock on wood, hasn’t needed to recall a defenseman yet, but it would be interesting to see if Quincey would still be the first guy up or if he’s been jumped by Ericsson. Quincey has a good chance at grabbing a roster spot next season.

14. Darren Helm Grand Rapids (AHL)
31 GP .. 3G 3A .. -5 .. 12 PIM
As with the other first year pros in Grand Rapids, it’s hard to really jump on the prospects who aren’t making a difference when the veterans signed to make Grand Rapids good aren’t either. Helm is more of a two-way forward so his offensive totals are okay, but they could be better. However, a -5 isn’t too bad on Grand Rapids.

15. Igor Grigorenko Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russian Super League)
12GP .. 1G 2A .. 18 PIM
It’s a long fall from the top for Igor, who came to camp a bit out of shape, did not make the Wings as expected, and opted out of his duty in Grand Rapids after going pointless in five games and not being recalled to Detroit, returning to Russia. He is playing for his old club team Ufa, currently the best team in the league, but he has not made much of an impact. Upon his departure to Detroit he expressed interest in returning next season, hopefully in better shape and knowing enough English to get by. Detroit will need to re-sign him in the offseason if they’d like him back.

16. Zach Torquato Erie (OHL)
35 GP .. 12G 21A .. -17 .. 55 PIM
The captain of the lowly Erie Otters, Torquato is having a respectable year all things considered. He’s increased his offensive output since about mid-November, but Erie is, for the second year in a row, the worst team in the OHL and will miss likely the playoffs. The team is young, however, and Torquato will return next year, hopefully to lead Erie into the playoffs.

17. Evan McGrath Grand Rapids (AHL)
34 GP .. 5G 6A .. +0 .. 14 PIM
One step at a time for the one-time 100 point scorer in the OHL. McGrath had a great training camp and has established himself in the AHL this season, after needing some seasoning in the ECHL last season. His offensive totals will exceed what he did last season, but he will need to do a little more to move on to the next level.

18. Mattias Ritola Grand Rapids (AHL)
33 GP .. 2G 7A .. +9 .. 32 PIM
A rare positive note from Grand Rapids, Ritola has had a solid start to his North American career. It was a little surprising that he landed a contract, but Hakan Andersson loves his offensive potential. Ritola showed a little of that in the pre-season, and while he had an out-clause (like Ryno and Grigorenko) to jump back to Sweden, but he stuck with the AHL. His numbers are respectable, and his +/- is surprising for a player that was once tagged as ‘lazy’ and one-dimensional. He’s done what he can to shake that tag so far, but will need more offense to move further up the depth chart.

19. Ryan Oulahen Grand Rapids (AHL)
36 GP .. 5G 5A .. -1 .. 20 PIM
Now in his third year of AHL service, Oulahen is considered ‘veteran’ on a young Grand Rapids team. His numbers are similar to what he’s put up before and he’s in a contract year, so management will need to come to a decision and see whether or not he’s got any chance of jumping to the NHL or if he should just be cut loose.

20. Anton Axelsson Timrå (Swedish Elite)
32 GP .. 4G 7A .. +1 .. 6 PIM
Axelsson is enjoying the increased role he’s seeing now that he’s transferred from Frolunda to Timrå in the top Swedish division. His offensive numbers are slightly up and he’s averaging more ice time each game. He needs to be signed this year, and he has a chance of coming over. A lot of players are slated to be making the jump to Grand Rapids next year, so it could get crowded, but loaning Axelsson back to Sweden is always an option should he get signed.

21. Gennady Stolyarov Moscow Dynamo (Russian Super League)
21 GP .. 2G 2A .. 10 PIM
Stolyarov is an enigma in the Detroit organization, a late round pick that never got exposure but he does play on one of the best teams in Russia, and he’s out producing Igor Grigorenko. Due to the lack of a transfer agreement, Stolyarov does not have a deadline to sign, but the Wings have given no inclination as to whether he is worth signing or not. The ultimate home run pick, the only thing Detroit has ever said is that he has “all the tools” and high offensive skill, but needs to show more consistency. He’ll stay in Russia, most likely, but he’s worth keeping an eye on.

22. Randy Cameron Moncton (QMJHL)
34 GP .. 8G 12A .. -1 .. 16 PIM
Detroit’s lone QMJHL prospect is a step behind his CHL counterparts in points, but his numbers look like they’ll end up better than last year’s. Cameron wasn’t on most scouts’ radar prior to the draft but Detroit saw something in him, and that usually ends up as a good thing, but so far Cameron’s upside has yet to be seen.

23. Nick Oslund St. Cloud State (WCHA)
19 GP .. 2G 0A .. 4 PIM
One of Detroit’s often overlooked prospects, Oslund was drafted in 2006 and finally joined St. Cloud State this season. A checker on a freshman-heavy team, Oslund has established himself as a regular but hasn’t got it going offensively yet. Unlike all the other 2006 draft picks, since Oslund went the NCAA route, Detroit has a couple more seasons to sign him.

24. Bryan Rufenach Clarkson (ECAC)
13 GP .. 1G 1A .. 6 PIM
Rufenach hasn’t shown the offensive ability that had Detroit so interested in him, but his coaches speak glowingly about his ability and expect him to be a good player for year’s to come. Detroit seems to like to hold onto prospects for a long time, so by getting guys that go the NCAA route, they get at least four years to make a decision as opposed to two with CHL prospects. The Wings will have plenty of time with Rufenach.

25. Miroslav Blatak Salavat Yulaev Ufa (Russian Super League)
37 GP .. 2G 6A .. 26 PIM
2001 was a long time ago, and 25 is old in the prospect world, but Detroit still holds the rights to Miroslav Blatak. They love his offensive game and went out of their way to classify him as a defected player to hold his rights to 2009, so they do see something in him. They want him to get stronger before giving him a contract. Meanwhile, Blatak has built up quite the passport. He’s moved from the Czech league to Sweden, now playing in Russia with the same club as Igor Grigorenko, outproducing him.

26. Randall Gelech Grand Rapids (AHL)
32 GP .. 4G 3A .. -5 .. 18 PIM
Gelech has the distinction of being the only player on this list not drafted by Detroit. Rather, he was signed this offseason, mostly for depth, but he’s still 23 and Detroit likes his size and offensive ability. So far, he hasn’t really lived up to the billing.

27. Nils Backstrom Alaska-Anchorage (WCHA)
13 GP .. 1G 1A .. 6 PIM
A rare Swede in the NCAA, Backstrom, a sophomore, is on the worst team in arguably the strongest division in college hockey. His offensive totals are down from last year, and that’s really all anyone can say about him. Detroit hasn’t really said anything about him publicly since he was drafted in 2004, but they do hold his rights for a few more seasons.

28. Sergei Kolosov Dinamo Minsk (Belarussian Hockey League)
Kolosov played the last two seasons in the United States junior league and was hoping to catch on with a low level North American pro team, but instead returned to Belarus. That’s all anyone knows, I’ve dug for a while and I cannot find stats. Detroit has until June to sign him and it doesn’t appear likely he’ll be Red Wings property past this season.

29. Logan Koopmans ??? (IR)
After having 4 seasons cut short in 5 years due to injury, the Red Wings convinced goaltender Logan Koopmans to not retire and gave him another one-year contract to see if he could stay healthy. He was hurt, presumably sometime in training camp, and didn’t see any action in the prospect tournament or the pre-season, and has disappeared off the face of the earth since then. He’s probably “with” Grand Rapids, set to be assigned to either of Detroit’s two (unused) IHL affiliates if he ever came back, but most likely, his career is over.

The forwards, and beyond

Alright, so I don’t know that anyone is actually reading this, but I’m committed to finishing the midseason review. Maybe some day, thousands of years in the future, scientists will rediscover the internet and my blog will be used to decipher the lost language of English. Yes, this is my new motivation; I am glad to help. In return, all I would like is a guarantee that my body will be restored into it’s current state.

also, since I’ve taken so long with this, please note that goalie stats are as of 36 GP, defenseman at 37 GP, and forwards at 40 GP. It’s still midseason, and I’m sure there will only be only a handful of people ever reading this, let alone combing it for accuracy

Dan Cleary – A-
40 GP .. 12G 12A .. +11 .. 18 PIM
For the second straight season, Dan Cleary is having a breakout year. He’s proven that he can play in any situation on any line. For the past two weeks he’s played with Pavel Datsyuk and Valtteri Filppula on the top line, but prior to that he seemed to play most of his time with Filppula and a rotating winger, with some time spent on the grind line. For most of the year he’s played on the second powerplay unit, which (when the first unit is healthy) is much more effective than it’s been the past couple seasons. The next challenge for Cleary is to keep his pace going in the second half of the season, as last year he only scored 3 goals after the Christmas break. He also had the pleasure of being stuck with Robert Lang for all of last season, who played some of his worst hockey in the second half of the year. If Filppula can keep up his recent pace, Cleary will have no trouble staying on the scoresheet.

Pavel Datsyuk – A+
40 GP .. 15G 34A .. +20 .. 6 PIM
Pavel Datsyuk is establishing himself as a superstar in the NHL. Babcock said it well in an interview last week, saying that Datsyuk has proven he’s not a “one-trick pony,” as his reputation in his early years in the league was more of an elite stickhandler. Entering his first year of a seven-year deal that makes him the second highest paid player on the team, Datsyuk has not disappointed. His ability to make defenders look ridiculous has not gone anywhere but Datsyuk has also turned heads with his two-way game, highlighted by his commanding takeaway league among the entire NHL, his special teams prowess, and his shot. Datsyuk is finally shooting, in accordance with Babcock’s wishes, and the goals are coming more frequently. He’s not on the pace that Zetterberg is, but he’ll end up close to his career high of 87 points, and it’s not unreasonable to say he’ll be in consideration for his third straight Lady Byng, or even a Selke. He’s a likely starter in next month’s all-star game, and the past few games, with Zetterberg’s absence, he’s proven that he’s just as dominate of a force, giving the Wings a great option for one of the league’s most dangerous duo, or one of the league’s best 1-2 punches. Babcock has said this week he will keep the Datsyuk line together when Zetterberg returns, but if it stops producing, Datsyuk will find himself paired with Zetterberg quickly.

Aaron Downey – A
26 GP .. 0G 0A .. +0 .. 46 PIM
So this seems a little off the wall, but it’s my way of rewarding guys that do the little things. Aaron Downey has done everything the coaches have asked of him, and his presence has been much stronger than fans and players alike expected. Downey was given a tryout in camp, much to the groan of Wings fans, who were still reeling over the failed Brad Norton experience, and were already expecting a logjam on the fourth line. He is the fighter that Detroit has not had since Darren McCarty, and a pretty good one at that. He’s dropped the gloves 6 times this seasons, with the likes of Todd Fedoruk, Jared Boll, Kyle McLaren, Jody Shelley — names that you’ll frequently find in the fight major stat column. It’s not that he’s just dropping the gloves, but he’s winning the fights. According to his profile on hockeyfights.com, he has won or drawn each fight he’s had this season. Due to injuries he’s played more than he’s expected to, proving that he is capable of taking a regular shift. Downey skates his hardest, dumps the puck in the corner, hits two or three guys, and gets off the ice. What makes him such a usable enforcer is that he doesn’t take penalties. But wait — doesn’t it say he has 46 PIM? Yes, yes he does, however, only 6 of those minutes have actually put Detroit on the penalty kill. The other 40 minutes, he’s bringing people with him. He’s quickly becoming a fan favorite, as even the usually mellow JLA crowd enjoys watching him bounce around. He gets the fans going, and he gets the team going. Chris Osgood was recently quoted as saying he’s one of the most energetic guys in the locker room, dancing around, telling jokes, talking with his teammates. He’s a leader in his own way, and will be a valuable presence down the stretch. You can’t ask for anything more out of the guy, and for that, he receives a midterm grade of A.

Dallas Drake – C-
33 GP .. 0G 2A .. -5 .. 28 PIM
Like Downey, the Drake signing was questionable. Unlike Downey, the benefits haven’t quite come to the surface yet. Part of this is really out of his control. Drake fought three times in Detroit’s first four games — which isn’t really his job — but it helped him quickly win over fans and teammates. He broke his jaw, and since then he’s been instructed to keep the gloves on (though it didn’t stop him from giving long-time friend Jamal Mayers a piece of his mind last week). For whatever reason, since he’s come back from the injury he hasn’t been the same player. Most nights he’s not noticeable on the ice, despite the fact that in the absence of Kirk Maltby, he’s often seeing those minutes paired with Kris Draper. He sees some time on the penalty kill but doesn’t take what Maltby usually has. He appears to be taking it easy, but I suppose I would too if my jaw was broken. He’s not the same agitator he was with St. Louis, or his first couple games without the broken jaw. He’s doing his part off the ice — he’s a leader in the locker room and he’s dedicated a lot of his time to youth hockey teams in the Detroit area, but he’s a team worst -5. On the bright side, that’s up from -8 on December 20, so he’s showing signs of turning it around. He’ll need to take it game by game, but eventually he’ll need to get his edge back to make a difference on the ice.

Kris Draper – C
31 GP .. 7G 7A .. +6 .. 36 PIM
This rating might seem a little harsh; but I’m basing it on what was expected from him at the beginning of the season, to what he’s doing now. At the beginning of training camp, Draper expressed interest in being a top 6 forward, and Babcock gave him the chance to accomplish this. He scored 5 goals and 8 points in the first month of the season, but that’s part of the problem. He has 2 goals since then, and one and empty net. Defensively, he’s still our go to shut down forward, and top penalty killer but he isn’t generating the chances he has in the past. He could be getting old and slow, he could be having the trouble with his now required knee brace, he could be missing playing with his buddy Kirk, but whatever the reason, he just hasn’t been as effective. On a team with so many positive stories, there’s bound to be a few negative, and if Draper is one of the worst we have, we’re doing pretty good. I don’t mean to make it seem like he’s doing nothing right, because that’s not true, but he hasn’t accomplished what he set out to at the beginning of the season.

Matt Ellis – C+
28 GP .. 2G 3A .. +3 .. 10 PIM
Matt Ellis is somewhat difficult to rate. For most of the first month of the year, he rotated in and out of the lineup with Downey, Drake, and Kopecky. Because of injuries, he finds himself on the energy line with Downey and Hartigan/Drake/Kopecky, depending on the team’s health. So obviously, he doesn’t play that much. He’s made incredible strides in his skating game the past few seasons, and is a classic example of a guy that puts it all on the table each and every shift. He’s a great guy off the ice, and he’s definitely missed in Grand Rapids. He’s a +3 this season, which if you think about it, is extremely impressive for someone who does not see any special teams. He could kill penalties, but he seems to be buried in that category with so many other energy guys and two-way forwards on the roster. Once Maltby, Holmstrom, and Zetterberg return, Ellis will likely see more press box and it’s probably going to come down to a rotation between Downey and him. But, if injuries ever get bad enough where he needs to see playoff time, he certainly won’t be a liability.

Valtteri Filppula – B+
40 GP .. 13G 8A .. +12 .. 14 PIM
If you only look at the past month, Filppula gets an A. However, he had a rather slow start so this grade reflects that. His play at the beginning of the season was not bad, but the points weren’t coming for him. He proved in playoffs that he was ready to be the second line center if Datsyuk and Zetterberg were kept on the same line, but wasn’t providing the secondary scoring Detroit was looking for in the early going. Detroit was winning, so this wasn’t an issue, and his overall two-way play satisfied coaches enough for them to not move him around. For the most part, his offensive numbers look rather modest because he was not playing on the powerplay, as Babcock instead chose to make him a staple on the penalty kill. Due to the injuries to Zetterberg and Holmstrom, Filppula jumped onto the top even strength and powerplay line with Dan Cleary and Pavel Datsyuk. Filppula responded with 7 goals and 9 points in 7 games. He’s still working on confidence with the puck, and taking more shots, but his development in his second season is very comparable to that of Zetterberg and Datsyuk. He’s averaging about 15-20 minutes a night, even with a healthy lineup, and Babcock speaks glowingly about his future. Detroit’s still one of the older teams in the league (mostly due to Hasek and Chelios) but when you look at the season a guy like Valtteri Filppula is having, you don’t feel too concerned that they’ll fall from their contending status any time soon.

Johan Franzen – C+
30 GP .. 6G 2A .. +7 .. 29 PIM
Franzen had a rough start to the season, going down with a three week knee injury in just the second game and then not recording a point until his 12th game of the season. However, it’s not much to be concerned about. Offense isn’t really his game, and while his numbers don’t look like they’ll match the 30 points he had last season, his play overall hasn’t suffered much. He’s a regular penalty killer, an agitator, and is among Detroit leaders in hits and blocked shots. His minutes are pretty consistently in the 18-20 range, and he’s been taking more shots the past month. He’s still frequently moved around the lineup, sometimes taking a wing on a scoring line, sometimes centering the checking line, and his versatility has proven to be valuable recently with the current slew of injuries.

Mark Hartigan – C
8 GP .. 1G 0A .. +0 .. 2 PIM
Hartigan, the team’s first forward callup from Grand Rapids, has been needed in 8 games this season and has filled in well, centering the energy line with Aaron Downey and Matt Ellis, averaging only about 5-7 minutes a night. He is an accomplished scorer at the AHL level and proved he can score in the NHL, registering his first goal as a Wing in his second game. He’s due back to Grand Rapids, Zetterberg is returning, and Holmstrom and Maltby are a week or two away, so his next game in red and white might not be for a while, but he’s shown that he won’t look out of place if called upon again.

Tomas Holmstrom – A-
33 GP .. 17G 14A .. +6 .. 40 PIM
It’s been a frustrating season for Tomas Holmstrom. Offensively, he’s right on the mark, hovering around a point per game, but injuries may prevent him from actually breaking his career highs. He started with 5 goals in his first 6 games but probably had just as many called off in his first month of the season, as referees seemed to have taken a special interest in making sure he makes no contact with goalies — even though in a couple cases contact was clearly initiated by the defenseman. Holmstrom then spent the next couple weeks finding a new spot to stand where he could still cause havoc in front of the net, but his points suffered because of it. He was finally getting back into a rhythm, when he suffered a knee injury. In just his second game back, his knee was re-injured and he’s missed two weeks and is scheduled to miss about two more. If he can get back into the lineup quickly, he’s just 13 goals away from his career high of 30, but precautions will be taken as injuring the same knee twice in a season is a delicate process; hurry him back too quickly and he could be out the rest of the season.

Jiri Hudler – A
40 GP .. 10G 17A .. +11 .. 12 PIM
It’s a breakout season for the diminutive Czech winger, as he’s finally found a spot in the Red Wings lineup. Like Filppula, he saw many minutes in the absence of several Wings forwards but prior to that he saw regular minutes on the second powerplay unit, and deserves a lot of credit for it’s success, but wasn’t playing much even strength before that. He’s proven this season, but more so recently, that he’s worked hard on his defensive game and his skating and it’s making a difference. He’s much more confident with the puck and he’s allowed to be creative now. Again, I could pretty much copy everything I wrote for Filppula to Hudler. Detroit’s forwards are in good shape for the future.

Tomas Kopecky – B+
36 GP .. 3G 3A .. +4 .. 19 PIM
Kopecky is the only Wing that can say he’s already scored six times the amount of points he did last season.. which is impressive until you look at what he’s done this season, meaning he only had one point last season. Still, it’s been a big year for Kopecky who went from the 13th forward last season, to injured, to a regular this season. He was part of the four man rotating when the team was healthy but quickly proved that he deserved to play every night. He gets rave reviews from Babcock because of his speed, size, and ability to play the body, and while he isn’t on the grind line every night, he is being groomed to center the grind line once the likes of Draper, Maltby, and Drake move on.

Kirk Maltby – C
24 GP .. 3G 3A .. +3 .. 20 PIM
Maltby, in his first year of a three-year extension, missed the entire month of December with a bad back. Prior to that, his game was much of what you can expect from Maltby, with the grinding element he provides and his in your face attitude, and his offensive totals looking slightly better than the last two seasons. He’s definitely not signed to score though. He’s about two weeks away from returning and hopefully he’ll be able to light a fire in the grind line once he does, and more importantly, stay healthy.

Mikael Samuelsson – C
36 GP .. 6G 16A .. +9 .. 10 PIM
Mikael Samuelsson has continued the inconsistency that’s plagued him his entire career. His point total won’t fall much from his previous year totals but the 6 goals really stands out — especially because he’s played nearly the entire season on a scoring line, either with Zetterberg or Hudler. He’s also playing regularly on the powerplay, only recently seeing more of his powerplay point minutes taken away by Brett Lebda. He had 8 points in 6 games in the span of a few weeks in December and he needs to keep that going, because he’s got one of the harder shots on the team and if he gets going, he’s tough to stop.

Henrik Zetterberg – A+
35 GP .. 25G 25A .. +14 .. 20 PIM
You can’t say enough good things about Zetterberg’s play this season. He jumped to an early lead in the NHL point race and he currently sits 4th, despite missing 5 games. His two-way game has not suffered despite this increase in offense. He’ll be a likely starter in the all-star game along side Datsyuk and could generate some consideration in the race for the Selke and the Hart, and of course the Rocket Richard (on pace to be the second and Art Ross. However, health is his first priority, as his back has acted up before and a Zetterberg at 90% and 100% can be a huge difference, as the 2007 playoffs proved.

So that concludes the midseason review. I finished this up during the Detroit/Dallas game on 1/2 and I’d like to point out that Downey recorded his first point, and Drake had a goal and a fight in his first game without the visor, so they’re already starting the second half strong. Zetterberg had two points in his first game back.

To close this long series off, I’d like to focus on my keys to the second half of the season.

Motivation
Detroit has a comfortable lead in the division, conference, and a pretty nice lead in the race for the President’s Trophy too, reaching 30 wins faster than they ever have before. They’ve had problems in the past coasting through the second half of the season and facing 8 seeds that had to win every night to squeak into the playoffs. Detroit doesn’t need to let other teams catch up, but they need to come out 100% every night and find something to play for in March and early April, even though the games will probably mean nothing.

Health
This kind of contradicts the first goal but it’s important. They’ve already had the injury bug and have won despite it, but they can’t have that if they want to make a deep playoff run. They need to find a balance between these first two things, play hard every game, but don’t take any chances with the recurring injuries Detroit’s getting with Zetterberg’s back, Holmstrom’s knee, Maltby’s back, and of course, Hasek’s groin.

Goaltending
Osgood is playing the best hockey of his life but Detroit has no plans for him in the playoffs. Hasek’s been much better of late, but he needs to emerge as Detroit’s #1 to silence those who say he’s not in it. He needs to prove that he deserves to be Detroit’s playoff goalie.

Divisional play
Detroit is 30-8-3 with 41 games played but 6-7-2 in the so called “weakest division” in the league. They have a 21 point lead over 2nd place St. Louis but they’ve struggled with the Blues physical game, and the physical, fast-paced games of Chicago and Columbus. The Wings will have little trouble winning the division, but getting more points out of these divisional games is important and will better prepare Detroit for playoff hockey. Not to mention right now all the other Central division teams are sitting at 9-12 and are anywhere from 1 to 5 points out of the playoffs, all with games in hand, so there is a very good chance we could be facing one of them in the playoffs, and we can’t afford to have losing records against a potential first round matchup, because that just spells disaster.