David Pope receives a plug from the Hockey News

Among The Hockey News’s Matt Larkin’s “Prospect Need to Know”-listed players:

David Pope, LW, University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks (NCHC) – Pope has used his time in college very well. The 6-foot-3, 194-pound senior is a lot stronger than he was coming into Omaha, while his skills and skating have also developed. The Detroit Red Wings pick was one of the NCHC’s top scorers with 40 points in 33 games (including a league-leading 20 goals) and now he and the Mavs have a conference tourney date with North Dakota. NHL arrival: 2019-20

The Red Wings are highly likely to sign Pope, who has developed from a 6’2,” 150-pound pure sniper into the player he is today.

Pope and the University of Nebraska-Omaha will take on Western Michigan University in the WCHA playoffs this upcoming weekend.

If his playoff season ends early, the Grand Rapids Griffins could sign Pope to an amateur try-out.

Published by

George Malik

My name is George Malik, and I'm the Malik Report's editor/blogger/poster. I have been blogging about the Red Wings since 2006, and have worked with MLive and Kukla's Korner. Thank you for reading!

13 thoughts on “David Pope receives a plug from the Hockey News”

  1. Pope has progressed very well. As have several other college guys. They don’t seem to garner as much attention as our “higher-profile” picks. For example, on defense it’s always Cholowski, Hronek, VS, Hicketts…whereas Holway is likely ahead of at least 2 of these guys. Pope and Pearson would be way ahead of guys like Sadowy, Smith, etc…

    1. I agree that Pope and others are overlooked, but I would disagree that Pope is ahead of several of the Wings’ professional players in terms of development. The kids who are getting press in the AHL are doing so because they’re playing in a tremendously difficult league, and NCAA hockey is very good, but it’s not playing against men.

      1. Agree to disagree. The NCAA is also against a lot of fully grown men, as opposed to teenagers in the CHL/USHL. A guy like Pope is 23, already physically mature, and excelling in college. I have him well above AHL guys like Holmstrom, Sadowy, Nastasiuk, and the next wave of Givani Smith. Not saying any of them are going to make it, but I’ll bet on Pope before these other guys. And I’d bet even more on Pearson.
        On defense, Patrick Holway is 21.5 years old, 6’4, 200+, right-hand shooting d-man that is often playing top-pair minutes for a solid program in Maine. That’s more impressive to me than what Saarijarvi and Hicketts have done in the AHL. And definitely more impressive than “prospects” like Russo, Renouf, etc…
        Look around the league at how many players jump straight from college into the NHL, without ever setting foot in the AHL. Again, not saying this is going to happen for our guys. But lots of examples in which NCAA has prepared guys for the NHL just as well as the AHL.

        1. “That’s more impressive to me than what Saarijarvi and Hicketts have done in the AHL.”

          Yeah, all Hicketts did in his rookie year was lead the defense in scoring, in the reg season AND playoffs, on a calder cup winning roster. Not very impressive if you ask me.

          1. And Hicketts followed up his great 2016-17 season with a pretty mediocre 2017-2018. He went from 34 points and +15 (among the best on the team) to just 10 points and -7 (2nd worst on the team). And then of course we have his size which is a major obstacle. So yeah, I’m not very impressed. He didn’t build on his rookie year but took a major step backwards.
            Meanwhile, Holway has NHL-size. No obstacle there. And he is building and getting better each year.
            But it’s super cool if you view Hicketts > Holway. You are entitled to that opinion.

          2. Until I see what Holway can do as a pro, I would agree that Hicketts has shown more than Holway. We are free to disagree here…and again, this isn’t about “winning” the comments section.

        2. Holway is going to have to significantly improve his skating to ever be an NHL player. He has the body for it, but unless he fixes his terrible feet and how clumsy he is as a skater he won’t make it.

      2. Georgie,
        Is there any place you know of that can confirm the depth chart as the Wing’s staff sees it?

        1. Negative. The Red Wings don’t release that kind of thing. At this point the best estimation of the depth chart is CapFriendly, honestly.

  2. I think Pope has made some great growth (6’3″) and Hockey wise with a bit unusual choice of Leagues. He does get press in BC, Canada. When he started in the BCJHL , I thought he made a bad choice, I was wrong. In college he has flourished, dome how I saw him Canadian TV. Only playing on Weekends seems to be a drawback.

    All in All I think he will the NHL and be above average. He looks good.

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