I’m starting to wonder (aloud) whether the Red Wings’ “Taxi Squad” will consist of the team’s AHL-bound prospects for the first month of the NHL season, and I’m wondering whether the development of players like Evgeny Svechnikov, Dennis Cholowski and Michael Rasmussen will be best-served by practicing instead of playing hockey, at least over the longer term.
That being said, of the Red Wings’ European-loaned prospects, Rasmussen, who played in the rarely-covered ICE Hockey League in Austria, had a better half-season with the Graz99ers than his game-to-game stats may have indicated. Is Rasmussen ready to take the next step and squeeze his way on to a deep Wings roster?
I’m not sure of the answer to that question, but NHL.com’s Mike G. Morreale named Rasmussen as a “prospect to watch” this week, and I’m intrigued to see whether the big forward can reverse course after an inconsistent and injury-shortened 2019-2020 AHL season:
Michael Rasmussen (Detroit Red Wings), F, Graz99ers: The 21-year-old (6-6, 229), chosen No. 9 in the 2017 NHL Draft, has scored 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 18 games on loan in the ICE Hockey League, the top professional men’s league in Austria. Rasmussen scored 22 points (seven goals, 15 assists) in 35 games with Grand Rapids (AHL) last season.
Continued; we’ll talk more about the “Taxi Squad” in the as-yet-unnamed podcast that’s going to be airing this week (hopefully!).
Not sure he answered any questions in Austria? Will see back in North America. When AHL starts I feel he should be put in play. With Ras practicing vs playimg in the AHL gives him an out which I think he takes too often. Throw him into the fire with big minutes, if that is too much just let him play with the boys and don’t treat him any different. His body and some streaky past , still deserve a shot.
Problem for him other Prospects maybe are passing him.
I am not a sports shrink but maybe he needs to talk to a Sports Psychologist (or whatever they are called) and even that could back fire.
I should have just said he has me worried and I do not know what he needs, if anything.
Not sure I have seen another 1st Rd pick who sometimes leaves everything in the dressing room and goes out and tries to play.
I accept that as a big man he doesn’t need to be a goon but he will be challenged. Maybe he should hit the reset button and be Ras.
Very interesting athlete, I hope he gives himself a chance.
I agree with you that Rasmussen would be best-served to, for lack of a better term, “Be himself,” but finding that self may require some outside help and reflection via a sports psychologist. Nothing wrong with that.