Impressions from the third day of Red Wings training camp 2021

The Detroit Red Wings concluded the formal portion of their training camp activities on Saturday, emphasizing special teams work as the first and second days‘ worth of drills gave way to a day exclusively spent working upon odd-man situations, both under coach Jeff Blashill and under the tutelage of defensive coach Doug Houda and new offense/power play coach Alex Tanguay (who’s very vocal).

Today, Jakub Vrana also joined the fray for a shot period of time (and injured his shoulder; he’ll be reevaluated tomorrow), but most of the Red Wings’ activities involved changing up their PP and PK units significantly, though there were some consistencies in terms of Max Bultman’s lines from Day 1. It looks like we’ll see those lines tomorrow.

Heading into the Red vs. White game at 12 PM EDT on Sunday (most likely on DetroitRedWings.com and/or their YouTube channel), the pace of today’s activities was good, and the coaches were instructive in hammering home the basics of special teams play and competitiveness in said play…

But it’s very evident that the players want to move on to a real scrimmage and the practices which precede Detroit’s very heavy 8-games-in-12-nights exhibition schedule.

In terms of player assessments, here’s what I witnessed on the third day of training camp, on a team-by-team basis:

TEAM LINDSAY:

TEAM LINDSAY

Forwards:

#25 Taro Hirose: The Red Wings changed things up and had the non-Red-vs-White-game players take part in the “scratches'” skate today. For Hirose, who’s now 25, the time is still “now” for the 5’10,” 162-pound left wing to make some sort of positive impression on the Red Wings’ brass, regardless of which squad he’s skating on. Hirose remains an elite passer–truly, he’s one of the best passers on the team–but the little guy isn’t going to get any bigger, and he isn’t going to get much stronger, so he really needs to improve upon his 23-assist, 28-point campaign with the Grand Rapids Griffins last year (achieved over the course of only 29 games played). If Hirose can continue to post point-per-game totals at the NHL level, that will force the Red Wings (or some other NHL team) to give him at least a “cup of coffee” call-up, if not a semi-legitimate shot.

#26 Riley Barber: This was my first real viewing of the Grand Rapids Griffins forward, and the 6,’ 199-pound Barber, who led the Griffins in scoring with 34 points in 32 games last season, is one thick dude. Barber is 27, so he doesn’t necessarily project to be much more than a depth player at the NHL level, but he does everything fast, he does everything hard, and he does everything with relative ease. In other words, he’s a well-rounded player, and he’s a very strong body at that. It would not surprise me if we saw him at some point this upcoming season as a call-up as he’s not too old to not harbor NHL aspirations. The word I used to describe him in my notes was “crisp,” and that’s a good descriptor of his play.

#42 Kyle Criscuolo: The 5’9,” 175-pound Criscuolo is another Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted player, and his 19-points-in-29-games-played season with Grand Rapids is more or less indicative of what the 29-year-old center brings to the table–about a point every other game, if not a little more, at the AHL level. Small but steady, Criscuolo has carved out a very solid pro career as an AHL’er and occasional NHL call-up, and he’s back with the team that signed him after a couple seasons’ worth of play in the Sabres and Ducks’ organizations. Sometimes you just know where you fit, and Criscuolo provides middle-of-the-lineup depth on one of the AHL’s best-run teams.

#46 Chase Pearson: Again, I believe that Pearson will start the season playing for the Griffins, but I’m not sure whether the 6’3,” 202-pound center will end the season there. He can’t quite match the speed with which his competitor for the 4th line center’s spot, Mitchell Stephens, can bring to the table, but Pearson is massive and does a fine job playing a two-way game that, at the AHL level, at least, afforded the 24-year-old a 22-points-in-28-games-played season last year. Very big and very strong but very mobile, the stalwart center understands that he’s going to make his money shutting opponents down, winning draws and battles for the puck in one-on-one situations along the boards, behind and in front of his own net, and by shutting down opposition scoring chances in his own and the neutral zones. Pearson also possesses enough of an edge that he tends to drive opponents crazy without choosing to punch back.

#52 Jonatan Berggren: Berggren is still, in theory, anyway, nursing an upper-body injury, but he’s looked fine in limited action (i.e. one-hour practices) with Team Lindsay. A plucky little center who may very well project better as a winger, the 5’11,” 195-pound(?) Berggren is going to try his luck at North American hockey after three seasons spent with Skelleftea AIK of the SHL, and the 21-year-old is plain old one of the best passers in the *entire organization* already. Berggren uses his smooth-skating style and ability to deke and dangle to create space for himself and his teammates, and when he’s ready, he’ll send laser-accurate passes to teammates who are in scoring position. He has a fine shot, too, though he barely ever uses it himself. He’s also big and strong enough (despite his lack of size) to really excel in traffic, and he needs a good year in Grand Rapids to grasp the North American game and the North American grind, but he won’t need much more than that to emerge as one of the Red Wings’ brightest prospects.

#61 T-Bone Codd*: Codd, all of 18 and a free agent try-out who did not play a meaningful game last season due to his Saginaw Spirit playing in the pandemic-stopped OHL, has displayed a pluckier and pluckier personality over the course of training camp, but the truth of the matter is that the 5’10,” 175-pound(?) Codd is heading back to Saginaw after the Red vs. White game, most likely to try and convince the Wings or another NHL team to draft him as a 19-year-old next summer. He bounces off checks, bounces off other players’ checks, and he’s got better hands than I gave him credit for. He needs to work on his skating and pace of play.

#62 Cooper Walker*: Walker, another OHL’er, is a 6,’ 174-pound center from the Guelph Storm, and he was bounced around in the prospect tournament, but skating with the scratches and minor-leaguers, at least, the 19-year-old has looked solid enough. The free agent try-out who’s listed at 5’9″ on EliteProspects will also head back to his OHL team and attempt to convince the Red Wings or another NHL team to draft him next summer, and there is promise in Mr. Growth Spurt, but it’s not quite evident that he’s NHL material yet due to his limited resume.

Walker was cut today by the Red Wings today. He will return to the OHL.

#67 Dennis Yan**: Hands and feet. The Grand Rapids Griffins took a chance on the 24-year-old Yan, a prolific scorer at the QMJHL level, but not necessarily a high-scoring player at the AHL or ICE HL level, because the 6’2,” 192-pound winger still possesses superbly quick hands and quick feet–as well as the ability to play the game at a fast pace. So the Griffins will see what Yan can do after never quite cracking more than a point-per-every-other-game level in the AHL, and a solid season with the Black Wings Linz in Austria.

#78 Patrick Curry**: Curry, another Grand Rapids Griffins contract, stands at 5’10” and 185 pounds, and I liked the leadership and work ethic that the Boston College graduate displayed during the prospect tournament, but the plucky center hasn’t been able to skate during training camp due to an upper-body injury. Here’s hoping that he can crack the Griffins or Walleye’s lineup when he’s healthy.

Defensemen:

#3 Jared McIsaac: McIsaac continues to recover from a concussion, so he did not skate on Saturday. He’s fully recovered from two interrupted seasons due to shoulder reconstructions, and the 6’1,” 192-pound defenseman looked like he was rediscovering his game as a Brad Stuart-style Swiss Army Knife defenseman during the prospect tournament, but he suffered that unfortunate hit and hasn’t been on the ice since. I really like the 21-year-old’s skating, smarts and maintenance-free maturity.

#49 Seth Barton: Barton is a mystery to me because I haven’t seen him skate since the summer development camp two summers ago. The 6’3,” 196-pound graduate of UMass-Lowell was signed by the Wings last spring, and he played in 4 games with Grand Rapids, but the 22-year-old has been injured and unable to participate in practices thus far. He’s supposed to be speedy and useful offensively, but, as Mike Babcock used to say, “I haven’t seen him.”

#83 Mason Ward*: It was a defense-less practice at 8:30 AM this morning, because Ward, a 6’5,” 214-pound defenseman from the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings, did not skate today. He’ll likely head back to Brandon on Monday and attempt to play a better season as a 19-year-old after being passed over in last summer’s draft.

Goaltender:

#36 Kaden Fulcher: I know for a fact that Fulcher is slated to spend this season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, where the 23-year-old will attempt to reclaim his status as a legitimate prospect while splitting starts with Billy Christopoulos. I know that the 6’3,” 210-pound Fulcher still possesses the technical skills to reclaim that prospect’s status, despite some slightly slow toes, but he committed a classic “struggling goaltender’s” mistake this morning: he started giving up bad goals, and couldn’t stop them from going in for a period of time. That told me that the big, skilled and talented netminder is still trying to wrap his head around his assets, and, despite working with goaltending coach Jeff Salajko, Fulcher simply needs more work in order to reclaim his spot in the organization’s goaltending pipeline.

TEAM DELVECCHIO:

Forwards:

#11 Filip Zadina: Zadina and Hronek, two of the Wings’ trio of Czechs, spent today getting down on himself when he was unable to score (which is not that regularly). It was frustrating to watch Zadina’s level of self-frustration rise and remain high; the 6,’ 197-pound Zadina is now 21, and there’s just no reason for the tremendously talented goal-scorer and skater to get down on himself. Ideally, this is the year that Zadina, who plays at a high pace and rips hard, accurate shots at the net (especially from that one-timer at the bottom of the right faceoff circle) really gains a foothold in the NHL, and establishes himself as a 15-to-20-goal-scorer. Thus far, he’s been given every opportunity to skate alongside Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi, and as such, he’s primed for success…He’s just got to keep maturing mentally and keep working on letting the shots that don’t roll in stay out of his head.

#22 Mitchell Stephens: I’ve been impressed with the 5’11,” 190-pound center. The 24-year-old from Peterborough skates with a hunched-over style that makes him look smaller than he already is, but he’s fast, he’s tenacious, he wins faceoffs and battles for the puck, and he uses his speed to close upon his opponents and shut them down before they can generate high-danger scoring chances. He hasn’t completely established himself at the NHL level yet, but he’s got a couple of inches on Chase Pearson in the race for the 4th line center’s spot. It will be a close race.

#23 Lucas Raymond: Raymond plays the game with an almost disturbingly casual demeanor, but you should not mistake his easygoing nature for disinterest. The 5’11,” 182-pound winger has an absolutely elite shot and release, he’s accurate with his shot as well, he knows how to lurk in the quiet areas on the ice and score sneaky goals, and he’s equally adept at firing home one-timers or sniping shots in traffic and under pressure from opponents. Raymond skates very well, he’s a better passer than he gets credit for being and he’s going to be an NHL’er by next season at the very, very latest.

#37 Carter Rowney: Rowney, like Stephens, has been very good in training camp. The 32-year-old stands at 6’2″ and 208 pounds, and he’s been a regular NHL’er over the past three seasons, but in the Red Wings organization, it’s more likely that Rowney and Riley Barber will battle to become the first veteran call-up from the Grand Rapids Griffins. Something of a late-bloomer, Rowney provides size, strength and solid skating skills amidst a no-frills grinding game, and he possesses passable offensive skills, too. We’ll see whether he gets into a race for a 4th line winger’s spot…

#48 Givani Smith: Because Givani Smith really, really wants to win the battle with Rowney. Now 6’2″ and 215 pounds, the instigating forward who doesn’t mind dropping the gloves is out of waiver options at 23 years of age. He’s got the skating skills to keep up with the NHL game, he’s not without good passing and shooting skills, and he’s wearing a pair of True hockey gloves and using a Bauer stick (things that AHL-bound players, who are bound to the CCM-only equipment rule, do not do), so I’ll give him two points for self-confidence there. I just don’t know how the exhibition season will shake out, or whether he’ll make himself indispensable to the Red Wings as their resident instigator.

#51 Hayden Verbeek**: Verbeek is sort of an outlier as a prospect, and that’s why the Grand Rapids Griffins are giving the 23-year-old an opportunity to remain relevant. Standing at 5’10” and 187 pounds, Verbeek can display superb skating skills, but he hasn’t accumulated the AHL resume to indicate that he’s worth an NHL contract, so the Red Wings chose to keep him in the organization as a depth player for the Griffins instead of letting him go outright when his NHL contract expired.

#56 Pasquale Zito: Zito heads back to Windsor with a brighter future than was indicated before he headed to the Red Wings’ prospect tournament and main training camp. A plucky 6′ and 176 pounds, the Windsor Spitfires center and instigating forward did not play a meaningful game in the OHL last season, but the shift disturber displayed better and better skills as he worked with the Red Wings’ skill development coaches, he had an OK prospect tournament, and he kept up with the big boys at training camp. He’s not going to be a scorer, but he’s going to be a pai in the ass with a passable skill set on top of that butt-paining ability.

#58 Cameron Butler*: Butler heads back to the OHL hoping that his performance at the Wings’ prospect tournament and main training camp, combined with a good season for his Niagara IceDogs, will yield an NHL team (perhaps the Wings) considering drafting him this upcoming summer. The 6’4,” 210-pound Butler played with good pace, he displayed a bit of an edge, and the big winger needs to build a draft-ready resume, but his work ethic and hard edge were great to see during the Wings’ camp. With no OHL season played last year, he needs to (kind of like Verbeek) build that portfolio by playing well.

#59 Tyler Bertuzzi: The more I talk to people about Bertuzzi’s decision to decline a vaccine that would have allowed him to play in Canada, never mind protect himself and his teammates from a global pandemic, the more disappointed I find people to be–mostly with the fact that Bertuzzi’s going to miss 9 potentially crucial Wings games and $450,000 in salary because the 26-year-old is afraid of needles. There is no doubt that the 6’1,” 197-pound winger is one of the Red Wings’ best players–he forechecks hard, he separates opponents from pucks, he passes and shoots well, he skates hard, his effort is at 100% on every shift, and he goes to the front of the net and stays there. He makes players better around him by “stirring the drink” for his teammates, and it’s just too bad that he won’t be able to do his job during some crucial divisional games and a big Western Canadian road swing.

#63 Jon Martin**: Martin, a Grand Rapids Griffins signing, is big at 6’2″ and 215 pounds, and the 26-year-old played very well in the German second league last season, but the big forward projects to be a depth winger for the Grand Rapids Griffins. He’s big and strong enough to cause a fuss, but I haven’t seen him do that yet during training camp.

#71 Dylan Larkin: While Martin has blended in, Larkin has stood out for all the right reasons. At 25, the 6’1,” 198-pound center is the Red Wings’ default #1 pivot, he’s fast, he’s consistently working at a hard and high tempo when he’s on the ice, and Larkin’s strong shot and excellent playmaking abilities could theoretically produce 50+ points on the rebuilding Red Wing team whose ship he captains. I’ve really liked Larkin’s urgency and determination over the course of camp–he’s not mailing it in, he’s hustling–and that’s encouraging as he recovers completely from that nasty Jamie Benn cross-check.

#79 Kirill Tyutyayev**: Kirill Tyutyayev’s got the dekes and he’s got the dangles, he’s got the smooth skating and scoring abilities to become a relevant Red Wings prospect, but it is evident at the present moment that the 5’10,” 176-pound winger is coming over to the AHL (he’s Griffins-contracted) at 21 years of age somewhat unfamiliar with the North American game or its grinding schedule. Tyutyayev spent a long time working with Alex Tanguay this morning, and Tanguay’s message to him was simple: shoot from a more acute angle to the front of the net instead of approaching the net from its side, because you”ll score more, and get more scoring chances via passes, if you simply go to the net yourself. That was telling.

#89 Sam Gagner: It kind of bothers me that Gagner is considered an elder statesman at 32 years of age, but that’s the way the league is going, and the 5’11,” 197-pound Gagner seems to have no problem with the concept that he is a mentor as much as he is a depth forward who shows flashes of a once-elite skill set that’s given way to a more grinding style of game. Gagner is a no-frills defensive forward who will also skate quite well and contribute the odd pretty goal or slick assist, and at present, that’s who Sam Gagner is.

Defensemen:

#2 Nick Leddy: Another veteran mentor at 30 years of age, the 6,’ 205-pound Leddy hopes to reclaim his point-per-every-other-game form while probably working alongside Moritz Seider as the preseason beckons. Leddy is a strong-skating defenseman who can lug the puck up ice with authority, or send astute passes toward his teammates, creating plays with his good vision. He can also score goals himself, and he’s steady enough defensively to be a bit “heavy,” if not physical. I’ve been impressed with my first real “views” of him.

#28 Gustav Lindstrom: Lindstrom has been paired with Jordan Oesterle, and that’s a little ironic given that both gentlemen are fighting for the 7th and 8th spots on the Red Wings’ defense. Lindstrom, now 22, isn’t out of waiver options, so the Wings may choose to place the 6’2,” 183-pound defenseman in Grand Rapids for one more season. He’s definitely bigger and stronger than he was last year at this time, when he was (occasionally) getting bumped off pucks and losing one-on-one battles for the puck; these days, Lindstrom tends to win those physical battles, and his skating and outlet passing are good enough that he should pan out to be a stay-at-home second pair defenseman who provides simple but effective positional defense.

#32 Brian Lashoff: Lashoff is at the other end of the spectrum, in more ways than one. At 31 years of age, the 6’3,” 215-pound Lashoff is slated to captain the Grand Rapids Griffins as their Swiss Army Knife defenseman, the AHL version of a player who can be utilized in all situations. He’s more of a keep-it-simple defender than he is an offensive force, but Lashoff will score the occasional goal and add an assist here and there. He’s a fine mentor for younger players and he’ll lead the Griffins with aplomb.

#44 Donovan Sebrango: If Gustav Lindstrom has to worry, he has to worry because players like Donovan Sebrango are hot on his tail. Only 19, and unabashedly flamboyant at times, the 6’1,” 194-pound Sebrango plays a stay-at-home game with flourish, skates well in all three directions (forward, laterally and backwards), he blocks shots, his stick and gap control stifle scoring chances against, and it turns out that Sebrango will confidently lug the puck up ice himself, or slither a heavy shot toward the net instead of deferring to his “betters.” With lots of developmental runway ahead of him, Sebrango projects to be a steady, perhaps snarly 4-5-6 defenseman with bite…Who’s fun to watch.

#47 Wyatt Newpower: Newpower doesn’t want to be too far from the conversation among prospect defensemen, either. The Red Wings saw enough in the 23-year-old defenseman to ink him to a contract after an abbreviated season with the Lake Erie Monsters, and the 6’3,” 207-pound Newpower had a very steady prospect tournament, he’s kept up during training camp, and while he’s not fast and he’s not an offensive powerhouse, the big man gets the defensive job done without issue and without really noticing him (which is hard to do as a defenseman).

#53 Moritz Seider: Seider is the biggest gem in the crown jewels of Wings prospects, and the 6’4,” 197-pound defenseman hasn’t absolutely stolen the spotlight per se, but he also hasn’t done a damn thing to suggest that the 20-year-old is anything other than a top-pair defenseman in the making. He’s big and strong enough to get by at the NHL level (already), he uses his lanky frame to sneakily steal pucks and earn leverage in puck battles, he’s got a great sense of gap control and an excellent stick to make up ground against opponents and break up scoring chances, and, of course, because he is an excellent skater with a heavy shot and elite passing skills, he can make things happen on his own. That’s the only problem I’ve spotted with Seider thus far–he still wants to defer to his teammates when the time comes to generate offense, and there’s just no need for Moritz to do that when he can do just as well, if not better, himself.

#77 Oscar Plandowski: Plandowski will head back to the QMJHL’s Charlottetown Islanders with a bright, if raw, future. At all of 18, the 6,’ 182-pound defenseman has separated himself from other prospects because the 2021 draft pick skates like the son of a power skating coach should–damn well–and he’s kept up with the pace of play at the NHL level, all while displaying some offensive flourishes from time to time.

#82 Jordan Oesterle: The 29-year-old Oesterle may very well want to be the forgotten man on the Wings’ blueline. At 6′ and 188 pounds, the left-shooting defenseman isn’t going to barrel anyone over, nor will he barrel anyone over with a bombastic game or sublime skill, but he subtly and quietly gets the defensive job done, smoothly and efficiently. Oesterle is an excellent skater and he moves the puck up ice with pace, he’s a good lateral skater, and he just seems to cruise along and get the job done. He’s posted 20 points in a season once, too, and that indicates that there may be more offense in his game than initially suggested.

Goaltenders:

#29 Thomas Greiss: Greiss seems a little more solid in his second season as a Red Wing. At 35, the 6’2,” 215-pound goaltender isn’t lightning-quick, but he’s been a little faster in terms of his hands and feet, looking in more control as he whips out his glove hand, jabs pucks away with his blocker, and taps away pucks with his toes or stick. Greiss has simply looked steadier in his stance and a little less leaky from time to time, and the Wings need everyone to improve to improve their record, so if Greiss can get that much better, good for him.

#31 Calvin Pickard: At 29, Pickard has bounced up and down from the NHL to the AHL and back because the 6’1,” 210-pound goaltender is not quite as consistent as he would like, but when Pickard is on, he makes the spectacular save look routine, and the routine save look simple and easy (and routine saves are neither simple nor easy at the NHL level). He’ll likely start the year in Grand Rapids, taking his efficient and no-frills butterfly style with him, but he wants to be the Wings’ resident call-up, should Greiss or Nedeljkovic need help, and he’s got quite the challenger in Victor Brattstrom.

#60 Jan Bednar: Bednar headed back to the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan on Saturday, and the 6’4,” 210-pound goalie who makes the spectacular save, but not necessarily the simple one, needs to take the lessons that the Wings’ goaltending coaches imparted over the course of the prospect tournament and main camp to heart. The Wings’ coaches attempted to calm down Bednar’s sometimes bombastic style, and while that style works for Bednar 80% of the time, the other 20% of the time, he’s a technical work in progress. Ideally, a full season in North America will give Bednar both the workload and continuity necessary to calm him down. He’s only 19, so there’s time to learn.

TEAM HOWE

Forwards:

#14 Robby Fabbri: Fabbri hasn’t put his game into overdrive as of yet, and perhaps that’s appropriate for the 5’11,” 183-pound center/wing, because the 25-year-old thrives by utilizing his ever-so-slightly-chippy skating stride to find scoring areas on the ice, to lurk there for a moment, and then to strike. Fabbri hopes to eclipse the 20-goal mark this year, and he received a major upgrade in the center department when the Wings signed Pius Suter, affording the plucky sniper an elite set-up man. Fabbri’s got all the shooting and passing tools necessary to score and score regularly at the NHL level, and it may simply be a matter of finding consistency of form for Fabbri to emerge as a real star.

#15 Jakub Vrana: Vrana is back(!) day turned into Vrana is hurt(!) day pretty damn quickly. The 25-year-old is absolutely integral to the Red Wings’ scoring machine, and he was slated to skate alongside Suter and Fabbri, but that may change, depending on how long his minor shoulder injury holds him out. When you feel a tweak during training camp, there’s no point in gutting it out, and my hope is that the speedy, elite-handed scorer whose wrist, snap and slap shots are all weapons is only out for a short period of time. Vrana has the skating ability and moxie to make things happen on his own, and the 6,’ 196-pound winger needs to get and stay healthy in short order.

#24 Pius Suter: Suter is definitely acclimating to his new surroundings, and that yields a surprising amount of “clunk” in a usually seamless game for the silky-smooth forward. The 25-year-old Suter isn’t big at 5’11” and 174 pounds, but the Red Wings signed him because the Swiss League scorer had a great rookie season, in no small part to the detriment of the Detroit Red Wings, but the Chicago Blackhawks did not see him as a building block, so they cut him loose, and the Wings were all too happy to pluck him off as a free agent. Suter skates superbly well, he makes battling bigger and stronger players look easy, and he passes and makes plays with his head up (and can score himself with ease). He’s hopefully going to take over as the Wings’ 2nd line center.

#27 Michael Rasmussen: Rasmussen looks poised to grab and hold onto an NHL spot this year, perhaps as the Red Wings’ third line center, and perhaps as a 6’6,” 210-pound power winger. At all of 22, it feels like Rasmussen has been around forever, and in four seasons with Detroit or Grand Rapids, he has yet to offensively assert himself. That being said, the big two-way center now projects to be something of a shut-down forward who can also score goals as a net-front, power play specialist, and I’d like to see the strong-skating Rasmussen post 20 points as a fully-established NHL forward this season.

#50 Dominik Shine**: In another realm, Dominik Shine is only 5’11” and 180 pounds, but the 28-year-old is a valuable foot soldier for the Grand Rapids Griffins, using his speed and hustle to play a solid defensive game at the AHL level. He’s never going to replicate the point-per-game offense he produced at the NCAA level, but the Griffins-contracted forward has been a loyal and hard-working member of the Griffins for half-a-decade now, and he’s going nowhere.

#54 Bobby Ryan*: Bobby Ryan has a fan club among his current Red Wings teammates, but I’m having a harder time predicting that the 34-year-old Ryan sticks with the Wings past the exhibition season. There’s no doubt that the 6’2,” 208-pound winger can score goals at the NHL level. He’s rehabbed from the biceps tear that robbed him of a full season with the Wings, and he’s looking big, heavy and hard-shooting out there…But he’s also a little heavy-footed, and I don’t see how a younger, faster Red Wings team and a slow winger fit together long-term. I expect the free agent try-out to latch on somewhere else.

#57 Turner Elson**: Elson, like Shine, is a speedy forward, this time a 6,’ 191-pound center, who is very useful as a point-per-every-other-game guy at the AHL level. The 29-year-old has spent the past four seasons in Grand Rapids, and he skates very well, has good hands at the AHL level, plays with pace and generally works well as a 2nd or 3rd line player for Grand Rapids. He doesn’t project as a late-blooming NHL’er, but not everybody does.

#64 Luke Toporowski*: The Red Wings sent the 20-year-old Toporowski back to his WHL team, the Spokane Chiefs, because the 5’11,” 181-pound free agent try-out was just unable to replicate his point-per-game WHL offense against bigger, stronger and faster NHL competition. I liked Topoowski’s skating, I thought he was just starting to show flashes of offense from time to time, and, at the same time, I figured that he would have to head back to the WHL to post another point-per-game campaign and get signed by a team as a free agent.

#73 Adam Erne: The 26-year-old Erne looks to have come to camp on another level, at least thus far, after posting 20 points in 45 games last season for the Wings. Erne looks confident and poised going into his fourth full NHL campaign–he’s skating hard and fast, he’s chipping in goals and he’s making smart passes, and he’s utilizing that big 6’1,” 211-pound frame to muscle his way around the ice. It’s encouraging to watch a Red Wings player skate around the ice with as much self-confidence as Erne is displaying.

#74 Cross Hanas: Hanas will head home to the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks this weekend and look to force the Red Wings to sign the 19-year-old winger come spring. Hanas neared the 50-point plateau during his last full WHL season, but he had a bumpier campaign split between the USHL and WHL last year, and that may have been a setback for the 6’1,” 171-pound forward. He’s a very good skater, he passes and shoots well and can create offense on his own, perhaps projecting to be more of a two-way player in pro hockey…But if he had a dominant offensive campaign this year, it wouldn’t hurt, especially given that he could be a part of the U.S. World Junior Championship team’s plans.

#76 Tyler Spezia**: Another Griffin-or-Walleye player, the 28-year-old Spezia stands at only 5’10” and 167 pounds, but the little speed merchant busts his tail off skating up and down the ice, and in the ECHL, the Griffins-contracted forward is a point-per-game player. You have to have players in your organization who fit every niche, and Spezia’s is that of an ECHL scorer and AHL depth forward.

#90 Joe Veleno: Veleno is just about ready to make the jump to the NHL at 21, but the 6’1,” 206-pound center might be best-served spending half to a full season centering Lucas Raymond and Jonatan Berggren in Grand Rapids instead. Unless Veleno, who’s now “one ripped dude,” muscles his way past Mitchell Stephens on the depth chart, he’s likely heading to the AHL for one final season’s worth of finishing school, and, given that he was borderline dominant and offensively adept during the prospect tournament–arguably AHL-level hockey–but hasn’t held onto the puck with the same gusto at training camp, maybe playing and scoring at the AHL level will give the well-rounded forward the kind of confidence necessary to truly realize his NHL upside as a strong #2 center.

#92 Vladislav Namestnikov: The 28-year-old Namestnikov is the Red Wings’ resident third line center, but if you’ve read any of these “impressions,” you know that he’s going to have some competition for that job sooner than later. I would like to see the 6,’ 180-pound Namestnikov take another step forward in terms of consistency of play and consistency of effort this upcoming season. I believe he has more to give as a player who’s potential ceiling includes 30 and 40+-point campaigns on his resume, and there’s no reason that the smooth-skating, smart center shouldn’t be able to post 30 points in Detroit.

Defensemen:

#17 Filip Hronek: Hronek, like Zadina, was frustrated with himself today, and frustration might be the one thing that could hold the 24-year-old defenseman back. Hronek has such high expectations for himself as the Red Wings’ de-facto #1 defenseman that, when a pass or shot doesn’t click properly, or he makes a rare fumble of a pass, that sticks with him, and he needs to learn a little waterproofing skills in terms of his coping mechanisms there.

The fact of the matter is that the 6,’ 188-pound Hronek is an excellent all-round defender who possesses a smart stick, excellent passing and playmaking skills, a heavy, hard shot that needs to find the back of the net more, he’s a mobile if not speedy skater, and there’s an edge to Hronek’s game as well. He’ll be fine–he just has to believe that he’ll be fine playing a few less minutes in order to maximize his time on ice.

#18 Marc Staal: Staal has been himself during camp, and when a 6’4,” 208-pound stay-at-home defenseman plays a simple, efficient game, that’s exactly what you want to see out of the 34-year-old veteran. There are no frills to Staal’s game, but he skates well enough to keep up, he blocks shots and passes, he plays well positionally and he affords Troy Stecher room to freelance all over the ice. Staal fits his role very well.

#20 Luke Witkowski: Speaking of knowing one’s role, Luke Witkowski can provide NHL depth at both forward and defense, he provides toughness and the occasional fisticuffs, and the 6’2,” 210-pound defender is likely headed to Grand Rapids as a probable letter-wearing role model. The 31-year-old is good enough to serve as an NHL’er in a pinch, but he excels as the tough guy on the roster, and, in the AHL, you still need an enforcer. Witkowski will expertly fill that role.

#21 Dan Renouf: The 27-year-old Renouf is searching for some gainful AHL employment, and perhaps a return to spot duty at the NHL level. At 6’3″ and 200 pounds, Renouf comes back to Detroit somewhat slimmed down, and a wee bit faster (to serviceable levels, at least) as a result. Renouf plays the puck with pace and plays with physical bite, which is something that the Griffins need.

#65 Danny DeKeyser: Again, DeKeyser looks like he’s finally back to his two-strong-legged self, and when you’re as lanky as the 6’3,” 183-pound DeKeyser is, you have to use skating strength, speed and leverage to your advantage over brute strength. At 31 years of age, DeKeyser served as a good partner to Filip Hronek, and he may reprise his role playing on a 1A/1B pairing as Nick Leddy and Moritz Seider find their sea legs together. DeKeyser has a long stick that jabs pucks away from opponents, his gap control is good and his skating laterally and backwards may be better than his full-ahead gallop.

#70 Troy Stecher: Stecher plays as, ostensibly speaking, the Wings’ #5 defenseman, but the 5’10,” 184-pound water bug of an elegant skater with surprising hands for a defensive defender has yet to really click offensively at the NHL level. I would like to think that there’s more to the 27-year-old in terms of production, but after finishing at -13 last season, Stecher needs to focus on his own end first.

#84 Alex Cotton: Cotton will probably head back to the WHL in short order, and the 19-year-old will do so looking to replicate his two point-per-game campaigns, and the 6’2,” 190-pound righty skates superbly, he plays with good pace and he does have strong passing and shooting skills. He just needs to round out his game and add strength to his portfolio, but he has kept up during training camp, looking smart.

#86 Adam Brubacher*: The big Brubacher is going to sign a pro contract with somebody by the time the exhibition season has ended. Massive at 6’3″ and 202 heavy pounds, he’s a brick house of a dude who plays a slightly heavy-footed game, but his stick is smart enough to break up the plays that he might not be able to skate out of trouble, he’s got a hard physical edge to him, and the 25-year-old is mature enough to know when to add snarl to the mix. He’s just not an NHL defenseman right now, and he projects to be a stay-at-home defender at the AHL level.

#87 Ryan Murphy: The 28-year-old Murphy remains something of a mystery man to me. The AHL’s 2021 Defenseman of the Year had a superb campaign with the Henderson Silver Knights, and as the Red Wings aren’t full of offensive defensemen at the AHL level, Detroit chose to ink the 5’11,” 175-pound Murphy for AHL scoring from the blueline. He skates well and does a fine job of moving the puck up the ice, so I’ve seen enough from him to believe that the Wings are betting on a good horse here.

Goaltenders:

#33 Sebastian Cossa: Cossa heads back to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings a wiser and smarter 18-year-old as a result of his time spent with the Red Wings, at both the prospect tournament and main camp. An aggressive, slightly cocky goalie, the 6’6,” 210-pound netminder had a dominant WHL season last year, and he’s full of potential as a massive goalie with elite skill, but he sort of needs a toolbox to put all those fine tools in, and he needs to work on “Big Man Issues”–namely a wandering blocker, a big five-hole and room over his glove top shelf when he’s down in the butterfly. He received a slightly rude awakening in the prospect tournament, and that’s OK–now he knows how hard he has to work to continue to develop.

#34 Victor Brattstrom: Brattstrom will indeed tangle with Calvin Pickard as both goaltenders vie for the #1 job in Grand Rapids, as well as the status as the Wings’ first call-up. At 24, the 6’4,” 200-pound Brattstrom is still tweaking some of the details of his game, but his work with the Wings’ goaltending coaches seems to be paying off. A massive butterfly goaltender with a sharp glove, good blocker, smart stick and fast toes, Brattstrom maximizes his size without looking clunky, and if he can find a little more consistency, he’ll become a fine prospect.

#39 Alex Nedeljkovic: Nedeljkovic has really impressed me over the course of his first training camp with the Red Wings. He’s not big by modern goaltending standards at 6′ and 203 pounds, but boy, does he maximize his size through positioning and an excellent set of tools, all grounded in a fine toolbox. The 25-year-old possesses a flashy glove hand, bold blocker and stick, he boots out the puck with his thighs and toes with enthusiasm, and his chest remains upright in the butterfly. He’s light enough to flop and flail when necessary, and he’s got an aggressive, top-of-the-crease game, essentially negating the couple of inches most modern goalies have on him.

He may have a harder time in Detroit than all of us think, given that the Wings are rebuilding, but I expect Nedeljkovic to battle through the hard times and excel when he’s able.

*= Free agent invite, **= Grand Rapids Griffins contract

That’s the end of training camp, at least as far as training camp drills are concerned.

I’m going to get up early on Sunday and watch the “non-Red-White” skaters take to the ice for a practice between 9:30 and 10:30 AM, and then run between rinks as the “Red” and “White” teams engage in a little systems practices between 11 and 11:45…But the big scrimmage that is the Red vs. White Game at noon (presumably to be broadcast by the Wings) marks the official end of training camp.

Come Monday and Tuesday, the Wings have agreed to stay in Traverse City for a little longer, but only with two practices ahead of an exhibition schedule that is arguably nuts–the Wings will have to utilize two teams for most of it, because they’re going to play 8 times in 12 nights.

I believe that the Blackhawks game on Wednesday (in Chicago) will air on NBCSN Chicago, so the NHL Network might pick it up, and I know that Ken Kal and Paul Woods are going to stream Thursday’s home game vs. Buffalo, but Bally Sports Detroit hasn’t revealed its schedule yet, so we don’t quite know which of the other preseason games will air somewhere.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the coverage so far. I’ve got three more days in Traverse City, and they’re working days. I may end up having to stay one extra day to catch my breath before packing and going home to South Lyon, where my aunt says she actually misses me. :O

In the fundraising department, we made the hotel bill(!), but I’m still in need of gas/grocery money, and, put bluntly, my cell phone is dying an ugly death–to the tune of a $600 replacement as I can’t trade my phone in–so if you’re willing to lend a hand in exchange for my training camp coverage–or to keep TMR operational, period–you can use Paypal at https://paypal.me/TheMalikReport, Venmo at https://venmo.com/george-malik-2, Giftly by using my email, rtxg@yahoo.com, at https://www.giftly.com, and yes, you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check.