The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects wrapped up their 2022 Prospect Tournament round robin play with a 4-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The Red Wings surrendered the first goal only 4:56 in to a Maple Leafs team which had scratched a gaggle of “regulars,” including Nick Abruzzese, Nick Robertson and former Wings prospect Keith Petruzzelli, and things looked somewhat grim at times during the first period, but Mitchell Martin assuaged for a not-so-smart hooking penalty by blazing out of the penalty box and scoring the 1-1 goal at 8:52:
Out of the box. Back of the net.
Mitchell Martin! 🚨
Tune in » https://t.co/DhGaSSSuXq pic.twitter.com/Udpg89DBeP— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 19, 2022
The game remained tied until late in the period, punctuated by something of a trick shot from Eemil Viro, who scored a seeing-eye goal from the point with only 18 seconds remaining:
#RedWings are up 2-1 as we head to the 2nd!
Eemil Viro! 🚨
Tune in » https://t.co/DhGaSSSuXq pic.twitter.com/8hh0rwc14A— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 19, 2022
The Wings kind of “held on” to their 2-1 lead for most of the second period, swapping out Jan Bednar (who stopped 6 of 7 shots) for Sebastian Cossa (just before Martin fought Noah Van Vliet), and late in the 2nd period, a set of sensational passes by Simon Edvinsson and Elmer Soderblom set up a gorgeous goal by Cross Hanas at 18:35:
.@hanner71 with a beautiful finish! #DRWPT #LGRW
3-1, #RedWings
Tune in » https://t.co/DhGaSSSuXq pic.twitter.com/9UnFgX3F1j— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 19, 2022
The Wings played perhaps their most dynamic period in the 3rd, but the Leafs held Detroit off the scoresheet until they pulled their goaltender, and Riley Piercey scored his 5th goal in 3 games, an empty-netter on a pass from Kirill Tyutyayev. That sealed the victory for Detroit, and Sebastian Cossa stopped all 16 shots he faced over the game’s final 30:13.
That’s a W! #DRWPT #LGRW pic.twitter.com/1QrSIq1JJm— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 19, 2022
The Red Wings finished 2-and-1 at the prospect tournament (Toronto finished 1-2-and-1), and Detroit’s prospects will take a couple of days off before main training camp begins on Thursday at Centre ICE Arena.
If you missed Daniella Bruce and Ken Kal’s live stream commentary, you can re-watch the game here:
After the game, Eemil Viro, Sebastian Cossa and coach Ben Simon all spoke with the media…
While I was writing this, the Red Wings posted a clip of “sights and sounds” from Monday’s game, too:
DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills took note of Simon’s remarks…
When reflecting on the NHL Prospect Tournament, Simon said he saw “growth” from the club’s rising young talent.
“It’s a great opportunity for all these kids who come in with Detroit to learn,” Simon said. “Not only our staff at Grand Rapids, but learn what the pro daily routine is.”
On Wednesday, the club will host the 2022 Training Camp Golf Classic, presented by Suburban Imports of Farmington Hills, at Traverse City Country Club. Then on Thursday, the 2022-23 Red Wings will hit the ice for the first time for training camp. A full training camp roster and complete schedule will be announced at a later date.
While the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan took note of Cossa’s comments…
Goaltender Sebastian Cossa doesn’t know where he’ll be when the hockey season gets underway for real. Cossa would love for it to be in Grand Rapids, to begin his pro career, but the Red Wings haven’t told him anything. Possibly, maybe probably, Cossa will be returned to junior hockey and he’ll play one final season with Edmonton in the WHL.
Those decisions will officially be made in the next couple of weeks. But Cossa did all he could do in the NHL Prospects Tournament, capped Monday by stopping all 16 shots he faced in the Wings’ 4-1 victory over Toronto.
“I kept the stance pretty tight this weekend,” said Cossa, who stopped 33 of 34 shots he saw in two games. “I was playing some composed hockey, calm and playing my own game. I don’t think I was getting crazy or a little scrambly in net. Coming in (Monday) halfway through the game, those can be tough games. But I felt I did a pretty good job of being myself and taking it shot by shot.”
Cossa, a 2021 first-round pick by the Wings, spent most of the summer in Detroit working with the coaching staff and working with Wings players on and off the ice.
It was a productive time, said Cossa, who was part of Canada’s gold medal-winning world junior team in August, then joined the Wings’ prospects for this tournament.
“It’s been a good summer, a short summer, but it’s really nice to come down here training with these coaches, and I can’t wait to continue with that (in training camp),” Cossa said. “The confidence is pretty high right now and I’m feeling good. It was big, for sure, to see the coaches (during the summer in Detroit); they’re there for a reason, they’re world-class, and along with (facing) the NHL shots, it’s been a real good summer. Throw in the world juniors, and those are some pretty good players too, so it’s been good hockey and I’m continuing to build on that.”
As did Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen:
“I want to play at the highest level I can, so that’s professional this year,” Cossa said. Hopefully my game does the talking for itself and allows me to be up for that level.”
Cossa wasn’t at his best in the Red Wings’ development camp earlier this season. He will need to be sharp in training camp to make his case. He knows that goalie can take longer to develop, but that doesn’t have to be the case.
“The past couple years there’s been some younger guys –you look at (Florida Panthers’) Spencer Knight, he came in at 19,” Cossa said. “…They’re making that jump a little earlier. At the same time, there’s obviously a reason there’s only 62 goalies in the NHL. They’re pretty good for a reason. There’s still a lot of things to work on to get to that level. Looking forward to that.”
Ben Simon coached Cossa at this tournament. He also the Grand Rapids’ Griffins coach. He thought Cossa played well in the tournament.
“As a player all you can do is show up ready to compete and when the opportunity is there make the most of it,” Simon said. “You can see that he’s ready, he’s hungry, and let’s see what happens in camp.”
Views from the Prospect Tournament in Traverse City! #GoGRG pic.twitter.com/8ymIjmWpkg— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) September 19, 2022
So here are my impressions from the final game of the prospect tournament, on a player-by-player basis–which build upon Friday and Saturday’s observations, and look forward, too:
FORWARDS:
#85 Elmer Soderblom–#62 Drew Worrad** “A”–#74 Cross Hanas
#85 Elmer Soderblom: Soderblom finished Monday’s game with an assist, an even plus-minus rating, and 1 shot, and he finished the tournament with 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points, with a +2 and 7 shots. Put bluntly, he became more and more dominant playing an among-his-peers tournament as he went along, and that’s exactly the kind of development you want to see from a 6’8,” 249-pound 21-year-old who’s been playing against men in the SHL with Frolunda HC.
In terms of his adaptation to North American hockey, Soderblom is still going to need some “finishing school” time in Grand Rapids, but he’s not going to need a lot of time. He’s definitely an NHL-bound prospect. While he could use a better first stride, he needs to work on being a little more assertive and direct in terms of taking pucks to the front of the net and shooting them his own damn self instead of deferring to teammates…
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that his skating, shooting, passing, heads-up playmaking and net-front abilities are at or near NHL levels, the reach and wingspan he possesses when the puck’s on his stick is ridiculous, and serves as a great asset along the boards and down low, where’s very comfortable engaging in battles for the puck, and he’s got a remarkable amount of coordination for a player of his size. He goes to that between-the-legs shot surprisingly regularly, and uses an assortment of tips and tricks to keep holding onto his six-foot-tall stick despite his size.
Soderblom seems to have sorted out all the issues with coordination and being comfortable in his own body that he was still working out during his last prospect tournament some two seasons ago, and now he’s immense and physically dominant without being a physical player.
That’s exciting to see and it’s exciting to know that Soderblom will be waiting in the wings as he puts in his North American pro apprenticeship this season. Big things are coming for Big Elmer.
#62 Drew Worrad** “A”: The 25-year-old Drew Worrad is in a very different situation. The Western Michigan University graduate is a Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted player, and he posted a very solid 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points over the course of three games, finishing at +2 with 3 shots…
And the 6,’ 178-pound center is going to be heading to the AHL this upcoming season as a player who’s more or less finished developing into a mature, composed young man who will earn a living playing as a grinder (at first) on the Griffins’ stacked team.
Worrad did a great job of leading the prospects on the ice, and while he’s not the next NHL superstar on the Wings’ roster, he was determined and poised down low and along the boards, winning battles for the puck and establishing a physical presence, he’s got a solid shot, he’s an accurate passer and he skates very well. More than anything, he’s dependable and solid, and he gave his new coach an eyeful of strong, consistent play over the course of three games and two practices.
#74 Cross Hanas: Hanas is on the “up and up.” He finished the tournament with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points in 3 games, and while he finished at -2, he took a team-leading 10 shots on opposing goaltenders.
Still slight at 6’1″ and 174 pounds, the 20-year-old turning-pro forward who posted a 60-assist, 86-point campaign in the WHL with Portland this past season was often used as a sort of relief valve in the offensive zone, because players knew that, when in doubt, especially on the power play, they could pass the puck to Hanas, and his patience would generate time and space with which to create offensive plays.
He also skates well and shoots well, so he’s not just a play-maker, and while Hanas definitely needs to both fill out and continue adjusting to professional hockey, he’s got a very bright future.
#58 Riley Piercey*–#78 Amadeus Lombardi–#79 Kirill Tyutyayev**
#58 Riley Piercey*: Piercey scored an empty-net goal on Monday, and he finished the tournament with a team-leading 5 goals (thanks to his four-goal game on Friday) and 5 points over the course of 3 games played, finishing at +1 with 4 shots. He also had a 5-minute major to his credit because he fought Dallas’ Gavin White on Saturday.
Now, did the 6’3,” 212-pound free agent invite from the Flint Firebirds do enough to earn a professional contract? I would say probably not. There’s no doubt that the 20-year-old possesses a superb shot, he skates well for his size, and he uses that size to play a power forward’s game..
But his level of self-confidence was extremely inconsistent, and when he wasn’t able to generate offense on his own, a player who produced 58 points in 59 OHL games this past season would resort to playing downright dirty physical hockey, trying to goad opponents into penalties or scraps while getting distracted from the reasons why he was able to score 4 goals in that “game of his life” on Friday (i.e. his ability to play hard-nosed but skilled hockey).
Piercey’s 4-goal game sure impressed every scout in attendance on Friday, and his fight wasn’t bad, either, but at this point, the big forward is all but certain to head back to Flint for his “overage” season. He’ll probably be drafted at some point in late June, perhaps by the Red Wings, but, barring a revelatory, dominant training camp among NHL competition, he’s just not quite consistent enough, nor quite ready, to be signed to a pro deal.
#78 Amadeus Lombardi: The 19-year-old Lombardi stands at 5’10” and 160 pounds, but the utter lack of fear and properly brash tenacity and gall possessed by the Flint Firebirds center known as “Ammo” is utterly remarkable to watch. Lombardi finished the tournament with 1 assist, a +1 and 7 shots, but given that he’s got a lot of developing left to do at the OHL level, he was incredibly impressive as a take-no-prisoners, take-no-shit player who skates superbly well, passes and shoots smartly, is surprisingly strong and physical in the corners and along the boards, and possesses two-way abilities.
He’s headed back to Flint, too, but I have the feeling that the Red Wings’ 2022 draft pick is professionally bound at some point, because the ceiling is quite high for Lombardi. If he manages to fill out and continue giving his opponents one hell of a time playing against him, the little bugger might very well earn a contract to bring his game to another level entirely.
#79 Kirill Tyutyayev**: I was both excited and exasperated by Tyutyayev’s game over the course of the prospect tournament, and in all honesty, he’s still something of an enigmatic puzzle piece to me. The 5’10,” 170-pound winger possesses and almost endless array of dangles, dekes and fakes which can leave his opponents utterly spinning in his wake, but the 22-year-old, who finished the tournament with 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points and a +3 with 3 shots, may have converted on about 5% of the total opportunities available to him.
The Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted winger missed most of last season with a shoulder injury, and there is no doubt that he’s a hard worker (and is very hard on himself), but my goodness, if he was a little more direct in going directly toward the net, and a bit more certain in terms of finishing his chances by putting two damn hands on the stick and hammering home pucks instead of going for that extra deke or dangle, he could be downright prolific at the professional level instead of just tantalizingly promising.
The line between success and failure at the pro level is very thin, and Tyutyayev’s skating, passing and shooting skills more than make up for his lack of size, but he absolutely must convert on his chances while playing against men to earn an NHL contract from the Red Wings. Dekes and dangles are beautiful things, and those who author them are amazing players, but there are just as many gloriously-talented players stuck in the AHL or playing in Europe as there are Datsyukian dekers who’ve made NHL rosters.
#72 Trenton Bliss**–#84 Julien Anctil*–#86 Ivan Ivan*
#72 Trenton Bliss**: Bliss, a Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted 24-year-old, missed the first game, but scored in his second one and finished the tournament with 1 goal and a +1 with 3 shots over the course of 2 games played. A graduate of Michigan Tech, the 6’1,” 195-pound center looked a little out of place at times on Saturday, but, by Monday morning, he fit in as if he’d always been playing for the Red Wings’ prospects, and as if he belonged, displaying a physical, headsy game.
Bliss, like Worrad, is likely bound for a grinder’s role in Grand Rapids, but he posted 40 points over the course of his final 36 NCAA games, and there are some scoring chops and passing panache in his game.
#84 Julien Anctil*: Anctil, a free agent invite from the Sherbrooke Phoenix of the QMJHL, definitely had his best game of the tournament on Monday. The 21-year-old center finally started to look somewhat comfortable playing amidst the bump and grind of the prospect tournament, as well as its at-least-AHL-level pace, and he was solid enough on the third line after playing the first two games on the fourth line.
He finished the tournament with no points, a +1 and 1 shot, and, mostly, the 67-points-in-68-games-scorer in the Q didn’t get absolutely run over by his opponents. On Monday, he even displayed a little tenacity and physical flair to his game, which was good to see. But he’s definitely headed back to the QMJHL, and I hope he impressed somebody else.
#86 Ivan Ivan*: While the 5’11,” 171-pound Ivan may have won the name game, tthe 20-year-old Cape Breton Screaming Eagles winger just wasn’t able to finish his scoring chances. He finished his 3-game tournament with 3 shots and an even plus-minus rating, and while he definitely possesses elite skating skills and speed, his shooting and passing skills are good, and he can carry the puck up ice while being fleet-of-foot, he just didn’t manage to stuff any pucks in the net, mostly deferring to his older teammates. He’ll head back to the “Q” for one final season, and hopefully dominate, because you hope a young man like Ivan Ivan overcomes his name and becomes one instead.
#87 Jacob Mathieu*–#56 Pasquale Zito–#94 Mitchell Martin*:
#87 Jacob Mathieu*: Mathieu was fairly good on the final day of the prospect tournament, but the 5’10,” 168-pound invite from Rimouski of the QMJHL bounced in and out of the lineup, finishing even with 3 shots over the course of 2 games played. He was able to make players bounce off of him on the final day, but he was a bit player for the most part, and he survived, but did not thrive.
#56 Pasquale Zito: Zito seemed to run into a roadblock at the tournament, and that roadblock may have been himself. The 19-year-old has been traded from Windsor to Niagara over the course of the OHL’s offseason, and he may earn a better chance to establish himself as an IceDog. At the prospect tournament, the 6’1,” 176-pound forward certainly displayed an immense talent in terms of his physical play, finishing every check and often finishing off opponents as a result, but his commitment to physical play often brought the 42-points-in-49-games-scorer out of position and out of the play.
Zito was supposed to possess Lombardi-like skill in a slightly bigger package, and I did see flashes of passing, skating and scoring abilities, but not enough of them. He’ll head back to the OHL and try to remember that it’s not all about being physical 100% of the time.
#94 Mitchell Martin*: Martin got in a fight on Monday and scored a breakaway goal on Monday. Those were really the extents of his prospect tournament performances, which consisted of a goal, a fight and a +1 on 3 shots over the course of 3 games played.
The Kitchener Rangers center really took 3 games to settle into his own skin. Standing 5’3″ and 174 lanky pounds, I had anticipated that he’d be more physical and be more useful, frankly, after having posted 40 points in 65 games as a 19-year-old, but he was shaky as he is skinny at some points, and he just needs more time to develop and to get more comfortable in his own skin. Or skates, as it were.
DEFENSEMEN:
#3 Simon Edvinsson–#49 Seth Barton “A”
#3 Simon Edvinsson: Edvinsson was, perhaps like Tyutyayev to some extent, both elegantly talented and sometimes infuriatingly frustrating to watch at times. The 19-year-old really does seem to glide over the ice despite being 6’6″ and 207 pounds, and the graduate of the fine Frolunda Hockey Club in Sweden displays absolutely sublime seeing-eye passing skills, he’s got a sneaky wrist shot and a heavy slapper, he can be physical, and his willingness to try things out to generate offense is aided by both creativity and borderline arrogance in terms of his self-confidence and confidence in his elite skill set. He had 2 assists in 3 games, finishing at +1 with 5 shots.
The hard part is convincing Edvinsson that not every play has to be artistic, and that, instead, sometimes creating nothing can be a beautiful thing. The other hard part is convincing Edvinsson to display the same kind of passion and dedication to playing defense that he displays when he’s generating offense; at times, Edvinsson can be dominant defensively, but at other times, he appears disinterested in actually participating in the process of stopping opponents from scoring, sometimes waving at players as they skate by him, or trying to execute an elegant stick check when simply sticking his ass out might be the best option.
As a result, barring a fantastic training camp or a revelatory exhibition season, I don’t see Edvinsson making a stacked Red Wings roster for his offensive skills alone, and I think that, as of September 19th, anyway, he might be better-served with some “finishing school” in Grand Rapids, where he’s really taught the fundamentals of “buying in” on defense, before he graduates to the NHL.
There is no doubt in my mind that Edvinsson is going to be an NHL defenseman, and a star NHL defenseman at that. It’s just a matter of rounding his game out, and encouraging him to buy in on “D.”
#49 Seth Barton “A”: Barton has been something of a wild card. After missing the first game, the 6’3,” 196-pound 23-year-old played in games 2 and 3, and while he didn’t register a point, finishing even with 2 shots, he was a tremendous “outlet valve” who afforded Edvinsson the ability to race up into play without fearing that there would be a back-up to take care of the distasteful matters on defense.
Barton is big, strong, fairly physical and skilled enough to keep up with the Edvinssons of the world, passing smartly, choosing the proper shot at the proper time, and skating very well. The question is “where does he fit in?” on a Griffins blueline where Edvinsson, Viro, Johansson, Sebrango and Lashoff already merit spots.
#51 Eemil Viro–#77 Oscar Plandowski
#51 Eemil Viro: The 6’1,” 176-pound Viro finished the tournament with 1 goal, a team-best +5, and 1 shot, and a lot of confidence going into main camp. The graduate of the fine TPS Turku program in the Finnish Liiga, the 20-year-old Viro definitely needs a little filling out, which will be hard because he’s a wirily-built young man…
But he’s just incredibly efficient in terms of his style of play, using a short-but-sneakily-good stick to jab pucks away from opponents, key plays via absolutely superb passing skills, send surprisingly hard shots on the net (as evidenced by Monday’s goal, which he flicked away only to find the top of the net), and his skating and tracking abilities as a hips-follow-the-puck-first defender are excellent. Mostly, he is utterly dependable and sound, and you need guys as dependable as Viro is in the NHL.
#77 Oscar Plandowski: Plandowski had an mostly “up” tournament, finishing at -1 with 3 shots in 3 games played. The 6,’ 190-pound Charlottetown Islanders defenseman is an absolutely elegant skater, displaying all the lessons that he’s learned being the son of a professional skating coach, and he at least began to show the building blocks of having prepared a “toolbox” with which to utilize his tremendous skating skills, his good passing and shooting skills, and an improving level of physicality. At 19 years of age, he is very much so a work in progress, and he’s going to need at least another year at the QMJHL level to sort himself out and continue “building that toolbox,” but his raw skills are intriguing.
#44 Donovan Sebrango–#63 Jeremie Biakabutuka*
#44 Donovan Sebrango: Sebrango was back in the lineup after a day off on Saturday, and he was in a foul mood, which was fun to watch. The 20-year-old with 96 AHL games’ worth of experience played with pluck, poise, determination and a downright nasty edge at times, maximizing his 6’1,” 194-pound frame in physical battles along the boards in all three zones. He didn’t exactly toss off an Albert Johansson-style lay-’em-out hit, but he was downright mean at times…
Which is the cherry on top of a shot-blocking, stick-checking, puck-moving, smart-passing, low-hard-and-accurate-shot-possessing defenseman who just does it all and does it all with a little bit of flair. Sebrango finished with no points and a +1 in 2 games played, but that’s perfectly okay, because the “tangible intangibles” that he brings to his game as a determined, competitive second-or-third-pair defenseman are excellent.
#63 Jeremie Biakabutuka*: Much like Piercey, I don’t think that Biakabutuka did enough to earn a contract outright from his prospect tournament performances alone, but the 20-year-old Charlottetown Islanders defenseman will get a “long look” if he keeps up his level of play when the NHL’ers arrive on Thursday.
He finished the tournament with 2 assists and a second-only-to-Viro +4, as well as 5 shots on goal, over the course of 3 games played, and the 6’4,” 203-pound defenseman not only didn’t look out of place overall, but didn’t look out of place in terms of his skill set on a fast-paced team…And he didn’t make the kinds of, “Oh, shit!” mistakes that ended up in the back of his net, either.
He’s got a strong stick, he shoots and passes well, he skates superbly, and he’s physical without being nasty, and in general, the big guy looks like the most likely “name” player on the team to overcome his football-famous name.
He’s probably headed back to the QMJHL for one final season, but he’s going to earn a draft pick next June, and/or a contract from somebody who needs a big, talented defenseman. Maybe Detroit.
GOALTENDERS:
#60 Jan Bednar: Over the course of 59:36 and two half-games played, Bednar finished with a 1.01 goals-against average and a .960 save percentage, stopping 24 of 25 shots. He was just dominant in his first half-game, and he was very good on Monday, too, despite getting absolutely lit up in Sunday’s practice. Still working on consistency issues, the 6’4,” 196-pound goaltender from the Acadie-Bathurst Titan of the QMJHL definitely needs at least one more season in the “Q,” and the 19-year-old definitely needs to continue working with the Wings and Griffins’ goaltending coaches over the course of training camp…
But he’s big, he’s a principled butterfly netminder with a long reach, he’s got a good stick, his blocker and glove hands are smart, he’s got sharp toes, his stance is upright, and all the technical details he possesses and all the spectacular saves he can make would suggest that he’s far closer to the goaltender who went 28-14-and-4 in the QMJHL last year as opposed to the goaltender who went 1-and-2 with a 4.00 goals-against average and .861 save percentage at the World Juniors.
Which one is he? Time will tell.
#33 Sebastian Cossa: Also having played two “half games,” Cossa finished the tournament with a 1.00 goals-against average in 60:16 played, with a .971 save percentage on 33 of 34 shots stopped.
I would argue that the 6’6,” 215-pound Cossa may very well have earned the award as the “most improved” player on the team when you compare last year’s shaky performance and bundle of excitement and nerves with this year’s calm, collected and patient netminder, and perhaps a more mature 19-year-old young man whose game reflects a refinement of personality as well.
In any case, I’m a better judge of goaltenders than people, and, coming off a 33-9-and-3 regular season, a WHL Championship-winning playoff performance, and having been “taken down a peg” by having to serve as the back-up at the World Junior Championship…
Cossa was more than willing to bet wearing a WHL-illegal cat-eye cage and red-and-white, Red Wings-colored pads–as well as spending the summer practicing with the NHL guys in Detroit–that he’s going to somehow make the Red Wings, Griffins or Walleye choose him over Victor Brattstrom, Jussi Olkinuora and AHL-contracted Jonathan Lethemon…
And his prospect tournament play at least served as a solid runway with which to build momentum for the battles against the NHL guys at training camp. He can still be sent down to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings if the Red Wings wish, but Cossa wants to “turn pro” this season, Edmonton has brought in a starting goaltender, and now it’s Cossa’s turn to buck the odds.
Can he do it? Absolutely. Will he do it? I have no idea, but we’ll find out over the course of training camp and the exhibition season.
SCRATCHES:
#61 Jake Uberti*, center: We never got to see the 6’2,” 200-pound Mississauga Steelheads center. 20-year-old Jake Uberti will probably take in training camp and head back to the OHL.
#83 Marcus Limpar-Lantz*, center: Limpar-Lantz, coming over from Orebro Hockey of the Swedish J20 league to the OHL’s ever-contending Erie Otters as a 20-year-old, came to the Red Wings’ prospect tournament as a free agent invite, and he had a fantastic first game, a very mediocre second game, and he sat out the third one, finishing the tournament with an even plus-minus rating and 2 shots.
I liked what I saw from the 6,’ 190-pound center overall, but I think that he needs OHL work to see whether he can replicate his 37-points-in-43-games total from last season in Sweden.
#87 Jacob Mathieu*, center: Mathieu finished the tournament even with 3 shots over the course of 1 game played, and the 5’10,” 168-pound Rimouski Oceanic center just looked his size, frankly. He’s only 18, so he has the room to improve upon his point-every-other-game draft year.
#20 Albert Johansson, defense: Johansson may have tweaked something, or he may have simply been held out of the game because the Red Wings had seen enough of him over the course of 2 games played to make an assessment as to where he’s at, developmentally speaking. He finished the tournament with 2 assists, a -2 plus-minus rating and 2 shots over the course of 2 games played, and the 21-year-old may stand at an Eemil Viro-like 6′ and 176 pounds, but he’s a little more lanky and a little less wiry, so I see him filling out a little easier as time goes on.
A graduate of the fine Farjestads BK program in Sweden’s SHL, Johansson has an excellent shot, his passing skills are pinpoint accurate, he skates superbly in all three directions (forward, backward and laterally), he gaps up to his opponents tremendously well, and he laid out a guy on Saturday, too. He looks more than ready to turn pro with the AHL’s Grand Rapids Griffins, and he and Viro are going to follow parallel paths toward becoming middle-pair NHL defensemen.
#95 Tnias Mathurin, defense: Mathurin, only 18, was a 2022 draft pick, and the 6’3,” 200-pound defenseman from the OHL’s North Bay Battalion looked like a stay-at-home defenseman in the making, with possibly a little more “upside,” as a participant at the summer development camp. As is the case with Uberti, I hope that he gets healthy enough to participate in training camp.
#31 Andrew Oke*, goaltender: Oke, the final free agent invite of the mix, is also only 18, and he had an inconsistent prospect tournament performance, finishing with a loss, a 6.33 goals-against average and a .760 save percentage over the course of two half-games played. That’s not really fair to him, nor are looking at his difficult OHL stats from this past season, in which he played for a struggling Saginaw Spirit team…
But Oke had a good summer development camp, he apparently looked excellent during the pre-World Junior tune-up and at the World Juniors for Team USA, and the Shelby Township, MI native does possess a 6’2,” 198-pound frame and a very solid butterfly game, with a tremendous blocker hand, a good glove, an alert overall style and the ability to flip and flop and not get too far out of position while never giving up on the puck.
That being said, he’s got a lot of work to do in terms of refining his technique, and he’ll be heading back to Saginaw for another year of fine-tuning before going back into the draft next June. Will the Wings consider him then? It’s too early to say.
*=Free agent invite, **=Grand Rapids Griffins contract
That’s it for my coverage of the prospect tournament. I hope that these impressions, while far from a be-all-end-all, gave you a sense of what the prospects were going through over the course of the past five days, and that you get a sense of where they are going forward, with training camp upon us on Thursday.
I’ll be attending a prospect event tomorrow at an elementary school in Traverse City, but mostly I’m going to be laying low for the next couple of days, because six full days of training camp await us.
In the interim, our fundraising drive is in desperate straits, with about $60 bucks having been raised over the last four days. I’m in a tough spot with a nearly thousand-dollar hotel bill coming, so if you’re able to lend a hand, now’s the time.
If you’re are willing or able to lend a fundraising assist, 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 you can contact me via email if you want to send me a paper check. I’m also on Cash App under “georgeums” (an old nickname).
