Impressions from the fifth day of the Red Wings’ 2022 training camp

The Detroit Red Wings concluded their 2022 training camp activities in Traverse City on Monday with two hour-long practices, from 9:30 to 10:10 AM and then 11 until about 11:45 AM.

Regrettably, the Wings chose to omit the dreaded “skating test” from their Monday activities, so the players were spared from grueling sets of full-rink laps with 3, 2, 1 minute and then 30 seconds’ worth of rest between laps.

After days one, two, three and four (which consisted of the Red vs. White Game), perhaps the coaching staff felt that it was better to practice and get out of dodge, and perhaps they were sparing the players of some cruelty given the hard work they’d put in over the last five days.

With the team making 9 cuts on Monday, Team Red and Team White were preceded on the ice by a set of injured players, Grand Rapids Griffins-bound players and Major Junior-bound prospects.

So, injured forward Andrew Copp (abdominal issue) and defenseman Jake Walman (shoulder) were joined by 8 more skaters–try-outs Marcus Limpar-Lantz, Jake Uberti, Ivan Ivan and Jacob Mathieu, draft picks Pasquale Zito and Tnias Mathurin, Griffins players Trenton Bliss and Cedric Lacroix, as well as try-out goaltender Andrew Oke–for a practice that ran from 8:30 AM till 9:30 AM.

Their drills were limited in complexity by the number of personnel involved, so skill development consultant Dwayne Blais and Grand Rapids Griffins goaltending coach Brian Mahoney-Wilson did their best to set up sets of shooting drills for about 40 minutes, and then the players engaged in some “small area” games for the final 20 minutes’ worth of practice time, playing 2-vs-2 hockey.

Around 9:15, Sebastian Cossa, Ville Husso and Victor Brattstrom took to the ice, working with coach Mahoney-Wilson on some square-up-to-the-post drills on the other ice sheet, and at 9:20, Team Red began a lengthy video session in the vestibule between the two rinks, with coach Derek Lalonde and assistant coaches Alex Tanguay and Jay Varady presenting.

At 9:26, Team Red took to the ice on David’s Rink, and they began to engage in sets of full-ice 2-on-0 and 3-on-0 drills to start practice, but the emphasis of even the simplest of Monday’s drills involved establishing possession in the offensive zone, regrouping in the neutral zone, and re-entering the offensive zone via lateral passes.

The drills became more and more complicated over the course of the first thirty minutes of practice, with an emphasis, again, on neutral zone re-groups and passing between defense and forwards, and the physical play was somewhat limited…But coach Varady was very particular regarding the line changes involved, and at one point in the first practice, Varady barked at the one unit for having too many men on the ice.

After a set of lateral laps, the Red Wings’ coaching staff (coaches Lalonde, Tanguay, Varady and Bob Boughner, as well as Toledo Walleye coach Dan Watson) brought the nets toward the south end of the rink and had the players engage in small-space, two-on-two hockey, with more line changes involved. The players were able to engage in more physical play, and were competitive and intense, but the drills were short by training camp standards–perhaps hearkening toward the more morning-skate-short-and-precise tempo that the coaching staff needs to establish–and by 10:10, everything was done.

Team White basically repeated Team Red’s drills, with a bit more emphasis on skill and physical battles, but I was somewhat shocked at the blistering pace of the teaching that went on, especially given that the Wings had scheduled two 90-minute practices for Monday…

But the emphasis on Monday is always teach, learn, and get out of dodge, and as I type this, the Red Wings have already packed up and are on their way back to Detroit to begin the exhibition season tomorrow night, after a morning skate to be held at Little Caesars Arena. Centre ICE Arena’s taken down its training camp stuff and is getting back into fall hockey mode, and Traverse City’s Red Wings presence is dwindling to a trickle of writers who stay for an extra day, like me.

As you know by now, the Red Wings prospects Jan Bednar, Amadeus Lombardi, Oscar Plandowski and Pasquale Zito, as well as try-outs Julien Anctil, Marcus Limpar-Lantz, Mitchell Martin, Jacob Mathieu and Andrew Oke, but they’ve retained Riley Piercey and Jeremie Biakabutuka for the time being.

With 8 exhibition games in the offing (over the next 12 nights!), Detroit needs to keep basically two or three teams’ worth of players, and with Oskar Sundqvist (???), Joe Veleno (lower-body), Tyler Bertuzzi (“inflammation), Robert Hagg (head), Seth Barton (???), John Lethemon (lower-body), Robby Fabbri (ACL), and Mark Pysyk (Achilles) all on the IR alongside Andrew Copp (abdominal surgery) and Jake Walman (shoulder surgery), the Wings are keeping around the number of bodies they feel are necessary for a rough scheduling grind.

Thankfully, the team has a 6-day break before they host the Montreal Canadiens on October 14th, and that will allow some of their injured players more time to heal and recover from what will be inevitable injuries suffered over the course of the exhibition season, which starts in Pittsburgh tomorrow night, and continues on Wednesday at home vs. Chicago (to be aired on Bally Sports Detroit Extra).

Coach Lalonde did speak with the media after practice…

And, with all of the above in mind, here are my assessments of Team Red and Team White:

TEAM RED:

Forwards:

#11 Filip Zadina: It’s up to Zadina to earn his “hard re-set,” and over the course of training camp, the 6,’ 190-pound winger has done his best to play confident, assertive hockey both with and away from the puck. At a career crossroads at 22 years of age, Zadina has yet to score more than 10 goals a season in the NHL (a feat which he accomplished last season), and, with a gaggle of offensively-talented prospects nipping at his heels, there’s no doubt in my mind that Zadina will have to diversify his game in order to succeed in becoming an NHL scorer. He’s going to have to do more than rip one-timers from the bottom of the faceoff circle, and he’s going to have to be willing to “give and go” with his teammates in order to maximize his good but not fantastic skating speed. Over the course of training camp, Zadina looked like he had a renewed sense of confidence and that he was willing to embrace the fresh start offered to him by coach Derek Lalonde, and that he was going to do his best to justify the 3-year contract extension which he signed with the Red Wings in August. Here’s hoping.

#15 Jakub Vrana: Jakub Vrana is at a very different point in his career as a 27-year-old who can score 20+ goals at the NHL level, and more like 30+ goals when he’s healthy. The 6,’ 190-pound winger has established himself as an elite skater and an elite goal-scorer, but on the nights that Zadina doesn’t score, he can be a defensive liability, and, far too regularly, an inconsequential player. So coach Lalonde is challenging Vrana to be more of a factor on the defensive side of the puck, and I feel that this is the logical next step for a player who’s long-established himself as a star on his good nights. What I haven’t seen is a lot of Vrana skating with interim center Michael Rasmussen and probable linemate David Perron.

#21 Austin Czarnik: The Red Wings signed the 29-year-old Czarnik, who stands at 5’9″ and 170 pounds, to a two-way contract because he posts approximately a point per game at the AHL level, and, at his best, he’s been a point-per-every-other-game guy at the NHL level. Among a bountiful crop of small but talented AHL-bound forwards, Czarnik is also a “hometown boy” as native of Detroit, and he’s been hard-working and plucky over the course of training camp.

#25 Taro Hirose: A not-so-young player at a career crossroads, the now-26-year-old Hirose is still an elite passer at any level of hockey, and he’s a near-point-per-game performer at the AHL level, but the 5’10,” 162-pound Hirose has yet to be able to overcome his lack of heft and/or strength. When you’re a smaller, lighter player, you have to be an elite skater to really make it at the NHL level, and while Hirose is still a sort of “outside shot” prospect, he has yet to develop his skating into an asset of any kind. He gets around the ice well enough as a “water bug” forward, and his passing skills are really tremendous, but that’s where he’s at.

#27 Michael Rasmussen: It seems ironic that the 23-year-old Michael Rasmussen is likely headed toward a checking line center’s spot, because the 6’6,” 211-pound forward has looked like he’s ready to take the next step over the course of training camp. A bit stronger and a bit faster than last year’s model, Rasmussen has been acquitting himself well while playing alongside Jakub Vrana and whoever else coach Lalonde merits as worth time on the Red Wings’ de-facto second line. He’s looked strong and solid and heavy on the puck, he’s won faceoffs, driven possession, and sent a couple of hard shots at the net on his own, in addition to generating time and space for his teammates. So far, so good.

#50 Dominik Shine**: Another one of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ smaller forwards, the 29-year-old Shine stands at 5’11” and 176 pounds, and he’s a very strong grinder and two-way forward at the AHL level. The Pinckney, MI native has been with the Red Wings and/or Griffins organization throughout his professional career, and he’s a hard worker who speedily makes his way up and down the ice and checks well.

#52 Jonatan Berggren: Having finally grown into his body at 22 years of age, there’s no doubt that the 5’11,” 197-pound Berggren is capable of playing professional hockey. He’s got a 43-assist, 64-points-in-70-games AHL rookie season on his resume, and Berggren seems poised to make the NHL jump as an elite playmaker and surprisingly strong skater soon. Whether the smallish Swede who excels at making plays in traffic can actually “make the jump” this season will be up to him, the exhibition season, and the Red Wings’ front office. He’s definitely NHL-bound.

#62 Drew Worrad**: I just plain old enjoy watching Worrad play. At 25, the 6’1,” 186-pound graduate of Western Michigan University is AHL-contracted and headed for Grand Rapids, but over the course of the prospect tournament and main camp, he busted his butt skating hard, working hard, checking hard, winning faceoffs and generating a surprising amount of offense for a forward who’s likely to be tasked with playing a grinder’s role at the AHL level. He’s just a solid meat-and-potatoes grinder, and you can never have enough guys with a “motor” on them like Drew Worrad does.

#74 Cross Hanas: Turning pro at 20 years of age, Hanas is a like Jonatan Berggren in that he is an assist machine who isn’t overly big at 6’1″ and 180 pounds, but he’s a superb skater and strong passer (to the tune of 60 assists in the WHL last season) who creates time and space for other players when the puck is on his stick. He possesses great vision and a playmaker’s flair, but he’s not afraid to go to the net himself, and he’s a strong enough skater that he doesn’t get pushed around by opposing teams’ forwards. He’s been something of a stand-out player over the course of the prospect tournament and main camp.

#76 Tyler Spezia**: Spezia has been impressive in his own way. A Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted 29-year-old, the 5’10,” 170-pound Spezia is plain old fast on the ice, and while he is definitely smaller of stature than most, he takes no guff and seems to get up and down the ice well with the puck on his stick. He wins draws, he’s strong on the puck and he has slowly but surely worked his way up from the ECHL to the AHL level of play. A Clinton Township, MI native, he’s another one of those Michigan guys who signed with the Red Wings and/or Griffins to pursue the dream of playing somewhere relatively close to home.

#79 Kirill Tyutyayev**: Another Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted forward, it’s a matter of finishing the tremendous chances that Tyutyayev makes, and on Monday, at least, there seemed to be an urgency for the 5’9,” 178-pound forward to actually finish those glorious chances. When he is motivated to actually score goals, the purveyor of dekes, dangles, fakes and “jukes” does an amazing job of handling and over-handling the puck to his opponents’ dismay, and he really can score at will when he wants to. The problem is that, in addition to being small, he’s just far too satisfied to make those glorious dekes and dangles instead of actually tucking pucks in the back of the net. Consistency is going to be his issue until he fixes it.

#81 Dominik Kubalik: Kubalik came over as a 27-year-old free agent this past summer after scoring 30 goals in his rookie season and 32 goals over his two subsequent campaigns with Chicago, and he’s come as advertised, if not more so. Lanky at 6’2″ and 190 pounds, Kubalik is a smart, direct and sometimes sneaky sniper who utilizes strong skating skills and a good array of shooting abilities to generate goals and create scoring chances for his teammates. Thus far, he looks like somebody who’s going to regain at least 20-goal form this upcoming season.

#90 Joe Veleno: In addition to being injured, Joe Veleno has a second obstacle toward making the Red Wings’ roster, and that’s that the 22-year-old forward is still waiver-exempt and can be sent to Grand Rapids without difficulty. Stocky at 6’1″ and 203 pounds, Veleno has worked on his strength, skating and ability to make plays in tight spaces, but he has yet to consistently display the kind of offensive form that made him a point-per-game player in the QMJHL. He’s certainly got the talent to become a strong two-way forward at the NHL level, if not a point producer there, but he’s not had an easy time overcoming inconsistency, or earning a regular spot on the roster. Now he’s in a real battle for a fourth-line forward’s spot, and he has to take another step forward to win one of those spots.

Defensemen:

#2 Olli Maatta: At 28 years of age, the 6’2,” 207-pound Maata is well-established as a strong, steady stay-at-home defenseman, but what the stocky dude did over the last two days of training camp was remind me of the fact that his strong skating and good puck-handling skills come from possessing a strong offensive array of talents, even though he doesn’t always utilize them. Maatta was picked 21st overall in 2012 because he was a superb offensive defenseman in Finland, but he’s adapted his game toward becoming a complementary middle-pair defender to a more offensively-inclined counterpart. That being said, he can more than keep up with those offensive partners, and one underestimates Maatta’s overall game at one’s peril.

#17 Filip Hronek: At 24 going on 25 this November, it’s just time for Hronek to take his next step and find more consistency in terms of his game-to-game efforts. The 6,’ 190-pound defenseman skates superbly, he possesses a wonderful stick in terms of its ability to block shots and passes and knock down pucks with that square toe on his stick blade, he passes very well and shoots hard, and if he weren’t his harshest self critic, he may have more success offensively. Better-suited to a 2nd pair role than a 1st pair role, Hronek and somebody like Olli Maatta should succeed playing a steadier game on the Wings’ second defensive pairing.

#32 Brian Lashoff**: The Grand Rapids Griffins’ captain is a 32-year-old defenseman who does everything professionally, on and off the ice. AHL-contracted but able to be brought up in a pinch on a pro try-out, Lashoff is rock-steady and somewhat spare at the NHL level, but endlessly useful in almost any role at the AHL level. The 6’3,” 210-pound defenseman has an admirable work ethic and leads by example, and he’s the perfect captain for a hard-working Griffins team.

#41 Jared McIsaac: Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the 22-year-old McIsaac is still around, but the quietly-effective defenseman is still getting his own job done. 6’1″ and 197 pounds, McIsaac had to miss a couple of seasons with multiple shoulder surgeries, so he is only now developing into a capable shut-down defenseman whose quiet efficiency belies a tough competitive spirit. He skates well enough and checks well enough to be a sound professional defenseman.

#44 Donovan Sebrango: It’s interesting that the coaching staff put two similar defensemen together in McIsaac and Sebrango. All of 20, Sebrango has 96 AHL games to his credit, and the 6’1,” 197-pound defenseman plays a steady, spare game as a two-way, shut-down defender with a hard edge. His stick is tremendous in terms of its ability to both break up scoring chances, send passes toward teammates and be utilized to fire hard, low shots at the net, and, like Maatta to some extent, he’s going to earn his living being a defenseman who makes very little happen for his opponents, but he can more than keep up with his offensive counterparts.

#47 Wyatt Newpower: The 24-year-old Newpower and fellow defenseman Seth Barton remain prospects by the slimmest of margins, and in the 6’3,” 207-pound Newpower’s case, his reputation precedes him as a tough, physical defender and even sometimes a fearsome fighter. Newpower is big and strong, he’s got a nasty edge to him, and he plays bigger than his size as a third-pair defenseman. He’s a borderline prospect who needs to really step up to keep his job as the Red Wings’ blueline experiences a European invasion.

#51 Eemil Viro: One of those European defenseman is Finn Eemil Viro. Not big at 6′ and 177 wiry pounds, Viro is still very strong for his size, and he utilizes his excellent, short stick to break up scoring chances, passes and shots against, he skates superbly with his hips pivoting toward the puck carrier and the puck itself, and his ability to track back opponents shuts down their scoring chances. That being said, Viro can generate some scoring chances of his own with a hard shot and strong passing skills. He’s just coming over to play North American hockey at 20, but he comes from the successful TPS Turku program in the Finnish Liiga, so he’s been playing against men for two years already.

#82 Jordan Oesterle: I really wonder how things are going to pan out for the 30-year-old Oesterle. The affable defenseman just wasn’t able to cut it as Moritz Seider’s partner, but that’s to be expected given that the 6,’ 187-pound defender is better-suited to a second or third-pair role as another one of those simple, steady and spare shut-down guys who possesses enough talent to keep up with more offensively-minded partners. He skates, shoots and passes well, he sees the ice well, and is physical enough to get by, especially given some little inconsistencies in his game.

Goaltenders:

#33 Sebastian Cossa: Trying to turn pro against long odds at 19, the 6’6,” 229-pound Cossa has looked strong and steady for the vast majority of the prospect tournament and training camp. Now he needs to apply himself for entire games’ worth of play in the exhibition season in order to unseat one of John Lethemon, Victor Brattstrom or Jussi Olkinuora in the pecking order. When Cossa plays a more mature, patient game, his size is used to his advantage, and he plays a strong, patient game, anticipating and then reacting to shooters’ moves instead of flopping into the butterfly and seeing what sticks. He possesses an excellent blocker and stick, great pads, an improving glove and an upright stance, and he’s usually particularly square to opponents, though he can throw the rule book out the window when necessary.

#34 Victor Brattstrom: Brattstrom needs to throw the rule book out of the window a little less regularly. The 25-year-old is big at 6’5″ and 182 lanky pounds, and he possesses excellent technical skills, but he has a tendency to both play the puck-blocking, Jonas Gustavsson-style game that he was taught to play too regularly, and the back-flipping goaltender is often too willing to flop and flail at the puck instead of playing a more patient game. He needs to find some consistency to his game if he is to succeed at the North American professional level.

#35 Ville Husso: For the most part, I’ve been tremendously impressed by the 27-year-old Husso. The 6’3,” 200-pound goaltender is both wonderful as a technically adept butterfly goaltender, and he is in control of his body when he contorts and throws a body part toward the puck. Stepping out of Jordan Binnington’s shadow, the Smart Finnish goaltender blends technique and instincts superbly, and only struggles when he’s forced beyond his performance envelope.

TEAM WHITE:

Forwards:

#22 Matt Luff: Luff is probably headed down to the AHL, where he generates nearly a point per game, but the 25-year-old is also a power forward in physique at 6’3″ and 212 pounds, and he scored a goal in the Red vs. White game because he possesses more than adequate offensive skills and skating abilities. I’m going to be interested to see how Luff is deployed, because he’s not necessarily a prospect any more, but he’s still big, strong, skates well, and he’s got a scorer’s touch from time to time.

#23 Lucas Raymond: Raymond was back to his new normal on Monday, digging and dogging pucks around the net like a junkyard dog. Already tremendously effective at 20 years of age, the 5’11,” 176-pound Raymond is still growing into his frame, he’s still improving in terms of his fast but not elite skating, and after a 57-point rookie season, I believe that he’s got the elite goal-scoring chops to generate more scoring chances and set up more teammates on a regular basis with his passing abilities. He’s learning to be a little more selfish, and selfish is good when it comes to scoring at the NHL level.

#24 Pius Suter: Again, I believe that the 26-year-old Suter will probably be better, well, suited to playing as a third-line center, where he can get away from some of those primary defensive match-ups. 5’11” and 179 pounds, Suter is an adequate skater who is speedy but not necessarily fast, he can win faceoffs, he’s able to snipe goals and he’s a good and steady play-maker. He just needs to be a little more consistent in terms of his form and a little less willing to be bumped around by bigger, stronger opponents.

#26 Pontus Andreasson: A stout little booger at 5’10” and 183 pounds, Andreasson has the tendency to want to play as a steady two-way center, but the Lulea Hockey graduate was brought over to the NHL as a free agent signing because he can score goals and hound rebounds into the back of the net. The Red Wings will probably send him to Grand Rapids for some finishing school, barring some revelatory play in the preseason, anyway, and I believe that he’ll at least survive in the AHL, if not thrive there.

#42 Kyle Criscuolo: Criscuolo is 30 years old and not big at 5’9″ and 167 pounds, but he is a useful AHL forward who has bounced around the NHL trying to find the greenest pastures, only to return to the Red Wings/Griffins organization. He skates well enough, passes and shoots solidly, and at the AHL level, he’s a particularly useful center. At the NHL level, he can be utilized on a temporary basis to plug roster holes capably.

#48 Givani Smith: At 24 and no longer waiver-exempt, the 6’2,” 214-pound Smith needs to work his butt off and fight as hard as he can to earn a spot on the Red Wings’ roster. Over the course of training camp he has been assertive, he’s picked his spots, and he’s been a heavy, physical forward with a goal-scorer’s touch, which is encouraging. Better and more consistent when he holds his temper, he nearly lost it when Simon Edvinsson high-sticked him on Sunday, but his better angels prevailed. That’s a good sign.

#57 David Perron: It was a little weird to see the 34-year-old Perron on a line with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin, but I suppose that the coaching staff wants to see what works and who works with whom. The 6’1,” 196-pound Perron is ultra-competitive, he’s a hard worker, and when he’s comfortable in a team’s system, he scores at a 20-goal, 50-point clip. Perron is also “sneaky dirty” and a bit of an instigator, as well as a vocal leader “in the room,” so he brings a ton of intangibles to the rink with him.

#58 Riley Piercey*: I like the fact that the Red Wings have seen enough from the 20-year-old power forward to give the 6’3,” 193-pound Flint Firebirds winger an exhibition game or two–and you don’t earn an exhibition game or two by simply scoring four goals in one prospect tournament game. Piercey hasn’t been able to get out of his own way in terms of scoring goals of late, but there’s no doubt that the free agent try-out plays a hard, heavy game, and he can score goals as well as check and fight. We’ll see what the exhibition season brings for Piercey, who does possess a superb work ethic.

#67 Joel L’Esperance**: The 27-year-old L’Esperance has been up and down over the course of training camp. A native of Brighton, Michigan, the 6’2,” 210-pound forward is a goal-scoring forward at the AHL level and he’s another one of those, “Useful in a pinch” guys at the NHL level, but there have been times that he’s looked like he’s just in it for his own scoring chances. Big and tough, he’s a 40-to-50-point scorer at the AHL level, and that’s where he’s likely to be headed this upcoming season.

#71 Dylan Larkin: Larkin is the Red Wings’ 26-year-old captain, and he just possesses a lovely combination of talent and work ethic. Dialed in at all times, the 6’1,” 198-pound Larkin has grown into his body and grown into his role over the past two seasons, and as an elite goal-scorer and passing play-maker with a blazing skating stride and good vision, he does a superb job of generating offensive, then getting back to clean up any mistakes that he or his teammates might have made in the offensive zone. He works hard on every shift and has become less frustrated with himself and more steely in his resolve over time. He’s just a hell of a captain.

#73 Adam Erne: Erne is in one hell of a pickle. The 27-year-old power forward has been inconsistent in the application of his talents, so the 6’1,” 212-pound Erne now finds himself fighting for his job among a sea of contenders. Erne has always been a hell of a handful when he’s “on,” a strong goal-scorer and good passer when he’s “on,” and a physical player who skates up the ice well when he’s “on,” but he’s not “on” all the time. Not even most of the time, frankly. So Erne’s progress goes forward in fits and spurts, and sometimes he actually trends backward. As such, he’s going to be fighting with Joe Veleno, Jonatan Berggren, and the next guy on our list for a job.

#85 Elmer Soderblom: 21-year-old Elmer Soderblom probably needs finishing school in Grand Rapids, but it’s entirely possible that the 6’8,” 246-pound forward could jump to the NHL this fall. A graduate of the fine Frolunda HC program in the SHL, Soderblom’s massive reach and gigantic wingspan afford him the ability to generate some time and space for himself as he dekes and dangles the puck through bodies and around back-checking forwards and defensemen, and he skates strongly enough to remain in control of his body and often in control of the puck for extended periods of time. For a big man, he plays a smaller man’s skilled game thanks to his skating and puck-handling abilities; he can score goals on his own, he passes well, and his overall level of effort is high on a shift-by-shift basis. It’s just a question as to whether Soderblom’s best interests are served by playing him in the NHL right away, or whether a little AHL seasoning will wrap a bow upon his development.

Defensemen:

#3 Simon Edvinsson: At all of 19 years of age, and perhaps in need of the same kind of “finishing school” effort in the AHL as Soderblom, there’s not a question as to whether or if Edvinsson will become a star NHL defenseman. The question is only “when.” Possessing a massive 6’6,” 209-pound frame, Edvinsson still all but glides on the ice as an effortless skater, he possesses lovely passing and playmaking skills, he can head-man the puck up ice himself, and his shot is hard and accurate. He just needs to learn how to bear down on defense and accept that, sometimes, an inelegant simple play is a better outcome than an elegant giveaway. He’ll figure that out with time and effort. Again, it’s just a question of what kind of timeline he’s on.

#6 Ben Chiarot: It’s not hard to figure out why Chiarot is known as something of a Grumpy Gus. The 31-year-old stands at 6’3″ and 232 pounds, and the big left-shooting defenseman is heavy, tough and rough with both teammates and opponents. Full of vim and vinegar, Chiarot skates more than well enough to keep up with none other than Moritz Seider, and he’s got more-than-passable skills of his own in terms of passing and shooting, but it’s in defending and checking that he makes his bread, butter, and paycheck. And he loves to be mean.

#20 Albert Johansson: At 21, Johansson is something of a “dark horse” candidate to earn a job with the Red Wings this season, but he should not be forgotten. Having graduated from the SHL champions in Farjestads BK, the 6,’ 184-pound defenseman is a lot like Eemil Viro–he possesses an absolutely amazing stick in terms of both its defensive and offensive abilities, so he’s able to poke check, block passes and shots, make his own scoring chances and send pin-point passes up ice himself. He skates a little better than Viro, and is a little more comfortable with the size of his body, so he can actually lay out some big body checks from time to time, but Johansson is more about being quietly efficient than he is about laying guys out.

#28 Gustav Lindstrom: I think this training camp has been the most consistent stretch of play I’ve ever seen from Lindstrom, and that’s a compliment. Still only 23 and 6’2″ and 185 pounds, the right-shooting right defenseman can play a steady, spare and simple game as the complementary player for an offensively-inclined defenseman, or he can send his own outlet passes zipping across the ice, firing hard shots and making strong plays all by himself. He skates very well and anticipates plays, so he’s an adept defender as well, and he works hard. I have a feeling that he’s going to “keep his spot” in the lineup.

#53 Moritz Seider: Then, there are superstars, and Moritz Seider is a superstar in the making. 6’4″ and 204 pounds and still growing at 21, Seider’s coming off a 50-point campaign during his Calder Trophy-winning rookie season, and now the elegant skater, fantastic heads-up passer and play-maker and possessor of a heavy, accurate shot will try to turn up his underrated physicality upon a group of opponents more aware that Seider is in fact a heavy hitter. He’s going to have to take everything he’s learned over the course of his AHL campaign, his SHL campaign and his NHL campaign to keep the flies off, but I believe he will be successful at doing so.

#54 Steven Kampfer: At the other end of the developmental spectrum, Kampfer is a unique case. He posted 30 points in 46 games for the KHL’s Ak Bars Kazan after being a single-point producer for the vast majority of his NHL and AHL career, and at 34 years of age, nobody is expecting the probably Griffins-bound native of Ann Arbor, Michigan to dominate offensively, but who knows, he might get a chance with the Red Wings and prove that he can keep up. He’s a good skater and a very savvy defenseman who plays a complimentary defenseman’s role to a tee.

#63 Jeremie Biakabutuka*: Even though the Red Wings are a little short on right defense, I’m not certain that Biakabutuka is contract-bound, but it’s good to see that the 20-year-old free agent invite is sticking around for an exhibition game or two. Big at 6’4″ and 201 pounds, the Charlottetown Islanders defenseman has yet to put his game together in the QMJHL, but at the prospect tournament and main camp, playing mostly alongside Eemil Viro, he was demonstrative (for the most part), confident in himself (when not deferring to his elders) and mobile, physical, smart-passing and strong-shooting. He’s looked good out there, and he’s earned the opportunity to impress over the course of an exhibition game or two.

Goaltenders:

#39 Alex Nedeljkovic: Despite being 26 years of age, Nedeljkovic is only an NHL sophomore, and the 6,’ 208-pound goaltender is still sorting things out as to when to play his phenomenally adept technical game and when to throw body parts at the puck. That being said, when he masters the middle ground between the two, he’ll be more consistent than he was last season, and for a superb goaltender who has yet to find consistency, a more even game is what we hope for. He’s got a great glove, smart blocker, he stick-handles well–says he wants to score a goal, for that matter–his toes and knees are sharp and smart, and he maximizes what is a smaller-than-average frame in the NHL today. I think he’ll figure out how to give up half-a-goal less in every other game while playing behind a better defense.

#45 Jussi Olkinuora: I’m still calling him the “wild card.” The 31-year-old is big and bendy at 6’3″ and 202 pounds, and the old-school butterfly goaltender has surprised me with his combination of sharp reflexes, a very good technical game, and a lot of self-confidence. He’s a strong goalie who came back to North America for the second or third time after a stint with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the KHL, having won the Finnish Men’s Ice Hockey MVP this past year in Beijing, and now we’re going to find out whether the Red Wings have an AHL-caliber goaltender here, or something more.

#60 Jan Bednar: Bednar was sent back to the QMJHL today, and that’s where the 20-year-old goaltender needs to be. 6’4″ and 199 pounds, Bednar looked fantastic in his final training camp session with the Red Wings, snagging pucks out of the air with his glove and stifling scoring chances with his principled butterfly game, so it was good to see the generally inconsistent netminder in fact play with poise. He has only really had one full season with Acadie-Bathurst, and it was a good one, so he needs to repeat his efforts this upcoming season. If he can do so, he’ll likely be earning an entry-level contract from the Red Wings. Not bad for a guy who was known for making spectacular saves and then giving up tons of soft goals.

*= Training camp invite, **= Grand Rapids Griffins contract

That’s training camp. As already stated, the Red Wings will hold a morning skate before Tuesday night’s game in Pittsburgh (7 PM EDT, airing on 97.1 FM), and one of their squads will play tomorrow, while the other team will play on Wednesday at home vs. Chicago (7:30 PM EDT on Bally Sports Detroit Extra).

As you know, at present, I’m not credentialed for Red Wings games, and while I’m going to speak to the PR staff about that at some point soon, tomorrow I will remain in Traverse City, and Wednesday I’ll be coming home to South Lyon.

My aunt has been dealing with some medical issues since last Friday, and I need to get back home and take care of her as best I can while splitting time between doing that and doing the blog.

I hope that my coverage has been satisfactory during the prospect tournament and main training camp. I will continue to endeavor to squeeze my way into rinks (hello, Grand Rapids Griffins games) and get as much Red Wings and Red Wings prospect content for you as possible, and in the interim, I’m still raising funds to get my butt home.

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).