The Detroit Red Wings’ prospects lost a 4-2 decision to the Dallas Stars’ prospects at the Wings’ 2023 Prospect Tournament on Thursday night.
Elmer Soderblom opened the scoring on a goal from Cross Hanas and Nate Danielson at 7:56 of the 1st, but the Stars responded with 2 goals in the 1st period and one more just over halfway through the 2nd period;
Detroit lost Carter Mazur to a lower-body injury in the 1st as well, and Soderblom took a high stick to the face that drew blood, so Detroit was down to 10 forwards for a fair amount of the 2nd;
Antti Tuomisto made it 4-2 on a power play goal assisted by Danielson and Riley Sawchuk late in the 2nd, but Detroit could come no closer to Dallas, which scored an empty-net goal with 1:11 remaining in the game.
Sebastian Cossa stopped 14 of 16 shots in 30:08 of ice time, and Jan Bednar played the second half of the game, stopping 10 of 11 shots.
Detroit won’t play again until Saturday vs. Columbus (at 3:30 PM EDT), and then Sunday the tournament wraps up with a 2 PM game vs. Toronto…So the Red Wings will be able to practice on Friday to address some of the shortcomings that yielded their loss to the Stars.
You can watch full highlights from the game here via the Red Wings’ YouTube channel:
Here are Twitter clips of the Wings’ goals, too:
Elmer on the doorstep!
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 14, 2023
1-0! #DRWPT pic.twitter.com/pYEsQ9L1RS
TUOMISTO!#DRWPT pic.twitter.com/txW08jGpzl
— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 15, 2023
MLive’s Ansar Khan took note of the performances of the Wings’ goal-scorers in his recap:
The 6-8 forward Soderblom appeared in 21 games for the Red Wings last season after winning a job in the preseason. He needs a strong training camp and preseason, coupled with an injury or two to a regular, to have an opportunity to crack the season-opening roster.
Soderblom opened the scoring at 7:56 of the first period with a tap-in from the side of the net. He finished with a game-high six shots on goal.
Tuomisto, the right-shooting defenseman selected in the second round in 2019 (35th overall), scored on shot from just inside the blue line through traffic with 3:35 to play in the second period. That cut Dallas’ lead to 3-2.
Tuomisto is preparing for his first season with the Grand Rapids Griffins after two years of college in Denver and last season in the top Finnish men’s league.
The Free Press’s Helene St. James discussed Nate Danielson’s 2-assist debut…
The tournament is an excellent opportunity for a young player such as Danielson to test himself against other top players. He has spent the summer working on getting stronger and quicker.
“There are a bunch of great players here,” Danielson said. “I want to have a good showing here and play the best I can. It will be a good test for me.”
Watson called Danielson “a real smart player. He plays a 200-foot game. He makes plays, he sees plays, he anticipates the game well. He’s going to be a really good player.
“That’s the first time I’ve really seen him live. I like where his head is at. He is mature for his age.”
And she posted a 3:56 clip of Nate Danielson and coach Dan Watson’s post-game remarks…
Detroit Hockey Now’s Tim Robinson noted Watson’s remarks about Sebastian Cossa…
“Compared to the beginning of last year he’s grown in terms of his mental aspect of his game, his physical, the way he plays, the way he sees the game,” Watson said. “Our goal is to continue to develop him. That’s the goal of every player here. The way he prepares every day has grown leaps and bounds. He’s gotta continue to do that to make sure he gets better. The work ethic’s there, the drive’s there, the want is there. We just gotta make sure we keep on it every day with him.”
The Traverse City Record-Eagle’s James Cook offered a fine recap…
“The message after the game was puck management,” said Detroit first-round draft pick Nate Danielson, the ninth overall pick in 2023. “It’s something we need to do a better job of that kind of cost us tonight, so it’s something we will definitely address tomorrow in practice and heading into the weekend.”
The Wings don’t have a game Friday, with ones scheduled for Saturday at 3:30 p.m. against Columbus and Sunday at 2 p.m. against Toronto. Watson said Friday’s practice wouldn’t be a hard one, since a lot of the players logged big minutes.
Elmer Soderblom, the massive 6-foot-8, 246-pound right wing from Sweden, put Detroit up 1-0 just 7:26 into the game, with Danielson drawing an assist along with 2022 second-round pick Cross Hanas. Danielson centered the second line with Cross and Soderblom, a 2019 sixth-rounder.
Watson said he was pleased with Soderblom’s production.
“With Elmer, the way he ended the season last year with that injury, he was moving pretty good for not really being able to train until August,” Watson said. “He was moving his feet. I liked to see the little push back he had after that high stick, scored a nice goal. So real happy with his progress here, and it’s something he can build off moving into the weekend.”
The Athletic’s Max Bultman took note of the Wings’ turnovers….
The Red Wings controlled play for long stretches Thursday night, but key turnovers cost them over and over. First, late in a power play, 2022 fifth-round pick Tnias Mathurin got picked off looking for Kasper, leading to an odd-man rush that Dallas defenseman Gavin White converted. It was the kind of shot you’d like to see 2021 first-rounder Sebastian Cossa save, but also a rush that probably shouldn’t have happened in the first place.
Then, less than two minutes later, Danielson was bodied off a puck at the defensive blue line, leading to another Grade-A Stars chance from the slot. And in the second period, it was William Wallinder getting just a bit too casual on a pass at the offensive blue line, springing a three-on-one for Dallas. An empty-netter capped it off late in the game, but Detroit would have been in the driver’s seat if not for those three key turnovers.
“The stress (at Friday’s practice) will be puck management,” Watson said. “Live to see another day at times, instead of trying to make some of those hope plays, or being careless with the puck in the wrong situations, D-zone blue lines, O-zone blue lines. It’ll be a good video session, for sure.”
And Sean Shapiro offered analysis on his Substack…
Marco Kasper got better as the game went along for Detroit, in particular I thought his third period was dynamic. He probably should have had at least a couple of points, including a gimme assist that was botched by a linemate.
Nate Danielson plays a smart two-way game, I’m not sure about the No. 9 selection overall, but like Easton Cowan earlier in the day for Toronto, I can see why a coach and GM will fall in love with his game and he’ll have a long NHL career.
Update: DetroitRedWings.com’s Jonathan Mills also weighed in:
Danielson on the value of the annual tournament
“It’s really important. There’s a bunch of great players here, so we came here to win. Obviously I want to have a good showing here and play the best I can.”
Danielson on what he hopes to gain from this year’s tournament and training camp
“It’s good to just be able to just play with a lot of great players on our team. Also, measure myself against a lot of other good players on other teams heading into camp. That will be a good test for me.”
Watson on his first impression of Danielson
“He’s a real smart player. He plays a 200-foot game. He makes plays, sees plays and anticipates the game well. He’s going to be a really good player. That was kind of the first time I’ve seen him live.”
In terms of my player impressions, keeping in mind that this was the first game of the tournament, and that it’s very hard to win or lose a job on the Red Wings’ roster during the prospect tournament, here’s what I thought of the Wings’ participants in the game:
FORWARDS:
#63 Alexandre Doucet—#92 Marco Kasper “A”—#32 Carter Mazur “A”
#63 Alexandre Doucet: Doucet managed to finish at -3 despite playing on the top line and taking 5 shots. At 21, the 6,’ 187-pound graduate of the QMJHL is a sniper-and-a-half, but I had concerns about his all-round ability to play against bigger and stronger men, and…Honestly, he was fine. I don’t think that he’s great defensively by any stretch of the imagination, but there’s some bad luck in there, and he skated well and kept up with the plucky Kasper and hard-working, hard-charging Mazur.
Slated for Grand Rapids, Doucet gave a good first impression.
#92 Marco Kasper “A”: Boy, Marco Kasper is a player. He was -2 with 4 shots, and I understand that there are concerns about his long-term offensive output, but the 6’1,” 183-pound center played a tenacious, high-paced game. He’s got oodles of snarl, everywhere from the faceoff circle to the side boards and down low areas in front of both nets, and Kasper is excellent defensively. But it’s the pace of his game that’s most impressive as he focuses on detail work. I also noticed that Kasper likes to set up in the right faceoff circle and shoot bombs at the net, and that could be an asset…Or a liability if it becomes a Filip Zadina-style crutch. But he’s only 19, and there’s room for growth and less reliance on a go-to spot.
Mostly, Kasper was gritty, smart and fleet of foot and stick.
#32 Carter Mazur “A”: Mazur left the first period with what looked to be either a knee or ankle injury, but his first period was better than his -1-with-1-shot stats. A little more mature at 21, the 6,’ 175-pound forward really has an edge to him in terms of both competitiveness and a downright apparent snarl. While Kasper will chew an opponent after the play, Mazur will smear you into the boards and skate away with the puck. He’s got a good shot, he knows how to sneak into the dead areas on the ice and pounce on rebounds, and while his size is something of an issue as he’s so darn wiry, he makes up for any deficiencies in strength with tenacity and hard work.
Here’s hoping that he returns for Saturday’s 3:30 PM EDT game vs. Columbus. There’s more for him to show.
#74 Cross Hanas “A”—#29 Nate Danielson—#85 Elmer Soderblom
#74 Cross Hanas “A”: Hanas had an assist and a -1 with 1 shot. He’s is coming off his first pro season with the Grand Rapids Griffins, which was abbreviated due to a shoulder injury which required surgery. At 21, the 6’1,” 180-pound passing phenomenon uses a shorter mid-kick stick, but he’s got good reach, he likes to rag the puck and slide passes to teammates, and his skating skills afford him the luxury of time and space with which to make plays. He’s got a fairly good shot as well.
Hanas has some work to do in terms of establishing himself as an offensive force at the AHL level, but he’s certainly got the skill set to shine.
#29 Nate Danielson: At first blush, 2 assists and a -1 looked pretty solid in terms of making the doubts about his 9th overall selection a little less glaring. All of 18 going on 19 on the 27th of this month, the skinny 6’2,” 185-pound center and captain of the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings is just a very solid all-round player. He skates strongly, he’s on the wrong side of puck battles some times, but that’s due to his age and relative inexperience, and he can out-work and out-smart his opponents.
The two-way forward gave a superb first impression. He’s going to have to keep it up to erase those who think that he was a “reach” at 9th, but I believe he has the skill set to prove himself over the course of time.
#85 Elmer Soderblom: There were times that Soderblom was literally and figuratively “head and shoulders” over the competition. At 6’8″ and 246 pounds, the 22-year-old second-year Griffin (or Red Wing?) was making masterful dekes and dangles which belie his massive size, but he got too cute on some occasions, and spoiled fine scoring chances. He still scored a lovely goal on 2 shots, finished at -1, and survived a high-stick by Chase Wheatcroft which drew blood.
The issue for me with Soderblom is really finishing his plays with more deliberate simpplicity. He’s got a tremendous skill set and skates superbly, but Big Elmer can do more by playing a little less fancily sometimes. And there’s the whole being 6’8″ and a net-front power play guy going for him, too.
#82 Israel Mianscum*—#78 Amadeus Lombardi—#56 Matyas Melovsky*
#82 Israel Mianscum*: Mianscum, a free agent try-out from the QMJHL’s Sherbrooke Phoenix, finished even with no shots, and the 6’1,” 198-pound forward looked pretty solid at times, and shaky at others. The 20-year-old was a point-per-game player in the QMJHL, but the stocky center looked a little off-balance on the wing.
All of that being said, he got better as the game went along, and Mianscum will probably have two more chances to impress.
#78 Amadeus Lombardi: I made sure to write down in my notes that “Lombo makes those around him better.” He finished at -1 with no shots, but the 5’11,” 171-pound center turning pro after a successful OHL career in Flint just busts his tail. He’s undersized for sure, but he’s speedy, he’s got a low center of gravity and a wide stance, and he’s tenacious and skilled at the same time. Turning pro full-time at 20 years of age, Lombardi out-competes opponents for the puck and can out-skate bigger, stronger foes.
More good impressions from Lombardi never hurt. He’s listed by the Wings conversely at 5’10” and 165 and 5’11” and 171, but the long story long is that he’s getting bigger and stronger, and he really does make those around him better.
#56 Matyas Melovsky*: The free agent invite from Baie-Comeau finished even with no shots, and the 6’1,” 190-pound passing phenom, who had 52 assists in 56 games this past season, well…He passed well, very very well, and he worked well with Lombardi in terms of pushing the pace of play.
Right now, Melovsky is a hell of a passer, but as a free agent invite, he needs to be more than a passing fad.
#86 Jake Uberti*—#64 Emmitt Finnie—#28 Riley Sawchuk**
#86 Jake Uberti*: Uberti actually looked pretty solid out there, at least at times. Even with one shot, the free agent invite from Mississauga of the OHL is heading to St. Mary’s College to play university hockey, and at 21, there was maturity out of his game at times, but a lot of inconsistency, too.
The 6’1,” 200-pound Uberti has more to give as a free agent invite.
#64 Emmitt Finnie: Even with one shot, the Kamloops Blazers center (sorry, I wrote Lethbridge Hurricanes earlier) was a late (201st overall) pick of the Wings this past June, and at 6′ and 170 pounds, he had some moments where he was really over-matched, and some moments where I understood why the Wings took a late-round flyer on him.
Finnie wasn’t dazzling during the summer development camp, but the 18-year-old showed flashes of potential and bouts of inconsistency.
#28 Riley Sawchuk**: Sawchuk is 24 and contracted to the Grand Rapids Griffins, and as an older player, he was stuck on the fourth line…Until Carter Mazur got hurt. Then he was everywhere, finishing with an assist on the power play, a -2 and 1 shot. Not big at 5’11” and 181 pounds, Sawchuk is going to compete for either an AHL or ECHL spot, and as a gritty grinder, he’s got at least one impressive game down with coach Dan Watson behind the Wings’ bench and Walleye coach Pat Mikesch in attendance to watch potential employees.
Opportunity knocked for Sawchuk, who is there to provide what he did provide–leadership and versatility.
DEFENSEMEN:
#54 William Wallinder—#38 Antti Tuomisto
#54 William Wallinder: Time and space were not on his side, and by that, I mean rink dimensions. Wallinder committed an egregious turnover which resulted in a goal against, but he also took 5 shots to go along with his -1. Working with another European pro in Antti Tuomisto, Wallinder, 6’4″ and 190 pounds, is both 21 and a graduate of Rogle BK (to the point that he and Kasper both jawed at opponents when the other got hit during the same shift), but he’s not experienced on North American ice…
So while he’s been talked up as the greatest thing that happened to the Wings’ prospect pool since Moritz Seider, the talented Wallinder had a game in which he learned that the rink is 15 feet narrower and that players are a whole lot more direct in going to the net on a 3-on-1 off your own turnover.
#38 Antti Tuomisto: At 22, the 6’5,” 205-pound right-shooting defenseman is a big lug, and the big lug looked real good out there. With a goal on two shots, to go along with a -2, his play wasn’t completely even (obviously), but he’s big, mean, he skates well for a big-and-heavy dude and he’s got a cannon of a shot. The fact that he shoots right springs him up the depth chart a couple of spaces, too, but I like calling him “Antti TuoMEANsto” simply because I can.
Overall, a good first impression back on North American ice for the one-time University of Denver defender who played with TPS Turku in Finland’s men’s league last season.
#95 Tnias Mathurin—#26 Andrew Gibson
#95 Tnias Mathurin: An earned -1 with no shots, Mathurin is 19 now, and he spent the past season recovering from various injuries before posting 4 points in 11 playoff games for North Bay. On Thursday night, the 6’3,” 201-pound defenseman with heavy feet looked heavy-footed at times, and his pace has improved, but he’s big, physical and sometimes lumbering, and he can still make some uncharacteristic mistakes.
Mathurin looked a little rusty on the third pairing, and I have some legitimate concerns about his ability to keep up with fleet-footed compatriots.
#26 Andrew Gibson: Gibson had a better game, but also made some mistakes. Finishing even with 2 shots, the 6’3,” 196-pound 2023 2nd round pick certainly looks the part of a mature defender as he’s rocking a moustache at 18, but the Soo Greyhounds defenseman is still a youngster. Fairly physical and right-shooting, there were moments where Gibson played with a calmness which belied his actual age, and there were times when he wasn’t as smooth.
Gibson’s got maturity beyond his age, but his age is still only 18.
#61 Connor Punnett*—#70 Finn Harding*
#61 Connor Punnett*: The free agent invite from the Barrie Colts did what I said he would at the summer development camp–he got in a fight, and won it. 6’2″ and 198 pounds, the 20-year-old defenseman with 106 penalty minutes this past season is plain old tough, and he was brought in to keep the flies off because that’s his job. He took down Artem Grushnikov TWICE in one scrap, and set the tone for the “bottom pairing.”
You need a free agent who’s motivated to toss ’em in a prospect tournament. Punnett is that guy.
#70 Finn Harding*: Harding finished even with a shot, and the 18-year-old free agent invite from Mississauga of the OHL had some flashes of potential, but there were moments when things got very heavy for him in terms of his workload and the pace of the game. At 6’1″ and 182 pound, you would not think that he’d get pushed around that much.
A free agent invite who had a so-so start.
GOALTENDERS:
#33 Sebastian Cossa, starter; #60 Jan Bednar, back-up
#33 Sebastian Cossa: Cossa got beaten cleanly on 2 of the 16 shots he faced in 30:06 of ice time, and while the goals against came off of turnovers, in a prospect tournament game…There are going to be doubts about the 6’6,” 229-pounder’s game until the 20-year-old ECHL veteran proves those doubts about “holes” above his glove and blocker wrong. He’s got a great attitude, a good work ethic, he’s massive in the net as a butterfly goaltender with great down-low coverage, but he is a below-average puck-handler, and while he’s sealed up the concerns about his game down low, or when he’s turned around, those high shots…
This is the year that the rubber meets the road for Cossa, who’s proven himself at the ECHL level, but must take a next step with Grand Rapids this upcoming season.
#60 Jan Bednar: To some extent, Bednar is in Cossa’s place a year later. He’s headed to Toledo after an injury-marred QMJHL campaign, and the 6’4,” 199-pound goaltender has had to really revamp his inconsistent game to establish himself as a less fantastic but far more solid 21-year-old turning “pro” this season. He’s got a very good skill set in terms of his technique, his glove snags pucks out of the air, his blocker’s good, his toes are sharp and he’s learning to seal off rebounds. He stopped 10 of 11 shots in 28:57 of play.
Bednar’s heading to the ECHL to establish himself this season; before he does that, he’s going to try to make a good impression at the prospect tournament.
SCRATCHES:
#58 Dean Loukus*, left wing: The 5’10,” 185-pound Saginaw Spirit winger and free agent invite hasn’t stood out over the summer or early fall, but the solid and steady winger from Calumet might yet get a chance to impress.
#83 Nic Sima*, right wing: Another free agent invite from Saginaw, Sima was passed over in the 2023 draft, and the 6’2,” 185-pound winger needs to get into the lineup to make an impression, period.
#79 Jackson DeSouza*, defenseman: I am hoping that DeSouza gets into the lineup sooner than later, because the free agent invite from Kelowna of the WHL has some skills and a lot of poise with the puck. At 6’4″ and 187 pounds, he’s a skinny dude.
#68 Lukas Matecha*, goaltender: Committed to play with the WHL’s Tri-City Americans at 18, the Czech Under-20 league graduate will likely spend most of his time working with Griffins goalie coach Roope Koistinen, who headed from the stands to the locker room after every period to consult with the coaching staff. As for Matecha, the 6’3,” 187-pound goalie is here to learn.
*=Try-out **=Grand Rapids Griffins contract
As I said earlier today, we’ve made it to Traverse City, but Aunt Annie and I still need to find a way to plain old pay our bills when we get home, so we’re still raising funds.
If you can lend a hand with our expenses, we have an old-fashioned GoFundMe here https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-george-annie-attend-prospect-tournament, 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.”
