After three days of intense practices at the Red Wings’ 2023 training camp, the Wings let loose to some extent, with a “Red” team battling a “White” team in an intra-squad scrimmage called the “Red vs. White Game.”
The Red Wings played 1 period’s worth of 5-on-5 hockey; they utilized the entire second period to play an assortment of 5-on-4 power plays which lasted exactly one minute; and the third period consisted of 5 minutes of 4-on-4, 5 minutes of 3-on-3, and then a 10-man shootout.
The biggest news of the day might have been Matt Luff’s injury. The 6’3,” 223-pound forward went down along the right wing boards at center ice, in a lot of pain. The trainers came out and attended to him, and Luff, who suffered two major facial injuries last season, couldn’t hold his right arm very well. He went into the medical room to get an x-ray, and didn’t return; those who witnessed his “upper-body injury” up close told me that it looked and sounded like his arm popped out of the shoulder joint.
Otherwise, Daniel Sprong scored the 1-0 goal only 53 seconds in for Team Red, assisted by Joe Veleno and Elmer Soderblom; Griffins-bound Tim Gettinger scored from try-out Artem Anisimov to make it 2-0 at 10:12 of the 1st; in the third period, Simon Edvinsson made the score 3-0 at 25 seconds, from Christian Fischer; Simon Edvinsson scored a beautiful breakaway goal for Team White 55 seconds in, from Klim Kostin, to make it 3-1; Lucas Raymond then scored a 3-2 goal at 2:19, from Albert Johansson and Robby Fabbri, and Jonatan Berggren made it 4-2 from Soderblom and Olli Maatta at 3:13.
The regulation shots were 30-15 Team Red, and the score was 4-2; in the shootout, Taro Hirose and Moritz Seider (on a lovely deke) gave the Red Team two more goals, and Michael Rasmussen and Austin Czarnik scored for the white team, propelling the final score to 6-4 Team Red.
If you wish, you can watch the full 2:03 stream here:
After the game, Simon Edvinsson and coach Derek Lalonde spoke with the media:
The Wings also had a group of “Non-Red-White Players,” who practiced at 9:30 AM. The group of four goaltenders and 11 forwards and 5 defensemen worked under Toledo Walleye coach Pat Mikesch, assistant coach Alden Hirschfeld and a new member of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ staff who I can’t name–and security told me that they almost wouldn’t let him on the ice because they didn’t recognize the gentleman, either, and he didn’t have a credential. He’s apparently a “new guy.”
The goaltenders spent an extended period of time with Red Wings goaltending coach Alex Westlund and Griffins goalie coach Roope Koistinen, working quite hard, and when the skaters hit the ice, they engaged in a full hour’s worth of complicated drills which involved possession, neutral zone play, scoring in odd-man situations and a couple of “small area” games, including one in which there were three goaltenders defending three nets stacked next to each other vertically along the ice sheet.
The “Non-Red-White Players” consisted of players headed to the AHL and ECHL, as well as training camp try-outs who are scheduled to head back to Major Junior hockey.
In fact, the Red Wings cut 11 players after the game, including prospect tournament try-outs Matyas Melovsky, Israel Mianscum, Jake Uberti, Jackson DeSouza, Finn Harding, Connor Punnett and Lukas Matecha. The Wings also reassigned draft picks Andrew Gibson (a 2023 pick) and Tnias Mathurin (a 2022 pick) to Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay, respectively, and both Toledo Walleye forward Orrin Centazzo and free agent try-out Cameron Hillis were released.
The only try-out from the prospect tournament who remains with the team is Nic Sima, a Saginaw Spirit forward who has improved over time as the prospect tournament became training camp; Red Wings first-round draft pick Nate Danielson remains with the team as well.
In terms of player impressions, building upon the observations made on Day One, Day Two, and Day Three, here’s what I observed on the ice today:
NON-RED-WHITE PLAYERS:
Forwards:
#28 Riley Sawchuk**: Sawchuk continued his tenure with the AHL/ECHL team on Sunday, and that’s not surprising. The Grand Rapids Griffins-contracted forward stands at 5’10” and 179 pounds, and while he did a fine job during the prospect tournament, the center is attempting to snag a spot with the Griffins or Walleye at 24 years of age. The Griffins are stacked, so it’s entirely possible that Sawchuk (yes, he’s related to Terry, distantly) will have to spend some time in Toledo to get his “sea legs” after four years in the Canadian USports league with Mount Royal University…But he was very good in the prospect tournament, and he’s got leadership abilities.
#56 Matyas Melovsky*: Melovsky was sent back to the QMJHL’s Baie-Comeau Drakkar on Sunday because the 6’3,” 190-pound right wing is an elegant passer…And, at least for now, anyway, also an elegant passer. He was able to send some slinky shots through goaltenders during training camp, but the 19-year-old who can boast a 52-assist season to his credit was just too one-dimensional both during the prospect tournament and during training camp to earn an exhibition game’s worth of look-see by the Red Wings. He’s still a bright prospect, but he’s just got to learn some new tricks and establish himself as a multi-dimensional player.
#58 Dean Loukus*: Loukus will be headed back to the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit soon, but, to his credit, he survived the first round of cuts. At 20, the 5’9,” 181-pound forward was gritty and managed to display a solid overall skill set over the course of the prospect tournament and training camp, but he could not replicate his 55-points-in-65-games OHL form, so for now, the native of Calumet will be a “practice player.”
#63 Alexandre Doucet: After a day with the NHL team, Doucet headed back to the AHL/ECHL team, and he continued to display a strong work ethic while handling his demotion well. The 21-year-old is a bit stocky at 6′ and 199 pounds, and he graduated from the QMJHL’s Halifax Moosheads with a 58-goal, 115-point season, enough to earn himself a free agent contract from the Red Wings. Doucet needs to play AHL hockey to learn how to play against men, but on a team that doesn’t have a whole bunch of natural-scoring prospects, Doucet is a sniper, and that’s intriguing.
#64 Emmitt Finnie: Finnie made it through the first round of cuts, and that’s high praise for the 2023 draft pick. Still growing into his body at all of 18, the 6’1,” 178-pound center from Kamloops of the WHL has mostly looked like he’s just starting to figure the game out at a pro level, but he’s speedy, he’s speedy with the puck on his stick, and there are flashes and flourishes of skill. We’ll see what he can do over the course of perhaps an exhibition game or two.
#72 Trenton Bliss**: Griffins-contracted, Bliss spent most of last season with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, posting 40 points in 38 games. He wants to do the same thing Sawchuk does–crack the Griffins’ roster–but the 25-year-old center may have to spend more time in Toledo to do so. Solidly built at 6′ and 191 pounds, he skates well and he’s got a good all-round skill set.
#73 Cam Hillis*: I’m expecting the Walleye to sign the now-free-agent Hillis any day now. He posted 50 points in 46 games for the Indy Fuel last season, and while he’s tiny at 5’9″ and 175 pounds, the fleet-footed forward should find a pro home soon…Assuming that the Walleye don’t feel that they’re already “too small.”
#75 Orrin Centazzo*: Centazzo was signed by Toledo in August, and the 23-year-old is another “Skinny Mini” at 5’8″ and 165 pounds…But his goal-scoring really impressed me over the course of three days as a scorer, play-maker and skater. He posted a 21-goal, 46-point season with the Newfoundland Growlers last season, and while he’s not going to make the NHL, at the ECHL or AHL level, he’s a useful scoring force. I think that the Walleye will enjoy his scoring abilities.
#76 Tyler Spezia**: Griffins-contracted, Spezia found himself back with the AHL/ECHL guys today. The 30-year-old center is only 5’10” and 170 pounds, but he’s spent parts of five seasons with Grand Rapids, fully graduating from the ECHL three years ago, and the Clinton Township, MI native busts his butt working hard as a fast checking forward.
#82 Israel Mianscum*: Mianscum just couldn’t put his game together over the course of the prospect tournament or training camp. He’s a point-per-game guy in the QMJHL, but he’s heading back to Sherbrooke hoping to sustain 60-point form after just looking incredibly inconsistent here. He’s strong on his skates at 6′ and 200 pounds, but he just couldn’t quite find his confidence in Traverse City, so it’s back to the Q for the Quebec native.
#83 Nic Sima*: Sima earned his survival from the first round of cuts. All of 18 years of age, he’s 6’4″ and 197 pounds, and while he didn’t have a great draft season, or a great prospect tournament, he has looked fast, he’s been “heavy” and he’s been shooting home laser shots over the course of training camp. Now I don’t think that the young man is going to earn a contract with the Red Wings, but he’s earned an exhibition game or two to improve next year’s draft status at the very least.
Defense:
#26 Andrew Gibson: I can understand why the Wings chose to not give Gibson an exhibition game. The 42nd overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, the right-shooting Gibson is a very solid, if not snarly OHL defenseman, but the 6’3,” 192-pound defender just displayed more and more holes in his game as the prospect tournament and training camp continued, and that’s unfortunate, because he’s still a very bright prospect. He possesses a solid all-round skill set, an edge, and maturity to his game, but he’s only 18, so he’ll head back to the Soo Greyhounds and menace the blueline in the OHL.
#70 Finn Harding*: The 18-year-old Harding didn’t fall off the face of the earth at the end of the prospect tournament, but he didn’t improve during training camp, either. The Mississauga Steelheads defenseman will head back to the OHL and try to make more of his 6’2,” 192-pound right-shooting frame, and he’ll try to get drafted next summer.
#79 Jackson DeSouza*: If the Red Wings were thin on defense, they might have given DeSouza a look. But Detroit is stacked like pancakes on the blueline, so the 6’6,” 197-pound DeSouza’s confidence with the puck and right shot couldn’t make up for the 20-year-old’s inconsistencies. He’s going back to the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets looking to have a big “overager” season.
#95 Tnias Mathurin: I like Mathurin’s hands and head, but I don’t think that he’s mobile enough to be given a look-see at the NHL level yet. 19 years of age and coming off a full year’s worth of missed hockey due to injuries, save 1 regular season game and 11 playoff games, the 6’4,” 195-pound defenseman will head back to North Bay of the OHL looking to improve his foot speed. I think that his skating holds him back, and he could really be a rock-solid #5/6 defenseman if he learns to skate better.
Goaltending:
#31 John Lethemon: Lethemon looked sharp at times, beatable at others, and, mostly, inconsistent. I might argue that the Red Wings brought in free agent goaltender Michael Hutchinson not because Sebastian Cossa needs more ECHL time, but because the 6’1,” 189-pound Lethemon looks like he needs more ECHL time. Lethemon is good on his feet and he possesses strong butterfly skills, but he can be beaten high and in the “four corners” of the net, and at 27, the Northville, MI native is still learning how to be a consistently good goaltender.
#33 Sebastian Cossa: I don’t really take it as much of a message that Cossa remained with the AHL’ers and ECHL’ers on “Red vs. White Game Day.” Sure, Michael Hutchinson’s free agent try-out may impact him, but I still have the feeling that the 20-year-old Cossa is good enough to earn AHL ice time this upcoming season. Yes, the 6’6,” 215-pound goaltender needs to work on his high glove and high blocker areas, and that’s going to be his job this upcoming season under Roope Koistinen in GR and Phil Osaer in Detroit, but I don’t think that the self-confident Cossa is arrogant enough to not listen when he’s told what he can do to improve his game. He honestly looks better facing NHL’ers than he does facing AHL or ECHL talent.
#60 Jan Bednar**: Bednar will try to break into pro hockey with the Toledo Walleye this upcoming season, and the Griffins-contracted 20-year-old stands at 6’5″ and 200 pounds, and he’s worked very hard to reestablish his pro potential via developing into a controlled, sharp butterfly goaltender after making a name for himself and earning a draft pick because he could make dramatic saves, even if he let in soft goals the rest of the time.
#68 Lukas Matecha*: I was really happy with Matecha’s work ethic. At 18, the 6’3,” 195-pound goaltender will join the WHL’s Tri-City Americans this upcoming season to establish himself as a sound draft prospect, and while he’s still quite raw in terms of his skill set, he’s big enough and talented enough to work his way into draft position in a year or two. He busted his hump working with Koistinen, Phil Osaer and Alex Westlund.
TEAM RED:
Forwards:
#25 Taro Hirose: Hirose mostly centered a line of Griffins-bound Tim Gettinger and try-out Artem Anisimov, and the 27-year-old center looked a little silly at times between two 6’6″ and 6’4″ forwards, respectively, but the 5’10,” 172-pound Hirose is a fine assist man at the AHL level, and he can drive possession as well, so that’s what he did. Hirose keeps on earning two-way contracts because he’s nearly an assist-per-game player in Grand Rapids, and he’s been a good soldier for several seasons now.
#36 Christian Fischer: Fischer worked on a line with Jonatan Berggren and Amadeus Lombardi. Not big but steady at 6′ and 206 pounds, he’s a tenacious player who possesses a faceoff-winning right shot and he just plain old works hard and works effectively to grind, grind and grind at even strength and on the penalty-kill. He may be a third or fourth-line player, but he seems to embrace his role, and that’s encouraging from a 26-year-old player.
#39 Tim Gettinger: The Red Wings signed Gettinger to a two-way deal because the 6’6,” 217-pound winger posted a very solid 35 points in 55 games for the AHL’s Hartford WolfPack this past season, and the 25-year-old is just a gigantic dude who is mobile and fairly skilled for his size. He scored a pretty goal on Sunday, and we’ll find out who exactly he is in terms of his skill set over the course of the exhibition season. Over the course of four days’ worth of observations, he’s generally been good.
#42 Nolan Stevens: Another depth forward, the 6’2,” 194-pound Stevens posted 33 points in 46 games with the AHL’s Utica Comets this past season, and he’s been OK during training camp. The Red Wings signed him to a two-way deal because the center can provide depth and scoring at the AHL level, and he may be a late-bloomer as well.
#44 Artem Anisimov*: Late in his career at 35, the free agent try-out stands at 6’4″ and 205 pounds, and Anisimov has looked like the kind of player you afford a two-way or AHL deal thus far. He posted 36 points in 55 AHL games with Leigh Valley this past season, and if he can bring more size and strength to the Griffins, who aren’t particularly big up front, I don’t see the harm in adding him to the mix.
#48 Jonatan Berggren: Berggren scored a slick garbage goal on Michael Hutchinson on Sunday, and while the 5’11,” 194-pound forward did not have a stand-out training camp, the Red vs. White Game served as a reminder that the 23-year-old center still possesses sublime scoring and playmaking talents in a compact frame, and he skitters up the ice with purpose and meaning. He’s going to be a really important third-line contributor this upcoming season.
#57 David Perron: Perron gave 90% on Sunday, and that was still enough to see what a good goal-scorer and what a pain in the ass he can be. At 35, the 6,’ 195-pound winger is good for 25 goals and 50 points, and while his skating is not elegant, Perron hustles hard and works hard, he’s got an edge to his game, and he leads the Red Wings on the ice, on the bench, and in the locker room.
#71 Dylan Larkin: Larkin is the heart and soul of his team. The 27-year-old center creates plays and offense through strong skating, speed, hard work and determination. He’s a puck-transporter who stands at 6’1″ and 199 pounds, and he’s a point-per-game player at the NHL level who has blossomed into a leader of men. He skates like the wind, he passes well, he’s got a hard, smart shot, and he cares, cares, cares about doing well and sticking up for the men he leads.
#78 Amadeus Lombardi: Lombardi may end up with Grand Rapids, and he may end up with Toledo, but those are weigh stations for the man with high aspirations. The 5’11,” 180-pound center with Darren Helm-like speed, Lombardi needs some seasoning at all of 20, turning pro after 100+-point OHL seasons, but he’s still growing into his “man’s body” (his words), and the speedster should project to be a very strong middle-lineup center.
#85 Elmer Soderblom: For me, it’s hard to say where Big Elmer will end up in the Wings’ lineup, but I think we all know that he will end up in Detroit’s lineup soon. The 22-year-old wing stands at 6’8″ and 255 pounds, and he’s got great skating skills, he’s a stellar puck-handler for his size, and he shoots and passes like a player who can put up points at the NHL level. First, I think he needs to establish himself as an offensive force in the AHL, but after that…
#88 Daniel Sprong: Daniel Sprong is fun to watch. The w6-year-old right wing stands at 6′ and 199 pounds, he skates like the wind, he’s a sniper with goal-scoring aplomb, and he’s still developing into a middle-or-bottom-six scorer with some bite to him. Playing on a one-year, “prove your worth” contract, he should reward the Wings and himself handsomely this upcoming season.
#90 Joe Veleno: In a perfect world, Joe Veleno develops into a 3rd-line center of the two-way variety who can be used in the top six in a pinch. At 6’1″ and 201 pounds, the 23-year-old has grown into a role on the Red Wings, but I’m not sure that we or he knows what that role will ultimately become. Veleno was a scorer in junior hockey, but he may have to become an ultra-competitive checker to cash his NHL paychecks.
#93 Alex DeBrincat: DeBrincat did not score over the course of the Red vs. White Game, but he sure looked like a player who can generate his own scoring chances. The 25-year-old is definitely under-sized at 5’8″ and 180 pounds, but he knows how to lug the puck up the ice, his skating is a lot better than advertised, and he just knows how to score thanks to his tremendous snap, slap, wrist and backhand shots. He’ll serve noticed that he’s back on the scene with his hometown team this season.
Defense:
#2 Olli Maatta: Maatta is the player who gives the Red Wings the ability to take some gambles offensively, because he is utterly rock-solid as a defensive defenseman. Sure, he was drafted because he was an offensive dynamo, and yes, he still possesses some of that skill, but at 29, the 6’2,” 207-pound defender has chosen to embrace a supporting role to cash NHL paychecks, and for some reason, it all works for Olli Maatta. He’ll lay down to block a shot or knock a puck out of the air with his stick as easily as he can filter a fine outlet pass toward a teammate, and he’ll play with high-risk partners and make them look good. He skated with Shayne Gostisbehere on Sunday, and they looked seamless.
#15 Jared McIsaac: If all goes well for McIsaac, and he’s able to overcome those two developmental years lost to shoulder surgery, the 6’2,” 193-pound defenseman can become another meat-and-potatoes player. But he’s being crowded out of the Wings’ blueline because his simple, spare game is just that as the Wings bring along a constellation of offensively-talented Swedish defenders in Grand Rapids, and McIsaac just sort of complements those players. We’ll see whether he can stand out by being simple.
#41 Shayne Gostisbehere: I know he’s 5’11” and 183 pounds, and I know he’s 30, but Gostisbehere looks refreshed here in Detroit. He’s not big, he’s not overly fast, but he’s strong on his skates and strong on his stick, he’s speedy, and as a versatile left-and-right-side defenseman, he can utilize that massive cannon of a shot and make strong plays and passes on the power play all by himself. I hope he works out, because the Wings need a bit of an ace in the hole defensively in “Ghost Bear.”
#53 Moritz Seider: Seider almost did too much on Sunday, and that is his one weakness: he still tries to over-complicate things, and while he is talented enough to make the game complicated, he becomes a superstar when he keeps things simpler and more direct. The 22-year-old defenseman stands at 6’3″ and 205 developing pounds, and he’s a tremendous skater, he passes superbly well, carries the puck up the ice with authority, shoots a big clapper of a shot, he can make the kinds of deke-and-dangle plays that offensive forwards make with the puck on their stick, and every once in a while, he absolutely Kronwalls someone. He’s still getting better, too, and that’s exciting.
#54 William Wallinder: He’s been real good at first blush. The 21-year-old defenseman is turning North American pro this season, and while he’s going to spend some time with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he’s too damn smart and too damn elegant at times to spend more than a year at the AHL level. Downright skinny at 6’4″ and 201 pounds, Wallinder is an excellent skater, an under-rated mover of the puck, and he’s not harshly physical, but he gets the job done there as well.
#62 Wyatt Newpower: Newpower and McIsaac may make a good pairing in Grand Rapids. Big and bombastic, Newpower is a 6’4,” 205-pound hunk of prime beef-settler who can fight with the best of ’em, and in the AHL, you desperately need at least one player who can stir things up like Newpower can. He’s only 25 and still working on his skill set, which is more than just that of a fighter who can skate.
#84 Josiah Didier**: Didier is one of those utility defenders who always ends up with a letter on his jersey. Not a big point-producer, the 30-year-old just plays really steady hockey, and the 6’3,” 220-pound defenseman gives up ice with difficulty because he is also a hunk of dude. He skates well for being a heavy feller, and he’s probably going to be an alternate captain in Grand Rapids, if not the captain, after two years wearing the “C” with the Bruins’ AHL affiliate. Didier worked with Wallinder on Sunday.
#96 Jake Walman: Walman and Seider were together for part of the game, and apart at other times. They just gel tremendously well together, and between his excellent skating skills, his shot, passing abilities and willingness to be the “safety valve” partner for a more talented defenseman, the 27-year-old Walman, who stands at 6’1″ and 218 rock-steady pounds, is coming into his prime a little later than most.
Goaltending:
#34 Alex Lyon: Lyon and Reimer may remain entwined for a good chunk of the exhibition season, which is not lost upon anyone. Lyon isn’t huge at 6’1″ and 195 pounds, and he’s older at 30, but he’s trying to really establish himself as an NHL back-stopper after bouncing around the AHL (and NHL), and the goalie with the stiff pads and agile hands was very good on Sunday, in limited action. He’s fighting for an NHL home, and I appreciate that resolve.
#47 James Reimer: Reimer was arguably the stand-out player on Sunday. He made some tremendous stops of both the routine and spectacular varieties, and the 6’2,” 200-pound goaltender used every inch of his frame to stifle the White Team’s best opportunities. He’s 35 and coming off some rough campaigns in San Jose, but he looks flexible, willing to battle the puck when necessary, and plain old capable.
TEAM WHITE:
Forwards:
#14 Robby Fabbri: At times, Fabbri worked with Compher and Raymond, and the Wings seem to keep the Fabbri-Raymond working relationship together more than they worry about who’s playing between them. At 27, Fabbri is hopefully entering a period of better health after suffering multiple ACL tears during his developmental years, and the 6’1,” 185-pound center/wing looks like he’s put on muscle and strength. Speedy and fleet of foot, Fabbri has good positional awareness, he’s a strong shooter and maybe a better play-maker.
#18 Andrew Copp: Copp skated with Michael Rasmussen and Klim Kostin, but he was at his most effective when he skated on the PP or PK with his friend and teammate, J.T. Compher. The 29-year-old Compher has at least established himself as a good play-making center given his 33 assists and 42 points last season, but he obviously wants to score more goals. He’s hard-working, determined, responsible and generally a smart player who cut his teeth playing as a rock-solid defensive forward.
#21Austin Czarnik: Czarnik skated with Joel L’Esperance and Dominik Shine, and that might be a Griffins line. Czarnik’s a 5’9,” 167-pound center who played in 29 NHL games this past season, but the 30-year-old is most effective as an AHL point-producer. In a pinch, he can check at the NHL level.
#22 Matt Luff: Geez, it was disappointing to see the 6’3,” 223-pound Luff struggle through yet another injury. The 26-year-old has experienced almost unprecedented bad luck with the injury bug during his time with Detroit, and that’s disappointing, because he has some goal-scoring, power-forward’s talent’s.
#23 Lucas Raymond: All of 21, Lucas Raymond looks primed to become a star at the NHL level sooner than later. 5’11” and 188 developing pounds, going into his third year, Raymond appears to be determined to bounce back from a season in which he only scored 17 goals and only produced 45 points, and with better skating skills in tow, it appears that Raymond is going to fulfill his potential as a goal-scoring forward with tenacity to make up for his “lack of size.” He really works well with Fabbri, with Larkin, with just about anyone who can make a solid pass to him, and I think Raymond is an underrated play-maker, too.
#24 Klim Kostin: Kostin is very heavy at 6’4″ and 232 pounds, but he’s surprisingly skilled in terms of his skating, shooting and passing skills. At 24 years of age, he’s particularly physical and particularly fast, so he’s a useful fore-checker as well as a plain-old checker. He’s going to crash and bang and do a fairly good job of attacking opponents in a legal manner.
#27 Michael Rasmussen: Also 24, Rasmussen is developing into a 6’6,” 220-pound winger-instead-of-center-for-the-present-moment who is physical without being mean, is offensively talented without being elegant at scoring, passing or skating, and he’s a great leader on the ice and everywhere else, and “Moose” is just an integral part of the Red Wings’ attack because he busts his ass working hard to earn everyone’s trust.
#29 Nate Danielson: I figured that Danielson would earn some exhibition games, and the Brandon Wheat Kings captain’s self-confidence and excellent two-way play have impressed everyone who’s seen him play. Only 18 years of age, he’s still growing into his 6’2,” 188-pound body, and the center will eventually move back to the Paris of the Prairies to captain a WHL team that does a crap-ton of traveling, but until then, he’s going to show you and me why the Wings drafted him 9th overall. Because he’s really good as a two-way center with strong skating, good passing, and a surprisingly strong top-shelf-finding shot, all with a dash of arrogance.
#37 J.T. Compher: Compher is a 28-year-old center with a smart right shot and strong passing and skating skills, but the Red Wings signed him because, between Compher and Copp, it doesn’t really matter who ends up as the #2 center and who ends up as the #3 guy, if not a 2nd line winger instead. Compher’s work ethic is impressive, he skates well and he’s solidly-built at 6′ and 195 pounds. I don’t see him posting another 52-point campaign, but he’s good for 40 for sure.
#50 Dominik Shine**: The 8-year member of the Grand Rapids Griffins is 5’11” and 175 pounds of speed, grit and determination. At 30, he posts somewhere around 30 points per year at the AHL level, and as a career-long Grand Rapids Griffin, he is a good soldier. He’s from Pinckney, too.
#67 Joel L’Esperance**: He works with Shine fairly regularly. At 28, L’Esperance is a big 6’2,” 212-pound winger who snipes pucks and posts over a point-per-every-other-game pace at the AHL level. He’s also a bit of a “power forward” down there, so the Grand Rapids Griffins forward and Brighton, MI native will head to West Michigan and score goals.
#74 Cross Hanas: The 6’1,” 181-pound winger/center from Texas is recovered from shoulder surgery, and Hanas was an assist machine and elegant passer at the WHL level, so the second-year pro hopes to utilize his speed, playmaking and shooting abilities to give the Red Wings what is essentially a bonus prospect. Drafted 55th in 2020, the now-21-year-old has an aplomb for battling through traffic and slithering through checks.
#92 Marco Kasper: In my notes, “Kasper is quietly fast/physical.” He’s still trying to make SHL plays work in terms of scoring, and you get gobbled up at the NHL level trying to loop back and loop back and loop back again before finding the perfect stop to shoot in…But at 19, the 6’1,” 193-pound center has some time to develop into a strong two-way NHL’er with perhaps Michael Rasmussen’s jam and Robby Fabbri’s scoring ability. He needs to go into the AHL and play 70-some games by battling through bus rides to Iowa and 2-in-2’s and 3-in-3’s, but he’s an incredibly bright prospect who will slowly but surely develop into a very useful NHL player.
Defense:
#3 Justin Holl: I’ve got no complaints. Holl skated alongside Simon Edvinsson and looked smart and comfortable out there. 6’4″ and 194 pounds, the 31-year-old is steady, smart, occasionally gritty, and he actually skates very well. There’s very little flourish to the former Maple Leaf’s game, but I don’t understand why he’s been buried like Sebastian Cossa a hundred times by Maple Leafs fans. He’s a better, simpler defenseman than he gets credit for, and, like Olli Maatta, he is willing to be a complementary partner for a more talented partner.
#20 Albert Johansson: Johansson skated alongside Jeff Petry on Sunday, and the partnership worked well. At 22 years of age, the second-year-North-American pro is an excellent prospect who gets forgotten because he may end up like Wallinder or Seider, and he may end up like Maatta. Ever-flexible and pliable to his partner, Johansson is whip-smart, he passes and shoots the puck well, he’s a great skater and, if he were not “small” by today’s standards, he might be very close to being NHL ready.
#38 Antti Tuomisto: Also 22, Tuomisto is turning North American Pro after a year away from North America, and he’s going to have to forget some of the habits he learned with TPS Turku in Finland for the sake of re-acclimating to the 85-foot-wide rink. Big at 6’5″ and 209 pounds, physical and right-shooting, he’s shot up the Wings’ depth chart because he’s a righty with an edge (and 20 points in 60 Liiga games is nothing to sneeze at), but now it’s time for Tuomisto, who’s had an uneven prospect tournament and training camp, to prove he’s worth the hype as a big, Brad Stuart-style defenseman.
#46 Jeff Petry: Petry is just going to fit in fine, in his role as a second or third-pair offensive catalyst and power play specialist. At 35 years of age, he’s not going to skate through five players and score a breakaway goal any more, he’s not going to check people into next week, and he’s not the most physical defender, period, but he’s got a fine shot, he makes plays simply and strongly and he’s a very good skater. As a power play guy, he’s going to help the Wings score, and they need that. Pair him with a good defensive defenseman and he should flourish.
#51 Eemil Viro: I just don’t know where Viro fits in right now. He’s all of 21, and for a 6,’ 194-pound defenseman, the graduate of TPS Turku’s developmental program and Liiga team does a fine job of playing simple, steady defense, but he’s getting crowded out of the Griffins’ blueline, and he may have to play in the ECHL–and excel with Toledo, nothing less–if he wants to become NHL-relevant again. If not, he’s heading home to make more money back in Finland.
#52 Brogan Rafferty: 6′ and 197 pounds, the 28-year-old Rafferty signed a two-way contract after posting 51 points in 72 games with the Seattle Kraken’s AHL affiliate, Coachella Valley, and now he’s hoping to repeat his performance with Grand Rapids. Another one of those, “At the AHL level, he’s a useful player; in the NHL, he’s useful as a perimeter player in a pinch” guys, Rafferty shoots right and keeps up fine, but he’s excellent against AHL competition.
#61 Connor Punnett*: Punnett got a couple of shifts in the Red vs. White Game before being sent back to Barrie of the OHL. 20 years of age, the 6’2,” 205-pound defenseman earns his paycheck (erm, stipend…OHL guys get a wee amount of $) by being physical and mean and nasty, and fighting–he fought twice during the prospect tournament, and won twice–and that’s probably what’s going to land him a professional level paycheck.
#77 Simon Edvinsson: Still only 20, the 6’6,” 212-pound defenseman is an effortless skater who scored a breakaway goal like it was nothing in the Red vs. White Game, and that’s the kind of skill set he was gifted with. He shoots superbly, passes tremendously well, sees the ice great, he gaps up well when he feels like playing defense, and he’s got a tremendous stick…He just needs to apply himself consistently to both ends of the ice, and everywhere in between. He’s a premier prospect who should flourish when he grows between the ears a bit.
Goaltending:
#35 Ville Husso: Husso got victimized for a couple of goals where he was flailing laterally, and to me, that’s his one big weakness. He can be beaten high when he’s out of position and flopping around the net, and that’s a habit he’s still learning to banish from his game at 28. Most of the time, Husso is a fantastically sound 6’3,” 205-pound butterfly goalie who stops the first shot and stops the rebound and stops the rebound of the rebound. He makes very good decisions with the puck on his stick as well, and he just needs to find a way to control himself when down is up and the goaltending playbook goes out the window. His desperation saves sometimes doom him. But that’s nit-picking.
#80 Michael Hutchinson*: 33 and far removed from his days as a strong NHL back-up, Hutchinson had a downright ugly season with Columbus and an OK stint with Henderson Valley in the AHL, but the 6’3,” 201-pound goaltender with the old-school butterfly style and the right-catching glove is determined to earn at least an AHL spot with the Red Wings and Griffins, and given both Cossa and Lethemon’s struggles, it’s entirely possible (though not probable) that, through a successful exhibition season, Hutchinson might earn a two-way contract. We shall see.
*=Free Agent Try-out, **=Grand Rapids Griffins contract.
This is almost the end of the show. There’s one final practice in Traverse City on Monday, and then the door closes to my credential. You and I will have to talk together–openly–about why you think that a blogger who’s been around since 2006 might be afforded the privilege of bucking Detroit’s, “No bloggers” policy, and I am dead serious about this, because I might very well need your help to convince the organization that an exception can be made to a hard-and-fast-rule in 2023.
As for the rest of it…
In terms of fundraising, we got some really remarkable donations all weekend long, but it’s slow. We’re still $200 short of paying our bills and a little longer away from being able to buy food for the end of the month. We’re on our way, which is wonderful, but we need to pay for the ride home as much as anything. I hope that I can earn your support through my work here.
I should also note that PayPal $ is greatly appreciated as that’s what we use to pay the utility bills, and they start hitting with an automatic deduction for cable and internet tonight.
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.”
Question, how do you go from “not a blogger”, to what a HSJ, or a Khan? Would the provide you with an actual income? With every media outlet going subscription and paywall based, how would you compete? You provide great impressions during the camps and prospect tournaments.
Information is key on what it takes for you to ascend to the next level.