MLive’s Ansar Khan discusses Red Wings free agent signing Erik Gustafsson this morning, noting that the Wings’ players and management believe that Gustafsson will assuage the loss of Shayne Gostisbehere:
“I have been playing power play ever since I came over (to the NHL),” Gustafsson said. “It’s something I like to do and something my game is. I like to run it and try to give the puck to the forwards to shoot, create lanes. I feel very confident playing on the power play. Hopefully, I can get an opportunity.”
Gustafsson gives the team a left-shot option at the point to complement the right-shooting Moritz Seider on the other power-play unit.
Patrick Kane, Gustafsson’s teammate in Chicago for five seasons, including 2018-19, when Gustavsson produced a career-best 17 goals and 60 points, said the now 32-year-old was a key component of their power play.
“He was so deceptive up top, really knows how to run the top, maybe as good as anyone I played with,” Kane said. “Obviously, (Adam) Fox (of the New York Rangers) is special, and I think Mo (Seider) does a good job as well.”
Kane added, “(Gustafsson) is a really, really good hockey player, great offensively, makes a lot of good passes, a lot of good plays, and I know he’s been really working on his defensive game, and he’s strong in that area, too.”
Continued; as Khan notes, Gustafsson is very well-traveled, and he may be a little less prolific than Gostisbehere…
But the Red Wings worked very hard to re-sign “Ghost” because there wasn’t anybody on the market who would replace him, Brandon Montour exempted.
For whatever reason, Gostisbehere left for Carolina, and Gustfsson won’t post the same numbers, but he may be better defensively, and that’s going to help the Wings’ cause.
