Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen reminds us that Red Wings assistant GM Shawn Horcoff and GM Steve Yzerman do more than just build the varsity team’s roster:
Like the Red Wings, the Grand Rapids Griffins have to wonder where the goals will come from next season. Jonatan Berggren is moving up to the NHL, and Austin Czarnik will play in Switzerland. Zach Aston-Reese signed with Vegas. Taro Hirose, Joel L’Esperance and Matt Luff remain unsigned.
EliteProspects has the Griffins’ roster at as many as 27 players as of August 10th–and it includes some players who are on two-way AHL/ECHL contracts, headed for Toledo this upcoming season.
The concept of the Griffins playing “young and lean” this upcoming season is exciting from a developmental perspective, but there’s no doubt that they’re missing veteran scorers.
At the present moment, the Griffins are looking toward Sheldon Dries, Tim Gettinger, Jakub Rychlovsky and Joe Snively to generate offense from the forward unit, and their defensive corps is in flux as players like shut-down defensemen Antti Tuomisto, William Wallinder, Brogan Rafferty and captain/AHL-contracted Josiah Didier will have to step up offensively to “gap up” offensively.
It would not surprise me if somebody like Luff or Hirose was re-signed later this summer, presuming that they don’t find employment elsewhere, and the Wings may very well look toward the leftovers on the unrestricted free agent marketplace–or veteran training camp try-outs–to bridge the gap and support the Red Wings’ young stars-in-the-making.
