This morning, the Free Press’s Helene St. James discusses the contributions of Detroit’s “youth movement” upon the organization–and her “youth movement” includes Jonatan Berggren, Albert Johansson (who blocked 7 shots last night), Marco Kasper and Elmer Soderblom:
General manager Steve Yzerman and his hockey operations staff are in the midst of holding their winter meetings, with the goal of forging the best path forward for the Detroit Red Wings.
But even as the focus is on the future, the past is making an impact on the present. Drafteees — including Marco Kasper, Jonatan Berggren, Albert Johansson and Elmer Söderblom — are demonstrating where they fit and how they can shape the future. Coaches tend to focus on the present, because that’s their livelihood — and just a month into his tenure, Todd McLellan has gained an appreciation for the development that’s coming from within the organization.
“It takes the whole army to win the war,” McLellan said. “And I don’t know if that’s a good analogy in today’s world, but it takes everybody. So our scouting staff, our development staff — to see the kids come in now and play is really important, it’s rewarding for everybody in the organization, including the fans. Forward-thinking with the type of players that I hear are coming, if they maintain their path, their development path, there’s going to be more of them arriving, and hopefully they can do what this group of young men have done.”
St. James quotes McLellan extensively, but the gist of her article is that the youth movement, despite its limited size, is really important to the team’s growth as a franchise:
The meetings were timed to overlap with a three-game homestand, and come with the March 7 trade deadline six weeks away. Over four days, attendees — Yzerman, assistant GMs Kris Draper and Shawn Horcoff, along with the team’s pro scouts, amongst others — go over each of the 31 NHL teams, in alphabetical order, discussing potential unrestricted free agents and potential trade targets. But here’s how quickly things can change: Hours after dissecting the Colorado Avalanche, a prime target, Mikko Rantanen, was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Trades and free agency can aid a rebuild, but the core growth has to come from within, including first-round picks and hitting on some in the lower rounds. That’s why seeing so many draftees in the lineup is an encouraging sign the Wings are on the right path.
Continued; the Red Wings probably have too many veteran free agent signings in the lineup, and that’s on GM Steve Yzerman and the Wings’ management group, but as the team’s rebuild continues, younger players from “the lower rounds” are organically filling holes in the lineup.
Whether it’s watching Jonatan Berggren or Joe Veleno play in supporting roles, Marco Kasper, Albert Johansson and Simon Edvinsson becoming mainstays, or watching Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider become cornerstones of the organization, all while the Elmer Soderbloms provide peeks at the Wings’ near future…
It’s incredibly important that the Red Wings start to rebuild from within now. Yes, they probably still need another top goal-scorer and another shut-down defenseman through free agency, but those holes in the roster may or may not be filled through the free agency or trade marketplaces.
Ultimately, the Nate Danielsons, Carter Mazurs, Axel Sandin Pellikkas and Sebastian Cossas are going to step in and step up as integral parts of the Wings’ roster.
