This morning, the Red Wings’ press corps discussed the intangibles that new Red Wings forward Keegan Kolesar brings to the team in his physicality and leadership. This afternoon, MLive’s Ansar Khan focuses on the Kolesar’s leadership abilities…
“Just talking to guys now, it felt like there was a missing piece, maybe an identity of just having that, not the fighting aspect, but more the toughness of being hard to play against, being a veteran presence on the front end, bringing guys into the fight,” Kolesar, 29, said. “I think that’s something I can provide. With the skill that they have, that part of the game is fine for them. They have a lot of young studs who I have felt have been good for a number of years and are tough to play against. I just want to bring whatever I can to (form) more of an identity to the team.
“You try to bring guys into the fight every night. If I can be one of those older guys that comes in and shows guys that we’re going to go in there to trenches tonight and see who wants to follow me and, maybe it uplifts the guys a little bit more.”
Not everyone is suddenly going to be abrasive, but that element can become contagious. It was well worth relinquishing third- and seventh-round picks to acquire.
“I think when you have that in your lineup, it makes everyone play a little bit tougher,” Kolesar said. “You can play a little bit more confident when you have someone that is going to go in the trenches and do all the dirty work.”
Continued (paywall); 97.1 the Ticket’s Will Burchfield also took note of Kolesar’s comments regarding the aspects in which he’ll improve the Wings’ forechecking game…
“Some teams have different systems in how they forecheck and get pucks back. I’ve always felt that Detroit is a team that likes to skate it in and pass it around, and maybe that’s an element that I can bring that keeps people on their toes, and keeps D-men backing up more. When you have that, when you have a defenseman that’s going back for the puck over and over and over again, looking over his shoulder, sometimes he’s going to make a mistake, and that’s when a good forecheck can lead to opportunity in the offensive zone.”
Just as interestingly, Burchfield notes that Kolesar was blunt about his shock and disappointment in leaving the only NHL home he’s ever known via trade:
Kolesar is typically the one dolling out hits. But the text from Golden Knights GM Kelly McCrimmon that arrived Wednesday afternoon smacked him square in the chest: “Hey Keegs, I got bad news. Give me a call.”
“You see that text and you know right away, OK, I’m out of here,” Kolesar said Thursday. “We chatted for a long time, just talking about everything, and then even last night we were texting a little bit more. It’s a lot. It’s a whirlwind.”
Just a few weeks ago, Kolesar was a couple wins away from winning his second Cup with Vegas. Now he’s gone. He went on to call his trade from the Golden Knights to the Red Wings “bittersweet.” He tried to highlight the positives in being sent to an Original Six team where he might earn a bigger role. He knows an opportunity awaits him in Detroit, where a player of his style and stature is badly needed. Change, he acknowledged, can be good.
“I get to grow my hockey pool a lot more with some new friends. I just told my girlfriend, ‘Well, you know, this is just more people we’re going to have to invite to our wedding later on life,” Kolesar smiled.
Right now, though, a new beginning doesn’t dull a painful end: “I think it’ll take some time to get over just because I’ve made so many great relationships with people in that city. It’ll take some time to turn the page — but that’s just the human side of it,” Kolesar said. “We’re not robots. There’s a emotional side of this that I think sometimes can get overlooked.”
When he was asked what he’s proudest of about his time with the Knights, Kolesar cracked. He wiped his eyes, composed himself and said, “Winning. That’s a big one. That’s something I’ll always have.”
These guys are human after all…
