Detroit Red Wings

Tuesday, 27 July 2010 20:18
Written by HockeyProspect.com
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Top Prospects:


Jakub Kindl, Mattias Ritola, Brendan Smith, Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Thomas McCollum , Riley Sheahan, Landon Ferraro

Detroit's prospect pool is littered with puck-moving defensemen. From 2005 first-round pick Jakub Kindl to 2007 first-rounder Brendan Smith, the Red Wings feel comfortable with the number of potential NHL blueliners.

   Kindl has had plenty of time to hone his skills in the American Hockey League and will play in Detroit next season. “He certainly has the physical skills to play at that level,” Grand Rapids Griffins’ general manager Bob McNamara said. “It’s just a matter of getting the opportunity to play on a nightly basis for him.” He will likely be the sixth defenseman playing alongside Jonathan Ericsson, but Detroit would like a veteran on the back end with some experience as well.

Smith signed his entry-level deal this summer and will likely play in Grand Rapids in 2010-11. But with his skill level, Smith has the ability to make the Red Wings’ roster out of training camp, something he is striving for.“Knowing how (Detroit) develops players, it’s difficult to make their team right out of college,” McNamara said. “But I like his confidence. Detroit wants the best players to play. They don’t worry about age or anything like that. If he comes to camp and impresses them, he certainly has a shot.” If Smith can put his off-ice troubles behind him, the Red Wings have a potential power-play quarterback.

   While Kindl and Smith are the immediate future, defensemen like smooth-skating Gleason Fornier, Max Nicastro, Adam Almqvist and Brian Lashoff should be ready in a few years. Fornier is a raw talent playing for Rimouski in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League but has a world-class set of wheels. A blueliner at Boston University, Nicastro plays a steady, mistake-free game and has some offensive upside. Almqvist is a former seventh-round pick from Sweden that has impressed Detroit while playing for HV-71 of the Swedish Elite League. A smaller player with good offensive ability, Almqvist’s skill-set is comparable to that of current Red Wings’ defenseman Brian Rafalski. Lashoff has a big body at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds and plays a physical style.

   With Jimmy Howard stepping up as the No. 1 goaltender in Detroit, that leaves 2008 first-rounder Thomas McCollum as the Red Wings' next goalie project. McCollum struggled during 2009-10 with Grand Rapids while posting a 10-16-2 record and .881 save percentage. His stint in the East Coast Hockey League with Toledo was even less forgiving with a save percentage of .864 and a dreadful 4.48 goals against average. “Goaltending is the toughest position to play, and often times they take the longest to develop.” McNamara said. “There’s a lot there with McCollum, but it’s real tough on a young guy when he’s struggling and so is the other goaltender (in Grand Rapids). That’s too much pressure to put on a kid right out of juniors.” Detroit is still high on McCollum, and he will have a few years to get things straightened out.

   Tomas Tatar, the suprising 19-year-old Slovakian, leads a group of top-heavy forwards. Tatar shocked Detroit with his transition to the AHL at such a young age. “He was really dynamic for us,” McNamara said. “He played a ton of hockey last year and wore down at the end of the year, but that’s typical for a player that isn’t used to playing that many games. He exceeded our expectations for sure.” With a bigger role in Grand Rapids next season, Tatar could vault himself into AHL All-Star territory.

   Another player challenging for a roster spot with the Red Wings next season will be Mattias Ritola. He signed a three-year deal with Detroit this off-season. Ritola, a skilled winger from Sweden, has spent the last couple of years in Grand Rapids.“Ritola is someone that I think you’ll see playing in Detroit next season, and he could play anywhere from the second to the fourth line,” McNamara said. “I’m not saying he’s going to jump right onto their second line, but he’s got that kind of skill. He’s big, strong and has a really nice set of hands.”

   Speaking of skilled Swedes, the Red Wings may have found another diamond in the rough in 2008 fourth-round pick Gustav Nyquist. Unlike many European players, Nyquist chose to come to North America to play college hockey in the United States.  Just a sophomore at the University of Maine last season, the talented forward finished as the runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award. He also led the nation in scoring with 61 points in just 39 games.

   Landon Ferraro, son of former NHLer Ray Ferraro, is one of the few forwards in the Red Wings’ system with a serious scoring touch. Detroit likes what the speedy forward brings to the table as they chose him with the 32nd overall pick in the 2009 draft. Ferraro netted 37 goals in 2008-09 for Red Deer of the Western Hockey League and was looking to build on that total before injuries plagued him last season. A shifty center with top-flight offensive skills, Ferraro has the potential to be a top-six forward in the NHL. The Red Wings hope Ferraro has a breakout season in the WHL before likely turning professional in 2011-12.

   Other than Tatar, Nyquist, Ferraro and Ritola, Detroit is very thin at forward in the prospect ranks. The Red Wings are hoping 2010 first-round pick Riley Sheahan can remedy that problem. Sheahan, a center at the University of Notre Dame, scored just six goals in his freshman season in South Bend. However, that stat is marred by Notre Dame’s defensive system. He has good offensive instincts and is responsible in all three zones. With most of the Red Wings’ forwards on the small side, the 6-foot-2, 202 pound Sheahan gives Detroit a legitimate power forward prospect. He will have plenty of time to season in college and the AHL before the Red Wings come calling.

 

by Cameron Rudolph

HP Staff Writer

 

 

 

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