Reviewing the Prospect Tournament
The Detroit Red Wings wrapped up their prospect tournament last night with a 5-4 loss to the St. Louis Blues. That gave them a 1-3 record in the tournament. The Red Wings prospects built up a 3-2 lead in the third period last night before giving up 2 goals and an empty-netter to close out the scoring. It probably isn’t a coincidence that the team seemed to struggle defensively with Darren Helm out of the lineup with a shoulder injury. It sounds like he’ll be ready for the start of training camp on Friday.
Here are some impressions I’ve had from players by reading game recaps at Red Wings Central and Red Wings Corner.
Jonathan Ericsson - the offensive defenseman was one of Detroit’s top scorers, potting 3 goals and 1 assist. He also was a -1. He pretty much came out of nowhere last season and by all appearances it wasn’t a fluke. He said he needs to continue to improve his defensive play but he might have moved into contention with Jakub Kindl as the two best defenseman prospects in the system.
Jakub Kindl - Kindl was quiet but effective. He didn’t register a point but he also went +2, which is pretty impressive considering the team went 1-3. He was paired with Ericsson once, Scott Jackson twice, and Chad Greenan. Bruce MacLeod commented that he played a very strong defensive game in game two. This is a very good sign for a d-man who is 20 years old and will likely play on Detroit’s top pairing at some point within the next 5-6 years.
Evan McGrath - After a season to forget in Grand Rapids last season there were lots of questions about McGrath’s status as a prospect. He silenced those questions with a great prospects tournament. He potted 2 goals, tallied 3 helpers and was a +1 for the tournament. Lindy at RWC was particularly impressed with his performance in the game against Tampa Bay. Hopefully this indicates McGrath is ready to be a big contributor in Grand Rapids this season.
Igor Grigorenko - The internets are aflurry with opinions being tossed about based on Grigorenko’s performance in this tournament. In my opinion the most important thing is he’s been able to adjust to playing in North America fairly quickly. He wasn’t dominant but he was credited with 5 assists. He seemed to perform at his best when playing on a line with Evan McGrath and Jan Mursak.
Jan Mursak - Didn’t make much of a presence on the score sheet - he had 1 goal, 1 assist and was even at plus/minus - but it sounds like he has some chemistry with Evan McGrath and Grigorenko. He also might have some chemistry with Darren Helm as he got credit for a goal that sounds like it might have been Helm’s. The 19 year old held his own and will hopefully contend for the OHL scoring title in his sophomore season.
Darren Helm - By the sounds of it the WHL alumnus had a tournament similar to Jakub Kindl. He didn’t make a dent on the scoresheet: he had goose eggs all the way across although he probably should have been credited with a goal. His two-way game is likely what stood out. Following training camp he’s likely headed to Grand Rapids.
Mattias Ritola - Lots of people questioned why this prospect was signed to a contract. He didn’t do much to quell the critics, and admitted he’s struggled in this article. It sounds like he’ll stay in North America and compete for a spot on the Grand Rapids Griffins. This is probably the best way to try and instill a work ethic in him and get him used to NHL-style play. He sounds like Don Cherry’s strawman for Euro players - a skill player who is soft and lazy.
Darren Helm evan mcgrath Igor Grigorenko Jakub Kindl Jan Mursak Jonathan Ericsson Mattias Ritola Red WingsNo Comments
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