yave1964 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Under Coach Jeff Blashill (talk about top prospects) the Grand Rapids are in the Conference finals again, so I am going to take a look at the Wings top prospects. Teemu Pulkinnen is simply destroying the competition at the AHL level. He has possibly the hardest slap shot in hockey for anyone not named Chara. He has top six, 30 goal scorer written all over him. The defense needs work as well as his Hockey IQ. Anthony Mantha missed the start of the year and played catchup, poorly. He seems lost at times but huge things are still expected. He will bounce back and forth next year on the GR/Detroit shuttle TYLER BERTUZZI signed in time for the playoffs and is killing it this postseason including 4 game winners, one off the Griffins record, two off the all time Calder record. He is being compared (very favorably) to Abdelkader. He likely will spend all of 2015-16 with the Griffins. defenseman Ryan Sproul who has a hard, accurate shot, Xavier Oullet who is a solid shut down guy and Alexei Marchenko who combines the skills of both are all going to push for playing time with 2 of the 3 possibly regulars with the big club. The absolute best prospect in the organization hands down is Dylan Larkin who was brilliant with the Michigan Wolverines last year. It is very possible that he turns pro this year and plays for the Griffins, with 2016-17 as his arrival date. Think Ryan Callahan as a center. Andreas Athanasiou is magic, his passing skill, his ability and vision make him a top prospect, he will start in GR but will be the first callup if Dats or Z go down. Solid center or winger. Think Nyquist. Landon Ferraro inherited all of the instincts of his father and should stick as a bottom six grit guy with a bit of offense. If Miller leaves as a F/A Ferraro should be a wicked team up with Glendening. Dominic Turgeon will turn pro this coming year and looks like a solid number three center. So the Wings biggest need in the next few years will be replacing Datsyuk and Zetterberg, in the system at that position coming up are Larkin, Athanasiou, Turgeon and Ferraro. Franzen may be done, as is Cole, Pulkinnen, Mantha Bertuzzi are going to push each other. Three solid d-men as well. In short, 10 top prospects, 7 or 8 will be contributing at one level or another with the big club. Within the next two years most of these guys will be regulars. I know I wear Red colored glasses but seriously, most of these guys are going to be, if not stars, at the least solid NHL regulars for a decade.Jim Nill, now in Dallas was in charge of drafting and deserves a tremendous amount of credit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Under Coach Jeff Blashill (talk about top prospects) the Grand Rapids are in the Conference finals again Speaking of Blashill rumor has it if you guys resign Babcock that they will give the ok for other teams to interview Blashill....do you know if this true or just a made up rumor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 Speaking of Blashill rumor has it if you guys resign Babcock that they will give the ok for other teams to interview Blashill....do you know if this true or just a made up rumor?I think Blashill is gone like a cool breeze if we retain Babcock. He has a history of molding NHL players. I watch nearly all of the Griffin games, he seems one step ahead of the other team almost every game. A club could do a lot worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 I think Blashill is gone like a cool breeze if we retain Babcock. He has a history of molding NHL players. I watch nearly all of the Griffin games, he seems one step ahead of the other team almost every game. A club could do a lot worse. Mike Babcock Watch: Maple Leafs out, staying in Detroit? http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nhl-puck-daddy/mike-babcock-watch--maple-leafs-out--staying-in-detroit-145253483.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter HHHHhhhhhmmmmmmmm........... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TropicalFruitGirl26 Posted May 19, 2015 Share Posted May 19, 2015 Good stuff on the prospects, @yave1964 Wings went seamlessly from a team that bought a bunch a talent away from less spending clubs (pre-cap era) to one that constantly has players coming to the big club via a well developed, consistent, and fruitful minor league and Juniors pipeline. Hey, a club like Detroit doesn't make the playoffs for 2 decades straight without adapting and doing things very professionally.Very excited that Steve Yzerman, his staff and scouts, and ownership are looking to make that kind of business model par the course in Tampa Bay. They've already started doing it the last few seasons with their minor league club and look for that to filter to the big club so that the Bolts ALWAYS have guys that can come in and replace non productive or aging players....just like the Wings do. Always like reading about future up n comers from fans of other teams...makes me feel like I know the players a bit when I finally do see them as regulars on their NHL teams. Only guy on your list yave, that I am mildly familiar with is Teemu Pulkinnen...only because I have caught some Wings games where he played.I don't recall him being a "destroyer' as you described him, but then again, he is only 23 and the NHL is obviously tougher than the AHL, but I DO recall always seeing him around developing plays, always in the middle of offensive chances, and NHL defenses needing to account for his skating and overall abilities. I am not surprised he is doing very well in the AHL, and perhaps at some point either next year or beyond, we will see that kind of play from him at the big stage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 19, 2015 Author Share Posted May 19, 2015 @TropicalFruitGirl26Nice post! Piulkinnen split the year between the Wings and Griffins, he only appeared in 46 games for the Griffins but still led the entire AHL in goals with 34. He basically missed over a third of the year playing in the NHL and still led the league in goals scored.. Amazing.And it does not end there. He is the Tyler Johnson of the Ahl this postseason. In ten games he has thirteen goals. I am gonna write that again. It just feels so good to say.Pulkinnen has thirteen goals in ten playoff games. Babcock used him sparingly in the NHL because he demands all of his players to be defensively responsible and that is the kids weak area. If he starts playing at both ends of the ice, his offensive ability will carry the day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 Last night the Utica Comets and Grand Rapids Griffins squared off in GR. The Comets up 2-1 in the series going in have been giving the young Griffins all they can handle. Dylan Larkin had a nifty setup on the Griff's first goal scored by nice defensive prospect Oullet. Larkin now has 4 points (2 goals and 2 assists) in his first four games as a pro. Anthony Mantha tied the game in the third at 2 on a sweet set up by Andreas Athanasiou who found Mantha streaking to the net catching Markstrom, the goalie helpless. In overtime Athanasiou who is reminding me more and more of a young Datsyuk scored on a breakaway to tie the game at 2. The kid has a motor and speed like nobody else on the ice for either team. He is my favorite Griffin this year bar none even over Pulkinnen and the Oullet who I have come to love. Athanasiou is quick, sees the entire ice like nobody else on the team and looks to have top nine right now for the Wings written all over him with upside. So the series is tied at 2 with Mondays game at Grand Rapids before heading out to Utica. Props to the Comets, Cory Conacher has been lights out, Markstrom has been steady in net. But these are guys whose NHL days are likely behind them while the guys starring for the Griffins are going to make noise at the NHL level really, really soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpikeDDS Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 How are you able to watch these games, @yave1964? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 How are you able to watch these games, @yave1964?Go to theahl.comclick enter ahl.comon the left, scroll over gamcecenter, go into ahl live.follow the prompts from there. It is not free, we pay for the whole year at the beginning of the year but it is reasonable. As a Wings fan, I love watching the Griff's play. The Wings ECHL affiliate just lost in the conference final a couple of days ago in a triple overtime game 7. I do not watch the games on television but I read the reports and get to about three or so Walleye games a year. Simply love it. Anyway, if you get the chance, go to AHL.com and pick up the playoff package. It is a blast seeing the future Wings before they make it to the NHL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @yave1964 They are showing the Baby Wings and Baby Leafs on Leafs tv up here in Ontario. Been watching since game #2....missed the first one. I have games 3 and 4 DVR'ed and ready to go. Leafs tv has this cool thing called game in an hour, which is perfect for my AHL watching. Didn't really want to devote a 3 hr time span to watch two farm teams that are not my own....but the game in an hour is perfect. So far, it's been a VERY enjoyable series, lots of skating and tons of chances for both sides. Will watch games 3 and 4 today and give a report, we need a thread on this series....I will start one soon!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 @jammer2 That would be the way to watch Hockey, I DVR and fast forward a lot, but having someone edit it down for me to an hour would really simplify things. Unfortunately living in landlocked Ohio where most folks do not know the difference between a hockey puck and a urinal puck we don't have things like that available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 That would be the way to watch Hockey, The really cool part is they show replays of all the wicked hits and fights, they just skip by all the other stuff. like the useless scrums that amount to nothing. It really is nice, take in all the info and exceptional plays and only one hour of your life gone.....LOL! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 @J0e Th0rnton I would be very wary of moving Seabrook if I was Bowman. Sharp seems to make the most sense, he is exiting his prime not so gracefully, and turning 34 this coming Christmas, his best days are certainly behind him. For the first time in 6 years this past year, he was a minus player (-8) after landing in the positive category all the previous years. This past year was also a year where his point production slipped significantly, garnering only 43 pts in 60+ games....that does not bode well moving forward. He seems to have lost a step, or at least a half step, and I suspect he will slow down more with each passing year...if they can move him for a decent return, now is the time to strike. Hard to believe, it's been a full decade since the Flyers made that ill fated trade...wow does time fly, huh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 The problem is, they have no roster players to replace them with. They will need to run with like 7 rookies next season. They only have 8 forwards and 3 dmen locked up and they are already at 64 million. Saad and Kruger are rfa and due for nice raises which will eat all remaining cap space. Leaving them short a 2nd line center, several more bottom 6, and 3 defensemen! It is ugly. Real ugly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Wait. I responded on my phone and just noticed. How did this end up in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 The problem is, they have no roster players to replace them with. They will need to run with like 7 rookies next season. They only have 8 forwards and 3 dmen locked up and they are already at 64 million. Saad and Kruger are rfa and due for nice raises which will eat all remaining cap space. Leaving them short a 2nd line center, several more bottom 6, and 3 defensemen! It is ugly. Real ugly This is where organizational skill will have to come through big time. A guy like Runblad, ready or not is going to get thrust into the spotlight. Some of the forward prospects will get forced to grow and evolve very, very quickly. We will see how Bowman has done in the last few drafts, cause the Hawks are gonna have to lean on them heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammer2 Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Wait. I responded on my phone and just noticed. How did this end up in this thread? Even worse, I just responded, forgetting what thread I was in...ha ha! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J0e Th0rnton Posted May 31, 2015 Share Posted May 31, 2015 Maybe a super mod can move it back to the finals thread lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 The Griffins fell to the Comets last night 2-0 and saw their season end in six games in the conference finals. Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi established themselves as top tier prospects in the postseason, Athanasiou and Pulkinnen were wonderful. Oullet and Marchenko were men among boys. Of the big names only Mantha consistently struggled. But that is over, soon to be forgotten as the Jeff Blashill watch is officially on and the Wings most poorly kept secret is soon to come to a conclusion. Now it is a matter of which of these kids he takes with him across state for next year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyercanuck Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 @yave1964 I missed Athanasious electrifying rushes last season on the Colts. He's going to be a fun guy to watch on the Wings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 @yave1964 I missed Athanasious electrifying rushes last season on the Colts. He's going to be a fun guy to watch on the Wings.He hit the door as a rookie in the pros and the first half of the year he was okay, showing promise but that was about it. (I watch entirely too many Griffin games, thank God for a patient wife). The second half, his confidence started to match his talent, when Pulkinnen was recalled to the NHL Athanasiou was put on a line with AHL playmaker Andy Miele and suddenly he got it, his speed was a known quality, what surprised me was his fearlessness, he would rush the net, cut between the defense, not afraid to take a hit. I knew the speed and skill were there, early in the year he was pushed around a fair amount, he started using his size. I thought it was a mistake moving him to the wing, I love him as a center but he flourished under Miele's tutelage. He is only 20, the Wings do not rush kids, but my best bet is if/when Z or Dats go down next year he is the first recall. By 2016-17 a top nine role seems a lock with an upside from there. I know you have been touting him since before the Wings drafted him so I have been watching him a lot this year, he has quickly become a favorite of mine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Is that Harry Potter flashing the bird?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OccamsRazor Posted June 5, 2015 Share Posted June 5, 2015 The Griffins fell to the Comets last night 2-0 and saw their season end in six games in the conference finals. Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi established themselves as top tier prospects in the postseason, Athanasiou and Pulkinnen were wonderful. Oullet and Marchenko were men among boys. Of the big names only Mantha consistently struggled. But that is over, soon to be forgotten as the Jeff Blashill watch is officially on and the Wings most poorly kept secret is soon to come to a conclusion. Now it is a matter of which of these kids he takes with him across state for next year. I think it's time for you guys to bring Axel Holmstrom over and at least let him play in the AHL. Or is he to stay for another year? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yave1964 Posted June 5, 2015 Author Share Posted June 5, 2015 I think it's time for you guys to bring Axel Holmstrom over and at least let him play in the AHL. Or is he to stay for another year? Axel is coming over next year to team with Dylan Larkin in GR. Looking forward to seeing the kid, if he is close to Athanasiou and the rest, wow the Wings forwards like Jurco and Sheahan better bring it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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