Wings sign two college kids

[SpikeDDS]

https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nhl/red-wings/2019/03/12/detroit-red-wings-sign-taro-hirose-ryan-kuffner/3145802002/

 

The Red Wings semi-quietly signed two of the top NCAA scorers available outside of the draft on the same day. They have been reasonably successful doing this in the past and ending up with pro players, Danny Dekeyser being the best example of that. I think Luke Glendening was one of these also.

 

These are not likely going to be top-line players, but they can still develop into solid lower-six players.

 

I AM encouraged that the comments about them are that they both make good decisions in tight areas. It seems that the Wings have a pretty consistent recent history with drafting young players who can play at juniors and AHL levels, but when they try to transition their game to the NHL level, they are middling at best. They can't seem to adjust to the increased speed of the game and/or the decrease in time and space for decision-making with the puck.

 

Marty Frk has a GREAT AHL shot. He can look like freaking Ovie down there. At the NHL level, he can't cut it. And he is just one name in a long line of names that never showed in the NHL nearly what they showed in the AHL or juniors.

 

This goes back to guys like Jurco. There was also a player a couple years ago who had a very good shot (can't recall his name at the moment--help me @yave1964) who showed promise, but his dang backswing just takes too long, and by the time he got shots off at the NHL level, they were blocked. And when he shortened it, the shot was much less effective.

 

The word on these two is that they think the game fast. I like the sound of it. I hope it translates to the NHL level. We could use more of that.

 

Even Dekeyser, who is one of the college-to-pro kids, came with much higher hopes for offensive potential when he first came up. It became apparent in the first season or two that we had a solid defensively-minded, stay-at-home D-man, but not the first-pass player that we were hoping he could be. We have seen only flashes of that. Nothing consistent. A good pickup, without a doubt, certainly value-wise it was.

 

It's tough, where we sit now, not to get too hopeful for potential players. But the good news is that there WILL be some competition for roster spots. That's a good thing.

[yave1964]

@SpikeDDS

 

  I saw the two signings and saw Holand's comments about planning on getting them into a handful of games down the stretch and then sending them to Grand Rapids for the playoffs. Fantastic, I admit I know nothing about them other than they were considered two of the top, if not the two top outright FA's available so good on the Wings. Like you my first thought was Dekeyser who really has been solid this year and has had only one what can be considered bad year. give Holland credit for putting assets in play over the past two years after basically denying that a rebuild needed to be done. Trading long time Wings such as Tats and Nyke whom he drafted and nurtured must have hurt but it was needed. Another good haul over the next two drafts and I really think we are right back in the conversation.

[yave1964]

@SpikeDDS

 

 Agreed about Frk, like Pulkinnen before him he has a great big windup which is fantastic in the AHL where play is a bit slower but it does not translate to the NHL. We had to draft Frk when he fell to us in the second round he put up nasty numbers playing the off wing with Drouin and MacKinnon in juniors proving the scoring was there but sometimes the smart money passes for a reason. Holland has really whiffed a lot lately, Frk, Pulkinnen, taking Svechnikov instead of Boeser, the list is long but I think he has gotten it right the last couple of years, I think that Rasmussen is terribly misused and will be a completely different player next year under a better coach and I think Zadina is going to be a lot of fun as well. If by some miracle we add Hughes to the list all will be right with the world.....

[SpikeDDS]

On 3/14/2019 at 1:17 PM, yave1964 said:

@SpikeDDS

 

 Agreed about Frk, like Pulkinnen before him he has a great big windup which is fantastic in the AHL where play is a bit slower but it does not translate to the NHL. We had to draft Frk when he fell to us in the second round he put up nasty numbers playing the off wing with Drouin and MacKinnon in juniors proving the scoring was there but sometimes the smart money passes for a reason. Holland has really whiffed a lot lately, Frk, Pulkinnen, taking Svechnikov instead of Boeser, the list is long but I think he has gotten it right the last couple of years, I think that Rasmussen is terribly misused and will be a completely different player next year under a better coach and I think Zadina is going to be a lot of fun as well. If by some miracle we add Hughes to the list all will be right with the world.....

 

PULKINNEN! Could not remember that name! Thanks. It was killing me!

 

We are seeing totally eye to eye on KH. Since the dumping of Datsyuk's contract, KH has made an argument to be kept, actually. For a LONG time there, he was riding on his laurels while swinging and missing repeatedly. I STILL think he hasn't learned his lesson when he re-signs current players. I think he overvalues them. I suppose that when he was trying so hard to avoid the word "rebuild" it may have made more sense not trying to mix up the lineup too much, but avoiding the rebuild as long as he did was a mistake, and we are still paying for it and will for a few more years.

 

But there's hope! Abdelkader just scored his first goal in 41 games last night! <crickets>

 

Only halfway to Riley Sheahan! (Same thing.)

 

BTW, as an aside, Kronwall has not been quite as horrible as I thought he would be this year. Still too slow, but playing a bit smarter. Maybe the knee isn't bothering him quite as much or something.