Prospects Watch

by JeffHancock41 on Jan 30, 2012 2:00 PM CST in Prospects

L.A.L.

No, that's not a tri-code for the Los Angeles Lakers. It's an acronym created and tweeted by Yahoo Sports' and former Detroit Free Press writer Nick Cotsonika. It means Life After Lidstrom. As much as we don't want to believe it and really do wish Nicklas Lidstrom was a robot and could play forever, the fact remains that sooner or later The Perfect Human is going to retire. It might be this summer. It might be next summer. It might be three years from now. Lidstrom might not even know at this moment. TPH is still one of the top defensemen in the game and he'll likely continue to play as long as he can compete at a high level.

But what happens when the greatest European player of all-time does retire? I can tell you that it won't be what happened last night to the Red Wings. Let's face it, the Wings didn't show up last night and played like crap (especially defensively). There was a ton of panic and concern that all of the sudden the Wings would forget how to play without their Perfect Leader. I'll tell you right now, that's not going to happen. Not as long as the Illitchs, Ken Holland and Mike Babcock are in charge of this organ-i-zation. The team might not be as great defensively as they've been in the past, but they're not going to be as bad as we saw last night. No Lidstrom means money to spend. Holland isn't going to sit on his hands and do nothing when he does go.

We don't know what Holland will do in free agency or in trades, but what we do know is there is some talent seasoning in the minors and preparing for their chance to wear the Winged Wheel. Some are defensemen some are forwards, all of them have some sort of potential. After the jump, I take a look at some of the Wings prospects and which guys have potential to make an impact in the next decade and in Life After Lidstrom.

Ready for the Next Level

Brendan Smith, Defense
Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

Height: 6’2’’ Weight: 198 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	1	1	3

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
37	8	15	23	+5	53

I'm sure you're not surprised to see Mr. Smith on this list. At this point, we all know what this kids potential is. He's not going to step right in and be the next Lidstrom, but his ceiling is very high. The Wings draft him in the first round of the 2007 draft and let him develop at the college level at Wisconsin. He became an AHL All-Star last year in his rookie season. Last season, he dealt with some injuries and average a points every two games. This season he's ahead of that average and is on pace to cut his penalty minutes down. Smith had a cup of coffee with Detroit earlier this year (I still have his NHL debut saved on my DVR) and was impressive in his three games. He still has some work to do defensively and will need some time to adjust when he's up full time next season, but he showed that he has the instincts and the talent to play at an elite level.

Gustav Nyquist, Left Wing
Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

Height: 5’11’’ Weight: 185 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	3	2	1

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
39	12	28	40	EVEN	14

Nyquist has played five games this year with the Wings and registers one assist. The 22-year-old Swede came over to the States and took the college route to the NHL. He dominated the Hockey East conference while playing for Jimmy Howard’s alma mater Maine. His final two years at Maine he had 61 points in 36 games and 51 points in 36 games. He led all Hockey East players. It’s been more of the same in his first year with Grand Rapids. The kid has 37 points in 37 games and was named an AHL All-Star this year. He’s going to make the main roster next season. He’ll most likely start out on the 3rd or 4th lines because that’s how the Red Wings system works, but he has all the potential in the world to be a top six forward.

Tomas Tatar, Left Wing
Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL)

Height: 5’10’’ Weight: 186 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	2	5	2

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
43	12	20	32	+2	33

A former second round pick of the Wings, Tatar has the potential to be a top six forward. It seems like he’s dropped in most prospect rankings, but I think that’s more due to the Wings acquiring better prospects and not so much him failing to perform well. He’s not a point per game player, but the ability to produce offensively is no doubt there. His speed is one of his best attributes. He’s the not the biggest guy and won’t out-muscle other players, but he’ll definitely use his speed to gain the advantage in the offensive zone. I was at the Joe for his NHL debut on New Year’s Eve 2010 against the Islanders. Of course, the Wings lost the game as they never beat the Isles, but Tatar did notch his first career goal in his first game. He scored the game tying in the 3rd period and I remember him skating along the glass after the goal and grabbing the Wings logo on his sweater and pimping the Winged Wheel. The kid has a fun attitude and he works hard. Unless he’s part of a trade, he’ll be a Wing next year and could development into a real solid player.

Potential Stardom

Tomas Jurco, Right Wing
Saint John Sea Dogs (QMJHL)

Height: 6’2’’ Weight: 193 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	5	6	4

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
36	25	29	55	+33	27

I’m calling it now. He’s the next stud. When Datsyuk is a second line center and Hank is spending the last few years of his deal on the third line, Jurco could be the go-to guy this team leans on. The kid is a YouTube sensation and he’s getting better on the ice too. He’s averaging just under a point and a half per game this year in the Q. Last season he was producing at under a point per game rate. He’s eligible to play in juniors again next season, but he was one of the last cuts from training camp last fall. Most prospects his age are some of the first cut from camp and set back to their juniors teams. Jurco stuck around and saw some extended time in the preseason. It will be interesting if the Wings sign him and send him to the Griffins next year. He could be one of the few prospects to reach the main roster sooner rather than later.

Teemu Pulkkinen, Left Wing
Jokerit (SM-Liiga)

Height: 5’11'' Weight: 183 lbs. Shoots: Right

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	4	7	7

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	PIM
40	14	17	31	6

In the 2010 NHL draft, the Red Wings selected a potential new set of Euro-Twins. One of the two picks was Pulkkinen. He was once one of the top ranked European players and projected to be a top 10 or 20 pick in the ‘10 draft. Injuries caused him to drop and the Red Wings have a potential steal on their hands with this 4th round pick. At 5’11’’, the Finland native is not the biggest guy, but he’s a goal scorer. He wants the puck and he’s going to shoot it. Recently, he had 6 goals and 4 assists in the World Junior championships. In a blowout of Denmark, he scored four consecutive goals in the 3rd period. He currently has 30 points in 39 games in the top men’s league in Finland.

Petr Mrazek, Goalie
Ottawa 67’s (OHL)

Height: 6’0’’ Weight: 184 lbs. Catches: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	14	8	11

STARTS	RECORD	GAA	SAVE%	SHUTOUTS
36	22-8-4	2.82	.917%	2

Mrazek might not be the highest on many of the rankings, but after his performance at the World Juniors Championship his potential seems to be sky high. He stood on his head and stole the show with 52 saves leading the Czech Republic to a 5-2 win over the United States. He followed that up with a 43 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to Russia in the quarterfinals. Mrazek was named the tournaments top goaltender. His first game back in the OHL he registered a shutout win. Maybe, just maybe, this 5th round pick can develop and share time with Jimmy Howard down the road before eventually taking over as the teams number one goaltender.

The Best of the Rest

Riley Sheahan, Center
Notre Dame (NCAA)

Height: 6’2’’ Weight: 202 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	6	4	5

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
25	8	15	23	+1	16

A big power forward that can play on both ends of the ice? Sounds like a recipe for success when trying to crack the Red Wings roster. Sheahan would easily be one of the biggest forwards on the Wings. He plays at Notre Dame where they play a defensive style of hockey. By the time he gets to the Wings, he’ll be a responsible player. He started at ND as a 17-year-old freshman and is now in his junior year. As a sophomore, he had 22 points in 40 games. This season he’s picked up his offensive game and has 21 points in 23 games (7 G, 14 A). Sheahan has the potential to be a big, top six forward.

Calle Jarnkrok, Center
Brynas (SEL)

Height: 5’11’’ Weight: 170 lbs. Shoots: Right

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	7	3	6

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	PIM
42	12	17	29	10

Jarnkrok is the other half of the potential second generation of Euro-Twins selected in the 2010 draft. The coolest park about the kid? His last name means "Iron Hook." How awesome is that? A lot of rankings have Jarnkrok rated higher than Pulkkinen. I personally like Teemu’s potential better, but that doesn’t mean that Calle is a scrub. The 20-year-old is putting up a point every two games against the top competition in the Swedish Elite League. Last season, he had three playoff goals in three games before hurting his shoulder.

Xavier Ouellet, Defense
Blainville-Broisbriand Armada (QMJHL)

Height: 6’0’’ Weight: 187 lbs. Shoots: Left

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	9	13	9

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	PIM
46	16	27	43	56

Other than Brendan Smith, Ouellet is the only defensemen on this list. I think Ouellet has the potential to be a 2nd pair defensemen. You never know and he could surprise us all to be top two D man, but he’ll likely find himself as nice bottom four offensive-defenseman. Last year in the Q, he put up 43 points in 67 games. This season he already has 41 points in 44 games. Playing at almost a point per game as a blue liner is pretty solid.

Marek Tvrdon, Left Wing
Vancouver Giants (WHL)

Height: 6’2’’ Weight: 212 lbs. Shoots: Rights

	Hockey's Future	Red Wings Central	The Production Line
Rankings	NR	10	13

GAMES	GOALS	ASSISTS	POINTS	+/-	PIM
42	18	32	50	-3	30

Tvrdon is the big sleeper on this list. A serious shoulder injury and surgery caused him to miss a majority of last season. He probably would have been selected in one of the top few rounds, but he fell to the Wings in the 5th round of the 2011 draft. He’s one of those guys that could be know as the next stud Red Wings found in the late rounds of a draft. After returning from surgery last season, he had 11 points (6G, 5A) in 12 games. This year he’s putting up 1.22 points per game. Just imagine five years from now, the Wings could have a trio of 6’2’’ forwards (Jurco, Sheahan and Tvrdon) leading the way in Hockeytown.

Let's Go Red Wings.

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Comments

glad to see this write up.

i’d been wondering about prospects with the All Star break threatening to bore me to death.

"I'll smile in June."

by Lords of Olympia on Jan 30, 2012 2:21 PM CST reply actions

I love the write-up :)

This definitely helps me keep an eye out for the future if I ever hear the names in some random concept.

How do these prospects (especially Goose/Tots/Smith) rank in comparison to previous generations of prospects?

Also i have a feeling Tatar is going to be a more ferocious/pest version of Hudler – i dont knwo why

Asheeshy's Twitter

"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day." ~ Calvin (C & H)

by Igorzba on Jan 30, 2012 2:25 PM CST reply actions

No, “Enjoy the Minors” list for McCollum?

by Apocalyptic0n3 on Jan 30, 2012 2:42 PM CST reply actions

good stuff

what i was waiting for

by Drumbum87 on Jan 30, 2012 2:47 PM CST reply actions

Great write up

I have been looking for a list of the top wings prospects.

Thanks

by DarthSparty on Jan 30, 2012 2:51 PM CST reply actions

This was what I thought the Brendan Smith section would look like when I saw Jeff as author

BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM! BRENDAN SMITH IS THE NEXT LIDSTROM!

Winging It In Motown, Over the Monster, Liberty Ballers, and Buffalo Rumblings!

by Scott Kenny on Jan 30, 2012 2:54 PM CST reply actions 5 recs

Thanks Jeff

This is awesome. I kind of want to fast forward 5 years, cause watching Dats undress some 2nd liners will be lots of fun!

I'm a Homer

by holmstrom96 on Jan 30, 2012 3:02 PM CST reply actions

thats the fun part

its easy to forget the pav and z played with yzerman and shanny. i hope the next transition of players is just as exciting

by Drumbum87 on Jan 30, 2012 3:17 PM CST reply actions 1 recs

*that

although the pav is a pretty awesome nickname

by Drumbum87 on Jan 30, 2012 3:20 PM CST up reply actions

and i woud like to add that im already a Jurco fan

i wish i could get some more highlights from this year… there is some pavel quality stuff in there im telling you

by Drumbum87 on Jan 30, 2012 3:22 PM CST up reply actions

I AM SOOOOOOOOO STOKED!!!!

seriously I am!!! the guys the Wings have waiting “literally” in the wings to come up to the big club and play are nothing short of OMG! I feel bad for the rest of the league cuz their systems are generally not set up like the Wings are. our guys will come up when holland deems them ready (because he was smart enough to remember how it was when he was a goalie…great write up the other day about that btw) and they’ll learn from the guys who’ve been wowing us the last ten years or so. the more i think about it the more excited I get!

as for nick lidstrom…he’s sooooooo in a class all by himself…seriously, this guy is beyond phenominal based on what he’s done over the course of his entire career. i have to admit i was a little skeptical when he was nominated to wear the C when stevie y retired, but since the day he donned it, i haven’t been disappointed once. truly a classy guy and it will be horribly sad when he does retire. gonna have to stock up on the anti-depressants for when that day does come along.

getting back to the draftees though…wings future is looking incrediably bright, despite not picking in the early portions of the early rounds. here’s one to mull over though…has anyone given ANY thought to what happens when kenny holland decides to hang it up? someone pass me the antacids and the anti-depressants please…

"If we knew what the outcome would be it wouldn't be called hindsight."

by wjr on Jan 30, 2012 3:52 PM CST reply actions

has anyone given ANY thought to what happens when kenny holland decides to hang it up?

This makes me super depressed. The only thing I can say is that he will have overdeveloped his replacement, when he is ready to retire.

I'm a Homer

by holmstrom96 on Jan 30, 2012 4:31 PM CST up reply actions

I'm sure we can get Stevie Y back

You sound like a manure salesman with a mouthful of samples.

by greg5897 on Jan 30, 2012 5:13 PM CST up reply actions

More worried about when Håkan Andersson decided to hang them up.

The wings have Pav, Z, Homer, Mule because of him. He is the best when it comes to undervalued european players. Current prospects that he recommended to the wings are: Nyquist, Tatar, Andersson, Pulkkinen, Jarnkrok, Backman, Almqvist, and Marchenko. That is quite the collect of talent that he is responsible for.

I believe that losing him would a major blow considering that he allows the wings to draft high value players in the later rounds of the draft.

"Hey Laserlips. Your mama was a snowblower."

by AirmanSD on Jan 30, 2012 11:31 PM CST up reply actions

Yeah I'm just starting to really learn about him

I’ve always known that we had an awesome European Scout, I just always assumed it was a group of people rather than just one person. The fact of how awesome Andersson has been with drafting recommendations is mind blowing. I hope he can keep going for a long time!

I'm a Homer

by holmstrom96 on Jan 31, 2012 4:12 PM CST up reply actions

Come on down

ANY thought to what happens when kenny holland decides to hang it up?

Jim Nill. He would appear to be the heir apparent. I think the chances of him stepping into the GM spot are significantly higher than Yzerman coming back at the exact moment Holland decides he’s had enough (which could be decades away).

by Big Z in Orlando on Jan 31, 2012 9:47 AM CST up reply actions

The future is as bright as the present.

It’s good to be a wings fan.

by Veihl789 on Jan 30, 2012 6:01 PM CST reply actions

It's sad the world will end in May, otherwise we'd have a great future ahead of us

You sound like a manure salesman with a mouthful of samples.

by greg5897 on Jan 30, 2012 6:46 PM CST reply actions

I've seen Sheahan play a few times

He definitely fits the power forward mold, but he doesn’t have the scoring ability you would expect. He’s a better passer than finisher. Still, I think he could find a role on a third or fourth line.

It's like ESPN Detroit, except less uptight. The Detroit Hustle

by jehu22 on Jan 30, 2012 7:01 PM CST reply actions

interesting to me; - Hockey Prospectus article lists their 1-50 as of 'midseason'

9 – Brendan Smith
14 – Gustav Nyquist
17 – Calle Jarnkrok
23 – Tomas Jurco
30 – Tomas Tatar
(Skaters only)

Take out of it what you will – for me i like that the wings have so much talent down the pipeline :D

Asheeshy's Twitter

"A little rudeness and disrespect can elevate a meaningless interaction to a battle of wills and add drama to an otherwise dull day." ~ Calvin (C & H)

by Igorzba on Jan 30, 2012 8:30 PM CST reply actions

Go Landon Ferraro!!

by Splints on Jan 30, 2012 9:12 PM CST reply actions

Jurco

I know Smith has shown a ton of promise and talent, I know Nyquist blew everyone away at the preseason camp, I know Tatar has been in the NHL in the last 2 years for a few games and has done some nice things – but Jurco is our best prospect, his puck handling is Datsyukian, he skates hard and he has amazing size and power.

He was widely considered to be a low 1st round pick last year but his work ethic was questioned and the fact he plays for a very talented team meant he dropped – sadly for the other 29 teams that also means he ended up in the best talent system in the league – he has elevated his game so much this season and has worked extremely hard both on and off the ice to improve – his points per game is 2nd only to Jonathan Huberdau on the team and it is top 5 I believe in the league.

by gyldenlove on Jan 30, 2012 10:03 PM CST reply actions