Player Profile:

Name: Tomas Nosek
Born: Pardubice, Czech Republic , 9/1/92
Height/Weight: 6’3” , 210 pounds
Position: Center
Contract: Signed through 2017-18, $612,500 AAV

Player Stats:

GP: 11
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
Plus/Minus: -1

Season Narrative:

Tomas Nosek was recalled by the Red Wings in mid March on an emergency basis as he was in the midst of his most productive season with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL. In 51 regular-season games played with the Griffins Nosek posted 15 goals and 26 assists.

Despite playing in only 11 games with the Red Wings as Hockeytown’s historic playoff streak sadly came to an unceremonious end, Nosek was a shot in the arm to Detroit’s bottom-six lines. Tomas did not look like a young player just plugging a hole on a sinking ship, instead he played hard and made the most of the opportunity he was given.

What He Did vs. Expectations:

I believe it’s a fair assessment to say that Tomas Nosek did what Jeff Blashill and the Detroit Red Wings both expected and wanted him to do. Tomas wasn’t going to come up to the big club and score 15 goals, although that would’ve been nice, instead he used his big body and skating ability to get to the dirty areas and create some havoc for opposing team’s lines.

Nosek appeared in six games for Detroit during the 2015-16 NHL season but has since shown that his time spent in Grand Rapids has greatly improved his skill set. He looked faster, was harder on the puck, and just appeared to be more ready to compete at the NHL level than he was just a mere season ago.

Tomas scored his first NHL goal in a game against the Carolina Hurricanes in late March, and it was also the Wings only goal scored in a 4-1 loss.

Final Grade: Incomplete, But An “A” For Effort

It can be hard to assign a grade for fourth-line players such as Tomas Nosek, especially when the player has only appeared in 11 games, but I personally enjoyed what I saw out of Nosek. When he was on the ice, he was noticeable. He did a lot of the unsung things that fourth-liners are expected to do all while showing an improved style of play.

Tomas could very well end up being a solid fourth-line center for the Red Wings as the team tries to reload and rebuild for the future. He is no longer waiver exempt and needs to continue to prove that he is ready to compete for a permanent spot on Detroit’s roster.

Up next, we’ll take a look at Robbie Russo’s season.

What grade would you give Tomas Nosek?