Quick Hits: The New Year’s Eve Edition

Jeff Hancock

• 1 min read Front Page

In Red Wings Land

Revisiting 10 bold (and bad) Red Wings predictions at midseason | The Athletic ($)

Prediction 1: Anthony Mantha goes for 35 goals and 65 points

I don’t think you can get half credit on counting-stat predictions, but Mantha was well on pace for both of these markers before injuries derailed his season. Problem is, he’s already missed three weeks with a knee injury, and now he’ll miss at least another month with a “rib-type” injury. That means he could easily miss a quarter of the season when all is said and done.

I bet Mantha would’ve been the Red Wings player headed to the All-Star Game had he not gotten hurt. Now, that honor goes to his linemate...

ICYMI

Tyler Bertuzzi Selected to All-Star Game | WIIM

And Tyler Bertuzzi absolutely deserves the honor.

He leads the team in goals, assists, and points and has been a constant presence this season for the Wings. I’m not sure anyone would’ve ever predicted back when he was drafted in 2013 that Bertuzzi would make an NHL All-Star game, but he’s absolutely proven everyone wrong.

Around the League

NHL experts: 2020 NHL All-Star Game roster snubs and Last Man In picks | ESPN

I’ll take Andrei Svechnikov as the biggest All-Star Game snub. Anyone who scores not one, but two lacrosse-style goals should be there.