Craig’s List: Patrick remains in the top spot despite injury | by Craig Button, TSN.ca
For the first time in a LONG time, Detroit fans are starting to look at potential lottery picks in the upcoming draft. Craig Button ranks the top three: Nolan Patrick, Nico Hischier, and Timothy Liljegren.
Even if the Wings can’t pick in the top three, Button has some potential hope for fans hoping this draft can help them team improve its defensive corps.
Cale Makar of the Brooks Bandits in the Alberta Junior Hockey League is one to watch in the months ahead. The dynamic offensive defenceman (43 points in 32 games) jumped 16 spots from our November rankings to land at 13. His style of play and approach to the game reminds me of Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson. Like Karlsson at the same age, he is still growing, but his skill set is unique. Makar is a player many NHL teams may be hoping slides in the draft, but he’s too good to end up very far down the board.
Krupa: Blashill not to blame for woeful Wings | by Greg Krupa, The Detroit News
Anyone reading this will know that Detroit is in real danger of missing the playoffs. Specifically:
Their playoff chances are so narrow they must reap about 65 percent of the points available in the 42 games remaining to match their 93-points of last season, when they squeaked into the playoffs.
Despite the provocative headline, this is a fair look at the good and the bad of Blashill’s coaching tenure so far (Krupa really says that Blashill does shoulder some of the blame, but there’s plenty of blame to go around).
