WingMan56

According to the message boards on redwingscentral, Ryan Barnes is in camp, and scored a goal in the scrimmage yesterday. He was a "last minute invite". Also, it appears Joey MacDonald will be out much longer than expected, and the Griffins are looking to sign another goalie so they aren't stuck with MacIntyre and Koopmans for a month or more..

Yeah, they apparently changed one of his goals to an assist last week. He was listed with 3 goals 3 assists, and I checked the scoresheets on russianprospects.com and hockeydb.com last night, and they both said 2 goals 4 assists. Still a point per game either way, but lets hope he starts putting the puck in the net some more!

Yeah, most likely not Kovalchuk..but I can see him coming in next season and scoring 15-20 goals.

Kinda funny to see they invited so many guys...the Griffins are already beyond full..so it's likely all these invites will be fighting for 1 or 2 spots...unless Detroit decides to unload one or more of the following: Mcdonell, Maclean, Manlow, Helmer, Delmore, Rivers, Mowers, Hackert.

He only played 30 (awful) games in Grand Rapids last season..Barnes is right..at least last season, he didnt belong in the AHL. He's small and didnt seem like he could handle the pace and level of play. He did play well when he got sent to Toledo though. He'll probably start in Toledo this year and come up if there are injuries or he's playing well enough.

It was a minor surgery, and once he's healthy again (any day now) he'll be the starter in GR.

I was expecting him to be signed this season..but we already have too many D-men in Grand Rapids, so I assume thats why he wasn't. He's more of an offensive defenseman, and a good puck mover. He was on the top pairing with his team last season with Roman Hamrlik..so the kid can play.

Yeah, thats a *****..he probably would just be a 3rd pairing guy this year..but he's still a great PK guy

Oh..I didn't realize he was defense....thats kind of weird. Considering they already have 7 D-men that will most likely be in GR..now they have 8..? weird. Delmore/Rivers-Quincey Helmer-Meech Richards-Amadio Lebda-Charpentier

Where'd you find this? It's not on the Griffins website, or theAHL.com

Big snake got released tonight...no contract from Detroit. But he'll supposedly be at Grand Rapids' training camp next week. http://www.allsports.com/nhl/redwings/stor...09/17_Cuts.html

Theres no way they're signing 4 junior free agent invites. They'll probably sign Big Snake, and MAYBE one other..

Yeah, they're looking to get him on a USHL team..which I guess would be ok for a year..it's not major junior, but maybe if he has a good year we can sign him and send him to Toledo next year or something.

I just noticed Joey hasn't played in any of the scrimmages...is he still sitting out from surgery 3 months ago??

If MacDonald clears waivers, I think he and Jimmy Howard will play evenly..about 40 games for each of them. Maybe a few more games for one of them if they stay hot for a while.

ah..ok. Well, this past season was his first season in the AHL, and he signed a standard 3 year entry level contract..so i figured he had 2 years left.

I hope this isn't true, considering he's on Detroits training camp roster and training camp started today...

Lacouture, Rem Murray, Blake Sloan, Kent McDonell..one of these guys will be in that last 4th line spot.

Lebda is under contract for another 2 years, unfortunately.

Well who wants to pay someone to play juniors? That'd be kind of weird. They might as well just let him go back to juniors, and keep tabs on him, then invite him back to camp next year and sign him if he plays well.

No problem Todd! I live in GR, so I follow the Griffins pretty closely. This is how I see their roster right now, if they sign big snake: Hudler Himelfarb MacLean Hackert Filppula Manlow Kopecky Ellis Bootland Barnes Oulahen Big Snake Delmore Meech Helmer Quincey Richards Amadio Lebda MacDonald Howard I think Greg Ireland likes Ryan Barnes, and will bring him back like he did last year. Hackert had a big year this year and I think will be signed to provide more offense. Plus, theres Rivers and McDonell who could potentially be in Grand Rapids, so they're looking pretty full right now. Thats why I think Jorgensen and the Jarrets, if signed, would most likely be in Toledo.

I agree, they'll most likely sign Big Snake. But Grand Rapids' roster is already over flowing. So if they sign more than one, the kids would be stuck in Toledo for a year.

They won't sign 4 free agent prospects. The only one they'll sign is Big Snake most likely, and he'll be a 4th liner in Grand Rapids.

Goal, assist and a fight. Gordie Howe Hat trick

Nope, that was Kopecky.