Guest Crymson Report post Posted February 26, 2007 (edited) As long as we're into Holland not throwing away our future for a rental, I though it'd be a nice idea to reinforce this idea with those guys who constitute aforementioned future. They look damn good to me. EDIT: You can find a list here as well: http://redwingscentral.com/prospects <---they're probably the best place overall for this sort of stuff. List comes from Detroit News (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702190314) and from Red Wings Central. Jakub Kindl: Former first-round pick -- the Wings' only one in the last six years --- is a high-end offensive defenseman who should be ready for an NHL roster spot next season. Of course, know all about this guy, and he has gotten rave reviews. Fitting, as the Wings` scouts are excellent and they finally got dibs on a first pick; you can be confident that he will be an excellent player. He seems likely to replace Schneider whenever Schneids leaves the team, via retirement or otherwise. From RWC: "He is a man amongst boys sometimes. He's not overly physical, but he takes the man and plays the body and he's got a little chip on his shoulder at times. But he's more of a skilled guy." -- Red Wings director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell (December 2005) ... "He's gotten stronger. He still needs to get a little bit stronger, but at training camp, he came close to making the team. He was definitely good enough to play and stick there. He's the kind of guy who plays better with better players. Down the road, I would think he's going to be a top-four guy. He's good on the power play and he's a real smart kid." -- McDonnell (October 2006) ... STRENGTHS Terrific all-around set of tools ... skating and offensive skills are biggest strengths ... moves well on his skates ... good acceleration and speed ... carries the puck well ... supports offense with great vision, good passing ability ... hard, accurate point shot ... has the skills to man the power-play point ... WEAKNESSES Prone to frustrating, untimely giveaways ... decision-making and hockey sense are suspect ... doesn't have the impact physical game that could accompany someone with his size and skating ability ... lacks a mean streak ... struggles with inconsistency ... playoff stats in OHL (17-1-0-1, minus-11, 32 penalty minutes) leave something to be desired ... Jimmy Howard: Still considered the Wings' goaltender of the future, though injuries and inconsistent play might keep him in the minors another year. Of course, we know all about Jimmy. We haven't seen him play much in the NHL, but he's also gotten rave reviews. I look forward to seeing him in net; we haven't had a young starting goaltender in quite a long time. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS “There have been a few (goals allowed) that he’d like to have back, but it’s part of the process. It happens here, and it happens in the NHL. The difference is, the guys in the NHL understand the goal that just went in has no bearing on the shot they’re going to face. His upside is to be a No. 1 in the NHL, but it’s up to him to continue his work ethic and learn from his mistakes in terms of giving up soft ones.” -- Grand Rapids Griffins general manager Bob McNamara (November 2006) ... STRENGTHS Hybrid goalie whose style is cross between stand-up and butterfly ... mixes various styles and uses smarts to go down or stay on feet when appropriate ... big-save goaltender who has a history of performing in clutch situations (had a 1.21 goals against average and a .962 save percentage in eight single-elimination NCAA playoff contests) ... excellent size, poise and fundamentals ... when things are going well, makes effortless saves and puck just seems to hit him ... doesn't give up any rebounds and sucks everything in ... can look unbeatable at times because of smarts, positioning and angle-play ... moves puck well ... calm, composed in goal ... WEAKNESSES Streaky goalie who can be hot and cold and has struggled with inconsistency throughout his career ... when things aren't going well, Howard fights puck, doesn't control rebounds and allows goals on high shots ... puck-moving skills need some work ... Cory Emmerton: Wings were pleasantly surprised when this talented, though undersized, playmaker fell into their lap in second round of last year's draft. I'll admit to knowing next to nothing about Emmerton. Does anyone have some info? From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS "He's got very good hockey sense, good stick skills, and he's a Red Wings type of player, the way he thinks the game. We think he's a top two line player. Like with all kids, he needs to improve his strength. He needs to work on his leg strength and get his skating a little bit stronger, but it's just the maturing of the body." -- Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (June 2006) ... "His hockey sense is his best asset. He's a very smart player. He's just got to get bigger and stronger, but he's a pretty well-rounded guy." -- Red Wings director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell (October 2006) ... STRENGTHS Terrific hockey sense and vision ... a top-flight playmaker ... slick and shifty with very good puck skills ... protects the puck well ... not shy of fighting through checks or going into traffic ... not a perimeter player ... competitive and gritty ... responsible in his own end, particularly for a player with his skill ... quick, accurate shot with good velocity ... compared to Cory Stillman by the Red Wings on draft day ... uses wide array of offensive skills effectively when used on the power-play point ... excellent work ethic ... comes to play every shift ... WEAKNESSES Undersized ... doesn't have a top skating gear, a concern for his size (posted middle-of-the-pack results in skill testing at the 2006 CHL Top Prospects Game: 3.07 seconds in the 60-foot dash; 5.98 seconds in the 150; 15.01 seconds for a full lap; and 17.885 seconds in the puck control competition) ... needs to add muscle, particularly leg strength to improve his foot-speed ... Johan Ryno: His size alone -- 6-foot-5, 210 pounds -- shows his potential, but the late-blooming, 20-year-old Swede has skills to play on an NHL scoring line. THIS guy looks SUPER promising. Not only is he enormous--if he hits, then no doubt he'll gain "rhino" as a nickname--but he can score, too. I think we'll all agree that, if successful, he'll fill our need for a power forward. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS "His best assets are hockey sense, closely followed by size. He works both ways very well. He tries hard. When he loses the puck he really hustles to get it back. He doesn't go for big hits but he really chases it. He thinks the game extremely well, has very good hands, and a great playmaking feel. He is a great passer." -- Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson (August 2005) ... "He needs to work on his skating and get a lot stronger, leg strength and such." -- Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (January 2006) ... “I project him as a top two line player. He’s a 6-foot-5 guy with very good hands and hockey sense. He’s got real upside. He’s the guy who has the biggest chance out of Europe to be an impact player in Detroit.” -- Andersson (January 2007) ... STRENGTHS Six-foot-five and still filling out ... advanced two-way game ... outstanding hockey sense and playmaking ability ... good hands and slick puck skills ... dangerous to contain because of his long reach ... hard worker ... tenacious in races for the puck and does a good job poking pucks loose ... WEAKNESSES Skating is OK for his size, but needs continued improvement ... needs to add strength to his slim 6-foot-5 frame and improve his fitness ... has not demonstrated a take-charge physical style to match his outstanding size ... could be more of a power forward if he added a hitting, grinding element ... Justin Abdelkader: Michigan State sophomore plays a strong two-way game on the wing and he certainly didn't look out of place at this winter's world junior championships. I don't know much about this guy. Does anyone else have any info? In any event, two-way players are few and far-between, so I'm hopeful. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS "There's more to him than points. That's not really his game. He's a really intense guy on the puck and he bangs and crashes. He's a great puck-chaser." -- Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (January 2006) ... "Abdelkader's in your face. He's a little closer to being ready to play [than some other prospects] with the physical maturity. We had him in at our development camp in July and he was 210 pounds and he could probably carry another 10 pounds and it wouldn't hurt him. He's solid in all areas." -- Nill (January 2007) ... STRENGTHS Good at just about everything, with no glaring weaknesses ... natural skater in all facets (speed, quickness, agility, acceleration) ... responsible two-way player, smart in his own zone ... plays a hard, physical game ... competitive, in-your-face puck-pursuer ... isn't fazed in traffic ... good on faceoffs ... solidly built ... has a quick release on accurate shot ... capable set-up man ... WEAKNESSES Doesn't have game-breaking offensive skills ... not flashy, projecting more as a third-line role player at the NHL level ... shot could use more velocity ... Stefan Liv Of course, we know a lot about this guy already. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS "He's finally matured in terms of working out (fitness) and so on. Mentally he is really starting to understand what it takes to become a goalie, and it's about time at the age of 25. On the other hand, 25 is a young age for a goalie. He has at least 10 years as a top goalie. Some goalies peak at 30-plus." -- Red Wings director of European scouting Hakan Andersson (December 2005) ... STRENGTHS Lightning quick reflexes ... quick legs for incredible pad saves ... good on close-range shots ... unorthodox style that reminds some of a soccer keeper and others of Dominik Hasek ... has become less frantic in goal over the years as he matures and learns ... WEAKNESSES Still becomes frantic at times ... anticipation and ability to read plays needs continued improvement ... sometimes fails to control rebounds ... puckhandling is weak ... colorful personality (dancing after games, painting Britney Spears on his mask) will be interesting to see in the pros ... PROJECTION Liv has been one of the better goaltenders in Sweden for years. The Red Wings signed him to a one-year contract in May with the expectation that he will compete for an NHL job in 2006-07. If he doesn't make the Red Wings, he will spend the season in the American Hockey League. Igor Grigorenko Again, we know about this guy. Hopefully he'll be ready to come up next year. From RWC: "His hands have come back, he's got great hockey sense, but now it's if his skating can come back to the level it was. He's about 85 to 90 percent of what he was." -- Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (January 2006) ... "There’s still a little improvement needed, but overall, he’s really got his game going again." -- Nill (May 2006) ... “We’ve talked to him and his agent, and he knows it’s time for him to get over. We’re going to bring him over and see how he is. He’s an older player who’s played elite hockey for the last seven years. His mindset and our mindset is for him to come over and make the Detroit Red Wings and that’s what it should be.” -- Nill (January 2007) ... [ related article ] STRENGTHS Sharp stickhandling skills and tricky 1-on-1 moves ... opportunistic scorer with quick, hard and accurate wrist shot ... terrific hockey sense ... intelligent offensively and equally capable of scoring and setting up linemates ... great on power play ... strong in traffic ... drives hard to the net ... stocky with rock-solid balance ... fiery intensity ... natural winger is versatile and also plays center ... WEAKNESSES Injuries suffered in car accident have taken a step off his fast, shifty skating and could affect his ability to adjust to the high-tempo NHL game ... reports indicate he still feels pain in injured left leg ... sometimes lacks discipline and can take untimely penalties ... could elevate his defensive play ... Jonathan Ericsson I know nothing abou this guy. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS “He’s a guy who competes every night, and he’ll make a mistake here and there, but as a young guy, that will happen. He makes a good first pass, he has good hands, and his size is a tremendous asset. He’s not afraid to get his nose dirty and play the body.” -- Griffins general manager Bob McNamara (November 2006) ... "In training camp, I had him slotted in the AHL and hopefully he could survive there. He might have to have some time in the ECHL. He's been the biggest surprise, of anybody, right from Day 1 of camp. He came in with confidence. It's amazing." -- Red Wings assistant general manager Jim Nill (January 2007) ... STRENGTHS Surprising mobility and agility for a big man ... good hands and puck skills ... makes good first pass ... uses his skating, impressive reach and improving positional game to neutralize opponents in the defensive zone ... uses his size well and gets involved ... willing to stand up for his teammates, fighting when necessary ... armed with a heavy shot ... quick and willing learner ... character player ... WEAKNESSES Needs to move the puck quicker ... has good puck skills, but can get caught when he over-handles it ... began his career as a forward and his conversion to the blue line in his draft year means he is is still raw with plenty of learning ahead ... heavy shot but slow release ... Darren Helm Looks like a guy in the mold of Maltby and Draper, though evidently he can fight too. From RWC: SCOUT COMMENTS "He's a gritty up-and-down player and he's quite fearless. He's not afraid to go in the corners, he's not afraid to play in traffic. I'm looking at him as a fourth-line checker. He's a kid who's not going to back down from anything. If you give him some guff, he's going to give it right back." -- Red Wings part-time Western scout Marty Stein (July 2005) ... "He's still in a boy's body. With his character, you just have a feeling he's going to add the strength that he needs. He's a real good skater. It's just a matter of developing physically." -- Red Wings director of amateur scouting Joe McDonnell (June 2006) ... STRENGTHS Tireless worker and a fan-favorite ... gritty player who does the dirty work ... outstanding skater with fantastic speed ... has ability to finish when skating results in breakaway chances ... has good enough hands to contribute ... delivers big hits when the opportunity arises ... versatile, capable of playing center or wing ... often matches up against opponent's top scorers ... terrific penalty killer ... brings it in playoff situations, when the pressure is on and games are intense ... WEAKNESSES Just shy of six feet, but needs more physical development to become a third- or fourth-line role player in the mold of a Kirk Maltby or Kris Draper ... All the rest look like they've got a considerable amount of further development needed before they come up, Quincey included. Edited February 26, 2007 by Crymson Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WingNutt 12 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 Nice post, Looks as though the future may be bright for our team. You left out a few guys though. I'm also excited to see how Liv performs further down the road also. and what about Igor?? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
HomeNugget 2 Report post Posted February 26, 2007 emmerton was ripping apart the ohl early in the season but has cooled off. don't know very much other than that. i don't know if ryno likes to hit. i could be wrong but i get the impression that hitting isn't as big in europe as it is in north america. i like the way our future looks right now. we just need to add a power forward or two. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
