10 replies to this topic

[shaeb30]

What are your early guesses as to who will be on the roster next season? Right now the players i think are actual locks to be there are Jordan Pearce, Thomas McCollum, Francis Pare, Logan Pyett, Gustav Nyquist, Brendan Smith, Brian Lashoff, Travis Erhardt, Sergei Kolosov, Jordan Owens, Brent Raedeke, Joakim Andersson, Willie Coetzee, Ilari Filppula, and maybe Adam Keefe. As for guys like Cory Emmerton and Jan Mursak, im pretty sure they are going to be playing in Detroit all year. Derek Meech and Doug Janik will most likely land with an NHL team. Im not totally sure on Tomas Tatar, i THINK he is out of minor league options after this year, but im not quite sure if he is ready for a full year in the NHL yet. As for some of the overseas talent, I could see a couple guys like Calle Jarnkrok, Teemu Pulkkinen, Andrej Nestrasil, and Gleason Fournier making the roster. Im sure they will sign some free agents to fill out the roster too. Im pretty sure the ride in the Detroit system will be over for guys like Jamie Tardif, Jamie Johnson, Chris Minard, and **** Axelsson.

[cjm502]

I Filp will not be playing for the Griffins next year. Pulkkinen and Jarnkrok will most likely not be on the Griffins next year. I believe Nestrasil and Fournier will be on the Griffins, im not positive though. Tatar is not out of options either, this was only his second season. Axelsson will most likely be over next season as well, although it might be on the Wings squad.

[shaeb30]

why wont Filppula be there next year?

[Aussie_Wing]

As Filppula is no longer a part of the Wiings future plans, he will likely seek a new challenge, possibly the SEL.

I'm guessing next seasons roster might look something like:

Tatar - Emmerton* - Pare
Nyquist - Andersson - Axelsson**
Ferraro - Johnson - Keefe
Callahan - Raedeke - Coetzee

*= I think Emmerton will be waived and clear waivers
**= unlikely, but surely an all Swede line tempts ****?

Edited by Aussie_Wing, 20 April 2011 - 11:30 PM.

[WingMan56]

Minard and Johnson are both under contract with Detroit again next season (sadly). They will be in GR unless the wings find a team to loan them to. Parkes, Ferraro, Fournier and possibly Nestrasil will all be in GR next year also. I HIGHLY doubt Axelsson, Pulkkinen or Jarnkrok will be in GR.

[Red Wings Addict]

Forget about those scrubs Minard and Johnson. Just dump 'em somewhere.

Let the prospects play!!!

Nyquist-Andersson-Pare
Tatar-Ferraro-Callahan
Nestrasil-Raedeke-Coetzee
Parkes-Aubry-Keefe

Smith-Lashoff
Ehrhardt-Janik
Piche/Fournier-Amadio

MacDonald
Pearce
McCollum

Yeah I know it won't happen. Just a nice thought for the moment.

[matemate]

Tomas Tatar - Darryl Boyce - Chris Conner
Francis Paré - Joakim Andersson - Gustav Nyquist
LM Aubry - Landon Ferraro - Andrej Nestrasil
Trevor Parkes - Brent Raedeke - Mitchell Callahan


Smith - Janik
Exelby - Lashoff
Fournier - Pyett

Edited by matemate, 10 July 2011 - 06:19 AM.

[Andy Pred 48]

15 guys on the roster so far are 22yrs or younger.

[Red Wings Addict]

They need a grinder and/or enforcer for the 4th line to keep the flies off. Hopefully they can make that signing through Grand Rapids so that they don't use another Wings contract. The Wings already use 49 out of the 50 contract limit.

Tatar-Pare-Conner
Nyquist-Andersson-Coetzee
Minard-Johnson-Ferraro
(ENFORCER)-Raedeke-Callahan

Smith-Janik
Exelby-Lashoff
Amadio-Pyett
Ehrhardt

McDonald
Pearce
McCollum

[Jesusberg]

I understand that people enjoy guys to "keep the flies off" but I think what this team needs most is to make sure they can make up for the offensive losses and get better defensively. Losing Filppula and Tardif will hurt numbers, as well as Emmerton and Mursak. Not to mention that Meech chipped in quite a bit from the blueline.

The issue with this team and fighting is that essentially all the "scrappy" guys are defensemen, but also the most defensively responsible guys on the club. Janik, Exelby and Amadio (not that I think he's great defensively) will all drop the gloves, but that means they're off the ice for 5 minutes and we're short a d-man too.

On offense, I'd still like to see Nyquist eventually go to center, since we really lack offensive depth there. If he stays on the wing I can live with it, but whatever. One combination people haven't really mentioned is Ferraro-Coetzee. I know both guys have stunk it up as of late, but they had GREAT chemistry in Red Deer in the WHL. Reuniting them could be just the thing to help both guys bounce back this year. As much as I like Joakim Andersson, I just dunno if he's got what it takes to be a second line guy and contribute offensively. Not that I think Ferraro can immediately adjust, but I think in terms of pure offense, Ferraro will have more to offer.

I'd like the lines to eventually look something like:

Tatar-Johnson-Pare
Nyquist-Ferraro-Coetzee
Conner-Andersson-Callahan
Aubry-Raedeke-Parkes

I noticed that Chris Minard is greyed out on griffinscentral.com (meaning he's no longer on the active roster). He'd be the sixth veteran on the team (they can only dress five) so I think maybe he's just gone. He had a poor attitude from what I recall, and not many people liked him. Couple that with him not producing, and well... I'd rather have Conner anyway.

In term of the lines I listed, I think Johnson will play better this year between Tatar and Pare. My second line is on the condition that Ferraro-Coetzee can start putting things together, and I think Nyquist would tie that up very nicely. Third line is all guys who are chippy and defensively responsible, and can add some offense as well. Fourth line has some untapped offensive potential there too, as Aubry and Parkes are familiar with each other. Aubry/Raedeke are interchangeable as centers, but I just put Aubry on the wing for now.

Smith-Janik
Exelby-Lashoff
Amadio-Pyett

I like how each pairing has a calming, veteran influence. I think Lashoff will eventually overtake Pyett on the depth chart, and being healthy will go a long way at giving him a solid season. I guess I'm just kind of lost on Pyett at this point. For a guy going into his fourth season in the AHL, I expect more out of him. Guys like Ehrhardt, Piche and Fournier can push for a spot there too, and I'd like to see some more out of all of them.

MacDonald
Pearce

This one's kind of tough for me, because I'm not sold on McCollum being completely dead in the water yet. I think he could eventually get his spot back, but it's going to be tough. To take the spot away from Pearce I think he'll have to play really well for Toledo, coupled with Pearce playing poorly for GR.

Either way, the influx of youth is a positive thing to me. A lot of guys here who are going to jump in and just start battling for spots. I think it'll be an interesting season to watch

[russianswede919293]

It looks like Minard has concussion issues which is why he is not with the team. Doesn't look like he will be with the Griffins at all.