2012 Draft: Red Wings

First Round: 
We traded our pick for Kyle Quincey. With our pick Tampa chose goalie Andrei Vasilevski.

Second Round: 

We chose forward Martin Frk. Yes, we chose someone with no vowels in their last name... What is that? Apparently, it's pronounced FERK, and he wears #91 because of his childhood idol Sergei Fedorov. (Source)

Anyways, the Red Wings chose a guy who NHL Network said slipped through the cracks, like Nyquist/Tatar.

The NHL.com article about Frk in February says that although he missed the first 29 games of Halifax's season with a concussion, he has been symptom free ever since his return. He had 27 points in 24 games with Halifax this year.

Elite Prospects: Martin Frk
Reaction on Twitter --
Jeff Marek (TSN):
"DET nabs Martin Frk in the 2nd rd.  Hardest shot in the draft. Concussion probs hurt his year. Raw, raw talent.  Could be outstanding"
RedWingsCentral:
"Frk is basically a bigger, harder shooting version of Teemu Pulkkinen. Literally terrorizes goaltenders with his shot, but accuracy varies."
Red Wings Twitter:
"Frk when asked to describe his game: 'I think I'm powerful. I can score goals and have a good shot.'"

Here's a Highlight Reel 

Third Round:

Goalie Jake Paterson. Says his favorite team is the Wings and his favorite goalie is Ryan Miller.

"Jake Paterson – Saginaw Spirit – 6’1.25’’ 183 – G – 3^rd Ranked Goalie by NHL Central Scouting

Paterson played in 42 regular season games this season for the Spirit before backstopping the club in all 12 playoff contests posting a 6-3-3-0 record with a goals-against-average of 3.05 and save percentage of .903 which included a 42-save performance in a 5-2 win over the London Knights in Game 3 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals. 

Spirit Head Coach Greg Gilbert says:  “Jake is a very talented young goaltender.  Very strong athleticism, compete level and work ethic.  Jake is showing very good signs of becoming a much more mature and efficient goalie.  Jake has shown the mental toughness to rebound and play a solid game after a tough outing the previous game.  All good signs." (Source)

Twitter Reaction:

Bob Duff:

"#redwings Paterson won a gold medal with Team Ontario at the 2011 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge."

Red Wings Twitter:

"Paterson said he was a #Wings fan growing up, remembers the 2002 Stanley Cup winning team well and looks up to Chris Osgood."

Brian Hedger:

"Also, Paterson said: "My first time playing goalie, I hated it and couldn’t wait for the next game to be back at forward ..." #RedWings"

Fourth Round

Left Wing Andreas Athanasiou.

The Hockey Writers say:

"Andreas Athanasiou (ath-an-ah-see-ew) was a name to watch coming into the 2011-12 season, blessed with tremendous skill, many scouts put him on their watch lists and high in their preliminary rankings.   TSN analyst Craig Button had him listed 8th in his pre-season draft rankings.

By mid-season he was ranked 24th by NHL Central Scouting.

Whether it was his inability to capitalize or otherprospects simply progressing past him, he fell further than he would have liked as the season went on.  Currently he is ranked as the 40th North American skater by NHL Central Scouting and #36 overall by ISS.

However, it wasn’t exactly that he had a terrible year, playing on a loaded Knights team this season he finished third on the team in the regular season with 22 goals, and helped lead them to the Memorial Cup final where they lost to eventual champ Shawinigan.  He played primarily on the second line with OHL veterans Austin Watson and Greg McKegg.

When talking about Athanasiou’s game, it begins and ends with speed.  One of the faster players in the draft, he has the type of top end speed that kills.  He’s also very dynamic offensively with slick hands and is a tremendous stickhandler, which has drawn comparisons to another CHL player who was in a similar situation to him a year ago and the Sea Dogs Tomas Jurco.  In fact Athanasiou did a similar stickhandling and trick shot video to that of the Red Wings 2010 draftee" (Source)

He is not without fault though, he needs to work on shooting. Production is not where it is wanted but, the Wings are not afraid of it.

Twitter Reaction:

Sarah Lindenau (Wings Camp:

"wooo like how TSN is describing him #redwings"

Corey Pronman (ESPN Draft Guru)

"DET takes Athanasiou. At one point considered a high first rounder but struggled this year. Tremendous skater, lot of offensive skill."

Here's A Highlight Reel:

Fifth Round:

Defenseman Mike McKee.
McKee is committed to Western Michigan. Michael McKee is huge at 6'4" -- still not the biggest guy we got this year. McKee put up 237PIM in 59 games last season, to go along with that he potted 2G and 17 assists. McKee is not at all close to NHL ready, about as NHL ready as most guys are in the fifth round -- he's big though and you can't teach size. He's got that going for him which is nice. (Caddy Shack reference)

Bruins DraftWatch calls him a sleeper pick, in 2010.

"McKee at 17 is already 6-4 and 230 pounds and apparently skates extremely well for such a big boy. He's an August 1993 birthdate, which means he's on the young end of the spectrum. He had three goals and 11 points last season for the Lions, and watch for him to breakout in a big way (pun intended) this season if he returns.

He and USHL defender Scott Mayfield looked quite good as a defensive pairing on the ice this week, and it will be interesting to see how his hockey skills and intellect grade out, as clearly, the fact that he's such a physical specimen already but one who can actually skate, makes him one kid that NHL teams are zeroing in on this season no matter where he ends up playing."

No twitter for the rest of them -- my twitter stopped updating... must figure out why.

Sixth Round: 

All the way to the sixth round and no Europeans for the Wings... not the traditional draft. 

Anyways, our Wings selected another Ontario born player in James De Haas. This is the second D-man that the Wings picked this year. 

RedWingsCentral has this to say:

"Good-sized defenceman was ranked 176th by Central Scouting. Will play in the NCAA at Clarkson next season, the same program that housed former Red Wings prospects Julien Cayer and the late Bryan Rufenach. He led his team in defense scoring and was fifth in the Ontario junior A ranks." 

Seventh Round:

Here's where the Wings continue to shine over the years. Henrik Zetterberg, Pavel Datsyuk and a whole host of other great Wings were chosen here.

At the 200th overall pick, once again the world was exposed to Hakan Andersson's greatness. The Wings chose Rasmus Bodin. He is six-foot-six and over 230 pounds.

RedWingsCentral has this to say about him:

"The Red Wings finally went to Europe with their last pick and took yet another Swedish sleeper, a six-foot-six forward who averaged close to a point per game and  piled up 94 penalty minutes at the country’s second J-18 level last season. He’s joining the HV-71 organization next season and will get much more exposure."

Because I Live In Chicago...

I read the Chicago Tribune and lots of other Chicago news outlets. What that translates to is: I read a lot about what the Blackhawks should improve upon -- I like to laugh.

What I found this morning though, surprised me. This is an article entitled "Hawks GM Has Work To Do." The article details how the top 6 in Chicago is pretty much a top 3 at most top 4 -- and Toews/Hossa are concussion issues. I found it interesting considering the amount of people who think that the Blackhawks organization can do no wrong. The level of bandwagon-ing that goes on in Chicago is almost indescribable. (It really hurts to live here...)

Anyways, you may be looking/ reading thinking about what all of this has to do with the Red Wings and why I care. Well, I care because I like to laugh about how Chicago "fans" are starting to realize that when you win the Cup and then, get rid of your team in a fire sale, chances are you will bow out of the playoffs early each year following.

To answer the other part, how does this relate to the Wings, I say this. Ken Holland and Mike Babcock were all about the fact that what the team needed after the first round playoff loss was "just a few tweaks." I have full faith in Kenny, he's never given me a reason to doubt him, and he needs to pump up our team. In some ways, I believe that every few years, personnel need to change in order to keep a team a contender (Note: this can be changing a coach/players/asst. coaches/etc).

What I'm saying is that the "tweaks" we need are completely different than the "tweaks" that Steve Rosenblum is saying the Blackhawks need -- he argues that they need more than tweaks and saying "tweaks" makes him nervous. What we need is at least one more sniper (top -six forward) and two high end defensemen. That may sound like a lot, and it is but, it is much better than the three top six forwards and a few defensemen that Rosenblum argues the Hawks are in need of.

I think that most Wings fans are in the same boat as me, with the thought process "In Kenny We Trust" but, for those who aren't... the Wings aren't in as dire a situation as the world thinks. We need to add some pieces and we need to get better but, we are pretty good as we are.

Keep the faith Winged Wheelers!

Darren Helm Signs New 4 Year Deal

Darren Helm, 25, signed a new 4 year, $8.5M which works out to $2.125M a year.

Many people were overjoyed at this signing, there were a few that appeared to have lost their minds and said that they didn't agree, I however was ecstatic.

Here's Why:

1. The length of this new deal is 4 years. At the moment, Helm is 25, and entering what many believe is a hockey player's prime. I somewhat disagree with that, mostly because of the fact that Zetterberg and Datsyuk are both in their thirties (Hint: they are doing quite alright for themselves). Anyways, back to Helm. In four years, Helm will be 29 and maybe worth more than $2.125M a year. In 2016, when this contract is up, the Wings can pay him what he is worth. I have a feeling that in a few weeks this deal will seem like a bargain. 
2. What he brings to the team. Helm brings speed, and an ability to kill penalties very well. Case in point this penalty kill in the 2009 playoffs. Helm pretty much single handedly killed off the penalty. When Darren Helm came back from a knee injury in the playoffs this year, Mike Babcock was quoted saying "Helmer just puts everyone in the right spot."That is what Darren Helm does, he is a great third line center and when he is in the lineup, the Wings' depth is in the right spots to be successful. 

Here's My Concern:
Darren Helm was injured twice this year. Both of his injuries are ones that have haunted athletes before. The first was a knee injury, a sprained MCL. Those types of injuries can come back and turn a great grit guy (Danny Cleary, baker's cysts behind both knees) into a guy who everyone is wondering if they should be on the team next year.
The other is a lacerated forearm. That happened in his first game back from the knee injury in the playoffs. What took Mike Modano out for most of the 2010-2011 season, was a lacerated forearm. Modano had nerve damage, Helm did not. Modano was also way closer to the end of his career than Helm is.
I'd like to think that Helm will be just fine and the injuries will magically disappear but, that never happens. So far, with Helm, those are my only concerns.

What Matters:
Helm's contract leaves the Wings with around $25M to sign key players for next year. Helm is a great player and I think in a few weeks, and in a few years, fans will be in awe of Kenny Holland for this one -- this will end up being a bargain.
Helmer Forever! :)

On Kyle Quincey...

Source

Stats: (2011-2012)

• $3.125Mil. Cap hit
• 72 Games Played (54 in CO, 18 in Det.)
• 7 Goals (5 CO, 2, Det)
• 19 Assists (18 CO, 1 Det)
• 26 Points

What the Organization has Said:

• Don't remember where I heard this, Ken Holland has said he did not want to get rid of Quincey in 2008 (Waived and claimed by LA) but, it was between waiving him and keeping Derek Meech 
• Holland thought Meech had a larger upside than Quincey.
• Holland on Quincey: “We know him very well as we drafted him in 2003, helped him mature into an NHL player and watched his career develop.” (Source)
• He became the player we hoped we would be. If we could do it all over again, we’d make a different decision.’‘ (Source)

So? What about next year?

If, most likely when, the Wings re-sign Quincey, they will be putting a whole lot of faith in Quincey. I expect that Quincey will make around 3.5M-3.75M. 

I will be reserving judgement as to how I really feel about Quincey until he has gone through training camp and learned/gotten back into the Wings system. 

I will say though, he did not impress me when he was traded and started playing for us. I think I'm going to chalk that up to the fact that when he returned to us, there were a whole host of injuries and he was inserted into a role he won't be filling next year. I think that he was trying too hard to fill in for Nick Lidstrom (out 11 games) and Jonathan Ericsson (out a month). When he came to Detroit this year, he was simply not adjusting well enough, fast enough for him to be effective. 

• If Quincey can stop taking so many penalties, he can be a GREAT second pairing guy. 
• He is a good penalty killer and power play guy
• Holland trusts him -- therefore I do as well
• In Kenny We Trust

Okay, so I will wait until he has played a few games after going through Training Camp to actually judge -- don't be surprised if I change my mind about him.

15 Years Later: Konstantinov and What Could Have Been

Fifteen years ago today, Vladimir Konstantinov, Slava Fetisov, and Sergei Mnatsakanov got into a limo after celebrating their Stanley Cup victory, a victory that was only six days old. They were being responsible and hired a driver… What they didn’t know was that the driver, whose license was suspended at the time for drunk driving, Richard Gnida was not the most reliable driver. Needless to say, he “blacked out” and crossed three lanes and ends up crashing into a tree.

Konstantinov spent several weeks in a coma before pulling through. After initially being confined to a wheelchair he was able to get around with a walker. His movement and speech are limited, but he is said to be aware.

Mnatsakanov, who also spent some time in a coma, had a more difficult recovery. He was permanently paralyzed from the waist down.

Fetisov escaped with broken ribs and a punctured lung and continued his career the following season.  (Source)

VK Was Promising…

Konstantinov was drafted in 1989, the same year that the Wings drafted Lidstrom and Sergei Fedorov, in the 11th round, which is not even a round anymore.

Lidstrom and Konstantinov in their Rookie Year

The first time he got on NHL ice he shattered the notion that Europeans were “soft.” He was referred to by fans and players alike as “The Vladinator” and “Vlad the Impaler,”  Kris Draper recalled that not even teammates were exempt: “‘In practice he would hit you, He only knew one way. If your head was down he would hit you and tell you to keep your head up.’”

Draper also explains that “he was one of the fiercest competitors I ever seen. He didn’t care how big you were, or if you were a superstar, if you weren’t on his team you were fair game.” (Note: That is the mentality that made me name him my favorite d-man of all time — only slightly above Lidstrom)

The original tragedy is enough to make fans cry but, considering what could have been with Vlady is another tragedy in itself. At the time of the accident, Konstantinov was 30 and entering his prime. The 1996-1997 year he finished second to Brian Leetch for the Norris Trophy. Almost certainly every former Red Wing you talk to reminisces and believes that Vlady was robbed of a career and wonders about how life would have been different if it never happened, if Vlady could have played a full career. 

The Back To Back Cup For Vlady

As the 1998 season began, the Red Wings wore a patch for Vlady and Mnatsakanov. It was simple. It read “Believe” in both English and Russian.

The Patch worn in the 1997-1998 season

Then the playoffs rolled around and the team certainly had the accident in the back of their minds. They won the Stanley Cup for the second straight season, in decisive fashion sweeping the Washington Capitals. As Gary Bettman gave the Cup to Steve Yzerman, Red Wings captain, he did not raise it above his head. Instead, he put it in Vladimir Konstantinov’s lap and the entire team wheeled him around the ice. The first skate the Cup took that year was for Vlady.

As the years went on, Konstantinov would frequent the games, sit on the bench for practice, and sit in the locker room with the team. He would stay around the team, and his locker in the dressing room at the Joe Louis Arena would sit vacant. 

Now, he still attends games, from Mike Illitch’s Owner Suite. Larry Murphy, former Red Wings defenseman and now Red Wings Color Analyst, says that he is happy to see that Vlady still comes to games and it’s good to see him but, his presence is “a reminder that in one instant, life can change forever. It makes you cry.”

Konstantinov, still resides in the Detroit area. His focus is now on his growing career in art. In November, he had several pieces on display, and some for sale, at Gallery U and Boutique in Royal Oak. 

All proceeds from the exhibition were donated to the Brain Injury Association of Michigan, a non-profit organization that provides education, advocacy, research opportunities, support and support groups to brain injury victims, their families and the people who serve them.  (Source)

What Could Have Been

“Sometimes, we sit around and reflect internally,” Ken Holland told the Free Press in 2007. “Where would we be if we’d had a healthy Konstantinov?”

Kenny, I’ll tell you where you could be. 

Along with Nick Lidstrom’s retirement, this year we could have witnessed the retirement of Vladimir Konstantinov. There could have been employees all dressed in the number 16, just as all were in number 5 for Nick. There could have been Mike Illitch saying that there would be two new numbers in the rafters next year, 16 and 5. 

What Really Matters

What really matters is that the Red Wings didn’t wallow in their sorrows after the accident. They went out the nest year and won a second straight Stanley Cup Championship. The Cup win itself in 1998 is not what really matters, what does is that the determination and spirit of the Red Wings could not be broken. What Sergei Mnatsakanov and Vladimir Konstantinov did for the Wings was give them motivation. Something to rally around. 

Konstantinov and Mnatsakanov have inspired more people than they probably know. They showed the world that when you are down, you are certainly not out. They still attend games at the Joe Louis Arena, Vlady with his walker and Mnatsakanov with his wheelchair. What really matters is that they demonstrated the spirit of the Red Wings. Not only that, they demonstrated courage to the world. For that I will forever be thankful. 

RIP Bryan Rufenach

Bryan Rufenach, Red Wings draft pick in 2007, has died while traveling in Switzerland. He was 23. This past season he bounced back and forth between the Toledo Walleye and Grand Rapids Griffins. 

Walleye head coach Nick Vitucci said, “The entire team’s thoughts and prayers are with Bryan’s family as they get through this difficult time. Bryan was a great teammate and would play any role asked of him.” 

Thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 

Source

Nick Lidstrom

Nick Lidstrom. Where do I start? 20 seasons. 7 Norris Trophies. 4 Stanley Cups. 

Nick Lidstrom and the Wings have scheduled a press conference for 11 am tomorrow. I cannot imagine a reason/ way that he doesn’t retire tomorrow. All the decisions to come back have come via conference call in the last couple years. What follows is my letter to Lidstrom:

Dear Nick,

Thank you. Thank you, Nicklas Erik Lidstrom. Thank you for being the man/ player that all of Detroit is incredibly proud to have. Most of all, thank you for gracing the ice for all these years. If you do decide that tomorrow is the last day of your professional hockey career, I will support you. You are the greatest defenseman to ever grace the ice (Longevity and class puts you above Orr).

I have never known a Red Wings team without you. You have always been a part of the fold. I will forever respect and recognize you as the best in the world.

Thank you for all the memories.

Signed,

A Red Wings fan since Birth.

On Jiri Hudler and Possibly Losing Him This Free Agency

Stats:

• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 186 lbs
• Age: 28
• Last Cap Hit: $2.875 mil. 
• Free Agent this year

What does he mean to the organization? 

Well, in 2010-2011, he was having a very disappointing season after defecting to Russia for ‘09-‘10. This past season, he had a career year, (25G, 25A, 50P) I chalk that up to playing with Zetterberg and Filppula… not that he doesn’t deserve some of the credit. The fact is though, that he played on the power play for most of the year and, while it struggled, he had only two power play goals. More times than not, I found myself wincing at him on the point because of the very real possibility of the other team scoring short handed. 

All that said, I think it’s time he test free agency. The reason that I say this is that he doesn’t skate very well, he’s certainly not what anyone would call a true sniper, and he’s not that good at the defensive side of the game. With goals coming at a premium more and more, teams will want a player who can put up 25 goals. The thing with Huds though is that I think he may want a pay raise, which he deserves, just not from the Wings. He is far too much of a compromise for the Wings, if he wants something like $4 mil. I will have no hard feelings, he makes me smile most days but, I would be appalled if the Wings spent $4 mil on Hudler when we have Nyquist/Tatar/Mursak/ etc. waiting in the wings. Nyquist is a top 6 guy and with Hudler in that role, he cannot do what he does best.

I think it’s time the Wings let him go. If we let him go, we can bring in some of our prospects and have cap space to bring in the two players we all know we want. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. 

The Holmstrom Situation

Tomas Holmstrom. The man, the myth, the legend. Is he forgettable? I hope not. I will certainly never forget him, at 19 (my favorite number and my favorite Red Wing of all time) I have never known a Red Wings team without him… I love the man and I think no power play is better than one with his pretty booty in the crease deflecting pucks. For over a thousand games, he has been one of my favorites.

The problem is, is that he has been relegated to the fourth line and power play duties only. For a 39 year old that is challenging, especially when that 39 year old is taking the beating that Homer is… As I have stated before, I love Homer. I think this may be the time to let him go though, as much as I hate to say it. This season alone, Holmstrom had injections in both knees twice and he was still in pain, it is reported. I feel bad for him and I would really like him to stick around but, the fact is, if we are not going to use him, we need to let him go. Let him go be a rink rat for his sons, he will be a rink rat either way… so let him enjoy his sons while they still want him around.

I love Holmstrom but, he is getting to be a little too slow and we have young blood waiting in the wings. While he is on the bench, getting roughly 10 minutes a night, there is less room for a Gustav Nyquist or a Tomas Tatar to play. We need the young legs.

I’m sorry to say but, I think it’s time we turn him into a “special assistant to Ken Holland” like we do with others who don’t want to leave.