Not a relevent photo for this post, but I was reflecting on what it means to have your number retired. Photo courtesy of "Schmackity" on Wikipedia.
With the season over thanks to an agonizing game seven overtime defeat at the hands of media favorites, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Detroit Red Wings have cleaned out their lockers and reflected on coming so far but just missing out on the Western Conference Finals. The series winning goal should have been the goal scored by Chicago defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson, but NHL referee Steve Walkom botched the call and kept the game going. Unfortunately for the Red Wings they were unable to capitalize on this "second chance".
A lot of fans and blogs have already weighed in on the controversy about the blown goal call, the missed boarding call that should have been drawn by Gustav Nyquist, and the painful nature of the series ending goal. Rather than focus on how the season ended, I am going to push forward and celebrate the success of the 2013 Detroit Red Wings for being as successful as they were in a shortened, transitional season. The format for this review will involve short comments on the positive and negatives for each player on the roster. This is not meant to be a deeply analytic piece, just basic observations.
FORWARDS
Pavel
Datsyuk
The
Good: Datsyuk scored an impressive 15 goals and 34 assists, while
remaining a +21 and finishing tied for first in takeaways (56). His
faceoff percentage (55%) was impressive and was a human highlight
reel all season. He's still the most complete player in the world and
has the best attitude when it comes to playing the game.
The
Bad: Datsyuk had a much quieter postseason than was expected, with
just 3 goals and 9 points in Detroit's 14 playoff games. There isn't
much to criticize when it comes to Datsyuk's game, but his playoff
performance was less than expected.
Henrik
Zetterberg
The
Good: When the chips were down and the Red Wings had their backs
against the wall, Zetterberg was the hero. In the final four games of
the season, Zetterberg
scored 2 goals and 8 assists to lead the Red Wings into the playoffs.
His season stats (11 goals, 37 assists, 48 points) were a reason why the
Red Wings survived a difficult season. Zetterberg has already proven
he is an
excellent leader on the ice and the perfect captain for a long, long
time.
The
Bad: Similarly to Datsyuk, Zetterberg was quieter in the playoffs
than expected,
especially against Chicago. He had two long streaks with no goals (nine
and ten games) which contributed to a lesser season that what could
have been.
Johan
Franzen
The
Good: Franzen finished third on the Red Wings with 14 goals and 17 assists,
and was a real pest for teams trying to play defense.
The
Bad: To be blunt, if Johan Franzen ever has a biography written, it
should be
titled "Streaky". His tendency to go ice cold during the
regular season is infuriating
and Mike Babcock himself commented on it a while back. For all the talk
about Franzen in the playoffs, where's he been the last three
seasons?
Damien
Brunner
The
Good: Brunner's first season in the NHL was positive; the Swiss
scored 12 goals
and 14 assists in 44 games. Brunner meshed very well with any line he was
on, with or without fellow Swiss league teammate Henrik Zetterberg.
Was electric
on the ice with fellow youngsters Gustav Nyquist and Joakim Andersson during
the playoffs with 5 goals and 9 points.
The
Bad: Brunner's scoring virtually disappeared in the second half of
the season,
scoring just twice in the regular season after a 2 goal, 2 assist performance
against Vancouver that saw Roberto Luongo give up eight goals. Brunner
took some time in the regular season to adapt to new linemates.
Valtteri Filppula
The
Good: Defensively speaking, Filppula is everything you could ask for
in a second
line center. He contributed 17 points in a shortened season that saw him
play just 41 games. Filppula was supposed to be THE next guy to
elevate his
game after a 60 point season, and still has that capacity...
The
Bad: ...except he never stepped up on offence all season. Filppula
was -4, barely
shot the puck at all this season, and was injured at the beginning of Game
Seven against Chicago. He was the lightning rod of criticism among
fans and
bloggers, leaving a lot of doubt whether he is worth the five million
per season
he has reportedly demanded. This was a season to forget for Filppula, and
provided he dramatically drops his asking price in Detroit, I'd like
to see
him have the chance to redeem himself.
Daniel
Cleary
The
Good: Wow, the playoffs can make heros out of anyone if the effort is there.
After racking up a respectable 9 goals and 15 points in the regular season,
Cleary had 4 goals and 10 points during the playoff run. Cleary took
a lot
of hits and drew a lot of ire away from the superstars season long,
which went
unnoticed by myself for most of the season.
The
Bad: To be blunt, Dan Cleary is a player who has seen better days and
his inconsistently
could lead to either retirement or a trade. He has a role on this
team but he didn't quite fulfil it. His shot could use a little work
but at
his age, he's past his learning curve. And his peak. Maybe even past
his decline,
I'm not sure what to think after the playoffs.
Justin
Abdelkader
The
Good: "Abby" is the guy who mucks around in the corners and
draws the fire away
from Pavel Datsyuk. This year he scored 10 goals and 13 points, the former
being a career high. At times he looked sufficient on the top line.
Had 3
points in the playoffs.
The
Bad: As much as Abdelkader is a popular guy for his work ethic, he
lacks the
skill needed to perform on the top line. Abby's rightful place is on
the third
or fourth line providing energy and effort. I want to argue he was misused
this season, but Babcock is rarely wrong about anything and I'm
rarely right
about anything. The question is whether Abby goes back to a bottom
six role
where Cory Emmerton is already helming the fourth line and Darren
Helm won't
be injured forever.
Jordan
Tootoo
The
Good: Tootoo does exactly what he was signed to do: fight, hit, and sometimes
score. He picked up 8 points in this role during the regular season, and
provided some zest in the bottom six when the top six were struggling
to score.
The
Bad: I disagreed with his signing when it happened, and I still don't
see his
place on this team in the long term. He's obviously an NHL calibre
player who
plays the game with little ambiguity about his role, but does this
team need
someone to carry the team balls? I'm not convinced.
Patrick
Eaves
The
Good: Eaves picked up 8 points in 34 games and also provides zest in
the bottom
six. Except with 5% of the penalties! Plus, and I only speak for myself,
he is a big fan favorite on the team. His recovery from a very scary concussion
is inspiring.
The
Bad: Eaves is one of several players who will be competing next year
for limited
bottom six positions. I don't think there is anything that distinguishes
him from Tootoo, Nyquist, Cleary, Bertuzzi, Samuelsson, Miller, Emmerton,
Tatar, Abdelkader, Helm, and whoever from Grand Rapids contends for a
spot.
Drew
Miller
The
Good: Miller scored 8 points in 44 games, and provides Detroit with
depth. Sound familiar?
The
Bad: I could copy/paste the same information for Eaves, so the extra
thing I
will add for Miller is that he will be a UFA some July 1st.
Cory
Emmerton
The
Good: Emmerton registered 5 goals and 8 points, etc. He's actually a decent
center. Don't look up his faceoff winning %, though.
The
Bad: He may be a victim of circumstance where the Brunner-Andersson-Nyquist
might be the third line moving forward and Darren Helm
returning. I didn't think Emmerton would be here this year, but
Helm's absence
made him necessary.
Joakim
Andersson
The
Good: Andersson was quite impressive during the end of the regular
season and
playoffs, scoring five points in the postseason and providing a
heaping pile
of talent and energy to the bottom six forwards. He's only going to
get better,
unlike much of his competition for a roster spot.
The
Bad: The hodgepodge of forwards Detroit has to resign, move, or
reassign makes
it hard to determine who stands out. The youth injected into Detroit
had some
growing pains, but they could just as easily be replaced by Cleary-Samuelsson-Bertuzzi
if management is not confident they can repeat this season's
improvements.
Tomas
Tatar
The
Good: Tatar scored 7 points in 18 games this season, and has kicked a
lot of
butt in Grand Rapids. He will find his way into a lineup in a season
or two,
but will he be patient for it? He has a lot of speed, as well.
The
Bad: Tatar is in the same boat as the other young forwards, except
he's lower
on the depth chart and he may be asked to repeat his success in Grand Rapids,
or he might get traded knowing there's more resources coming up
behind him
(Jurco, Frk).
Gustav
Nyquist
The
Good: Nyquist reminds me a LOT of a certain pair of Russian and
Swedish players
who have game breaking skillsets. Great hands and his 6 points in 22 games
is going to increase next season. In the playoffs, Nyquist was
dynamic with
Andersson and Brunner, scoring 5 points.
The
Bad: As electric as Nyquist is, he didn't impress me as having enough finish
on plays where he generated chances. I may be wrong, but his inexperience
led to his inability to finish fancy looking plays. He may have to
fight a little bit harder to keep his spot, and negotiating with an
unhappy Nyquist
about his place on the team may lead to an inflated salary.
Todd Bertuzzi
The
Good: Bert didn't have much of a season, playing in only 7 games and scoring
3 points. Bertuzzi was scoreless in 6 playoff games...there's really nothing
to say except he didn't play worse than he has in previous seasons.
The
Bad:The injury begs the question of whether he will be kept. Bert has
a lot
of upside compared to an unproven rookie...but now those rookies have shown
they are the future. Will Bert be bought out?
Mikael
Samuelsson
The
Good: Samuelsson is a proven talent that can score goals when paired
with the
best players on the team. He had an assist in one of his 4 regular
season games,
that's more points than I scored this season.
The
Bad: He was injured 200 times this season and might just be the worst signing
of the 2012 NHL offseason. Jeff over at Winging it in Motown was
right all
along about him. He is the top choice for a buyout. It makes more
sense to play
any other forward than him.
Darren
Helm
The
Good: Helm played one game this season. He's possibly the best third
line center
in the league, when healthy.
The
Bad: He's not healthy, and he's not done being unhealthy. This could
spell trouble
for his career as well as his tenure in Detroit.
Jan
Mursak
The
Good: Mursak made the best of his time in Detroit, and found a job elsewhere.
I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours.
The
Bad: There just wasn't a place for him in Detroit.
Riley
Sheahan
The
Good: Sheahan played one game this season without much fanfare. He
looked good
in Grand Rapids, I guess.
The
Bad: Sheahan's previous criminal transgressions frustrate me. I know
young men
do stupid things but the Sheahan saga really soured me on him, even
if he finds
the means to move up the depth chart and into the Red Wings' lineup
in the
next three seasons. He has a lot to prove before then.
DEFENSE
Niklas
Kronwall
The
Good: This was Kronwall's first season as Detroit's top defenseman,
and he registered a
respectful
5 goals and 29 points in the regular season. Kronwall is a physical
defenseman who
isn't
afraid to land game-changing hits, and he did so all season right
until the very last goal
was
conceded.
The
Bad: Much was expected of Kronwall this season, and while following
Nick Lidstrom was going to
be a tall task, there were times where Kronwall didn't deliver the
offence he has the
potential
for. Two assists in 14 games during the postseason isn't acceptable
from our top
defenseman.
Jonathan
Ericsson
The
Good: Many who watch the Red Wings could make the argument that
Ericsson was the best defenseman
on the team during this transitional season, and I buy in to that
argument. While his offence
was respectable (3 goals, 10 assists), Ericsson played a
significantly more mature game than
was expected, and that's what I take away from his season. I like the new nickname "Riggy".
The
Bad: "Riggy" still takes untimely penalties, but was only
slightly more visible on the
scoresheet
than Kronwall with just 3 assists in 14 playoff games. I'm aware
Ericsson isn't on
the
team to score, but more was expected.
Jakub
Kindl
The
Good: Kindl served the team well while other defensemen were injured,
scoring 4 goals and 9 assists
in the regular season along with a goal and 4 assists in the
playoffs. This season saw him
resurrect his status from "expendable" to "reliable
5-6 defenseman". Scored a goal in the playoffs
that sticks in my head as impressive.
The
Bad: Kindl is still a bit of a whipping boy for criticism, with many
gaffes occurring in the
playoffs.
He's 26 and can't be sheltered as a "rookie" or "prospect"
any longer. He's definitely
low
on the depth chart and might still be expendable.
Brendan Smith
The
Good: Smith had 8 assists in 34 games in the regular season, and 2
goals and 3 assists in
the
playoffs. I'm very interested in seeing how he elevates his game in a
full NHL season, as I
believe
he will produce more offence than he already has.
The
Bad: Smith is definitely the whipping boy of the defensive corps. He
looked extremely
vulnerable
during the playoffs and while he showed some offensive flair, he was
responsible for
more
goals.
Brian
Lashoff
The
Good: I really don't know where Lashoff came from but he was quite
impressive during the
regular
season as a 22 year old who was certainly not weened into his
position like Smith was.
He
has done great things in Grand Rapids and the future looks bright for
him.
The
Bad: Lashoff might wind up spending more time in Grand Rapids as
there are more experienced
defenders
who the Red Wings might consider putting in the lineup for the sake
of "winning now".
I'm
not sure he's paid enough dues to find a regular spot in the lineup
yet.
Ian
White
The
Good: Ian White was supposed to be one of the top defenders on
Detroit in a post-Lidstrom era,
having gleaned some experience and good numbers from playing on a
deep Detroit blueline. Had
4 points in 25 games despite limited playing time.
The
Bad: White is not long for Detroit as he has a tendency to say stupid
things to the media
and
really has not been playing better than any of the other defensemen
on this list. The former
isn't
a good reason to get rid of him, but it makes more sense to play a
younger defenseman
still
capable of improving. He is a UFA so that doesn't work in his favor.
Kyle
Quincey
The
Good: Quincey had a goal and 3 points in an injury shortened lockout
season. He was a solid defender
in the bottom pairings and is a great story about having a second
chance.
The
Bad: He was acquired for a 1st round draft pick and is being paid
3.375 million dollars to
do
what any number of our younger players would be capable of doing.
Still has a year left, but
after
that, if he doesn't improve, he's likely gone.
Carlo
Colaiacovo
The
Good: Cola looked good in the 15 games he played all season. I really
can't remember
anything
he did so this section is a wash.
The
Bad: "Splodey Bones" is made of glass and while the 2.5
million cap hit is decent there are younger
players who could use the playing experience. Might not like being a
6-7 option on this team.
Danny
DeKeyser
The
Good: The best available college free agent signed with the hometown
team and impressed everyone
by being an excellent first-pass defenseman who played with the
maturity of a veteran during
his limited playing time. He is the player I am most excited to watch play next season.
The
Bad: The bad for DeKeyser so far is the fact that his limited playing
time doesn't provide
enough
data to know what he is capable of. His request of being in the
lineup immediately
rustled
my concern he could wind up demanding more money after the initial
contract is done, but there's
just not enough data to say much about him except we're all excited
he's here.
Kent
Huskins
The
Good: Huskins stepped in when the team needed someone to be signed
and fill the void. He did it
well and found employment elsewhere.
The
Bad: Nothing bad to say about a player in his situation. I hope he
finds NHL employment
elsewhere.
GOALTENDERS
Jimmy
Howard
The
Good: Jimmy was Detroit's MVP all season and put up All-Star stats in
the regular season and playoffs.
He was the reason Detroit went the distance against Chicago and
nearly defeated them.
The
Bad: As elite as Howard was this season, even more will be expected
next season in the new division
against newer competition. I am unsure if he can repeat the same
MVP-like season next year,
but I wouldn't bet against him. I would like to see more rebound
control, if I had to lodge
a legitimate complaint.
Jonas Gustavsson
The
Good: He didn't lose every game he played.
The
Bad: His stats were poor, he was unreliable as a backup, and is due
for a buyout.
Petr
Mrazek
The
Good: Mrazek has performed brilliantly for Grand Rapids all season,
and he was quite
impressive
in his two NHL games, especially his first career start, a 5-1
victory against the
St.
Louis Blues.
The
Bad: With only two games of NHL experience, it's hard to say whether
Mrazek is ready to
shoulder
a full season load of games as Detroit's backup. He's obviously the
future of the team
in
goal, but there's a lot of time before that becomes a reality, if it
does.
