The competition for jobs among young forwards will be one of the storylines at Detroit Red Wings training camp.
Filip Zadina and Michael Rasmussen established themselves as NHL players this past season and showed progress.
Who will take the next step in 2021-22? That was among the questions from MLive readers in this week’s mailbag:
Q: Which young forwards have the best chance of making the team? I’m looking specifically at (Joe) Veleno, (Lucas) Raymond and (Jonatan) Berggren, guys who can provide some much-needed offense. – Tom
A: Veleno has the inside track, based on his age (21), pro experience, late-season stint with the Red Wings and two-way game. The 30th overall pick in 2018 played only five NHL games at the end of the season but didn’t look out of place, displaying hockey sense and defensive awareness. Center might be a position of need.
Berggren and Raymond almost surely will start the season in Grand Rapids unless they excel in camp and the preseason and force their way onto the NHL roster.
Berggren, who turns 21 on July 16, is further along, after a strong season with Skelleftea in Sweden’s top league (12 goals, 45 points in 49 games).
Raymond progressed after being selected fourth overall in 2020, with six goals and 18 points in 34 games for Frolunda’s men’s team. But he missed the final 18 games following elbow surgery, which cut into his development time.
Givani Smith and Chase Pearson also are in the mix. Smith likely will be protected for the expansion draft (all those other players mentioned are exempt) and no longer is waiver-exempt, so he will be on the NHL roster. With his size (6-2, 210), physical play and abrasiveness, he brings a different dimension than the other forwards.
Pearson, a decent-sized player (6-2, 200) projected as a third- or fourth-line center, has progressed the past two season in Grand Rapids. He is waiver-exempt for one more season, which also influences roster decisions.
Q: Is Taro Hirose going to get another shot with the Wings? I thought he had a decent season with the Griffins. – Maria
A: Hirose is a Group 6 unrestricted free agent, according to capfriendly.com, because he has played fewer than 80 NHL games during three pro seasons and has an expiring contract at age 25 (on Wednesday).
He might seek a better opportunity with another organization after failing to secure a job with the Red Wings the past two seasons.
Hirose was second on the Griffins in scoring, with 28 points (including a team-leading 23 assists) in 29 games. He has had two good seasons in Grand Rapids (10 goals, 55 points in 64 games) as a playmaker. The question is, can he establish himself in the NHL, where he has three goals and 16 points in 42 games, or will he be a career AHL player?
Q: Have they said who Mo Seider will be paired with next season? And could be help the power play? – JL
A: They generally don’t even commit to young, waiver-exempt players making the roster. They want the player to earn the spot and not be handed it.
But it is difficult to imagine Seider not winning a spot in training camp after the way he played this season (named best defenseman in the Swedish Hockey League with Rogle BK and the top defenseman in the World Championship for Germany).
They likely will pair him with an experienced, left-shooter. They are hoping to re-sign Marc Staal, and he has indicated an interest in returning. If he does, my guess is he would be paired with Seider.
If Staal doesn’t return, Danny DeKeyser would be the next-most logical choice to pair with Seider.
It is doubtful Seider will get much power-play time as a rookie. In addition to Filip Hronek, their top power-play point man, they hope Dennis Cholowski will man the point on the other power-play unit. If not, then maybe a left-shooting defenseman they acquire through free agency.
(If you have a Red Wings-related question, email akhan1@mlive.com.)
More: Could reduced scouting opportunities lead to more quality available in later rounds?
The Link LonkJune 26, 2021 at 05:10PM
https://www.mlive.com/redwings/2021/06/red-wings-mailbag-several-young-forwards-in-mix-for-jobs-in-training-camp.html
Red Wings mailbag: Several young forwards in mix for jobs in training camp - MLive.com
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