It's taken some time, but the Summer Prospect Rankings are finally completed. This one was especially hard to write since most of these players are no longer Detroit's property -- a lot of failed projects who had trouble impressing at every level. However, their story must be told, so I wanted to make sure I got this out as soon as I could.

Check out the prospect rankings page for all four chunks of this sucker in one place. And keep in mind I started this in June so no 2010 prospects are included -- they'll be in the Fall (September/October) rankings. For information on them, check my draft review.

31. Julien Cayer, LW (-1) [-6]
5th round, 151st overall, 2008
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Stats
08/09 .. Clarkson (ECAC) .. 29 GP .. 4-6-10 .. 30 PIM
09/10 .. Clarkson (ECAC) .. 22 GP .. 2-3-5 .. 16 PIM
==============================================
Season: Cayer sounded like he could have all the makings of a power forward. At the very least, it looked like his size and scoring ability at lower levels would make him an impact college player. Unfortunately, Cayer took a step back from his freshman season. Injuries took a toll, but Cayer was also a healthy scratch from time to time on what was a bottom feeding team. His numbers took a step back, and they weren't impressive enough to begin with.
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Future: Clarkson is only graduating one forward -- their leading scorer -- so it's no guarantee that Cayer will have a larger role. As a junior, he will need to make a serious push to showing that he was worth an NHL draft pick, or else he'll be doomed to spend his final two years very close to the bottom of this list.
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32. Anton Axelsson, LW (+3) [+3]
6th round, 192nd overall, 2004
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Stats
08/09 .. Timra IK (SEL) .. 52 GP .. 6-9-15 .. -3 .. 0 PIM
09/10 .. Timra IK (SEL) .. 51 GP .. 5-6-11 .. -19 .. 6 PIM
==============================================
Season: An SEL regular for several seasons now, Detroit only held on to Axelsson's rights because there was no transfer agreement. At one point, they seemed interested in bringing him to North America, but several seasons later he's still in Sweden and his numbers have taken a hit. Particularly in the second half of the season, his plus-minus was dropping like a rock -- bad news for a player who's game is built on two-way play.
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Future: Axelsson is no longer Detroit property. With Sweden sigining a transfer agreement with the NHL, older picks like Axelsson faced a quick deadline to sign. Based on his age and lack of advancement in Sweden, Detroit officially let him go. He supposedly turned down North America at some point in his career, so it seems very unlikely he will head across the pond even if his offensive game finally breaks out.
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33. Nick Oslund, RW (+1) [+5]
7th round, 191st overall, 2006
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Stats
08/09 .. St. Cloud State (WCHA) .. 35 GP .. 4-3-7 .. 26 PIM
09/10 .. St. Cloud State (WCHA) .. 43 GP .. 4-5-9 .. 24 PIM
==============================================
Season: Consistency is an aspect of Oslund's game that should be applauded. For the third straight season, he recorded four goals. Unfortunately, as a player with good size and solid skating ability, it's disappointing. Oslund's veteran status should have led to a bigger role on the team, but he seems to have found a niche on the 4th line, throwing his weight around and killing penalties. Unfortunately, there are many players in college hockey doing the same thing and producing offensive numbers, making Oslund a questionable NHL prospect.
==============================================
Future: Oslund has been nothing more than a depth player in three years at St. Cloud, though he is well-liked and will likely have some sort of leadership role this season. Oslund continues to impress at Detroit's prospects camp because he looks like has the tools to develop into a higher impact player, at least at the college level. He's got one year left to prove that to Detroit's brass, and could be a candidate to break out given that seniors typically take on bigger roles, as the oldest players in the league. A 2009 Detroit draft pick, Nick Jensen, will cross paths with Oslund as a freshman under Oslund's senior leadership.
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34. Gennady Stolyarov, LW (+3) [+2]
8th round, 257th overall, 2004
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Stats
08/09 .. Moscow Dynamo (KHL) .. 3 GP .. 0-0-0 .. -4 .. 4 PIM
08/09 .. Astana Barys (KHL) .. 41 GP .. 12-9-21 .. +12 .. 24 PIM
09/10 .. HC MVD (KHL) .. 1 GP .. 0-0-0 .. +0 .. 0 PIM
==============================================
Season: Not much to report here. After a breakout last year season, Stolyarov injured his shoulder in the summer and it required surgery. He was targeted for a January return, but he just never came back. He played one game two months later, but was never seen after that in the regular season. He did appear in 15 postseason games, recording just three assists. Unfortunately, it's very hard to find information on the KHL so I can't really say if he was limited because of his injury, or if the team was just too deep to use him in a scoring role.
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Future: Stolyarov is the victim of a strange circumstance. As any good Jiri Hudler fan knows, the legendary club Moscow Dynamo faced financial issues and folded. This only lasted a few days, as they eventually combined with HC MVD into a "superclub" called OHK Dynamo Moskva. Stolyarov is under contract with that club, so he's penciled into the lineup for next season. He should be healthy, so it will be a big season for the "skilled but lazy" player. He turns 24 next month, and he was drafted six years ago, so next season will be the last I consider him a prospect even though Detroit has no deadline to sign him.
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35. Johan Ryno, LW (-4) [-19]
5th round, 137th overall, 2005
-----------
Stats
08/09 .. AIK (SWE-2) .. 21 GP .. 5-8-13 .. -1 .. 18 PIM
09/10 .. AIK (SWE-2) .. 47 GP .. 9-11-20 .. +7 .. 34 PIM
==============================================
Season: The third of a three-year entry level contract, the Wings were hoping to get one last crack at getting Ryno to stay in North America. That never materialized. Despite a training camp where he showed an improved but still lacking skating ability and solid offensive instincts, Ryno bolted back to Sweden as soon as he was assigned to the minors, essentially ending his time as a much maligned Wings prospect. To make matters worse, he started off terribly unproductive before a stronger second half, where he helped AIK achieve a promotion from SWE-2 to the SEL. However, it's debatable how much he actually helped, because AIK release Ryno as soon as they were promoted because they don't feel he is an SEL player.
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Future: Ryno did not receive a qualifying offer, so he is officially no longer Red Wings property and is an unrestricted free agent. He signed on with Oskarshamn, where he had his most productive SWE-2 season in 2005-06 with 23 points in 34 games. Ryno likely won't attract much more NHL attention since he just turned 24, but with more consistency and an improved skating ability, he could find himself in the SEL in a few seasons.
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36. Jamie Tardif, RW (+2) [+1]
Signed as a free agent, April 2009
-----------
Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 55 GP .. 9-9-18 .. -1 .. 43 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 77 GP .. 16-17-33 .. -9 .. 90 PIM
==============================================
Season: Tardif assumed a big role in Grand Rapids from early in the season. He served as the team's captain, started the season on the first line right wing, and scored an early season hat trick. He played in all situations and was known for dropping the gloves from time to time. He was unable to sustain his offensive consistency and bounced around the lineup a lot, frequently ending up on the 3rd and 4th lines. He hit a midseason slump, as most of the Griffins did, but padded his stats a little late in the season as the Griffins made a late playoff push that ultimately fell short.
==============================================
Future: Tardif was given a qualifying offer, so while he hasn't signed yet, it seems likely that Tardif will be back for a 5th season with Grand Rapids. Given his age and the role he's used in, I'm no longer going to consider him a prospects since he seems to be settling more into the minor league depth role. He has never shown much high end offensive ability, relying more on his work ethic and strength in front of the net to be effective. The Wings have a few younger prospects in the AHL who offer this package with a little more upside, so it seems unlikely that Tardif will get an NHL look any time soon.
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37. Ryan Oulahen, C (-1) [-6]
5th round, 164th overall, 2003
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 73 GP .. 19-12-31 .. +7 .. 31 PIM
09/10 .. DID NOT PLAY
==============================================
Season: Like Gennady Stolyarov, there isn't much to report. Oulahen was having a solid season for Grand Rapids in 2008/09 before suffering a gruesome hip injury that was supposed to keep him out until January or February this year. Detroit re-signed him to a one-year deal last summer, indicating that they thought he might have a chance at playing. Late in the season, he began skating again, but he never appeared in any game action in what would have been his 5th AHL season.
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Future: This season, Detroit choice to let Oulahen go, letting the oldest prospect in terms of draft year become a free agent after a career of developing him in the OHL and then AHL. Oulahen did look like a promising bottom six player at one point, but never showed enough in the AHL to warrant a call up. He did serve as a leader on the team for a few seasons and had a solid enough shot to chip in some offense. His best bet now will be to try to catch on with another AHL team where he may be able to play a bigger role, provided his hip is fully healed and he is able to regain his once impressive skating ability.
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38. Evan McGrath, C (-15) [-23]
4th round, 128th overall, 2004
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 68 GP .. 17-30-47 .. +12 .. 24 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 57 GP .. 8-11-19 .. -18 .. 25 PIM
09/10 .. Syracuse (AHL) .. 15 GP .. 4-2-6 .. -5 .. 2 PIM
==============================================
Season: Years ago, McGrath was considered a top ten prospect in the organization. Not by just me either, by most media publications. He was an 100 point scorer in the OHL and someone who quickly worked up from a rookie season that required some ECHL time into a 40-50 point player at the AHL. After his best AHL season last year, McGrath crashed quickly this season, struggling to produce offense and being a minus player in seemingly every game. He was frequently held out of the lineup until Detroit ultimately loaned him to Columbus' AHL affiliate in Syracuse. His numbers didn't improve much here, but it did paint a picture that McGrath would no longer be in the organization come the summer.
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Future: McGrath's story is the reason for hesitating celebrating a draft pick like Teemu Pulkkinen. Both former consensus first round picks who slipped in the rankings throughout the year to the late first/early second area before Detroit scooped them up -- in the same round, too. Sometimes when they fall, they fall for a reason. McGrath rebounded and made something of himself as a pro -- even making a pretty strong impression at two straight training camps. He'll likely have trouble landing an NHL contract elsewhere even though he showed a lot of promise elsewhere. The best he can hope for is a camp invite and hopefully a new environment where he can find his old game -- because at times last year, he didn't even look like an AHL player worth keepin garound.
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39. Jesper Samuelsson, LW (-6) [-16]
7th round, 211th overall, 2008
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Stats
08/09 .. Timra IK (SEL) .. 40 GP .. 2-1-3 .. -3 .. 10 PIM
08/09 .. Timra IK (J20) .. 4 GP .. 2-0-2 .. -1 .. 2 PIM
08/09 .. IF Sundsvall (SWE-2) .. 13 GP .. 1-5-6 .. -6 .. 38 PIM
09/10 .. Timra IK (SEL) .. 23 GP .. 0-1-1 .. +0 .. 8 PIM
09/10 .. IF Sundsvall (SWE-2) .. 35 GP .. 3-13-16 .. -12 .. 36 PIM
==============================================
Season: There was a lot of hype for Samuelsson, drafted out of Timra one pick away from where Henrik Zetterberg was, with the same club. Many assumed Detroit found a steal, but after two SEL seasons, Samuelsson has only scarce 4th line minutes and four points to show for Detroit's faith in him. This season he spent even more time in SWE-2 with Sundsvall, struggling to score goals there and taking a big plus-minus hit on a bad defensive team. 
==============================================
Future: Samuelsson falls hard in this ranking, and may not even be Detroit's property anymore. The main reason he falls is he's essentially given up -- choosing to sign with his old SWE-3 club, Vita Hasten instead of trying to stick in the SEL or even in SWE-2 in order to prove he belongs in the SEL. Fans of Swedish hockey will tell you there is a big gap in talent between SWE-2 and SWE-3, and it's not a serious league for those with NHL aspirations. It seems likely that Samuelsson will be able to produce eye-opening numbers at this level, like the 62 points in 40 games he put up to get himself drafted. The story with him was that Hakan Andersson saw him play before scouting an SEL practice, and that's the only reason he even knew who Samuelsson was. Unfortunately, it looks as if Hakan may have swung for the fences and missed on this one, as Samuelsson has resigned himself to a career in this league. With the transfer agreement in place now, Samuelsson should have had a deadline to sign this summer since it's been two years since he was drafted. Only Stephen Johnston and Anton Axelsson were mentioned as players Detroit lost rights to, so it seems likely that an extension was given on European players for next summer. Unless Samuelsson has a change of heart and plays among challenging competition, he'll be out the door next summer.
==============================================

So I'm going to try to get a new feature going around here, but I'm not sure how it will go over. Occasionally, people send me e-mails. Normally it's my mom, but sometimes.. people ask me questions about hockey.

And I love it. Most people go about this delicately, some think they're bothering me, and this couldn't be further from the truth. The reason I started blogging was to have people to talk hockey with. I don't know if there's a perception that bloggers are busy, but for me, that couldn't be farther from the truth. I blog when I have nothing better to do, hence all the very long and thorough posts. So I've always welcomed questions and comments, and now I want to see if I can take that a step further.

I just want to gauge some interest here. There's definitely a solid group of regulars, and I'm very happy with my following on Twitter, but I'm always surprised that most of the e-mails I get are from readers who have never ventured into the comments section. My concern is that there won't be enough questions to do this regularly, so I'm not sure how often I'll run this. But if I get a few questions, I'll throw them up here. Or if I just get one or two that I can develop a lengthy answer to, I'll do that as well.

Most importantly, this isn't just a "I know a lot about hockey and want to show off my knowledge" feature. It's discussion. It's the offseason, and from these e-mails I've gotten I've learned that everyone has something different on their mind. So I'll accept and respond to questions of any nature -- whether it's to just get my thoughts on an issue, just have me talk about something different for a change of pace, ask a legitimate question (whether you think it's stupid or not) about something you think I might know about -- a player, prospect, maybe just a general question on hockey development. Or maybe something I don't know about. Maybe you want to hear about what a joke I thought the LeBron thing was last night. Maybe you find me intriguing and you want to know something about me. Or maybe you find my knowledge on prospects sad and you want to say something mean. I'd prefer hockey related, but hey, I'll take a stab at anything. It's summer -- I can only write so much about the eight players Detroit seemingly plans to field on their 4th line.

So feel free to get in touch with me through the contact page beneath the banner, or you can scoop up my direct e-mail address on my About Me. Not that it matters -- the contact page goes directly to my main e-mail address. Tweet me. DM me. Send me a message on AIM if you've got it. Text. Facebook. Slorgle. Is that a real thing? I don't know -- why don't you use the contact page and found out?

Last week I actually had a couple questions to answer, which is what inspired me to open up this feature. One of which I mostly summed up in my lengthy Modano novel, so I won't re-post that stuff because that issue is being quickly beaten to death, and in my mind, it's inevitable that he signs on the dotted line next week on Monday or Tuesday.

So the first question is from reader Wojo. For the record, it was from last week, so a few things -- like Modano being a "pipe dream" and my mention that I'd also welcome the now KHL-bound Slava Kozlov -- are a little dated. But I wanted to have some stuff to post with this you can see the kind of things I'm talking about, and maybe discuss the issue that we discussed a little further. Let's roll.

I was wondering what you thought about coach commenting that Justin Abdelkader will center what we hope to be a 3rd scoring line. I love Justin but his style of play has not made it clear in my mind that he can effectivly center Hudler and Cleary. I understand that without being given that chance we will never know for sure, but still i just cant see it. Have I underestimated Justin Abdelkader's offensive upside?

also, i might be totally wrong here, but it seems to me that Draper, Miller, Eaves, Abdelkader, Helm, and Ritola all play a very similar role on this team. I think Eaves has untapped offensive skill, but beyond that, what do you think the purpose is of resigning all of the RFA's? Do you think the table is set to trade a couple pieces?

LAST THING I PROMISE! its a pipe dream to think Modano would take what the wings can offer, but having him center the 3rd line would be incredible!

Wojo

Wojo,

For starters, I'm wondering how much you've seen of Abdelkader. I'm not questioning you or anything, because I totally agree that based on what he's shown at the NHL level, there's not much reason to believe that he's a legitimate scoring line center. However, based on what I've seen from him from the handful of games I caught of him at Michigan State, and more so the few dozen games I caught of him in Grand Rapids, I think he has what it takes. As soon as he got sent down I saw a few games -- completely different player in the AHL. Hands down one of the best offensive players on the team that boasted a lot of young skill (Tomas Tatar, Jan Mursak, Cory Emmerton). At the NHL level, he didn't need to do that. In fact, the only things Babcock ever said about him was that he loves the way he hits. I can guarantee that since he was on the 4th line, those were his instructions. And as a rookie who could have easily been shipped to the AHL at any time, he followed them 110%.

That said, I've got my doubts too. He has smarts and speed but his shot and stickhandling are more average at the NHL level. With that kind of skill set, I think the most you can hope for is a Dan Cleary type player, though playing center between Hudler and Cleary (which sounds like the likely starting option) will leave him as more of the shooter, with Cleary in front. I do think they're very similar, and while I don't expect earth shattering numbers from Abdelkader, I've seen his puck control and patient side with the Griffins. I think there's no reason to think he isn't capable of scoring 15-20 goals a year for most of his career as a guy who can see the second PP in a pinch. Confidence is going to be huge for him though, it's by no means a sure bet.

The main reason all those RFAs will be re-signed is fairly simple -- asset management. Ken Holland loves talking about "assets," and while I haven't heard him say it this summer, I wouldn't be surprised if a quick search by you would find something not too dated. He doesn't like losing a player with value for nothing. To me, the players you listed are similar in that they're checkers, but they're all different enough to not be redundant. Maltby, I think, was made redundant this year. Draper has leadership and is still a clutch faceoff taker, though Helm is filling that role quickly. Helm has the ridiculous speed and has shown some major big play ability -- clutch at times, though you wouldn't believe that from watching a highlight reel of his breakaways. Abdelkader is a great hitter for his size, and has shown glimpses of both toughness and scoring ability that this team hasn't had a lot of lately. Eaves is a hard worker with a big shot, which I hope to see more of this coming season. Miller is probably the most versatile in that when everyone was hurt, he was the first to move up to the scoring lines. I'd personally take Eaves or Abdelkader there in the long run, meaning Miller could be on the outs of they do sign a guy like Modano (and it sounds like if not Modano, they'll find another veteran). Ritola has promise and I think could be the most offensively skilled of the bunch. Sometimes blends in at the AHL level but I loved what I saw from him in his few NHL games plus pre-season action -- just fits the puck possession system nicely.

Back to the actual "asset" part, I think it's pretty clear that they're going to bring 14 or 15 forwards into camp, plus Meech, plus a few young guys like Tatar, Mursak, etc., who will get a long look as potential early injury call-ups. Given the glut of injuries up front last season, I think the team is likely to take 14 forwards and possibly 7 defenseman, though much of that will have to do with whether or not they're actually going to keep Meech around -- don't see the point when they don't trust him for more than 8 minutes a night in a game with any meaning at all. Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson were really the only defenseman who missed a lot of time last season, and with promising youngsters like Jakub Kindl and Brendan Smith on the horizon, they might prefer to only trade one forward and just go with 14.

And like you, I'm on the Mike Modano bandwagon bigtime. I would be fine if Abdelkader got his chance -- much better for the future -- but having a proven scorer like Modano on that 3rd line is certainly very enticing. Also adds that element of veteran leadership which could keep the rest of the team motivated. I don't expect he'll put up great numbers -- he's lost a step or two -- but I think we'll see some flashes of a very smart player who still has the skill to make you say "wow" every once in a while. Other than that, I've heard rumors they might be interested in Slava Kozlov -- my favorite player when I was a kid. Both of them would have to take "hometown" discounts for sure, but if the rumors that Modano only has one offer are true, I think coming to play in his backyard for one final hurrah might be more appealing than retirement, even if his wife prefers to stay in Los Angeles.

---

Next, last night I talked to someone for a while about Brendan Smith's future. Since it was just an IM conversation, I won't paste it here, and plus, I've got more to say about it today. A lot of people have been talking about Smith at training camp, and he seems determined to skip the AHL and make the Red Wings roster. Holland has said he'll give him the opportunity to compete, but most fans are assuming he'll start in Grand Rapids because everyone loves the idea that players must pay their dues. I'm a fan of this, but to an extent. I read Jeff Hancock's guest post at The Production Line earlier today, which echoed a lot of what I had to say.

The kid is cocky, in the best way possible. Most hockey players are, but the cockiest seem to be the Americans followed by Canadians who grew up in more suburban, lived in areas. You get the Swedes who grew up in forests like Johan Franzen, and then those "good ol'" Western Canadian boys who grew up in a town of 57 who don't really have the same cockiness off the ice. But Smith grew up in suburban Ontario, so he's more familiar with the limelight, having been considered a top prospect since he was 14 or 15. He's 21 now, having just left Wisconsin, one of the largest and most successful hockey programs in the nation.

One day, Detroit signed a defenseman who not many people knew named Brett Lebda.

The next NHL season, Lebda was a surprise at training camp and made the team as a #6/#7 and scores in his NHL game, setting the bar for 17 more goals in 325 more games. Earns a contract extension and very slowly plays his way out of the lineup over the course of three years. Eventually combines into one shape-shifting entity known as Mebdeech.

I can only imagine Brett Lebda's phone logs leading up to this monumental day.

June 26: Nothing.
June 27: Nothing.
June 28: Nothing.
June 29: Nothing.
June 30: Some random team in Russia calls, agent nor Lebda can figure out how to make a call to Russia because they can't dial in Cyrillic.
July 1: Nothing.
July 2: Nothing.
July 3: Prank call from someone named "Kenny."
July 4. Nothing.
July 5: Nothing. 
July 6: Ridiculous hockey blogger named finds a player he's never heard of and rumors that he's a Tomas Kaberle replacement.
July 7: Brian Burke reads ridiculous hockey blog, Lebda signs two-year deal paying $1.45 million per year.

What? Toronto? Seriously? Look at this defense:

Dion Phaneuf -- $6,500,000
Mike Komisarek -- $4,500,000
Tomas Kaberle -- $4,250,000
Francois Beauchemin -- $3,800,000
Jeff Finger -- $3,500,000
Luke Schenn -- $2,975,000
Brett Lebda -- $1,450,000
Carl Gunnarsson -- $800,000

$27 million for that crew, that's gotta be among the league's highest.

Kaberle is a virtual lock to be traded -- though his contract is a steal should Toronto feel the need to make the playoffs and want to keep him. Finger is a virtual lock to be in the minors, though Toronto doesn't look like they'll be against the cap, so they could keep him. Gunnarsson is young, but he looked great at the end of last year. It was likely they'd add another defenseman so they can move out Kaberle and Finger's contracts. But when you've already got four pretty big contracts, and a promising youngster, why spend so much on a player who was an extra in another organization?

The Leafs are my favorite Canadian team, and my 2A/2B with Tampa Bay now, because of Yzerman. I laugh because I care. I don't want them to make these stupid moves. Everyone and their mother predicted some bottom feeder team would like Lebda's speed and fairly confident puck-moving ability to take a chance on him for the third pairing and a cheap powerplay option.

But a chance is a lot different than $1.45 million. This is exactly what I talked about yesterday when I listed a dozen or so defenseman who have a good chance of being available in the middle of August. There are a ton of NHL defensemen available for very few actual jobs. There's going to be a solid number of them available right before the season starts, and I don't understand how Lebda couldn't have been one of them. Who did the Leafs outbid for his services? Domino's?

I wish Lebda luck. I was hoping Detroit wouldn't bring him back so I can't say I'm upset. It's just ridiculous how much money he got, and I'm upset it came from a team I wish well. It will certainly be entertaining to watch a bunch of way more talented players get signed for less money over the next three months. And it will be entertaining to see Leaf media turn on Lebda. If you're not wanted in Detroit, how well will you be received in Toronto?

Detroit's dominoes are starting to fall. After Drew Miller yesterday, Patrick Eaves signed a one-year deal at a $750,000 cap hit.

I don't think I'm being original or interesting when I say that Eaves definitely earned a new contract. His speed is incredible. It's obviously not to the level of Darren Helm, but in tandem, no matter who the other winger is, it makes for an entertaining line. Eaves quickly worked his way up from a summer buyout who was a healthy scratch early in the season to a mainstay on the top penalty killing unit and a dependable third line player who could chip in the occasional goal.

An interesting aside to this, as a storyline to watch this coming season, is the fact that both Miller and Eaves will be unrestricted free agents next summer. The one-year deal makes you wonder how deep into Detroit's future do they plan to keep the two of them. I said yesterday that Miller is a common player, but I think Eaves is slightly higher on the food chain than that. He's a solid defensive player who has the speed and big shot to make an impact more on the offensive side of the game. Both players could get much more on the open market, and since they already got lower than their market value, they'll have something to prove since they can cash in next summer.

Also, both deals will help Detroit in securing Helm and Justin Abdelkader. Holland mentioned that he's looking long-term for both of them. If you can use the Eaves and Miller deals to show that this is what players of equal value are making, you can drive the price down on the both of them. However, since they're long-term deals, they'll be a little higher to begin with, since they'll need to project that both Helm and Abdelkader will get better -- something that is almost certainly true. There's a little more on that in my last post.

And, surprise, it's getting easier and easier to fit Mike Modano into the lineup. Let's just look at an updated picture courtesy of Capgeek.

FORWARDS
Pavel Datsyuk ($6.700m) / Henrik Zetterberg ($6.083m) / Johan Franzen ($3.955m)
Valtteri Filppula ($3.000m) / Jiri Hudler ($2.875m) / Daniel Cleary ($2.800m)
Todd Bertuzzi ($1.938m) / Tomas Holmstrom ($1.875m) / Kris Draper ($1.583m)
Patrick Eaves ($0.750m) / Drew Miller ($0.650m) / Mattias Ritola ($0.517m)
DEFENSEMEN
Nicklas Lidstrom ($6.200m) / Brian Rafalski ($6.000m)
Brad Stuart ($3.750m) / Niklas Kronwall ($3.000m)
Jonathan Ericsson ($0.900m) / Jakub Kindl ($0.883m)
GOALTENDERS
Chris Osgood ($1.417m) / Jimmy Howard ($0.717m)

So that's $3,758,000 in cap space, or as much as $4,275,000 with Mattias Ritola in the AHL to sign Helm, Abdelkader, a forward who may or may not be Modano, and a defenseman who could be but likely won't be Doug Janik or Andreas Lilja. Where's all the panic coming from, again?

Drew Miller. Derek Meech. Mike Modano.

If you asked anyone three years ago who they would rather have on their team for one season to help them win a Cup, not only would 100% of the responses be Modano, but 70% would have slugged you right in the lungs for wasting your time with such a stupid question. Three years later, to most it seems that the answer is still obvious -- though not everyone would punch you in the stomach, mostly because people are nicer now than they were three years ago. I looked it up.

All three were in the news today. Let's recap.

Today, Drew Miller signed a one-year deal worth $625,000. Quite low, in my opinion. Miller proved his worth as a serviceable NHL player who can excel in a penalty kill role and look fairly decent on any line.

Today, or really late last night, Derek Meech applied for arbitration. Prompting this hilarious tweet from me that nobody retweeted, jerks. But seriously, I don't understand what he stands to gain. He played 8-10 minutes a night when Detroit is comfortably ahead. He plays 2-4 minutes when the game is in question, even if it means nothing in the grand scheme of the standings. How can a team want to retain a player that they have so little trust in?

Today, Mike Modano took in a Tigers game with quite a few members of Detroit's brass. The Ilitches, Ken Holland, Mike Babcock, and apparently, Mike Babcock's dad. The real story here is that we can finally end the rumors that Mike Babcock is his own father. But a sub-plot to all of that is Modano ended the rumors that started earlier in the day that he may have had other teams calling for him, including Chicago, with some rave reviews about Detroit and a very clear bottom line: Detroit or retirement.

And in my mind, the article is very telling. Modano is heading to Motown, and he's doing it soon. I could be reading too much into these quotes, but at least it's some food for thought.

"The last couple of years have been tough and they've taken a toll on me, mentally more than anything else," he said. "Physically, I still feel fine and I can play, but you have to try and get that excitement back about playing."

And then the quote immediately following it:

"If I could get it here, it's probably a given with the talent and the type of team they have. To be able to go out winning another Stanley Cup, that would be phenomenal."

He just sounds ridiculously excited at the prospect of going to a contender. He's been told his role and he mentions nothing about being unhappy with the term or dollar amount of the potential deal. To me, this sounds like a player who is getting mentally recharged right now. This is a player who's never had another team pursue him. Perhaps that's part of a reason he won't sign -- because there's a certain shot of pride to playing your whole career with one team. More importantly, in my opinion, there's pride to be had in going out on your own terms, which is why I think he will take this deal.

But, there are problems. Problems that make some suggest Ken Holland is just playing some sick game to see how many players he can get and still be under the cap. But, providing all RFAs sign, it leaves something like this.

Henrik Zetterberg | Pavel Datsyuk | Tomas Holmstrom
Todd Bertuzzi | Valtteri Filppula | Johan Franzen
Jiri Hudler | Mike Modano | Danny Cleary
Justin Abdelkader | Darren Helm | Patrick Eaves
Mattias Ritola | Kris Draper | Drew Miller

Nicklas Lidstrom | Brian Rafalski
Niklas Kronwall | Brad Stuart
Jonathan Ericsson | Jakub Kindl
Derek Meech

Three problems:

• Numbers. That's 15 NHL forwards, 24 NHL players,  and a 15:7 forward defenseman ratio, while Detroit has preferred to carry 8 defenseman and just 13 forwards, usually.
• Defense. This move doesn't leave cap space or roster space to add the #6/#7 defenseman that Holland stated the team needed prior to free agency.
• Derek Meech.

However, I have solutions to all three problems. That's why they pay me the big bucks.

There's a number of ways you can trim down the roster. Some people have suggested trading Miller. I did at first, but now I don't think that will happen. The guy just took a discount to stay in Detroit, or otherwise doesn't know what he's worth. If he took a discount, it's because Holland said he'd take care of him. Miller is playing for his hometown club and he's a player who has worn three jerseys in the past two seasons. It's not a long-term contract, but it's another NHL opportunity. He had a career year, he could have gotten more money elsewhere. Holland isn't going to make a player take a discount and trade him within the week.

The easiest way would be to just waive Mattias Ritola. I don't understand where all this concern for his future comes from all of a sudden -- I'm reading it from people who I've never even heard mention the guy. There's nothing to suggest that waiving Ritola wasn't the plan all along -- remember, the three-year extension he signed is a two-way deal for the first season. They didn't just put that in there for kicks and giggles. Clearly, he'll be given the chance to make the team, but it's an option. Holland planned to add another forward all along and nobody had a problem with it until it was Modano.

Look, I'm the prospects nerd and I was ridiculously upset when Detroit signed Ty Conklin with no notice -- it was supposed to be Jimmy Howard's year in 2008-09. Then, Chris Osgood faltered and Conklin was one of the best backup/1B goaltenders in the league. Howard did well in Osgood's "absence" this season, but who's to know if he could have done that the year before, it could have ruined him completely. That taught me to exercise a little patience. That taught me that adding a really solid 3rd line center might be more important than keeping Ritola around as the 14th forward.

And what's this waivers garbage? Ritola will clear waivers. He looks good in the NHL but his sample size is so small, and he hasn't found much consistency in the AHL. He'll be waived in early October when a few dozen other, proven, players will be on waivers, in addition to what looks like could be a deep late season UFA crop because there are just too many free agents for how many jobs will be available. What team who is desperate enough to patch a hole in the first week of the season is going to take a chance on an unproven prospect when they have 50 proven commodities to look at? The Kyle Quincey comparison is ridiculous -- he was an AHL stud who looked great in extended NHL time in Detroit, not just eight games like Ritola.

The most ridiculous thing I read today acknowledged that Modano could be a 40-50 point player, but asked "how will we know if Miller/Ritola can't be that?" Well, I know because I've watched them both play. Neither have that kind of ability. Miller is a hard-working forward and I hope we keep him (I'd prefer Ritola, but neither will upset me), but like Chris said at Motown Wings, he's truly a dime-a-dozen player. Three inches shorter and he's not even in the NHL -- he's got good size, but average legs, average hands, and average creativity. He is smart, so he can excel along the boards and defensively, but he had extended time in the top six and just didn't produce. He's a career bottom six player. He could be good there, but so could a lot of players who are going to be unemployed after this summer. And Ritola never put up those kind of numbers in Grand Rapids, or even low level Swedish leagues -- how will he do that in Detroit?

There's salvaging mortgaging (thanks to voline for pointing out my error) the future to win today (see: Blackhawks, Chicago) and there's solidifying a lineup with a shrewd, low-risk move to win now and in the future. Losing Miller or Ritola is not going to have any bearing on the Red Wings success in the next 15 years. They are both complementary players who, like so many of the young forwards coming up in Detroit's system right now, project to be bottom six players. Both are in their mid-20s, and are already below the likes of the younger Darren Helm and Justin Abdelkader on the depth chart -- even Patrick Eaves, who's about the same age. Anyone who's claiming these two players aren't replaceable is just not thinking clearly, in my opinion.

And I like these two. A lot. I'd rather keep them both than Kris Draper, but I know I'm in the minority on that and I understand that keeping Draper for loyalty (not to mention cap, with his 35+ contract) is more important than who makes a difference on the ice. But what I care about more than which players I like, and which players might have 5-10 really good games in a season on the 4th line, is who can win this team a Cup. And more so than the obvious motivation that comes from the opportunity to win a legend like Modano a Cup in his hometown is the fact that Modano fills a need.

Look at that lineup I posted 16 paragraphs ago. Jiri Hudler. Danny Cleary. Those are your wingers, if you load up the two best players and reunite what was one of the best lines in recent hockey history which was inexplicably kept apart for 95% of last season. You have either Modano, a 500 goal scorer who obviously has some gas left in the tank talent-wise, and more importantly, has big time smarts and the ability to really play anywhere on the top three scoring lines, or Abdelkader, a successful scorer in the AHL, but who hasn't shown much playmaking ability in his NHL time, though he has been kept on a tight leash as a checker. I think Abdelkader can be a scorer, but I think this team is much more dangerous when it has a potent second line, and a dud season from Abdelkader will essentially make Hudler useless as he'll have no one to pass to unless Cleary decides he wants to re-find that 2009 playoff consistency, which seems unlikely. Modano isn't the player he was last decade, but he can pass and score and he put up solid numbers on a pretty bad Dallas team last year. He'll have better linemates and more inspiration this season.

If that doesn't convince you, nothing will. I just don't possibly see how anyone wouldn't consider Modano an upgrade over Abdelkader, when Ritola or Miller (or more than likely neither, since Ritola will clear waivers) is your only casualty.

Bringing me to the next two points, which can be combined. In all likelihood, those 24 players I listed earlier will fit under the cap, though it is one player to many on the 23-man roster limit. That creates a problem on the blueline though, since Detroit won't have room to add the depth defenseman they wanted. Seven defenseman is likely enough -- like I said in a previous post, there were more injuries up front than on the blueline this year, so there isn't as dire of a need to carry eight defenseman especially when it means trading one or two solid forwards. The bigger problem is, while I think Jonathan Ericsson has some promise, he didn't look like an NHL regular for large chunks of last season. That leaves a roster with only four legitimate NHL defenseman. It also leaves a third pairing of two players known for a) mental mistakes and b) defensive mistakes. You can switch up the pairings a bit to rectify that, but you've got to believe they want an Andreas Lilja-type for the PK and to log some minutes when we need to keep the puck out of our net.

So, ding, solution. Trade Derek Meech. Trade the heck out of him. Get whatever you can and run. Why was he qualified? Nobody explained this to me -- I certainly didn't okay it. The guy just doesn't play. I think he has some ability, and I think he will catch on with another team, not quite in the Quincey way but in the "bad teams who are desperate for any defenseman that doesn't suck at handling the puck" way. But when you have an overcrowded roster and you're searching for a defenseman that you're calling a #6 or #7 because you don't have confidence in a player who has played 126 games over four seasons to be that player, you've got a problem. And when you're debating getting rid of Miller or Ritola instead, you've got a bigger problem.

Fix that problem. Look at the options that brings up. Assume he isn't traded for a roster player, he's traded for a 7th round pick in the year 3000 -- a steal for Detroit. Right there, boom, you've got a 23-man roster and you've gotten rid of the player on your team who plays the least. Or, you can do one of these, with the first two being the most likely over the second two. Personally, I pick #2.

Scenario 1: You still send Ritola down and Doug Janik becomes that #7 for a sleek $512,500. It would explain why he was given a two-year deal, with the second year being a one-way deal. Janik fills the need for an inexpensive but somewhat reliable bottom pairing defenseman to rotate with Jakub Kindl until he finds his sea legs without burning another contract. He won't play a ton, but he isn't going to cost you the game, and he will step up and fix Ericsson/Kindl's mistakes. He gives you a penalty killer, and he gives you more options to shake up the D pairings.

Scenario 2: You send Ritola down and don't give Janik the #7 spot, opening up roughly $1 million in cap space, which could land you a dependable defenseman. If you assume some figures ($850K for Eaves, $2M split up between Helm/Abdelkader, $1M for Modano) you have $1,174,621 American dollars to find yourself a free agent defenseman. Again, there are too many free agent defensemen for how many teams are seeking them out. These defenseman all made less than $2.5 million last season and some didn't have great years -- meaning if you're looking at a guy desperate for a job in the middle of August, they just may sign for a dollar amount in your price range. Shaone Morrisonn, Paul Mara, Nick Boynton, Brian Pothier, Randy Jones, Garnet Exelby (if you're a fan of toughness and bad defense), Andreas Lilja (oh, uh, hi), Jay McKee, Mike Mottau, Martin Skoula, Freddy Meyer, Aaron Johnson, Shane Hnidy, or Alexandre Picard (just 25). Half of those names will be unsigned by August 15. Most for good reason, but a majority of them will do just fine in a #7 role and all of them are better than Meech.

Scenario 3: Brendan Smith has an impressive enough camp to stick and the three youngsters rotate in and out, but this assumes that all of them, or at least two, will be much more dependable in their own end than they have all shown. Smith has the ability to be a game-breaker and could probably due with the Grand Rapids time, and Detroit's "other" offensive stud youngster coming into the lineup reduces his chances even more.

Scenario 4: You keep 15 forwards and six defenseman (it's not unheard of, and plus, sorry, but someone's going to get hurt eventually and skew those numbers). It will probably hurt you on West Coast trips (if the team is healthy) but both Janik and Smith are just a 2.5 hour drive away if you need a useful defenseman for a home game.

Is my point proven yet? This ended up way longer than I thought it would, but only because I read another piece which seemed to imply without implicitly saying it that signing Modano is just sentimental garbage that is going to screw this team over. If anything, it's giving them more options. I just don't get it how you can't see otherwise.

Let's just hope Modano makes his decision as soon as he seems to think he will so this post isn't entirely pointless. And remember folks, vote Mebdeech in 2012!

The biggest of which is the addition of a proven AHL starting goaltender in Joey MacDonald. If that name sounds familiar, it's because he was in the organization from 2001-02 to the beginning of 2006-07. He was frequently one part of a two-headed split in net, but served his best season as the team's starter, winning 34 games and posting a .926 save percentage.

In 2006-07, Detroit was out of waiver options for him, so they kept him on board as the 3rd string goalie and he played extremely sparingly before Boston claimed him off waivers late in the season. He didn't last long there before the NY Islanders picked him up in the offseason. He spent his first season there in the AHL, but actually emerged as their starting goaltender in 2008-09, before eventually being overtaken by Yann Danis. His numbers were decent for being on the island, and of course he shut out the Red Wings, but he wasn't able to parlay that into a permanent NHL job. He signed with Toronto last offseason and spent all but six games in the AHL, before being traded to Anaheim at the deadline -- though he stayed with Toronto's AHL affiliate because Anaheim did not have one of their own.

And now, with Daniel Larsson in Sweden for the year (hopefully just the year), a void opens up. Thomas McCollum showed flashes of being an elite goaltender but his numbers didn't back that up. Jordan Pearce's inconsistent professional debut means Detroit needed a goaltender for Grand Rapids, to not only help the team win, but to be reliable enough to come up to the NHL in a pinch. Joey is definitely that guy. Holland made it clear a few days ago that he wasn't looking for a starter -- McCollum will be leaned on if he can take it, and I'm sure Pearce will get a look too, so adding a former AHL all-star and, technically, an NHL starting goaltender as a backup isn't a bad deal. No word on the terms yet, but all three of these are probably one-year deals -- though if the organization has doubts about Larsson returning, MacDonald's deal could be two years in case they need a backup should this be Chris Osgood's last season. However, free agency next summer is a more likely route.

The other two signings are to shore up scoring. Detroit typically looks to high skill AHL players to fill out their top lines as most of their prospects aren't proven at the AHL level yet. They've gone through Darren Haydar and Jeremy Williams this past season as these players typically lead the team in scoring but never make an NHL splash. This year they've picked up Chris Minard (22 goals in 40 games last season, sadly good enough for 3rd on Springfield, Edmonton's affiliate last season) as well as Jamie Johnson, who led Florida's affiliate in Rochester with 71 points in 80 games.

Both are natural centers and products of the OHL. Minard, now 29, put up impressive numbers in the CHL and ECHL before finding regular work in the AHL in Pittsburgh's system. He played 35 games over two NHL seasons while scoring right at a steady goal-every-two-games pace. He spent last season in Edmonton's system, appearing in five NHL games. If he stays healthy all year, he could be a 40 goal scorer -- which will help playmakers like Tomas Tatar and Jan Mursak. Johnson is 28, a former 100 point scorer in the OHL who spent a few seasons in the ECHL before finding AHL residence with Iowa (DAL) and Bridgeport (NYI). He spent a year in Finland before coming back to post his career high 71 points this past season. Both players have clear high offensive talent, but will likely see no time in Detroit.

And with that, Grand Rapids roster is pretty much full. The only question left is whether or not Sergei Kolosov will come back to fill out the blueline, or if Detroit might look to a veteran to help the above average amount of rookie blueliners out.

Here's a rough mock up of the lines, with AHL experience in parentheses. Asterisks mean the player could be sent back to juniors, and it seems like one of the forwards will probably be sent back or possibly start off in the ECHL. My money is on Coetzee being sent back, as he only found his game last season.

Chris Minard (5) | Jamie Johnson (4) | Jan Mursak (2)
Mattias Ritola (3) | Ilari Filppula (0) | Tomas Tatar (1)
Jordan Owens (3) | Cory Emmerton (2) | Joakim Andersson (0)
Francis Pare (2) | Brent Raedeke (0*) | Jamie Tardif (4)
Willie Coetzee (0*)

Doug Janik (7) | Brendan Smith (0)
Logan Pyett (2) | Sergei Kolosov (2)
Brian Lashoff (0*) | Travis Ehrhardt (0.5)
Sebastien Piche (0) | Greg Amadio (6) [Griffins-contract]

Thomas McCollum (1) / Joey MacDonald (6)

A few things in Wings land worth mentioning...

Camp Tryouts

It's no secret that the Wings are not shy about bringing free agent prospects to camp and giving them contracts... Brent Raedeke, Willie Coetzee, Brian Lashoff, Travis Ehrhardt, and guys like Jordan Pearce, Sebastien Piche, and Francis Pare who came more in the offseason. So they announced three names that they'll be bringing to their summer prospects camp and then training camp in the fall. Luckily, all three of them come with pretty entertaining YouTube videos.

Darren Archibald is a super pest out of the OHL who made himself internet famous a few months ago after running Windsor goaltender Philippe Grubauer in the OHL Finals. Check out the hit and the ensuing brawl here. He's known for being tough but also useful, as he put up 59 points in 57 games for the Barrie Colts.

Trevor Parkes is a teammate of 3rd round pick Louis-Marc Aubry on the Montreal Juniors in the QMJHL. Parkes was a rookie in the league, finishing 3rd on the team in points and 2nd in goals with 27. He also led the team with a +19 rating, with only one other player hitting the double digit plusses. He's got a video up after scoring a hat trick in a game back in November.

The final player is Alex Cord, possibly the only long shot after only playing in 10 OHL games, the rest in Jr. A -- not a place that a legitimate prospect who isn't going to play NCAA hockey plays. However, he does have a video in Jr. A where he absolutely lights some poor kid up. There's another video of him removing blood from another player in a fairly even fight.

Restricted Free Agents

As was assumed, Detroit qualified all major restricted free agents. Justin Abdelkader, Darren Helm, Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller, and Derek Meech were all unsurprisingly qualified. They also qualified a pair of Griffins in Sergei Kolosov, who as I pointed out in my prospects post was no guarantee, and could be a potential KHL defectee, as well as Griffins captain Jamie Tardif. Tardif was no guarantee since he's still a long shot, but his leadership abilities in GR make him more valuable there, despite lacking in ability in other areas. In more surprising news, they also qualified Daniel Larsson (HV-71) and Ole-Kristian Tollefsen (MODO). Larsson was a guarantee, but both of these players are playing in Sweden next year. Detroit will hold on to their exclusive rights this way and will get a chance to lure them back next summer.

This leaves five players unqualified. None are huge surprises.

Johan Ryno -- Three years of an entry-level contract, and 12 AHL games to show for it. Ryno left Grand Rapids after he was homesick, and was merely a secondary player in second-tier Sweden. He showed in training camps his obviously high skill level, but his commitment level was always in question and he never got the high level coaching he needed. As soon as his club, AIK, was promoted to the top Swedish league, they cut him, so he'll play in second-tier Sweden again. He'll likely spend the rest of his career in Europe.

Evan McGrath -- The reason that some aren't excited about the Jarnkrok/Pulkkinen picks is because of players like McGrath. He was supposed to be a first round pick in 2005, but slipped through the rankings over the course of the year before Detroit snapped him up in the 5th round. He went on to score 114 points his final season in the OHL, but his best two AHL seasons came with 35 and 47 points. This past season, he was a team worst -18, on pace to have his worst offensive season since his rookie year, so Detroit loaned him to Syracuse, Columbus' (Anaheim this season) AHL affiliate. It was no big secret he'd be let go, so hopefully now he can find an NHL club where he might have a better shot at a roste rspot.

Ryan Oulahen -- Oulahen is another former OHL product, a 2003 draft pick known for his excellent defensive play. He brought that to Grand Rapids for four straight seasons, serving as the team's captain for a time as well. He suffered a rather gruesome hip injury at the end of the 2008-09 season. Detroit gave him another one-year deal, but the injury kept him out of play all season and he didn't play a single minute. He's 25 now, and with a glut of checking type prospects in the system, it seams time Oulahen try a new organization.

Jeremy Williams -- No surprise, since the team picked him up as an unrestricted free agent last summer after he wasn't qualified by Toronto. He came in and scored 32 goals, playing an integral role on the Grand Rapids powerplay. Most of these players live off one year deals though, so it's more common to see Detroit and not hang on to them like they did with Doug Janik. Williams could probably fill a 4th line role on a bottom feeder, but will likely end up in the AHL since he's more of a one dimensional player.

Riley Armstrong -- The brother of Colby's tenure with Detroit was short, acquired at the trade deadline from Calgary for Andy Delmore. His toughness and grit were appreciated, but he didn't make a huge impression in Grand Rapids.

New teams for new prospects?

Just a few rumors to pass along. After the draft, Bob McKenzie speculated that Riley Sheahan might leave NCAA hockey after one season for the OHL. Usually I don't like when prospects jump from college to juniors, because they played in lesser leagues to keep their NCAA eligibility, but since Sheahan was among the youngest in the NCAA last season, he doesn't lose much. As a '91, he can spend the next two seasons in the OHL, which is likely the same time he'll spend in the NCAA since most top prospects turn pro after their junior year. Notre Dame is a really defensive system, so I think it might be his best bet to develop his offensive game, since he won't score much unless he gets a first line job -- very possible, but uncertain. His OHL rights are held by Erie, not a sought after destination. If his rights are traded, look for him to make the jump to the OHL.

Secondly, although he's under contract in Jokerit for one more season, there's talk that Kelowna is making a push to acquire the services of Teemu Pulkkinen. They drafted him in the CHL Import Draft last season, knowing it was a long shot to get him over. It seems like Pulkkinen will get top six minutes in Finland next season, but he could follow in the footsteps of his friend and frequent teammate Toni Rajala, who joined Brandon last season and enjoyed a fairly successful season. It sounds like the chances of both of these moves are slim, but it's nice to see that our picks are in high demand.

Andreas Lilja, probably not in the cards

Lilja seems to like Detroit, but has stated his desire to play top four minutes and less of a penalty kill only role, and he's learning he isn't going to get that in Detroit. Basically, it sounds like he wants out of town, though he's enjoyed it here. Playing in his favor is the fact that he's really solid, but playing against him is how limited he was last season due to injury. Though he's obviously been medically cleared, it's probably enough where some teams will steer clear.

I'd like him back, but I do really think he's a solid #6. Good enough to be a mediocre #4 elsewhere. If that's the opportunity he wants, I'm happy for him. There's not necessarily someone out there who I'd want to replace him (I'll do a free agent post in the middle of July, since I really don't see Detroit going out and spending money in the first week), but I think he goes above and beyond what a #6 defenseman is in the rest of the league. Hope he stays, but I think the cap and his own desires might price him out.

Free Agent Targets?

As I said in the last paragraph, we'll wait and see how things shake out. This got brought up on Twitter earlier today but it was dismissed as too pricey. But, as everyone now knows, Mike Modano won't be brought back to Dallas. As sick as it makes me to picture a franchise Yzerman/Sakic player in another uniform, it doesn't sound like Mike is done. Stars fans won't like it -- but they should really blame their own organization for not taking care if its legends the way Detroit does -- but I wouldn't mind seeing Modano wear a Wings jersey, if Detroit is really looking for a veteran 4th line forward the way Ken Holland claims. If he wants to play a season in his hometown for a cheap enough price, I really think Modano offers a lot of heart and can drive this team in a more skilled Dallas Drake role. Because the one thing I worry about on this team, since I know it's talented enough to succeed, is finding the reason to take their game into that gear where no one can touch them. I think Modano's presence alone can get them there.

Here is part three of four. This took me a lot longer than I thought it would, so obviously this should have been out before the draft as it doesn't include any of the new picks. There is one more installment which I'm going to finish up this week, as it won't be as long since it involves a lot of players who are no longer with the organization, or won't be there shortly.

Here is 1-10, and here is 11-20.

21. Gleason Fournier, D (+0) [-1]
3rd round, 90th overall, 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Rimouski (QMJHL) .. 66 GP .. 3-25-28 .. -6 .. 64 PIM
09/10 .. Rimouski (QMJHL) .. 58 GP .. 13-27-50 .. +4 .. 76 PIM
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Season: Despite being the fourth player picked by Detroit in the 2009 draft, Fournier is the sixth ranked, just one spot above seventh. That doesn't at all mean he's struggling, but it's an overall reflection of how strong that draft is looking just 12 months out. The book on Fournier was that he was raw. He's an excellent skater with good puck moving skills, but need some serious time in the gym as well as work in his own zone. Given that his Rimouski Oceanic team hosted the Memorial Cup last season (so like I said with Brent Raedeke, this means the team tried to load up for a run that season), Fournier was regarded as "the future" on that stacked team, as they believe he can be one of the top offensive defensemen in the league. His numbers showcased that this season, as he was among the Q's top point-getters while showing improved defensive play.
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Future: Fournier's still a bit of a project. His next season will be a big one. He's likely to get a contract, but with a number of 2009 picks in that same boat (Landon Ferraro, Andrej Nestrasil, possibly Adam Almqvist, with Mitchell Callahan and Tomas Tatar already having landed them), it's possible he could play his way out of that. He'll need to take that next step and continue to be one of the top point-getting defenseman while proving valuable in his own end as well.
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22. Mitchell Callahan, RW (+3) [+8]
6th round, 180th overall, 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Kelowna (WHL) .. 70 GP .. 14-13-27 .. +11 .. 188 PIM
09/10 .. Kelowna (WHL) .. 72 GP .. 20-27-47 .. -1 .. 165 PIM
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Season: Callahan's been a fan favorite as a prospect since he was drafted, with many fans having liked the peak they got at the game he offers, courtesy of HockeyFights.com. The Kelowna Rockets were the WHL champions last season, and while he chipped in 14 goals as a rookie, he was only a 4th line player who played sparingly in the playoffs. This season, he was looked to be more of a contributor on the top two lines and he did that, hitting the 20 goal mark while still adding the physical element. He learned that he didn't have to fight everyone all the time, but still didn't hesitate to drop the gloves when needed. Detroit was impressed, signing Callahan to an entry-level contract last month.
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Future: Despite the contract, Callahan will have to play in the WHL again next season because of his age. Still, it's a shot of confidence to a player from a non-traditional hockey market (California) who was a walk-on at Kelowna to start the 2008-09 season. Offense won't be a huge concern for him at the next level, but the quickest way for him to make the Red Wings is to prove that he's capable of chipping in the timely goal, and the best way to do that is to continue to build on his offensive numbers with the Rockets. He's also still in the slow process of adding weight. He won't be much more than a middleweight, but as of right now he's still a little undersized.
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23. Francis Pare, RW (-3) [-5]
Signed as a free agent, April 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 63 GP .. 24-24-48 .. +23 .. 14 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 77 GP .. 16-23-39 .. +19 .. 20 PIM
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Season: Pare's season started very slow -- it took him over two months to net his first goal of the season. He battled illness at the beginning of the season and was the victim of line shuffling and reduced ice time early on. Once he got going, which included four goals in five games and an AHL Player of the Week award, he was red hot, scoring 14 points in 16 games in late December and into January. He cooled off a little after that, especially into the month of March when Grand Rapids as a whole actually started coming together offensively, and again finished first on the team in +/- with his impressive +19. Plus-minus is a stat best read when you look how it's relative to the rest of the team -- and Pare was one of just two players (Jan Mursak the other) to have double digit plusses, while most of the team was in the minus column.
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Future: It was a bit of a disappointing season for Pare, who was one of the more consistent scorers in Grand Rapids as a rookie. His numbers took a step back outside of his streak in the middle of the season. Overall, he didn't look like the creative playmaking forward he was as a rookie. Now entering the second of his two-year deal, the former QMJHL MVP will need to take a significant step forward offensively to stay on Detroit's radar.
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24. Sergei Kolosov, D (-2) [+0]
5th round, 151st overall, 2004
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 70 GP .. 4-7-11 .. -4 .. 36 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 66 GP .. 2-6-8 .. -7 .. 29 PIM
09/10 .. Belarus (OLY) .. 4 GP .. 0-0-0 .. 0 PIM
09/10 .. Belarus (WC) .. 6 GP .. 0-0-0 .. 2 PIM
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Season: It's pretty rare that an Olympian falls on this list, but that's what happens when you have a defenseman from Belarus who has professional experience in the system. Kolosov earned a contract after long being considered a long shot for that position, but he parlayed it into a successful first year season in Grand Rapids. Hoping to build off the ice time he secured there, Kolosov's point totals slightly dipped, but overall his -7 rating was one of the more consistent ratings on a team that just could not win. The real highlight came when he got the chance to play in the Olympics, courtesy of a long look from Belarus' assistant coach, Dave Lewis. He never factored in on the scoresheet, but he didn't look too out of place playing against NHLers.
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Future: Kolosov is currently a restricted free agent, but he did receive a qualifying offer. His NHL prospects are uncertain. He is a steady skater who doesn't take stupid penalties, and his puck moving is not bad for a defensive defenseman. However, Detroit's blueline is already crowded, and with prospects like Brian Lashoff and Brendan Smith entering Grand Rapids, it's uncertain as to whether or not Kolosov will ever get an NHL look. For that reason, it's difficult to say whether or not he'll even be back in the AHL next season. He could certainly use another year there, but it seems like it's only a matter of time before the KHL comes knocking and he leaves for more money and a bigger role.
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25. Bryan Rufenach, D (+3) [+7]
7th round, 208th overall, 2007
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Stats
08/09 .. Clarkson (ECAC) .. 34 GP .. 9-9-18 .. 32 PIM
09/10 .. Clarkson (ECAC) .. 34 GP .. 5-15-20 .. 53 PIM
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Season: Rufenach just closed out his junior season with the Clarkson Golden Knights. A talented offensive defenseman, he led the team's blueline in scoring and is often named among the best offensive defensemen in the conference. His puck-rushing ability is what has always impressed me, but his defensive play has always been the knock. Two points more than his sophomore season, but he hasn't quite hit the level where his points have caught up to his talent level.
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Future: The team's final pick in 2007 has one more season to prove that he deserves a contract. To do so, his offensive numbers will need to take a significant jump forward, which is difficult as Clarkson may be among the worst teams in the conference again. It may not matter if his defensive game doesn't improve though, as he was always known as one-dimensional and he's had to work at fixing that over the past three seasons.
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26. Jordan Owens, LW (NR) [NR]
Acquired from NY Rangers, March 2010
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Stats
08/09 .. Hartford (AHL) .. 67 GP .. 12-25-37 .. +17 .. 66 PIM
09/10 .. Hartford (AHL) .. 50 GP .. 6-13-19 .. +8 .. 53 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 17 GP .. 1-4-5 .. -1 .. 22 PIM
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Season: Owens is the team's newest prospect, outside of the folks who were just recently drafted. Detroit acquired him from the NY Rangers in exchange for Kris Newbury, and Owens fits the prospect criteria based on age and the fact that Detroit knew what they were getting into when they picked up somebody who still had another year on his contract. Owens was actually in the mix for a 4th line job with the Rangers last season after a couple strong seasons with the Hartford Wolf*Pack, but he didn't make it, and his offensive numbers lagged once he returned to the AHL. After he joined Grand Rapids, his numbers weren't much better, though he was playing a 3rd or 4th line role.
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Future: Owens has one more year left on his contract, and one year to impress the Detroit brass. He'll definitely have a chance to, as one of the more experienced members of a team who desperately need leaders as well as scorers. Owens has proved in the past he has the ability to chip in more offense than he did last season, so there may be an opening on the second line should he find some offensive touch. If not, his relentless work ethic and willingness to drop the gloves from time to time will still leave him with a role to fill in the AHL.
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27. Travis Ehrhardt, D (+0) [+7]
Signed as a free agent, September 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Portland (WHL) .. 68 GP .. 9-28-37 .. -30 .. 109 PIM
09/10 .. Toledo (ECHL) .. 3 GP .. 1-1-2 .. +4 .. 0 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 42 GP .. 0-5-5 .. -9 .. 38 PIM
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Season: Ehrhardt earned a contract before the season after two straight prospect camps where he stood out. Ehrhardt is an excellent skater, and was a leader who could be counted on for solid play at both ends of the ice during his career in the WHL. His first season of professional hockey was not as smooth, as playing time was somewhat limited for him. He only spent three games with Toledo in the ECHL, but he was a regular healthy scratch for Grand Rapids and only played on the third pairing when he did get in the lineup. He looked timid at times, and his game was more tailored to that of a stay-at-home defenseman and not the mobile two-way player he looked like in the WHL.
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Future: Ehrhardt signed a three-year deal prior to the season, so he has two more to land a regular AHL job. With the slew of rookie defenseman heading into Grand Rapids this season, not to mention another second year pro in Sebastien Piche, this summer is important for Ehrhardt, or else he's doomed to get lost in the shuffle. He has the makings of a steady #6 defenseman, but isn't going to get there playing every other game.
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28. Jordan Pearce, G (+4) [+1]
Signed as a free agent, April 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Notre Dame (CCHA) .. 39 GP .. 30-6-3 .. 1.68 GAA .. 93.1% .. 8 SO
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 1 GP .. 0-1-0 .. 5.11 GAA .. 86.8% .. 0 SO
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 5 GP .. 1-2-0 .. 3.82 GAA .. 87.5% .. 0 SO
09/10 .. Toledo (ECHL) .. 37 GP .. 15-16-2 .. 3.63 GAA .. 89.1% .. 2 SO
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Season: Notre Dame's former standout goaltender is another new addition to the Wings prospect system. Being a few years older than Thomas McCollum, I expected he might be able to compete with him for the backup job behind Daniel Larsson. Instead, Pearce spent all but five games of this past season with Toledo in the ECHL, splitting time with Alec Richards (CHI) early in the season for playing time. Pearce struggled mightily early in the season, in a league that is fairly unkind to goaltender's statistics because of high scoring. As the season went on, Pearce drew more and more starts, slashing his GAA from the 4.00 that it hovered around and boosting his save percentage back into the realm of respectability.
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Future: Pearce has one more season on the contract he signed to attempt professional hockey. Larsson's decision to go to Sweden opens up a spot in Grand Rapids for him, but it seems as if Detroit prefers signing a veteran goalie to tandem with McCollum, since neither McCollum nor Pearce looked especially consistent in their time in the league. Pearce will likely end up back in Toledo, with a better chance of getting some time in the AHL should he find his second half consistency. If not, Pearce will likely head back to school, as he was a promising student who was considering med school before Detroit gave him a chance to play professional hockey.
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29. Sebastien Piche, D (+0) [-7]
Signed as a free agent, April 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Rimouski (QMJHL) .. 62 GP .. 23-49-72 .. 69 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 9 GP .. 0-0-0 .. -1 .. 4 PIM
09/10 .. Toledo (ECHL) .. 46 GP .. 5-23-28 .. +6 .. 67 PIM
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Season: Piche joined Detroit at the end of last season after a promising overage season in the QMJHL, where he racked up well over a point-per-game as one of the top offensive defensemen in the league. This does tend to happen with overage players in major junior hockey, so I don't think anyone expected this kind of prolific scoring from Piche as a first year pro. He was expected to make a little more of a push for a regular spot in Grand Rapids, but he played all of nine games there -- all early in the season -- before being shipped off to the ECHL with the Toledo Walleye. He found his offensive touch again here, but was never able to work his way back up to the AHL.
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Future: Piche has two more years on his entry-level deal, and it will be important for him to establish himself as an AHL player in that time. Because of the crowded blueline going into Grand Rapids this season, there's no guarantee he sticks there, but his offensive style and great skating ability should make him an asset to a team that struggled to produce offense last season.
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30. Stephen Johnston, C (-4) [-11]
6th round, 181st overall, 2008
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Stats
08/09 .. Belleville (OHL) .. 58 GP .. 14-22-36 .. +18 .. 38 PIM
09/10 .. Belleville (OHL) .. 18 GP .. 6-4-10 .. -3 .. 16 PIM
09/10 .. Windsor (OHL) .. 18 GP .. 4-5-9 .. -3 .. 19 PIM
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Season: I had high hopes that this would be Johnston's breakout season. Not because he showed much promise last season, but because players with size and speed traditionally have a much easier time becoming impact players in the OHL. Unfortunately, an injury derailed any chances of that early in the season, when Johnston was a member of the Belleville Bulls. He was involved in a midseason blockbuster trade that sent him to the Windsor Spitfires, the defending Memorial Cup champions who were the favorites to win it again. This was a great chance for Johnston to earn a huge opportunity and enjoy inflated numbers playing with some of the most talented players in the OHL. He got hurt again, and when he played he was only a spare part on the 4th line, though Windsor did win their second straight Memorial Cup.
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Future: Johnston is officially done as a Wing prospect. Detroit had until June 1st to sign him, and they elected to let him go. He re-entered the draft and was unselected. It seems as though he will return to Windsor for an overage season, though he could be moved if Windsor gets any overage players back from NHL teams who would prefer their players to take another long OHL playoff run instead of playing spare minutes in the AHL. Since he wasn't signed this month, he obviously won't be on this list going forward.
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Every year I enjoy the chess match Detroit plays at the draft. The model for current day drafting success, other teams are always guessing at what the Wings are going to do and trying to imitate that before the Wings can do it. And the Wings adjust, constantly. While a lot of other teams have taken to drafting random Swedes, over the past few years Detroit has been pretty much content with staying on the board and drafting guys who fall in the first few rounds, and then going to weird places later in the draft.

I'm thrilled with this draft for a couple of reasons. For starters, they picked seven players who all provide clear reasons for excitement. And secondly, I've been reading all week about how Detroit is getting away from their puck possession and skill style and Mike Babcock is taking them there. Yes, seriously, people who watch the Red Wings on a regular basis and have come to this conclusion. Apparently, drafting Riley Sheahan was evidence of this too, because he's 6'2 and North American. So I found it a little more than mildly exciting that they went out and drafted little guys almost exclusively.

In total, they took five forwards, one defenseman, and one goaltender. Their picks were wildly spread out, one in the NCAA, one in top Swedish league, one in the top Finnish league, one in each of the three Canadian junior leagues, and one from the Minnesota high school ranks who will eventually be in the USHL.

1ST ROUND, 21ST OVERALL -- Riley Sheahan
Position: Center | Height: 6'2 | Weight: 200 | DOB: December 7, 1991 | Team: Notre Dame (CCHA) | Stats: 37 GP, 6G 11A 22PIM | CS Rank: 22

STORY: Sheahan came into school young, playing a good chunk of the season as a 17-year-old freshman. When you look at how NCAA hockey works, that's absurd. Only the best of the best come in at the age of 18, it is actually quite common to see teams bring in freshman at 19, sometimes even 20 or later. This means that Sheahan was playing in a league which would be predominantly skated in by juniors and seniors that could be anywhere from 21, on the low end, to 24 or 25. The growth a player does from 17 to 25 is pretty significant in the hockey world. Still, Sheahan flourished in his defensive role and even chipped in some offense. He was considered a likely top 15 pick early on in the season, but a slower finish (Notre Dame as a whole fizzled out as a team) in addiction to a drinking-related arrest had him slipping into more of Detroit's range.

STRENGTHS: Sheahan already plays a very mature defensive game. And like I said in the post previous to this one, that doesn't mean he's a future checking line center. That means his defensive skills are very good -- the makings of an elite shut down center. He's a good skater with a great work ethic on the ice. His size and strength already make him difficult to play against and he only looks like he's going to get bigger.

WEAKNESSES: Offensively, he doesn't have the talent of some of the other folks who went in the first round. It needs to be clear though, that offense is not a weakness. Six goals as a 17-year-old is not all that low. Even elite scorers struggle to light it up as freshman. Sheahan's size, work around the net and impressive numbers at the junior A level offer no worries that he can increase on his freshman year numbers.

FUTURE: The Wings don't have as much time with this college pick because he's already in the program. This means they'll have to make a decision on him when he graduates in three years. I believe two strong seasons, complete with at least one where he's the first or second best scorer on Notre Dame will lead to an early exit and an early year of professional hockey in Grand Rapids instead of a senior season. As far as his immediate future goes, Sheahan is one of 24 forwards at Canada's World Junior evaluation camp, and, as a 1991-born, this is his only chance at playing for them. Canada doesn't just take a roster full of scorers, so he's working within a small group for the spots on the checking line.

OTHER: Feature on Hockey's Future, Feature from NHL.com

2ND ROUND, 51ST OVERALL -- Calle Jarnkrok
Position: Center | Height: 5'11 | Weight: 165 | DOB: September 25, 1991 | Team: Brynas (SEL) | Stats: 33 GP, 4G 6A 2PIM | CS Rank: 4E

STORY: The lone Swede Detroit picked up this year, Jarnkrok was considered by most to be the likely first or second highest taken Swede. He could have slipped into the end of the first round, but after he didn't, and two other Swedes went before him, Detroit decided they couldn't pass up on him at 51. Jarnkrok, born ten days late to be eligible for the 2009 draft, established himself as a regular in the Swedish Elitserien -- their top league -- an impressive feat at the age of 18. He spent 33 games in the SEL, and also proved that he was too good to play in the under 20 league, putting up 31 points in 19 games there too.

STRENGTHS: Jarnkrok is an offensive forward. He is known for his vision, creativity, and playmaking ability. He's also got a big shot and played the point on the powerplay, even at the SEL level. Fast skater, good stickhandler, hard-working attitude -- in a lot of ways, like his idol Henrik Zetterberg. Also, his last name literally translates to Ironhook. That's what I'll be calling him the next few years.

WEAKNESSES: Jarnkrok doesn't have great size. He's 5'11 and he looks a little smaller. And at 165 pounds, he's not even touching anywhere close to the NHL until he gains 15 pounds -- and even then, he'll be pushed around. That's a big reason that he slipped, but if he can get to that size, the Wings found themselves a top six forward.

FUTURE: Jarnkrok will be in the SEL for the full year next year, hopefully able to build on his spot on his line with Anton Rodin (VAN) and Jacob Silfverberg (OTT). Both of those players are considered top prospects on their respective teams, and Jarnkrok largely outshined them. He's got his spot secured on Brynas, and as a 1991-born, he should be able to play a big role on Sweden's World Junior team.

3RD ROUND, 81ST OVERALL -- Louis-Marc Aubry
Position: Center | Height: 6'4 | Weight: 194 | DOB: November 11, 1991 | Team: Montreal (QMJHL) | Stats: 66 GP, 15G 18A 69PIM | CS Rank: 87

STORY: This is the only one that I don't get. It's not too far off the board, but there isn't much about him besides his size that really makes sense. Like the first two picks, he is a late 1991 born, meaning he's at the same development level in terms of years of players who played last year. But Aubry only had 33 points -- not great for a player who only has two years max left in a high scoring QMJHL league.

STRENGTHS: Size? He's a raw talent with not much time to figure it out. If his offensive ability catches up, he's a high end talent. Otherwise, he's a North American Christopher Lofberg. Who? Exactly. He sounds pretty good in his own end, so I think the Wings are shooting for a second or third line center who can play in both zones.

WEAKNESSES: Offensive production is pretty poor, he'll have to have a big year coming up to justify a 3rd round selection. Can't find much on his skating or existing offensive ability.

FUTURE: He can play in the AHL after next season, but he sounds much rawer than that. So he only has two years tops left in the QMJHL, then the Wings have to decide what to do with him.

OTHER: Goal vs. Saint John

4TH ROUND, 111TH OVERALL -- Teemu Pulkkinen
Position: Left Wing | Height: 5'11 | Weight: 183 | DOB: January 2, 1992 | Team: Jokerit (FNL) | Stats: 12 GP, 1G 2A 6PIM | CS Rank: 17E

STORY: Prior to the 2008-09 season, people were asking who would go first in 2010: Taylor Hall or Teemu Pulkkinen. If you told me then that Detroit would end up with either of them, I probably wouldn't have watched a game this season. Pulkkinen had 35 points in nine games at the U18 level and (yep) in 2008-09 and 28 points in 24 games at the U20 level. He bumped the U20 numbers this year up to 41 points in 17 games, but just three points in 12 games at the Finnish professional level. He fell off a bit, but was still considered a likely first round pick this year. Then he got hurt, and was supposed to slip to the early second. And he couldn't participate at the combine because of his injury, so people worried about it even more, even though he put up a blistering 15 points in six games at the U18 late in the season. So he slipped to the 4th round.

STRENGTHS: Pulkkinen is often called the Finnish Ovechkin. Obviously, he lacks the power game that Ovechkin has because of his size (he's stocky though, and hard to knock off the puck). He's got a big shot and an arsenal of slick stickhandling moves -- pure offense. He's more like Teemu Selanne in that sense, he's a natural scorer. But his flash on the ice and often exuberant celebrations draws many celebrations to Ovechkin. He's also a rare right handed shot.

WEAKNESSES: Pulkkinen isn't nearly as adept in the defensive zone. His consistency from shift-to-shift has also been brought into question, as well as his ability to play in traffic. He's also suffered a few different injuries already, making a healthy season in 2010-11 imperative.

FUTURE: Pretty unknown. He's under contract in Jokerit for another season, but his CHL rights are owned by Kelowna (featuring fellow Red Wing Mitchell Callahan) and he could try the WHL route like fellow Finn and friend Toni Rajala (EDM) who played for Brandon this season. He also got drafted early in the KHL, and could end up there for a big money contract. Or, he could pull a Tomas Tatar and play in the AHL next year. Depends what the Wings think about him at camp.

OTHER: He scores three goals in this 5-1 Finnish win at the U18s. Here's a shootout goal against Canada. Here's a goal in the top Finnish league, and here's another.

5TH ROUND, 141ST OVERALL -- Petr Mrazek
Position: Goaltender | Height: 6'0 | Weight: 185 | DOB: February 14, 1992 | Team: Ottawa (OHL) | Stats: 30 GP, 12-9-1, 3.00 GAA, .905SV% | CS Rank: 25G

STORY: I don't know that much about Mrazek, but I do know with Daniel Larsson heading to Sweden, the Wings need a goalie to groom to step into their AHL ranks in a few years. Mrazek was a pick in the CHL Import Draft last season and was the backup to start the year with the Ottawa 67s. As the year went on he earned more and more playing time, until he took over as the starter completely by the end of the playoffs. Those numbers are the ones to look at -- a 2.38 GAA with a .928 save percentage.

STRENGTHS: Judging from the playoff numbers, Mrazek is a goaltender who can steal a game or two. He's extremely quick, and controls his rebounds well. But I don't know too much about judging goalies anyway and I haven't seen him play, so that's all I can offer.

WEAKNESSES: Size. How many starting goalies can you name that are under six feet? He's listed right at that mark, but he's probably a little smaller.

FUTURE: He's got another two years in the OHL before Detroit needs to make a decision, and even then they can leave him for an overage season. He does seem like a talented goalie worth a shot. He seems to have proved himself as the unquestioned starter, and now it's just taking his game to the next level as one of the OHL's best. A job with the Czech World Junior team won't hurt his case either.

6TH ROUND, 171ST OVERALL -- Brooks Macek
Position: Right Wing | Height: 5'11 | Weight: 175 | DOB: May 15, 1992 | Team: Tri-City (WHL) | Stats: 72 GP, 21G, 52A, 26PIM | CS Rank: 86

STORY: I don't know much about this fellow either. However, in the 6th and 7th round most teams are gunning for long shots. Detroit landed a proven point-per-game player at the WHL level -- 73 points in 72 games. The kid can score, and you can't teach offense -- the rest of the game can come in time.

STRENGTHS: Macek is a good point producing player with excellent vision. He sounds like he might be one of the quicker players in the WHL and probably the fastest that Detroit picked up and both Pulkkinen and Jarnkrok sound like they have some speed.

WEAKNESSES: He's another little one. That might explain the Aubry pick -- it raises Detroit's average size in this draft by a couple of inches. No word on his defensive game, but I'm still exploring stuff about him.

FUTURE: Two more years in the WHL before Detroit decides if he's ready to play professional hockey. I fully expect he can be an 80-90 point scorer for both of those seasons.

7TH ROUND, 201ST OVERALL - Ben Marshall
Position: Defenseman | Height: 5'9 | Weight: 165 | DOB: August 30, 1992 | Team: Mahtomedi High School (USHS) | Stats: 25 GP, 19G, 27A | CS Rank: NR

STORY: He played this season in the Minnesota high school ranks -- which means he's raw, but that's still a competitive state, nothing like the high school game in Michigan. He's the lone defenseman taken by Detroit this year.

STRENGTHS: Offense seems to be his strength, he was one of the top scoring juniors this season and was an early favorite to be Minnesota's "Mr. Hockey" for next season as a senior -- the award for the top high school prospect in the state.

WEAKNESSES: He's absurdly small. Also, his coach speaks about him like he's a rover. He'll definitely need to learn the defensive game while in the USHL, and the Wings will surely hope he can keep his obvious offensive gifts.

FUTURE: Like Max Nicastro in 2008 and Nick Jensen last season, Marshall is going to be on the first year of a five year project. He'll play for the Omaha Lancers in the USHL next season, before joining the University of Minnesota to start the 2011-12 season. That gives Detroit until 2015-16 to decide whether or not he's worth signing. He's got a lot of work to do, but he's skilled enough where he could amount to something by that point.

--

Seven new Red Wings, seven new picks. An amazing day that was endlessly entertaining. I definitely still need to do some homework on the last three picks, but I promise I will be better prepared for the 2011 draft. Bring it on, Hakan.

I was going to write a little about the new Wing, Riley Sheahan, but it's getting late already. I'm getting up early to follow the draft tomorrow and I've got some other stuff to take care of, so I'll save you a rushed scouting report and compile more information for a detailed one tomorrow.

But in short: I like the pick. I described him as a defensive forward but I'd never seen him play. To haters: this isn't a Kirk Maltby replacement. A good defensive forward is a second or third line player with excellent shutdown ability -- to play against others top lines, to kill penalties, and to win a big faceoff or just be on the ice late in a game. To play on the second (or Detroit's third) line, you need some offensive ability too. While Sheahan only potted six goals, he played on an already loaded Notre Dame team and he produced big numbers in junior hockey. The Wings like his offensive game, because he's big and quick and he works hard, so the natural comparison to Johan Franzen (as in a net front forward presence, not a 40 goal scorer). So no, he's no Maltby, think more of something similar to the role Ryan Kesler or Jordan Staal plays, with less offensive upside than Staal. Being in that defense-first system under Jeff Jackson is going to lead to, hopefully, a pretty good defensive forward.

This is important. Every time I see someone write that they got another part of "the Grind Line," I'm going to slap myself across the face. Darren Helm is the Grind Line. Sheahan is so much more.

In other news, I heard last night that Detroit made an offer to KHL defenseman Evgeni Ryasensky. Since I hadn't heard of him, I figured he'd stand a good chance of signing if he really wanted to come to North America. This morning, EliteProspects reported that he's signed, and have him slated for the Griffins for next season.

I did some digging, and the rumor comes from the always reliable Dmitry Chesnokov, who is relaying information from the Russian media outlet, SovSport. He reports:

Evgeni Ryasenski, 22 year old D from KHL's Neftekhimik, told SovSport he received an offer from the #RedWings and will move to Detroit.

Ryasenskiy to SovSport: "Detroit contacted me thru a NA agent. I will attend camp. I am OK with spending some time in the AHL."#DRW

Ryasenskiy to SovSport: "I think that I can succeed in the NHL because small rinks and physical style of play fit my profile." #DRW

It seems from that report that Ryasenski is saying he has already signed. However, Jim Nill disagrees, and has said as much to The Windsor Star's Bob Duff.

“His agent contacted us, so he's probably called every team,” Nill said. “He's 23, so he'd still be on an entry-level deal which would pay him $60,000 in the minor leagues. If he doesn't make your team, is he going  to want to stay and play for that? That's the risk you have to decide whether you want to take.”

A bit of a strange quote from Nill. He starts to downplay it and then talks about it like they never took the offer seriously. But then the end of the quote acts like they're mulling it over. Really uncertain to the Wings interest level on this one, but Duff's article makes it seem like the door is shut. Quote doesn't back that up though.

Then Duff finishes with a bit of an unexplained line that I really don't like.

Either way, Ryasenski seems like an interesting prospect. He seems committed to the AHL, and with the Griffins hurting for veteran blueliners, someone with some KHL experience might be nice. He's small, but he's supposedly physical and his numbers indicate he can produce some offense. I won't waste any more space typing about a player who might not be a Red Wing, but I felt it was a funny story and a good indicator of KHL/NHL relationships when a player believes he's signed and a team acts like they don't know who he is.

Draft day two tomorrow. All hail Hakan, King of Day Two.