Detroit Red Wings that are Most in Danger of Going to Waivers
By Howard Ward
As the Detroit Red Wings are now less than a month away from training camp there are still many questions about the 23 man roster that will have to be answered. Heading into the season, per Capgeek.com, the Red Wings currently have 22 NHL players signed to contract. That does not include Daniel Alfredsson or Danny Dekeyser which could bump the total to 24 players if or when Alfredsson decides he wants to rejoin the team. The list is not complete however as many players are set to becoming waiver eligible and will need a spot on the roster otherwise they face going through the NHL’s waivers if sent down to Grand Rapids. This means that 2009 draft picks Mitch Callahan, Landon Ferraro, Andrej Nestrasil and 2008 draft pick Thomas McCollum all have a lot to prove this year because if the do not make the team they will all be exposed waivers if they do not find a way to stick with the big club.
Mar 22, 2014; Saint Paul, MN, USA; Detroit Red Wings center
Landon Ferraro(29) skates with the puck against the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports
Drafted in 2009 Landon Ferraro has appeared in 4 NHL games withe the Detroit Red Wings and 200 games with the Grand Rapid Griffins. Ferraro is a speedy center drafted for his scoring touch by the Red Wings and believed to have 2nd line potential he now figures to be a two-way forward using his speed like Darren Helm to be effective at both ends of the ice. Now 4 years removed from his draft year he has produced 98 points in the AHL and was a big contributor to the Calder Cup victory back in 2013.
Landon didn’t stand out in the 4 games he dressed for the Red Wings(even better he didn’t stand out in a bad way either) but did draw some praise from Coach Mike Babcock: “He did a real good job (on the penalty kill). I like his speed. He’s got to get stronger, but he’s quick.” — Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (March 2014, MLive.com).
2014-2015 Prediction: Does not make the team…but if there is a trade before the roster deadline he could work his way onto the team in a 4th line role or as a 13th forward. His utility as a center and ability to play the penalty kill could prove to be valuable however as it stands Luke Glendening, Darren Helm, Riley Sheahan and Joakim Andersson all stand in his way. His use in penalty kill situations gives him an edge over others attempting to make the team but his lack of offensive contributions might get him edged out in favor of players like Drew Miller and Joakim Andersson.
“He did a real good job (on the penalty kill). I like his speed. He’s got to get stronger, but he’s quick.” — Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (March 2014, MLive.com).
Waiver Outlook: 25%. Ferraro could be an attractive pick up by any team needing center depth and speed. His ability to play on the penalty kill could also be a factor for a team looking for help in that area. I do not see him getting picked up but with the ever-changing landscape of the NHL there are bound to be a few teams that give him a hard look if he is sent down via waivers.
Andrej Nestrasil
Drafted 75th overall in 2009 and standing at 6’3 and 210lbs Nestrasil could bring a much-needed size boost to the Red Wings bottom six forwards. Since his draft day he has bounced between the AHL Griffins and the ECHL Toledo Walleye until he established himself in 2014 as a go to performer at the end of the season when given top 6 minutes in the absence of players due to injury and call-ups.
Of the forwards listed here he is the only one that hasn’t seen NHL ice time. His ability to use his size and strength combined with a solid two-way game could go a long way to helping him make the team. If he can find a way to shoot the puck more and use his big frame to go to the net with the puck or create havoc in the goal area he could give the coaching staff a lot to think about when making final cuts.
14-15′ Prediction: Does not make the team out of camp. Nestrasil still has much to prove at the AHL level let alone the NHL. Next season he should be considered for top line minutes by Coach Jeff Blashil in Grand Rapids. If he can produce at that level consistently next season he could earn a position at the top of the call up list.
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Waiver Outlook: 0%. With players like Todd Bertuzzi and Dustin Penner still available Nestrasil just does not have enough time consistently producing at high levels to warrant any team taking a chance on him. If he signs with the club next season and he can produce with the Griffins top line or at least remain a consistent producer then next season could be a much different story.
Mitch Callahan; Photo by Mark Newman from Grand Rapids Griffins Flickr Account on april 30, 2014
A Grand Rapids fan favorite taken with the 180th overall pick Mitch Callahan is a gritty winger who is not afraid to give it all for his team. Callahan has appeared in just 1 regular season game for the Wings and 189 games for Grand Rapids. He brings a tenacious physical element to the game and is aggressive on the fore check. While not big by any stretch of the word he is utterly fearless when it comes to playing the grinding game.
Last season he went a long way to standing out by scoring 26 goals 18 assists for 44 points in 70 games. He helped carry the team when nearly the entire top two lines were called up and playing in Detroit. He was so good that even upon the return of the top lines at the end of the Red Wings season he kept his top line status even while wearing a cage after suffering a fractured jaw and losing 10 teeth in a now infamous accident during a game near the end of the season(it was pretty gross so you have been warned just type his name into Google and you are bound to find it).
14-15 Prediction: Makes the team as utility forward. Callahan has a lot of the good qualities you look for in a bottom six winger. He could push incumbents Drew Miller and Justin Abdelkader for a spot on the roster if their play falters or is not up to Mike Babcocks standards.
Waiver Outlook: 5%. Even after last seasons veritable explosion of production Callahan’s charms as a 4th line grinder are a dime a dozen in a league filled with parity. With players like Paul Bissonnette and Jordin Tootoo still on the market looking for new teams it isn’t likely that any GM will take him if he is sent down to Grand Rapids.
Tomas McCollum
Photo By Dan Hickling from Grand Rapids Griffins Flickr Account
The only player on this list drafted in 2008. To put it lightly McCollum has had a roller coaster of a tenure in Detroit. Bouncing between Grand Rapids and the Walleye he never seemed to find his groove. At the end of the 2013 season he was not retained by Detroit and signed a 1 year deal with the Grand Rapids Griffins. That proved most wise on his part as he had a bounce back season posting a 2.30 goals against average and a .922% save percentage in 42 games and earned himself another contract with the Wings for the up-coming season.
With the emergence of Petr Mrazek many believed McCollum’s time with the wings was all but over. He now heads to camp looking to battle Jonas Gustavsson for playing time behind Jimmy Howard. While it remains to be seen if he can show the same consistency, which has always been the issue for McCollum, then he could serve as a solid back up in the event of injury to Howard or Gustavsson.
14-15′ Prediction: Sent down to Grand Rapids, but is the first call up if playing consistently. I can not remember a time where the Wings ran with 3 goalies on their roster. Given the cap crunch and roster squeeze I do not think he will be on the starting roster, however I do believe that he could push Gustavsson for the back up job given Gustavsson’s long litany of injuries.
Waiver Outlook: 20-30%. I was honestly surprised that McCollum didn’t sign with another team or head to Europe with the how well he played in 2014. Several NHL teams seemed starved for consistent goaltending and McCollum if playing well enough could join the likes of former Wing Joey Macdonald by being picked up on waivers. If injuries force him to be called up it could prove to be a sticky situation if he were to be sent back to grand rapids due to roster limitations or the cap.
While losing any of these players would mean a significant loss in an investment the Detroit Red Wings have made there is a reason that later draft picks like Tomas Jurco, Teemu Pulkkinen and Petr Mrazek have passed them on the depth chart. Losing these players to waivers would be less than ideal but it would not be a significant blow to the development system given the depth coming through the system. However a lot can happen between now and the end of the NHL pre-season and this season more than others is set to be very interesting one for Detroit and the Mitch Callahans and McCollums of the team.
*All stats and Quotes from Redwingscentral.com