Detroit Red Wings: Four Players Expected to Compete for One Job
The Detroit Red Wings, going into camp, have quite a few question marks throughout their roster that they will need answers too. One of which will be, who will be the starting sixth defenseman for the club?
The Detroit Red Wings are expected to have a healthy competition set to see who will become the sixth defender on the club, as training camp looms. As we already know, the defense production on the wings has been quite an issue ever since the great Nicklas Lidstrom has retired. Its been so bad in recent years, it almost makes you wonder if Lidstrom could still be their number one defenseman today at age 48.
After this up and coming season has completed, Niklas Kronwall and Nick Jensen will both become unrestricted free agents. To soon to tell but watching “Kronner” labor last year this could be his final season.
Detroit with an old group on the backend, will have to wait until the spring or summer of 2020 before a complete revamped newly named defense core is in place. Spring seems more probable with the likes of Mike Green along with Trevor Daley being tradeable pieces for playoff teams looking to add depth. Along with those two players, our friend Jonathan Ericsson’s contract is set to expire following the conclusion of the 2019/2020 season.
The future suggests the summer of 2020 will provide a complete back-end overhaul with the exception of Danny DeKeyser. DeKeyser, only 30 years of age by then, will be the senior of the defense core and Detroit with the hope of DeKeyser being a lot more reliable than he’s been in the last two seasons. Look for DeKeyser to bounce back this year and provide “top two” minutes on a nightly basis for the Red Wings.
That being said, this up and coming training camp along with the preseason will provide an intense battle for the starting 6th defenseman’s job. Let’s have a look at the early candidates for the job.
Filip Hronek
The Wings selected Hronek 53rd overall in the second round of the 2016 NHL Entry Level Draft. He played last season for the Grand Rapids Griffins.
The Detroit Red Wings may opt to upgrade their scoring opportunity on the third pairing defense with Filip Hronek. Hronek turns 21 years old this November.
Last Season in Grand Rapids, in his first full season as a professional, Hronek played 67 games and totaled 39 points. Hronek led the defense group for the Griffins in scoring in all three categories. 11 goals, 28 assists. Hronek also led the entire Grand Rapids team in plus/minus and was a plus 24 last season.
Detroit is in need of a right-handed shot on the backend, this will be a benefit for Hronek who indeed is right-handed.
After an excellent first season of professional hockey, the Detroit Red Wings will give Filip Hronek every opportunity to compete for a final starting defenseman position this summer. He’s a player to continue to track, he brings a bit more scoring ability that Nick Jensen tends to lack.
Gustav Lindstrom
Not to be mixed up with Lidstrom but we can only hope he’s half as good. Gustav Lindstrom is pronounced precisely how half the folks not in the Detroit area, miss-pronounced Nick Lidstrom for years.
The Detroit Red Wings selected Gus Lindstrom with the 38th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Level Draft. Lindstrom has played his last two seasons for a team called Almtuna IS. Almtuna is the second highest level of professional hockey in Sweden. Lindstrom will turn 20 years of age this coming October.
Lindstrom showed decent statistical improvements last season in the league from the previous season. The previous campaign he recorded a stat line of 39 Games, 6 goals, 8 assists equalling 14 points. The first year Lindstrom played in more games (48) and recorded less total points (9). A stat that also improved was his plus/minus. Two seasons ago Lindstrom was a -11. Last season Gus improved to become a plus 2.
Lindstrom will need a fantastic camp and pre-season to leapfrog Filip Hronek along with Nick Jensen. It seems Gus Lindstrom would benefit from a full season in Grand Rapids similar to Filip Hronek. Lindstrom being right-handed fills a need if not immediately, in the future. It seems teams have been unable to find enough right-handed defenders in recent years.
Dennis Cholowski
The Detroit Red Wings selected now 20-year-old Dennis Cholowski 20th overall in the first round of the 2016 NHL Entry Level Draft.
Cholowski split time last season in the Western Hockey League between a pair of teams. Cholowski played 37 games for the Pince George Cougars where he scored 13 goals and added 26 helpers for 39 points; he was also a plus 9. Dennis also played 32 games for the Portland Winterhawks recording only 1 goal and adding 26 assists for 27 points. For Portland Cholowski was a plus 20.
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When you combine his totals, the stat line looks like this respectfully, 69 GP 14 Goals-52 Assists-66 Points & a Plus 29. Coming off a really nice season in the WHL, Cholowski will have his eye set on winning a roster spot on the Wings team out of camp. Cholowski is a left-handed shot which today Detroit has a plethora of throughout their system, Cholowski will be in Detroit at some point don’t worry, it just might not be this coming October. It may happen faster for some than others. An example; a player excelling in Grand Rapids could be called up within the first couple months of the season.
The obstacles loom large for the immediate future for Cholowski similar to Lindstrom. They both would benefit from at least some time in Grand Rapids before jumping right into Detroit’s line-up. Cholowski many projects, as being the best of this group once he has fully developed. Filip Hronek is a year advanced and will be the front-runner barring a horrific camp, to bump Jensen from sixth on the depth chart to seventh.
Nick Jensen
It’s Nick’s job to lose! Nick Jensen played as the sixth defenseman last season for the Detroit Red Wings. Jensen played 16:15 minutes per game last season for the Wings and failed to find the back of the net in 81 games played. Jensen was able to record 15 assists, also seemed to play a “crisper” game as the season went on. Jensen was trusted upon more and more even though his offensive ability was lagging.
The Detroit Red Wings drafted Nick Jensen 150th overall in 2009 with a 5th round selection. Jensen is entering the final year of his team-friendly contract which has a cap hit of 812k according to capfriendly.com.
Nick Jensen at 28 years of age, may find himself as the odd man out for this up and coming season. Jensen will have a hefty battle with Filip Hronek in particular for the 6th spot on the Detroit Red Wings backend.
Nick Jensen who played his first full season in the NHL last year could fend off the younger players breathing down his neck for a roster spot, but Jensen himself will need to perform at a higher level and prove he can be a well rounded valuable piece moving forward.
Nick Jensen would merely be Detroit’s 7th D-man if he indeed does lose out to a younger player, Detroit, unfortunately, has shown no interest in allowing Jonathan Ericsson to miss out on a roster spot. Jensen may find himself in trade talks around the NHL trade deadline this winter. Jensen would fetch a late round draft pick for a team hampered by injuries or possibly looking for a sixth defenseman. Jensen’s contract makes him easily movable if necessary.
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The Detroit Red Wings cannot dress a young defenseman, and have them sit in the press box. If one of the mentioned players would happen to unseat Jensen, Nick still holds value at the NHL level to practice with the NHL group and remain ready if and when injuries occur.