The Detroit Red Wings players Most likely to Start in Grand Rapids

The Detroit Red Wings are rebuilding. Many prospects just finished up a fantastic training camp and preseason but it is time to trim the roster down and make the final cuts.

The time has come for the Detroit Red Wings to look past the veteran players.  It is time for the franchise to buy into the young, up and comers.  Granted some players like Filip Zadina, in particular, seemed to be fighting to stay up to speed with the vigorous NHL speed.

Zadina we expect will start in Grand Rapids and play on the top line where he can achieve 20 minutes a night.  In Detroit, with Blashills ice-time distribution he would only be playing 14-15 minutes a game.

The talent level and potential Filip Zadina has displayed can’t be denied.  He will be in Detroit at some point this season we suspect but to start his professional career Grand Rapids seems like the correct fit.

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Evgeny Svechnikov seems like he will be joining Zadina in Grand Rapids to start the season.  Similar to Z, Svech doesn’t need to be passed through waivers to be sent down.  Svechnikov hasn’t been a favorite of coach Jeff Blashill, that was noticed during his late-season call-up to end last season.

He only logged around 8 minutes a night on a team that should have been playing their young guys rather than the elders.  Ken Holland and company always have this false hope they can make a late push and acquire a playoff spot.  They have to rid that mentality from their brain, especially now.

Christoffer Ehn was quite impressive throughout the preseason.  He can play as a bottom-six forward right now for the Detroit Red Wings.  Have you heard this before? They don’t have room for him.

He is a natural center who may bump the likes of Dominic Turgeon from being the first penalty killer/fourth line center called up this season from Grand Rapids.  Ehn has shown the ability to be a fluid skater and has more offensive than Turgeon and Glendening for that matter.  Ehn is someone to follow and track his progress with the Griffins this season.

Filip Hronek and Libor Sulak are both expected to start the season in the American Hockey League.  The Czech Republic pair along with Vili Saajarvi will make for a nice top three pairing this season for the Griffins.

All three potentially have a future with the Detroit Red Wings.  Hronek will be the first call-up if the Detroit Red Wings are in need of an offensive defenseman.  Sulak will get the call if the Wings are looking for a penalty killing defender.

Sulak showed that he is anything but just a defensive defenceman.  His fluid skating ability along with his breakaway goal after exiting the penalty box displayed his soft hands.  Hronek lost his job to start the season to Dennis Cholowski.  Cholowski nabbed the spot Hronek had all but sealed up prior to the start of training camp.

It just shows, hard work pays off, and a high talent level certainly doesn’t hurt the cause.