Detroit Red Wings should consider alternate options to Christoffer Ehn

The Christoffer Ehn experiment should be over for the Detroit Red Wings for a while, yet they continue to plug him into their lineup.

The 22-year-old Detroit Red Wings prospect Christoffer Ehn hasn’t been able to produce in the offensive zone for the Wings.  With the team already offensively challenged the team should consider various additional options they have in their farm system.

It is Ehn’s first NHL season, through his first 21 games with the Wings he’s only been able to achieve 3 points, all being assists.  Watching him during games, he hasn’t shown much skill in the offensive zone.  I can’t really think of one single scoring chance that he’s had off the top of my head, although he’s undoubtedly had a few.

His head coach Jeff Blashill probably loves the fact he is a plus 2 on the season.  I am sure he has that highlighted a few times in his notes before penciling in a Detroit Red Wings lineup.  It is a stat that doesn’t mean as much as it once did, but players say they still look at it.  I mean all of the analytics are nice, but the simplicity of being on the ice when your team scores more often than getting scored against has to still mean something.

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Ehn is only averaging 9:36 a night, he has a very underwhelming 16 total shots on goal. I can hear Blashill right now–But, but, but he kills penalties, and he is a plus player.  Well, we have a tonne of forwards who kill penalties.  Dylan Larkin, Frans Nielsen, Justin Abdelkader, Luke Glendening, Jacob de La Rose, Tyler Bertuzzi all rotate in on the PK.

The Detroit Red Wings should consider calling up Chris Terry or Matt Puempel from the Grand Rapids Griffins.  Chris Terry is on fire this season for the Wings AHL affiliate.  He has 20 goals and 32 points in 32 games for the Griffins.  He was the leading scoring last season in the entire AHL when he recorded 71 points in 62 games played.

Terry is 29-years-old, he has some NHL experience, as he’s played in 152 career NHL games.  He hasn’t had much luck though at the highest level of hockey in the world, yet it shouldn’t obstruct him from future considerations.  During those 152 games, he’s recorded 22 goals and 38 points.

Last season playing for the Laval Rocket although scoring all those points he was a minus -33.  Someone should show Jeff Blashill his statistics and highlight that he is a PLUS 9 this season for the Griffins.

Another option for the Detroit Red Wings should be Matt Puempel.  He’s played 79 career NHL games between the Ottawa Senators and the New York Rangers.  In those games he has been able to notch 10 goals and add 5 assists.  He’s only averaged 9:56 TOI throughout his short-lived NHL career.  He sort of played the Martin Frk role.  He’s a different player than Frk, but he found himself on the fourth line and getting additional work on the power-play.

This season for the Griffins Puempel has recorded 13 goals to go along with his 11 helpers to total 24 points.  He is a plus 5.  To be fair, Ehn did record 6 points in his brief 10 game stint with the Griffins, although he was only able to record 1 goal.

I feel both of these players would serve as better, more valuable options for the Detroit Red Wings. Both players have brighter scoring upside, and that is something the Wings are lacking.  It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world to have Ehn go back to Grand Rapids and work on the offensive side of his game.  He is only 22; I am not saying give up on him, he just doesn’t seem to be productive in the NHL yet.