Red Wings: Grand Rapids’ Gritty Grewe is one to keep an eye on

Red Wings prospect Albin Grewe will finally get the chance to see the ice in North America this season after signing an amateur tryout with the Grand Rapids Griffins. So what kind of player are the Griffins getting in Grewe?

Grewe contributed in the  Swedish Hockey League this season. He has 3 goals and 3 assists with Djurgardens IF this season (albeit with limited ice team). However, Grewe posses all the skills to develop anywhere from a top six to a top nine forward in the NHL.

Grewe is a guy that plays an aggressive style  that just gets under the skin of any opponent. Just ask fellow Red Wings prospect, Elmer Soderblom.

Grewe is not afraid to give and receive big hits. In the SHL this season, he had 55h hits in 39 games – while averaging less than ten minutes on the ice. Ever aggressive on the forecheck, Grewe’s  style is a nightmare for opposing teams. He’s not afraid to deliver blows, talk trash, and give absolutely all his energy to stop opponents from producing anything on offense.

While Grewe’s bread and butter is his playstyle, he’s a player you have to watch when he decides to drive the net. While his puck handling skills are just average, he posses a fantastic wrist shot. When in the slot, he’s the shooter who can snipe the top of the net. He should fit in well with the Grand Rapids power play that has seen its fair share of success so far this season.

It wasn’t guaranteed that was going to get a shot to play this season in the United States. Grewe is signed with the Saginaw Spirit, a member of the Ontario Hockey League, which has yet to enact their return to play  plan.

With the Griffins, Grewe can slot into an already solid core upfront. Should Steve Yzerman make some trades, opening up room for Givani Smith, or Taro Hirose, it will only give Grewe more ice time to hone his game on North American ice.