Detroit Red Wings: Steve Yzerman hoping patience pays off
Patience usually pays off. As Detroit Red Wings fans, we hope that’s the case moving forward. This past season Detroit fans finally had a playoff push to be excited for the first time in years in the weeks leading up to the trade deadline. Although the push was short-lived, the Red Wings gave the fans some hope, and hope isn’t something they’ve had in quite a long time. In the end, Detroit failed to qualify for the postseason for the seventh consecutive season, but that hope we experienced, albeit just for a few weeks, is something to build on as we head into the 2023-24 season.
Patience is often an afterthought in today’s tech-driven world. People are always looking to get the next biggest and greatest thing. It’s no different with sports. It’s also something that is running thin with a large part of the Detroit Red Wings fan base.
We hear about all of these top prospects but often fail to give them a chance to develop before we label them busts. Every player develops at a different pace. Some kids are ready and able to make an immediate impact as a teenager, while others might not find their way until they are 23 or 24 years old and things suddenly click.
The Detroit Red Wings remain committed to being patient regarding their top prospects.
Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman understands the urgency within the teams’ fanbase but continues to take a patient approach with the long-term goal of being a Stanley Cup contender in mind.
“We all look around and you wish you had more of your prospects ready to go sooner,” Yzerman said in his end-of-season media session on April 14. “I think it’s most important to remain patient with them. Let them mature, grow up and develop as players at the right rate. Try to have a good environment for them whether they remain in college, junior hockey or finally turn pro.”
Many injuries sustained early this past season allowed for a few unexpected NHL debuts. One of Detroit’s top forward prospects, Jonathan Berggren, received the call and quickly capitalized on his opportunity playing his way into being a regular on the roster. Berggren, 22, recorded 21 goals and 43 assists a year ago with the Grand Rapids Griffins in his first season in North America.
Berggren will find himself in a valuable top-nine role moving forward. The young playmaker started this year off with a bang, recording seven points in seven games before getting the call from Detroit. With the Red Wings, Berggren totaled 15 goals and 28 points over 67 games in his rookie season.
Elmer Soderblom had been a surprise addition to the Detroit Red Wings, making the team out of training camp.
Soderblom, 21, stands 6-foot-8 but possesses the hands of a 6-footer. The sixth-round pick got off to a great start scoring in the first game of the season and eventually totaling five goals and eight points over 21 games with the Red Wings. As the Detroit Red Wings started to get healthy, Soderblom suffered a minor injury and was assigned to Grand Rapids, where he finished his season once he was ready to return. With the Griffins, Soderblom totaled five goals and eight points over 21 games.
Soderblom will have every opportunity to make the Red Wings again this upcoming season, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he finds himself starting with the Griffins as he tries to round out his game. Also, I hope Yzerman adds a couple of established top-nine forwards this summer, and if that is the case, it buys time for a player like Soderblom.
The two players many expect to see in a winged wheel jersey on the first day of the regular season are Simon Edvinsson and Marco Kasper. Detroit’s two top prospects enjoyed a cup of coffee with the Red Wings at the end of this past season. Edvinsson looked the part of a future top-pairing defender.
Edvinsson, 20, appeared poised beyond his years in his nine NHL games. The left-handed defender recorded two goals and two points and eventually played his way onto head coach Derek Lalonde’s second pairing with Ben Chiarot. With the Griffins, Edvinsson scored five goals and 27 points over 52 games in his first taste of hockey in North America. Edvinsson should see significant ice time next season in Detroit following his stable season with the Griffins this past year.
Marco Kasper, 19, had a stellar season with Rogle BK Angelholm recording eight goals and 23 points before joining the Detroit Red Wings for one game. Kasper made his NHL debut in Toronto and performed well, playing as the team’s second-line center between Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond. As it turns out, Kasper was playing with a lower-body injury. Kasper is expected to be ready for training camp and will likely make an immediate impact as Detroit’s second-line center unless Yzerman makes a splash this summer, pushing Kasper to the third-line role.
Four other Detroit Red Wings prospects likely to begin the year in Grand Rapids that we should monitor.
Another name to watch is Carter Mazur. The third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings would follow that tremendous season with another one this past year, with Denver scoring 22 goals totaling 37 points over 40 games. After joining the Griffins, Mazur totaled three goals and six points over six games.
Mazur will likely start the year in Grand Rapids unless he performs exceptionally well during training camp. Mazur eventually will see an opportunity to become a regular in Detroit, and his skill set, attitude, and grittiness somewhat mirror former Red Wing, Tyler Bertuzzi. Detroit is missing that sandpaper type of player, and the Jackson, Michigan native can fill the void.
Yzerman expects to see Mazur in Detroit sooner than later.
“He looks like an NHL player for me,” Yzerman said. “He skates well, has good hands and knows where to go on the ice. He’s gonna be on our team and I think he’s gonna be a real good player for us sooner than later.” “He’s really a good little player,” Yzerman said. “He’s a very creative and competitive guy. Is he in there running guys over and knocking guys out? No, but he drives to the net, somehow gets into the corners first and makes plays. He’s a very entertaining player. Can he take that to the American League or to the NHL one day? I hope so. He certainly has the ability to do that. He’s gonna have to adjust playing against bigger, stronger and faster guys.”
William Wallinder, 20, enjoyed an excellent season with Rogle BK Angelholm (same team as Kasper) this past year, recording seven goals and 26 points over 50 games before signing a three-year entry-level contract (ELC) with the Detroit Red Wings at the end of March. The ELC will begin this upcoming season.
Yzerman had been impressed with Wallinder’s development overseas but admitted he’s got work to do.
“He’s developed very nicely over in Sweden,” Yzerman said. “He’s got a lot of work to do. He’s over here right now and has only played one game. He’s dealing with an injury, so would have liked to see him play a little bit more. Expect him to be back over here next year, but he’s worked hard and come a long way. He’s got a lot of work to do still.”
Albert Johansson is another defenseman chomping the bit, hoping to earn a role in Detroit. The 22-year-old scored five goals and added ten assists in 53 games with the Griffins before suffering an undisclosed season-ending injury on March 4. Yzerman mentioned that he was quite pleased with Johansson’s development this season. The young defender is expected to be fully healthy before the start of the season.
Next. Wings should avoid signing Michael Bunting in free agency. dark
Last but not least, Sebastian Cossa. Cossa backboned the Toledo Walleye, finishing his first professional season with a 26-16-4 record with a 2.56 goals-against average and 0.913 save percentage in 46 regular-season games.
“We’re all very pleased with Sebastian’s season to date,” Yzerman said. “He struggled early in the season. We decided to leave him in Toledo because we knew he was gonna get a lot of starts and it was gonna be a challenge for him. What I can really say is that his attitude has been unreal.”
Cossa will be expected to start next season in Grand Rapids after his stellar season in Toledo. It often takes goaltenders quite a bit longer to develop than skaters. Yzerman will remain patient with his first-round selection, and we can expect to see the 6-foot-6 netminder paired with Ville Husso with the Detroit Red Wings in a few years.