The Detroit Red Wings finally addressed their identity issues by making a trade for Vegas Golden Knights forward Keegan Kolesar. Kolesar, a bruising, physical player, finished off last season seventh in hits among all NHLers and fourth in the last four years in total hits.
The Red Wings have sorely needed a player of Kolesar's talent level for some time. A few seasons back, when soon-to-be-former captain Dylan Larkin was knocked unconscious on the ice, only an aging David Perron stood up for him. Last season, Alex DeBrincat had to fight his own battles on multiple occassions.
That era comes to an end with the introduction of Kolesar.
Kolesar sat down with a handful of Red Wings reporters last week, offering quite a few great quotes along the way. These are the standout messages Kolesar shared on his press conference:
Kolesar, team recognized missing piece
After learning he was to be traded, Kolesar reached out to a few Red Wings on the roster to get their understanding on the situation.
"They [the Red Wings players] felt that there was a missing piece," Kolesar began, "not just from the fighting aspect, but from a toughness standpoint. I hope I can bring that aspect of being tough to play against, being a veteran presence on the front end...they have a lot of young studs that I feel have the skill aspect figured out, but I want to bring whatever I can to help build an identity for the team."
The Red Wings have been desperate for that kind of energy for quite some time. Adding a player like Kolesar helps to bring a response to teams like the Florida Panthers who so frequently bully their opposition into submission.
Kolesar on uplifting his teammates
When asked if his manner of play is infectious, Kolesar went right to the point: "You try to bring guys into fight every night. I think guys look to leaders...obviously look to leaders of the team," he began. "If I can be one of those older guys that comes in & shows guys like 'hey, we're going to go in the trenches tonight' and see who wants to follow me maybe it uplifts the guys a little more."
The most important aspect of building an identity in today's NHL is cohesion. The Carolina Hurricanes, after years of sticking to their identity, found a way to break through. The Florida Panthers, as mentioned earlier, have an identity of physical, gruesome hockey.
The Red Wings, before the addition of Kolesar, had no identity. Now, they have an opportunity to build one.
Kolesar on embracing change
It's not every day you have to move across the country for your job. In the case of Kolesar, this is his first time in his NHL career he's played for any team besides the Vegas Golden Knights. "Sometimes change is good," Kolesar said. "More opportunity to et to grow uh my hockey pool a lot more with some new friends.
"I told my girlfriend, I was like Well, you know, this is just more people we're going to have to invite to our wedding later on in life." So, it's exciting."
For Kolesar (and the Red Wings, for that matter), one chapter ends and another begins. This is his opportunity to establish himself as a physical force in Hockeytown, and it's Detroit's chance to finally establish itself as a team that's a pain to play against.
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