The Detroit Red Wings have three straight wins, and Cam Talbot has been solid. John Gibson was pulled in his first outing, but it’s time for him to get another look. Gibson will get the net against Tampa Bay, and this won’t be an easy game for a rebound.
Coach Todd McLellan addressed the media,and he made it clear that Gibson wasn’t alone in game one. The loss to Montreal saw the team struggle, indeed never finding any sustained pressure against the Canadiens. Gibson needs to get back into the net, and he will be anxious to gain the confidence of fans and teammates alike.
The rookies are staying put, for now
Coach McLellan made it clear that jobs are earned, and proved it on opening night this year. Three rookies made the team, and subsequently two veterans were placed on waivers. The rookies will play their fifth game against Tampa Bay, thereby getting closer to that 10 game threshold. In other words, it looks like those ELCs will be trimmed by one season for each player.
Axel Sandin-Pellikka has been an interesting, and impressive addition to the team. Averaging over 20 minutes per night, ASP seems to have locked down the second pairing role. He’s seeing usage in all situations, and rising to the occasion. That development has caused another interesting situation to arise, and it involves three veteran players.
Three players on the trading block?
Earlier today a new rumor came about, and it was reported by ProHockeyrumors.com. Evidently, Gustafsson, Holl and Hamonic are all being made available for trade. Gustafsson and Holl are currently in the AHL, while Hamonic is the odd man out in Detroit right now.
Holl would likely be the most difficult to trade, considering his 3.4 million dollar cap hit. Gustafsson may be the easiest to move at this point, and there are a couple of reasons. His cap hit is reasonable, but his AHL status makes him available as a call up for teams worried about depth and injury.
It’s doubtful that all three will be moved, but interesting nonetheless. The question remains, will Yzerman attempt to find an upgrade instead of just trimming the roster?
