Training camp start in three weeks
The summer is coming to an end, and the Detroit Red Wings will begin training camp in three weeks. The team did not make any major additions in the off season, and the Atlantic Division is going to be unforgiving. For young players, the opportunity has never been greater in Motown.
The core of the “Yzerplan” has been a commitment to drafting and development. Last season Marco Kasper broke out and stepped into a prominent roles as a rookie. Two front runners for a breakout are centers Amadeus Lombardi and Nate Danielson. One of those two players could well follow in Kasper’s footsteps.
Comparing Danielson and Lombardi in the AHL
In a side by side comparison, both Danielson and Lombardi bring different strengths to the table. In his rookie AHL season, Danielson played 71 games, scoring 12 goals and 27 assists. The prior season, Lombardi played 70 games and scored 5 goals and 21 assists. Last year, however, Lombardi was limited to just 44 games by injury.
Even in a limited year, Lombardi scored 19 goals, nearly four times his freshman campaign. His 21 assists were unchanged, leading to a .93 point per game pace. His scoring abilities and tenacious offensive attack are his greatest strengths. Danielson’s campaign saw some struggles, but his inaugural season was stronger than Lombardi’s. His two way play may be the best of any forward in the pipeline.
Danielson holds the advantage heading into camp
The scales seem tiled toward Nate Danielson at this point. He stands four inches taller at 6’2” compared to Lombardi at 5’10”. Danielson continues to add to his frame, listed at 187 lbs. Lombardi knows he needs to add weight (listed at 165 lbs) and have a full and healthy campaign. Danielson seems to be a more well rounded candidate at this point, ready for prime time.
The irony in sport is always being a strong teammate but competing for a place on the roster. Both Lombardi and Danielson leave everything on the ice, regardless of where they are playing. Both are well aware of what the stakes are in the coming pre season. A strong performance could be the difference of playing in the AHL or the NHL. For the Red Wings to succeed, someone is going to have to break through and take an NHL spot. Right now, Nate Danielson looks ready to go.
I think we’re at the point where the kids may be stepping up, and into the line-up. May be the reason there weren’t major UFA moves, but even if the kids are ready, you have to think 3yrs before they’re of significance. So we still need some ‘gap-fillers’ and a couple of players of prominence. An Ekblad, or Marner.
That being said, I think Mazur’s a guy that has what it takes to crack the bottom-6 and have an impact. I like his style, his grit. To your point, however, Danielson looked great down the stretch. I’d be ok if the both broke camp with numbers in the room.
Like many have said over the past several years, we’ve got potentially strong grit guys, but I still feel we need THE guy. There’s a hole on the top line….someone strong needs to fill it. Kasper between Kane & The Cat is going to be a really good line.
Totally agree. They needed a top line winger for Larkin. The Kasper line was solid and Marco breaking out finally gave the team two top 6 centers. I have a feeling JVR will get looks on Larkin’s line, but for the minutes and defensive play Danielson has the chance to be a repeat on Kasper. Hopefully he’s up for it!
Hey Jeremy. Good to see you blogging again ! This the is same Vlady from Hockeybuzz with slightly different username. Agree… from what I’ve seen in GR.. Danielson has has the higher ceiling / upside. He’s progressing a little slower than I had hoped (wanted to see better offensive numbers)… but make no mistake he has all the tools to be a top six forward and probably a top line guy as well. He is progressing in GR… so that’s the most important thing. This kid is only 20 years old… so he has plenty of time to really come into his own. Lombardi is a true sniper… but still need to fill out his frame. Both will be bonafide NHL players. Detroit’s problem is not having the true elite talent you see when you get a top 3 pick in the draft. The lottery has been terrible for Detroit.
Good to see you! I do think in a redraft Raymond goes top 3. He looks like a point per game player coming on, and they really did well being bumped back three slots in that one. Totally agree, they need someone else to break out of their draft position. Kasper came on and really was a saving grace for the team. When I went back, Danielson (though definitely a slow start) was 7 goals and 6 assists ahead of Lombardi’s rookie AHL tilt with 71 games played (compared to 70 for Lombardi). Lombardi went nuts last year, but he has to get stronger. 19 goals in 44 games, 40 points. If Danielson looks anything like that this year, he’s put on weight, 6’2”, and his 200 ft (you got to see for sure) is so much better. He seems ready, just needs to go beast mode in camp. I am so glad you dropped in!!!! Man, missed the back and forth so much!!
Hello from France !
I like reading all your articles and at last, I can reply to all those comments and news… it didn’t work and I thought I couldn’t because of the country. Not a big hockey country by the way, but hockey works here too.
Fan of Detroit since it was with Lidstrom as a rookie on megadrive (I think it was nhl 94 but I’m not sure), I’m like all of you looking for better moments. To me, Yzerman probably tried a lot this summer but the price was too much. I just hope the youngsters are ready to give a big boost. The season is long and there’s room for the hungriest !
Thank you so much for coming by! It’s really exciting to have a reader coming from France!
I have been pouring over last year’s stats. Edvinsson really moved ahead in the lineup. 2nd most points for the D, taking on 20 plus minutes. Berggren was 6th on the team in scoring with about 12+ min time on ice per night. Kasper’s average was under 15 minutes and he almost hit 20 goals. If Kasper has a strong start to the year, he should be able to hit 25 goals. JB, outscored Compher, Copp, Tarasenko and Rasmussen. More minutes for him?
The market is and was brutal. Apparently Detroit wanted Ekblad and was willing to pay him Seider money plus (?) to get him. Never hit the market. Other players opted for other destinations. To get a deal done now, he will have to overpay. So it is on the young guys to step up. Goals against and the PK killed this team. Shoring up the differential could go a long way. Thanks for coming by!