Second Day of Training Camp
The Red Wings are working hard to get ready for the preseason. After Day one of training camp, it was clear that scrimmages had taken the place of many on ice drills. The players and the staff seem to be enjoying the new focus.
Patrick Kane addressed the media after day two, and the conversation focused on two players. John Gibson and Marco Kasper seemed to be garnering a lot of attention right now. Both players hope to be a big part of Detroit’s on ice success.
John Gibson is ready for a fresh start
Patrick Kane remarked that Gibson “Is the starting goalie we’ve been missing”. He clarified that Cam Talbot played well for the team, however. Kane was just enthusiastic that the Red Wings had a “One – Two punch in net” that could help them find success in season.
John Gibson said that he’s “leaving it all behind me” when asked about the departure for Anaheim. Gibson stated clearly that his goal is to lead Detroit to the post season. Coach McLellan stated that Gibson’s presence has energized and excited the Detroit players. There is a different energy in the Red Wings locker room right now.
Marco Kasper is stronger and ready to compete
Patrick Kane also spoke quite a bit about Marco Kasper with the press. “He complements us (Kane and Alex Debrincat) well. Always strong and aggressive, feisty on the puck”. Kane made it clear that his linemates have picked up right where they left off last year.
Kasper is the most talked about forward amongst the press right now. His skill and strength are both on display in camp and he looks ready to battle. Detroit seems to have solidified the center position on the top two lines. That alone makes this team very different than the group that started last season.
FInnie is a player to watch in the preseason… I think this kid will surprise some people. His tenacity with the puck is a breath of fresh air in terms of prospects. His speed is a real asset. Now if we could just get Buchelnikov over here….
Absolutely. I talked about Finnie a bit after the prospect’s tournament. He came into the pre season energized and physical. Apparently he continues to push and turn heads. Very exciting and sounds like a late round gem. I can’t for the life of me understand why Booch isn’t here. Seems like a perfect fit for a callup. Good stuff ahead, and the team seems really energized right now. Good to see you!
LW1and RD2 are STILL 2 spots to be filled!!! I don’t see internal candidates to adequately able to fill them.
i actually think LW1 can be filled internally. Kasper was the best in the rotation last year when he was brought up. I feel like Danielson or Lombardi are in a very similar spot. Danielson’s 200 ft game is incredible so i give him the edge. RD is going to be way trickier. They need for someone to really surprise. Candidates are Hamonic and JBD. JBD had some really important mins in Buffalo last year at one point. Hamonic played top mins in Ottawa. ASP will one day break out (i believe) but i feel like he needs some time. Thanks for dropping in!
And who fills Kasper’s spot? He is 2C, and there is where he should stay unless Y trades for a 2C….not happening!
Hamonic and JBD are other team’s cast-offs and will only amount to bottom pairing or pressbox fillers.
I feel like i either worded that incorrectly or there was some misunderstanding. I never implied that Kasper would move back to Larkin’s wing. I’m making a comparison of why I believe Danielson or Lombardi can fill that spot this year. Kasper is absolutely the 2c, and may one day be a 1c. Just to clarify, i feel like Danielson or Lombardi are in a similar position to what Kasper was in last season. Able to fill that winger spot. I’ve written several posts regarding Kasper’s line with Kane and Debrincat as the best line on the team. I don’t want that tampered with at all. Lombardi and Danielson are in a place to REPEAT Kasper’s performance on Larkin’s wing and grab a spot. Neither has been given a look yet. But at no point do i want the Kasper line tampered with.
Oh and it is sad that they cannot bring Boosch over to NA for a proper evaluation!
Very sad. There’s still a pretty sizeable communication gap with the KHL. But, the new CBA leaves Russian player rights with the drafting team indefinitely. There just doesn’t seem to have been a lot of communication at this point.
Hi there,
the camp seems to have been fast paced (more than last year ?) and there’s belief. Pre season will tell a little bit more but I’m optimistic on this part.
The real (long) season will be the real part, so let’s don’t start too quickly (not too many injuries, that will be part of the success or not, too) if we want to be consistent at last !
Finnie, a late round gem like Dats or Zetterberg, that would be a nice story indeed. He looks really motivated but it is no real games yet. Wait and see.
On defense, Wallinder or Buium could probably be better than Holl, but I’m not sure there will start. Maybe after the break ?
As for Kasper, I hope he will not feel all that pressure, everyone is asking him a lot and if you don’t score or help, the risk is you lose confidence. And other teams will be more careful now. Difficult 2nd year ahead for him !
I would be really hesitant to put Finnie on the level of Datsyuk or Z. Late round gem for me at this point is legitimate NHL forward. He certainly looks like he can compete for a third or fourth line spot. More than anything he’s gutting himself and not holding back
Camp is WAY more intense. Three quick days, but all with scrimmages. To the players credit, they make that possible with their off ice conditioning. Next year vets will be held to just 3 pre season appearances, so they’re cutting the pre season and adding 2 regular season games. Really good pace this year. Thanks for dropping in!!!
9 PM 10 here and what a surprise, I can watch the game live (or almost, maybe a few minutes later) ! I thought it could only work for Michigan.
Nice to see real live action, so unsual.
Have a nice game !
Just a last comment on this red white game : strange moments between Compher and Seider at the end of period 1 (agressive, someone has to tell them they are on the same team !)
What is going on ? Not the start of a mess between them, I hope… no good for team mindset.
Chiarot slow, ASP not happy for his penalty, Talbot not too warm, line 2 very good, Larkin looking to do something with Raymond but not working at all, Lombardi playing well, Hamonic quite solid, Danielson okay, and I didn’t see Buium. Christensen and Shine not bad at all. Ras doing a lot with his stickhandling but is it efficient ?
Not a lot of action but some line shuffling and at least it is (almost) live !