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Dennis Cholowski is the first to admit that if he isn’t a dominant performer during this week’s Detroit Red Wings development camp, then he and everyone within the organization should be increasingly worried.
“The role is being a leader,” Cholowski told Mlive.com. “I’m an older guy here now. This is my third year, so yeah, for sure (he should dominate).”
Detroit’s top pick in the 2016 NHL entry draft and the only defenseman the team has drafted in the first round since 2007, Cholowski also recognizes that there will be serious jeopardy along the Red Wings blueline if he doesn’t turn out to be a player.
Everyone - Cholowski included - anticipated and expected the Wings to tab a rearguard with the sixth overall pick of this year’s draft. When they opted to jump on high-scoring right wing Filip Zadina, when he fell from his third overall rating into Detroit’s lap, everyone - Cholowski included - did a double take.
“I’m embracing it for sure,” Cholowski said. “When I saw that, it was get on my horse and get going because I think I’m next in line.”
Selected 20th overall in 2016, Cholowski, 20, split last season between Prince George and Portland of the WHL and got into one AHL playoff game with Grand Rapids. He won’t be sent back to junior as an overager, so it’s the Wings or the minor leagues for him this season.
After opting out of taking one of Noah Dobson, Evan Bouchard, Quinn Hughes or Adam Boqvist with pick No. 6 last week, the Wings have put all their puck moving eggs into Cholowski’s basket.
He knows what type of defenseman he must be.
“Offensive guy,” Cholowski said. “Skate with the puck. Smooth skater. Making a first pass, too.”
The Wings don’t just want to see that style of game from Cholowski. They need to see it.
He recognizes that fact of life.
“For sure,” Cholowski said. “Definitely.”
All eyes will be on him in training camp to see if he’s ready to make the jump to a team that is in desperate need of skill on the back end, a requirement that will become even more critical if UFA Mike Green opts out of Detroit. That seems far more likely now that John Carlson, expected to be the top UFA defenseman this summer, re-signed with Washington.
It’s your move Dennis. Are you feeling the heat?
“It’s not necessarily adding to the pressure,” Cholowski said. “You just try to play your game and have some fun. You can’t really put too much pressure on yourself.”
External forces will, though. Expectations will be high, but none more so than from within Cholowski’s own desire to make it happen.
“That’s the goal, is the Red Wings this year,” Cholowski said. “I’m going to do everything I can to do it.”
If it doesn’t happen and Cholowski is assigned to Grand Rapids, the panic button, for which the mechanism always seems to be primed in this so-called Hockeytown, will most certainly be activated.
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