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some players may head overseas During this long wait with the league’s return to play preparing for phase 3. Camps will officially start July 10th, with an estimated time frame of mid October to hand out the cup. That will leave the 7 teams who are out of it waiting until mid December to train in camp, with a restart around the Winter Classic on New Year’s Day 2021. A near 10 month layoff in NHL competition is going to make some players have to consider some other options.
The last post (link above) focused on the “fringe” NHL/AHL players in Detroit’s systems. Guys who would have to have an exceptional training camp and pre season in order to grab an NHL spot. Today’s focus is on the next group amongst the non playing teams that could see some European ice time.
If you remember William Nylander’s contract negotiations, he was in Sweden while everything was being finalized. Nylander didn’t sign with a team, but was allowed to work out with them. His season didn’t really come together (although last year he had a very good showing) in part because he was doing drills while the rest of the league had their camps and a couple months of fierce competition. It’s not ideal when the NHL is in full swing, but is it better than nothing?
Many NHLers went overseas during the quarantine. Unless Detroit, Buffalo, New Jersey, Ottawa, Anaheim, Los Angelos and San Jose set up in person exit interviews, it’s not likely that they will return until the season starts. These players could well decide to workout with clubs without a contract, or go ahead and sign with an “NHL out” clause. These are players who want more than just informal skates and time in the weight room.
Frans Nielsen - it was a tough year for everyone, and Nielsen is no exception. 4 goals and 5 assists in 60 games is a Tough run for a player making 5.25mil for 2 more seasons. It’s obvious he was frustrated with himself, and expects more from his game. A potential buyout candidate, Nielsen is a hard working player who wants to bounce back from last year. A short stint with a club in Denmark or Sweden may be just what the doctor ordered to get his groove back.
Valtteri Filppula - 6 goals and 15 assists in 70 games, and a -42. Plus/minus isn’t relied on nearly as much as it used to be, but when there is a severe imbalance it still gets people’s attention. Fil returned to Motown on a 2 year deal at 3 million per. A summer in Finland and a couple months with one of his old teams could be in the cards for him.
Patrick Nemeth - Nemeth found himself in the lion’s den last year. With the carousel of injuries, he played in 64 games and did his best to try and stabilize the back end. It’s a contract year for the Swedish blue liner, and I would expect him to look at options in Sweden for training and even possibly a short term stint.
Gustav Lindstrom and Filip Hronek - both are entering contract years and both want to be a part of the team going forward. Hronek with 5th on the team in points with 31 in 65 games. Lindstrom only played 16 and garnered a single assist. Hronek is a virtual lock to start the season in Detroit. Lindstrom may not be. If Lindstrom does sign in Sweden, it could be for the season depending on what the AHL and NHL situations are.
Filip Zadina - this one is a bit more tricky. Zadina only played 28 games and had 8 goals and 7 assists. Flashes of his development were evident, but injury cut the season short. He may choose to remain in Detroit to train with Larkin, Mantha, and Bertuzzi. For this player it’s all about being stronger and finding a quick release. IF he does go home to the Czech Republic, he could well skate with a team. I don’t think he would sign anything and risk getting hurt playing. This is a coin toss at this point. 50/50 whether he trains in the US or in the Czech Republic.
For the most part, I expect the North American players who have a spot on the team next year to stay. With the QMJL opening up in October, we could well see Mantha skating with a jr club. Larkin, Dekeyser and Abdelkader could skate with their respective UniversitY teams. Bertuzzi could find a jr club to work with. These clubs will probably be more than happy to have some alumni around their players. The risk of traveling to Europe may not be worth it for the core players, and Yzerman could well discourage it in those cases.
There is one final category that I will review in the next post. I hope you’ve enjoyed going through the roster as the NHL gets closer toward a return. June 26th is an important date, and we will have a better idea of who will be joining Detroit’s pipeline.
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