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My first ālooking forwardā talked about Moritz Seider. This young defenseman has made waves, quickly, at every level heās played at. Iām unabashedly excited to see how he fills out a red jersey.
Of all the things that have helped grow this blog, one of the more surprising was when I talked about Petruzzelli not wanting to sign with Detroit. Out of the blue, one of the Red Wing focused podcasts took a swing on Twitter. I was labeled as āunhelpfulā and that I didnāt have a source. One of you readers hit them back when it all came to pass, and they doubled down that I still didnāt have a source. Never mind that the whole thing fell into place the way Iād written it would. (P.S. - I had a source).
Going back to K.P., it was disappointing once it was clear he wasnāt going to sign. It seemed strange, as the opportunity to grab a job in Detroit is as wide open as Iāve seen in my lifetime. Petruzzelli was the one goalie in the pipeline that was showing some real promise. And then, within the scope of one week, Yzerman grabbed a goalie that was right for the ācore ageā, and drafted another in the first round.
Alex Nedeljkovic quickly washed away the disappointment of losing the other goalie. 25 years old, and posted some strong numbers last year in Carolina. 23 NHL games, 1.9 GAA and a .932 SV% in the regular season. 9 post season games saw 2.17GAA and a .920 SV%. Not only did Yzerman bring this goalie in, the acquisition price was negligible. A soon to be UFA and a third round pick. Signed to a two year 3m AAV, and ready to roll.
Of course, Nedeljkovic had a very strong defensive core in front of him in Carolina. Things may be a bit stressful at times while the team comes together here, but the talent is there. Greiss is a fantastic mentor in this situation as well. He played his heart out and often didnāt get the result he deserved. His attitude has been fantastic, and Iām excited for the tandem.
This year feels special, and a big part is the new net minder. A young player that could find himself with the team long term while the newly drafted Sebastian Cossa develops. The hope, obviously, is to see those two sharing the crease in the not too distant future.
Leave it to Yzerman to turn a weakness into a strength within a matter of days. The acquisition of Nedeljkovic also helped me find peace in terms of drafting/developing. The GM knows how to turn weaknesses into strengths through drafting, trades and free agency. If a player isnāt working out, I have confidence that āThe Captainā can address the situation and improve it.
So, are you excited about this trade/sign? How do you see the season unfolding with the newest netminder? Let me know in the comments.
Check out some of my previous posts:
Jakub Vrana and Adam Erne have filed for arbitration.
I posted āThe Winged Wheel season 3, ep 1ā
I posted Yzermanās Zoom call
I posted Pius Suterās Zoom call
I did a wrap up of the āFrenzyā.
Pius Suter highlighted the opening day of free agency.
Yesterday was a free agency āprimerā
Svechnikov was not qualified by Wings, and Lindstrom signed for 2 years.
Marc Staal returns for 1 year, 2M
I posted my final thoughts about the 2021 draft
Day 2 of the 2021 draft can be found here
You can take a look at Detroitās first round results here.
Yzerman extended Rasmussen and acquired Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday.
Seattle has selected Dennis Cholowski.
While we wait on RFA contract status for Detroit
RedWings TV did a quick hit on centers MacTavish and Lusius as possible draft targets
Detroit acquired Leddy for Panik, 52nd pick
The market for Zack Hyman is blowing up.
Yzerman has kept contracts short and sweet.