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European skaters
Will have a chance to showcase their skills for a month before the draft. With the U.S. Showcase officially cancelling, it becomes even more unique. (Canada had already withdrawn from the showcase). Each year, after the draft, some prospects have a very good start in their jr/college/men’s leagues. For teenage players, summers are crucial for building muscle/strength and working on specific areas of need. Having a month of play for European skaters will show who has jumped ahead, and that will be an advantage over North American skaters who haven’t been in competition for 7 months when the draft comes around. Some Canadian Jr Leagues are planning on opening, but many Universities and other programs are shut down.
Free agents are, once again, becoming a point of discussion. With the return of NHL action right around the corner and knowledge of a flat cap situation, the rumor mill has wasted little time in pointing out some tricky areas for some teams. Torey Krug has gotten some attention in what I believe are knee jerk reactions to some common sense comments. The Boston Blue Liner has said he is “preparing” for free agency. That doesn’t mean he wants to get there, or that he will get there. Krug now has a young family and a whole new set of priorities. But, he loves playing in Boston. Year after year players seem to buy in to the vision being set by management and take less money to be part of that group. Bergeron, Pastrnak, and Marchand all make below 7 million. That’s an impressive model to say the least.
The title of this article is how I’m ranking some of these upcoming free agents. For Krug, never say never, but the likelihood of him picking Detroit if he did go to free agency is fairly slim. Hitting the market will mean that the gap in Boston is too great, and he’s going to want to get close to top dollar. I believe he still wants to compete, as well. This rebuild isn’t going to attract guys who want to win a cup. I don’t see Yzerman paying top dollar at this point, either. And so, Krug would be a welcome asset, but I’m listing as “not likely”.
Mark Easson writes that Calgary will be in tight to re sign both T.J. Brodie and Travis Hamonic in the current cap world. He believes that Brodie would be the most likely of the two to stay with the team, but there is no guarantee. Both of these defensemen would be a welcome sight in Detroit, and I do think a fit could be possible. I’m marking this as a “maybe”. Both players still want to compete, but a flat cap is going to put contending teams in a tight spot (although Colorado could afford to load up a bit). IF one of these defensemen came to Detroit, I believe it would be on a short term deal and they could be traded to a contender before the trade freeze. Both players could help a young defensive core find it’s way and add some stability.
And finally, everyone loves trade rumors, right? Well, it’s not much fun for the players to have to deal with.
I’d written about Brock Boeser, as his name is said to be “out there”. There is a strong division on people saying he could be dealt and those saying it would be ludicrous for Vancouver to do it. Lost in all of this is the humanity of the player himself. Brock was none to pleased to be asked about the rumors, and management states vehemently that they’re not going to trade him.
And so, all apologies to Brock and co. The last thing anyone wants is to stress players out more than they already are. He’s a fantastic player, great in the community, and cares about his team. I wish him nothing but success going forward. He’d be a fantastic pickup for any team, but the dialogue has not been helpful at this point.
And so, do you agree or disagree? Is there a chance of Hamonic or Brodie signing with Detroit after the playoffs? Do you feel that Krug will find a way to stay in Boston? Keep those comments coming.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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