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Last week I did a 3 part series on players who may opt to play over in Europe.
part 1 dealt with the fringe NHL/AHL players who don’t have a guaranteed spot.
part 2 is made up of European players who want to get some ice time and reps to break up the 10 month layoff. Players who can connect with a team near their overseas home.
And finally, part 3 will be made up of players looking to reboot their career in some way. I’d mentioned Trevor Daley as a long shot possibility, but recent comments made over the weekend make it all but certain that won’t be the case. Detroit Red Wings pending defenseman Trevor Daley on playing next season.
“I will work to keep myself in shape, make myself ready… but it does have to be the right situation.” That quote makes it fairly clear that he may be up to being a depth player on a championship caliber team, but it would have to be the right team and situation. I wish TD all the very best, his leadership and work ethic are both worthy of being studied by young players. He gives it all.
Roman Polak may be staying overseas, and has signed with HC Vitkovice in the Czech league. A new category of player for the 24 contenders may be appearing. Players who don’t feel comfortable coming back. I’ve sent several of you a message regarding this, and will revisit some ideas to help the league address this should it become a more prominent issue.
Ken Holland is dealing with the reality of the long layoff for AHL players. He acknowledged that prospect Dmitri Samorukov has the option to play in the KHL as opposed to sitting out until December or January. I knew the KHL camps started early, but the July 15th start is earlier than I thought. Their official start is still September, but the process is a lot different over there. That drastically shifts how many players could actually go over to that league at this point.
Mlive writes that Yzerman was encouraged by the development of some of the young players. Hronek certainly made an impression on many of us. Larkin was impressed with Zadina’s development and his shot. It’s tough to step back and look at the positives in what was the worst season many of us have seen. Yzerman’s expectations and candor are refreshing. He knows the team was lacking, and is making no bones about that. Still, some of the changes that are being hoped for seem to be a ways off.
and finally, the AHL now has a return to play task force. Some of what they’re looking at was covered in the first part of the 3 part series last week. The AHL revenue streams are at the gate and in the building. One of the surprises to me is the conversation looking at the possibility of the AHL not returning for next season. I believe that’s the absolute worst case scenario and that is why this task force is working. Steve Yzerman and Ken Holland are both part of this committee. There was an acknowledgement that prospects need a clear path forward in order to make decisions on what to do for next season.
The concern of the 8 to 10 month layoff is being voiced in more forums at this point. While it’s been stated that I’ve over emphasized the severity of this, it is refreshing to see players, GMs, owners and others confirm that this needs to be addressed and is a driving force in upcoming meetings. Where I’m a bit uncertain is, how many AHL teams could survive a year off? While many arenas are multi-purpose, if games and concerts are still off limits that’s a long time to go without revenue for anyone. Teams with deep pockets will probably be fine, but AHL ownership is sometimes independent and not setup to face these challenges.
The coming weeks will see what decisions are made. Here’s to hoping that the AHL can be supported and sustained during the time away.
Detroit Red Wings Blogger • 
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