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The Detroit Red Wings dropped a 2-0 decision last night in preseason action at the Joe Louis Arena. Although the contest will go down as
Sidney Crosby’s return to action for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Red Wing fans may have come to realize another prospect on the blueline making a name for himself this preseason.
The Wings 5th round selection, 150th overall in 2009,
Nick Jensen is coming off his first pro season with the Grand Rapids Griffins after three seasons starring with St. Cloud State of the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. Having recently turned 24, Jensen is older than any of the highly touted prospects in the Wings system along the blueline in
Alexei Marchenko (22),
Ryan Sproul (21),
Xavier Ouellet (21) and
Mattias Backman (21), yet has the fewest pro games played of the group. As a result, heading into training camp he was often overlooked or not mentioned by many fans or pundits when highlighting Detroit's depth on the blueline.
Originally drafted based on his skating ability and raw offensive potential, his game has transformed over the years to include a more defensive focus. Below is the scouting report on Jensen from the fine folks at RedWingsCentral.com:
Tremendous skating is the foundation of his game, with high top speed and great agility … His impressive mobility makes him difficult to beat in his own zone, as his ability to thwart opponents in 1-on-1 situations has improved by leaps and bounds since being drafted … Even when he takes risks offensively, he has the wheels to get back defensively … Willing to battle physically and likes to throw open-ice hits … Exceptional work ethic and competitiveness … May have more offensive potential than he has shown to date because of his skating …
Consider the strong praise issued to him by
Jiri Fischer before the Wings signed him to an entry-level contract in May 2013.
“Every game I’ve seen him, he was the hardest competitive guy (on the ice) and he’s got the heart of a lion. He’s in people’s faces, he’s taking people’s space away thanks to his skating, and he makes great outlet passes. He’s had a great year and we’re really happy with his development.” — Red Wings director of player development Jiri Fischer).
The 6-foot-1, 195-pounder didn’t play his first AHL game with the Griffins until early December because of a serious shoulder injury, but was able to finish his rookie season as a professional with nine assists and a plus-12 in 45 games.
Last night, Jensen certainly did not hinder his reputation within the organization, with a strong performance in playing over twenty minutes (20:24) played against the Penguins.
Of the “young” defensemen this preseason, Jensen’s play has been on par or ahead of the others. He has a calm demeanour when the puck is on his stick which allows him to make good outlet passes. He plays a smart, simple game and his great skating ability allows him to quickly atone for a mistake or getting caught out of position.
In a similar fashion to the Wings’ young forwards, it will be interesting to see how the pairings work out on the backend. It appears only the 6th and 7th d-men spots on the big club are available with Kronwall, Ericsson, DeKeyser, Smith and Quincey taking the top 5 spots. Based on performance, it appears only one of
Jakob Kindl or
Brian Lashoff will make the cut. Which youngster rises to claim the available position?
Jensen likely will get sent back down to Grand Rapids and provided with a larger opportunity this upcoming season with the Griffins to make an impact and continue his development at the pro level, but he no longer should be seen as a forgotten man when it comes to identifying the talent Detroit possesses within the organization and potential injury call-ups.
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