Jeremy Laura: Wings tweak power play, swap personnel

Realistically with 8 NHL defenseman on the roster (but more than half of them being more or less equally mediocre) we are probably going to see a lot of guys rotating in and out until there are a few long-term injuries or Lalonde settles into a group he likes.

It happened a lot last year too. Pretty sure Seider and Chiarot were the only Wings defensemen who were never healthy scratched all season long. Even Ghost got healthy scratched one game.

Realistically with 8 NHL defenseman on the roster (but more than half of them being more or less equally mediocre) we are probably going to see a lot of guys rotating in and out until there are a few long-term injuries or Lalonde settles into a group he likes.

It happened a lot last year too. Pretty sure Seider and Chiarot were the only Wings defensemen who were never healthy scratched all season long. Even Ghost got healthy scratched one game.
- Sven22

That’s very well put. My butt just puckered remembering some of those game 1 Gus moments. Feels like Johansson (I think you were giving him props early) is the better defenseman but the power play needs help. Like intervention help

That’s very well put. My butt just puckered remembering some of those game 1 Gus moments. Feels like Johansson (I think you were giving him props early) is the better defenseman but the power play needs help. Like intervention help
- Jeremy Laura

Johansson was good in Sweden and in Grand Rapids. Not flashy but does a lot of things right. I think I compared him to Nick Jensen. We'll see if he can carve out that kind of role/career at the NHL level.

FWIW, Gustafsson's track record as an okay second pair / solid third pair NHL vet is also pretty good. No guarantee he'll be that good this year (he is 32) but I wouldn't be so quick to write him off after one bad regular season game either.

Johansson was good in Sweden and in Grand Rapids. Not flashy but does a lot of things right. I think I compared him to Nick Jensen. We'll see if he can carve out that kind of role/career at the NHL level.

FWIW, Gustafsson's track record as an okay second pair / solid third pair NHL vet is also pretty good. No guarantee he'll be that good this year (he is 32) but I wouldn't be so quick to write him off after one bad regular season game either.
- Sven22

You’re right about the quick write off. It’s hard to explain what it’s like trying to blog my thoughts in real time. I have to do some pause/rewind etc and relive the good and the bad so that when the write up hits it’s how I feel. Gustafsson has a play in the D zone where he’ll be facing the back corner and do a blind drop pass. Imagining playing for Chicago “in the day” you’d be covered. His linemate was usually on the other side of the ice so it became a turnover. Some of these players have had years getting used to an in game flow that doesn’t travel. Years ago, Todd Bertuzzi was on the ice (I think vs. Anaheim) and tapped his stick and called the player by their nick name. They dropped the pass to him. Habit. He was with Franzen and Z so I think it ended up as a goal with someone in the slot. These guys have to play faster than they can think sometimes. I think Johansson is a stronger skater and Gustafsson is getting to that point where he can’t recover quickly enough. But you’re right. It’s not fair to use one game for that assessment.