Mark Spizzirri: Nick Jensen...the forgotten man amongst the Wings rearguard prospects

trade Kindl for whatever. Lashoff stays as #7, not going to call up a kid to have him sit in the press box. Oueltte can replace Kindl now.

Cam Jensen has really impressed me this preseason and really wish we would have let Quincey go so we could have tried our youngsters out throughout the season. In a perfect world, I'd have loved to have seen Ericsson traded and have Smith or DeKeyser play with Kronwall as well.

I've been rather dissappointed with Marchenko, but was never really impressed with him in the first place. He has promise, but some of my Wings friends act like he's the second coming of Konstantinov. I'd much rather play Sproul, Ouellete, and now Jensen instead of him.

Kindl is playing better than before, but I think we still should of traded him for a 4th rounder or in a bundle for someone else a couple of seasons ago.

My favorite two defensemen this preseason have to be DeKeyser and Smith. DeKe is no real surprise as this kid should/could have been drafted in the second round if people knew how much potential he has. But Smith, that kid has really come a long way in my eyes. He's getting so much better in such a short amount of time. From the lock out shortened season when I was ready to throw my TV out the window with how he played to now smiling when I see him get the puck, I'm thoroughly impressed with Brendan. I could see him taking Ericsson's place easily.

trade Kindl for whatever. Lashoff stays as #7, not going to call up a kid to have him sit in the press box. Oueltte can replace Kindl now.
- Jurco_28

Lashoff should be Griffins. That's it. 100% agree on trading Kindl. He's not terrible, but he's not the type of player the Wings need, just like Quincey, neither really fit into our style of play.

I still find it stupid that Kindl had the highest trade value of any defensive prospect on NHL 10-11-12. (I've said that like five times, so I apologize, but I just could never get over that)

There's two Nick Jensen's?

There's two Nick Jensen's?
- EagleNuck

trade Kindl for whatever. Lashoff stays as #7, not going to call up a kid to have him sit in the press box. Oueltte can replace Kindl now.
- Jurco_28

Good blog Mark but the 6th and 7th spots are not up for grab since Babcock already said Kindl and Lashoff were safe. Unless there are injuries, the prospects pretty much have no chance as usual to make the team even if they outplay everyone not named Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Kronwall.


I watched Jensen a couple of times in the NCAA and really liked his game. He was a player you really noticed every game I saw him play in. This is also a guy that was seen to be as good as Dekeyser if not better in the NCAA. His injury last summer really set him back compared to the other prospects but he has the tools to be up there with the best of the Wings defense prospects. Just going by pre-season play, right now I would rank him ahead of Ouellet, Marchenko and the others in terms of being an NHL ready player.

Good blog Mark but the 6th and 7th spots are not up for grab since Babcock already said Kindl and Lashoff were safe. Unless there are injuries, the prospects pretty much have no chance as usual to make the team even if they outplay everyone not named Datsyuk, Zetterberg and Kronwall.


I watched Jensen a couple of times in the NCAA and really liked his game. He was a player you really noticed every game I saw him play in. This is also a guy that was seen to be as good as Dekeyser if not better in the NCAA. His injury last summer really set him back compared to the other prospects but he has the tools to be up there with the best of the Wings defense prospects. Just going by pre-season play, right now I would rank him ahead of Ouellet, Marchenko and the others in terms of being an NHL ready player.
- dcz28

I don't believe everything that comes out of the coaches mouth. Agreed though, it is much easier for the Wings to keep both Kindl and Lashoff up and send the waivers-exempt prospects back to GR.

I don't believe everything that comes out of the coaches mouth. Agreed though, it is much easier for the Wings to keep both Kindl and Lashoff up and send the waivers-exempt prospects back to GR.
- spity1

I don't either when it comes to Babcock but given how he raved about Lashoff, I doubt he would let him go without a fight. Kindl I don't think he likes at all but Holland would likely make him have to keep him on the team unless he could trade him which I find unlikely at this point.

- Lucas Neilson