2022 Preseason Thread

[1984Echoes]

That looks 99.9% what I would expect for Opening Day lineup.

Berggren in Grand Rapids and the other two as the extra guys... Debatable on Soderblum breaking with Detroit but I could see a compelling reason for it (basically, ST's, plus... 3rd or 4th line would seem appropriate).

Edvinsson if they break with the best players; o/w Grand Rapids if he needs some smaller rink seasoning. One or both 4th pairing guys as the extra(s) depending on what happens with Edvinsson.

[buddha]

they suddenly have a lot of forward prospects.  maybe deal bertuzzi for a defense prospect they love?

berggren looks really good offensively.  defense could be an issue.

edvinsson looks the same to me.  that's not a bad thing, but he needs some work.  for every great outlet pass or solid stick work on defense there's a bad turnover or a lapse on defense in the zone.  he's going to be hard to hide in an nhl game.

[slothfacekilla]

I honestly wouldn't mind having Edvinsson work out the kinks and get his timing down in the NHL or at least try it out, but I also see the argument to start him in the AHL and have him just log heavy minutes.  It is interesting to me that they're skating him on the would be third pairing, I would figure it would be top 4 or skating with the extras but maybe they're considering him making the club in a learn on the job role.

[slothfacekilla]

Random thought, I'm a little disappointed that Albert Johansson didn't get a longer look to make the team but it was a tall order to make the team for sure.  He didn't force his way on at all but I wouldn't have minded him getting these looks Edvinsson is getting too.

[buddha]

elmer!!!

[slothfacekilla]

 

I can't watch but Twitter provides the goods....I hope this kid makes the team

[Mr.TaterSalad]

Down at the game tonight. This team is going to be fun to watch, even through all the growing pains we'll have. Nice to see them battle back and tie it.

[gehringer_2]

23 minutes ago, slothfacekilla said:

 

I can't watch but Twitter provides the goods....I hope this kid makes the team

I think when the puck came off the boards to Elmer the three Leafs all looked at each other and they were all like "*you* check him" so no-one did.

Edited October 8, 2022 by gehringer_2

[Dan Gilmore]

Exactly, number 7 had just picked himself up, a little slowly, after Elmer had crushed him, he was the guy that should have pressured him before the goal. Instead- wide berth. 

[buddha]

good to see them beat the leafs C team.

[lordstanley]

54 minutes ago, buddha said:

good to see them beat the leafs C team.

 

[gehringer_2]

I thought Hronek looked like he was moving better than at the end of last year. Hopefully his fall-off last season was just that he had gotten beaten up a bit by the end of the season.

[gehringer_2]

11 hours ago, buddha said:

good to see them beat the leafs C team.

yeah - makes it a little hard to judge the D especially. I though Edvinsson did a nice job pinching guys off several times, but who was he doing it to?

[buddha]

2 hours ago, gehringer_2 said:

yeah - makes it a little hard to judge the D especially. I though Edvinsson did a nice job pinching guys off several times, but who was he doing it to?

he also turned the puck over a lot.  again.

edvinsson is not playing tonight, so they feel they've seen enough.  i cant see him being in detroit, but you never know.

johannson, sebrango, viro, and mcissac going tonight.  good luck against the leafs starters.

[slothfacekilla]

14 hours ago, Dan Gilmore said:

Exactly, number 7 had just picked himself up, a little slowly, after Elmer had crushed him, he was the guy that should have pressured him before the goal. Instead- wide berth. 

It looked like to me that Soderblom knocked the wind out of him at the very least, the defender tried to move towards Elmer before the backhand and he wasn't moving well at all.  I've noticed a few times Elmer puts his entire body into checks on the forecheck and the defenders really feel it.  I would be shocked if he doesn't make the team honestly, he excels in little areas that can help teams a lot it seems like.

[buddha]

4 minutes ago, slothfacekilla said:

It looked like to me that Soderblom knocked the wind out of him at the very least, the defender tried to move towards Elmer before the backhand and he wasn't moving well at all.  I've noticed a few times Elmer puts his entire body into checks on the forecheck and the defenders really feel it.  I would be shocked if he doesn't make the team honestly, he excels in little areas that can help teams a lot it seems like.

who does he knock out?

erne, smith, and sundkvist are the only choices really.

[gehringer_2]

17 minutes ago, buddha said:

edvinsson is not playing tonight, so they feel they've seen enough.  i cant see him being in detroit, but you never know.

the balance is between the turnovers and the ability he does have to use his size and reach to regain posssessions in situations that the alternative's can't. To me the Wings single biggest weakness for the last few years was having enough guys who could 'erase' opposition players and take back possession. You can see Lalonde's emphasis there in the uptick in Veleno and Rasmussen's forechecking intensity. Edvinsson brings more of that, the question as you note is the cost balance. The other consideration is that they want him on special teams and if they can't figure that out for Det, that alone might send him to GR until they think he has developed to where he can break into the lineup for the PP or PK in Det.

Edited October 8, 2022 by gehringer_2

[gehringer_2]

2 minutes ago, buddha said:

who does he knock out?

erne, smith, and sundkvist are the only choices really.

Erne had some nice shifts last night, but last year had to lower his stock. Also they may need the physical intensity that is Smith's calling card less on a team with more size.

[buddha]

you can see the difference in the defense from the forechecking.  they created a lot of turnovers by aggressively forechecking in the other team's zone.  but that worked like a charm against toronto's minor leaguers and chicago (whose whole team is a bunch of minor leaguers), but not as well against washington and pittsburgh.  although they played well in a couple of those games too.

they look like a better team this preseason.  a couple years ago they could barely get the puck out of the zone against some teams, now they look much more effective.

veleno looks better.  ras looks better.  zadina looks better.  they have forward depth now.

the defense?  still shaky, imo.  seider is a unicorn, and chairot will do his job.  hronek is an nhler, but a bottom of the top 4 guy.  maata?  same.  after that you have guys who arent ready (edvinsson, sebrango, johannson, mcissac, viro) and a bunch of guys who arent very good (hagg, lindstom).  

goalie should be fine with a more organized defense in front of them.  

if there is improvement on defense to look forward to, it comes from the forwards, imo.

[gehringer_2]

8 minutes ago, buddha said:

if there is improvement on defense to look forward to, it comes from the forwards, imo

I'm hoping, maybe foolishly, that Hronek is a better player this year. He seemed to be skating in molassas last season and hopefully that was a physical deficit he has gotten over because he had been better than he was last season. Maata looks OK.

Edited October 8, 2022 by gehringer_2

[1984Echoes]

Lindstrom-McIsaac makes a decent 3rd pairing? Does McIsaac get a shot this year? Loads of vets in front of him...

[buddha]

2 hours ago, 1984Echoes said:

Lindstrom-McIsaac makes a decent 3rd pairing? Does McIsaac get a shot this year? Loads of vets in front of him...

mcisaac isnt very good, so i hope not.  i'd rather have them keep johannson, even edvinsson would be better.  at least he gives you upside.

[1984Echoes]

But I would rather the upside be developed fully and - especially in the case of Edvinsson - when they hit the NHL go straight to the top two pairings, able to keep their minutes with a minimum of mistakes. It looks like Edvinsson is going to need at least a year at GR to get through that...

Can McIsaac get better? He's lost so much time to injuries he may be a bit underdeveloped... But if he gets some NHL ice time, I'm less worried about him getting tossed into the fire, even on the 3rd pairing, than exposing Johannson or Edvinsson before they are actually ready... such is my thinking... Oh... and I'd rather have McIsaac push out a vet if he's capable of doing so just because... I'm an advocate of going younger... as long as it makes sense...

[buddha]

7 minutes ago, 1984Echoes said:

But I would rather the upside be developed fully and - especially in the case of Edvinsson - when they hit the NHL go straight to the top two pairings, able to keep their minutes with a minimum of mistakes. It looks like Edvinsson is going to need at least a year at GR to get through that...

Can McIsaac get better? He's lost so much time to injuries he may be a bit underdeveloped... But if he gets some NHL ice time, I'm less worried about him getting tossed into the fire, even on the 3rd pairing, than exposing Johannson or Edvinsson before they are actually ready... such is my thinking... Oh... and I'd rather have McIsaac push out a vet if he's capable of doing so just because... I'm an advocate of going younger... as long as it makes sense...

did you watch any of the preseason?  i didnt think mcissac was good enough.  

none of their young defensemen were good enough, imo.  they all need to get better.  

i think they'll go with steady vets for their bottom 3 defensemen to start the season and see who develops.  there will be injuries and the youngsters might get called up then.

sebrango, viro, mcissac, johannson, edvinsson.  all might play nhl games in the next couple years.

[1984Echoes]

I caught Friday night's game but not Saturday's...

I wanted to see how McIsaac looked too but obviously missed him...

On Friday they still looked like they were losing pucks to speed, effort, and especially stick handling... although it seemed like they got better as the game went along. But they also looked like everyone was being more responsible defensively (both forwards and D) and not allowing the incessant odd-man rushes of the past several years.

The weak stick-handling and passing bother me though... I'm still too amazed by the Russian 5 and would like to have that back... 

I agree that they'll go with the vets and call up the kids as needed. My guess is it'll be Sebrango and/ or McIsaac if they indeed believe either of those two are ready to get some NHL time... we'll see.

 

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2022 by 1984Echoes