As we leave the year 2017 in the rear-view mirror, the month of December was capped off with a D-Boss bobblehead giveaway, a complete meltdown of the Ottawa Senators, and a visit from Santa Claus. Let’s take a look at three Wings prospects that were enjoying eggnog this month, and which three were saying “bah humbug”.

To say Rasmussen was on fire this past month would be an understatement. Since returning from injury, he’s been on a torrent scoring pace, notching 12 points (7 goals and 5 assists) in 6 games, including a 4 game stretch where he potted 7 goals. He was snubbed of a roster spot on Team Canada’s World Junior Championship roster, but it clearly hasn’t affected him. “Obviously I’m disappointed and all that, but it’s not really in my control,” Rasmussen said. “I can only control things I can control. I just have to keep working hard and stay focused.”

Following a hand injury that will sideline Luke Glendening for several weeks, Little Bert got the call to the big leagues. He registered his 1st NHL point against the New Jersey Devils and was one of Detroit’s best players. His noticeable play earned him a spot on the 1st line and the Larkin powerplay unit.

The reigning AHL playoff MVP looks to have earned a permanent spot in the NHL, racking up 3 points in 5 games, to go along with a tremendous game versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for Vili Saarijarvi. After an unexpected demotion to the ECHL, Saarijarvi has worked his way into a significant role on the Grand Rapids Griffins. Now the powerplay QB for their top unit, he’s seen great strides in his game. “Credit to Vili. He started the year in Toledo and I think it was the best thing for him. He wasn’t quite ready at the start of the season. There were holes in his game. And then he goes down there and plays a ton … and he got to a point where people were saying, ‘He’s too good for this league,’” Griffins coach Todd Nelson said. His confidence looks to be soaring, just check out the sweet pipes he showed off at the Griffins Christmas party:

Rinse and repeat. This has been the norm for Geno, making the struggles list three consecutive months, registering just 4 points in 13 games in the month of December. Despite this prolonged slump, he’s been very professional about it. “I never struggled like this and it’s a challenge for me this year,” Svechnikov said. “But, I’m still good. I come into the rink every day with the same positive attitude. Honestly, I’m going to tell you I never expected it. But, I don’t give up. I keep pushing forward. That’s all I can do and forget about the past.” On a positive note, he looks to be finding his game, scoring 3 goals in his last 2 games.

Setkov has been Team Denmark’s go to guy on the backend at the WJC, easily leading the team in minutes every game. He lands on the struggles list, not necessarily because he’s been a problem, but his play hasn’t been phenomenal (to be fair, everyone except Kasper Krog, has been awful for Denmark). At times he’s look lossed in his own end and hasn’t pushed much offense (although, you can’t really blame him, as the forwards have been unable to form any sort of offensive pressure, leading to them defending the majority of the game).

Back in late November, Sadowy was assigned to the ECHL after an abysmal start in the AHL. Sadowy has been a consistent scorer for the Walleye, recording 9 points (2 goals and 7 assists) in 13 games. However, that wasn’t good enough to be recalled back to Grand Rapids, as the Griffins opted to recall Mike Borkowski instead. With Bertuzzi looking more likely to stick with the Wings, hopefully that opens the door for Sadowy to replace Bert long term.