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Wings Nation 2016-17 Player Review: The Kids

May 26, 2017, 08:30 EDTUpdated: May 25, 2017, 19:52 EDT

Every year, NHL teams lose players for small and long stretches of time to injury, suspension, or other circumstances. In order to fill the gap created by losing a regular roster player, teams call up a young prospect from their AHL affiliate to give them a taste of the next level. This season, the Red Wings had their fair share of injuries, losing Thomas Vanek, Darren Helm, and Jonathan Ericsson (to name a few) for long stretches of time. This allowed them to get a glimpse of their future: prospects currently playing for the Griffins who are ready to challenge for a regular NHL roster spot. There were eight players who played a combined 54 games. There were not enough individual games played for them to warrant their own Year in Review article, so instead I’m doing a short recap on each. It’s important to remember, when reading the below, that it is being written with an extremely small sample size of data to work with. Alright, let’s get into it.

Tyler Bertuzzi:

Games Played: 7

Points: 0

Corsi: 39.33%

Tyler Bertuzzi played his stretch of games in November. Expected to fill a bottom-6 role, Bertuzzi played an energetic, gritty game. He pressured on the forecheck and wasn’t afraid to get dirty in the corners. He finished this stretch of games with 0 PIMs and a -1 rating. Honestly, it probably wasn’t the best start to his NHL career, but it sure was motivating for him. His performance so far through the Calder Cup Playoffs has earned him a better chance at an NHL life. He currently has 11 points in 11 games so far. He likely only has one more year left of AHL development, with frequent NHL call-ups, before he’s due for a permanent NHL assignment.

Mitch Callahan:

Games Played: 4

Points: 0

Corsi: 52.94%

The gap-toothed Mitch Callahan escaped his four games with the Red Wings relatively unscathed. He only averaged about six minutes of ice time per game, with no penalty minutes and an even plus/minus. What’s encouraging about Callahan’s on-ice CF% is that he started a staggering 43.33% of his shifts in the defensive zone (according to Corsica.hockey). Of course, we’re talking about a very small sample size here, but it’s encouraging to see shot attempts going in the right direction when he’s on the ice. Callahan has also had a strong showing in the Calder Cup Playoffs so far, putting up 10 points in 11 games and recording a hat trick in a second round game against the Chicago Wolves. Similar to Bertuzzi, Callahan will be challenging for a regular roster spot on the Red Wings very soon, though it will be in a bottom-6 capacity.

Brian Lashoff:

Games Played: 5

Points: 0

Corsi: 57.30%

At 26-years-old, it’s hard to call Brian Lashoff a kid. He’s played for long stretches in the NHL before, all as a Red Wing, and continues to be sent back down. Most notably, in 2013-14, he played 75 games for the Wings, recording one goal and five assists. This year, Lashoff played an average of about eleven minutes per game and had one shot and a minus-1 rating to show for it. At this point, he’s being surpassed on the depth chart by guys like Robbie Russo, Dan Renouf, and Joe Hicketts. His NHL days are numbered and I’d be surprised to see him in a Red Wings jersey at any point next season.

Matt Lorito:

Games Played: 2

Points: 1 (0 G, 1 A)

Corsi: 40.54%

Matt “Cool Ranch” Lorito, aside from having one of the best nicknames in hockey, was called up to play in the final two games of the Red Wings season. He immediately made an impact, recording an assist in his first NHL game on a second period Dylan Larkin goal against the Montreal Canadiens. Getting a top-6 role in your first NHL call-up is a big deal and Lorito played accordingly. He played with a ton of speed and energy, forechecking hard, and driving to the net. Of course, he was helped by his coach, as 50% of his deployment was in the offensive zone. Lorito’s performance was definitely a strong one, but at 26-years-old, it’s hard to see him cracking the Red Wings lineup as a regular in the future. Detroit’s top-9 is full of guys on long contracts and young studs. Plus, Lorito is behind Bertuzzi and Callahan on the depth chart and will be surpassed by Evgeny Svechnikov very shortly.

Dan Renouf:

Games Played: 1

Points: 0

Corsi: N/A

Dan Renouf played in his first NHL game against the Carolina Hurricanes on March 27th. He was called up to fill in the gap left by the ageing Nik Kronwall who couldn’t play in three straight games. There’s not a ton to say about Renouf due to the extremely small sample size of 13:35 of ice time at the NHL level. He played with Robbie Russo, his D-partner from Grand Rapids, recording one shot and three hits. He started the game looking a little shaky and nervous – as most do – but found his stride going into the second period. It’s impossible to make a prediction about him now, but he’ll likely get a call-up in the coming season to better test his aptitude at the NHL level.

Ryan Sproul:

Games Played: 27

Points: 7 (1 G, 6 A)

Corsi: 45.33%

I wasn’t the biggest fan of how Ryan Sproul was handled this year. He was on the opening night roster despite being waiver-exempt, and alternated starts with Xavier Ouellet and Alexey Marchenko through the start of the season. Eventually, he lost the job to Ouellet and then to Nick Jensen when Jensen came on board. Finally, when he suffered a season ending injury in early March, Robbie Russo got the call-up and played the remainder of the games. Sproul’s on-ice stats aren’t the best, but his individual stats were impressive for a rookie defenseman. He had the second highest iCF/60 (9.70) among team defensemen and the highest iSF/60 (5.67). This isn’t bad for playing most of his season with Niklas Kronwall and Jonathan Ericsson. Sproul has potential and I believe that he’ll get a better chance to prove himself as a Red Wing next season. That is, if he’s not a Vegas Golden Knight by then.

Ben Street:

Games Played: 6

Points: 1 (0 G, 1 A)

Corsi: 54.00%

If I can’t call Brian Lashoff a kid, then I definitely can’t use the word for Ben Street. At 30-years-old, he’s playing through his peak as the leading point scorer on the Grand Rapids Griffins. He was called up to play the final six games of the season with the Red Wings, where he averaged between five and ten minutes per game. He mostly played on the fourth line with a 47.06% defensive zone start rate. That makes his 54.00% on-ice CF% even more impressive. He played a hard, gritty game and often found himself at the heart of scoring chances around the opponent’s net. He was fun to watch, but he won’t ever be an NHL regular. He’s had stints with the Calgary Flames and Colorado Avalanche in the past, but has never played more than thirteen games in a season. He may be called up to fill a 1-2 game gap next season, but he won’t be making a regular appearance on the Red Wings roster anytime soon.

Evgeny Svechnikov:

Games Played: 2

Points: 0

Corsi: 55.56%

Last, but certainly not least, is perhaps the most hyped player on this list. Evgeny Svechnikov put up incredible numbers last season with the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles of the QMJHL, so all eyes were on the AHL rookie this season with the Griffins where he put up 51 points in 74 games. It was enough to prompt the Red Wings to call him up for two games against the Ottawa Senators in early April. He played about thirteen minutes each game and recorded four total shots on net. His 5v5 on-ice CF% is the second best on this list and his independent stats are pretty good too (14.18 iCF/60 and 9.45 iSF/60). Again, we’re working with a really small sample size, but Svechnikov played with a lot of speed and energy. Towards the end of the season, it was refreshing to see a Red Wing player flying out there the way he was. He followed the play well, was confident with the puck (especially deep in the opponent’s zone), and wasn’t afraid to be creative. He’s the most exciting player on this list and certainly has the highest ceiling in terms of potential. Expect him to play more games as a call-up in a Red Wings jersey next season, but he won’t be a regular. At least one more year in the AHL will be beneficial for him, but I definitely don’t want the Red Wings to overcook him in the minors. Give him a chance to play his game in the NHL sooner rather than later. This team could use his drive and creativity.