The place Do Pink Wings’ Younger NHL Hopefuls Stand After Coaching Camp?

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September 23, 2024

Even with so many stuffed roster spots forward of them, the trio of Carter Mazur, Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson got here into Traverse Metropolis seeking to impress and probably earn a spot within the lineup. All three impressed to various ranges all through the week. All three supplied push from the underside that made camp aggressive.

However how do these three — and different roster hopefuls — stack up after coaching camp? Let’s take a better look.

Marco Kasper

Kasper wowed nearly instantly with what he did in his offseason coaching, filling out with muscle in an effort, he stated, to construct extra of a person’s body.

“We had been speaking within the room yesterday, he doesn’t even seem like the identical athlete as final 12 months at the moment at camp,” Lalonde praised Friday. “He constructed some confidence from his progress in (Grand Rapids) final 12 months, and I feel that playoff run was very worthwhile for him. He’s received some perspective into camp this 12 months, which is actually a optimistic.”

Mentally, Kasper can also be a special individual. That confidence Lalonde talked about — it reveals in the way in which Kasper is extra trusting of his personal skills. He believes that doing his greatest is all he can do, and that’s sufficient. He’s simply placing a great effort ahead, and that’s one thing Detroit likes to see.

And viewing Kasper’s sport, there actually isn’t an entire lot that you simply couldn’t like. He performs with tempo and energy. His draft day commodity shot is nice sufficient that teammates and coaches have taken discover. Kasper has additionally been chippy with the veterans like Chiasson, who he argued with after one drill Friday. However a couple of reps later, Kasper was proper subsequent to Chiasson absorbing some mentorship. That’s the type of mature dynamic — as an equal, extra so than a scholar — that Lalonde likes to see.

“Watching all these guys is nice,” Kasper advised reporters Saturday. “… However we younger guys attempt to give it our greatest and to make it arduous for all the opposite guys, but additionally simply push everyone on the staff and push for a spot as properly.” Afterward, he spoke of how sports activities is all about how a lot gamers need it and the way a lot they work for it. This all speaks volumes about character and competitors.

“I would love these guys clearly to be respectful to the veterans, however to be combating for his or her spots,” Lalonde stated Friday. “That’s the fact of rising. We would like that push from them.”

After a productive camp, Kasper will get some critical preseason seems. He spent lots of time in coaching camp between Cross Hanas and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, and he gave the impression to be steps forward of his linemates. Now that preseason hockey offers Lalonde and his workers extra room to experiment previous the confines of outdated traces, Kasper would possibly be capable of present his impression with a line that includes NHL expertise.

Carter Mazur

Very like Kasper, Mazur made his first impression of coaching camp earlier than it even started. He hit the coaching routine arduous this summer time, getting himself in nice form to compete for a roster spot. He had everybody from Steve Yzerman to Lalonde to teammates singing praises.

On the ice, Mazur wasn’t too completely different. He confirmed constant aggressive drive, good defensive play and naturally, his arduous shot. In truth, his shot impressed a number of the NHL regulars, together with Kane. His Pink Wings three-on-three match teammate stated Mazur’s fast launch may shock some goaltenders this season. Teammates usually go free on the reward within the preseason, however getting such particular props from a man like Kane is a pleasant endorsement. And when he received an opportunity to place every part on show within the Pink & White Sport, Mazur performed an entire sport that would match up and down the lineup, which bodes properly for his belief for call-ups.

“Particularly noticeable at the moment,” Lalonde stated Sunday. “Excellent begin to camp for him.”

To Lalonde, it’s value questioning the place Mazur could be if he hadn’t missed final coaching camp with a leg harm. Mazur nonetheless had an ideal rookie season with 17 targets and 37 factors in 60 video games, however this will’t change the instructing that goes right into a coaching camp to make gamers higher at understanding the sport. Even so, Mazur is responding properly to this 12 months’s crash course.

In an analogous solution to Kasper, it feels as if preseason will give a greater window into the place Mazur could be at when he will get to play with extra NHL-ready expertise. And contemplating the flexibility of Mazur’s scrappy sport, he may slot in lots of completely different mixtures. That may solely be a great factor proper now as he tries to crack the lineup.

Nate Danielson

Danielson has but to play a full skilled season, however in final season’s coaching camp he actually shined. Together with his mix of speedy offense and 200-foot defensive dedication, Danielson seems to be a star within the making. So, expectations had been significantly excessive for him this coaching camp.

So far as assembly expectations, Danielson did an enough job, however he might need been outshined by the extra professionally skilled Mazur and Kasper. Danielson did play most of his minutes between Alex Chiasson and Isaac Ratcliffe — two NHL skilled gamers who’re attempting to make the roster — so he has that going for him. And even when he performed minimal five-on-five ice time within the Pink & White Sport, he was concerned within the play when he was on the market.

What stands out about Danielson is a trait frequent in Yzerman Period draft picks — his defensive duty and his hockey sense. Danielson is aware of the place to be, and he places as a lot effort into his protection as he does his scoring. Being well-rounded lends itself to getting NHL ice time. In a bigger passage answering a query about how gamers discover their “B” sport to lean on when their major contributions aren’t there, Lalonde credited a few prospects with having these property.

“What will get us enthusiastic about Marco Kasper and Nate Danielson up the center is that they have a 200-foot sport,” Lalonde stated Sunday. “We’ll proceed to construct each elements of that — the offensive and defensive elements of it — however I feel it’s important to study it. And sadly, some guys need to study it the arduous approach, the place they don’t ever determine it out. It’s our job to develop that and develop that.”

Lalonde raved earlier within the week about Danielson’s defensive play and puck help. These two traits are evident even when the scoring may not be so computerized. And whereas a 200-foot id can typically be highlighted when a participant sn’t so noticeable on the assault, with Danielson the sense of an entire sport is real.

“Lot of ability. Form of jogs my memory somewhat of (Connor) Bedard the way in which he performs and the way in which he stickhandles and shoots,” Kane stated Thursday of Danielson’s sport. “He’s a high-end prospect as properly, but it surely seems like he’s received a shiny future.”

Bedard is a beneficiant comparability, though the Calder winner as soon as stated that Danielson was one of many hardest gamers he ever went up towards within the WHL. However with respect to Danielson’s playmaking and hockey IQ, these excessive compliments are important.

General, the Pink Wings know that Danielson is coming. They know he’s going to be an impression participant, but it surely’s only a matter of when. Pink Wings assistant director of participant growth Dan Cleary stated Sunday that he senses a while in Grand Rapids for Danielson, getting used to the professional sport and its expectations. However what’s clear is that Danielson is coming quickly. If this coaching camp and preseason had been a film trailer, lots of Pink Wings gamers, coaches and workers can be shopping for tickets.

Michael Brandsegg-Nygard

It’s been an underwhelming camp for MBN, however that could be extra so as a result of picture constructed up in others’ minds of what he must be than what Detroit anticipated. He’s an 18 12 months outdated in his first NHL camp, and even when he has professional parts to his sport, there’s lots of adjustment. Even speaking has been tough.

“He nonetheless battles with the language barrier, which is actual,” Lalonde stated Sunday. “And I feel North American hockey is somewhat little bit of an adjustment, somewhat (much less) time and area in all probability than he is used to, however I believed he did very properly and improved because the camp went on. Clearly, (he’ll) get some preseason video games right here. It will be vital.”

Humorous sufficient, the Norwegian-speaking Brandsegg-Nygard has had no downside speaking with Austrian-speaking linemate Kasper. Kasper advised reporters Saturday that the 2 converse in Swedish as a connecting language. He additionally took the time to present a scouting report on Brandsegg-Nygard’s sport, praising his shot and his offensive thoughts.

With teammates, many Swedish audio system, that barrier hasn’t been so pronounced. However you can see clear indicators in Traverse Metropolis that MBN wasn’t understanding some practices and wanted further teaching. That isn’t a foul factor — it’s higher he learns these items now than sooner or later, and this crash course of a coaching camp helps him progress. Even earlier than coaching camp, the Pink Wings tempered expectations for his or her youngest quote-unquote hopeful.

“With Michael, we’re simply gonna sit again and watch,” assistant basic supervisor Kris Draper stated throughout an intermission interview in the course of the Pink Wings’ first sport towards Dallas final week. “We’re gonna sit again, watch and consider, and provides him lots of alternative to indicate what he can do. After which from there, you watch, you consider, and you then make selections. However we’re not going to place any added strain on him. It is the identical state of affairs as a handful of our different first rounders which have type of come via right here and performed up right here. Simply exit, do your greatest. We would like you to compete. We would like you to play arduous. We would like you to do what you do.”

The early returns of coaching camp present that Brandsegg-Nygard isn’t prepared simply but, however he’s nonetheless going to get an opportunity to show his skills in preseason play. There, he would possibly be capable of exhibit his signature shot and his checking skill that analysts have so glowingly praised. I get the sense that he’s sure for a return to Skelleftea no matter how these video games play out, however that’s not an indictment of his sport greater than it’s a actuality of acclimating an 18-year-old to the hardest hockey league on the earth.

Brandsegg-Nygard may not be cracking the NHL lineup, however that doesn’t imply he has fallen behind. It simply means he isn’t forward.