It's been a few weeks since this feature has been around. Most of that is my fault, but to be honest -- there isn't a lot to report. A lot of guys are making playoff runs, but just passing on that information could get a little dry. However, there's been a fair bit that's happened scattered over a couple weeks, so I'm going to use this post to keep on top of it all. Since most prospects are done, I'll try to do one final statistical update in two or three weeks, and think about how to keep this feature fresh going into the summer. Suggestions are encouraged.

• Grand Rapids failed to make the playoffs by 12 points. The last month of the season wasn't as bad as the two months before it. Jakub Kindl, Cory Emmerton, Jan Mursak, and Mattias Ritola were particularly good down the stretch.
• Thomas McCollum went from December 13 to March 26 without recording a win, but won three of his final five starts and stole some time away from Daniel Larsson. More on Larsson later.
• Justin Abdelkader was called up and, obviously, earned playing time. However, Kindl, Mursak, Ritola, Larsson, McCollum, and Logan Pyett were recalled to serve as Black Aces. It's particularly interesting to see that Emmerton and Sergei Kolosov are not among that group.
• Mursak was called up late after representing Slovenia at the Division 1 World Championships. Hockey tournament names are always organized poorly, so Division-1 refers to the "second tier" of teams that are fighting to get into the main group. Mursak had five goals and seven points in five games, leading his team. He was called the best player on his team, and is likely the second best Slovenian player period behind Anze Kopitar. Mursak helped Slovenia earn a promotion, so they will be in the top group next season.
  
• Perhaps one reason that Tomas Tatar was not called up as a Black Ace was because he will represent Slovakia at the World Championships, which starts in five days.
• Willie Coetzee, Landon Ferraro, and Brian Lashoff were invited to Grand Rapids on tryouts after their seasons concluded. Coetzee and Lashoff are slated for Grand Rapids next season, and I've never seen a player look so comfortable in a tryout as Lashoff is when he plays in the AHL.
• When I left you last, Brendan Smith and Gustav Nyquist were among the ten nominees for the Hobey Baker, the award for the top player in college hockey. Nyquist ended up making the final three but lost out to Smith's teammate, Nashville prospect Blake Geoffrion.
• Smith saw some action in Detroit -- playing for Wisconsin in the Frozen Four, which was at Ford Field. He had five assists in a particularly impressive performance against RIT, but was on the losing end of a 5-0 beatdown by Boston College in the National Championship.
• Smith is expected to sign with Detroit in a few days to kick off his professional career, foregoing his senior season. Despite leading the nation in scoring, Nyquist, only a sophomore this year, looks like he'll stay for another year.
• Dick Axelsson made some comments indicating to a Swedish newspaper that he would prefer playing in the Swedish Eliteserien over the AHL. A lot of people have just assumed this is reflective of his attitude, but I would like to point out two things. First, of course he'd make these comments to a Swedish paper. Second, just because he says it doesn't mean there isn't a chance that he comes to his senses and realizes that the AHL is the only path to the NHL in Detroit. However, there's no doubt that going back to Sweden for a second straight year will end his time as a prospect.
• Speaking of which, the guy who pulled this stunt last year and did it because he felt he was too good for the AHL and not because he was getting the shaft in ice time, like Axelsson did, is Johan Ryno. He played in the second tier of Sweden, but played for a team with a large following in AIK. The team got promoted to the SEL and promptly decided that Ryno isn't coming back next year. This opens up a slight chance that Ryno might ask to play in the AHL since his favorite team doesn't want him any more. However, that would require a new contract from Detroit in the summer. They do like him though, so all I'm saying is if they get a guarantee, I wouldn't rule him out.
• Speaking of AIK, an article today indicated that they've been in touch with Daniel Larsson's agent about acquiring his services for next year. He is an RFA and is definitely due for a taste of the NHL. There were no comments from Larsson, so it's just a rumor at this point. Reasons he would go: strong play from Thomas McCollum. Reasons he wouldn't go: still in line to start next season.
• Jesper Samuelsson effectively ended his career as a Red Wings prospect by signing with Vita Hasten of Division 1, which is the third best league in Sweden. The Wings drafted him from there but the jump from this league to even the second best is huge. It isn't a serious league for a legitimate prospect. Samuelsson split this season with 4th line SEL duty as well as scoring line time with one of the worst teams in SWE-2.
• Those last four are depressing, so here's two good things about Sweden. As a reminder (mentioned it in the last update) Joakim Andersson signed with Detroit and will play in Grand Rapids next season. I think he can step in immediately as the second or third line center.
• Last summer's 7th round pick Adam Almqvist is a fun story. Scored nearly two points per game in the Swedish junior ranks, then got called up to HV-71 of the SEL due to injuries. He was slated to head to SWE-2, but stuck with HV-71 all season. He scored 11 points in the playoffs as HV-71 won the SEL championship. HV-71 fans called him the team's best defenseman. As an 18-year-old, he played on the top pairing with former NHLer Janne Niinimaa.
• Detroit's two KHLers have an interesting connection. Gennady Stolyarov played just one game this season because of injury, for HC MVD. Jiri Hudler played for Dynamo Moscow, the oldest club in Russia. That club had some financial troubles, released Hudler, and folded a few hours later. They're now combining with HC MVD to form UHC Dynamo; however, Hudler is returning to Detroit and Stolyarov might not be under contract.
• In the junior ranks, Stephen Johnston is still active as Windsor is currently up 2-0 in the OHL Finals. Windsor erased a 3-0 series deficit in the Conference Finals against Kitchener and have been the OHL favorites all season. Johnston missed some time with injury, and only plays a 4th line role when healthy.
• Brent Raedeke and the Brandon Wheat Kings were eliminated in the WHL Conference Finals, but will be back in action later this month as they host the Memorial Cup, which pits a host team against the champions of the OHL, WHL, and QMJHL.
• Landon Ferraro had a particularly disappointing playoff for Red Deer. They were swept in the first round and Ferraro was a healthy scratch for the final game. Ferraro seems as though he'll be traded this summer, as most fans are calling for it. I asked a WHL writer at Hockey's Future hat his deal is, and he believes the fans are merely unhappy with the team as a whole and Ferraro's work ethic is not a problem.
• Detroit signed WHL scrapper Mitchell Callahan to a contract this week. They drafted him last summer and the signing comes as a surprise because they had until next summer to do so. Doing it early doesn't hurt (a year won't go against his contract when he sticks in the WHL next year), but it does indicate that Detroit really likes him. Get familiar with his work (oh yeah, and he scored 20 goals this year, too).
• The top team in the USHL during the regular season, Nick Jensen and the Green Bay Gamblers are down 2-0 in the USHL Finals. Jensen was very productive in the second half of the season and he's taken that into the playoffs with six points in eight games.
• The statistical report is after the jump, containing the last month of the season since I haven't done it in a while. While doing it I realized it's a lot better this way -- looking at trends over a month is better than just a week. Also included in certain leagues is the player's playoff stats, so pay attention to the headings in each league.

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Note: On a whim I've decided to drop Friday from the name of this feature. Mostly because I haven't been doing them on Fridays lately. In fact, I'm pretty sure today is Sunday. But I've got nothing to confirm that report.

Second note: I've fallen behind on this feature and so this is the first one of these in three weeks. I'm glad you were all so worried about it. Jokes, of course. There's no statistical report for this week. Since so few prospects are still in action, I'll just update a finalized version either this week or next. While there probably won't be enough news to stretch this out into the summer, I still intend to do regular updates. Probably when you least expect them.

Let's get to it. While I haven't been writing, I have been working my tail off scouting. Just for you guys, how lucky. I went to Friday's Griffins game, their last home game of the year, against the Lake Erie Monsters. I've got some thoughts on quite a few players, so let's get started.

The lines for the fantastic night:

Mursak - Abdelkader - Ritola
May - Emmerton - Williams
Owens - Ferraro - Pare
Vigilante - Armstrong - Tardif

Kindl - Lashoff
Janik - Tollefsen
Pyett - Kolosov

McCollum

Individual thoughts after the jump.

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It didn't end up being a third consecutive buzzer beater, but a lot of Red Wings fans will accept the team's 3-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.

Perhaps the first good scoring chance of the game should have been a good indication of how the game would end. Thirty seconds into the game, Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby broke in one on one against Nicklas Lidstrom. Crosby fired a high shot through Lidstrom that Jimmy Howard snared, flashing his glove in the process.

Off a strong game Saturday night, Valtteri Filppula opened the scoring for Detroit. Filppula took a pass from Todd Bertuzzi and streaked in along the boards before dragging the puck to the inside and beating Marc-Andre Fleury with a shot along the blocker side.

Detroit extended their lead to 2-0 courtesy of Henrik Zetterberg. In a move eerily reminiscent of his game-winning goal on Saturday night, Zetterberg found himself with the puck along the boards, dropping his shoulder and cutting to the middle of the ice and firing a backhand shot on Fleury. Unlike Roberto Luongo, Fleury made the save before Zetterberg popped home the rebound.

Pittsburgh cut the lead in half late in the second period. Brian Rafalski turned the puck over in Detroit's zone and a goal mouth scramble saw Pascal Dupuis tap the puck past the sprawled Howard. That was the only puck to get passed the rookie goaltender on the night, as he turned aside 26 shots for Detroit's seventh win in nine games.

Zetterberg sealed the win early in the third period as he broke in alone against two Pittsburgh defenders and fired a long shot that beat Fleury low. It was Zetterberg's third three-point game of the season, and the end of the scoring for the night.

However, it was the activity after the final horn blew that is going to have people talking tomorrow.

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The Red Wings earned themselves three points this weekend, doing the majority of the damage in under one second.

Twenty-four hours ago, things weren't too pleasant. Detroit managed to scrape a point out of a game that they didn't quite totally deserve, forcing a game against Edmonton to overtime and an eventual shootout. Tonight, they earned two points, beating the Vancouver Canucks with the exact same numbers on the clock courtesy of a well-placed backhander from Henrik Zetterberg.

Oddly enough, tonight's game started much like last night's. Vancouver went up early on two seeing-eye shots. The first came off the stick of defenseman Christian Ehrhoff, which could have hit any number of things before ultimately deflecting off the stick of Kyle Wellwood and through the equipment of Jimmy Howard. Later in the period, Shane O'Brien took a pass from Mason Raymond and put a puck through traffic that went over the shoulder of the screened Howard.

Unlike last night, Detroit's effort level was there in the first period. They were unable to solve Roberto Luongo on any of their 17 first period shots. In total, they fired 54 pucks his way.

Time management was the name of the game in the second period as well. Todd Bertuzzi broke his legendary goal slump with an absolute gift of a goal. Canuck defenseman Kevin Bieksa was unable to locate a puck in his skates for seemingly three full minutes, and Bertuzzi had the presence to crash the net and poke home the loose change. Pavel Datsyuk lost the ensuing faceoff, but shook loose, scooped up the lose puck and beat Luongo with a wrist shot just five seconds after Detroit's first goal. The Bertuzzi/Datsyuk combination set a new franchise record for Detroit for two consecutive goals, breaking the old and slow record of seven seconds.

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Two years ago, The Hockey News compared a young Swedish prospect by the name of Fabian Brunnstrom to Ottawa Senators' star Daniel Alfredsson.

What they meant to say was this: it's really impressive that this then 23-year-old star was producing such impressive numbers after jumping straight to the SEL from Swedish Division 1 (which is the 3rd highest division in Sweden). What a lot of people read was this: there is a superstar free agent Swedish prospect who is going to be the next Alfredsson.

The next few months became nothing but chaos. Nearly every team in the league admitted to actively pursuing Brunnstrom. Naturally, because Detroit tends to like those Swedish types (really?), Hockeytown became the #1 destination for Brunnstrom on the rumor charts. His courtship took several months, leading a lot of impatient fans to believe that Brunnstrom was a bit of a prima donna who just like the limelight, when in actuality, these same people would not have heard of him were it not for the one article The Hockey News chose to run.

And that's not a slight to THN -- I read every word of their publication every week, and I have for years. But it was one seemingly harmless comment from them that set off one of the most publicized free agent chases in recent NHL history, and for what?

Forty points. Two years and forty points for Brunnstrom. Obviously, Fabian went with Dallas over Detroit, citing a chance to play in the NHL right away (always take the dollars over proper development, folks). He had a decent rookie season, producing 17 goals, but has managed just two this year and was reportedly actively being shopped midseason. He's been a fairly regular omission from the Stars' lineup.

Less than a week later, Detroit signed The Tonight Show with Ville Leino. Despite the fact that Leino had several successful seasons in Finland under his belt and was the reigning MVP of the league, instead of just one decent year in Sweden, nobody made a big deal about the chase for Leino. Rightfully so, possibly, because Leino hasn't accomplished all that much more than Brunnstrom in the NHL -- although he has appeared a little more frequently on the highlight reels.

This year, we begin the chase anew. The new hot prospect is Norway's own Mats Zuccarello Aasen. It was actually said before this season that Detroit might be interested in the diminutive Norwegian scoring sensation. MZA hasn't been on the seen very long, with this being his first full season in the SEL after 39 games last year, preceded by a career developing in Norway (most top prospects make the jump to a more competitive Sweden sooner than that). But after a relatively impressive run in the Olympics with Norway, not to mention 

Detroit is still said to be hot on his trail, but there's a catch: MZA is looking for a one-way contract, reports mLive courtesy of Swedish and Norwegian news outlets. With a fairly crowded forward picture already for next year, not to mention the failures of Brunnstrom and Leino still fresh in their minds, it's tough to imagine Detroit caving and offering a one-way deal to a player who has never played in North America.

MZA's skill is undeniable. Despite his hilariously disadvantaged size at 5'7, 161, he's got great puck skills and a nose for the net, fearless in front of bigger defenders (read: everybody) and high traffic areas. He's got good speed and he sees the game very well. But that size means he's no lock for the NHL -- he's going to need to work for it. And that's something that makes Detroit fans all too hesitant about, having just seen Leino shipped away from being a talented player that never quite fit right in the system.

I'll be more than happy to take him, but I'd prefer seeing him a bit in Grand Rapids before we burn a roster spot on him. Who knows, his agent could just be playing the hype game -- what better team to rumor a young prospect to than Detroit. It makes every other team automatically think, "man, if Detroit wants this guy he might be something special." 

Statistical report comes after the jump, alongside a quick look at the chances for two Wings' prospects to capture college hockey's most prestigious individual honor.

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The Red Wings have always been a team that's not afraid to make a splash at the trade deadline. I mean, don't you remember the year they added Bill Ranford, Wendel Clark, Ulf Samuelsson, and Chris Chelios at the same deadline? That was pretty weird, wasn't it?

This year, Detroit's moves likely won't be remembered fondly the way the 1999 trade deadline was. But the two players they did pick up are technically young enough to be considered prospects. Both of them are in a good position this season on a Grand Rapids team that's essentially just auditioning young players for next season. As two players with a couple of AHL seasons under each of their belts, it's not at all a stretch to think that either could turn some heads in the Detroit front office.

The first trade that Detroit made was trading Kris Newbury to the New York Rangers for forward Jordan Owens. Owens does have a very good chance to make a splash for Detroit -- considering he's already under contract for next season. Owens is a product of the OHL, having played three seasons for the Mississauga IceDogs. His best season came in his last, his overaged season, where he put up 74 points in 60 games, including 32 goals.

His first professional season consisted of a split between Hartford (AHL) and Charlotte (ECHL), with 14 points in 41 games and 13 in 20, respectively. He put up 37 in 67 last year, his first full season in the AHL, and was a +17 on the season -- good for 4th on the team. He played in 50 games for Hartford this season before being acquired by Detroit. 

Owens got a long look in the pre-season for a regular roster spot in New York. He's praised for his honest two-way style of play, and the fearlessness he plays the game with despite average size (6'0, 189). He plays a physical game and isn't afraid to drop the gloves. While still a long shot, there's a chance Owens gets a long look from Detroit next season as a possible injury callup.

Later in the day, Detroit got together with the Calgary Flames to swap Andy Delmore for Riley Armstrong. Armstrong is not under contract for next season, but at 25, he's still young enough to have some potential. The brother of Atlanta's Colby Armstrong, Riley got his start through two years in the WHL, his best season coming with 44 points in 69 games in 03-04. He spent the next five seasons in the San Jose system, even getting two games in with the big club last year.

He signed with Calgary in the offseason, but was limited to just 38 games due to some injuries. He had produced 11 goals and 19 points in that time, close to his career best pace the he set last year when he had 42 points with Worcester. Like Owens, Armstrong is known for being equally fearless, playing the agitator/energy role. He's a good skater who will never be accused of taking a shift off. He's got a good shot, but doesn't have the vision or creativity to ever be a big point producer. However, he's proven to be a late bloomer, and he'll have every chance of earning a new contract with a strong finish in Grand Rapids.

Statistical report after the jump.

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On a long-term scale, the shelf life of a prospect is pretty short. There aren't many prospects from 2004 that are still actually considered "prospects." Many have either already moved on to professional hockey or are back in Europe, looking in on the NHL picture.

Some prospects, though, are just late bloomers. The Red Wings are hoping that defenseman Sergei Kolosov is just one of those prospects. Kolosov took an unusual track to where he is today. Detroit drafted him in the 5th round out the top men's hockey league in Belarus -- not a common league for producing NHL draft picks. Many of Belarus' top players choose to play in either Russia, or to come to America and play major junior hockey.

That was the plan for Kolosov. He was drafted by the Prince George Cougars of the Western Hockey League -- a good league for a 6'4 defenseman, as the "western farm boy" stereotype definitely applies in the WHL, where forwards are a little bigger and stronger. However, visa issues held Kolosov out of that league, and he spent one more in Belarus. The following season, Prince George no longer had room for him on the roster (teams are only allowed to hold the rights to two European players), so Kolosov was forced to play in the USHL -- a slight step down from major junior hockey.

He spent the next two seasons with Cedar Rapids, scoring 21 points in 101 games. Detroit had hoped for Kolosov to maybe play for an ECHL team, but he elected to go back to Belarus for one more year. Detroit had to make the decision as to whether or not to sign him after that season, and they actually didn't -- for a few days, he was an unrestricted free agent.

Kolosov's chance came courtesy of the new Grand Rapids Griffins coach, Curt Fraser. Fraser was the former coach of the Atlanta Thrashers, and his path once out of the NHL took him to Belarus where he coached the national team in the World Championships. Fraser recommended to Detroit that they sign Kolosov, so they did, to a two-year deal. After a short adjustment period, Kolosov found a niche as the team's top defensive defenseman who can be counted on to clear the net and kill penalties. Many have compared his game to Andreas Lilja, but a look at Kolosov's PIMs shows that he is a little more able to stay out of the box, while still being physical.

Kolosov had a rare experience for a prospect recently, representing Belarus in the Olympics. This was a good experience to get a look at Kolosov against real NHL competition, even though Belarus was a little outmatched against the more NHL-heavy opponents. Despite being drafted in 2004, Kolosov is still just 23, and there's still a very good chance that he can make an NHL impact some day.

After the jump, we've got Casey Richey's interview with Kolosov where he talks about being an Olympian, his development path, and a little more -- and the statistical report, as usual.

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This week on Friday Prospects, I had nothing to write about. Honesty, eh? However, I did go to the Griffins game last night, so I decided to push Friday prospects until Saturday (gasp) and do some serious scouting. For a little change of pace, I'm gonna write a bit about my general impressions of the prospects involved in the game.

The game itself was pretty entertaining. Unfortunately, a few really good shots and a lack of concern in the defensive zone helped Hamilton get out to an early lead, and keep it as the game went on. The Griffins, last in the division, did not at all look out of place going against the top team in the division. They really turned it on in the 3rd and started a two goal comeback, but despite several promising flurries, they couldn't get it tied up. Hamilton won 4-3.

Logan Pyett: For as good as a player like Mursak has been, Pyett wins the Most Improved Player award... mainly because I thought Mursak showed promise last year, while Pyett was rocky in every outing I saw him. He's much better in his own zone containing older forwards, which is finally giving him more ice time. More ice time's leading to more opportunities for him, leading to more confidence, leading to more points, leading to a much better all-around player. 

Travis Ehrhardt: The first time I'd actually seen him live, as all the other games he was a healthy scratch. He showed a lot of promise, I fully expect he'll become at least a serviceable defenseman at this level, with the possibility of becoming a bottom pairing guy in the NHL some day. He's an excellent skater who's patient with the puck despite being a rookie. He had probably Grand Rapids' two best scoring chances in the first, one that he generated with a combination of patience and likely inexperience and indecision. He needs to get stronger, but I was surprised that he got as much ice time as he did.

Jakub Kindl: Still the same as ever. At times, you marvel at his obviously high skill level and drool over the things he'll be able to do in an NHL lineup. Other times, you wonder who's going to be there to make up for his mistakes. He's 100% better in his own end than he was as a rookie, but he still got beat wide a few times, just not bad enough to where he got caught. He's much more physical in the corners but doesn't always come up with the puck.  Looks lethal on the PP.

Cory Emmerton: It's hard for him to stand out because he does a lot well without having an elite skill. I read something elsewhere (if I remembered where, I'd attribute it) about how it's not good when he "blends into the game," meaning he doesn't stand out -- not good for a player who was an early second rounder. He did a little bit of that last night, but he showed flashes of his skill. For all that's made of his playmaking ability, I've found that he's really underrated on the penalty kill.

More after the jump, and this week's statistical report.

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Hey all. Taking a break from the interview scene this week. The good news is we've hardly tapped the well dry -- in fact, we're trying to cook up some new stuff to make this feature even better. We've got a few potential awesome candidates coming up, so make sure you keep reading. If you missed any, here's Nick Jensen, Willie Coetzee, Landon Ferraro, and Tomas Tatar.

The news goes on, however. Today's been an interesting day, following a few teams shuffling players before the Olympic trade deadline. We're getting down to the stretch run. For leagues outside of the NHL, that time is even closer. Every other league will be in the playoffs when the NHL's regular season concludes. Generally in this feature, we focus on the individual prospect, but everything's relative.

A player flourishing on a bad team is a little more impressive than a player being carried along by a ton of top scorers on a good team... so it's interesting to keep in mind. But sometimes, a team can be bad enough to where they're only scoring points because nobody else can, so just because a players stats are good on a bad team doesn't necessarily mean anything, if you see what I'm saying.

Among the more interesting notes:

• Grand Rapids has absolutely fallen apart, currently sitting in the conference cellar, 3rd worst in the league. They were in a playoff position until they got Michael Nylander, and then offense, defense, and goaltending simultaneously fell apart. They've shown life recently, but might be too little too late to make a playoff run. The good news is there's penalty for trying, because it's not like they're fighting for a draft pick.
• Toledo (ECHL) is last in their division, but they'd be second in the other division in the conference. They're well over .500, at 25-19-1-3.
• Looking at the junior ranks, Detroit has a couple prospects poised for potential Memorial Cup runs. If you don't know what that is, they take the champion out of the Western, Quebec, and Ontario leagues and pit them against a host team (determined years in advance) in a week long tournament.
• One prospect guaranteed to be there is Brent Raedeke, as the Brandon team he is now on will host the tournament.
• The top team in the OHL is Windsor, represented by Stephen Johnston. Johnston was a deadline acquisition for Windsor, and now that he's healthy, is earning rave reviews for the impact he's made.
• Detroit's top candidate from the QMJHL is Andrej Nestrasil, on a 3rd place Victoriaville team that were definite buyers at the deadline.
• In the college ranks, both Brendan Smith (Wisconsin) and Gustav Nyquist (Maine) should be locks for Hobey Baker nominations (best collegiate player), but their teams are also sitting nicely as solid best for invites to the NCAA tournament.
• However, it's Nick Oslund (St. Cloud State) who's team boasts the best collegiate record among Detroit prospects. St. Cloud is tied for 1st in the WCHA, the same conference Smith plays in.
• Attending St. Cloud next year is Nick Jensen, who knows all about winning: His Green Bay Gamblers are 1st in the USHL.
• Adam Almqvist has been forced into the SEL mainly due to injuries; his HV-71 club has had each of it's top four blueliners out for considerable lengths of time. It comes as a surprise that they still sit in 1st place.

Statistical report is after the jump. In the spirit of the postseason, the "notes" section contains the team's current position in the league standing

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The World Junior Championship is typically a tournament for 19-year-old players. It's by far the most prestigious and most popular tournament for junior hockey, earning the eye of scouts and fans alike each December. Despite the incredible talent at the tournament every year, it's not considered to be a big tournament for draft eligible players. The best of the best will certainly find their way on the team, but every year is crucial in development -- 19-year-olds are just better prepared for the tournament. Look no further than Colorado's Matt Duchene for a player passed over for this tournament.

For a country like Slovakia, winners of just one medal (a bronze) in the history of the tournament, the tournament can be tremendously challenging. Slovakia has put together competitive clubs over the years, but it's very difficult for a young player to stand out, even if they're given ice time.

Apparently, no one this to told Tomas Tatar. Barely 18 and a virtual unknown before the tournament, Tatar emerged as a star at the 2009 WJCs. Tatar led Slovakia in scoring with seven goals and 11 points in seven games, including several highlight reel goals and a pair of clutch goals in a huge upset over the United States.

After Detroit selected Tatar in the 2nd round the following June, many were wondering if Tatar's WJC performance was a fluke, or if he was the real deal. That was a question that Tatar soon answered. Despite being drafted into the OHL, and having an offer to play professional hockey in Slovakia, Tatar focused in on making the AHL and earning a contract from Detroit. He did.

Visa issues kept him out of the first few games, but Tatar found himself a regular after the first month of the season. Production was slow at first, but Tatar started to catch fire in November, becoming one of the top scorers on the Griffins during that team. All this was despite being the youngest player in the league. Tatar not only proved his WJC was not a fluke, but he proved to be a steal for Detroit at 60th overall.

Winging it in Motown had a chance to speak with Tatar about his adjustments to the AHL, his performances at the WJC, and being invited to Slovakia's Olympic camp.

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When it comes to prospects, name recognition plays a big part. Every hockey fan, and even some scouts, have that moment where they sit down to watch a game and they see a familiar name. "I wonder if there's any relation to..." Standard questions. Sometimes, you don't even need to see much beyond the style of play to realize that the players are definitely related.

Some scouts say this is the case with Landon Ferraro, a name that should be familiar to anyone who at all followed hockey from 1984 to 2001. Landon is the son of Ray Ferraro, who played over 1,200 games and scored over 400 goals with five different NHL teams. He was even a big-time scorer in juniors, scoring 108 goals among 192 points in 1983-84. After he hung up the skates, he put on his analyst hat and has been a regular on ESPN and NBC, as well as SportsNet and TSN in Canada and color commentary for Edmonton and Vancouver. 

Landon was born in Canada, but grew up playing his youth hockey in the United States, mostly in Atlanta and Los Angeles. He eventually moved back to Canada to play at a higher level. His prolific goal scoring ability got him noticed around the WHL, and he was drafted 2nd overall in 2006 by the Red Deer Rebels.

In his draft year, Landon scored 37 goals, good for 22% of all goals scored by Red Deer that season. For all intents and purposes, he was Detroit's first round pick this past June. Detroit traded the 29th overall pick to 32, picking up an extra third-rounder along the way. With the second pick of the second round, they selected Ferraro -- someone they felt was a definite first round talent.

This week, Winging it in Motown was lucky enough to sit down with him. We talked about bouncing back from an injury with a recent hot streak, having an NHL player as a father, and a conversation with a Red Wings' legend at the draft that may have been a bit of a hint.

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The life of a junior-aged hockey player is unlike that of any other profession. Most likely, if you're at the junior level it means you've succeeded and likely dominated youth ranks all the way up to 15 or 16. You're used to standing out and being one of the best on the ice. Then you take that leap to major junior hockey and all of a sudden you're just one among hundreds of guys who are used to the same thing. And you've only got two years to sort it out and make your bid for a professional career. Otherwise you fall behind the curve and need to work even harder to get noticed as you get older.

For these reasons, it makes sense that some players fall through the cracks -- not every NHL star was rated highly for the draft, or taken at all for that matter. You don't need to tell Red Wings fans that, with their ability to find the Datsyuks, Zetterbergs, Franzens, and Holmstroms in the late rounds.

The story of this season has been the role players. The completely unranked Darren Helm, the undrafted free agent Brett Lebda, the waiver claim Drew Miller, the buyout Patrick Eaves.

Willie Coetzee is hoping to be the next name in that impressive group. Draft eligible this past June, Coetzee had a solid year on a struggling Red Deer Rebels team. His teammate and frequent linemate Landon Ferraro was drafted 32nd overall by Detroit, but Coetzee wasn't picked. That meant, as a late 1990-born player, he would only have two more seasons of WHL hockey to impress an NHL team, or else be forced to start his professional career without an NHL contract -- a path that has produced few NHL players.

But Coetzee made the most of the first opportunity he was presented. Detroit invited him to their training camp, armed with a few extra contracts. Coetzee made his mark. Within a few months, he went from going undrafted to sharing the ice with childhood idols like Nick Lidstrom. Shortly after camp, in the two week window where NHL teams can sign undrafted free agent players (that would otherwise re-enter the draft), Coetzee signed an entry-level contract.

And he hasn't stopped there. Coetzee rocketed to the top of the WHL scoring charts early on and has stuck there ever since. He's currently tied for 8th with 61 points in 47 games -- more points than any other Detroit prospect in the system. Rather than trying to radically change his game to get noticed, Coetzee stuck to what he does best and it paid off. Instead of being behind the curve after not being drafted, Coetzee is now ahead of the curve. He has what every drafted player is striving to earn -- an entry-level contract.

Thanks to Casey, yet again, I was privileged enough to have a chat with Coetzee. We spoke about his season, his style of play, and how he dealt with the draft and then the Wings' camp. That, plus the return of the Friday Prospects statistical report after the jump.

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As I alluded to earlier, this edition of Friday Prospects is pretty unique. Casey was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to interview Nick Jensen -- Detroit's 5th round pick from 2009. Jensen plays for the Green Bay Gamblers in the USHL, heading to St. Cloud State next season. He's having a great season, having won gold internationally, top ten in the league in +/-, and just being named to the USHL All-Star game.

We talked a bit about his progress this season, his experience being drafted by Detroit, his future in college, and his gold medal-winning performance with Team USA at the World Junior A Challenge. Enjoy.

WIM: Green Bay is first in the division and you were just named to the USHL All-Star Game. What does that mean to you to accomplish something like that?

JENSEN: I definitely take pride in that, it's an opportunity that I'm glad to be a part of. Our team didn't really get recognized last year -- not saying that I should have been on it last year (ED NOTE: Jensen led the USHL in +/- last year, just sayin'), but there was a lot of guys that probably should have been on it and we really didn't get any recognition. We had a new coach, new staff, and a couple players that were not well known. This year I think we've got the most guys, two people on the coaching staff going, so it means a lot to be able to go this year.

WIM: How would you describe your style of play to Wings fans who haven't been able to see you play -- your strengths and weaknesses?

JENSEN: I think my skating is my best asset. I usually make pretty smart plays with the puck. I like being more of an offensive defenseman, you know, I don't just sit back and play tight. I try to play good defense too, along with offense. That's pretty much how I'd explain it.

WIM: What aspect of your game have you been trying to improve on this season, and how do you feel you've done with that?

JENSEN: At the beginning of this season I was trying to improve on moving the puck up as soon as possible, because it's really important at these high level leagues. As soon as I get the puck, I'm pretty much like a quarterback. You've got to pick your head up and move it to the open guy as soon as possible. Everyone in this league and everything happens so fast. The faster you make things happen, the better the play's going to be.

WIM: What do you feel you still need to work on to get to the next level?

JENSEN: I wouldn't say I'm the best at moving the puck, so I just need to work on my passing, keeping my head up, and moving it to the forwards as fast as possible. Shooting's huge because the goalies are so good, especially at higher levels and even this level. I have to work on getting shots through from the blueline, and getting it through the forward who's trying to screen him.

WIM: What did it mean to you to be drafted by the Red Wings and has that changed any aspects of your game or how you approach coming to the rink every day?

JENSEN: Getting drafted, to me, just felt like the start. It meant that this was just the beginning and I had to  start working really hard now. Especially from Detroit, being where they are and their reputation of being a great hockey team. My mom's side of the family is all from Michigan, too, so it was nice to get drafted because they were all pretty excited. The Wings have always been the favorite team of all of them.

WIM: Do you get to visit the area a lot then?

JENSEN: Obviously not now, but I used to go there every year, at least when I wasn't busy with hockey. My parents still go out there and I still have relatives out there.

WIM: Did you get any indication leading up to the draft that Detroit might take you?

JENSEN: I had never talked to them until the day of the first round, the day before I got drafted. They called me and asked me a few questions -- nothing too in depth, just basic questions like what my strengths and weaknesses are. That was pretty much my indication that they were interested, but I wasn't sure if they were going to take me or not.

More with Jensen after the jump, including his run in with two big name former Red Wings and his thoughts on USHL hockey.

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We've done it all. Profiled every Detroit prospect, save for Ryan Oulahen (AHL) and Gennady Stolyarov (KHL) who have been injured for the entire season. But the show must go on. Friday Prospects is still in demand. It's averaged 1.3 comments over the past four weeks -- that's pretty good!

I took some time to day to think about what to do with this feature, since it would be boring if I just started over. I think the best thing to do until the end of the season is condense the report. Three profiles a week is nice, but it's a lot of reading for you and a lot of work for me. I've realized that there are a good number of people who like to follow prospects. But not too many like to hear about everyone. So I'm introducing the statistical report, so that you can follow the prospects you're hyped about most

In the mean time, every week I'll just pick on prospect to profile. It'll read less like a history of the player and more like a scouting report. It'll focus on the prospects doing well, as there are different issues that arise in the second half of the season. Some prospects are playing for contracts. Some are knocking on the NHL's door from the AHL. A couple are in the hunt for the Hobey Baker. Others are in line for long playoff runs. I'll focus on the "stories" that the prospects are laying out for themselves instead of just rehashing the history portions that I've already done.

This week, though, since I spent so long tinkering with the tables, we're going all numbers. Take a look at the format, and let me know what you think.

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Why, yes -- it is Saturday.

Apologies for the unannounced holiday break. Obviously, as both Christmas and New Year's were on Fridays, these article took a seat on the back-burner. I wasn't planning to do one last week (since most leagues take a holiday break anyway). I thought I might have time yesterday, but college football and the Winter Classic were just far too interesting for my own good. I decided that even though it's not Friday, it would be okay to do this on Saturday. That's right, I'm breaking all the rules. It's my article, I'm the boss. Well, I guess Casey's actually the boss. But that's okay too -- I'll be punished swiftly and justly as usual.

Since we last left off... things have fallen apart. The Griffins have fallen apart beyond all comprehension. The injury bug is spreading down throughout Detroit's system. Four prospects have found new homes. Three are chasing glory at the World Junior Championship.

This week, we'll feature the remaining un-profiled prospects who have suit up this season, two in Sweden, one in Ontario.

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As the Detroit Red Wings injury report grows increasing complex with every game, so does the Grand Rapids Griffins transactions page. The Griffins have faced very similar problems this season -- trying to figure out

This was probably the most newsworthy week that the Griffins had all season. The losses of Jonathan Ericsson and Darren Helm saw Kris Newbury and Doug Janik recalled to the NHL, two players who log big minutes every night in Grand Rapids. Additionally, the Wings' injury woes have seen Justin Abdelkader spend a total of zero minutes in the Griffins' uniform this season, while Brad May and Drew Miller are playing nightly in Detroit, two players who wouldn't be guaranteed to be the Wings' uniform if Detroit was completely healthy.

But that wasn't it for the week. The big news was that the Griffins landed what could possibly be the most talented player now in the AHL in Washington Capitals' forward Michael Nylander. Nylander was essentially run out of Washington for not living up to his big contract, which the Capitals found no luck unloaded onto another team. Nylander debuted with the Griffins earlier this season on a five game conditioning stint, but now appears poised to stick with the team for the remainder of the season. Not too many AHL clubs can say they have a 600 point, 900 game NHL player suiting up for them -- one just three years removed from his most productive NHL season when he put up 83 points with the New York Rangers.

This was just in time, as two players jumped ship to Europe. As expected, Tomas Tatar was released for three weeks to join Slovakia for the World Junior Championships, starting next week. He starred in the event last year, and it was no secret that Detroit had scouts at every single Slovakian game. In a move of the unanticipated variety, Dick Axelsson has complained of being homesick informed the Griffins that he would be returning to Sweden. Supposedly, this will just be for a few weeks, but many expect Axelsson will not return. Axelsson had not been scoring (five points in 17 games). He did not look interested during certain games, being benched for full periods and frequently scratched for Griffins' heavyweight fighter Paul Crosty.

Despite this, after starting the season 1-4, the Griffins have gone on a 16-6-1 tear as they've battled to climb out of the North Division cellar. They currently sit fourth (only the top four teams int he division make the playoffs) but are only six points back of first. The coaching of Curt Fraser has taken them far, as they're the highest scoring team in the conference and also among the bottom five in penalty minutes. The addition of Nylander and the continued emergence of Tatar will be crucial to their second half success.

This week, Friday Prospects features the remaining Griffins not yet profiled.

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We’re getting down to it, folks. The cream of the prospect crop has already been profiled. You’re likely (hopefully?) starting to get used to seeing certain names in the "Who’s Hot?" section. You know that Brendan Smith is among Hobey hopefuls. You know Gustav Nyquist is scoring at hilarious rates. You know Tomas Tatar is the best prospect in hockey that nobody is talking about. You know Detroit is set in goal for the next decade.

So you’d expect the remaining prospects to maybe… be a little dull? Understandable. Every team has a couple of "those" prospects. Prospects to fill out the roster, prospects in the "long shot" category of every depth chart you see.  Not everyone has superstar potential.

Well, not Detroit’s. What would it mean to you if I said that this week we’re profiling a former QMJHL MVP, a 70+ point scoring defenseman, and a gold medal winning Canadian blueliner? Is it a little more exciting now? Are you just itching to click that "Read More" button? Yes? No? What if I were to tell you that the draft position of these three players was… undrafted, undrafted, and second-to-last? Is that a little better? Oh yeah, now you want to read more.

This week, we look at three Grand Rapids Griffins trying to work their way up the depth chart.

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Junior hockey. Is there anything so exciting?

Well, most likely there are many things more exciting than junior hockey. But I'd like to think those who have had the pleasure of experiencing junior hockey up close have it higher up the excitement charts than those who have not.

To anyone unfamiliar with the system, here's a basic rundown of how it works. If you're a young North American hockey player working your way up the ranks (divisions are usually sorted by age, Mite, Squirt, Peewee, Bantam, etc., but the tiers are different in Canada and the United States) you'll come to the Midget level around the age of 15. If you intend to keep playing hockey at a high level and have aspirations at a professional hockey career, you have a choice to make: college hockey, or major junior hockey.

If you choose the collegiate ranks, you'll likely play Junior A hockey. This is flexible, as players can also play high school/prep school hockey (a common choice in competitive states like Minnesota and Massachusetts), midget major, or Junior B/C/D, though you rarely see anyone lower than Junior B go on to play college. The vast majority end up in Junior A. This includes leagues like the United States Hockey League (USHL) and North American Hockey League (NAHL) in the United States, and the likes of the Ontario Provincial Junior Hockey League (OPJHL), British Columbian Hockey League (BCHL), or Alberta Junior Hockey League (AJHL) in Canada. You can play in these leagues until the year you turn 20, but the majority of top prospects are committed to college and playing there at the age of 18 or 19 (some choose to take a year off). The benefit to this route is to preserve your college eligibility, while still playing a heavy schedule. The downside is that you don't get as much exposure, although the major Junior A leagues have made up a lot of ground on major junior hockey in recent years.

Or, if you choose the major junior ranks at the age of 15, get ready, because it's your draft year. The major junior ranks consist of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), Western Hockey League (WHL, which actually drafts at the age of 14, though they cannot play regularly at 15), and the QMJHL (Quebec Major Junior Hockey League). These three leagues comprise the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). Players can play in these leagues from the age of 16 to 20, so this season that encompasses birthdates ranging from 1989 to 1993. This is said to be the quickest route to the NHL, as a top 16 year old prospect would get two full seasons of CHL hockey under their belts before their draft year at 18 -- and then potentially two (or three, if the circumstances are right) more seasons of CHL hockey before turning pro. The downside to this route is you get a small monetary stipend of money each week, ruling you ineligible to play NCAA college hockey. However, the CHL has made strides in recent years at hooking players up with community/local colleges while they're in the CHL, and they also provide an educational package for players to attend Canadian universities and play hockey in the CIS (Canadian Interuniversity Sport).

Phew.. it's complicated, but there's your rundown. I was lucky enough to have a local OHL team where I used to live in Plymouth, and I still catch a fair amount of games every year. It's also the route in which the majority of players are drafted into the NHL. I caught a unique game last week when I saw the top three players ranked for the 2010 draft in one game between Plymouth (Tyler Seguin) and Windsor (Taylor Hall and Cam Fowler). It's quite the experience to attend in person. Pretty much any game you attend you'll see at least a handful of players drafted already into the NHL, and likely a few more a year or two away. There's a lot of offense, and when you've got a bunch of teens trying to prove they're better than each other, things can get pretty heated.

This week in Friday Prospects, we'll look at three players from the '09 draft playing junior hockey. Two of them in the major junior ranks, and one collegiate-bound player in the USHL.

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After a brief tour around the collegiate ranks, this week's Friday Prospects is back to the farm as we profile three players taken by Detroit in the 2006 NHL Entry Draft -- potentially one of their best of the decade.

The 2006 draft saw Detroit with their first round pick for the second straight season -- only because they couldn't trade their '05 first round pick at the trade deadline, as they had been doing since the 2000 draft, because of the lockout. However, Detroit when Detroit's pick rolled around they saw an opportunity to make some noise. Detroit said they had a bunch of players left on their list that they had ranked in the first round, so they had no problem swapping the 29th overall pick (the University of Michigan's Chris Summers) to Phoenix for picks #41 and #47, giving them three picks in the second round of the draft.

One of these players, Shawn Matthias, was dealt to Florida in the Todd Bertuzzi deal, just before he hit it big as one of the best prospects not in the NHL. Two other selections, Daniel Larsson (3rd round) and Logan Pyett (7th round) are in Grand Rapids with the three '06 picks being profiled today. The lone 2006 pick without an NHL contract right now, Nick Oslund, is still a junior in college at St. Cloud state. To have six NHL contracts out of seven players selected is incredibly difficult to do. While only Matthias has seen NHL time so far, in time the '06 draft could end up being one of Detroit's most profitable.

This week focuses on three skilled forwards selected by Detroit in that draft.

Also, since I just realized it's rather hard to find these articles, I hope this handy little archive might help you track down your favorite prospects:

October 2 -- Ville Leino, Jonathan Ericsson, Darren Helm, Jimmy Howard
October 9 -- Joakim Andersson, Jesper Samuelsson, Adam Almqvist
October 16 -- Landon Ferraro, Tomas Tatar, Andrej Nestrasil
October 23 -- Daniel Larsson, Thomas McCollum, Jordan Pearce
October 30 -- Brent Raedeke, Brian Lashoff, Willie Coetzee
November 6 -- Jakub Kindl, Mattias Ritola, Evan McGrath
November 13 -- Brendan Smith, Gustav Nyquist, Max Nicastro
November 20 -- Bryan Rufenach, Julien Cayer, Nick Oslund

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Well hello there. Did you guys hear the new joke about the Red Wings goal that didn't count?

Kidding of course. Shockingly, this will be the only Wings' thing you read today that won't be about the miserable blown call by professional referee Dennis LaRue.

Last week, we looked at Detroit's three most promising prospects -- Brendan Smith, Max Nicastro, and Gustav Nyquist. However, Detroit has three more collegiate prospects we've yet to discuss. These guys are all late round picks, taken for very specific reasons but not yet completely paying off. Still, if you hear these names in the next few years, you'll be pleased that you read WIM and already heard about them!

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In this week's installment of Friday Prospects, the weekly look into the world that is Detroit Red Wings prospects, we're getting ready to go to school. This week, I profile Detroit's top three prospects still playing in the collegiate ranks.

There was a long period of time in the 1990s and early '00s where if you were a college-bound player, you shouldn't expect to be drafted by the Red Wings. Between 1995 and 2004, Detroit drafted only three college-bound players, and keep in mind the draft was nine rounds at this time. However, since the new CBA changed the rules of the draft in 2005, Detroit has taken eight. Nowhere near an overwhelming majority, but a definite sign of a trend that will continue.

The reason was that, before the CBA was changed, teams held North American player rights (junior or college) for a set amount of time, while you held European player rights indefinitely. Detroit has always been a team that has liked long-term projects, so it just made more sense for them to spend those late round picks on small, skilled European players (the Pavel Datsyuks of the world) and leave them in Europe for three to five years and hope they figure it out on their own. This opposed to a North American player, who would have seen much more exposure to scouts, greatly reducing the chance to find a skilled, diamond-in-the-rough type player.

And then if it came down to a junior player or a college player, it made sense to go junior in most cases. At 18, a junior player has already spent one or two years in the league, so they will be prepared to assume a big role on their team in the next two season before an NHL team has to sign him. Meanwhile, a college player at 18 would either be a freshman, or entering college the next fall. They would not likely get big minutes until their junior year, and then an NHL team would be forced to make a decision on a player who has not had as great of a chanc

But the new CBA changed the rules -- major junior players and European players now have two years to sign, while college players have until they graduate college. Detroit saw the advantage to this, so that in some cases (if a player spent an extra year in junior before going to college), they would have five years to make a decision on a player.

That said, let's take a look at the three most promising college prospects.

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Six full weeks of Friday Prospects. Getting tired of this yet? Good, because neither am I. In this weekly look at the world of Detroit Red Wings prospects, we turn to the American Hockey League to look at a trio of Red Wings prospects who might be ready to make an NHL push soon.

Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson, Jimmy Howard, Justin Abdelkader, and Ville Leino represent the biggest influx of Griffins talent to Detroit ever. That would lead you to believe that the Grand Rapids system is depleted, void of high-end talent, and that just isn't the case. Grand Rapids started the season with a long road trip that saw them start the season 1-4. But the Griffins have rattled off five straight wins en route to climbing out of the North Division cellar.

Part of this was due to the two-week tryout of 600+ point NHL scorer Michael Nylander. But the Griffins are getting key contributions out of their young players as well. Here are three young players who might be ready to step up to the NHL, should Detroit's injury woes get any worse.

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Welcome to the fifth week of Winging it in Motown's new feature, Friday Prospects. I've described what this feature is in the other posts, so if you don't know yet... then you don't read WIM enough. Here are the archives:

10/2 -- Helm, Leino, Ericsson, Howard

10/9 -- Andersson, Samuelsson, Almqvist

10/16 -- Ferraro, Tatar, Nestrasil

10/23 -- Larsson, McCollum, Pearce

Today's feature is very specific. Detroit has made a living off of players that other teams have given up on. Pavel Datsyuk passed through two drafts before Detroit took him in the 6^th round. Johan Franzen was 24 when Detroit drafted him – you can't even draft players older than 22 anymore. Tomas Holmstrom, Niklas Kronwall, and Nicklas Lidstrom all passed through at least one draft before Detroit snapped them up. Dan Cleary, Brett Lebda, Jason Williams, and Patrick Eaves (hopefully he'll look impressive in this company) were all young players that Detroit took a chance on through free agency that have found a home in the NHL.

The common theme here is Detroit has taken a lot of chances on players that other teams have given up on, and found success. Today's profiles look at three players that Detroit has signed through pre-season tryouts after they were all passed over in the draft.

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Friday Prospects is the weekly look around the world into what could be the Wings of tomorrow. It will feature a group of three different prospects each week. So far, we've looked at The Class of 2009, The Next Big Swede, and The 2009 Trio.

This week, the focus is between the pipes. Chris Osgood is 37-years-old and Jimmy Howard has not turned many heads so far. Detroit has made more of an effort to groom a goalie for their own and not have to rely on free agency to find a bunch of short-term fixes. Is the answer currently coming up the system, or will Detroit need to make a move for an outsider when Osgood finally hangs them up?

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Welcome to the third installment of Friday Prospects. This is a weekly look around the wonderful hockey world, profiling three semi-randomly chosen Red Wings prospects to be detailed and analyzed, so you, the fine Winging it in Motown viewer, can have a better grasp of where exactly the Darren Helms and Jonathan Ericssons of the world come from when they randomly dominate for Detroit.

A friend will say "where the hell did he come from?" and you'll snobbishly say "well, Helm was unranked during his draft year after rising out of the Manitoba junior ranks, then he led the Medicine Hat Tigers to a Memorial Cup appearance and even played for the Canadian under-20 team" and your friend will look at you weird and after a few moments of awkward hockey nerd tension you'll be glad that you read my feature on WIM. Because I've been there, and I'm here for you.

A recap of the first two Friday Prospects features:
The Class of 2009 -- (Ericsson/Howard/Helm/Leino)
The Next Big Swede -- (Andersson/Samuelsson/Almqvist)

This week, we look back to the draft in June to see how Detroit's top picks are faring.

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Hey look, I made it through my first week at WIM without getting canned. Good news for me I suppose, but for all of you that means you're subjected to more of my prospect drivel. Good!

If you're just joining us, basically what this feature does is profile a handful of Red Wings prospects each week. For now I'm going the theme route, but sooner or later I'll run out of ideas and it'll be more of a grab bag. Basically, the point of this is to familiarize all you fine (and I mean fine) readers with Red Wings prospects. I spend a good chunk of my free time collecting any information I can on these guys, so I use this to help others follow along as well. Others that may have jobs, families, or hobbies preventing them from following the way I do.

Last week I looked at this year's graduating class, the four prospects that will see no time in Grand Rapids this season: Ville Leino, Darren Helm, Jonathan Ericsson, and Jimmy Howard. If you missed that, make sure to check it out right here.

This week will be decidedly more Swedish than last week.

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Despite playing in front of hundreds of family members and close friends, the Detroit Red Wings dropped their second straight game in Sweden to the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-3.

Much like yesterday, the Red Wings got off to a very fast start in the first period. Tomas Holmstrom saw a puck graze in off his pants to make it 1-0 just 31 seconds in. A minute and a half later, Dan Cleary beat former Red Wing Ty Conklin to make it 2-0, jamming a puck in off a Henrik Zetterberg pass from the corner. Cleary nearly made it 3-0 minutes later, deflecting a puck past Conklin that was waived off because Cleary's stick was above the crossbar.

The Red Wings were unable to put the Blues away in the first period, despite a 14-1 shot advantage at one point, mostly the result of four straight Blues penalties. With Kirk Maltby off for elbowing, St. Louis cut Detroit's lead in half as Keith Tkachuk found a way to slide a puck through a sprawled Jimmy Howard.

St. Louis started the second period as strong as they finished the first, evening the shots out to 18-15 their advantage despite the margin they were down in the first period. Andy Mcdonald evened the score when he put home a rebound that Howard had deflected out front. Niklas Kronwall helped Detroit regain the lead on the powerplay minutes later, but from there it was all St. Louis.

Brad Boyes slid a shot through Howard's pads that just trickled over the line, and 12 seconds later Patrik Berglund found himself on a partial breakaway as he wired a slapshot through the pads of Howard, giving St. Louis the lead for the first time in the contest. Keith Tkachuk added his second goal in the contest late in the third, tipping a puck over Howard, to give St. Louis the 5-3 victory.

Jonathan Ericsson returned to the lineup today for Detroit after leaving yesterday, but Brett Lebda left the game in the second period after taking a hard hit into the end boards.

Detroit has four days off before they take on the Chicago Blackhawks at home to open up their North American schedule.

Hello there. I'm Kyle, and this is my feature.

If anyone's ever read my blog (I don't blame you, I don't read it either), you'll know that my love in life is Detroit prospects. I've always followed the draft, and when I'm not watching the Wings I'm usually trying to catch some random prospects game. I find the idea of knowing future Red Wings before they get there to be thrilling, and I think many others do as well. The only problem is, with so many prospects spread out all over the world, it's really hard to know where to start.

Hence, every Friday I will deliver this feature. Obviously with bigger things on the agenda today, I don't expect people will be fawning all over this. But I figure since the prospects season is well under way, this would be a fine day to make my debut.

Every week, this should be your stop for only the freshest prospects news. I plan to target three or four players every week to profile and provide some background and info on so that anyone looking to follow prospects can start. I'll spread the love, of course -- with 39 prospects headed into the season, I'll be looking at the most well-known to the most obscure. As this is a new feature and I am an indecisive person, I'd love to hear feedback on anything that you might want to see thrown in to this feature.

Today's group -- the graduating class of 2009.

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