SB Nation User Blog: adamgreuel

Terrible news

adamgreuel — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:55:54 -0000

I would like to give my condolences to the Bourdon family and I hope Luc is in a better place right now. May he rest in peace. :( He was WAY to young. Luc was a promising defense men for the Vancouver Canucks and he died in a motorcycle accident this morning. Apparently he only recently got into riding motorcycles and he had just bought one of his own two days ago! This is a huge tragedy for the NHL.

I would just like to take this moment...

adamgreuel — Thu, 29 May 2008 21:52:29 -0000

To give my condolences to the Bourdon family and I hope Luc is in a better place right now. May he rest in peace. :( He was WAY to young. Luc was a promising defense men for the Vancouver Canucks and he died in a motorcycle accident this morning. Apparently he only recently got into riding motorcycles and he had just bought one of his own two days ago! This is a huge tragedy for the NHL.

Kronwall: Best defense men for Detroit in this years play-offs?

adamgreuel — Sat, 24 May 2008 05:21:18 -0000

via blog.mlive.com

Ok, I have a question for you guys... Who has been the best defense men for Detroit in this year play-offs? Lidstrom? Nope. Rafalski. Not a chance. According to coach Mike Babcock it has been Niklas Kronwall.

Kronwall's career started rough, with injuries ranging from a broken leg to a fractured sacrum. He was in and out of the lineup so much that it was hard for him to find any consistency in his game. Its seems as though these play-offs are his coming out party. He leads all defense men in play-off scoring and his penchant for the big open ice hit has his teammates impressed.

"It gives us so much more energy," forward Henrik Zetterberg said. "It's unbelievable to see Kronner do it night in and night out. It's nice to see him healthy and playing good in all situations. He makes huge hits and nice plays, so he's a pretty complete package." (Quote courtesy of detnews.com)

The opposition has also noticed Kronwall's physical play as of late. "You have to have your head up and be ready. If your elbows get up quick enough, you have to protect yourself also," Malone, the 6-4, 224-pound Penguins forward, said during a conference call Wednesday. "If by accident your stick gets up a little bit, maybe he learns his lesson. He's definitely a player you have to keep your eye on." (Quote courtesy of Mlive.com)

If the Wings can win their fourth cup since 1997, be ready to hear Kronwall's name in the talks for the Conn Smythe, he definitely deserves it.

Experiment No Longer

adamgreuel — Sat, 24 May 2008 04:56:52 -0000

Just months after being named interm GM's in place of the fired Doug Armstrong, Brett Hull and Les Jackson have signed contract extensions that will run through 2011. While Jackson is the "brains" of the operation, managing salary cap issues, Brett Hull is a guy that fosters strong relationships with the players and offers unconventional wisdom.

“This unique combination of talents gives us many advantages for our hockey club,” Hicks said in a statement. “Signing Les and Brett to these contracts provides stability for the future.”

Hull and Jackson engineered one of the biggest trades in franchise history, acquiring center Brad Richards from the Tampa Bay Lightning in exchange for Forwards Jussi Jokinen, Jeff Halpern and back-up goaltender Mike Smith. Richards was a vital part of the Stars during their play-off run, finishing tied for second in team scoring with 15 points.

“We think the same way,” Hull said in trying to explain why the co-GM role has worked. “He is the ultimate gentleman, and anybody who can’t get along with Les, you’re in big trouble. Mostly it’s the self-confidence we have in ourselves and the confidence we have in each other that makes it real easy.”

Up next for the two is trying to get Tippet to sign a contract extension, something Brett Hull says shouldn't be to hard.

Grigorenko Finally Ready

adamgreuel — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:41:06 -0000

Igor Grigorenko is finally coming to Detroit, six years after being drafted. He will be old for a rookie entering the season (24 years old). There is speculation that he will play with fellow Russian Pavel Datsyuk if Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg get there own lines to center. He is entering the season as an enigma, and I for one can't wait to see what he can do.

Given Igor Grigorenkos age, you would think he would have made the NHL a couple of years ago, or, at the very least, you would think he may have came over to play in the AHL. Grigorenko was born on September 4th, 1983. That makes him a 24 year old rookie (his birthday happens before the season starts).

Grigorenko was Detroit's 2nd choice (62nd Overall) in the 2001 entry draft. After he was drafted, Grigorenko was touted as another European steal by the Wings in the draft after they nabbed Datsyuk and Zetterberg late. Sadly, Grigorenko's career was derailed when he crashed his car on May 16, 2003, suffering a broken left femur and two fractures in his left tibia. It was while in the hospital for those injuries that he had a life-threatening embolism in his lung. The first couple of years were tough for Grigorenko to come back from, but he has worked hard to come back and recorded 14 goals, 13 assists for a total of 27 point for Tolyatti Lada in 2006-07.

The success he had this year got him a one-year, $858,800 contract from the Wings. He will be competing for a roster spot during training camp this fall and he has stated he will likely return to Russia if he is demoted to the minors. Another big reason Grigorenko had yet to come over until this year is his Russian wife and their daughter. Staying in Russia got him more money and freed him from paying any taxes.

Although he is not as fast since the crash, he still can put on the speed when he wants and he is very shifty. He is also very creative with the puck but tends to go with the fancy move over the safe move a little to much. He doesn't possess a cannon of a shot, but he knows when to use it. As his penalty minutes indicate, he is a feisty player but he still needs to bulk up a little this off-season. If he makes the squad, a spot on the top two lines is likely. Also, if Zetterberg and Datsyuk are split up, look for Grigorenko to play with Datsyuk.

Kronwall's Time to Shine

adamgreuel — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 04:46:36 -0000

Niklas Kronwall recently signed a 5 year, $15 Million deal that has been highly criticized by many hockey fans, including fans of the Detroit Red Wings. I think now with the departure of Markov (Rafalski replaces Schneider), that Kronwall will get top three minutes after Lidstrom and Rafalski. Kronwall has had some fluke injuries, such as the one he suffered just before the play-offs. In hopes that he will realize his potential this year, I wrote an article.

After Mathieu Schneider sprained his knee (he would miss 10 games), Kronwall was thrust into the number one power play unit until Schneiders return and the results were astounding. Detroit's power play percentage went up five percent and started climbing the charts as it had been in the bottom half most of the year with Schneider and Lidstrom manning the point. When Schneider came back, the power play struggled again and ended up 21st.

According to many fans, 2006-07 was going to be a breakout year for Kronwall and it ended with mixed results. Kronwall was slow to start, skating out of position to much and not making the smart plays with the puck. The second half was better though and he finished the season with 22 points in 68 games.

A reason for Kronwall's slow development has been the injuries. He missed 10 games earlier in the year with a groin injury. He also missed the last four games of the season and the entire play-offs because of a broken sacrum after being hit by Dallas Stars forward Joel Lundqvist. He also missed 52 games in 2005-06 with a knee problem.

The heat is on Kronwall this year however, after he signed a 5 year, $15 million extension during the season last year. He will be expected to step up in Markov's place and will probably be paired with Lidstrom as new Wing Brian Rafalski will likely get the privledge of playing with veteran Chris Chelios.

Kronwall has always had the skills to be a great defense men in the game today, so lets hope he stays away from the injuries this year. He skates very well and has a excellent shot. He doesn't shy away from physical contact but he must work this off-season in getting stronger. Look for a 5 goal, 30 assist season from him this year.