from Ken Campbell of The Hockey News,
I have to admit that I don’t follow the progress of non-NHL players the way I did in the past. There was a time when there wasn’t a player who entered the league whose name I didn’t at least hear along the way. But with a 31, soon to be 32-team league, there are a handful of players who come into the league every season that leave me saying, “Who the heck is this guy?” That’s when I go to our prospect guru Ryan Kennedy and resident hockey nerd Matt Larkin. If they’re left scratching their heads, I’m onto something.
And here are a half dozen players who fall into that category this season:
Libor Sulak, Detroit: The Red Wings made it abundantly clear that there were jobs to be taken on their roster and one of them went to the 24-year-old Sulak, who took advantage of a blueline that has been besieged by injuries to regulars Mike Green, Niklas Kronwall, Jonathan Ericsson and Trevor Daley. Sulak played two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins late last season and impressed with his shot and puck-moving ability. He also had an impressive World Championship for the Czech Republic. He might not be around when the Red Wings get all their regular defensemen back, but one of the pleasant surprises for the Red Wings early is that a good number of their young kids, including Sulak, can play at the NHL level.
Little known fact: Sulak was on loan to the Pelicans of the Finnish League last season and finished second among defensemen in goals with nine.
five more players...
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