from Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press,
It's possible Nedeljkovic could return for another year; he played better down the stretch this season after a stint in the minors. But here are three options who could prove more enticing as the Wings look for someone to share the net wit Husso.
Joonas Korpisalo
Korpisalo (6 feet 3, 193 pounds) is 94-81-15 with a 3.01 GAA and .904 save percentage in 221 career NHL games, spent mostly spent with the Columbus Blue Jackets until this past trade deadline, when the 29-year-old was acquired by the Los Angeles Kings. Korpisalo was pulled in Game 5 of the Kings' first-round series with the Edmonton Oilers, but in the first four games, he had a .918 save percentage. Korpisalo — like Husso, a Finn — signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract extension last May....
Alex Lyon
Lyon (6-1, 201) started the first three games of the Florida Panthers' first-round series against the Boston Bruins. Sergei Bobrovsky, the Panthers' $10 million goalie (he signed a seven-year, $70-million contract on July 1, 2019) was dealing with an illness, and Lyon, a 30-year-old who spent most of his career in the minor leagues, got the nod on the strength of going 6-1-1 with a 1.87 GAA and .943 save percentage down the stretch run of the regular season....
Antti Raanta
Raanta (6-0, 195) is 127-73-27 with a 2.43 GAA and .918 save percentage in 253 career games spent with four teams, most recently the Carolina Hurricanes. The 33-year-old Finn signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Hurricanes in July 2021.
more ($) on each of the above...
from Bob Duff of Detroit Hockey Now,
“Having to watch the team and watch the league and get to really know the American League on a much deeper level, it’s depth,” Horcoff listed as the most vital quality required for AHL success. “You really need depth because you have to survive the injuries that happen with your own team and in the AHL.
“You have to survive it. And if they happen to be happening at the same time, you can really find yourself in a situation where it’s tough to win.”
Veterans Are Key To AHL Success
Lesson No. 2 for Horcoff is about picking the right veterans to make the mix meld together effectively. It’s more than merely signing players who pile up points. An NHL team needs experienced players who are capable of filling a void at the NHL level if need be. As well as leading the way on the ice, they also must be character guys who are willing and able to be showing the younger players what it’s going to take for them to develop into NHLers.
This is especially essential for the Red Wings. Over the next couple of years, Grand Rapids will be well-stocked with players who figure to become the future core of the Detroit roster. That group will include the likes of defensemen William Wallinder and Albert Johansson, forwards Cross Hanas and Carter Mazur and perhaps even first-round picks like defenseman Simon Edvinsson and forward Marco Kasper.
“I think it’s important to have veteran leadership, guys that not only play well on the ice but also do things the right way off the ice,” Horcoff said. “When you have a young team like we do, it’s important for them to look up to the players and their peers around them.
“It’s important for us to surround them with guys that do things the right way, because they don’t know. They haven’t been exposed to it. A lot of times this is their first real situation where they really face any sort of adversity. Just having the value of a veteran voice in the locker room that’s been through it before is very important.”
more
Create an Account
In order to leave a comment, please create an account.