There is a lot going on in the world of hockey right now. The trade deadline is rapidly approaching in the NHL. The AHL season is in full-swing. The NCAA tournament is winding down, and the CHL is mostly up and running. Naturally, the Detroit Red Wings have a lot going on within their organization as well.
Let’s take a look at all the happenings in Hockeytown.
The Red Wings have a lot of good prospects at every position. However, they lack a true stud goalie prospect that fans can point to and say “that’s the goalie of the future.” Top his credit, though, Keith Petruzzelli is doing all the right things to give Detroit plenty of hope in that regard.
Drafted 88th overall in 2017, Petruzzelli has spent the last four seasons at Quinnipiac University where his performances have gotten better and better with each passing year. This season through 29 games, he had 17 wins, a goals against average of 1.89 and a save percentage of .926. His play was so strong this season that the 22-year-old is a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, awarded to the top player in college hockey.
Keith Petruzzelli has anchored our defense all season to become a Hobey Baker Top Ten Finalist and Mike Richter Award Finalist
— Quinnipiac Men's Ice Hockey (@QU_MIH) March 25, 2021
4th in Nation in Wins and Shutouts
Top 10 in GAA and SV %
62 consecutive starts
: https://t.co/BZyhzcZ1h5#VoteForPetro | #BobcatNation pic.twitter.com/tPXedxkuUC
Unfortunately, Quinnipiac’s season has come to an end due to an overtime loss to Minnesota State. While Petruzzelli likely felt that his team could have made an honest push for the Frozen Four, it wasn’t meant to be. Now the question around Hockeytown is this: will he sign, and if so, when?
Should he sign an ELC, he would likely join the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and battle with Kevin Boyle and Pat Nagle for starts.
It’s no mystery why the Edmonton Oilers and the Red Wings are linked in trade talk this season. Former Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is the man in charge for team McDavid, and it turns out that he may be looking to bolster his team’s bottom six depth as the trade deadline draws near.
Per Frank Seravalli on Insider Trading, the Oilers have their eye on a right shot center who can kill penalties and have a high faceoff percentage. Seravalli suggests Luke Glendening, Brandon Sutter and Derek Ryan as options. The Oilers are looking to trade a 4th for one of them
— Oilers News and Updates (@oilersaccess) March 25, 2021
With the Canadian government recently reducing the mandated quarantine period from 14 days down to just seven, GM’s from across the Scotia North Division are a lot more eager to take calls from the teams based in the United States. We saw this come to fruition a couple days ago when the Montreal Canadiens acquired Eric Staal from the Buffalo Sabres for a third and fifth round pick.
In regards to the Red Wings, it will be interesting to see what kind of return they get for Glendening (assuming they do trade him). If Holland is looking to deal a fourth round pick, theoretically all it takes is a third to beat that offer. The return on a player like Staal definitely put a damper on any hopes that Detroit would get a premium draft asset in exchange for their fourth line center. With the deadline a little more than two weeks away, it will be interesting to see who else Glendening gets linked to.
File this one under “things you maybe didn’t see coming”, but the Griffins recently signed 24-year-old defenseman Patrick Holway to an amateur tryout with the team.
The Griffins on Tuesday signed Red Wings 2015 sixth round pick (170th overall) defenseman Patrick Holway to an amateur tryout.
— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) March 23, 2021
Details >> https://t.co/ZDBYAC1rMr pic.twitter.com/fDLSTtq7R6
As noted in the tweet above, Holway was drafted 170th overall back in 2015. The native of Cohasset, Massachusetts spent the last two seasons with Merrimack College after transferring there from the University of Maine. This season with the Warriors, he posted nine points through 18 games. At 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, he is a big body with limited offensive upside that could carve out a role as a defensive defenseman, most likely at the AHL level. At best, he’s probably a Jonathan Ericsson-type, but I have my reservations about him even reaching those heights.
Either way, it’s exciting to see a prospect finally join the organization in some form. He’ll be worth watching for the rest of this season.
The Griffins on Monday signed Red Wings 2019 third round pick (66th overall) forward Albin Grewe to an amateur tryout.
— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) March 23, 2021
Details >> https://t.co/2rGwcI2op9 pic.twitter.com/uZ6uw4mN9a
To his credit, the 20-year-old has already notched his first point in the AHL, an assist on a Tyler Spezia goal. As mentioned in our previous news and rumors column, Grewe has the potential to become a real pest at the pro level. I like to compare him to Tyler Bertuzzi because of his mix of skill and grit that should help him find success in the North American game. While you’re watching Holway, be sure to watch this kid as well.
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