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Anthony Mantha is ready to breakout for the Detroit Red Wings

Embed from Getty Images When the 2018-19 NHL season was nearing it’s end. Detroit Red Wings Anthony Mantha was on a roll. Mantha had achieved a level of consistency in his all around game that had eluded him. In the last eight games, Anthony Mantha had 8 goals and 15 points, and came alive on Detroit’s power play. It looks like Mantha is ready to take another step for the Red Wings.

This past spring, Anthony Mantha played in the IIHF World Championship. The big forward put up 14 points in nine games for Team Canada. Mantha had just finished his Red Wings season with a third 20 plus goal season, then turned in a fantastic tournament.

Through the first 3 season of his career, Mantha has been plagued by both injuries and inconsistency in his play. Often a target of Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill. Everyone can see the possibilities Mantha has. He looks ready to take the next step.

This coming NHL season, the question is once again, is this the season Mantha joins his Red Wings teammates, Dylan Larkin and Andreas Athanasiou in the 30 goal club, or another 20 plus goal season.

If Anthony Mantha can stay healthy and consistent the 30 goal plateau will be within reach. Playing on Detroit’s top line with Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi gives Mantha the talent he needs to advance his game. Yet, when top Red Wings prospect forwards Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno are ready, Mantha could slide on a line with Athanasiou and one of the top young forwards.

The sky is the limit for a player like Anthony Mantha. A big, fast player with a wicked one-timer. Anthony Mantha is perhaps the key player in the Detroit Red Wings rebuild. A rebuild that is nearing it’s end.

The Red Wings who the past two seasons were blown out in many games. Are in much better position to compete and they should not be blown out this coming season. If Anthony Mantha can find the back of the net 30 times, it sets the Detroit Red Wings up for a playoff run in the 2020-21 season.

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Star Wars: How Kylo Ren, Darth Vader, Supreme Leader Snoke, Darth Plagues and Emperor Palpatine are connected

Embed from Getty Images “The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural,” Palpatine told Anakin Skywalker. This is the quote that will serve as a backdrop. One that will link five major Star Wars characters to paint a bigger picture.

In “The Force Awakens” we know Kylo Ren is drawn to the mask of Darth Vader. In my opinion this goes beyond family. In Charles Soule’s Darth Vader comic series it ends with Darth  Momin performing a  Force ritual that got interrupted by Jedi. The imbalance in the Force caused Momin’s ritual to go wrong, and his spirit was trapped inside the mask he wore. That mask became one of Palpatine’s treasured possessions, and one that would end up on the head of Anakin Skywalker.

Having learned how to achieve the ability to live on through studying his master Darth Plaguies work. Palpatine killed him. Or so we are lead to believe.

The  connection between Snoke and Palpatine, is interesting. Palpatine was killed by his apprentice Darth Vader, Snoke is also killed by the very person he had been grooming as well Kylo Ren. Darth Nihilus and accent Sith Lord, became so corrupted by the Dark Side he just became a spirit who was able to live in a mask and robe. This coupled with the teaching of how to cheat death from Plaguies lends it’s self to Emperor Palpatine saving himself as he was thrown over the reactor chamber in “Return of the Jedi.”

Like Darth Plaguies, Palpatine could use his spirit to enter people and control them. Someone like Supreme Leader Snoke. Once he no longer need Snoke he allowed Kylo Ren to strike him down.

In “Return of the Jedi” Vader asked Luke Skywalker to take the mask off so he could see him through untainted eyes. Kylo Ren smashed his mask after he took it off and was conflicted between the Light and Dark Side of the Force.

With “The Rise of Skywalker” set to hit theaters this December, In my opinion we will find that it has been Emperor Palpatine calling the shots the whole time. Including using the possessed Darth Vader mask to control Ren.

 

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Michigan State football needs a running back to step up

Embed from Getty Images For the Michigan State Spartans, a program that has long prided itself on running the ball they have struggled to do that recently. Last season in rushing offense the Spartans were right around 124.8 yards a game finding consistency was a significant reason. Connor Heyward’s 157 yards in the win over Maryland was the only 100-yard rushing game of the season. That’s the only time a Mark Dantonio coached team at Michigan State has managed just one 100-yard game from one of its backs.

Brad Salem was the running backs coach when Le’Veon Bell was rushing for 1,793. Salem spent the last six seasons as Michigan State’s quarterbacks coach. Salem is now returning to leading the running backs as part of the staff shuffling that also saw Salem become the Spartans’ offensive coordinator.

Last season senior LJ Scott missed all but five games with an injury, forcing Connor Heyward, in his first season starting at running back, and freshman La’Darius Jefferson, a high school quarterback, to try to move the ball on the ground.

Heyward showed enough, leading the Spartans with 529 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns while averaging 4.5 yards a carry. This season Elijah Collins, now a redshirt freshman, joins the mix at tailback.

Connor Heyward is sure he can become the go to ball carrier in Salem’s new offense, one that has yet to be revealed to the fans and media. However it shakes out with starter and depth chart, the Spartans need more productions for the teams ball control offense.

There is no telling this early in fall camp what the Michigan State depth chart looks like, or if it rotates to give every back a shot with the first team. The Michigan State Spartans also need better production, more consistency and better health from the offensive line.

In a week or two we should have a better feel from what the Spartans depth chart will look like heading into the 2019-20 College Football season.

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The Detroit Red Wings need Danny DeKeyser to stay consistent

Embed from Getty Images Missing 27 of the first 47 games with two separate hand injuries that required surgery, Detroit Red Wings defensemen Danny DeKeyser  played in the fewest games of his six full NHL seasons. His play improved when he returned. The the Red Wings need him to stay consistent.

In the 2018-19 NHL season, DeKeyser averaged 1.8 blocked shots per game, second on team and first among defensemen. He also led the team in average ice time 21:58 and averaged 2:31 on penalty kill, third on team among defensemen. DeKeyser’s plus-minus rating was minus-5.

 DeKeyser showed improvement and more consistency during an injury-plagued season that cost him a total of 30 games. His skating and mobility enabled him to move the puck out of his zone more efficiently and quicker than he had the previous three years. Added strength allowed him to win more puck battles. Danny DeKeyser had his best season since 2014-15, but he still was not as strong as he was his first two full NHL seasons.

The question that needs to be asked is, was last season as good as DeKeyser can get at this point of his career or can he return to the form he played at during his first two NHL seasons?

DeKeyser  showed growth in terms of consistently defending last season. Danny has been good at different times in his career. Last season DeKeyser looked stronger, in the physical battles along the boards. He knocked people around way more. Some believe he is becoming an elite defender in the league, what was once envisioned for him   and now believe he is becoming.

This season the Red Wings are hopeful Danny DeKeyser picks up where he left off last season. He figures to be paired with Mike Green or Filip Hronek. Whoever he is not paired with on the top line will slide to the second line defense with Patrik Nemeth.

Those four defensive players should make up Detroit’s top four on defense.

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Players to watch for the Michigan Wolverines football team

Embed from Getty Images College football 2019-20 is officially here, with the Michigan Wolverines having kicked off fall camp on Friday, August 2. While it is too early in fall camp to get a feel for who is standing out. There are some Wolverines who’s names have not been brought up. It is those players I think are ready to take the next step.

Freshman defensive tackle Chris Hinton. When it comes to incoming freshman hype, it starts with Hinton. Hinton has the size and ability to be a solid player on the inside of the defensive line. This was a trouble spot on last seasons defense. Mazi Smith has stolen most of the hype out of the freshmen, Hinton is a name to remember as he can make a big impact.

Sophomore linebacker Jordan Anthony, he can play middle linebacker. Red shirted last season Anthony is looking to earn more playing time. In is his third year in the system, and he should get more playing time, even if it is in a backup role.

Five star linebacker Cam McGrone might be the least hyped five star the Michigan football team has had. It did not help that McGrone was dealing early with an injury last year. His sideline to sideline ability, coupled with his willingness to hit, will remind the Michigan fan base of Devin Bush Jr.  Now healthy, Michigan coaches will look to find ways to get his speed and athleticism on the field.

With last seasons defensive departures that is where I wanted to focus. This is a unit that has some playmakers with big abilities. The 2019-20 Michigan Wolverines defense should not drop off a lot. There will be an initial dip when the season begins. As players learn their rolls and rotations.

That should be both cleared up and cleaned up by the time the Big Ten play starts.

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Detroit Tigers are willing to trade pitching for hitters

Embed from Getty Images This week the MLB trade deadline came and went. The Detroit Tigers made a pair of trades that saw the organization add three pitchers and one outfielder. Fans were upset, in the pitching talented Tigers minor leagues it did not seem more pitchers should be added. Detroit general manager Al Avila has a plan.

The Detroit Tigers minor league pitching is currently ranked #1 overall. The team has identified the eight to ten pitchers they will not trade no matter the offer. Detroit Tigers general manager said “we are now willing to trade pitching for bats.”

The list of names the Tigers will not trade appear to be: Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal, Franklin Perez, Alex Faedo, Beau Burrows, Bryan Garcia and Kyle Funkhouser. The other pitchers are already in high demand. Avila is already said to be fielding calls.

The Tigers do have some really nice position players in the minors. Still more big bats are needed.With a future outfield of Parker Meadows, Daz Cameron and Riley Greene the outfield is in good shape. The Tigers could use another outfielder with projectable offensive tools.

While the future infield could use a couple projectable bats. Short stop Isaac Paredes and catcher Jake Rogers (called up this week) have legit power that is about it. So the infield needs offensive players to balance the batting lineup.

With Joey Wentz, Paul Richan and Alex Lange coming to Detroit through trades it gives Al Avila even more leverage to make trades and get bats. If reports are correct and the team is already getting calls things could begin to speed the rebuild up more.

Every baseball team understand you can not have enough pitching in your system. The Tigers have plenty, what is more than that they have an abundance of quality pitching which will do nothing but keep the phones ringing.

The Detroit Tigers are in a very good position. The long rebuild has some players who are helping to shine a light of what will be. MLB teams already acknowledge they understand what Detroit has on the way.

The Detroit Tigers are open for trades, they will soon have teams lining up.

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The Detroit Pistons now have better roster depth

Embed from Getty Images Pistons weaknesses were exposed in the NBA Playoffs. In the four game sweep by the Milwaukee Bucks the Pistons depth (or lack-there-of) was exposed for all to see. It looked like Detroit would be in the exact same position heading into the 2019-20 season.

Ed Stefanski, made it a priority to not only upgrade the Detroit Pistons depth, but bring in quality depth. The Pistons traded for forward Tony Snell, signed guards Derrick Rose and Tim Frazier, then added big men Markieff Morris and Christian Wood to help strengthen the bench. The Pistons drafted Sekou Doumbouya, and in the process, added much needed depth that might help them make some noise in the East this coming season.

The departure of Wayne Ellington, opens a spot for Tony Snell. At 6′ foot 7″,  the Pistons like Snell’s size. Snell started 59 games in 2017-18 and 80 games the season before that. Snell shot 40% on 3-pointers last season.

Derrick Rose,  had a nice bounce back season with 18 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 27.3 minutes. He will be a welcomed scorer off the bench.  The Pistons are more likely to watch Rose’s minutes closely so they  can keep him at peak performance level for most of the season. Rose played only 51 games last season and 25 games in 2017-18.

Tim Frazier, is a a quality third point guard the Pistons have needed. He could see increased time depending on how healthy Derrick Rose is.

Markieff Morris, is a big bodied versatile forward. Morris willl check into the game to give Thon Maker a break. While Maker is a better defender, Morris offers more scoring and toughness.

After the Summer League, Christian Wood,  a 6-foot-10 power forward who  could play either center or power forward was signed. In eight games with the New Orleans Pelicans, he averaged 16.9 points and 7.9.

Sekou Doumbouya, was drafted for his athleticism and movement for his size. The Pistons are not putting pressure on him to contribute immediately. The want him to develop and grow into a roll that will see increased playing time.

This off-season has been an active one for a Detroit basketball team looking to take the next step.

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Detroit Red Wings Steve Yzerman imprints will be felt next off-season

Embed from Getty Images During his eight years as Tampa Bay Lightning general manager, Steve Yzerman was aggressive and also  progressive. Yzerman bought out Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier. He also traded  star Martin St. Louis. He traded forward Jonathan Drouin, a third overall pick, for defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, swap of young talent for young talent . Yzerman oversaw NHL drafts that netted high end players such as Nikita Kucherov, Andre Vasilevskiy and Braydon Point.

When Steve Yzerman, who succeeded Ken Holland on April 19 was named Detroit Red Wings general manager, many media members and fans thought an even wrote stories that Yzerman would have an immediate impact with a series of bold moves. Fans and media braced for a significant trade, a buyout, a big name free agent signing. It did not happen.

Yzerman’s plan will not be felt until next off-season. The Yzer-plan as Red Wings fans have dubbed it. The Red Wings GM is absolutely correct taking a measured approach with a team likely to miss the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season.

There are players Detroit Red Wings fans think should be bought out.

Justin Abdelkader, four years remaining at a $4.25 million cap hit, Frans Nielsen, three years at $5.25 million and Darren Helm, two years at $3.85 million. But the Red Wings do not need the salary cap space or roster spots, so  the question is why would one of the top GM’s in the NHL  saddle his team with dead money for the next six-to-eight years?

Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi will all need new contracts after the 2019-20 season. It is possible at that time Yzerman will choose to buy out one or more players.

Steve Yzerman used the draft this past June to make his boldest move, with the shocking selection of defenseman Moritz Seider with the sixth overall pick.

This years free agent market was thin. It was hard to see a team mid-rebuild sign top-tier players Artemi Panarin, Matt Duchene or Sergei Bobrovsky. Yzerman chose more wisely. Bringing in NHL veterans on cheap two year contracts. This buys the team  time for younger players and prospects to develop.

The Detroit hockey team has stockpiled young forwards. Given his history Yzerman might look to package one or two with other assets for a young defenseman.

So while it looks like he has not done much, Steve Yzerman has done a lot and done it wisely.

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Tight End T.J. Hockenson shining in Detroit Lions training camp

Embed from Getty Images The first stretch of the 2019 Detroit Lions training camp could not have been much more promising for T.J. Hockenson the Lions first round pick out of Iowa. Yet, rookie tight ends usually need time to develop.

As a pass-catcher, T.J. Hockenson is exceeding the high expectations that come with being a top ten draft pick . He runs routes to all depths and has showcased outstanding hands and body control. Working  confined spacing, Hockenson is getting quality separation on his routes and catching everything thrown his direction. He has owned the back corner of the end zone on flag patterns.

The Lions are planning on going to two tight ends and a fullback in the red zone. Given tight end Jesse James and Hockenson, quarterback Matthew Stafford will have plenty of options. Big targets, with great hands. Something Detroit has lacked for some time out of the tight end position.

Through five days of training camp T.J. Hockenson is yet to drop a pass. That should come as no surprise. With the Iowa Hawkeyes, Hockenson had 1 dropped pass in three years as a starter.

T.J. Hockenson is a sneaky athlete who has the speed and quickness to stretch the middle of the field from the tight end position. He is often compared to former New England Patriots tight end and future NFL Hall of Fame member Rob Gronkowski. A lofty comparison to be sure. Yet, Hockenson is living up to the billing.

T.J. Hockenson is a match up nightmare. He approaches linebackers and defensive backs the same and he comes down with the ball.  Hockenson is also strong in running after catch and also as a tight end  is an elite blocker.

One NFL scout said this about T.J. “T.J. Hockenson is gonna be a problem in the red zone. When they were able to clear out space and get him to the back corner, he was basically unguardable. Impressive start.”

It would be one thing if the rookie tight end did it one or two times. But Hockenson is routinely making big play after big play. The Detroit Lions appear to have finally found a tight end who can be a game-changer.

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2019 Detroit Lions defense may be one of the best in the NFL

Embed from Getty Images With the Detroit Lions offense learning a new system, Lions general manager Bob Quinn built a defense that is fearsome. Friday it was reported Detroit signed former Green Bay Packer All-Pro Mike Daniels to a one year deal. The former Packer was released for salary cap reasons.

Before the Lions were gifted an All-Pro the Lions defense was set to be a top ten NFL defensive unit. With A’Shawn Robinson, Da’ Shawn Hand and Damon “Snacks” Harrison returning from a defense that finished last season ranked #5.

Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia has put a premium on stopping the run. Enter top free agent Trey Flowers to man the edge rush. Now Mike Daniels. Giving Detroit the best defensive line in the NFL.

Last season there was some noise coming out of Detroit that players did not like playing for Patricia. That turned out to be a false report. Both Flowers and Daniels turned down contracts and more money with other teams just to play and be coached by Patricia.

Given this offseason and the start of training camp it looks and sounds like every member of the Detroit Lions football team is on board fully with Patricia. The media who was a target of sorts for the head coach in post game exchanges. So far Patricia and the media seem to have found a common ground.

Patricia explained his thoughts on the Lions defense. “Defensive line right now is one of those groups- there’s a lot of positions within the positions if that makes sense- so being able to have multiplicity within a defensive line group always makes it difficult on the offense,” Patricia said “It puts a lot of pressure on the quarterback and the center to identify who everybody is, what position they play, and where they’re lined up, that really affects protections.”

What was unclear last season is becoming clearer. Given the moves the Detroit Lions have made they are switching to a 3-4 defensive front. Given the teams top six linemen they can rotate in and out to get the matchup they like.

The defense is a very good unit. In my opinion that was by design. I believe Bob Quinn and Patricia believe the best way to allow the offense to have time to learn a new offensive system is to put a defense on the field that can attack.

There will be many restless nights for coaches around the NFL when they face the 2019 Detroit Lions defense.