Tag: organization

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A look at the rest of the Detroit Red Wings 2022 Draft class

After drafting Marco Kasper #8 overall in the first round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Detroit Red Wings GM, Steve Yzerman and his scouting department headed into day two of the draft still needing to fill more holes both on the Red Wings roster and in the organization. So let’s see just what was done to move the Red Wings closer to playoff contention.

BUFFALO, NY – JUNE 2: Dylan James #128 poses for a headshot at the 2022 NHL Scouting Combine on June 2, 2022 at LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, New York. (Photo by Bill Wippert/NHLI via Getty Images)

Armed with two second round draft picks Yzerman drafted two left wings (LW) a position of need to be sure. Dylan James and Dmitri Buchelinkov. Both players are close to being NHL ready. Both players like to push the tempo and force the puck into the greasy areas.

Marco Kasper, Dylan James and Dmitri Buchelinkov will give the Detroit Red Wings a fast trio who are as good in the defensive end as they are in the offensive end very soon.

Needing centers badly and depth at the position throughout the organization, Yzerman drafted five. The draft class is rounded out by Amadeus Lombardi, Maximilian Kilpen, Owen Mehlenbacher, Brennan Ali and big (6′ 4″) defensemen  Anton Johansson who I really like, even though he’s a couple years away from being NHL ready.

The bottom line: This was not the most flashy drafts by Steve Yzerman and his scouts. It did not have to be. This was a organizational filling draft. The Red Wings left the draft with some players (Kasper, James, Buchelinkov and Johansson) who as I said will help soon.

MONTREAL, QUEBEC – JULY 07: Marco Kasper poses for a photo onstage after being selected eighth overall by the Detroit Red Wings during the first round of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)

Yzerman, gave the organization overall help which it needs and has needed for a while now. There is zero reason to doubt Yzerman given his work in Tampa Bay and how he has built the Detroit Red Wings up to #2 in NHL prospects in just three years.

For me I give this draft class an overall grade of  B. The future of the Detroit Red Wings is very bright and it will happen every soon.

Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts on the 2022 Detroit Red Wings Draft class.

 

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In selecting a new head football coach the Detroit Lions must look for these key ingredients

With the recent departure of former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, much was brought to light about what Patricia did not do during his time on the Lions sidelines. The list is long and I do not feel like rehashing. That said, with the organization now searching for a new general manager and a new head football coach here is what I feel the Lions need to look for.

Whoever is chosen to be the Detroit Lions next head coach, that person must be flexible. Flexible in terms of schemes as well as in-game changes when things are not going well. That is one of my biggest issues I had with Matt Patricia. He simply refused to change anything during a game. He was going to stick to the game plan come hell or high water. Most of the time the water was over Patricia’s head.

DETROIT, MI – DECEMBER 24: A general exterior view of Ford Field as fans line up to enter before the game between the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers at Ford Field on December 24, 2011 in Detroit, Michigan. The Lions defeated the Chargers 38-10. (Photo by Mark Cunningham/Detroit Lions/Getty Images)

Understanding. The next head coach in the Motor City needs to have a clear understanding of every situation, not only gameday, but in the practices and film studies leading up to a game. Understanding other teams weaknesses as well as creating mismatches and exploiting them. That is another area Patricia struggled in mightily.

The one characteristic the new Detroit Lions must have in my opinion is strong leadership. A team can never and will never have or develop a winning culture unless the main leader is strong. Strong leaders also command the respect of players, assistant coaches, front office personnel and owners. Good leaders are willing to listen to others for the greater good.

First and foremost the Detroit Lions need to hire a new general manger. That said the front office needs to be doing homework on possible head coaches. There needs to be open discussions and finally an agreement on all sides.

For an organization that is about to rebuild yet again, the next step is critical.

 

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The Detroit Red Wings must show improvement 2020-21

The Detroit Red Wings rebuild has gone on for about three full years now. With current Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman overseeing the past two years. The 2020-21 NHL season is critical to the rebuild. Since Yzerman arrived in Motown the organization has been trending upward.

This season in order for a light to be seen at the end of the long rebuild tunnel, The Detroit Red Wings need prospects to play, in Detroit, at Little Caesars Arena to be exact.  Prospects such as  Mathis Bromé, Gustav Lindström, , Evgeny Svechnikov Joseph Veleno, and Filip Zadina an others need NHL playing time.

By perhaps adding a goalie in free agency and another player the Red Wings will not become a contender during the 2020-21 season. They organization can however takes steps towards becoming a contender.

Yzerman, understands todays NHL is a young players league now. The Red Wings have long believed in sending prospects development. No matter a players draft position they are sent to the minors to fine tune their skills.

That said the Red Wings do have players who need to take the next step which is NHL time. It is something the Columbus Blue Jackets have done with most of their top prospects.

The future of the Red Wings will be centered around the teams top line of Tyler Bertuzzi, Dylan Larkin, and Anthony Mantha. The Red Wings now need to fill in other lines with players who will be playing on the other three lines.

This is where the Detroit Red Wings rebuild is. It is time to the next step or phase (depending how you like to say it.) The team is preparing to add another prospect during this years NHL draft.

This season will be a measure marker for the Detroit organization.

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As spring training opens the Detroit Tigers say it is time to win

Embed from Getty Images It has been a brutal four years. The Detroit Tigers entered a full-blow rebuild. Gone were players from the glory days and the bloated payroll that accompanied them. The 2020 Detroit Tigers now take aim with a much improved minor league system to begin the crawl to respectability.

Detroit Tigers general manager Al Avila, said last week the Tigers are getting away from tearing down, and the time has come to acquire some players.

The Detroit Tigers teardown took essentially three years. The build up will take roughly as long. With several of the organizations top prospects expected to start the season at Triple-A Toledo, with the Mud Hens.

Those prospects who the Tigers believe will be the heart of their next championship level team namely, starting pitchers Casey Mize, Matt Manning, Tarik Skubal and Alex Faedo along with third baseman Isaac Paredes, Al Avila said  “At some point during the season we can bring them up so they can get some experience. Then we can go into the (2021) spring training and it’s a whole different ballgame.”

All signs point towards after the 2020 season, the Tigers will dip into the free agent pools again. With Starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann’s  $50 million contract coming off the books, as well as $20 million to other clubs as compensation as part of the Justin Verlander (Houston Astros) and Prince Fielder (Texas Rangers) trades.

Detroit Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch has been taking stock of the team’s rebuilding process and has stated when the time is right the team will spend again.

The Detroit Tigers rebuild expects to gain another large piece when the team picks first in the 2020 MLB draft. Unlike 2006 when the Tigers pulled out of a rebuild, the team promises this time to hold onto young players and not trade them for veterans. In hopes to prolong winning.

At any rate, the 2020 Detroit Tigers season will be another long season. However, it will be good for the organization as top prospects get called up for a look. As the rebuild finally has a light at the end of a very long dark tunnel.

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Detroit Tigers top prospects are on fire

Embed from Getty Images Things are starting to shape up for the Detroit Tigers top prospects. This is good news for the Tigers organization as a whole. Top minor leaguers are on fire.

Parker Meadows who the Detroit Tigers took  in the second round of the 2018 draft on Friday night when he hit an inside-the-park home run for the West Michigan Whitecaps. Speed, hit ability defense Meadows has all the tools. “For me, I see his ceiling as a high ceiling,” Tigers general manager Al Avila told me earlier this spring. “Why? Because of his athleticism.

Daz  Cameron who is in Triple-A Toledo,  entered Sunday hitting .257 in Toledo with four extra-base hits in nine games. Cameron has also flashed the leather with great defense.

Pitcher Beau Burrows also with the Mud Hens,  has had a hot start for dominating a pair of games. He struck out 12 in 10 ⅓ innings of work, allowing just one unearned run. The Tigers’ top pick in the 2015 draft has shown control, not walking any batters to open the season. He should get a showcase start soon in Motown.

Alex Faedo, in Erie PA with the Seawolves, and was  the Tigers’ top pick in 2017, has been just as impressive as Burrows. Faedo struck out 15 in his first 12 innings of work, allowing two runs and not walking anybody.

Not to be outdone, 2016 top pick Matt Manning also with the Seawolves, struck out 15 in his first 12 innings over two games. He’s allowed three walks, but just two hits and one earned run.

Casey Mize, the Tigers No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft, is keeping pace with the other sizzling starting performances by Tigers prospects. He started the season with 15 strikeouts in 11 innings of work and didn’t walk anybody. and should be moved to Double-A very soon.

 

To recap those hot starts, Mize, Manning, Burrows and Faedo combined for 57 strikeouts in 45 ⅓ innings, with just five walks. Reasons for Detroit Tigers fans to be excited.