The Detroit Red Wings contributed in a big way to this year’s World Cup of Hockey. Seven of the team’s roster players were selected to play for their national (or mixed nations) teams. Of those seven players, two of them are new additions from the off-season and three of them were rookies in 2015-16. So, fans hadn’t seen much of most of these Red Wings and this summer’s tournament was a good chance to have a closer look.
Detroit Red Wings World Cup of Hockey Review
Tomas Tatar
In 2015-16, Tomas Tatar did not continue down the path of point production that many thought he would, scoring eight goals and 11 points less than 2014-15. Then again, he didn’t get the ice time that he deserved, having his TOI cut nearly a full two minutes from his 29-goal campaign.
As part of Team Europe, Tatar proved everyone wrong who thought that he was slumping. He led the team with three goals in six games and tied for second in points, trailing only Anze Kopitar and Mats Zuccarello by one point. All over the ice, Tatar was forcing turnovers and creating scoring chances. He frequently logged more than fifteen minutes of ice time. In the finals alone he played for over seventeen minutes in game one and over twenty minutes in game two.
Surely this tournament will do wonders for Tatar’s confidence heading into the 2016-17 season. His European teammates spoke very highly of him and Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill has already admitted that he did not get the ice time that he deserved last season. We’ll see if Tatar’s play in this tournament along with the departures of Brad Richards and Pavel Datsyuk will be enough to change his mind.
Justin Abdelkader
If Abdelkader wasn’t a controversial pick when he was originally named to Team U.S.A., he sure was at the conclusion of their very disappointing tournament. Team architect Dean Lombardi and head coach John Tortorella were clear on the their intent for this team right from the beginning. This team was built to take down Team Canada, and the plan was to be bigger, badder, and grittier than them.
The former Michigan State Spartan was one of the grittier players that was brought onto the team. Management liked the top line minutes he played for the Red Wings while digging in the corners and battling in front of the net. After his 2016 playoff performance, it was clear that Abdelkader had some fight in him, getting into scrums with the likes of Ducks center Ryan Getzlaf and the reigning Norris Trophy Winner, Drew Doughty. While Abdelkader’s role is valued on an NHL roster, it wasn’t needed in a best-on-best International Tournament where skill dominated.
The rest of the world proved this as Team U.S.A. lost all three of their round robin games to the Czech Republic, Team Canada, and Team Europe. Although he averaged about twelve minutes a night netting a goal in the third game against Team Czech Republic, the now-29-year old winger’s confidence will be a little shot after how much criticism was dished out after Team U.S.A. was eliminated from the tournament. When the grit over skill argument came up, his name was one frequently called out as an example of a player who shouldn’t have been on the team to begin with.
Dylan Larkin
Team North America is the all-star team made up of North American born players aged twenty-three and under. After the stellar season he put up in 2015-16, there was no doubt that Dylan Larkin would be named to the team. With players like Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, many regarded them as the most fun team to watch throughout the tournament.
arkin had a great pre-tournament, recording two goals and three points in two games. In the team’s first game against Finland, Larkin logged over fourteen minutes of ice time and one assist playing with Johnny Gaudreau getting the round-robin off to a solid start. It was in the team’s second game against Team Russia where things started to fall apart for him. After being caught on the ice for two goals against, Larkin was benched at the end of the second period and didn’t touch the ice during the third. He managed to get one shot on goal in his 5:33 of ice time. His squad went on to lose the game 4-3.
That would be it for the 20-year old Michigan product, as he was scratched during the team’s final round robin game against Team Sweden in favour of New York Rangers centerman J.T. Miller. This must have been a tough pill to swallow for Larkin because he wasn’t having the worst tournament. For the most part, he was driving the play in the right direction and using his speed to pressure the other team’s breakout. However, it’s a short tournament and one bad period can make or break it for a team. Head coach Todd McLellan did what he thought was right to give his team the advantage, and he should know a young thing or two about young talent being behind the bench in Edmonton.
Frans Nielsen
All Red Wings fans had their eyes on Team Europe as newly signed players Nielsen and Thomas Vanek were both on the roster in addition to Tatar. In Nielsen’s case, fans should be delighted as the 32-year old Danish center logged over fifteen minutes almost every game. Getting time on the power play and the penalty kill, Nielsen proved himself in every situation.
Having only put up two points (both assists) in six games, Nielsen’s play can’t be quantified by the stats page on wch2016.com. He was one of the most visible players on Team Europe, forcing turnovers and creating scoring chances. Head Coach Ralph Krueger, whom ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun remarked was “the best coach in the world not employed by an NHL team,” later sent the media a very telling quote:
Europe coach Ralph Krueger: “Frans Nielsen has got to be one of the best two-way hockey players in the world.”
— Craig Custance (@CraigCustance) September 26, 2016
If Nielsen’s play in the World Cup of Hockey was any indication, the Red Wings are in for a treat this season and possibly a few more.
Thomas Vanek
Vanek was the lowest-risk signing of the Red Wings offseason. After a disappointing 2015-16 season with Minnesota, he signed a one-year, $2.3 million contract in Detroit. If he doesn’t perform, then he can be let go at the end of the season, but if he returns to past form, then it’s a bargain.
Further proof that Vanek is actually a solid hockey player even at this stage of his career is the fact that he was named to Team Europe’s roster. Vanek only logged ten to fourteen minutes per game, but was one of the team’s power play specialists. He only managed one point throughout the tournament, but he took a total of fifteen shots through six games. This is a good sign for the Red Wings who need the help on their special teams after an abysmal outing in 2015-16.
For a more in-depth look at Thomas Vanek, here is his player preview for 2016-17.
Petr Mrazek
Petr Mrazek is one of the more exciting pieces of the Red Wings current roster. Fans and management alike have high hopes for him, and for good reason with him posting a .920 save percentage and 2.29 goals against average through his first 94 games played.
The Ostrava native didn’t have a great pre-tournament, posting a .876 save percentage over the two games that he played in. But he turned it around for the round robin, going 1-0-1 over the two games that he played, posting a .925 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average making 74 saves on 80 total shots. The former Ottawa 67 was stunning in the team’s 4-3 victory over Team U.S.A, making 36 saves on 39 shots from a very desperate group.
After this tournament performance, it seems as though Mrazek has returned to his midseason form from 2015-16. This is a very exciting thing for the Red Wings as Mrazek prepares to take the starter reigns for good from veteran Jimmy Howard in 2016-17.
Alexey Marchenko
Alexey Marchenko, another young piece of the Red Wings roster, was named to his national team. The 24-year old Moscow native would be playing with some of the best players of his generation in Alex Ovechkin and Pavel Datsyuk, and ended up playing quite a prominent role on a core led by aging blueliners in Alexei Emelin and Andrei Markov.
Marchenko gained coach Oleg Znarok‘s trust throughout the tournament. Playing largely a shutdown role, he logged more than two minutes per game on the penalty kill while logging 18+ minutes of ice time every game except one including two games of 20+ minutes. He didn’t record a single point, but his victories are largely and quietly in defensive categories as many who follow the Wings know. In the final game against Team Finland, Marchenko led all players with 21:45 of ice time as the Russians controlled the Fins in a 3-0 victory. There were only ten goals scored on the Russians through their four games. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky posted a .930 save percentage.
Their defense was stellar and Alexey Marchenko led that charge. The Red Wings have something special here, they just need to use him properly. Your move, Mr. Blashill.
Overall
The Red Wings who participated in the World Cup of Hockey largely had a positive experience. A few were leaders on their teams and put up the stats to prove it. Larkin and Abdelkader should start the 2016-17 season with a bit of a chip on their shoulders. They have the challenge now of proving their doubters wrong showing they deserved the roster spots they were given on their respective teams. Tatar and Nielsen have proved that they deserve the amount of ice time they’ll surely get this season. Vanek showed that he has value on the power play and it will be a big add if he can regain his earlier form. Marchenko proved that he can be a shutdown defenseman on one of the best hockey nations in the world. Last but certainly not least, Mrazek proved that he is a number one goaltender, in case there was any doubt left.
This will certainly be an intriguing season for the Red Wings, and all seven World Cup Participants should play a big role in whether it is a positive or negative one.
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