Holland, Blashill talk on eve of Red Wings development camp
By Nick Barnowski –
DETROIT – Red Wings general manager Ken Holland and head coach Jeff Blashill spoke with the media Thursday morning at Joe Louis Arena, addressing the team’s free agent signings and the upcoming development camp in Traverse City.
The Wings were able to sign two guys they had targeted heading into free agency, giving the team a positive feeling before making the trip up north.
“All in all we’re happy with the way things went yesterday,” Holland said. “I think we’re a little bit better today and a little bit deeper than we were yesterday.”
The Wings picked up defenseman Mike Green, who played 10 seasons with Washington, and forward Brad Richards, who spent last season with the Stanley Cup champion Blackhawks. Green was signed to a three-year contract while Richards’ deal is for one-year.
MORE: Red Wings land two big roster additions in Mike Green and Brad Richards | VIDEO: Jeff Blashill talks about the signings of Green, Richards
After buying out Stephen Weiss, Holland was able to land a center in Richards, as well as Green, who was the team’s top priority heading into the offseason.
“Much like last year, when we went into free agency we were looking for a defenseman to provide offense from the back end,” Holland said. “(Green) had 45 points last year so we think for a lot of reasons he’s a great signing.”
The 29-year-old blueliner contributed 10 goals and 35 assists in 72 games with the Capitals last season, with 17 of his points coming on the power play. He had positive possession stats with Washington last season, and his puck movement ability is a plus for Blashill.
While line combinations are not set in stone yet, Holland and Blashill have discussed pairing Green with Danny DeKeyser.
“Their skill sets matchup and I think both guys could help each other,” Blashill said. “The best d-zone coverage is breaking the puck out of your end and both are good at breaking the puck out. That could be a good combo.”
Green is also a right-handed shot, something the Red Wings have coveted since Brian Rafalski’s retirement. His ability to move the puck and create offense, much like previous successful Detroit defenseman, is a key factor in why Holland believes he’ll be a valuable pickup.
“The way we’ve had success in the past – with (Nicklas) Lidstrom, Rafalski, Larry Murphy, Chris Chelios – was trying to have a defensemen join the rush to create offense,” Holland said. “We looked a year ago but couldn’t find it.”
Richards is coming off of a 37-point season with the Blackhawks and can center either of Detroit’s first two lines, allowing for a potential reunion of Henrik Zetterberg and Pavel Datsyuk, who had ankle surgery last Friday.
The 35-year-old will play a big role in Holland’s hope to blend veteran leadership and skill with the potential of Detroit’s younger players.
“Certainly he’s a little older, but he’s won two championships and went to the finals another time,” Holland said. “He can play the point on the power play, he’s got good hockey sense, and he distributes the puck.”
Blashill is excited about Richards’ potential on an already successful Detroit power play that finished second in the NHL last season at 23.8 percent.
“He’s been a great power play guy his whole career and he also has ability to play off the half-wall,” Blashill said. “That’s our goal going in, to have two strong power play units, and he’ll be a big part of that.”
Holland stressed that both signings added more “dimensions” to a Red Wings team that has already brought in a new head coach and has talent in the pipeline.
The GM and coach also discussed roles for certain players heading into September’s training camp, most notably forwards Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.
Larkin, a Waterford native and former Michigan Wolverine, will have to prove he’s one of the 12 best forwards in order to make the team out of camp.
“Coach Blashill’s got to say to me, I want him to play,” Holland said. “He’s not going to be a 13th or 14th forward. He’s going to be really important for our franchise moving forward. We want to make sure we do what’s right for him and for us.”
Blashill said he thought Larkin did a great job in his short stint in Grand Rapids during the playoffs, where he had five points in six playoff games. He compared his career path with Gus Nyquist’s, saying he grew as a player when he wasn’t with the Red Wings and made an immediate impact when he was called up.
“It’s a tiny sample size but he seemed to pass all those tests in terms of small sample sizes – World Championship, World Junior, his freshman year at Michigan,” Blashill said. “I think he’s going to be a really good player. We’ll see when.”
Mantha, who produced 15 goals and 18 assists in 62 games with the Griffins this past season, will struggle to make the Red Wings, Holland said. The Wings GM said he would have to take someone’s job, with 14 to 16 forwards competing for a spot.
Blashill also said he believes newly re-signed defenseman Brendan Smith has the potential to play on the power play, saying his best offensive ability is “roaming below the tops of the circles.”
With 43 players making the trip up to Traverse City for development camp, which runs from July 3–7, the new Wings coach said it would be a valuable experience for three reasons.
“Number one, for the young guys, I think it helps them when they come to main camp to have lost some of the awe factor,” he said. “Number two, is some of the education processes off the ice. Number three, from a hockey standpoint, the expectations of the Detroit Red Wings.”
After signing two players they had targeted, the team is feeling positive heading into development camp and this fall’s main camp.
“With the addition of the two guys yesterday, they give us more dimensions that I think we were missing,” Holland said. “I think because of the development of the young kids we’re looking forward to a very competitive camp.”