Prospects update
With the conclusion of all the junior league seasons, we’re starting to hear more about team prospects and signings. I am not an expert at all in this area so I will just refer you to people who know more about this topic than me.
For Detroit Red Wings’ prospects, the ultimate website is Red Wings Central. Their most recent article discusses prospect forward Darren Helm, who plays for the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers, and mentions some prospects that could be lost if they aren’t signed by this week.
The 20-year-old [Helm], known for his blazing speed, grit and two-way skills, signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Red Wings in September and is expected to play in the American Hockey League next season.
Helm was the lone Detroit Red Wings prospect still active this season, thus concluding Red Wings Central’s weekly updates.
* The Red Wings could lose the rights to 10 prospects on Friday: Christofer Lofberg, Mattias Ritola, Johan Ryno, Jeff May, Juho Mielonen, Bretton Stamler, Andreas Sundin, Stefan Blom, Tomas Kollar and Mikael Johansson.
Ryno is the most likely to get sign, followed by Ritola, May and Stamler.
Helm’s team lost to the Vancouver Giants in the Memorial Cup finals, 3-1. Helm scored the only goal for the Tigers in that game.
Helm, who missed a Memorial Cup-world junior championship double, said the Tigers did more this season than most people thought, including beating the Giants in an epic WHL final that ended in double overtime.
“We’ve had a great season,” said Helm, a 2005 pick of the Detroit Red Wings. “It shows a lot of the character we have in that room (but Sunday) was one game and we couldn’t pull it off.”
James Mirtle was at the tournament as a member of the media and had this to say about Helm after their loss.
Helm, on the other hand, was composed in comparison, steely eyed and quiet as he fielded the largest group of reporters. The Detroit Red Wings’ prospect had had a terrific year, both during the season, at the world juniors and in the playoffs, but that was obviously of little consolation under the circumstances. He’s certainly not a big guy — listed at 6 feet, 180 pounds — but he plays big and was the best Medicine Hat skater on this night.
Helm is another late-round steal for the Wings, drafted in the fifth-round in 2005 the year before he exploded for 41 goals, and said he was planning on playing in that organization next season — whether it was in the NHL, AHL or wherever. He turned 20 in January and could return to the Hat as an overager, but that doesn’t seem likely.
Dave @ Gorilla Crouch did such a good job of rounding up info and scouting reports on the prospects the Wings could lose that I’m not going to even try. Check out his blog for all the information and links!
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