One of the intriguing aspects of the Detroit Red Wings as they wind up their season is the potential to get a look at their top prospects.
A prime example is forward Jonatan Berggren, who leads the Grand Rapids Griffins with 44 points in 56 games. Berggren was drafted at No. 33 in 2018, heralded as an elite playmaker and skater and, after developing in the Swedish Hockey League, has performed well in transitioning to the AHL
“I think Berggren has grown through the course of the year,” Wings coach Jeff Blashill said Wednesday. “I think the biggest challenge for a guy like Jonatan is, he’s an offensive guy that has to make sure he can produce offense in the North American game. Probably the biggest challenge to that is playing faster and getting to the inside, those are two things that I know our development staff, and I’ve told him. He’s growing in that area. His defensive responsibility from what I’ve heard is growing. Those are all positive things.”
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The Griffins are trying to advance to the playoffs, and that’s one key argument for keeping Berggren in GR, where he’s a go-to guy. That is an excellent growth opportunity, that, as general manager Steve Yzerman has pointed out, is a tradeoff versus seeing Berggren in a Wings uniform. But should the Griffins be eliminated from contention, the Wings could opt to give the promising young forward a look.
That goes, too, for defenseman Jared McIsaac, taken three spots after Berggren at No. 36. McIsaac’s development has been interrupted by two major shoulder injuries, but he has posted 22 points in 61 games this season.
“To start the year, he started slow, and I think he’s grown,” Blashill said. “He’s played pretty solid hockey, in talking to our development staff. There’s been growth there, as well.
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“Part of his timeline got extremely adjusted when he went through the injuries he went through, including in the prospects tournament this year. It hasn’t made it an easy time for him, but hopefully through these challenges he’s grown and continued to build that mental toughness it’ll take to be an impact player.”
Two years ago, there was a very promising prospect in GR named Moritz Seider. There was talk of bringing him up for a look, though there were also those in the organization who were against it, because the Wings were struggling. They were 17-49-5 when the NHL shut down March 12, ending that talk.
“In Moritz Seider’s case, he was pushing as one of the better defensemen in the league as a young player,” Blashill said. “But ultimately Steve makes those decisions based on what he thinks is best for the prospect, and there’s a lot that goes into that. Sometimes giving them a taste up here is good, sometimes it’s not. Sometimes it’s better to stay in the environment you’re in and just continue to focus on growing your game and allow that confidence to grow. Steve will make that decision and he’ll work with his management staff to decide what they think is best for Jonatan.”
Contact Helene St. James at hstjames@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Read more on the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. Her book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Personalized copies available via her e-mail.