So how might an organization win the bidding war on this Bronco? Does he want to play in NHL as soon as possible or does he want to be a part of a winning organization, which doesn't necessarily mean the Wings?
Apparently Burke and some other teams were scouting him too. Burke likes big American players. So it's not something we want to sleep on. Sign him, if he doesn't work out here, trade him.
It's worth a shot I think.
don't we have to wait until the college season ends to sign him?
It's not like our prospect pool for defenseman is deep. Let's be honest, guys who can realistically make the NHL and stay (along with their potential:
1. Brendan Smith (top 2 potential)
2. Jakub Kindl (I know he isn't considered a prospect now, but he's still young. Top 4 potential)
3. Ryan Sproul (top 4?)
4. Adam Almqvist (top 4?)
5. Xavier Ouellet (top 6?)
The last three still have sometime to go before they even make it to GR let alone the NHL.
Bäckman, Nedomlel, Marshall and Marchenko are unknown even though they are/were performing well and seem to have some upside (in Bäckman and Marchenko's case anyways). It's too early to tell, basically.
Other guys like Lashoff, Jensen, Nicastro, Ehrhardt, Fournier, Piche and Pyett don't really have NHL-potential. At all. They are career minor leaguers or bottom pairing guys on other teams.
So if we can add another highly-rated prospect with top 4 potential who has the physical attributes and experience, then I think 1-2 years in GR before having a real shot at the NHL isn't unrealistic. Unless he wants to play in the NHL right now, I think he'd prefer Detroit.
Oh and as far as nicknames go, I choose Kaiser. Short, simple, awesome.
I dont agree with your Jensen eveluation. Hes an amazing skater, big hitter and putting up similar points to Smith at the same age.
I think Jensen has it in him to be an NHLer and at this point is a better prospect than any dman besides Smith
don't we have to wait until the college season ends to sign him?
I asks this earlier and yes they do. Another question is if a team is to sign him does that mean he would have to give up his eligibility and turn pro. I wonder if his education will be a factor.
I dont agree with your Jensen eveluation. Hes an amazing skater, big hitter and putting up similar points to Smith at the same age.
I think Jensen has it in him to be an NHLer and at this point is a better prospect than any dman besides Smith
Fair enough. To be honest, I don't know that much about Jensen. I've never seen him in camp or how he plays, but this is a situation where I have to go off rankings and scouting reports. From what I read, it didn't seem like he would be NHL bound anytime soon.
But if you want we could consider him as a "definite" NHL prospect. That still gives us only three definite prospects and three probables (since they are still young and more than 3 years away from playing in the NHL).
I don't know how Almqvist has developed since I last saw him. One issue was his size and I'm not sure what the other was, but I'm pretty sure it's his skating. I could be wrong.
But if we are adding someone like Dekeyser. A promising prospect who will be ready to make the jump to the NHL in 2 years (he'll be 23 by then), we're increasing our chances of getting a homerun (as Nill would say).
Fair enough. To be honest, I don't know that much about Jensen. I've never seen him in camp or how he plays, but this is a situation where I have to go off rankings and scouting reports. From what I read, it didn't seem like he would be NHL bound anytime soon.
But if you want we could consider him as a "definite" NHL prospect. That still gives us only three definite prospects and three probables (since they are still young and more than 3 years away from playing in the NHL).
I don't know how Almqvist has developed since I last saw him. One issue was his size and I'm not sure what the other was, but I'm pretty sure it's his skating. I could be wrong.
But if we are adding someone like Dekeyser. A promising prospect who will be ready to make the jump to the NHL in 2 years (he'll be 23 by then), we're increasing our chances of getting a homerun (as Nill would say).
Yeah Jensen is an amazing skater so even when he messes up on a play he can recover with his speed kind of like Gardiner does in Toronto. Hes got a solid offensive toolset that is producing at the NCAA level and he throws big open ice hits.
I would say he has asolid chance at becoming an NHLer, because of his hitting ability even if its as a number 6 type he could still have some value back there. Hes got the size to play that style in the NHL as well.
I think adding Dekeyser would be great too because to play his style of game he doesnt need to play big minutes with PP time like someone like Smith does. He also has the potential to become a very good shut down type which is what Detroit is missing. They have enough offensive, smooth skaters with questionable play in their defensive zone. Adding a guy like this would be great
So how might an organization win the bidding war on this Bronco? Does he want to play in NHL as soon as possible or does he want to be a part of a winning organization, which doesn't necessarily mean the Wings?
I don't think anyone really knows. This reminds me a bit of Fabian Brunnstrom where just about every team would have signed him and it came down to Detroit and Dallas IIRC. Brunnstrom chose Dallas probably because he'd get more IT right away. There are a few things in our favor:
-Grew up in Michigan and appears to be a DRW fan.
-His former coach is now an AC in Detroit.
-He's close with the Nill family.
I don't think it's a guarantee he'd sign with us but we do have a lot of things working in our favor.
I dont agree with your Jensen eveluation. Hes an amazing skater, big hitter and putting up similar points to Smith at the same age.
I think Jensen has it in him to be an NHLer and at this point is a better prospect than any dman besides Smith
Yeah I'd agree with this. Jensen plays against legit talent in the NCAA and has been very impressive. I think he's got a very good shot to be a solid NHL'er.
I asks this earlier and yes they do. Another question is if a team is to sign him does that mean he would have to give up his eligibility and turn pro. I wonder if his education will be a factor.
Actually, they don't need to wait until the end of the season to sign Dekeyser. If he were willing, he could sign at any time. But that leads into your second question. Yes, he loses his NCAA eligibility immediately upon signing a pro contract. So, really, it's extremely doubtful that he signs any time soon, since it's extremely doubtful he's willing to abandon his team mid-season. As far as signing after this season is over, I have no idea what the kid is thinking, but the fact that he's being scouted a lot leads me to believe that he may be willing to go pro next year. He certainly has the size and probably the maturity.
Yeah I'd agree with this. Jensen plays against legit talent in the NCAA and has been very impressive. I think he's got a very good shot to be a solid NHL'er.
Nick Jensen makes the point way better than any of us could by scoring a hat trick tonight.
I sincerely hope we can get him signed during FA! I would hate to see Detroit's management whiff on this guy. He's worth a couple mil$ entry level contract. If a team offers him the moon tho however I'd let him go. He's good but not worth burrying ourselves on an entry level contract.
I sincerely hope we can get him signed during FA! I would hate to see Detroit's management whiff on this guy. He's worth a couple mil$ entry level contract. If a team offers him the moon tho however I'd let him go. He's good but not worth burrying ourselves on an entry level contract.
They get a set rate and it isn't sky high usually 900K in base there can be some bonuses, but that is why every team will offer him the same contract. It comes down to his choice really.
Dan DeKeyser was the most coveted available collegiate free agent last season and that hasn’t changed this season. Among the teams heavily pursuing him are the Calgary Flames, the Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning. DeKeyser opted to return to Western Michigan this season in large part due to the impending (and eventual) NHL lockout. His return has greatly benefited not only his Broncos team but his overall development, as well. To date, DeKeyser has played in 33 games, posting 15 points (two goals, 13 assists). He logs nearly 30 minutes of ice time per game playing alongside senior Luke Witkowski (TBL) as part of one of the nation’s most dominant defensive pairings.
The Clay Township, MI native has blossomed into one of college hockey’s top rearguards. And while he is a defensive defenseman, DeKeyser is by no means the stay-at-home type. He is very mobile, plays intelligently in all three zones, and can be seen jumping into plays when opportunities present themselves. At 6’3” and 198 pounds, DeKeyser has a good frame and one attribute that has had scouts clamoring to get glimpses of him is how well he uses that frame. DeKeyser uses his size, strength and tenacity quite effectively in wearing down opposing players and taking away time and space. This is particularly evident in his excellent play along the boards. DeKeyser is an agile skater with terrific feet and great balance. He moves equally well going north-south and east-west. His skating and feet also allow him to make smooth transitions and make the right plays. One attribute that sets DeKeyser apart from many other collegiate defensemen is his ability to control the tempo of the game. He sees the ice really well and possesses great hockey sense. His decision-making has continually improved with quicker and smarter reads and reactions. DeKeyser possesses a powerful shot and can get shots to the net. He has great hands and moves the puck exceedingly well, too.
Is Dekeyser anywhere near Justin Schultz level? That kids offense impresses the hell out of me, he looks Karlsson-esque.
No, I think he is not anywhere near Schultz or Karlsson -level.
Schultz scored over a point per game at NCAA, and Dekeyser has been all the time under 0.5 ppg. And Schultz scored goals per one season more than Dekeyser has had in total NCAA-career. Dekeyser isn't even the highest scoring defenceman in his current team.
Dekeyser sounds for me more like another Mattias Bäckman. And that's not bad.
No, I think he is not anywhere near Schultz or Karlsson -level.
Schultz scored over a point per game at NCAA, and Dekeyser has been all the time under 0.5 ppg. And Schultz scored goals per one season more than Dekeyser has had in total NCAA-career. Dekeyser isn't even the highest scoring defenceman in his current team.
Dekeyser sounds for me more like another Mattias Bäckman. And that's not bad.
Right on.
BTW, I was comparing Schultz to Karlsson, not Dekeyser. Which might be a stretch in itself because I've only seen Schultz play a few times.
I've only watched Dekeyser once and it was at the GLI this year, he did stand out in those games.
No, I think he is not anywhere near Schultz or Karlsson -level.
Schultz scored over a point per game at NCAA, and Dekeyser has been all the time under 0.5 ppg. And Schultz scored goals per one season more than Dekeyser has had in total NCAA-career. Dekeyser isn't even the highest scoring defenceman in his current team.
Dekeyser sounds for me more like another Mattias Bäckman. And that's not bad.
Yeah, Schultz can do it all and was one of the leading scorers in the AHL during the lockout. They showed a stat during the game last night that he leads all rookies in the NHL in a number of categories. Schultz is going to be an elite talent. DeKeyser appears to be more of an EVS and PK d-man with a small amount of offensive talent but probably not enough to include on a power play unit. I think Ericsson might be a good comparable, both are guys who were late/never drafted and have developed into NHL players, E in the AHL and DeKeyser in the NCAA.
I've been at WMU the last 3 years, seen him play about 20 games and I love the guy. It's been so much fun watching him man-handle teams like Michigan, MSU, OSU etc. At Western he plays like he thinks he's the best, and that swagger makes for some great college hockey.
WMU as a team is low scoring, we're 10th in offense despite placing third in our conference. The whole team is based around defense and goaltending, and DD is the tip of the spearhead. He's been coached by Andy Murray the last two years, and Jeff Blashill the year before those... easy transition to GR maybe? I hope so.
