If I’m Brandon Dubinsky (bottom), I’m rethinking my shot-blocking technique. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/NHLI via Getty Images)

After getting completely white-washed by the Blues Saturday night, the Wings badly needed a better effort in their second game of the season.

In this shortened schedule, Detroit’s already panicky fan base is on edge.

The Columbus Blue Jackets were a welcome sight on the schedule but they gave the Red Wings all they could handle before Damien Brunner sealed the deal in the shootout.

Brian Lashoff, playing in his first career NHL game, opened the scoring and Ian White put the Wings up 2-0.

Columbus rallied for three straight, with goals from Cam Atkinson, James Wisniewski and Vinny Prospal.

Pavel Datsyuk tied the score late in the third, guiding in a terrific Nik Kronwall pass, to set the stage for Brunner’s dramatics.

Carlo Colaiacovo left the game in the third period with a shoulder injury and it is expected he will miss a significant amount of time. That means the Wings will be down three of their seven “NHL” defencemen, and the farm isn’t particularly robust with available D-men.

Brendan Smith was the Wings top prospect on the blue line and he’s up playing over 18 minutes a night. Brian Lashoff, who was realistically a year at least away from playing regular NHL hockey, looks to be here to stay for now with Ericsson and Kindl not expected back until Friday at the earliest.

If I had to guess, I would say Adam Almquist’s phone is ringing since he is the Wings next-best prospect in Grand Rapids, but it is his first season in North America and is generously listed at 5’11″. I’ve met him and he’s not.

Brennan Evans and Nathan Paetsch, the two vets on the Griffins back end, are on AHL only deals. Ditto rookie Chad Billins. Max Nicastro ain’t ready and don’t even think about it Gleason Fournier.

With the Wings home opener less than 24 hours away, the front office will have to decide: rush Kindl or Ericsson back? Dress a roster short one player? Or bring in the tiny Swedish defenceman who’s mental game has been compared to Nick Lidstrom’s?

This didn’t happen very often tonight. (Photo courtesy of Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

Well, aren’t you all glad hockey is back?

The Nick Lidstrom-less era of Detroit hockey got off to a rocky start as the St. Louis Blues whipped the Red Wings 6-0 in both teams’s season openers.

St. Louis Blues rookie Vladimir Tarasenko (you’ll be hearing his name again) abused Kyle Quincey for his first NHL goal early in the first period.

It was the first time, but certainly not the last, that the St. Louis Blues exposed a thin Wings blue line via a long stretch pass from deep in its own zone.

Chris Stewart scored his first of two later on the power play when he pounced on a loose puck in the Wings crease, showed tremendous patience and wristed it through half a dozen bodies in the crease.

Tarasenko (told you) made Quincey into his own personal whipping boy again in the second, using a pretty deke to dance around the defender before beating Howard.

Patrik Berglund closed out the scoring, tipping one through the legs of Jonas Gustavsson, who took over for Howard early in the third.

Detroit, already missing forwards Todd Bertuzzi (mononucleosis) and Darren Helm (back), lost Jan Mursak after just 2:34 of TOI.

Carlo Colaiacovo, in his Red Wings debut, was largely unnoticeable save for the times when he looked like he was injured – again.

Jordin Tootoo, also making his debut in red and white, was similarly absent save for a questionable 10 minute misconduct in the third period.

Detroit will face the Columbus Blue Jackets Jan. 21 as they look to quickly turn to page two of this new chapter in Red Wings history.

Tonight’s lines:

DET

40-13-24, 37-51-93, 20-8-11, 39+-25-22

55-52, 27-2, 28-18

35

50

STL

57-42-74, 20-10-91, 9-21-25, 17-12-75

27-28, 5-22, 46-4

41

1

I won’t let myself get too excited until the deal has been officially ratified but today is certainly the most promising of this 100+ day ordeal.

Not that there hasn’t been hockey played all along, mind you. Detroit prospects in Grand Rapids, junior hockey and Europe have been busy developing into future Wings.

With that, here’s a look back at the Wings ’12 draft class:

Martin Frk – Round 2, 49 overall (Halifax, QMJHL), 6’0″ 198 lbs

After trading their first round pick, for the second consecutive season, to Tampa Bay in exchange for Kyle Quincey the Red Wings made Martin Frk their first selection in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

I’d had my eye on Frk since the 2011 World Junior Championships when the guy with no vowels in his last name piqued my curiosity. His play on the ice, however, is what really had me intrigued.

I was looking forward to getting another look at him in the 2012 WJC, but a concussion robbed him of that opportunity. When the Wings selected him, I was excited about the pick from what I remembered of his 2011 campaign, but wanted to get another look.

After speaking with him earlier this season and watching him in the 2013 WJC, I’m with what I see. Frk possesses possibly the hardest shot in junior hockey, no exaggeration.

In one WJC game, he scored twice on unscreened one-timers where the goalie didn’t even flinch. That’s how fast the puck got by him.

Frk likes to set up at the top of the umbrella on power plays, or in the left circle, for one-time opportunities. He is very similar to fellow Wings pick Teemu Pulkkinen in that sense.

He also reminds me of another (current) Wing in Johan Franzen in that he is a solidly-built guy with a cannon of a shot and a propensity for taking dumb penalties (he’s been suspended a couple of times this year) and occasionally going missing for stretches offensively. When he’s on though, he is absolutely dynamite.

Here is Corey Pronman (who, if you’re not already, you should be following on Twitter) with his take on Frk’s WJC.

Frk was ok. His line didn’t do a whole lot at even strength. He was quality on the powerplay though, scoring a few times with his patented one time slap shot that is elite. He showed some solid offensive ability outside that, but the core of his value comes from his shot and that was on display.

Frk, as a late ’93, will be eligible to join the Griffins next year and is already signed to his entry-level deal.

Jake Paterson – Round 3, 80 overall (Saginaw, OHL), 6’2″ 183 pounds

This pick addressed an organizational need, that being lack of depth at the goaltending position.

Starter Jimmy Howard appears to be here to stay, but beyond that there wasn’t much in the tank.

Young Petr Mrazek has shown well in his first pro season with Grand Rapids after a stellar OHL career and a standout performance at the 2012 WJC with the Czech Republic, but Thomas McCollum was floundering (for what it’s worth, he seems to have righted the ship this year) and Jordan Pearce is probably going to wind up a doctor sooner than an NHL puckstopper.

In Paterson, the Wings get one of the top goaltenders in the OHL. Paterson helped the overmatched Saginaw Spirit knock off Nail Yakupov and the Sarnia Sting in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Playing on a team that doesn’t give him much help defensively, Paterson’s numbers don’t look outstanding but trust me, he’s the one keeping them in games.

I’ve seen him a few times this year and the best way to describe him is “battler.” He’s very much like Chris Osgood in that respect. I’ve chatted with him a couple times this season and he was a Wings fan growing up and idolized Ozzie. He’ll likely spend another year in Saginaw before making the jump to pro hockey.

One weakness I’ve noticed, and from talking to opposing shooters, is a bit of a suspect glove hand. No doubt that’s something Jimmy Bedard, Chris Osgood and Co. will work on with him.

Andreas Athanasiou – Round 4, 110 overall (London, OHL), 6’0″ 179 lbs

AA was drafted out of the vaunted London Knights NHL development program (or at least, they should start calling themselves that with their propensity for churning out players) but was in coach Hunter’s doghouse. A trade to Barrie before this season has given Athanasiou the change of scenery he needed and has paid dividends for his production. In talking to him, the relief was evident to get out of London.

His 43 points in 38 games are six better than the 37 he compiled in 63 with the Knights last year. He’s been playing in the Colts top-six forwards in the games I’ve seen him rather than sparingly or not at all with London.

Athanasiou’s biggest asset is his speed. He is probably among the fastest skaters in the CHL. He’s basically right up there with the Darren Helms of the world. He also has a very nice set of mitts. The knock on Athanasiou is that while he has the speed and build of a grinder, he allegedly doesn’t have the work ethic or defensive awareness for it.

That means it will be up to him to either commit to learning the defensive side of things, or developing into a scorer at the pro level. It’s up to him.

For what it’s worth, he was a projected first or second round pick before slipping to Detroit in Round 4.

 Mike McKee – Round 5, 140 overall (Lincoln, USHL), 6’4″, 229 lbs

When Detroit made McKee their fourth pick in the 2012 draft, I wrote that he was breaking the mould. 

He is a big, mean, rugged, physical (insert whatever defensive euphemism you want here) defender with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League. When I talked to him right after the draft this summer, he was contemplating joining Western Michigan University for the 2012-13 season but elected to stay in Lincoln one more year before joining the Broncos for the 13-14 season.

When I talked to Mike Babcock a few months ago, he said he sees Big Mike as a left winger at the professional level.

McKee is on pace to shatter the 237 PIM he amassed in 59 contests as a USHL rookie a year ago – he has 202 in just 23 games. He also has two goals and 10 points and is a +6.

The Wings will have longer to sign McKee since he is going the college route, as his contract deadline isn’t until 2016. If the Wings decide he is ready for pro hockey before then, he may leave school early as do most NHL prospects. If not, the Wings have a long-term, mean, nasty project on their hands to develop into a bruising fourth-liner no one wants to play against.

James De Haas – Round 6, 170 overall (Toronto Lakeshore, OJHL) – 6’4″ 201 lbs

You don’t often see players drafted into the NHL out of junior A hockey, but James De Haas did just that. Red Wings prospect Ryan Sproul’s running mate growing up, De Haas is a product of the fantastic GTHL hockey system.

He moved out west this season to join the powerhouse Penticton Vees of the BCHL and will move back across North America next year to play for Clarkson University.

An even longer-term project than McKee, the Wings won’t have to make a decision on De Haas until 2017. Of course, if he wows before then they’ll pull him into the pro ranks earlier.

The Wings view him developing into a safe, steady defenceman at the NHL level who can play in all roles any role (think Xavier Ouellet). Those Swiss Army knife type of defencemen are valuable in a team’s bottom-four on the backend. The Wings like his vision and puck-moving as well as his skating.

Speaking of Ouellet, here is Corey Pronman again on how the Wings draftee fared at the 2012 WJC

Ouellet was arguably Canada’s best defenseman and showed significant two-way ability. Not a ton of flash to his game, but very smart in both ends and was always making plays. His skating seems better than it was at the draft too although it’s not a strength of his game.

Rasmus Bodin – Round 7, 200 overall (Ostersunds, Sweden Division 1), 6’6″ 207 lbs

In Rasmus Bodin, the Wings did what they usually do late in the draft: take a home-run swing.

Bodin is massive at 6’6″ (the biggest player selected in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft if memory serves correctly) and has drawn comparisons to Wings forward Justin Abdelkader for his work ethic and grinding ability.

The offensive numbers aren’t there right now for Bodin playing in low-level Sweden but the Wings love his skating ability, especially for a big man.

With no deadline to sign him, the Wings will be patient with the development of the giant from Ostersund.

Check out Corey Pronman’s website as well

Red Wings prospect Adam Almquist grew up idolizing Nick Lidstrom. Now, he gets to wear his number….for the Grand Rapids Griffins. (Photo credit to Mark Newman)

When the Detroit Red Wings spend a late pick on a small, Swedish defenceman whose hockey sense they compare to Nick Lidstrom you can hear the other 29 NHL teams gulp.

That’s exactly what they got with Adam Almquist, their seventh round pick in 2009. The undersized blue liner (generously listed at 5’11″ and 171 pounds on eliteprospects.com) is in his first professional season in North America after a solid career in the Eliteserien’s HV71 program.

His nine points in 19 games rank him third amongst Griffins blue liners, behind rookie surprise Chad Billins and Brendan Smith and eighth overall on the team.

He is among a very strong group of young Red-Wings-defenders-to-be, which includes 2011 second round picks Xavier Ouellet and Ryan Sproul, former first round pick Brendan Smith and Brian Lashoff. Let’s toss new Griffin Max Nicastro in that group as well.

Here’s what Adam had to say…

Rob Benneian: I know you came over from Sweden towards the end of last year to join the Griffins, how has that helped you for this year?

Adam Almquist: Pretty much I learned how it was here, all the guys here and stuff like that. It helped me coming in here this year and play good I think.

RB: What’s the biggest difference you’ve found from playing in Sweden to playing in North America now?

AA: The hockey is different here, it’s more like up-and-down hockey, straighter hockey. Quicker, smaller ice. It’s a little bit more like playing in the neutral zone back home. That’s the big difference. When you get into it, it’s fun to play here.

RB: Has the adjustment been going well? Has it been difficult or easy for you?

AA: I think it’s going pretty good, it’s a little bit different with everything outside of hockey like apartment and pay bills and stuff. That’s different from back home. I got a lot of help from the staff here at the Griffins and the other players so they’ve been great to me so that’s helped me a lot.

RB: Were you living by yourself in Sweden?

AA: Yeah, I was.

RB: Are you living by yourself now?

AA: Yeah, with my girlfriend.

RB: Ok, so she came over from Sweden with you.

AA: Yeah.

RB: Who on the Griffins has helped you adjust? Has there been somebody who has helped you out along the way?

AA: Yeah, the Swedish guys have helped me a lot. They know, they’ve been here some years before so they know how it works. They’ve helped me a lot.

RB: When you say the Swedish guys, that’d be Joakim Andersson and…-

AA: – Yeah Joakim Andersson and Gustav Nyquist.

RB: Who have you been playing mostly with?

AA: Brian Lashoff.

RB: What’s that pairing been like? I know he’s a bit of a different player than you, a big, tuogh stay-at-home defenceman and you’ve got some offensive upside to your game.

AA: Yeah, he’s been awesome, playing really well. We have played good together. We kinda clicked the first time we played and help each other on the ice. It’s been great to play with him, he’s a really good player.

RB: What’s your been like on the team? Are you playing a lot of power play, five-on-five, any penalty kill?

AA: No, not so much penalty kill. We have some good guys there that play penalty kill. I play wherever coach (Jeff Blashill) tells me to play.

RB: You are on the power play though?

AA: Yeah, I am.

RB: How has that been going? I know the team sees you as a power play quarterback now and going forward with the Red Wings. Has that been going well for you?

AA: Yeah, it’s been going well. We have a pretty good power play, we play OK there. I think we can do better, but I think we’re doing OK.

RB: I’ve heard you say before that the Red Wings were your favourite team growing up because of all the Swedes. Who was your favourite Swede growing up, someone you modeled your game after?

AA: Obviously, every young defenceman in Sweden is kinda looking up to Lidstrom. He’s huge. I wasn’t looking at NHL hockey so much back home because of the time difference and stuff. When they showed the sports, they kinda showed Detroit so they became the team because they had all Swedes.

RB: The team loves your hockey sense, the way you think and play the game. The only thing they really want you to work on is getting stronger. How much time to spend in the gym?

AA: A lot because that’s a huge thing I have to work on. Train hard in the summer and now just keep up the work and get to the gym as much as possible. I’m spending a lot of time in there to get stronger and bigger.

RB:

That’s the word Soo Greyhounds defenceman Ryan Sproul used to describe his play following a loss to the Windsor Spitfires Dec. 6 at the WFCU Centre.

Sproul was addressing the brain trust the Red Wings had sent to watch him play, which indluded assistant general manager of hockey administration Ryan Martin and advisor to hockey operations Chris Chelios.

Martin had just finished asking Greyhounds general manager Kyle Dubas if that was the kind of performance Sproul had been turning in regularly, who replied with an emphatic “no.”

Keep in mind, this is following a tightly-contested loss where Sproul had an even rating, one assist, and by my count several takeaways and scoring chances.

Here is my interview with Ryan:

Rob Benneian: Obviously not the result you wanted, but I thought you had a pretty decent game.

Ryan Sproul: Not one of my best games recently. I’ve been playing pretty well recently and this was more frustrating for me. New coach (Sheldon Keefe) coming in, and we had to learn a lot of new systems. It’s kinda like going back to the beginning of the year again. To come in and learn all these new things is frustrating.

RB: What’s Keefe like?

RS: I haven’t gotten to know him too well yet, seems like a pretty good guy. We’ll see what he can do for us.

RB: What was your previous coach (Mike Stapleton) like?

RS: Mike was a player’s coach, a really good guy. We were sad to see him go. He was really nice to us, a really good personality. To have Sheldon in here, hopefully he’s a little bit harder and we’ll get the results.

RB: Tell me about getting named to the selection camp (for Team Canada’s WJC entry).

RS: I wasn’t really expecting it, I was out with a broken arm (Oct. 6-Nov. 20) and I missed the Subway Series (where he would have played for Team OHL against Team Russia) which was kinda rattling for me because I wanted to be out there and show my stuff. I’m glad they came to see what I had and I’m glad I got selected.

RB: I saw you tweet about taking the bus in at 6 a.m. (from Sault Ste. Marie to Windsor) this morning. That seemed odd to me.

RS: It’s brutal. We’re up at 6 o’clock in the morning, get stuck at the border in the Soo for two hours then come down here. I don’t know what the protocol is for that, if we’re supposed to be doing that but it’s pretty tough on the legs. There’s no excuses but it’s definitely not easy to do.

RB: Is that something you guys regularly do?

RS: We’ll bus down the day before it’s further away, this is a six hour bus ride. It’s far but it’s not that far for what we do regularly.

RB: I know the Wings guys were in attendance today, and coming into Windsor you gotta figure they’re gonna be here. What’d they say?

RS: Yeah, I expect them to be here. They said this wasn’t my best game. Kyle Dubas told them this wasn’t my best game. I’ve been playing pretty well. I was just frustrated and tired and didn’t have my legs. I gotta turn that around for next week.

RB: Do you feel caught up strength-wise from the broken arm?

RS: Yeah, it’s fine. In the beginning I was kinda nervous to get back but it’s fine now.

To see how Athanasiou scored this goal, click the link below and then pick your jaw up off the floor. (Photo credit to Marc Girard of Windsor This Week)

Barrie Colts forward Andreas Athanasiou (bottom) drives to the net and takes a shot on Windsor Spitfires goaltender Jaroslav Pavelka. Defending Athanasiou are (clockwise from top) John Bowen, Trevor Murphy, Ryan Verbeek, Jordan Maletta and Ty Bilcke. (Photo by/Rob Benneian)

Before reading any further, click the link below and jump ahead to 1:30.

Andreas Athanasiou goal

It’s not hyperbole when I say Andreas Athanasiou is among the best skaters not currently under an NHL contract.

His wheels and hands are the tools that made him such a highly-coveted prospect heading into the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

An apparent lack of a toolbox in which to put them allowed the Red Wings to scoop him up in with the 110th overall pick, stopping his free-fall in the fourth round.

Though he won the J. Ross Robertson Cup with the OHL champion London Knights, it wasn’t a good fit for Athanasiou. His ice time, and production, fell and he was often a healthy scratch.

An August trade to Barrie for a trio of draft picks has paid immediate dividends for Athanasiou, as the speedster is clipping along at nearly a point-per-game pace, with 13 goals and 26 points in 27 games.

I chatted with AA and his coach, the 1,409-points-in-1,188-NHL-games Dale Hawerchuk, after a 4-2 win over the Windsor Spitfires. Here’s what they had to say:

Rob Benneian: Coming up through London’s system, maybe not a great fit. How has this been for a career move for you?

Andreas Athanasiou: It’s a new start right now and I’m happy to be here in Barrie. It’s a great set of guys. I’m learning a lot here. I just gotta keep going. I got drafted by a great organization with the Red Wings, I’m happy where I am right now.

RB: I don’t know if you know this or not, but the Wings brass (Ken Holland and Kris Draper) were in attendance tonight.

AA: I had no idea they were here, I figured with being so close to Detroit (they might). It’s good that I had a good performance tonight (one goal, -1), but now I gotta put it in the past and move forward.

RB: Do they come see you often?

AA: They come to a few games. Jiri Fischer is a great guy, he comes to see me a lot, sends me a texts. He’s really smart. It’s a great organization. They’re really classy genuine people. That’s what I’ve noticed the most is they’re always looking out for the best for me. I know they’re following me.

RB: Obviously had to be a little disappointing, you were projected to go higher, but going to an organization like Detroit must have been great.

AA: Being selected in the first round would have been nice, but there was nothing I could do about it in London with the opportunity but I’m getting the opportunity now. If there was any organization to go to, it was Detroit. They play my style of game and going there was just unbelievable. That’s why they win so much, they pick the right players. It’s a real accomplishment to be drafted by them.

RB: Obviously they gotta like your raw package, the speed, the hands. What do they want you to work on?

AA: They just want me to work on my game to be a complete player. I’m working on that a lot in my defensive zone. I’m a plus player (+7), I’m doing the best I can. They want me to get bigger to take that next step.

RB: I mentioned some of the Wings brass are here, Draper being one of them. In a race between you and Drapes, who wins?

AA: (laughs) Oh jeez. I don’t know. It’s definitely another level up there, they have that next gear. I’ll be thankful to have that in a few years. They’re quick up there, fast, even the prospects. I can’t even imagine the NHLers.

***

Dale Hawerchuk: We just try to get a good culture going, guys enjoy coming to the rink. We try to do our homework so we’re well prepared. If we get a good culture, I like when they come to the rink and they’re hungry to play hockey. I think we’ve got a hungry group.

RB: You talked about bringing guys in, the culture, doing your homework. What does Athanasiou bring to the team?

DH: He’s such a dynamic threat every time he’s touching the puck. Any time you get players like that it makes your team better right away.

RB: I felt like his goal epitomized what he was all about, burning up the wing and then the nice hands to finish it off.

DH: Yeah he takes advantage of that speed. That’s one thing, speed rules. As defencemen, you have to gauge speed and their guy (captain Saverio Posa) had a tough time and he ended up spinning out. It was a good finish to the goal.

Jake Paterson makes one of 36 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires Nov. 23 at the WFCU Centre. (Photo by/Mitchell Brandner)

As promised, I caught up with Red Wings prospect and Saginaw Spirit goaltender Jake Paterson for the second time in eight days.

Again, he was on the wrong end of the decision, but he was much better this time around. After getting yanked two periods into a 6-1 loss to the Windsor Spitfires Nov. 15, Paterson was nearly unbeatable Friday night.

He allowed just two goals on 38 shots, one of which was of the circus variety, batted in from shoulder height by Spits forward Emerson Clark.

Here’s what Jake had to say following the loss:

Rob Benneian: It went a little better for you tonight than a week ago. Feel better tonight than you did last time?

Jake Paterson: Yeah, the outcome wasn’t what we wanted it to be but we battled hard. Myself, I played better but we obviously wanted to come out with the win.

RB: Can you be doing any more out there? You made 36 saves, at some point the team has to get you some offence.

JP: Yeah, that’s out of my control. I would have liked to have the last one and send it to overtime (Trevor Murphy scored with 2:17 to play for the GWG). It’s unfortunate we didn’t get the win.

RB: Are you used to facing this many shots?

JP: We’ve got a young team so shots are to be expected. It’s something I don’t think about too much, I just try to play the way I play and keep them out of the net. There’s nothing I can do about it.

RB: Growing up did you face a lot of traffic like this?

JP: In minor hockey I played on a pretty dominant team. I still got a fair amount of shots, but obviously not like tonight. I never really think about how many shots I’m getting, wins and losses are what count.

RB: Do you like the extra work load? Does it help you stay in the game more?

JP: Yeah when you’re getting lots of shots it helps you to stay focused, it helps you stay in the game more.

RB: You mentioned last week you like to handle the puck, get involved with the play. Even during breaks in play, you’re skating out of the crease to the top of the circles. Are you thinking about anything particular, blanking your mind, anything?

JP: I did it one time last year and we came out with the win, so I’ve stuck with the routine and I’ve been doing it ever since.

RB: Do you have a pre-game routine?

JP: Nothing too superstitious, usually just a pre-game meal and a nap and head down to the rink.

RB: What’s the meal?

JP: Usually pasta. Chicken pasta.

RB: What’s the deal with your number? (Jake wears #57)

JP: There was a goalie who played for the Mississauga IceDogs back when I was a kid, Dave Shantz (second round pick of the Florida Panthers in ’04), he wore 57. I was looking for a number and I looked up to him so I just kinda threw it on and stuck with it.

Jake Paterson handles the puck during a game at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont. (Photo by/Mitch Brandner)

by Rob Benneian

It’s incredible the people you meet in a junior hockey rink.

With the Saginaw Spirit in town to face the Windsor Spitfires, I planned to chat with Spirit goaltender Jake Paterson after the game to see how he was doing in his first season since becoming the Detroit Red Wings third round pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft.

It was lingering in the back of my mind that some of the Wings brass might be there, because in the last month I’ve seen Kris Draper, Jim Nill, Jim Bedard and former Wings players and management Steve Yzerman and Pat Verbeek. But by the time I’d started talking to Jake I’d forgotten all about it, so I was a little surprised when we were wrapping up our interview and one of Saginaw’s coaches butted in with ‘Jake, there are two guys from the Red Wings here to see you.’

I headed out into the hallway and there were Wings goaltending coach Jim Bedard and goaltending develoment coach Chris Osgood. After some playful jockeying over who would answer the reporter’s questions, the more senior Bedard deferred to Ozzie who graciously answered a couple of questions about Paterson.

Rob Benneian: Not a great performance by Jake (he was pulled after allowing four goals on 26 shots in two periods of work), but what have you seen out of him that you like this year?

Chris Osgood: Same as last year, he’s steady. He’s calm in there. For the most part he’s the same every night. He’s played a ton this year, I think that has a lot to do with (tonight’s performance). He’s seeing a lot of shots which we like. For us, we’re not too concerned with statistics, more on how he develops over the course of the year.

RB: He mentioned he was kind of a Wings fan growing up, he looked up to you as a goalie. What kind of advice can you give him?

CO: Just keep playing, work hard. Don’t get down. All the times I’ve seen him I tell him just keep playing like he has been, develop and get better every game.

Jake has played 21 of the Spirit’s 23 games and has faced a ton of rubber, nearly 33 shots per appearance, behind a very young Saginaw defence. His backup is a skilled but very green Nikita Serebryakov, who helped lead Russia to U17 gold last year but is still learning the OHL game. He gave up two goals on 10 shots after taking over for Paterson.

Here’s my chat with Jake…

RB: First off, tell me what some of your strengths are.

Jake Paterson: I think I’m a pretty consistent goalie. I give my team a chance to win every night. I’m pretty quick down low. I like to get out of the net and handle the puck whenever I can.

RB: What are some of your weaknesses?

JP: Just trying to get quicker, bigger, elevate my game so I can play at the next level.

RB: You got in for a bit at the Subway Super Series (for Team OHL against Team Russia), what was that experience like?

JP: (smiles) Yeah, that was a great experience, it was a great group of guys. Going against the Russians, coming off a loss, we wanted to get back in the win column. It was a fun experience.

RB: When you were picked to play for Team OHL, what was that feeling like?

JP: It’s a good feeling whenever you can represent your league, your country. I was pretty happy to get selected and to get the win as well.

RB: Did you have a favourite team growing up?

JP: I was a Wings fan and a Leafs fan even though they’re rivals. I’m from Toronto, so I was a Leafs fan and Brian Shanahan (Brendan’s brother) coached me growing up.

RB: How often are you in contact with the Wings brass?

JP: They’ve come out to a few games this year, I’ve gotten to talk to them. I’ve talked to Fisch (Wings director of player development Jiri Fischer), he came out to a game and I talked to him. We’re in contact and they come out to a fair amount of games as well.

RB: Especially with goalies, the Wings are (Jake smiles here), you know where I’m going with this, they’re really, really patient. How do you not let that affect you, how do you stay focused on today?

JP: The Wings, with any position, they’re gonna develop their players through the A (American Hockey League) and the Coast (East Coast Hockey League) so you just gotta be patient. Obviously they like to develop their goalies, so you just gotta be patient through the process and hopefully it works out for the best.

RB: Did you have any goalies growing up that you idolized, or still do now?

JP: Being a Wings fan, I looked up to Ozzie a little bit and it was kind of a neat experience being able to meet him, being able to work with him a little bit. Now, obviously Carey Price has taken over the league a little bit, so I look up to him as well.

From the opposition Windsor Spitfires, head coach Bob Boughner said if it were not for Paterson’s play, the game could have been decided much quicker in Windsor’s favour. Windsor outshot Saginaw 30-22 through two periods.

Spits defenceman Nick Ebert said the team identified Paterson’s glove as the weakest area of his game, and they targeted there to score. Of the four goals allowed by Paterson, just one, a Nick Ebert blast from the point, beat him glove. The other three came off a goalmouth scramble, a crazy dump-in/bounce/deflection and a Kerby Rychel wrist shot from the top of the circle over his blocker. Despite that, Paterson seemed to juggle a couple of shots glove-side, so that might be something to keep an eye on going forward.

I expect I’ll be chatting with Jake again next week when Saginaw revisits the WFCU Centre Nov. 23. Any questions for the puck-stopper, shoot them to me on Twitter @robbenneian

Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock (Getty Images)

I caught up with the head coach of the Detroit Red Wings, Mike Babcock, Sept. 27 at the WFCU Centre in Windsor, Ont. where he was taking in an OHL game between the Windsor Spitfires and the Kitchener Rangers.

Babs told me right off the bat he wouldn’t comment on the lockout (not surprising given the fact Devellano just cost the team a quarter mill).

Here’s what he had to say on a variety of topics:

Rob Benneian: What brings you to Windsor?

Mike Babcock: Well, obviously the hockey. I mean, it’s well documented that we’re not coaching right now, so this is a good chance to watch Windsor and Kitchener, two well-coached teams. I had the chance to meet with both sets of coaches before the game tonight and talk hockey, which was nice. Spotter (Rangers head coach Steve Spott) and Boogie (Spitfires head coach Bob Boughner) are good men and established coaches in the league so that’s a positive thing. Plus Leachy (Mark Leach), one of our scouts, chatting with him, nothing major just doing something to fill the game.

RB: Do you get out to many junior games?

MB: Normally, I get to none unless it’s in Plymouth, that’s two minutes from my house. Other than that I don’t get to any. We’re busy doing what we do.

RB: With the lockout ongoing, do you plan on getting to more games this year?

MB: I’m like everybody else, I’m hopeful it won’t be ongoing and we’ll be back doing what we do. But if not, I saw three Plymouth Whalers practices this week, one for the USA under-18 development program, and I was in Sioux City, Iowa for the US junior hockey league’s fall classic.

RB: What can you tell me about Mike McKee?

MB: I saw Big Mike in the US junior league. Obviously he’s a big rugged guy, he’s a good kid, I’m a big fan. I think in the end he’s gonna be a left winger. Right now they’ve got him playing D.

RB: He’s the kind of guy who’s a break away from the Red Wings mold.

MB: We’re always looking for dimensional players. We’ve had a lot of good players over the years and we like to keep bringing in dimensional players.

RB: Can you tell me about Jake Paterson and what he offers?

MB: He’s a guy our organization is high on. What’s key for all goaltenders is he’s gotta keep developing. It’s a long way from junior hockey to be a good starter in the National Hockey League, but as long as he’s living the game and loving it and training it, he has a chance to be good at it one day.

RB: Is that the key for goaltenders is to be patient? You look at a guy like (Jimmy) Howard, and it took him four years in the American league just to make his imprint.

MB: He went to school, I don’t know how old Howie is now but it took him some time. I think that’s how it is for most goalies is it takes them some time. You look at most guys and unless you’re a star it takes you five to seven years just to get to the National Hockey League once you’re drafted. It’s a process. That’s why I talk about you gotta love it. You gotta live it, you gotta love it, you gotta eat it, you gotta train it. It’s just that simple, that’s the way it is if you wanna be a pro.

RB: Andreas Athanasiou, obviously the thing you fall in love with is the speed but what else can he offer?

MB: You know what, he’s a kid that I just saw at development camp so it’s not like I’m in the situation to make a huge comment but he has good speed for sure. He’s another guy who’s a work in progress, he’s got a lot of growth potential but he’s gonna have to keep evolving as a player and find a role and a dimension that he can play in. It’s gonna be junior hockey, then American hockey and then ideally one day it’s gonna be the National Hockey League.

RB: It’s obviously really early to say but do you see him fitting in more as a checker or a scorer?

MB: I don’t even think about that, because we’ve got lots of guys on the depth chart ahead of him. He’s playing junior hockey, we’ll continue to watch him.

RB: Last guy I want to ask you about is Marty Frk, your top pick from this draft.

MB: I don’t know much about him either except he’s obviously got good sense and a real good skill set. At development camp he looked to be a real good player, but he’s no different than anyone else. The draft is a day and it’s a day you get reinforced for what you’ve done thus far, but it’s the start of a journey. The number one ingredient once you’ve got a certain skill set is being competitive. I think being competitive is, competitive people compete in the weight room, they train right, they eat right, they live it. And if you live it you have a chance to be a great player. That’s the growth process.

RB: Last question, one of the more important off-seasons in Red Wings history, losing Lidstrom, losing Stuart. You’ve added some pieces, recently adding Colaiacovo, how do you like where this team is set up for this year and beyond?

MB: Well we’ve got real good depth up front. I don’t think we’re as good on the back end as we have been and obviously we’re going to have to play real well. In saying that, there’s opportunity. A guy like Smith comes to our organization, he’s been with us, we’ve never really given him much of a chance. He’s gotta be a key player for us and we’ll see what happens after that.

An area that often is overlooked, but is crucial to their success, is their ability to extract every last droplet of talent from the tombstones of hockey careers.

With a trio of signings on this, the first day of free agency, the Wings seem poised to do just that.

The Wings agreed to terms with Swedish goaltender Jonas Gustavsson shortly after the outset of free agency on a two year deal that will pay $3M.

Gustavsson was brought over from Swedish hockey powerhouse Farjestad BK in 2009 to man the crease for the Maple Leafs. A heart issue (one that Gustavsson said today he thinks is behind him) kept him out of the net frequently over the next three seasons, but when he was healthy enough to play he put up numbers that were respectable-to-solid on a poor Toronto team.

Gustavsson is being brought in to push Jimmy Howard to be a better starting goaltender for the Wings. Howard has not felt pressure from the backup position during his career in Detroit, because Chris Osgood and Ty Conklin have failed to provide him with any challenge for playing time. A healthy Gustavsson can do just that and gives Detroit a formidable 1-2 punch in the crease. Joey MacDonald will return to Grand Rapids to help bring along a trio of young goaltenders in Petr Mrazek, Tom McCollum and Jordan Pearce.

The day was progressing quietly on the Red Wings front until about six hours later when the Wings signed two players that had Red Wings nation up in arms.

First, Detroit signed ex-Wing Mikael Samuelsson to a two year contract for $3M per season, one that included a full no trade clause.

Samuelsson played for the Wings from 2005 until 2009, totaling 67 goals over that span including helping to win the Stanley Cup in 2008. Following the Cup Finals loss to Pittsburgh in 2009, Samuelsson and the Wings parted ways as the Wings were forced to decide between he and Jiri Hudler.

Samuelsson scored 30 goals the next year with the Vancouver Canucks, but has seen his production dip the last two seasons with Vancouver and Florida. At 35 years old and joining the Red Wings, I wouldn’t expect Samuelsson to be asked to contribute much more than third line minutes at even strength and play on the first or second power play unit. He gives Detroit an offensive-minded right handed forward, which is something they don’t have unless you count Damien Brunner (more on him in a second).

As I said earlier, Detroit has proven very adept at getting the most out of players. I fully believe Samuelsson can contribute 45+ points in the role Detroit will use him in.

Minutes later, the Wings signed pesky Nashville forward Jordin Tootoo to a three year deal worth $5.7M.

Again, it was greeted with more jeers than cheers by an emotional Wings fan base waiting for the news that Suter and Parise were both signing in Detroit and bringing Lidstrom and Yzerman out of retirement with them.

I understand the urgency amongst Wings fans, as this is the first time in my lifetime that we’ve had an off-season with so much uncertainty, with the face of our blue line for the last two decades gone. But you can’t go about replacing Lidstrom in one day, especially when the best defenseman available hasn’t even signed yet, and has been rumored to be leaning Detroit’s way anyhow.

These moves today were not about replacing Lidstrom, they were about filling much smaller holes.

Samuelsson will provide secondary offense and a boost to a stagnant power play. He is also an agitating player to play against.

Tootoo is possibly the most effective pest in the league and one of the most irritating nuisances to go up against, and Red Wings fans should be happy they don’t have to face him six times a year anymore. He brings an element they do not have, and have not had since Kirk Maltby’s heyday. Justin Abdelkader has tried to fill that role, but Tootoo is far better at it.

Tootoo also had his best offensive season last year, totaling 30 points for the Predators, and at just 29 years of age he is basically in his prime. The three year contract means the Wings should be getting the very best Tootoo has to offer.

The Wings also made official today the signing of Swiss forward Damien Brunner to a one year, two-way contract worth $925,000 at the NHL level. We reported the Brunner signing about a week ago. Check him out here.

With the three forwards signed today, and Abdelkader an RFA, the Wings look to have 16 NHL forwards next season. Obviously, that is at least two, possibly three too many.

One scenario is the Wings could be stocking up forwards for a possible trade, either to acquire some help on the back end if they lose out on Suter, or to trade for someone like Rick Nash if they miss out on Parise.

Or they could just stand pat with what they have, and waive the two or three bottom forwards and assign them to Grand Rapids should they clear. That would give Detroit an incredible depth at the forward position. With injuries to Datsyuk, Cleary, Holmstrom, etc last year, Detroit struggled to fill the holes with call-ups from the minors.

As I see it now (and keep in mind I believe they stand a good chance of landing Parise or Suter – or both – tomorrow), this is how the Wings lineup shakes out for 2012-13:

Gustav Nyquist – Pavel Datsyuk – Johan Franzen

Valtteri Filppula – Henrik Zetterberg – Danny Cleary

Todd Bertuzzi – Darren Helm – Mikael Samuelsson

Drew Miller – Justin Abdelkader (RFA) – Jordin Tootoo

Jan Mursak  – Cory Emmerton – Patrick Eaves

Damien Brunner

Nick Kronwall – Ian White

Kyle Quincey (RFA) – Jonathan Ericsson

Brendan Smith – Jakub Kindl

Jimmy Howard

Jonas Gustavsson

Obviously, not a finished project but a good starting point and definitely not a reason to freak out like just about everyone on Twitter seemed to be doing today. Add a Suter or a Parise to that mix and you have a very legitimate looking lineup.

Today, Detroit became a tougher team to play against, and in my books that’s considered a win, especially when the two biggest names haven’t signed a contract anywhere and Detroit is in the mix for both.

In Holland we trust.