AHL Report: Defense at the Helm

McKeen's correspondent David Burstyn recently had the chance to watch the Grand Rapids Griffins and files this report on several prospects that are eager to make an impact this season, including former WJC gold medalist Darren Helm.

Jimmy Howard (Det), G, Grand Rapids

Should see a bulk of the games this season, as he is being dubbed Detroit's goalie of the future .. enters his third AHL season .. a highly athletic goalie whose skating aids in his ability to make saves .. he is always square to the shooter .. appears more confident in the way he limits his movement this season .. an aggressive challenger, he is always outside the blue paint to make a save .. vast frame allows him to cover a large portion of the net .. his pads are quick, as are his legs .. he gets low to the ice to monitor play in traffic, maintaining good concentration down low .. quick to drop to the butterfly but is staying on his feet more than in the past .. poor stickhandler .. he often gets confused as to when he should play the puck, which resulted in some communication breakdowns .. glove hand is still not NHL-caliber .. his hand is not fast enough and he keeps it too low .. the combination of an aging Dominik Hasek and gaining valuable confidence should make Howard an NHL goalie as early as this season.

Jakub Kindl (Det), D, Grand Rapids

Following a three-year junior career with the Kitchener Rangers, Kindl joins the backend as one of the youngest players in the AHL .. an offensive puck rushing defenseman, Kindl has been overwhelmed by the pace of the pro game and subsequently, has not been able to play his style of game .. he possesses a good skill set and marries it well with a fluid-skating style .. he moves exceptionally well laterally .. was able to stick check many players off the puck as a result .. while he moves well side-to-side, he still needs to be more aggressive closing the gap .. he has outstanding agility and athleticism .. he can skate better backwards than most players can forwards .. his puck rushing abilities have been crippled, as he simply has no confidence in his game as of yet .. many of his efforts were thwarted .. he made a few nice passes out of the zone but for the most part, he easily retreated into his own zone before he gave the puck away .. with increased playing time, he should see all areas of his game improve.

Jonathan Ericsson (Det), D, Grand Rapids

The Red Wings have uncovered yet another late round gem as the Karlskrona, Sweden native was not plucked until the 10th round of the 2002 draft .. appears well on his way to a permanent spot on the Wings roster, as he combines toughness and finesse skills in a 6-foot-5, 220-pound frame .. a healthy skater, not necessarily a strong one but since he is so massive, he can afford to be half a step behind .. he does a fabulous job using his size to get a step on the opposition, as he establishes good overall position and intimidates with his size .. moves well laterally and is an ok backwards skater .. he protects the puck well and is not afraid to launch an attack often going from behind his goal deep into the offensive zone .. can make a good first pass but needs to be more consistent .. good vision, as he QB the PP .. ok shot but his release and overall power suffers .. could do a better job of moving his feet in the offensive zone and occasionally jump the line to make the opposition respect that as an option .. .. he has soft hands for a big man and is very creative with the puck .. given the recent track record of defenseman selected in the first round by the Wings ,there is obviously considerable depth at that position however, Ericsson will force Wings management to open up a spot for him, as his play has been too good to ignore.

Evan McGrath (Det), C, Grand Rapids

McGrath was clearly not ready for the rigors of the AHL, as he found himself re-assigned to the ECHL affiliate Toledo Storm last season .. produced at better than a point-a-game clip to be recalled but only to be used sparingly in the last quarter of the season .. this season, with the departure of scoring up front, McGrath will be relied upon slightly more .. Mike Stothers the new coach of the Griffins is very familiar with McGrath given his past seven-year involvement with the Owen Sound Attack as head coach .. playing alongside two grinders with skill that readily get him the puck .. rapid release and sizzling wristshot .. he works well to get into open ice .. his preservation skills are what make him so effective .. never stays in one spot for too long so the opposition can get a mark on him .. constantly moving his feet and is very quick out of the gate .. sensationally weak along the boards .. did not win one battle all contest, as he was simply out-positioned and mainly out-muscled off the puck .. has the offensive skill set but now needs to refine other aspects of his game.

Darren Helm (Det), C, Grand Rapids

Former WJC gold medalist is an outstanding multi-faceted player with a strong blend of offensive prowess and a defensive conscience .. excelled down low where he used his long reach and modest frame to shield the puck and create opportunities .. very hard working .. subscribes to the team concept and has a positive work ethic that compliments the team .. a strong skater with proper balance and quick footwork .. his skating allows him to be involved in all areas of the ice .. has good vision and shows signs of stickhandling ability .. his offensive skills are good enough that he can create something from a turnover .. he can sneak out of the corner boards and make centering passes in front .. Helm is a good-soldier-type-of player that is integral to team success .. given the right amount of seasoning at the AHL level, he should be able to translate his game well on the NHL scale.

Jamie Tardif (Cal), RW, Grand Rapids

Tardif has not been given much of a chance to produce since turning pro .. he has been flip flopped between several teams and as a result, has not been able to form much chemistry with a set of linemates .. a strong power forward that punishes defenseman along the glass .. an average skater, he creates and is most effective with his play in tight spaces .. he uses his body well to hit and force mistakes in the attacking zone .. he is very strong along the boards and uses his feet when battling for the puck .. he has developed a quicker release and has more confidence in his shot, as he scored a beautiful goal using his wristshot .. he is slowly coming along and may prove to be a good heart-and-soul guy for the Flames.

Mattias Ritola (Det), LW, Grand Rapids

A member of all of Sweden's national junior teams, Ritola, a fourth round pick in the 2005 draft enters his first year of pro hockey in North America .. has decent short-term speed .. he has quick feet that are fueled by short, accurate strides .. his first step is awkward by appearance but he manages to get there .. he will look to cause a disturbance down low however, he does not take the abuse associated with the challenge and will not be confused as a Holmstrom-type-of player .. slowly, he is getting used to the pace of the game and it shows in his wayward decision-making .. he is slow to react and many of his passes are easily intercepted .. his shot is erratic, it lacks accuracy and overall power .. many areas of his game need work fortunately, time is on his side.

Johan Ryno (Det), LW, Grand Rapids

Another Swedish born winger from the 2005 draft joins the Griffins for his debut season .. an unpolished stone, Ryno has the size and potential to perk the interest of the Red Wings brass .. playing on a line with Tardif and McGrath, he opens up space with his sizeable frame (6-4, 215) .. he is not overly mobile or athletic however, he does use his size well .. short stride and ok speed .. he bears down on opponents and is rather successful in causing turnovers .. he is slow when coming back and usually finds himself deep in the offensive zone, meaning his teammates are left playing a man down in their end .. he must make upgrades to his speed and overall approach to the game.