Red Wings get reflective in hunt for right-shot defenseman
Aside from the Mike Babcock talk, one of the most popular topics of conversation in Detroit all season was the hunt for a right-shot defenseman. At one point, rumors had the Wings in hot pursuit of Toronto's Dion Phaneuf, but that interest soon faded.
Now, a report from Pro Hockey Talk claims the Red Wings will look within to find an answer for their right-handed blue line deficiencies.
"The Wings would like to give their young blue liners a chance," Dhiren Mahiban of Pro Hockey Talk wrote. "Detroit has two right shot defensemen under contract for next season in Ryan Sproul and Alexey Marchenko. Nick Jensen is also a right-handed shot, but the pending restricted free agent does not have a contract for next season."
Marchenko spent the most time at the NHL level out of those three options. He appeared in 13 regular season games this year with the Wings and totaled two points (one goal, one assists) while registering a plus-1. Marchenko also played in three playoff games for the Wings and finished with a minus-3 rating.
Sproul was a second-round draft pick in the 2011 NHL Draft while Jensen was taken 150th overall in the 2009 NHL Draft. Both Sproul and Jensen earned spots as mainstays with Detroit's AHL-affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, and could therefore reasonably fight for a spot on the NHL team in training camp.
(h/t Pro Hockey Talk)
Photo credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
