The NHL we view today is full to the brim with goaltenders who are all pads, all positioning and minimal improvisational skills. The best example to me currently has to be Jean Sebastien Giguere. While taking nothing away from his early years, which were to me his absolute peak, though from then on he seemed be be focused more on tweaking every pad and piece of protective equipment to be larger, and less on being mobile. He to me, is the posterboy for robotic, immobile goalies who sometimes don’t even bother to try when they feel the play is lost. On the other end of the spectrum are goaltenders such as Tim Thomas, Evgeni Nabokov and Chris Osgood who play a much more reflex based game. As a purist, this is what I appreciate most. But goalies like this are rare these days, and some players seem so concerned with getting in position, routine saves become unnecessarily difficult. What drives me insane is watching a goalie scramble, while the opponent is in the midst of a good scoring chance, to get in perfect position instead of scrambling to do what is necessary to make the save if that’s what the play calls for. Every great goalie has a certain amount of positional ability, and every great goalie always knows instinctively where the net is behind him or her but reacting to whatever the other team will throw at you is something perhaps you can’t teach. At least, not easily, and it seems we’re content to not even try.

I think what’s most responsible would be the natural reaction to each style. As human beings, we’re creatures of habit and comfort. This I believe extends deeply into our assessment of players in sports, specifically in the goaltending position. Unorthodox goalies are worrisome, make us sweat and when they let in a goal, it often will appear worse than it really was. On the other hand, a regular, familiar butterfly goalie who comes far out of his net and gets into the position you’d think he was born in, and makes the save by just letting the puck hit him. And then you have to look at it from the perspective of someone who is employed as a coach or scout or is involved with the player in some shape or form. Your job is likely to be safer if you don’t stray from the familiar, comforting butterfly style, and what’s more, if your unorthodox protégé fails to deliver, the frown in your direction becomes that much larger and meaner. The young players who best master the art of positioning are rewarded as well under the same mindset. This to me, breeds a player who will never truly make the necessary saves needed to become great. The best of all time in my eyes, players like Patrick Roy, Dominik Hasek, Terry Sawchuk, they were goalies who could adapt to any situation and make saves they shouldn’t have been able to make because they could improvise a save that they’d never attempted before. That’s the heart of goaltending. That’s natural talent. That’s what we need more of, rather than coaches and scouts who play it safe for a plethora of reasons.

I think more coaching emphasis should be on teaching younger goalies to improvise. Throw out the traditional drills every once in awhile in favour of some drills allowing teammates to set plays in front of the net with random rebounds. Allow multiple players a puck with a random two taking shots, forcing a young goalie to read and react and make a save he or she has never made before. Grant Fuhr and Curtis Joseph to me are two criminally underrated players who were spectacular at reading the puck coming off of a shooters stick, and doing whatever was necessary to get some part of their body in front of the rubber. Chances also need to be taken on players who exhibit natural talent with a strange or different style. Work with the youngsters who need work on their positioning, but show that they can make critical stops. I think we need to re-evaluate how we judge goalies coming out of junior systems. For every good scout, there seem to be two or maybe three who show that this game still confuses even the seemingly most qualified of us.

The best unorthodox goaltender to ever play hockey, came from a country that wasn’t known for producing goalies in general. He didn’t play in any way anyone had ever seen before. He wasn’t even 6’, and weighed barely more than 160lbs. He had fine positioning, but that’s not what he became known for. Dominik Hasek was the master of doing whatever was needed to get in front of a puck, and in spite of many of his saves seeming lucky, he was perhaps the most methodical and misunderstood netminder in hockey history. Everything he did was thoroughly thought out and planned for a reason. An extremely intelligent man, he pioneered a style still lost upon many today. It’s Hasek that proves you don’t need to play a complete butterfly style to succeed, but that we often see players like him as lucky and fluky.

What defines natural goaltending to me in a nutshell, is a play that most write off as desperate, or random. It’s a play Hasek has done his entire career. On a breakaway or a good scoring chance, he would rush out of his crease and dive, usually sideways, at the puck carrier. I once read a quote by Hasek as to why he does this and it made perfect sense. It wasn’t random, it wasn’t him “just hoping” to hit the player. He said he carefully watches the play unfold, and looks at the eyes of the player going for the puck. If the puck is bouncing or the player isn’t in complete control, he’ll make his move and dive at the puck knowing by the time the player gains control or realizes he’s out of the net, it’s too late. He thought of it all by himself. He thought out the angles his upper and lower body would be at when he gets there. Pure improv. Pure entertainment. Pure goaltending. Know you’ll make a save. Don’t hope you will. Chicago took a chance on an unknown 207 picks into the draft. The reigning Vezina trophy winner is the most unorthodox goaltender playing in the NHL today.

Perhaps we should stray from the norm a little.

Delay Of Game: Shooting The Puck Over The Glass

In an obvious effort by the NHL to artificially inflate scoring, a player who shoot the puck over the glass while in his own end will receive a 2 minute minor penalty. This is an absolutely ridiculous penalty and I’m yet to meet anyone who agreed with its existence. The vast majority of the time, the play is a complete accident and it is especially cringe-worthy when it happens in the third period of a close game or in OT. My solution? Treat it like icing. Faceoff in the same zone, keep the team from changing lines and there you go. Simple enough, right? A player isn’t going to purposely clear it over the glass unless he wants a rest for his team, which in this case instead would result in a faceoff to the right or left of his goalie. The NHL won’t change this rule for the same reason they implemented it-to increase goals and “fan excitement”. Nevermind the fact the league can’t even eclipse 6 goals per game even after all these rule changes. A far cry from the glory days where 7-8 goals were scored per game. This rule change would also speed up the game, with faceoffs coming alot quicker than they would after slowly escorting a player to the sin box.

Penalty Shot or Five On Three?

This is an idea I thought of while watching a penalty shot the other day during a game. If a team is on a 5 on 4 power play, and one of their players is tripped up on a breakaway and awarded a penalty shot, I think the team should be able to decline the penalty and opt instead for a 5 on 3 power play. As we’ve seen since the inception of shootouts, a great shooter or goaltender does nothing to guarantee you success on a penalty shot. I’m positive at least some times would much rather have a sustained 5 on 3 rather than more or less flipping a coin. I don’t see a downside to this, so why not give the team the option?

No Touch Icing

Honestly, do we need another Kurtis Foster incident? What if it were to happen to a player more valuable to the NHL brass? With players getting faster and quicker off the mark, and agility and skating ability being a highly coveted attribute in star forwards, we’re basically asking them to outrun a defenseman to a loose puck on a potential icing call. It’s only a matter of time until a Patrick Kane, an Alexander Ovechkin or a Joe Thornton suffers a totally devastating and completely avoidable injury. I get the idea of races for the puck being exciting to watch, but to me, are they really that exciting? Enough to justify potential injury? To me, the play is just too quick and easily forgotten to be worth it. Also, how many teams ever really ice the puck assuming or even hoping their player can reach the puck first? Not very many at all. In typical human nature not exclusive to the suits of the NHL, we tend to correct a problem only after something avoidable has occurred. I understand the NHL implemented a rule to keep players from hitting each other before attempting to play the puck, but that won’t heal broken bones and no penalty you can hand out during a game would make up for the potential loss.

From 85 to 93 to 100-Widen The Rinks

This would be by far the most difficult change to implement, and would change the game potentially more than anything I’ve previously mentioned. Though if the league could suffer through altering many NHL arenas and losing a row or two of big dollar seating somewhere on the ground level, this may increase offense more than any silly pipe dream rule change thus far. Increasing NHL rinks to 93 or even 100 feet wide would change the dynamics of the game enough to maybe “survive” not handing out penalties to every player who accidentally clears a puck over the glass. If we’re to ever combat the trap, this may be one of the first steps towards doing just that.

Before implementing any of these rules, the league needs to work on properly enforcing the current ones. They obviously have a problem in that regard, and the last thing the NHL needs is another interpretation call or two when they can’t even make up their minds on the ones we have kicking around.

I’m one more Sidney Crosby commercial away from a penalty box with padded walls.

Seemingly unbeknownst to the NHL and it’s team owners, this is a league full of superstars that could spark an interest in even some of the most close minded sports fanatics. Instead, and apologies to Penguins fans ahead of time, we get Sidney Crosby shoved so hard down our throats that we need a Chara-sized Heimlich maneuver to remove him. The NHL has done a fine job promoting him, but it seems to just be too much. Crosby also has the personality of a stale carrot, and I won’t even get into his incessant whining and bloated sense of entitlement. To Gary Bettman, there is no such concept as moderation. But what if Crosby were to sustain a long term or career ending injury? Why, the league would be up the creek without a goalie stick or two to save them.

The NBA has seen to it than I know damn well who Kobe and Lebron are, and I don’t even watch basketball. The NFL would be the absolute king of selling their stars. Your mom, your sister and your dog probably know who Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are beyond. But the NHL….well, we have a few small ads here and there, but nothing overly interesting or eye catching. Let’s just say many a fan have long been referring to NBC as Nothing But Crosby. The league is forcing the square peg into the round hole. So who should the league also focus on marketing? Let’s take a look.

Alexander Ovechkin
This one almost goes without saying. Ovechkin’s electricity could power a small country. His goal celebrations, his genuine elation upon scoring (whether he or a teammate), his charisma around the camera. AO is screaming to be the central focus of the NHL marketing campaign. NBA stars have openly expressed interest in Alexander the Great, and we all remember his seemingly impossible goal against Wayne Gretzky’s Phoenix Coyotes. His shaggy hair, his kooky off ice antics, his highlight reel goals, his competitive-yet-pleasant persona, he’s got it all. Aside from perhaps a smooth grasp on English and slight discomfort in front of a camera without his equipment on. Details, details. Ovechkin, not Crosby, is the round peg for the NHL’s round hole of advertising space.

Jerome Iginla
Jerome Iginla is another obvious choice, as he possesses a natural charisma and charm off the ice, and on the ice has shown top notch talent and an exciting style of play. He’s shown that he can drop the gloves as frequently as he can score goals, something that is extremely rare in the NHL today. He also has a distinctly noticeable look and a unique face, perfect for television commercials. He’s also one of the few black players in the league, and the NHL fails abysmally in utilizing his heritage to promote the game to individuals of certain racial and ethnic backgrounds who typically do not show interest in hockey.

Nicklas Lidstrom
It is often said that what Lidstrom does on the ice goes without appreciation by most fans. Although I would have to think that if fans were specifically looking for #5 on the ice, they’d notice his subtle yet jaw dropping talents more than ever before. His ice blue eyes, blond hair and marketable face make him perfect for any campaign. His English is superb, and he has international appeal. With the right execution, he could become a household name. He’s often described as “the perfect player” and his name even has a great ring to it. He could be billed as the quietly intense leader, and yet the NHL has let him slip away from them. If there’s a downside to Lidstrom, it’s that he’s not a big hitter, and sometimes too calm and classy. That however, never stopped the NFL from putting Peyton Manning and Drew Brees on my TV every 20 minutes.

Joe Thornton
Thornton has shown he’s tremendously comfortable in front of a camera, and that he can match that with exceptional play on the ice. His ventriloquist commercial promoting Sharks ticket sales actually made me laugh. That’s extremely rare in the case of athletes in television advertisements, as they usually just come off about as cool and funny as a soccer mom trying to crack jokes with a van full of youngsters. A downside may be that he doesn’t quite have the necessary look for promos and ads but in the effort to make more of your players known, regardless of look, Thornton wouldn’t be a bad start. Sadly, he’s won the Hart trophy and most folks couldn’t pick him out of a crowd.

Henrik Zetterberg
Bearing an eerie resemblance to actor/musician Jared Leto, Zetterberg is a premiere two way forward, with a recognizable look and style of play. His English is adequate, as with most Swedes, and he is a force on the ice especially in the postseason. He can hit, he can score, he can make highlight plays and lock himself the opposing star player. A Conn Smythe trophy winner on the ice, a rock star look off of it, and unafraid to show emotion after scoring, Zetterberg along with Ovechkin could form quite the duo should the league decide to take advantage. They could do wonders for a league that desperately needs to shed it’s current image that most Americans think of when hockey comes to mind.

Nash
One of the best goal scorers in the NHL, Nash has shown he can thrive in a hockey market that is otherwise on life support. He’s endorsed video games and hockey equipment and has looked right at home in both. He’s in a much more difficult scenario than most names on my list, as his team isn’t known to be a “winning team” and it doesn’t help matters that their only playoff appearance was a forgettable trouncing at the hands of the Detroit Red Wings. In spite of this, Nash remains one of the league premiere names, and should be focused on much more than he is currently. He is similar to Ilya Kovalchuk, in the way that he is good enough and charismatic enough to be well known off the ice, but falls victim to a league that doesn’t like to shill players on losing teams.

There is naturally a much more complex process that goes along with ensuring fans know who certain players are, but the NHL would be smart to take notes from the NBA and the NFL.

The NHL has nothing covering a players face 9 times out of 10, and less clutter around their stars than most football games. The NFL has a mass of bodies surrounding every well known talent on the field, and helmets and facemasks that conceal their identity. And yet the NFL can ensure that even my family members know who Adrian Peterson and Terrell Owens are.

The core issue to me, is that we’re afraid to take a cue from Hollywood, the NBA, the NFL or any big company known for selling their products well. It’s still very much a Don Cherry-esque, old fashioned Canadian league. Either we start pushing the game the way the NFL, NBA or even MLB push theirs, or we stay down home and small time. All we’re proving right now, today, is that you can’t achieve both simultaneously. It’s one or the other. Don Cherry is living on an island though, and that island is getting smaller everyday.

We should hope the National Hockey League isn’t stubborn enough to go down with him.

But first an update on Helm.  As many of you have already heard, star forward Johan Franzen suffered a torn ACL and will not soon return.  This created the need for much line shuffling throughout the forward roster.  Darren Helm made his return recently and was placed on a unit with Brad May and Patrick Eaves to start the game against the Sabres, Tuesday night.  He also saw minutes on a line with May and Abdelkader in the second period.  Helm clearly wasn’t quite as revved up as he has been the previous two postseasons, but attribute that to a healing shoulder and the fact that you can’t play every regular season game as if it’s a playoff game.  Helm played over 16 minutes, was held under .500 on faceoffs and was credited with 4 hits.  Nothing spectacular, but then again, not many Wings were during the Buffalo trip.

Justin Abdelkader

If ever there was an individual born to wear the winged wheel, Abdelkader is it.  A native of Muskegon, Michigan, “Abby” as his teammates refer to him, grew up a fan of the Detroit Red Wings.  While playing for Michigan State, he collected various awards, including being named the Frozen Four’s MVP.  Standing 6’1” and weighing 210 lbs, he is a big body that plays even bigger on the ice.  As far as positives go, he is a swift skater, finishes his checks and is a relentless forechecker.  He is often compared with Darren Helm, though with a little less speed, but a little more size. He plays a rough, rugged style and isn’t intimidated by anyone on the ice.  He is also a heady player in his own zone, proving to truly fit into the Detroit scheme by possessing an admirable defensive skill set.  He has proven to be fantastic on faceoffs, and can maneuver well in traffic.

Abdelkader really only has a small few weaknesses, none of which can be labeled glaring.  He often will take bad penalties at inopportune times, and doesn’t seem to possess the true offensive hand that many star forwards on the team can claim.  Although minimal, those setbacks may well ensure he will never be more than a third line role player for the Red Wings.  However, this has never stopped Tomas Holmstrom from playing on the first line with superstars Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg.  Johan Franzen also has proven that sometimes, you just never know who will break out.  Abdelkader is likely to be a solid second line player, or one of the absolute best third line role players in the NHL.  He has been called up in light of the Franzen injury and has played well, though the Red Wings brass would like him to remain in Grand Rapids seemingly just one more season prior to becoming a full-time Red Wing.  Look for Abdelkader to wear a Red Wing jersey for the next 15 years or more.

Jimmy Howard

A native of Ogdensburg, New York, Jimmy Howard has been quite possibly the most patient prospect in the AHL.  Howard will be 26 years of age before the season is out.  Upon being drafted in 2003, he has spent the previous 6 seasons being groomed for a role on the Red Wings roster. Chosen in the 2nd round out of the University of Maine, Howard has been touted as one of the finest young goaltenders in the junior ranks and has captured a massive amount of individual awards and accolades.

Howard has a good frame for an NHL calibre netminder, and among his positives are his positioning, calmness under fire and previous performances in clutch situations.  When he gets rolling, he seems to develop a confidence, and thus plays better.  And upon playing better, his confidence grows.  It’s a beneficial snowball effect, especially for a goalie, considering a large portion of playing goal in the big leagues has much to do with the mental aspect of the game.

Jimmy however, has not shown this same level of poise during his opportunities manning the Red Wing net.  Among the dozen or so of his regular season appearances, Howard has been shaky to say the least.  He has shown many of the flaws that have followed him from the beginning.  He can follow a spectacular save with a weak goal, and let it linger in his mind for the rest of the game.  He can be prone to allowing the same goal, or just being plain shaky.  He sometimes is prone to glove side goals up high, and has shown in the AHL that his development has possibly hit a stand-still with heavy competition from Swedish netminder Daniel Larsson.  Only time will tell if Howard can overcome these mental obstacles to fully utilize his undeniable physical talents.

Ville Leino

Ville Leino, a native of Savonlinna, Finland, has found a full time roster position with Detroit thanks to a nose for the net and a fantastic sense for the game.  He has adapted well to the North American style of play, and looks only to improve as the season and ultimately seasons, pass.

A late bloomer in the Finnish SM-Liiga during 07-08, Leino burst out of nowhere for 77 points in 55 games with Jokerit Helsinki, shattering team records for single season scoring.  He also had 19 points in 14 postseason contests.  This prompted Detroit brass to pounce on what could be a tremendous opportunity to sign a player who was seemingly bred to play for the Wings.

Leino is a puck possession player, possessing a crafty sense with the puck anywhere on the ice.  He has very good hands, and more importantly, is exceptionally strong on the puck.  He can position himself and maneuver throughout traffic in corners and retain possession of the puck.  He also has a lightning quick release, often catching goalies off guard.  His biggest positive is thought to be his innate sense for the game.  He has a nose for offense that you just cannot teach and has shown tremendous instincts around the net.  His offensive upside is the reason Detroit made such a strong push to acquire the Finnish Golden Helmet winner for player of the year.

He has already seen second line and third line minutes this season and has developed an obvious chemistry with fellow Finnish player Valteri Filppula.  Leino though, lacks the speed of a Datsyuk or a Helm and often chooses to pass at improper moments.  His defensive game has picked up though as in the first few games of this season, he has been seen back-checking harder than last year, and already has broken up two good scoring chances with solid defensive play.  Time will tell if Leino, who shredded opposing teams in the AHL, can continue to assert his talents appropriately in the big leagues.

These are just five of the most immediate young contributors to the Detroit Red Wings and all five are examples of what makes Detroit the cream of the scouting crop.  With homelands ranging from Canada, the United Stats to Finland and Sweden.  From draft positions in the mid second round, to final overall draft picks, to completely undrafted.  One of the biggest questions surrounding the Wings organization is how they keep on winning, year after year.  This is one of the biggest reasons.  Players most are unaware of transition seamlessly onto a team based less on the name on the back of the jersey, and more on becoming a selfless cog in the winged machine.

The foreseeable future is very bright for the Red Wings, as Ken Holland, Jim Nill and co continue to build the blueprint on how to succeed in the NHL today.

And all without Marian Hossa. And all without a moments worry.

There will be fresh faces in Detroit. Though not lost upon the disciples of the Winged Wheel, these names will strike many as new, and curiously unknown.  Names such as Ericsson, Abdelkader, Helm, Howard and Leino.  Names that collectively carry with them an average age of 24 years old.

Do not allow yourself to be fooled by the suspicious silence of Ken Holland, Red Wings GM, in free agency.  For who is quite possibly the best General Manager in the game today, there is never a moment of complacency.  Never a confused shrug of the shoulders.  The brass of the Wings wasted no time in replacing their losses with in-house talent.

The Detroit Red Wings are well known for allowing their young talent to fully develop in various junior systems, rather than hastily rushing them to the forefront. It has clearly paid fine dividends in the past and the front office in Detroit expects no less from this immensely talented group of youngsters who will no doubt make their mark in a red and white jersey.  Gone are 40 goal scorer Marian Hossa, 25 year old up and comer Jiri Hudler, Ty Conklin and Tomas Kopecky.  But we all are aware of the losses, are we not?  Let us delve into the aforementioned youth movement and introduce the future of hockey’s most consistent organization.

Jonathan Ericsson

Standing 6’5” with a listed weight at 218lbs, this Karlskrona Sweden native looks to bolster the Wings third defensive pairing with intelligent breakout passes and a great mind for the game for a player so young.  Chosen as the final pick in the 2002 draft, 291^st overall, this towering forward turned defender, has quickly gained the praise of his head coach.  In an interview prior to game 1 against the Anaheim Ducks, Babcock was quoted as saying “Big body….Actually, he looks like Chris Pronger.  Except for the cross checking.” The Wings thought so highly of Ericsson, that they paired him with fellow countryman Nicklas Lidstrom on the top defensive pairing.  So what makes Ericsson so special?

He has a great instinct for the position, and already aware of the potent Detroit puck-possession game, is able to position himself correctly and know exactly where his teammates will be at all times.  This is a staple of the Wings game, and one that is not easily learned for newcomers or outsiders.  He also has the ability to produce swift, intelligent breakout passes, which is immensely valuable to the Detroit offensive attack. Ericsson is also tremendously agile, especially for someone of his size, and is reminiscent of Vladimir Malakhov, and retains a calmness with the puck that is extremely rare to find with any defenseman new to the NHL game.  There simply is no panic in him. Add to all this a massive physical frame, and he finds himself with a distinct advantage over a player with equal mental attributes.

He is following in the Red Wing mold with very disciplined play, which is a very valuable asset.  He will not retaliate, although will be more than willing to stand up to anyone on the opposing team when sticking up for a teammate.  In game 1 against Anaheim, many Ducks players weren’t quoted on record as saying they had absolutely no idea who Ericsson was.  It was certainly after Corey Perry pushed his luck and received a humiliating pummelling at the hands of the lowest drafted player to ever skate in the NHL, that the Ducks knew exactly who he was.  He and Lidstrom combined to help, for the most part, shut down the Ducks top line.  Also possessed a monster shot from the blue line, which has been clocked at over 100MPH.

Ericsson’s weaknesses mostly involve trying to do too much at one time, and positioning.  Or to be more accurate, consistency in both.  Every now and again Ericsson will get caught out of position at a critical moment, or will attempt a pass within his own zone that will result in a crucial turnover.

Ericsson is expected to one day become a top 4 defenseman for Detroit, and it is not out of the question to expect him to one day take the lead and play on the #1 D pairing.  His playoff performance this past season was an excellent showing of what this young man, dubbed Mr. Irrelevant in 2002, is made of.

Darren Helm

Darren Helm burst onto the hockey scene with more energy and intensity than any one player in recent memory.  This unassuming Winnipeg, Manitoba native stands only 6’ tall, and tips the scales at a whopping 182lbs.  He hasn’t gotten many opportunities in the regular season to amass an impressive point total or etch his name firmly into the minds of many hockey fans, but that’s exactly what works in Helm’s favour.  This lightning bolt of a player lead the NHL last postseason in hits, with 118 in 23 games.

Helm plays every shift as if it’s his last, as if he had just swallowed a Super Mario Bros star.  It’s been said that Helm doesn’t hop over the boards for a shift, but that a cannon shoots him onto the ice.  This 5^th round choice in the 2005 draft is a perpetual motion machine of energy and heart, with the type of gritty play that earned him praise from Don Cherry, who in spite of various shallow attempts to conceal his bias, is aggressively anti-Red Wings.

Helm is also bullet fast.  Not only since his arrival has he claimed the position of fastest skater on the team, but one of the fastest players in the entire league.  His jaw-dropping acceleration and incredible top-flight speed immediately bring back memories of Pavel Bure.  While Helm may not have the offensive upside of Bure and other Red Wings on the roster, he has shown that he is a great all around gritty player.  Whenever Helm is on the ice, something happens.  He is the type of player that changes the momentum in a game.

He has shown that he has the ability to finish every check, and match up against the best opposing lines.  He is also a fantastic penalty killer, and had one of, if not the most memorable penalty kill of the entire postseason in game 5 of the Western Conference Final, shaking off 4 Chicago defenders to kill 30 seconds of time.  All by himself.  Did I mention he managed a wonderful scoring chance midway through the kill?

Helm has also shown he can be a solid face-off man, and a great defensive forward.  Often compared to Kris Draper, but with slightly more offensive upside, Helm has shown also to be a relentless forechecker in the mold of Henrik Zetterberg, who is known for hunting down opposing puckhandlers all the way down the ice if need be.

His weaknesses more often than not, include trying to stickhandle too much, and not having the type of hands Detroit forwards are known for.  Most every Detroit star forward has smooth hands, with the slickest of all obviously being Pavel Datsyuk.  Helm though has shown that he not only has trouble stickhandling the way other star Wings do, but that his speed often hurts him in this regard as well.  Helm will occasionally find himself skating far too fast to keep a firm handle on the puck, and will turn it over.  It looks as if it’s a mix of nerves and plain out lack of ability to pull of Zetterberg-esque moves.  This is what will likely limit him to 3^rd or maybe one day 2^nd line status.  He is also a smaller player for someone possessing his style of play, and is am injury risk to say the least.

Helm however is one of Detroit’s most valuable weapons, especially come playoff time.  He will, once healed, step into the regular season lineup full time for the first time in his career.  It will be intriguing to see if his unparalleled postseason intensity carries over to the 2009-10 regular season.