Hello hockey friends!

As most of you know, I do this every year. An end-of-season, an extremely long but hopefully entertaining look at all of Detroit's prospects. I try to make these my most comprehensive ratings. Typically at the beginning of the season I start everyone fresh -- just ranked based on potential, and my opinion as to whether they're close to reaching that potential. But at the end of the season I try to weigh things a little more carefully. I look at the year's pre-season rankings, as well as the midseason rankings, and see who really met expectations, who finished strong, and who's positioned to make an NHL impact at some point in the future.

The end of the list is still a work in progress, but the top ten typically generates the most discussion even though the rest won't be out for a week or so. So I encourage you to pick away, but kindly remind you that there are no "right answers" for these things (keep in mind Igor Grigorenko was considered Detroit's #1 prospect for a long time) so nitpicking at a spot or two is really quite fruitless. Instead try to focus on these as informational blurbs. I do certainly welcome differing opinions, but I really like to hear reasons why and not just "you're wrong."

1. Tomas Tatar, LW (-) [+9]
2nd round, 60th overall, 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. HKM Zvolen (SVK) .. 48 GP .. 7-8-15 .. 20 PIM
08/09 .. HK Detva (SVK-2) .. 1 GP .. 1-1-2 .. 2 PIM
08/09 .. Slovakia (WJC) .. 7 GP .. 7-4-11 .. 4 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 58 GP .. 16-16-32 .. +8 .. 12 PIM
09/10 .. Slovakia (WJC) .. 6 GP .. 3-2-5 .. 6 PIM
09/10 .. Slovakia (WC) .. 6 GP .. 2-0-2 .. 4 PIM
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Season: Tatar's season started with some uncertainty. He was a high draft pick in the CHL Import Draft by the Kitchener Rangers (rights later traded to the more local Plymouth Whalers). Detroit indicated that they had some interest in watching him in the OHL, where he likely would have been one of the top scorers in the league. Tatar wanted to play with men, so his top two choices were Grand Rapids or back in the top Slovak league. Despite being the youngest player in the league, Tatar worked his way into the lineup and became one of the hottest players in the league in the middle of the season. He cooled down by the end of the year, but still sat among team leaders in scoring, even missing games due to work permit issues at the beginning of the year, and a two week stint with Slovakia at the World Junior Championships, where he first rose to prominence as a prospect after a successful 2009 tournament. His tournament was not as successful, nor was Slovakia as a whole, but it was enough for him to draw consideration for the Olympic team, as well as a spot on their team at the World Championships.
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Future: Tatar retains his spot on top after being not only an exciting prospect who surpassed all expectations, but truly one of the most offensively-gifted players in the AHL. I'm not as concerned about him cooling off later in the season because Griffins' coach Curt Fraser did not really lean on young players the way most coaches do when their team is out of the playoff hunt. Tatar has two more years remaining on his entry-level contract. He has no problems playing in the AHL despite his size, so it seems that a little more consistency with his scoring and a continued effort to improve his already much-improved two-way game will get him an NHL call-up before those two years are over.
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2. Brendan Smith, D (+1) [+2]
1st round, 27th overall, 2007
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Stats
08/09 .. Wisconsin (WCHA) .. 31 GP .. 9-14-23 .. 75 PIM
09/10 .. Wisconsin (WCHA) .. 42 GP .. 15-37-52 .. 76 PIM
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Season: This season was a big deal for Smith. Due to injuries and a desperate need to make up for lost time in his defensive game (Smith was a forward up until the start of 2006-07), he only showed flashes off the game-breaking offensive ability that made him a coveted first round pick in June of 2007. Smith was actually a healthy scratch for the second game of the season, and that was all he needed as a wakeup call. He ignited his offensive came, quickly matching the totals he put up as a sophomore and going on to nearly double them. He was considered a front-runner for the Hobey Baker Award -- the award for the best collegiate hockey player. He made the cut down to the final ten nominees, but eventually the trophy was awarded to his teammate and Nashville Predators prospect, Blake Geoffrion. Still, Smith, who led all NCAA defensemen in scoring, helped Wisconsin climb all the way to the NCAA Championship game (courtesy of an NCAA record-tying five assists in their Frozen Four match against RIT), where they were defeated by Boston College. Still, the accolades rolled on for him: NCAA All-West Regional Team, WCHA Defensive Player of the Year, All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Defensive player of the Week (3x), INCH National Defenseman of the Year, AHCA/Reebok West First Team All-American, and WCHA Player of the Month in December. And, according to his profile on the Badgers' official site, he scored more points than the entire defensive corps of eight different D-1 teams. His award-laden season was unfortunately ended with a black mark, as Smith, who has in the past gotten in trouble while under the influence of alcohol, punched someone in the face at a party and is facing charges for it.
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Future: Like most top prospects do, Smith announced he was going to skip his senior season and signed an entry-level contract in late May. Smith got a ton of national attention for his strong play down the stretch, and many think he can make to the jump to the NHL. These people probably aren't aware that he was drafted by Detroit, though, because the Wings likely wouldn't rush him into the NHL given that they have no room. Either way, a strong training camp for him could potentially make him a top injury call-up. With Jakub Kindl moving on, Grand Rapids needs another #1 defenseman. It's not absurd to say that could be Smith by the end of the season.
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3. Jakub Kindl, D (-1) [-1]
1st round, 19th overall, 2005
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 78 GP .. 6-27-33 .. -14 .. 76 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 73 GP .. 3-30-33 .. -3 .. 59 PIM
09/10 .. Detroit (NHL) .. 3 GP .. 0-0-0 .. -2 .. 0 PIM
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Season: Kindl has struggled to really make the jump to the level of play Detroit thought he was capable of, but they showed confidence in him when they gave him a three-year, one-way contract extension that kicks in starting next season. This led to some confidence for Kindl, but he still hasn't found his game professionally. He's been solid -- he quarterbacks the powerplay and looks like a natural at times, he's become more physical, and his defensive play has come a long way, but Kindl has a lot more talent than his point totals indicate. He finally got his first taste of NHL hockey courtesy of three games in Detroit, where he played third pairing minutes with some powerplay. He was understandably a bit nervous, but showed great composure and gained many fans' confidence in him for next season.
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Future: The 30 players drafted in the first round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft have combined to play 3,435 games in the NHL, and only three of those belong to Kindl. Yes, it's been a while since he was drafted. He'll finally help to increase that number because he's going to be a full-time NHL player next season. His spot isn't guaranteed though. He'll likely battle Jonathan Ericsson for ice time on the bottom pairing with whichever one or two of Andreas Lilja and Mebdeech Detroit decides to bring back. It's tough to say where he fits in, but Jimmy Howard proved that sometimes all you need is better teammates. Having a more skilled core of players around him that mesh better with his puck control ability and creative style could lead to a productive rookie season that involves major minutes on the second powerplay unit.
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4. Gustav Nyquist, LW (+2) [+7]
4th round, 121st overall, 2008
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Stats
08/09 .. Maine (HE) .. 38 GP .. 13-19-32 .. 28 PIM
09/10 .. Maine (HE) .. 39 GP .. 19-42-61 .. 20 PIM
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Season: Detroit doesn't have a ton of collegiate prospects, but they do have some good ones. While Brendan Smith led all NCAA defensemen in scoring, Nyquist led all forwards. And he did so quite comfortably, nearly doubling the point totals from his freshman season that got him on his conference's all-rookie team. Some thought Nyquist was just a good player on a bad Maine team last season, but he's proving that's not the case. This season, he was the best player on a good Maine team, and proved to be one of the nation's most dangerous offensive players. Nyquist is compared at times to Henrik Zetterberg as a compliment to his complete game. He doesn't always have the elite level skills, but he thinks the game so well and competes at both ends of the ice. Nyquist was in the "Hobey Hat Trick" as one of the final three nominees for the Hobey Baker.
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Future: Usually when you write so many glowing things about a player, you mention something about a professional contract. That's not the case for Nyquist, who's already slated to return to Maine for his junior season. He's assuming a leadership role, having just announced that he will be an alternate captain next season. Over the past 10-15 years, fewer programs have had as much success as Maine, making the past couple years where they've struggled more of an anomaly than anything else. They made great strides this season and aren't losing much talent for next season. Nyquist will be front and center on what could be one of the nation's top teams. The challenge for him is to maintain a high level of play despite already having achieved so much. He does value his education, so it's not as though he wanted to turn pro and Detroit asked him to stay -- the decision seemed easy, and mutual.
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5. Jan Mursak, LW (+4) [+16]
6th round, 182nd overall, 2006
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 51 GP .. 2-7-9 .. +0 .. 25 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 79 GP .. 24-18-42 .. +12 .. 46 PIM
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Season: Last season, many (including myself) were ready to write Mursak off. A scorer and top flight offensive player in junior hockey posts just two goals as an AHL rookie, while being a frequent healthy scratch? It turns out, Mursak wasn't ready to write himself off. He gained a little more confidence from Curt Fraser, resulting in an opportunity to play on an actual scoring line. He started the season strong, but didn't really take off until he was paired with Tomas Tatar midseason. Mursak's speed and stickhandling ability makes him a threat to score every time he's on the ice, but the patience and two-way play he learned last year on the 4th line makes him a top prospect for the Red Wings. Mursak finished second on the team in goals with 24, and sputtered a bit down the stretch, but is poised to be a go-to player for Grand Rapids next season. He also represented his home country of Slovenia in the Division 1 World Championships, whose winners go on to play in the regular pool with the top countries. Helped out immensely by Mursak's five goals and seven points in five games, Slovenia achieved a promotion and will be in the top group for the first time in their history next season.
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Future: It isn't just players who learn lessons when they develop, bloggers do too. While nine points as an AHL rookie is certainly disappointing, I was about ready to write Mursak off, hence why he climbed 16 spots from the beginning of this season. He offers a great lesson in patience and is a great example to other prospects as to how paying your dues pays off -- he likely could have gone on to more money and much more ice time in Europe, but he wants to be a Red Wing. Mursak is primed for a third season for the Griffins, one that will be very crucial in earning a spot in Detroit some day. He will need a strong start so that, knock on wood, if Detroit runs into injury problems they will be more likely to call up someone like Mursak or Tatar instead of whoever next year's version of Kris Newbury is.
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6. Thomas McCollum, G (-2) [-1]
1st round, 30th overall, 2008
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Stats
08/09 .. Guelph (OHL) .. 31 GP .. 17-10-4 .. 2.23 GAA .. 92.6% .. 3 SO
08/09 .. USA (U20) .. 5 GP .. 3-2-0 .. 2.83 GAA .. 86.0% .. 1 SO
08/09 .. Brampton (OHL) .. 23 GP .. 17-6-0 .. 1.94 GAA .. 92.9% .. 4 SO
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 32 GP .. 10-16-2 .. 3.48 GAA .. 88.1% .. 0 SO
09/10 .. Toledo (ECHL) .. 4 GP .. 2-1-0 .. 4.48 GAA .. 86.4% .. 0 SO
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Season: The top ranked goalie heading into the 2008 NHL Entry Draft somehow landed with the Stanley Cup champions. Because of his late birthday, McCollum could play in the AHL season, instead of next season like most 2008 draft picks. That transition was very rough on him, and playing on a team as inconsistent as Grand Rapids helped neither goaltending prospect down there. McCollum started the season as the backup, and even spent some time with Detroit's "new-old" ECHL affiliate in Toledo (formerly the Toledo Storm, they were out of commission for two seasons), posting some not-so-great numbers. McCollum played decently until December, where he hit a three month rut where he was completely unable to find a win. He finally ended that streak and ended up starting most of the Griffins' games down the stretch.
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Future: With Daniel Larsson having grown tired of the AHL and booked it to Sweden, McCollum is officially to the guy down there. How long that "official" title lasts is unknown. With Jordan Pearce left as the only other goalie in the organization, it's very likely Detroit will sign a veteran journeyman type to at least be a tandem with McCollum in the AHL. While he found his game at the end of the season, goalies take much longer to adjust, so it's unrealistic to expect he will be able to handle the duties of the every day starter. However, he will need to show some signs of improvement. And with Larsson temporarily out of the picture (we'll talk more about him in his blurb), it accelerates McCollum to the official "goaltender-in-waiting," meaning there's a slim chance he could start a game or two the way Jimmy Howard did throughout his development. This is no guarantee though -- if he goes three months in between wins again and Detroit needs an emergency backup, it would probably be this unknown veteran they're sure to sign.
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7. Landon Ferraro, C (-) [-]
2nd round, 32nd overall, 2009
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Stats
08/09 .. Red Deer (WHL) .. 68 GP .. 37-18-55 .. -23 .. 99 PIM
09/10 .. Red Deer (WHL) .. 53 GP .. 16-30-46 .. -18 .. 55 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 2 GP .. 0-0-0 .. +0 .. 0 PIM
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Season: Detroit's top pick 12 months ago faced some adversity this season. He started by hurting his knee in Detroit's training camp, and the injury nagged him into his WHL season. After missing the team's first few games, he re-aggravated it by trying to come back too early and missed and even longer chunk while coming to Detroit to receive treatment. When he returned, he picked up where he left off as one of Red Deer's most dangerous scorers -- due to his big league speed (one of the fastest in the league), excellent shot, and smart touch around the net, though teammate and fellow Wings' prospect Willie Coetzee outproduced him, for the most part. Despite finishing the season averaging over a point-per-game, Ferraro's season finished on a down note as his work ethic was not where it needed to be in the playoffs. He was a healthy scratch in the team's final playoff game (they were swept, for the record), and the word on the street is that most fans are unhappy and want to see Ferraro dealt. I take this as more of a frustration with the team's struggles in general, but I do find concern in Ferraro's -18 rating after we heard that the -23 he put up the previous season was mostly due to Ferraro being told to look to score, as the only dangerous player on a very bad team.
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Future: The only thing clear about Ferraro's future is that it won't be in Red Deer. If health is not a factor, this will be Ferraro's last season in the WHL, making him an enticing option to contending teams looking to make a run at the WHL title and Memorial Cup. Unlike most star players in that position, it does seem like even if no contenders line up, Red Deer will trade him to the highest bidder. Despite the fact that I believe his coach, former Detroit draft pick Jesse Wallin, is solid, there's clearly a need for Ferraro to get to a new environment where he can kick his offense to the next gear and work on rounding out his defensive game before he heads to Grand Rapids.
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8. Mattias Ritola, LW (+8) [+6]
4th round, 103rd overall, 2005
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 66 GP .. 15-27-42 .. -13 .. 32 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 73 GP .. 19-23-42 .. -3 .. 50 PIM
09/10 .. Detroit (NHL) .. 5 GP .. 0-0-0 .. +0 .. 0 PIM
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Season: Ritola is a player I've never been completely comfortable with, as he looks very good when he suits up for Detroit, but doesn't usually stand out when he plays for Grand Rapids. After seeing him get somewhat of an extended visit with Detroit, and then seeing him become more assertive offensively in the AHL, I've officially come around. He's always been a player who works hard and has ton of offensive skill, but he doesn't show up very often on the scoresheet. Though his totals this season only match what he put up last season, his five games (plus one in the playoffs) with Detroit really makes me think that he has Jimmy Howard Syndrome (JHS) -- the same disease that I hope Jakub Kindl will contract. Ritola just looks better playing alongside players with his very high hockey IQ and creative talents, and those players are found more often in Detroit than they are in Grand Rapids.
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Future: Ritola's new contract shines some light on his future. It's a three-year deal -- meaning he is committed to staying in North America, and Detroit is committed to giving him a chance to become an NHL player. However, the first year of that deal is a two-way deal, indicating that Detroit is likely considering sending him down to the AHL despite the fact that he has to clear waivers. He' s a talented player, but they can likely get him through waivers at the beginning of the season, given that most teams will be looking at the veteran talent available at that time to plug those last few holes, and not try to fill it with another unproven rookie. Ritola does have a chance at an NHL job, depending on what kind of contracts (if any) the Wings give to the likes of Patrick Eaves, Drew Miller, and Derek Meech. One thing for certain is that, worse case scenario, Ritola will be the team's top injury call-up. The player who filled that role last season, Justin Abdelkader, ended up spending 50 games in Detroit before seeing the AHL, so Ritola has a good chance at wearing a lot of red and white next season.
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9. Joakim Andersson, C (+1) [-1]
3rd round, 88th overall, 2007
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Stats
08/09 .. Vastra Frolunda HC (SEL) .. 49 GP .. 6-6-12 .. +3 .. 22 PIM
08/09 .. Boras HC (SWE-2) .. 4 GP .. 2-2-4 .. +1 .. 2 PIM
08/09 .. Sweden (U20) .. 6 GP .. 2-4-6 .. +7 .. 6 PIM
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 1 GP .. 0-1-1 .. +0 .. 2 PIM
09/10 .. Vastra Frolunda HC (SEL) .. 55 GP .. 6-12-18 .. +6 .. 42 PIM
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Season: Andersson doesn't get a lot of hype, but he might just be the "next wave" of the "next wave" of the Grind Line (with Darren Helm and Patrick Eaves being the first of that wave). Drafted in 2007, he's spent the past three seasons toiling away in Sweden, with this season as his first without any time loaned to other clubs. Andersson is a solid checking line center who's also able to chip in offensively. The knock on him, skating, has been much improved since he has been drafted. He also has great size and is not afraid to get involved physically.
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Future: After initially impressing enough to work his way into the 2008-09 version of Grand Rapids' playoff lineup, Andersson elected to stay with Frolunda for one more season. Now, he is armed with a three-year entry level contract and can likely step into the Griffins' lineup right away and make a big impact. While his offensive game isn't stellar, he is creative and could be a 2nd or 3rd line center for the team next year. His upside at the NHL level is more of that of a bottom six forward, but seeing as the Griffins need some offense, he will have the chance to prove himself in that area too.
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10. Cory Emmerton, C (-2) [-1]
2nd round, 41st overall, 2006
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Stats
08/09 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 69 GP .. 10-25-35 .. -9 .. 18 PIM
09/10 .. Grand Rapids (AHL) .. 76 GP .. 12-25-37 .. +0 .. 22 PIM
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Season: Emmerton is a very creative and gifted two-way center, but the problem with him is he's becoming very okay with this. He fits in very nicely at the AHL level -- he should be standing out. He was Detroit's top pick in 2006, coming out of the OHL as a gifted playmaker with a big shot. That offense hasn't entirely translated into the AHL, but he has the ability to make Curt Fraser's decision to keep him off the powerplay an inexcusable one. Instead, he doesn't get too involved in the offense. However, Detroit is very high on Emmerton and they view him as a future NHL player. The crunch time minutes that Emmerton logs as well as the big penalty kill minutes are valuable, but Emmerton can do more with his game.
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Future: Like Jan Mursak, Emmerton is entering his third professional season, meaning he will need to clear waivers in 2011-12. That is generally the benchmark for players to get to the NHL. Some take longer, for sure, but a top prospect should need about three seasons so they don't need to be exposed to the rest of the league to take off your hands through the waiver wire. Unlike Mursak, Emmerton hasn't really found his stride at the AHL level yet. His defensive game is valuable, but Detroit drafted him as a scorer. If he can find his offensive game, he could finally find himself with an NHL future.
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