The Left Wing Lock

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There isn’t anyone more disappointed in his first professional hockey season than Martin Frk. Big things were expected from the 49th overall selection in the 2012 NHL entry draft, but spending significant time in Toledo of the ECHL was not one of them. Frk was demoted after having difficulty cracking the Griffins lineup and spent 15 games with the Walleye before returning to Grand Rapids to finish the season.

“It was a hard year for me,” Frk said. “I don’t know if I didn’t come ready for the whole season, but I was just struggling and it was a disappointing year for me.”

Frk, who has a habit of focusing on the negative aspects of his game, is his own worst critic. His difficult transition to professional hockey last season led to a complete lack of confidence and was eventually scratched for much of the AHL playoffs in favor of less experienced forwards.

“Frky is hard on himself so he is someone who has to be careful with that and has to continue to build confidence step by step,” Griffins Head Coach Jeff Blashill said. “One thing I said to Frky before the first tournament game is you aren’t going to make up for last year in one game. He’s just going to have to take little steps forward and regain his confidence.”

Despite having a cannon for a shot, he doesn’t use it nearly enough and was limited to just 45 shots in 50 regular season games with Grand Rapids last year.

“He is someone who has a great shot and he can also make a play,” Blashill said. “But we have talked about being a shoot first player and then worry about making the plays. He doesn’t need to pick the corners, he just needs to hit the net and things will happen.”

The 20 year-old scored the game tying goal for the Red Wings against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third place game at the 2014 NHL Prospect Tournament allowing Detroit to win it in overtime by a 5-4 margin. Frk, who was limited to three shots on net, had multiple offensive chances but usually opted to pass rather than shoot.

“I know I  have to shoot more,” Frk said. “I am just looking too much and trying to make plays instead of firing at the net. I was kind of struggling tonight and frustrated with myself but I was happy the guys got the win.”

With the Prospect Tournament over, Frk needs a strong training camp with Detroit to earn a place with the Griffins. He spent over two months of the offseason in Grand Rapids training with the Griffins trainer working on his conditioning and in the process he dropped 10 pounds.

“He’s put himself in a position to be successful and now he just needs to execute,” Blashill said. “Frky has worked hard this year to improve and he’s in great physical shape and has trimmed his body fat.”

Despite his rigorous offseason training, Frk isn’t under any illusion of making the Red Wings roster any time soon. He knows he has plenty of work to do and needs a strong season to elevate his stock as a prospect.

“I am feeling better this year than I did last year, so we will see what happens in training camp and in Grand Rapids when the season starts,” Frk said. “I think I still have to improve a lot and be more consistent and I just need to focus on being good in Grand Rapids. I want to be the best for the team and be a much better player than last year.”