Xavier Ouellet: ‘The Happiest Guy on the Planet’
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It was no surprise that at age 20, Xavier Ouellet became the youngest player to dress for the Red Wings last season. The 6-foot, 200 pound defenseman played four regular season games and one playoff game for Detroit.
“It was a big learning experience,” he said. “I felt like I was NHL ready to start the season but it is a coaches decision. Everytime they called me up to Detroit I was the happiest guy on the planet.”
Ouellet spent the bulk of the season in Grand Rapids playing 70 games picking up 4 goals and 17 points in 70 games. The two-way defender doesn’t have a flashy game that will get him noticed, but his skating ability and defensive play are what earned him three separate trips to the NHL last season.
“My goal is to be reliable and consistent,” Ouellet said. “I want the coaches to trust me. I play the same game every night and I try not to have any mistakes.”
The Red Wings, who failed to bolster their defensive corp in the off season, are hoping the young defensive talent that includes Ouellet will push for roster spots. If nothing else, competition can only help the Wings defensemen elevate their game.
“I am hoping guys like Ouellet, Sproul and Backman push for jobs,” Head Coach Mike Babcock said . “We are going to watch them for eight exhibition games and we will see how they do. It’s up to them.”
Competition on the blueline is as tight as it has been in years with the addition of Mattias Backman to the mix this season. A lot of talent will wind up in Grand Rapids this season including Ouellet.
“I try and do the best I can do and let the coaches make their own decisions,” Ouellet said. “My job is to show that I am ready and their job is to choose who is making the team. If I end up in Grand Rapids I will just play the best hockey I can play and keep improving and learning.”
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Dominic Turgeon is getting a life time of learning in less than a week. The 18 year-old played all four games of the NHL prospect tournament for Detroit picking up an assist and finishing a +2 playing mostly on the bottom two lines.
“It’s been an unbelievable week,” he said. “I am so happy to be here and be part of my first pro camp. I’ve dreamed about this since I was a kid.”
The 6-foot-1, 196 pound center is a solid two-way player who is sound defensively and is known for his penalty killing ability and shot blocking. Turgeon, who picked up just 10 goals and 31 points in 65 WHL games last season, is the first to admit his offensive skills need to mature.
“It is a big factor I have been working on,” Turgeon said. “I feel like this year will be a big year for my offensive game especially with the opportunity I have in front of me to play a big role.”
Despite his lack of offensive tools, Detroit was confident enough in the big center to take him with the 63rd overall selection in the 2014 NHL draft after trading up to acquire the pick.
“I had a good meeting with them at the combine so I had a good feeling about them,” Turgeon said. “They didn’t have a pick in that range until they traded. The fact that it was Detroit who picked me was a dream come true because they are such a great organization.”
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Team Delvecchio defeated Team Lindsay by a 4-0 margin with goals from Campbell, Tatar, Hicketts and Pulkkinen.
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Dan Cleary is healthy and fit after a summer of hard work. The 6-foot, 203 pound forward was limited to just 52 games last year due to a knee injury.
“[My knee] was bothersome the whole summer last year,” Cleary said. “I went into camp and it wasn’t where it needed to be and I paid the price for it. I have put in the work to get it to where it needs to be and I can move more freely on the ice without pain.”
Coach Mike Babcock likes what he has seen early from Cleary as they head into preseason.
“I thought he was way better,” Babcock said. “He trained really hard and he’s done everything he possibly can. Is his leg up to speed and is his agility there? We are are going to watch and find out.”
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Another player recovering from an injury is Alexey Marchenko who is coming off a high ankle sprain that limited him to just 49 AHL games last year. The 22 year-old is one of several young blueliners who will be pushing for an NHL job.
“It’s hard to say if I am 100 percent but the biggest thing is that I don’t think about it,” Marchenko said. “The first time I hit the ice at the Joe I felt it, but it was months ago and I just kept skating. Now I feel better.”
With the injury behind him, the 6-foot-2, 212 pound defenseman is excited about the competition on the blueline. The organization is brimming with young defensive talent that will be evaluated during the exhibition season.
“Competition is goof for everyone,” he said. “Everyone has something to offer the team. You have guys who can move the puck and guys who are defensive. I think it is good.”
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Gustav Nyquist is one of several players who have discussed the red Wings health situation last year. Although it gave young players a chance to compete, it was a difficult situation to manage on a nightly basis.
“I think the big thing for us heading into this season is we are all excited that everyone seems to be healthy,” Nyquist said. “Last year you never knew who was going to be in that night and it seemed like six or seven guys were hurt every game. We never figured out what kind of team we could be.”
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Tomas Jurco was a player who benefited from all the injuries to the Red Wings. The 6-foot-2, 193 pound forward played 36 NHL games last year producing 8 goals and 15 points in the process. As one of the few players eligible to play in Grand Rapids without requiring waivers he faces stiff competition to earn an NHL roster spot to start the season.
“I have to do what I did last year,” Jurco said. “I have to skate hard and play hard and playing physical.That is why they liked me in Detroit last year.”
The Slovakian winger is known for his stick tricks and puck handling, but he didn’t spend much time on that during the off season. Matter of fact Jurco is slow to adjust after a summer off.
“I was working out a lot this summer, but maybe I should have stick handled a little more,” he said. My hands are still somewhere else, maybe at the airport.”
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Mike Babcock is not a fan of the analytics craze that has been the discussion this summer.
“It’s been going on forever and there is a real emphasis to do more,” he said. “We are going to make sure we do our part to be cutting edge but it’s kind of like a catch phrase. It’s sexy for a while and then we will get on to the next one. I am looking forward to the next one.”