Joakim Andersson (Credit: Sarah Lindenau)
Joakim Andersson is starting to put some points on the board after a slow start.
Andersson, who had just a single assist in his first 20 games in the AHL this season, enjoyed a seven-game late-December streak that saw him produce three goals and three assists with the Grand Rapids Griffins.
Although Andersson will likely earn his paycheque at the NHL level for his checking ability and defensive prowess, it wasn’t the type of start expected of a player with 114 games experience in the Swedish Elite League.
But he’s back on course, showing the kind of stuff that had Red Wings head coach Mike Babcock making lofty predictions in training camp.
“The Andersson kid is going to play in the league,” Babcock told media after a couple of intra-squad sessions at training camp in Traverse City. “He’s big, he’s heavy, he knows how to play with and without the puck. They always said he couldn’t skate. I can’t tell that. He looks like a fine skater to me.”
Andersson has four goals and four assists and an even plus-minus in 36 games.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound center was drafted 88th overall in 2007 and will likely spend 2011-12 in the AHL, although he’ll fight for the Red Wings’ final spots with Jan Mursak, Tomas Tatar, Cory Emmerton and Ilari Filppula.
WJC UPDATE: Right-winger Mitchell Callahan has a goal and a plus-1 in five games for the U.S. heading into the bronze-medal game … Left-winger Andrej Nestrasil had a goal and two assists and was minus-5 in six games for the Czechs … Right-winger Teemu Pulkkinen had the best tournament of the three by leading the Finns with three goals and six assists for nine points in six games.
NOTES: Mursak and Tatar were the first forward call-ups to Detroit when injuries hit … Forward Landon Ferraro (Everett, WHL) and his lack of production are downright baffling. He’s on pace for just 10 goals at age 19, yet he buried 37 at age 17. The Red Wings already signed him to a three-year deal … Goalie Thomas McCollum is getting another ECHL stint with the Toledo Walley … Goalie Petr Mrazek (Ottawa, OHL) is second in the OHL in save percentage (.924) and tied for first in wins (19) … Defenseman Adam Almqvist (HV-71, Swedish Elite League) had five assists in five games after being cut from the Swedish world junior team.
Following is this week’s statistical update for skaters and goaltenders:
| NAME | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | P | PIM | +/- | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nestrasil, Andrej | P.E.I. | QMJHL | 29 | 13 | 23 | 36 | 14 | -3 | 97 |
| Fournier, Gleason | Rimouski | QMJHL | 38 | 8 | 20 | 28 | 36 | 0 | 56 |
| Aubry, Louis-Marc | Montreal | QMJHL | 22 | 11 | 9 | 20 | 18 | +10 | 70 |
| Parkes, Trevor | Montreal | QMJHL | 33 | 17 | 16 | 33 | 14 | +12 | 119 |
| Ferraro, Landon | Everett | WHL | 31 | 5 | 11 | 16 | 36 | -4 | – |
| Callahan, Mitchell | Kelowna | WHL | 33 | 15 | 18 | 33 | 62 | +1 | – |
| Macek, Brooks | Tri-City | WHL | 35 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 24 | -8 | – |
| Stolyarov, Gennady | Dynamo Msk | KHL | 14 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | -2 | 20 |
| Pulkkinen, Teemu | Jokerit | FIN | 32 | 10 | 19 | 29 | 10 | +13 | 161 |
| Almqvist, Adam | HV-71 | SEL | 34 | 0 | 11 | 11 | 18 | +13 | – |
| Jarnkrok, Calle | Brynas | SEL | 30 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 4 | +1 | – |
| Axelsson, Dick | Farjestad | SEL | 31 | 11 | 12 | 23 | 79 | +7 | – |
| Axelsson, Anton | Timra | SEL | 28 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 4 | -2 | – |
| Samuelsson, Jesper | Vita Hasten | SWE-3 | 18 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 35 | – | – |
| Smith, Brendan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 36 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 65 | +4 | 62 |
| Mursak, Jan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 33 | 10 | 13 | 23 | 29 | +8 | 81 |
| Tatar, Tomas | Grand Rapids | AHL | 35 | 9 | 20 | 29 | 29 | +11 | 67 |
| Pare, Francis | Grand Rapids | AHL | 37 | 10 | 16 | 26 | 34 | -12 | 119 |
| Ehrhardt, Travis | Grand Rapids | AHL | 21 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 20 | +8 | 21 |
| Pyett, Logan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 31 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 22 | -13 | 53 |
| Andersson, Joakim | Grand Rapids | AHL | 36 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 16 | 0 | 52 |
| Emmerton, Cory | Grand Rapids | AHL | 25 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 16 | +12 | 43 |
| Coetzee, Willie | Grand Rapids | AHL | 17 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 6 | -3 | 24 |
| Kolosov, Sergei | Grand Rapids | AHL | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | -6 | 26 |
| Lashoff, Brian | Grand Rapids | AHL | 15 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 11 | +1 | 11 |
| Owens, Jordan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 36 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 67 | -6 | 48 |
| Filppula, Ilari | Grand Rapids | AHL | 34 | 13 | 14 | 27 | 10 | 0 | 58 |
| Raedeke, Brent | Grand Rapids | AHL | 32 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 6 | -1 | 41 |
| Piche, Sebastien | Grand Rapids | AHL | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | +2 | 3 |
| Piche, Sebastien | Toledo | ECHL | 20 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 17 | -9 | 75 |
| Coetzee, Willie | Toledo | ECHL | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 0 | +2 | 15 |
| Lashoff, Brian | Toledo | ECHL | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | -1 | 10 |
| Nyquist, Gustav | Maine | NCAA | 18 | 6 | 16 | 22 | 2 | +2 | 72 |
| Nicastro, Max | Boston U. | NCAA | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 31 | -5 | 24 |
| Oslund, Nick | St. Cloud St. | NCAA | 13 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | -3 | 20 |
| Jensen, Nick | St. Cloud St. | NCAA | 20 | 2 | 8 | 10 | 6 | -7 | 28 |
| Sheahan, Riley | Notre Dame | NCAA | 18 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 8 | -5 | 46 |
| Rufenach, Bryan | Clarkson | NCAA | 17 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 47 |
| Cayer, Julien | Clarkson | NCAA | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 14 | +3 | 8 |
| Marshall, Ben | Omaha | USHL | 25 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 14 | +18 | 60 |
| NAME | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | W | L | T | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrazek, Petr | Ottawa | OHL | 30 | 19 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 2.72 | .924 |
| Larsson, Daniel | HV-71 | SEL | 31 | – | – | – | 2 | 2.17 | .926 |
| McCollum, Thomas | Grand Rapids | AHL | 17 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 3.11 | .884 |
| Pearce, Jordan | Toledo | ECHL | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 4.13 | .883 |
| Pearce, Jordan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3.28 | .892 |
