Julien Cayer (Credit: Clarkson Athletics)
With injuries no longer slowing him down, Julien Cayer is starting to show what he can do as a college senior.
The Clarkson Golden Knights center has already set a career-high in goals just 10 games into the NCAA campaign, scoring five times and adding an assist. He’s never had more than four goals or 10 points, both marks set as a freshman in 2008-09.
A variety of injuries forced him to sit out 35 of Clarkson’s 109 games over three seasons since the Detroit Red Wings drafted him out of prep school in the fifth round (151st overall) in 2008.
“Things have been going well,” the 22-year-old told the Watertown Times in an interview last month. “I came (to training camp) in great shape and that’s the major difference (from) previous years. I worked really hard this summer. I came in ready and mentally strong. I’m off to a good start here and I’ll just try to keep it going.”
Cayer is down to his last chance to earn a contract with the Red Wings, who hold his signing rights until August 2012. Should they opt not to get him under contract, he will become a free agent.
The Red Wings coveted Cayer on draft day for his impressive 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame as well as his willingness to play with a chip on his shoulder. He was a big scorer during his prep-school days in Northwood, N.Y., and his skating, physical game and hard shot were attributes that had scouts projecting him as a third- or fourth-line role player.
If Cayer continues to avoid the injury bug, he’ll at least give the Red Wings pause for thought with regard to a contract. He might even surpass his career totals as a senior. In his first three seasons at Clarkson, he had nine goals and 14 assists in 74 games.
NOTES: Defenseman Max Nicastro (Boston U., NCAA) sat out a weekend game for skipping classes, according to Boston University’s Daily Free Press … Center Landon Ferraro (Grand Rapids, AHL) is back from a concussion while blueliner Travis Ehrhardt remains sidelined with a shoulder injury … Left-winger Dick Axelsson (MoDo, Swedish Elite League) is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery for a sports hernia … Defenseman Alexei Marchenko (CSKA Moscow, KHL) is out indefinitely after having knee surgery and will not represent Russia at the IIHF world junior championship as a result … Forward Philippe Hudon (Cornell, NCAA) has taken a personal leave from Cornell, according to the school’s athletic department, and is no longer listed on the Big Red’s roster … Defenseman Xavier Ouellet (Montreal, QMJHL) suited up for Team QMJHL in a 2-0 loss to Russia on Monday in the opener of the Subway Super Series … Forward Gustav Nyquist (Grand Rapids, AHL) was sent back down to the farm after a one-game NHL stint. He was held off the scoresheet in both AHL games he played after the demotion.
Following is this week’s statistical report.
SKATERS: REGULAR-SEASON REPORT
| NAME | TEAM | LEVEL | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | P | PIM | +/- | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coetzee, Willie | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 33 |
| Ferraro, Landon | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -2 | 1 |
| Nyquist, Gustav | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 2 | +1 | 29 |
| Tatar, Tomas | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 2 | -2 | 35 |
| Andersson, Joakim | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 11 |
| Aubry, Louis-Marc | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | -2 | 13 |
| Callahan, Mitchell | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | -3 | 8 |
| Ehrhardt, Travis | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | -1 | 5 |
| Lashoff, Brian | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 6 |
| Pare, Francis | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | -3 | 27 |
| Parkes, Trevor | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 10 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Raedeke, Brent | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
| Smith, Brendan | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 20 | 0 | 15 |
| Piche, Sebastien | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | -1 | 3 |
| Pyett, Logan | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 21 |
| Nestrasil, Andrej | Grand Rapids | PRO | AHL | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | -1 | 8 |
| Fournier, Gleason | Toledo | PRO | ECHL | 7 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | -1 | 16 |
| Nestrasil, Andrej | Toledo | PRO | ECHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -2 | 2 |
| Ouellet, Xavier | B.-Boisbriand | JR | QMJHL | 18 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 31 | -8 | 40 |
| Macek, Brooks | Calgary | JR | WHL | 17 | 4 | 10 | 14 | 11 | +4 | N/A |
| Nedomlel, Richard | Swift Current | JR | WHL | 18 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 25 | -11 | N/A |
| Tvrdon, Marek | Vancouver | JR | WHL | 19 | 9 | 13 | 22 | 12 | 0 | N/A |
| Sproul, Ryan | Sault Ste. Marie | JR | OHL | 19 | 3 | 10 | 13 | 15 | +13 | N/A |
| Quine, Alan | Peterborough | JR | OHL | 18 | 6 | 13 | 19 | 2 | +6 | N/A |
| Jurco, Tomas | Saint John | JR | QMJHL | 16 | 9 | 13 | 21 | 17 | +18 | 58 |
| Jensen, Nick | St. Cloud State | COL | NCAA | 10 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 2 | +8 | 15 |
| Nicastro, Max | Boston U. | COL | NCAA | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 7 |
| Cayer, Julien | Clarkson | COL | NCAA | 10 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 8 | +1 | 21 |
| Marshall, Ben | Minnesota | COL | NCAA | 10 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 12 | +12 | 22 |
| Sheahan, Riley | Notre Dame | COL | NCAA | 7 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 10 | +1 | 22 |
| Pulkkinen, Teemu | Jokerit | EUR | FIN | 20 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 2 | +2 | 77 |
| Almqvist, Adam | HV-71 | EUR | SEL | 18 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 12 | +9 | N/A |
| Axelsson, Dick | MoDo | EUR | SEL | 10 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | -2 | N/A |
| Jarnkrok, Calle | Brynas | EUR | SEL | 20 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 6 | -6 | N/A |
| Backman, Mattias | Linkoping | EUR | SEL | 16 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | +4 | N/A |
| Marchenko, Alexei | CSKA Moscow | EUR | KHL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | -3 | 2 |
GOALIES: REGULAR SEASON REPORT
| NAME | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | W | L | O/S | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mrazek, Petr | Ottawa | OHL | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2.76 | .916 |
| Pearce, Jordan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4.44 | .852 |
| McCollum, Thomas | Toledo | ECHL | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2.57 | .914 |
Any more news on the status or whereabouts of Hudon is greatly appreciated. Is this a health issue or his he heading to the USHL or QMJHL?
Thanks much in advance and keep up the great work.
I would say there is cause for concern with the 1st yr prospects in GR doing absolutely nothing, save for Callahan getting into a couple of fights. Parkes, Aubry, Callahan; nothing on the offensive side, and I’m concerned with Tatar as he does not seem to be progressing—same player as he was at 18. Nestrasil got all his points in one game. I watched Ouellet in the Russian game and he was just average, but QMJHL dressed 8 d-men so not much ice time for him, But, the rest of the juniors in the CHL are all having great success so far…hope Jarnkrok and Pulkkinen don’t take 3-4 yrs more to develpo into NHL’ers.
My guess is that Järnkrok and Pulkkinen will both be in NA and maybe fighting for a spot on the Wings as early as next year. Stiff competition from Nyquist and others though… They can’t all make it. It’s not uncommon for some of the freshmen to have a slow year, but all of them… Maybe too many Conners, Johnsons, etc.??
A lot of kids right out of junior take longer to adjust to pro hockey. Remenber the American Hockey League is grown men in their 20′and 30′s, manh veteran guys who have NHl experience. The wings work them in gradually, which is why some of them spend some time with toledo in the ECHL too. Each of them will progress at their own rate.
It took Jimmmy Howard four years to make it.
One of the great things about the Red Wings organization, and indeed one of the keys to their success, is that they’ve had plenty of time to let their prospects develop. They are in no way desperate to throw young players into a make-or-break game versus Boston, Washington, Chicago, or what have you, before they are ready.
If Tatar is having a slump now, we’re just awfully lucky that he hasn’t had to shoulder responsibility on a scoring line in the big club yet. Tatar’s just 20 years old, he should be given time and space to develop his hockey game. He’s going to be much, much better by the time he’s 24 – bigger, stronger, wiser, cooler, more poised, better skills.
Joakim: Sure hope you are right about Tatar. But if he is still in the AHL when he is 24 (makes 6 yrs), then something went astray.
Jarnkrok and Pulkkinen will need at least two years in the AHL before they are ready to compete for a spot on the Wings. Neither has much, if any, experience playing North American style hockey. I’d bet Jurco and Tvrdon are closer to being NHL ready.
I’m not too concerned with Tatar. He had an excellent season last year for such a young player. Every player goes through a slump or adversity if you will. The season is still very young, lets see if he can get on track.