Riley Sheahan (Credit: Mark Newman)
Riley Sheahan made more than his share of headlines for his off-ice conduct when he was arrested for drunken driving in October. But with that fading into the past, it might be time for headlines to start focusing on Sheahan’s accomplishments on the ice.
The recently-turned 21-year-old forward has, on the surface, put the embarrassing incident behind him and become one of the Grand Rapids Griffins’ top performers as an American Hockey League rookie, fourth in team scoring with 15 goals and 17 assists for 32 points in 50 games along with a club-best plus-13 rating.
And he’s getting better as the season progresses. Sheahan has put up 11 of those goals and 13 of those assists for 24 points in the past 27 games in an impressive run since Dec. 21.
“Riley is somebody who is extremely committed to being an NHL player — he has been from Day 1 here,” said Griffins head coach Jeff Blashill. “He’s got a real big strong base, real strong on his skates, real strong on the puck, a real good mind for the game and is a real good defensive player.”
No doubt, it’s been a smooth transition to the pro game for the 6-foot-2, 213-pound center after three seasons at the NCAA level with Notre Dame, where he never once hit double digits in goals nor did he top the 25-point barrier.
The biggest question mark surrounding Sheahan, aside from two alcohol-related incidents that have cast a shadow on his character in the eyes of some, is how much offensive upside he has at the NHL level.
He’s on an 82-game pace for a 24-goal, 52-point AHL rookie campaign — about the same production as Justin Abdelkader at the same age and stage — but the Red Wings drafted Sheahan in the first round, 21st overall, in 2010 because they envisioned him as a big-bodied, top-six power forward in the Johan Franzen mold, not to be a checker.
Blashill said the skill set is there for him to realize that potential. And it’s easy to forget, Franzen didn’t have a true breakout season until he was 28.
“His strength on his skates and his strength on his stick also gives him an extra second to take time with the puck and make good offensive plays and he’s shown an ability to do that,” Blashill said. “How prolific a point producer he’ll be will be determined in time. But he has very good offensive skills to go along with an outstanding defensive set. To me, he has a great, great opportunity to play in the NHL.”
As Blashill points out, there is little doubt Sheahan will be an NHL regular. That the former CCHA top defensive forward nominee has already won Blashill’s trust speaks volumes of his all-around makeup.
“I have no problem putting him out against the other team’s best players at any point,” Blashill said. “He’s really done a good job that way.”
Sheahan made his one-game NHL debut last April and could merit consideration for a recall this season depending on injuries and the Red Wings’ specific needs.
NOTES: How about defenseman Brian Lashoff? He goes from decent third-pairing AHLer to signing a three-year, one-way contract extension this week to possibly put him in Detroit through 2016 if he continues to excel. He’s averaging almost 19 minute per game, and is third on the team in penalty-killing minutes with almost three per outing. Add in 23 hits and 21 blocked shots and you have a Mike Babock favorite. Babcock put it best to MLive.com earlier this year, saying Lashoff is “better here than in the American League, maybe because the game’s more organized.” … Forwards Tomas Tatar and Joakim Andersson also continue to excel in Detroit. Both are among the Red Wings’ top 10 scorers, Tatar with six points in 11 games with 12:01 average time on ice; Andersson with five points in nine games and 10:13 ATOI … All this talk of Lashoff, Tatar and Andersson has left forward Gustav Nyquist (Grand Rapids, AHL) almost a forgotten man on the farm, but he sits one point off the AHL scoring lead behind Syracuse’s Tyler Johnson with 52 points in 51 games … More on the farm — Jan Mursak was waived this week and is back in Grand Rapids. Every time Mursak has had a chance to prove himself in the NHL, he’s gotten hurt. His speed and underrated skills could still make him an NHLer, but will he stay in North America when his contract expires in the summer? More money may await elsewhere … Right-winger Martin Frk (Halifax, QMJHL) has climbed to 18th in the QMJHL scoring race with 71 points in 46 games as he excels on a line with league scoring king Jonathan Drouin. Frk’s Mooseheads have clinched first overall with 10 games left, having won 49 of 58 games. If they win their final 10 games, they’ll set the QMJHL record for victories in a season … Forward Philippe Hudon (Victoriaville, QJMJHL) is unlikely to get a contract by his June 1 deadline, but he is producing more lately, with 16 points in his past 20 games among his 31 points in 56 games overall.
Following is this week’s statistical report.
SKATERS: REGULAR-SEASON REPORT
| NAME | TEAM | LEVEL | LEAGUE | GP | G | A | P | PIM | +/- | SOG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nyquist, Gustav | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 51 | 19 | 33 | 52 | 28 | +10 | 148 |
| Ferraro, Landon | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 49 | 16 | 17 | 33 | 31 | 0 | 103 |
| Andersson, Joakim | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 36 | 10 | 17 | 27 | 55 | +1 | 84 |
| Parkes, Trevor | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 34 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 35 | +6 | 39 |
| Lashoff, Brian | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 36 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 23 | +4 | 38 |
| Tatar, Tomas | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 44 | 19 | 20 | 39 | 44 | +13 | 147 |
| Almqvist, Adam | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 48 | 6 | 15 | 21 | 26 | +2 | 60 |
| Nicastro, Max | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 12 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | +1 | 10 |
| Raedeke, Brent | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 31 | 3 | 5 | 8 | 36 | +1 | 24 |
| Sheahan, Riley | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 50 | 15 | 17 | 32 | 25 | +13 | 78 |
| Aubry, Louis-Marc | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 43 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 40 | -3 | 55 |
| Callahan, Mitchell | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 47 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 85 | +2 | 85 |
| Jurco, Tomas | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 50 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 18 | -5 | 69 |
| Fournier, Gleason | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 19 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 23 | -1 | 13 |
| Nestrasil, Andrej | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 11 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | -1 | 15 |
| Coetzee, Willie | Grand Rapids | AHL | PRO | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| Coetzee, Willie | Toledo | ECHL | PRO | 48 | 21 | 24 | 45 | 14 | +3 | 211 |
| Nestrasil, Andrej | Toledo | ECHL | PRO | 40 | 11 | 30 | 41 | 26 | +17 | 113 |
| Fournier, Gleason | Toledo | ECHL | PRO | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | +5 | 11 |
| Parkes, Trevor | Toledo | ECHL | PRO | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2 | -1 | 14 |
| Jensen, Nick | St. Cloud State | WCHA | NCAA | 32 | 3 | 22 | 25 | 12 | +16 | 47 |
| Marshall, Ben | Minnesota | WCHA | NCAA | 32 | 5 | 10 | 15 | 18 | +10 | 52 |
| McKee, Mike | Lincoln | USHL/JR-A | USHL | 35 | 3 | 15 | 18 | 250 | +15 | 52 |
| De Haas, James | Penticton | USHL/JR-A | BCHL | 49 | 5 | 18 | 23 | 19 | – | – |
| Frk, Martin | Halifax | CHL | QMJHL | 48 | 30 | 41 | 71 | 74 | +27 | 145 |
| Ouellet, Xavier | Blainville-Boisbriand | CHL | QMJHL | 43 | 9 | 27 | 36 | 42 | +15 | 140 |
| Hudon, Philippe | Victoriaville | CHL | QMJHL | 56 | 12 | 19 | 31 | 52 | +2 | 114 |
| Sproul, Ryan | Sault Ste. Marie | CHL | OHL | 42 | 19 | 42 | 61 | 37 | +7 | – |
| Athanasiou, Andreas | Barrie | CHL | OHL | 58 | 26 | 34 | 60 | 28 | +11 | – |
| Quine, Alan | Belleville | CHL | OHL | 45 | 19 | 40 | 59 | 20 | +8 | – |
| Tvrdon, Marek | Vancouver | CHL | WHL | 18 | 8 | 14 | 22 | 16 | +2 | – |
| Nedomlel, Richard | Swift Current | CHL | WHL | 63 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 87 | -14 | – |
| Jarnkrok, Calle | Brynas | EUR | SEL | 51 | 13 | 27 | 40 | 12 | -4 | 133 |
| Backman, Mattias | Linkoping | EUR | SEL | 49 | 1 | 22 | 23 | 32 | +7 | 63 |
| Pulkkinen, Teemu | Jokerit | EUR | FIN | 55 | 13 | 20 | 33 | 47 | +4 | 245 |
| Marchenko, Alexei | CSKA Moscow | EUR | KHL | 44 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | -2 | 46 |
| Bodin, Rasmus | Tranas | EUR | SWE-3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | -5 | – |
| Bodin, Rasmus | HV-71 | EUR-JR | SWE-J20 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 | -1 | 11 |
GOALIES: REGULAR SEASON REPORT
| NAME | TEAM | LEAGUE | GP | W | L | O/S | SO | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paterson, Jake | Saginaw | OHL | 44 | 22 | 16 | 4 | 1 | 3.46 | .903 |
| McCollum, Thomas | Grand Rapids | AHL | 22 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2.92 | .893 |
| Pearce, Jordan | Grand Rapids | AHL | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4.32 | .847 |
| Mrazek, Petr | Grand Rapids | AHL | 27 | 17 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 2.36 | .913 |
| Mrazek, Petr | Toledo | ECHL | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2.02 | .944 |
| Pearce, Jordan | Toledo | ECHL | 25 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 2.52 | .909 |
I am really glad to see Sheahan producing. I was never really sold on him and was less than impressed with pedestrian numbers in College. But this is a great first AHL season and the comments from the coach are really encouraging.
On another note, another guy that is surprising me is Callahan. I’ve been looking at the Griffin highlights and he seems to be scoring a bit more and on the ice in key situations (late in games and PP i think I saw). Looks like a better player than I thought, but does anyone have a few thoughts on him or seen him play lately?
Sheahan’s development is very encouraging. I see him as a solid 2-Way Force in the NHL, in the Bobby Holik-mold. He will play for Babcock if his commitment to team Defence is sound. I just pray that the Team doesnt let him rot in the Minors, i.e. Smith or Tatar, and fill his NHL spot with another washed up free agent (*cough Samuelsson). I am thrilled at how are Prospects are developing, and I cant wait for Frk and Ouellet to make the jump to the AHL next Season, as no doubt, Tatar, Andersson, and Nyquist should be with the Red Wings full-time. I see how they have performed so far in the NHL, and I love it. I think they should remain with the big club. Nyquist is great trade bait, I believe, as many teams would love his potential and low cap-hit.
And next Season, I expect Jurco to quadruple his numbers at the AHL LEVEL. He has NHL Sniper written all over him!
Thanks for the awesome update, Redwingscentral.com Great site! All my buddies at work follow this site religiously!
Hey RW,
Haven’t seen Mitch lately (only caught one Griffins game on FSD during the lockout), but he was a standout with the Kelowna Rockets. Fan favourite, high energy guy, lots of tenacity to his game. He is a very good fighter, and loves to drop the gloves. Led the team in PIM his first two years. Scored in bunches, and was also voted our best defensive forward for ’10-’11. Made a very talented Rockets team as a walk-on as a 17 year old (Jamie Benn, Tyson Barrie, Brandon McMillan up front, Tyler Myers on the back end). Got good coaching from Ryan Huska. He reminds me of Justin Abdelkader. A lot. But he’s a better fighter.
I agree with both of you, but I do not want them in Detroit until they are playing regular minutes. Not sitting out. Both have improved a lot and will improve more playing 20 minutes in the AHL than 7 minutes a game in the NHL. I also agree tha Tatar needs to stay in Detroit, has nothing left to prove in the Ameican League.
The improvement of Riley and Callahan is really encouraging though.
Can’t help but laugh at McKee’s penalty minute total in just 35 games. Hopefully he’s got something else to his game to make him a worthwhile prospect.
McKee must really love fighting. But he does have 18 points and a +15. That’s pretty decent for a guy thatappears to spend most of his time in the box!
McKee will have to really change his game next year when he goes to College. However like mentioned above other than his PIMS, his stats are pretty solid for a big guy. Defensive style college hockey will be great for this kids development.
Re: Callahan
I know I read somewhere that they have 3 scrapers on the team this year and that Callahan feels more free to create offensively than he did last year. it would be great if he turned out to be like tootoo.
Callahan is a lot better this year. Hes scoring a bit more but its really his defensive game thats come miles. Hes trusted in the final minute of games out there and on the PK. Hes scrapping a lot less but hes a speedy forecheck beast.
From his defensive game, skating and agitating skills he’ll be an NHLer, I dont know if his offense will ever come around to be noteworthy at all
It will be fun to watch the exhibition schedule next year when we can actually see some of these guys integrated with the current line-up. Having our talented guys like Jurco, Jarkrok, Pullkinen, Nyquist putting on the wheel together will be exciting to see.
I have to admit Adam that would be fun to watch. I just hope that Jurco starts finding his offense soon. Hopes were very high on him and he hasn’t been all to impressive this year. Hopefully he is just adjusting to a tougher league and he will produce a lot more next season.
Ladies and gentlemen listen closely as you have never heard this before about young, skilled, first year prospects in the pros: they all (generally) need to add 20-25 lbs of muscle before making the next level, the NHL. Now you know the rest of the story (remember Paul Harvey?—maybe you are all too young).
Scott, pretty common for a rookie year in the AHL. That is why Sheahan’s performance is so impressive?
Wings have waves of prospects all maturing at different times..this year it is Tatar, Andersson and Lashoff. Next year its Nyquist ( if not later this year, injuries pending ) and Mzarek. In two years it will be Sheahan and Ferraro and possibly Jurco or a surprise push from Jarncrok. I think there is a 2 to 3 year lull for defense right now as we wait for Sproul and Oulette. The farm is in good shape thanks to excellent draft scouting and solid non rushed development. I am astounded sometimes by this organization that keeps producing when they havent had a top 10 pick in, what..20 years ?
@Rick….because of the bunch of misfits the Wings currently have on the roster (on D that is) I am predicting Sproul, due to his size, shot, and ability to score, will be in the AHL less than one year before making the Wings.
It really bums me out that Datsyuk is playing with Abdelkader and Cleary when Nyquist proved last year that he compliments Datsyuk really well. That is my only complaint about the Red Wings right now.
On the other hand, their defense has surprised me lately. Quincey, Smith, Kindl and Ericsson have been playing exceptionally well.
YVR that is an interesting thought. I would love for the Wings to show that much confidence in a young prospect, especially if they really think he is ready. It was a shame to watch Smith get sent down for the few years he was with the Griffins, lets hope the lower salary cap pushes management to get some of that young blood/low cap hit lineup going.
One player that I would love to hear more about is St. Cloud State’s Nick Jensen. I keep reading bits and pieces on line about him. Great passer, solid in his own zone and already 22 years old so he has grwon into his body. Seems to have a lot of respect accross the various college hockey boards.
Seems that he is turning pro this year. Has anyone heard that?
Hopefully KH can package someone from our 3rd/4th line log jam and a defenseman with a pick to add some scoring. We’re going to have to move some guys forsure. I say put up Miller, White and a pick and see what’s out there. Both guys are UFAs and I know we wouldn’t get an all star scorer but anything is better than Abby playing with Pav. If Nyquist was playing in Abby’s spot we wouldn’t be only scoring 3 goals in 3 games. I think Babs is a great coach and I’m sure he has his reason but Abby is really dragging our scoring down. Maybe switch Abby and Franzen that gives both top lines 2 skilled players with a big body.
Agreed, I think there will be seven or eight Detroit prospects at Grand Rapids next year. I would say they will not have room for all of them, so some will have to start at Toledo of the East Coast League where they split the team with Chicago. Or some might stay in Europe.
@Levi…absolutely agree with your post….Wings have way to similar players and Kenny needs to parlay a package for a top 6 forward at least.
@RW19….if you click on Jensen’s name in prospect list you will see he does not have to be signed until Aug.15th, 2014 so no doubt Kenny will wait until last minute as always.
@THE WHOLE WORLD…Holland needs to get off his a!! and get a couple of top 6 forwards and a top 4 D-man….they are out there; remember in years gone by when KH made some great trades to improve the team…he has failed to do that in the past 4 yrs.
Holland will make trades when they are to be had. Hopefully he trades low for the next Brad Stuart winner rather than trade high for an overpaid Erik Johnson dud.