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Prospects Watch Mursak emerges amid controversy in Saginaw ... On a talented team shrouded in controversy, Detroit Red Wings prospect Jan Mursak has quietly emerged as an offensive leader. The 18-year-old native of Maribor, Slovenia, is having an outstanding rookie season with the Saginaw Spirit, ranking fifth in the Ontario Hockey League scoring race. He has collected a point in every game and has eight goals and 15 assists for 23 points in 13 games. The Spirit are 8-4-0-1, two points out of first in the OHL. But the success comes amid turmoil. The Spirit suspended five players earlier in the year for violating team rules, while The Canadian Press reported that Michigan State police are investigating at least one Saginaw player. Mursak, drafted 182nd overall this summer, has shown excellent chemistry on a line with New York Rangers draft choice Tom Pyatt. "They are playing with tremendous confidence," Spirit head coach Bob Mancini told The Saginaw News. "They are enjoying each other and playing at a tempo that is hard for other teams in the league to match. And Patrick Asselin has been the perfect complement (on their line)." Mursak has seven goals and 10 assists in his last eight games. The 5-foot-11, 167-pound winger is known for his speed, skill and competitiveness. The Red Wings ranked him as a third-round talent at the draft, and were happy to get him in the sixth. NOTES: Winger Igor Grigorenko (Togliatti, Russian Elite Leauge) is serving a five-game suspension for a fight with 6-foot, 205-pound defenseman Denis Bayev of Chelyabinsk Traktor on Oct. 9 ... Center Valtteri Filppula was called up to the NHL after collecting a goal and an assist in two games with the Grand Rapids Griffins of the American Hockey League ... Winger Dick Axelsson (Djurgarden, Swedish Elite League) still hasn’t played a game this season because of a contract dispute. HOT: Defenseman Jakub Kindl (Kitchener, OHL) had a goal and four assists in two games this week ... Defenseman Juho Mielonen (Ilves Tampere, Finnish under-20) has six points in six games after recovering from a shoulder injury ... Forward Gennady Stolyarov (Moscow Dynamo, Russian Elite League) scored his first career goal at his country’s top level, and has a goal and an assist in seven games this season. COLD: Winger Anton Axelsson (Frolunda, Swedish Elite League) looked poised for a breakout year with three points in his first three games, but has since been held off the scoresheet for 11 straight games ... Defenseman Alexander Seluyanov (Metallurg Magnitogorsk, Russian Elite League) is known for his offensive ability, but just one point in 16 games isn’t going to help him get a contract ... Forward Eric Himelfarb (Grand Rapids, AHL) has great skills but has just one assist in six games. The following is this season’s statistical report to date:
The following is this season's statistical report for goaltenders to date:
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