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Wings let go of Torquato, Cameron
By Matthew Wuest - RedWingsCentral.com / June 1, 2009The Detroit Red Wings have taken a pass on Zack Torquato and Randy Cameron, allowing both prospects to re-enter the NHL draft.
Torquato and Cameron, forwards drafted in 2007, had to be signed by June 1.
The 6-foot, 195-pound Torquato was selected 178th overall but didn’t live up to expectations with the Ontario Hockey League’s Erie Otters after being drafted. In two seasons, he wasn’t able to exceed his draft-year point total of 69. The Red Wings had him pegged for a 100-point man in the OHL.
The 5-foot-11, 187-pound Cameron was selected 148th overall but struggled to emerge as a top-line player with the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Moncton Wildcats. Although he played a strong two-way game on one of the top teams in the country, his 51-point career year simply didn’t cut it.
The writing was on the wall for both when the Red Wings looked elsewhere for youth, signing free agent prospects Brian Lashoff, Brent Raedeke, Francis Pare, Sebastien Piche and Jordan Pearce in the past 10 months.
Swedish forward Joakim Andersson did not need to be signed. Because of the lack of an NHL-International Ice Hockey Federation transfer agreement, the Red Wings retain the right to sign him indefinitely.
The other picks from the 2007 year, defensemen Brendan Smith and Bryan Rufenach, are in college and don’t need to be signed until 2011.
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The next wave
RWC's top 10 prospects (2009-10 preliminary)
| 01 | F | Tomas Tatar » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 02 | D | Jakub Kindl » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 03 | D | Brendan Smith » | Wisconsin (NCAA) |
| 04 | G | Thomas McCollum » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 05 | F | Gustav Nyquist » | Maine (NCAA) |
| 06 | F | Landon Ferraro » | Red Deer (WHL) |
| 07 | F | Jan Mursak » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 08 | F | Cory Emmerton » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |
| 09 | F | Joakim Andersson » | Frolunda (SEL) |
| 10 | F | Mattias Ritola » | Grand Rapids (AHL) |