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Abel to Yzerman

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Kulfan Checks In

by IwoCPO on 09/06/07 at 07:47 AM ET
Comments (5)

Well, you’d better just stand by for hockey.  How do I know it’s close?  Because former Deep Digger Captain Teddy Kulfan has checked in from his long summer’s hiatus and graced us with a few quotes from The Swede.

“It was a great experience for our younger guys going deep into the playoffs (last season) and playing when it really matters,” Lidstrom said. “They’ll build on that and get better.”

Nothing too deep in Kulfan’s Wing Notebook, but you know we don’t like to place too much pressure on our brittle beat writers.  Just let them work their way back into form. 

Speaking of getting your ass kicked by a member of your own staff, I’m expecting big things this year out of young buck John Niyo.  I pointed you to him a few times last season, and wondered along with all 6 of you whether he’d have an expanded role...particlularly since Kulfan had begun to fall back on nasty digger-like habits.

Well, Tuesday Niyo chimed in with a story I didn’t read because I was still reeling from a blown 7-run lead on Sunday.  Yes, as the Emperor has pointed out, I’ve become a Tiger slappy as well.  On to Niyo and our new boy Igor Grigorenko.

But clearly, all eyes were on Grigorenko, the 24-year-old Russian winger who was Detroit’s top pick in the 2001 entry draft and the organization’s No. 1 prospect until he suffered severe leg injuries in a May 2003 crash in Russia.

“Everything’s fine. I have lost nothing,” Grigorenko said Tuesday, using his agent, Mark Lapush, as an interpreter. “I am ready to be in the NHL.”

Yeahhhh...but, just in case, he’s got that contract with that Russian team in that Russian league, or at least that’s what some Russian writer told us. 

As for Niyo: the captaincy’s up for grabs, as always.  I’ve been close to taking it away from Khan(!) before, but he always redeems himself with some crazy burst of initiative.  Still...it’s there for the taking.

One other note about this Tiger slappiness.  Yeah, I’m staggered a bit by the prospect of no playoffs.  But, the planets are aligning really.  The Lions’ season is done.  UM’s season, and hopefully Lloyd Carr’s tenure, is over.  State’s season will be done by November.  Most of the Pistons will probably be in jail by Christmas.  What’s that leave us with?  Only the most most successful team in the state’s history.  Just pointing that out.

Big couple days for those of us who toil in the Empire.  You should see a brand spanking new format across the Kukla board sometime within the next 48 hours.  Lots of cool features that will most likely confuse me.  Stand by.

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 Tags: Deep+Diggers, Detroit+Tigers, Grigorenko, Lidstrom,

Comments

Mornin’ Chief, good to see you posting.

I’ve reignited my Tigers slappitude recently as well, as my inbred cousin follows them religiously. I’m considering growing both a Magglio and Zumaya, thus transforming myself into some kind of mutant Sasquatch. The girlfriend will be pleased.

I’ve stayed away from laughing hysterically and publicly about the UM debacle, but daaaaaamn. Just, wow. As the Buckeyes are the only Ohio team of any import that I follow/support, I’m sorry to say that the final score of that game made my day. Um, my week. Perhaps my NCAA football season.

Sorry for your loss.

Can’t wait to see what Grigorenko is capable of - I’d love to see him take a feisty run and Langsadaisical…

HAve a good one, I need coffee.

/ramble

Posted by TeamDub from Toledo on 09/06/07 at 09:14 AM ET

Chief:
Do not give up on the Wolverines.  They will become a good team before the season is over… Despite their catatonic coach. 
Yeah the Tigers are toast, but…
Pay attention to MSU.  The Spartans have a new coach, and over a few seasons, will become a big ten power.  You heard it here first.
Grigorenko.  He looks like a Caterpillar D7 BullDozer.  If he can move, just a little bit, he is going to be fun to watch in front of the net.
I am going to the Red/White game, and will give you a fan’s perspective.

Posted by w2j2 on 09/06/07 at 09:55 AM ET

This is what happens when the rotation is pretty much all kid pitchers.  :(

BUT...Think what it will be like when Verlander really learns how to pitch, Bonderman can conquer his first-inning demons, Zumaya is all the way back to healthy, and Miller and JJ know what they are doing on the mound.  Good years ahead for the Tiggers. 

Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 09/06/07 at 11:53 AM ET

Hey Chief, that’s at least 6.5 of us - don’t shortsell me, eh?

I’m really glad that the Wings are about to crank back up the big red machine.  Football season has never ended so early in these parts (a remarkable achievement considering DIV1.5AAaabb UMich’s penchant for crapping themselves during the non-conference schedule anytime they’ve ever had a single-digit pre-season ranking), I desperately need the Wings back in my life.

Did you see the gargantuan spread the Leos got in the local pulps?  What do those folks smoke anyway…

Listen, you Empire-types have been tantalizing us with this ‘new-look’ stuff for, like, forever, eh?

Posted by Hoser from Downer Peninsula, Michigan on 09/06/07 at 11:57 AM ET

Grigs has a provision in his contract which states that if he’s in the AHL in November, and hasn’t played in a certain percentage of Wings games, he’s free to head back to Russia, where Salavat Yulaev’s beefed-up roster (to celebrate the 450th anniversary of Bashkortostan, fun fact of the day) is waiting. 

Grigs is a bulldog.  From what I’ve seen of him in the Russian league since the Wings first drafted him, you’re not likely to find a highlight or a picture of Grigorenko that isn’t located somewhere beyond the half-boards, deep in the offensive zone, and you’re extremely likely to spot him camped out in front of the net, or nearby, digging in defencemens’ feet for pucks. 

He was more of a finesse, up-and-down, dangling winger before his accident, but he smartly made up for his reduced foot speed by reducing the distance between himself and the net and simplifying his play. 

To me, his upside compares to a sniper who plays similarly to Jiri Hudler, tenacious along the boards and unafraid of bigger players, but the difference with Grigorenko is that he’s taller (Huds is more like 5’5” or 5’6” than his listed 5’9") and is built like Martin Lapointe--he’s a 210-lb. fire hydrant. 

He could very, very easily struggle to adapt and bow out, but I think he’s going to surprise people with his spunk.

Posted by George James Malik from South Lyon, MI on 09/07/07 at 07:31 AM ET

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