Recalled/Assigned: Marchenko recalled

[Inspiration]

Skating is major issue for Marchenko. The best comparison I can come up with is a right-handed Kyle Quincey: possessing good size and physicality, but also lead-footed and providing little in the way of offensive contributions.

 

[Kronwalled55]

Not terrible, but he looked pretty lost to me.

This sums it up.

I think the playoff jitters got to him because he looked perfectly fine during the regular season.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I thought he was much better prior to his March injury. He didn't seem the same in the playoffs. At this point he needs to play full time at the NHL level if he is to move forward off of last year's effort.

 

[jaster]

The lack of patience that fans have for young defensemen is silly, especially when considering the plethora of defensemen around the NHL who were not as good in their first dozen games as they are now. Defensemen take a while to develop. It's a tougher adjustment to jump to the NHL than any other position. To write off 21 and 22 year olds with handfuls of NHL games as "bottom-3 defensemen or worse," when they have ceilings that are higher than that is ridiculous.

As for Jimmy D, I appreciate everything he's done for this organization in the past, but these days he can be pretty foolish with the words he chooses to release from his bulbous head. Maybe he's trying to stay relevant. Maybe he's frustrated with the salary cap era. But he's not a scout, and when his comments appear to conflict with those of our scouts, it's pretty easy to write him off.

Finally, skating is not an issue with Marchenko. He's not fast, but he's a good skater; mobile with good pivoting action. It may not be a plus attribute for him, but it's plenty good enough for the NHL.

 

[wingfan]

I just don't see him as an NHL defenseman. His foot speed is absolutely atrocious. He gets caught every time he pinches, isn't fast enough to retrieve a dumped puck and get it up the ice(which essentially neutralizes one of his few NHL qualities, smooth passes). His hockey IQ is definitely below average as evidenced by his terrible pinching decisions, inability to read the one at which a puck is breaking out, and his weak side support in his own zone is mind boggling.

 

[SirloinUB]

Skating is major issue for Marchenko. The best comparison I can come up with is a right-handed Kyle Quincey: possessing good size and physicality, but also lead-footed and providing little in the way of offensive contributions.

Finally, skating is not an issue with Marchenko. He's not fast, but he's a good skater; mobile with good pivoting action. It may not be a plus attribute for him, but it's plenty good enough for the NHL.

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some lingering effects from his ankle injury that impacted his skating.

 

[jaster]

I wouldn't be surprised if there were some lingering effects from his ankle injury that impacted his skating.

Entirely possible.

Regardless, I'm excited to see how Ouellet and Marchenko come along this season. Both are very smart defensemen with good hockey IQs, and I'm expecting them both to make some positive adjustments.

 

[Frk It]

I thought he was much better prior to his March injury. He didn't seem the same in the playoffs. At this point he needs to play full time at the NHL level if he is to move forward off of last year's effort.

It's too bad he is as injury prone as it is, I feel like every time he starts to take off he gets injured and then regresses a little bit in his development.

 

[Henkka]

It's too bad he is as injury prone as it is, I feel like every time he starts to take off he gets injured and then regresses a little bit in his development.

Yep. So far he has had 2 knee injuries (before draft which was the reason for his fell on the rankings and another after 2011 draft) and one ankle injury (season 2013-14) on his career.

 

[Outl4w]

I could have sworn he was one of the best skating defenseman in the AHl when he went to the all star game a year or two ago.

 

[Frk It]

I could have sworn he was one of the best skating defenseman in the AHl when he went to the all star game a year or two ago.

He participated in the fastest skater competition last year, but did not post a very good time.

Funny Kylington was in the event too and had an awful time, I wonder if he fell?

http://theahl.com/2014-skills-competition-p190323

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

Yep. So far he has had 2 knee injuries (before draft which was the reason for his fell on the rankings and another after 2011 draft) and one ankle injury (season 2013-14) on his career.

I thought he went undrafted because he had his spleen removed during his original draft year.

 

[Frk It]

I thought he went undrafted because he had his spleen removed during his original draft year.

I think the spleen injury caused him to get passed altogether in the 2010 draft, and then he had a knee injury the next season when we took him.

 

[Rzombo4 prez]

I just don't see him as an NHL defenseman. His foot speed is absolutely atrocious. He gets caught every time he pinches, isn't fast enough to retrieve a dumped puck and get it up the ice(which essentially neutralizes one of his few NHL qualities, smooth passes). His hockey IQ is definitely below average as evidenced by his terrible pinching decisions, inability to read the one at which a puck is breaking out, and his weak side support in his own zone is mind boggling.

I am not nearly as bearish on Marchenko. It sounds as if you were looking for a finished product after 16 NHL games. I agree that his feet are a little heavy but I don't have issues with his pinching and I don't understand your objections to his hockey IQ. His decision making with the puck and his passing are light years ahead of half of our regulars and exponentially more sophisticated. He doesn't bail to the weak side at the first sign of trouble because he can actually complete a pass.

I agree though that foot speed will ultimately define his upside. He isn't going to beat the fore check with his feet and you aren't going to see him up in the rush that often.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

Tough to be optimistic when Marchenko will be almost 25 before he potentially plays his first full season in the NHL.

If he hasn't wowed the Wings at this point, I doubt his game will translate into anything more than a 6/7 defenseman. I would still like to see him play a full season in the NHL so that we can see if he just needs NHL competition to elevate his game. It's unlikely, but I would like to be sure before he ends up being waived.

 

[Bench]

Tough to be optimistic when Marchenko will be almost 25 before he potentially plays his first full season in the NHL.

If he hasn't wowed the Wings at this point, I doubt his game will translate into anything more than a 6/7 defenseman. I would still like to see him play a full season in the NHL so that we can see if he just needs NHL competition to elevate his game. It's unlikely, but I would like to be sure before he ends up being waived.

How many times can you give marginal players a full year in the NHL to see what happens?

I get it, defenders take longer to mature. But you can't be patient with everybody. The team needs to make a decision on who has a future and who doesn't. Does Kindl belong here? Smith? Quincey? Is XO favored or Marchenko? They'll need to take a stance and clear out the logjam.

 

[jaster]

How many times can you give marginal players a full year in the NHL to see what happens?

I get it, defenders take longer to mature. But you can't be patient with everybody. The team needs to make a decision on who has a future and who doesn't. Does Kindl belong here? Smith? Quincey? Is XO favored or Marchenko? They'll need to take a stance and clear out the logjam.

They don't need to clear it right now, at this moment though. They can afford to keep them all and let it play out naturally for the time being.

 

[Henkka]

They don't need to clear it right now, at this moment though. They can afford to keep them all and let it play out naturally for the time being.

I think the final ending will be Kindl burned to minors and Quincey let walk.

Then we have...

Dekeyser - Green
Kronwall - Smith
Ericsson - Ouellet/Marchenko

...at season 2016-17.

 

[Winger98]

They don't need to clear it right now, at this moment though. They can afford to keep them all and let it play out naturally for the time being.

What's naturally for the Wings? I mean, I would have considered it natural to have waived someone last year when XO seemed to make Babcock's cut. Instead, we just did whatever we could to keep everyone, which seems a bit unnatural but is just as likely to happen this fall.

And this is without getting back into the debate about the best way to develop defencemen.

I think the final ending will be Kindl burned to minors and Quincey let walk.

Then we have...

Dekeyser - Green
Kronwall - Smith
Ericsson - Ouellet/Marchenko

...at season 2016-17.

I'd like to see those pairings this season, and then someone shopped the following summer to make room for Jensen/Sproul/whoever.

 

[WingedWheel1987]

How many times can you give marginal players a full year in the NHL to see what happens?

I get it, defenders take longer to mature. But you can't be patient with everybody. The team needs to make a decision on who has a future and who doesn't. Does Kindl belong here? Smith? Quincey? Is XO favored or Marchenko? They'll need to take a stance and clear out the logjam.

I'm all for that, but management strongly disagrees. Heck they are still doing it with their forwards and that log jam is a lot bigger.

They value "theoretical" depth too much.

 

[Cyborg Yzerberg]

How many times can you give marginal players a full year in the NHL to see what happens?

I get it, defenders take longer to mature. But you can't be patient with everybody. The team needs to make a decision on who has a future and who doesn't. Does Kindl belong here? Smith? Quincey? Is XO favored or Marchenko? They'll need to take a stance and clear out the logjam.

I'd rather have XO and Marchenko over KMFQ and Kindl, I can tell ya that much.

 

[Hugh Mongusbig]

I'm not sure Green belongs in any top pairing....

I think most Red Wing fans are expecting far too much of him and are going to be sorely disappointed when reality smacks them in the face.

 

[Frk It]

I'm not sure Green belongs in any top pairing....

I think most Red Wing fans are expecting far too much of him and are going to be sorely disappointed when reality smacks them in the face.

You know who else doesn't belong on any top pairing?

Everyone we have played on the right side the last 3 years...

 

[Heaton]

You know who else doesn't belong on any top pairing?

Everyone we have played on the right side the last 3 years...

Hah, yes. Green is the most capable top pairing defenseman we have to play on the right side with Kronwall. Of course we're expecting a lot, since that's all we have to go on. Holland isn't all of a sudden going to trade for some big name guy - it's not what he does. We have no young defenseman that have top pairing potential, so we'll have to deal with pseudo top pairing defenseman until one falls into our lap. Because according to Holland, superstars just don't.

 

[ShelbyZ]

How many times can you give marginal players a full year in the NHL to see what happens?

I get it, defenders take longer to mature. But you can't be patient with everybody. The team needs to make a decision on who has a future and who doesn't. Does Kindl belong here? Smith? Quincey? Is XO favored or Marchenko? They'll need to take a stance and clear out the logjam.

The problem is that Holland hasn't made clearing out the log jam easy. Kindl should've never been given four years, and Smith should've gotten one. Ouellet, Marchenko, Jensen and Sproul all lose their waiver exemption after this upcoming season. However, barring a trade (the kind that Holland never makes), they'll have one opening on the blueline IF Quincey walks as a UFA. If you recall, Holland apparently tried to pawn off Kindl last season, but no one was interested (strange, considering Edmonton had to overpay to get guys like Nikitin and Fayne...).

And yes, I said IF Quincey walks. Red Wings fans are acting like it's a given that Quincey will be gone after this season. I would be careful with this type of assumption. Remember when they made the same one about Cleary two summers ago? When Nyquist was supposed to be a regular and the team already had too many forwards? My bold prediction right here, is that if Quincey has a solid season and Brendub Smindl don't improve over last season, Holland will panic re-sign Quincey again and leave the four previously mentioned prospects to chance on waivers. He'll say his usual crap about "can't having enough depth" and blah blah. WATCH.

Anybody remember that one season, I think it was 2007-08 where the Wings won some big shiny bowl looking trophy thing? They actually went through 75% of that regular season with 4 of their 7 dmen making $1M or less. 2 of which were at or near league minimum. Strange...