The traditional method of ranking individual player performance is usually some sort of “report card” or “A+” grading system. Not here. You see, we like to keep things simple at TPL. You either made the grade or you didn’t. No grey area. Black and white. This is “Pass/Fail.”

Statistically Speaking

The Good
Well, he filled in pretty admirably for 19 games this season, providing depth at a time when the Wings were suffering from injuries. He did score a goal during his stint on the big club, and he seemed to receive regular praise from the coaching staff. He’s got a solid all-around game with some finesse and grit mixed in there, and he’ll make a big push to be a full(ish) time member of the Red Wings this upcoming season.

The Bad
One goal in 19 games really doesn’t knock the socks off, now does it? He also finished the year with a -3, and still looked to be a bit indecisive at both ends of the ice. He never really seemed to be a major scoring threat, essentially taking up space and playing 4th line minutes. For a kid who may wind up in the NHL full time next year, he still looked a bit unready and unsure of himself.

Extra Credit
“The Sak” may be the best nickname ever.

Grades
Disch: PASS
Petrella: PASS
Hollis: FAIL

The Reasoning
Disch: I’m conflicted here, but I’ll go pass.  His job this year was to step in when the injuries hit and prove he had a long-term role with the club.  As he’s still in contention for a gig this year, I guess he did his job.  I’m not crapping my pants about the Sak, and this could be the hangover talking, but he doesn’t really capture the imagination quite like some of the other guys we’ve got in the ranks.
Petrella: Mursak’s a pass for filling in admirably when needed. The spotlight’s going to be on him next year when he’s no longer a call-up, and I look forward to seeing how he handles it.
Hollis: The play didn’t seem to match the expectations for The Sak. For a guy who may be a full time roster player next season, I was hoping to see a little more in terms of energy and grit. He looked timid and uncertain, and that’s not a trait I would expect to see from a guy who is looking down the barrel of fourth line minutes in the NHL.

Final TPL Grade
PASS

Up Next: Johan Franzen

Past Reports:
6/22 :: Cory Emmerton (PASS)
6/17 :: Justin Abdelkader (FAIL)
6/9 :: Jiri Hudler (FAIL)
6/8 :: Todd Bertuzzi (PASS)
6/7 :: Brian Rafalski (PASS)
6/7 :: Pavel Datsyuk (PASS)
6/6 :: Brad Stuart (PASS)
6/4 :: Henrik Zetterberg (PASS)
5/27 :: Jakub Kindl (SPLIT)
5/26 :: Darren Helm (PASS)
5/24 :: Niklas Kronwall (PASS)
5/23 :: Valtteri Filppula (PASS)

The traditional method of ranking individual player performance is usually some sort of “report card” or “A+” grading system. Not here. You see, we like to keep things simple at TPL. You either made the grade or you didn’t. No grey area. Black and white. This is “Pass/Fail.”

Statistically Speaking

The Good
Pretty hard to grade a guy on just two games played, but that’s why they pay us the big bucks. First, Emmerton scored in his NHL debut. Second, he scored in his NHL debut after driving like a madman to get to Joe Louis Arena in time for an afternoon game against the Blackhawks. He also (technically) finished THIRD in the league in shooting percentage at a whopping 33.3%, so doubters can suck on that. His game made the coaches take notice and he’ll be challenging for a spot in the lineup this year.

The Bad
He only scored on 1 of his 3 shots, so there’s room for improvement there. Despite scoring in his first NHL game, his team lost.

Extra Credit
He came on The Pipeline this year. Also, did we mention he scored in his first NHL game?

Grades
Disch: PASS
Petrella: PASS
Hollis: PASS

The Reasoning
Disch: Kid scores in his first game and he’s in the conversation to move up to the big club: PASS.  Not sure what else we really expected out of him.
Petrella: Homey scored in his first NHL game, filling in during a rash of injuries. If that’s not a PASS, I don’t know what is.
Hollis: He scored in his first game. Also, he has nice eyebrows. Pass.

Final TPL Grade
PASS

Up Next: Jan Mursak

Past Reports:
6/17 :: Justin Abdelkader (FAIL)
6/9 :: Jiri Hudler (FAIL)
6/8 :: Todd Bertuzzi (PASS)
6/7 :: Brian Rafalski (PASS)
6/7 :: Pavel Datsyuk (PASS)
6/6 :: Brad Stuart (PASS)
6/4 :: Henrik Zetterberg (PASS)
5/27 :: Jakub Kindl (SPLIT)
5/26 :: Darren Helm (PASS)
5/24 :: Niklas Kronwall (PASS)
5/23 :: Valtteri Filppula (PASS)

The traditional method of ranking individual player performance is usually some sort of “report card” or “A+” grading system. Not here. You see, we like to keep things simple at TPL. You either made the grade or you didn’t. No grey area. Black and white. This is “Pass/Fail.”

Statistically Speaking

The Good
Abdelkader’s bread and butter is his physical game and ruthless forecheck, and he had it on exhibit for most of the regular season this year. For a guy playing in his first full NHL season, Abdelkader didn’t seem overwhelmed by the speed of the game, although that’s likely a direct result of his regular appearances in the lineup over the past two seasons. He finished the season with a team best +15 rating, and he also led the team in (surprise!) hits. He’s one of the only Wings regularly willing to drop the gloves, and his physical presence was an important component for the team this year.

The Bad
Let’s just get it out of the way now: Abdelkader took way too many dumb penalties in the San Jose series and it proved costly for the Wings. His stick control leaves plenty to be desired, and he got his stick blade up far too often, usually catching someone in the face and ending up in the box. His game lacked consistency, although many will point to the aforementioned fact that this was his first full NHL season as a reason for his erratic play. He’s a young guy and full of energy, but Abdelkader would do well to take a page out of Darren Helm’s book and slow himself down. Production wise, Abdelkader failed to hit 20 points. Some will say that was to be expected given his role, while others will say that he’s a better player and should have put up more points.

Extra Credit
Tough to find somewhere to add credit. Just hearing his name conjures up memories of the terrible San Jose penalties. That said, his big hits and rough-and-tumble play sure are fun to watch.

Grades
Disch: FAIL
Petrella: FAIL
Hollis: PASS

The Reasoning
Disch: Fail. And its fail because after this season I’m resetting my expectations for Gator. I had these lofty visions of him turning into a poor man’s Getzlaf. Right now I’d be ecstatic if he rounded out as a rich man’s late-career Maltby. Hurts to say that. I think the heart is there, but he did some dumb things this post-season that you hope a guy who’s been with the team more than a few months…more than one playoff run…doesn’t do.
Petrella: I love me some Gator, but if we’re weighing these guys against our expectations of them, poor Mr. Abdelkader fell just short. He was able to chip in some great points, but his ill-timed penalties and unfortunate off-sides and other transgressions put him the Fail pile for now.
Hollis: He only gets a pass from me quite simply because I’ve never expected him to score the points and be the offensive threat that quite a few folks perceive him to be. When he sticks to being a physical, fourth line presence, he’s great. But when he tries to do too much, it’s very apparent. I just don’t see him ever being a 20 goal scorer or 50 point guy, so within those parameters it’s hard to fail him. Those dumb penalties brought me close, but for the kind of player he is, I’ll give him the nod.

Final TPL Grade
FAIL

Up Next: Cory Emmerton

Past Reports:
6/9 :: Jiri Hudler (FAIL)
6/8 :: Todd Bertuzzi (PASS)
6/7 :: Brian Rafalski (PASS)
6/7 :: Pavel Datsyuk (PASS)
6/6 :: Brad Stuart (PASS)
6/4 :: Henrik Zetterberg (PASS)
5/27 :: Jakub Kindl (SPLIT)
5/26 :: Darren Helm (PASS)
5/24 :: Niklas Kronwall (PASS)
5/23 :: Valtteri Filppula (PASS)