Forward Motion: Red Wings Forward Development

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich - The constant fluctuation of the AHL has reared more of its ugly head during the last two seasons. Due to situations beyond anyones control, the expected roster moves have dramatically increased - resulting in delays in development, logistical challenges, and major contract/budget upheaval throughout the league.

For the Detroit Red Wings, the 2021-22 season was bound to be pivotal mainly because so many prospects were in line to make the NHL jump - and have. On the back end of things, however, there were a few sent to Grand Rapids that was intended to use this season as their first and potentially, most important developmental season. Since the start of the season, that plan hasn't changed but has faced a few hiccups.

In spite of the minor setbacks, the Red Wings forward prospect pool is plugging away and seemingly still on track - thereabouts.

Two prospects, in particular, were intended to use this pro debut as the launch pad into the next two to three seasons of development. With a tight pool, and Yzerman showing a very ambitious method to the new prospects, the 2021-22 season is critical. Jonatan Berggren and Kirill Tyutyayev both came into the AHL with high expectations and have in their ways, shown that they can meet or exceed those expectations.

Jonatan Berggren Successfully Translating Elite Skill to the AHL

Jonatan Berggren, drafted 33rd overall in 2018, made his North American debut this season with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Hitting the AHL ice as a pro for the first time, his skill was evident. The transition seemed easy considering he had just come out of the SHL, the premier league in Sweden which is comprised of mainly grown men with equally developed skills.

Berggren has a smooth and highly skilled style of skating. He’s very tight with his feet and can out-maneuver anyone even at his maximum speed. For a skater his size, 5-ft-11, he's not quite to the stature where he can be overpowering physically yet, so his ability to deke in a split-second opens up a lot of opportunities. His reaction time and ability to pivot on a dime are remarkable.

Like with any player, often times their biggest asset can also be a draw-back. The temptation to hang on to the puck, perhaps a little longer than necessary, or over-handle the puck can cause issues for linemates. Berggren, for the most part, does a good job of knowing when to move the puck himself versus passing, but it's an area that does need additional work.

As expected, Berggren's shooting ability is as advertised. In his final season in the SHL with Skelleftea, he tallied 45 points in 49 games played. Berggren's accuracy and positioning when taking a shot are obviously major contributors to his success. In Grand Rapids, he's on track to be almost a point-per-game player - right now averaging about .75 points per game.

He's got a deadly accurate wrist shot and can take it from almost anywhere which will keep him at the forefront of Red Wings development. With his fellow countryman and former SHL teammate, Lucas Raymond, doing just that up top in Detroit, the standard for shooting and scoring has been set. Berggren is a risk-taker in most instances and likes to try to thread the needle a bit.

Beyond a bit of a finesse style of shooting, he's not afraid to get gritty in front of the net either. In the first half of the Griffins; season, he's shown positive growth in being more physical up front and being willing to be more gritty when taking shots and chances close up.

Kirill Tyutyayev's Season-Ending Injury Didn't Halt Developmental Hopes

On the opposite side of the ice, left-winger Kirill Tyutyayev was an early high-skilled standout as well. He only played in nine games before suffering a season-ending injury, but there is plenty to be excited about with the young Russian.

Tyutyayev was drafted in 190th overall in 2019. A late pick that Detroit would appear to be taking a risk on - which seems to be the norm this season for them. Spending his 2020-21 season in Belarus with Yunost Minsk, he put up a very comfortable 32-points in 43 games played. In his first game with Grand Rapids, the home opener, he had two assists. He's an eager skater that wants to be anywhere the puck is - almost a head-long style of attack.

He has a very European style of skating - carrying the puck almost with a "pass-first" mentality - creating opportunities for the other guys. He can carry it down low - skating with a low posture that allows quite a bit of power to go to his legs. He's a quick accelerator, but does need that area to be improved upon. He's got a lot of leg power, but channeling that in a faster league will be imperative when he makes his return - likely in the 2022-23 season.

He's similar in stature to Berggren, at 5-ft-10, so his ability to out skate his opponent is key to his success. He is still young, only 21-years old, so there is of course plenty of time to get larger.

His puck handling, however, is well developed. Like with anything, there are areas for growth but he does have a get-after-it mentality which is excellent to see. He can handle the puck well and does a great job protecting it along the boards. Tyutyayev is an aggressive puck handler in the sense that every decision is very direct and intentional - very little hesitation. He knows what he wants to do with it when the puck touches his stick.

Kirill is about the "little things" when it comes to handling. Though he is decisive, he plays with an awareness that the small movements - small plays - matter. Anything from a tip to a backhand, he shows a very keen sense of how it all comes together in the larger picture. Given more of a sample size than nine games, it will be interesting to see how many assists this style of playing gives him in comparison to actual goals.

Detroit Can Remain Hopeful Despite Odd Season

There is a lot to be excited about with Detroit right now. The very long wait is finally showing some on-ice payout in terms of prospects being utilized. With the resurgence of taxi squads and a never-ending cycle of roster moves, more and more developed players from Grand Rapids will get the call - and the major ice time will be given to the youngsters. Berggren and Tyutyayev right now would be the most current drafted prospects with eyes on them.

Berggren has the advantage of being healthy and has quickly become a very relied-upon player. He's earned the trust of the coaching staff and as more and more players fluctuate between the AHL and NHL, he's been given more ice time. Berggren does a good job translating the time to points. Depending on how things shake out in the off-season with the NHL roster for Detroit, Berggren may be trusted to take the leap a little sooner than expected. As this season has already shown us, Yzerman and Co. are making some risky moves when it comes to prospects and as long as those risks keep paying off, there's a good chance they'll be repeated.

Tyutyayev had a promising start to the season and unfortunately, a start is all it will be for now. Expected to be out the rest of the season due to injury, he'll have a lot of work to do to get back to good health and recover. However, there's no doubt, given what his first few games looked like, that he'll come back stronger and more determined. He's got a unique skill set with how he attacks each play and how he chooses to move the puck. It's very different than many of the young guys up top right now and the polar opposite of Berggren.

It would be irresponsible to convincingly try to predict what these two players' development paths will look like. Recent history has tossed out any formula Detroit fans once had to help determine what's next. What can be said, however, is that the prospects coming through the Red Wings pipeline right now, give the fanbase and team itself, much to be hopeful for. A long and grueling road has finally begun to come to an end and the elite team management had envisioned is beginning to come into view.

The constant fluctuation of the league has been emphasized over the last two seasons but with that fluctuation comes new opportunities for the prospects. Opportunity to seize a unique chance in a unique time for Detroit. A time to be a part of the rebirth of one of the most respected teams in the league.