Riley Sheahan Has Been a Pleasant Surprise Thus Far for Red Wings in 2014-15

The Detroit Red Wings have been an impressive hockey club thus far in 2014-15, and they have received contributions for the majority of the roster. Although there have been multiple players that have stood out, one that has really distinguished himself is Riley Sheahan.

Sheahan was drafted in 2010 from the University of Notre Dame, and this is the first season in which the young pivot is showing what type of player he could develop into. Last season as a 22-year-old, Sheahan appeared in 42 games and put up decent numbers.

Thus far he has played in 31 games, and in 11 fewer games he is within striking distance of his previous bests. The 6'3", 222-pound center has seven goals and nine assists for 16 points, and he is averaging an additional 19 seconds of ice time per game. Early on the Wings were without Stephen Weiss, and later on they were shorthanded because of an injury to Pavel Datsyuk.

Without two top-six centers someone had to step up, and that player was Sheahan. Part of the reason Sheahan has thrived is because he is a really talented young player, and the other part is that he is mentally ready for the challenges he is facing.

Via Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press:

"I'm trying to get my feet going a little more, hold onto the puck and fend off checks a little more," Sheahan said. "I think I have a little more confidence now - if a defender is coming at me, I feel like I can maybe make a move or get around them. It's just something I'm trying to focus on."

In addition to Sheahan feeling like he can make that extra move he couldn't last year, head coach Mike Babcock feels more confident in his ability as a player.

"

The first time I saw him, I didn't think he could skate. He's a lot better than I thought, obviously. And then, you know, he's gotten better and better. {...} He's a big man who knows how to play without the puck. He makes plays with the puck, but he's starting to get some pace to his game. As he gets pace, he's going to be more of a handful. It doesn't matter who he plays with, he seems to help them be good players.

"

Graig Abel/Getty Images

At 6'3" and 222 pounds, Sheahan is in a good spot size-wise. He has enough size to protect the puck and skate with it, but his frame doesn't hold him back. For comparison, Joe Thornton of the San Jose Sharks is 6'4" and 220 pounds, and while that frame allows him to be a bull on the puck, it doesn't allow him to motor up and down the ice.

There are pluses and minuses when it comes to height and weight, but Sheahan seems to have found a happy medium, especially when he's on the power play. The Red Wings currently have one of the league's best power plays with a 22.5 success rate, and Sheahan's been a key driver of success.

Among Red Wings centers, Sheahan ranks second in power-play ice time at 2:37, and he has tallied six points while the Wings have a man advantage. Here's just one example of Sheahan's getting into the right spot to score a goal that helped turn the tide for Detroit against the New York Rangers.

Sheahan was not making plays like this last season, and although 2013-14 wasn't a bad year for him, it looked like he had more of a chance making a living as a third-line center instead of a first- or second-line pivot.

This was due to the fact that Sheahan was very sound defensively but tentative and indecisive when the puck rested on his blade. Either Sheahan would dish the puck off like it was a water bottle used by a teammate infected with the mumps, or he would take an ill-advised shot.

There have been moments this year in which Sheahan has been too selfless, but he certainly is oozing more confidence. This is encouraging to see, because there is going to be a point where Henrik Zetterberg and Datsyuk won't be on this team.

When that time comes, someone will need to be the flag bearer of offense, and Sheahan is looking more and more like he could be the real deal. It is certainly still too early to tell, but the strides he's made offensively as a complement to his defensive game could allow him to be a very good 55-to-60-point, second-line, two-way center.

Right now Sheahan is under very little pressure, and he can continue to grow as an NHL player. He certainly is farther along in his development than he was at this point last year, and between the rest of this season and next December you will likely see the type of player Sheahan will ultimately become.

Among Tomas Tatar, Gustav Nyquist, Tomas Jurco and Sheahan, there are a lot of reasons to be excited about the youth of the Wings, and I feel that the best is yet to come for Mr. Sheahan.

Stats via NHL.com and The Hockey News unless otherwise noted.

Tom Urtz Jr. is an NHL columnist for Bleacher Report who also covers the New York Rangers. 

Follow @TomUrtzJr