Detroit Red Wings Training Camp Preview Part 2: Defending the Defense

In part one of our Detroit Red Wings Training Camp preview, we looked at the deceptively fierce fight we expect to heat up near the bottom of Detroit's forward lines.

Turning our sights to the defense, it's safe to say that any fight for spots that might occur will be significantly more tame.

Unless some completely unforeseen battle emerges, we more or less know who will be in the top four on defense, at least to start the season.

Regarding the sixth and seventh defensemen slots, there to, we have no mysteries to talk about—we know who will be in the running for that spot.

Perhaps the most intriguing thing to talk about regarding the defense in Detroit isn't so much who will be jockeying for spots in training camp, but who will be there in the first place.

Aside from Nicklas Lidstrom, Niklas Kronwall and Brad Stuart, most Red Wings fans have locked cross-eyed at most of the other defenders set to play in red and white this year.

Some of this scoffing has been due to players' salaries, while some is a reaction to an apparent mismatch between team and player.

Whatever the case, there is no getting past the fact that there is a larger than normal question mark hanging over Detroit's blue line this season.

This is understandable, but I for one believe that the defense could actually be stronger, yes, stronger than it was last season.

We won't get a good sense of how right or wrong I am until the season gets rolling; however, training camp will be our first opportunity to see how well or not so well Detroit's new defenders will fit in.

What follows is a look at each of the defensemen that could conceivably be on the roster out of training camp, a look at the battle for the seventh spot, and finally a prediction of the pairings we'll see to start the year.

Nicklas Lidstrom

Only a Stanley Cup victory could have provided a better opportunity for the great Nick Lidstrom to step away from the NHL.

Then again, securing his seventh Norris Trophy as the league's best defenseman could have been enough to convince the 41-year-old that enough was enough.

The only problem with that scenario is Lidstrom had just signed a one-year extension to stay in the Motor City before he won it.

Though we were forced to suffer through a few weeks of uncertainty, it didn't take long for Lidstrom to decide he was sufficiently motivated to play for a 20th season and do everything he can to bring the Cup back to Hockeytown.

My prediction for Nick isn't bold, nor is it insightful: He will remain the No. 1 defenseman in Detroit, lead the Wings in blue-line scoring, and challenge for another Norris Trophy.

Ho hum.

Niklas Kronwall

To say Niklas Kronwall took a step forward in his career last season may seem odd considering that he fell short of his career-best point total, 51, reached in the 2008-09 season, by 14 points.

Nevertheless, the player we saw last season was more complete, mature and defensively responsible than in previous years.

Though his captain and mentor is still with the team, Kronwall knows Lidstrom is not long for the NHL and he is the heir apparent to the number one spot on the blue line.

Though fans understandably hope to see someone on the opposition get "Kronwalled" every time No. 55 is on the ice, the fact that he is obviously choosing his hits more wisely is ultimately a good thing.

Prone to serious, long-term injuries his first few years in the league, Kronwall's bombastic game took a toll on his body, perhaps more so than that of his opponents.

His physical game is a huge plus for him and the team, but it doesn't do either a bit of good if it puts him out of commission.

Kronwall seems to have realized this as he is now a more cautious, though still frequent, hitter and saves the biggest hits for the playoffs.

That shows a tremendous amount of maturity in his game.

As his offensive instincts are still razor sharp, this season could be a defining year for the 30-year-old Swede.

Let's hope that it is because this will also be the final year of his contract.

Brad Stuart

Consulting a stat sheet, Brad Stuart is hardly noticeable.

However, on the ice, he is impossible to ignore.

Over the past two seasons, Brad Stuart has been one of the most reliable players, let alone defenders, in Detroit and has become to the defensive corps what Dan Cleary is to the forward group: a versatile player that can be put in any position and perform.

Last season, Stuart played on the top, middle and third pair at various times during the year and appeared on both the power-play and penalty kill units.

While he didn't pile up points (20), this was not what his coach was necessarily expecting from him.

What he wanted is exactly what Stuart provides: a calm, effective, defensively sound presence mixed in with a tasty bit of nastiness.

Stuart, like Kronwall, is in the last year of his contract.

However, unlike Kronwall, the Wings may not be willing to give him as much as he'd like to stay with the team.

That's a shame because he has certainly earned some preferential treatment, but as he's not a draft pick of the club and decidedly less dynamic, he'll be the more expendable of the two.

Still, as I mentioned last season, Brad Stuart is freakin' awesome.

Jonathan Ericsson

And now, bring on the doubters.

True, a $3.25 million paycheck for a player with nothing but one sensational playoff campaign two-years removed and a heap of unfulfilled expectations is hardly a square deal.

However, considering this summer's insanity that surrounded free-agent defensemen, it doesn't seem all that ridiculous.

Seriously, whom would you rather have?

The corpse of Ed Jovonaski for $4 million a season, or the still-real potential of Ericsson for less than that?

Ericsson is going to have a great deal of pressure on him in training camp as well as the season and well he should.

With his size and offensive potential, he should make $3.25 million per year look like a steal, and honestly, I think he can.

Like Niklas Kronwall before him, he's been groomed to be a top-four defender and, just like Kronwall, he's now getting paid as such before he's legitimately moved into that role.

Recall that Kronwall got a five-year, $15 million contract extension at the beginning of the 2006-07 season.

One year later, he was arguably the best Detroit blueliner en route to a Stanley Cup championship.

Ericsson has all the tools, mentors and monetary incentives to make a similar jump, and for all these reasons, I think he will.

Then again, if we're talking about a $3.25 million pylon in six month's time, I won't be completely surprised, either.

Ian White

Not so much a head-scratching deal as it is an anti-climactic one, the singing of Ian White over the summer is still a bit of a risk.

Even before Brian Rafalski announced his retirement, the Wings said that they planned to spend up to the cap this summer and adding another top-four defender was at the top of their shopping list.

Once Rafalski left the game, the stage appeared to be set to acquire one of the big names set to hit the market.

Kevin Bieksa, Christian Ehrhoff and to a lesser extent, James Wisniewski appeared to be ripe for the picking.

None ever got here.

All three were snatched up before July 1st leaving the Wings to pick through the various "also-rans" available to replace their departed No. 2 defender.

White might very well be every bit as effective as Rafalski.

He's got solid defensive instincts, makes a great first pass and can quarterback a power play with aplomb.

The only thing that makes this less than certain is the fact that White has never done any of this consistently.

However, to be fair, White has yet to get a serious crack at establishing his potential as his longest tenure in the NHL was with a bad Toronto Maple Leafs team followed by short stints in Calgary, Carolina and San Jose.

White proved to be a solid asset in San Jose during the playoffs and it stands to reason that a full season with a similarly constructed team will yield equal, if not better results.

Like most new players, White will look to impress from Day 1 of training camp and, if he does, he could start looking like the steal of the summer.

Mike Commodore

Remember all those names we thought could be connected to "Detroit Red Wings" on July 1st?

Well, I'd bet not a soul on this planet would have thought that "Commodore" would have been one of them.

In fact, he was the only one.

Far from the blockbuster signing the Wings wanted to make on July 1st, Mike Commodore represents a safe bet.

His one year, $1 million deal is hardly cap prohibitive and, if he turns out to be a total dud, it can be dumped in numerous ways.

Once considered a top-four d-man on the rise, Commodore knows he's lucky to still be in the NHL.

Count on that knowledge to provide adequate motivation to hit the ice running (well, maybe not running, but, skating very fast) on September 17th in Traverse City.

Should he adequately impress, Commodore should have no problem earning the sixth defender's spot outright.

Should he prove less than noteworthy, he might be waived outright before the season starts.

My hope is the latter will come to pass as Commodore's size and willingness to punish opponents physically should be a welcome addition to a blue line that relies more on brains than brawn.

Jakub Kindl

At 6'3" and 200 pounds, Jakub Kindl cuts an intimidating figure.

However, whether he can do so often enough to earn a regular spot in the NHL remains to be seen.

Kindl, like Ericsson before him, is one of Detroit's top prospects, and for good reason.

Aside from his size, his skating ability and offensive acumen suggest he could be a legitimate offensive defenseman.

He played 48 games for the Wings last season and the latter 24 were far and away better than the first, which bodes well for him going into this year's training camp.

Still, he needs to use his physical aggression in smarter ways and his overall hockey sense seems not to be exactly "tingling."

With any luck, Kindl can take a big step forward during training camp and force his way into the bottom pair discussion.

If he can't, he might spend this season much like he did last year, sitting in the press box, waiting to play.

Brendan Smith

And here he is, the one we've all been waiting for.

Brendan Smith is considered to be the brightest star in Detroit's organization not playing for the Red Wings and the fans' thirst to have this kid finally crack the big club is growing insatiable.

He's got speed, size, aggression, scoring acumen, passing ability and a hockey IQ well above average.

He is, apparently, the complete package.

The only thing is, he's not yet been given the chance to prove his brilliance in the NHL.

This year in training camp he will be given a legitimate shot to make the big club, but unless he outplays Nicklas Lidstrom a number seven d-man appears to be the best he can shoot for, at least out of the gate.

Like most young defenders, Smith currently lacks the kind of strength necessary to handle opposing forwards convincingly in the NHL, so here's hoping he's been hitting the weights this summer as hard as Alex Ovechkin has been hitting the keg.

So, Who's the 8th Defender?

In case you're confused, relax, there is no "eighth defenseman."

It's simply a way to ask, "Who will be left off the roster after training camp?"

The last three players we've discussed are all legitimately in the running for this dubious honor.

While Kindl and Smith should conceivably be battling each other for the seventh defender's slot, veteran Mike Commodore may find himself battling one of the two for the same position.

It is conceivable that Kindl could beat out Commodore for the sixth slot.  It's possible, though unlikely, that Smith could leapfrog Kindl and beat Commodore for the same job.

But this is Detroit after all and there is a decidedly strong preference for veteran players.

As far as predictions go, my gut tells me that Kindl will eventually win out over Smith for the last and final spot on defense and will be bumped up to sixth defender status in the event Commodore shows signs of ineffectiveness.

Still, I think that one way or another, we will see Brendan Smith play as a Detroit Red Wing this season.

For as unpredictable as player positioning might be, injuries are sadly all but certain for this squad.

Predicting the 2011-12 Defensive Pairs

As I write this, I realize the preceding slides more or less told you who I though would play with whom, so, here it is, in all its anti-climactic glory, my prediction for the Red Wings' blue line this season.

Top Pairing:       Lidstrom—White

2nd Pairing:       Kronwall—Stuart

3rd Pairing:       Ericsson—Commodore

Reserve:            Kindl

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