We had so much fun talking about Tomas Jurco yesterday - I figured what the hay...let's do it again with a prospect that will be getting his first full-time gig (we think) with the big club all season.  #14 - Gustav Nyquist.

A lot of people are excited about this soon-to-be 23 year old Swede - and they should be...though he only played in 18 regular season games with the Red Wings last season - spending most of that time with the fourth line - he still managed to register a goal and seven points.

By the way - he even managed to share a team lead in points on the Grand Rapids Griffins despite playing in 20 less games than co-leader Tomas Tatar.

Before joining the Griffins - Nyquist spent three seasons with the University of Maine Blackbears where he was twice named a Hockey East First Team All-Star and twice a finalist for the Hobey Baker.

You ready for some video? I hope so.

First - let's start with some Maine highlights...these ones happen to be from his Sophomore season:



Couple notes...it looks like "Goose" likes to shoot and he likes his celies...something un-common for Red Wings players.

And just a couple years later - Goose popped in his first goal as a professional for Grand Rapids Griffins (apologize for the quality)...



...and for the camera work...but believe me, that one pixel you saw was actually Gustav Nyquist putting the puck in the net.

Goose has already accumulated 62 points in his first 64 games played.  With his time spent playing in the NCAA - I think (and hope) that he has seen his last game wearing anything but the Winged Wheel (or possibly a few All-Star jersey).

What makes me so hopeful?  How about netting 2 goals against the Pittsburgh Penguins in one game? Hell, if the TEAM could have done that on June 12th, 2009 - we would have won back-to-back Cups.



I like what Mickey says at the end of that video.

It didn't happen right after that performence.  But he did get his shot later on that season...and while on a line with Pavel Datsyuk and Todd Bertuzzi - he scored his first NHL goal.



What a play by Pavel...but good positioning by Nyquist.  He seems to have a nose for the net.  Is Nyquist going to spend much time with Pavel this season?  Why not?  If it works...

Nyquist-Datsyuk-Bertuzzi
Filppula-Zetterberg-Franzen
Brunner-Helm-Samuelsson
Cleary-Abdelkader-Miller (or Eaves or Tootoo or Emmerton or Mursak)

Not a bad looking group of forwards, eh?  I guess we'll have to wait and see.

But get ready for Gustav Nyquist...he looks like he's going to be a major player sooner rather than later.



Goose.