Prospect Info: Grand Rapids Griffins, 2024 - 2025 Season

[OgeeOgelthorpe]

Big comeback win! Griffins came alive in the 3rd as Moose dominated most of the first two periods and scored 4 unanswered goals

After a few shifts hey moved Mazur off the top line down to the 3rd line switching with Gettinger


Danielson: B+
• Pretty quiet offensively. Great defensively. Him and Buium link up here and there, often in tight space, and their skill/IQ together is so apparent when they do. They're gonna show up even better on the scoresheet when they're surrounded by actual NHL talent. Finished a few checks today playing notably more physical in that regard


Mazur: A-
• I'll say, he was quite noticeable and it seemed like he wasn't even trying all game lol. No adjustment time needed. Smart player. When needed, he was getting to the hard areas like the boards and net front. Wins puck battles and can make a quick play off of it

Such nice pace to the game, you can see that he'd be knocking hard for a callup had he played the full season thus far. He was all over the Rafferty goal shift, almost effortlessly, and made a slick pass to keep the blueline, then eventually a swift pass to start the goal play. 3rd assist there

Big shot block when the game was 5-3 with 5 mins left. Shortly after has a grade-A scoring chance but shot it just over the net


Wallinder: A-
• Good on the first two PKs, he was actually battling and getting body position in front better too. Nice job playing the man when defending the rush. He was getting quite a few looks in the offensive zone and they were good reads by him to get them. Having trouble handling passes but did make the most of his plays

I noticed he was taking better looks when under pressure and sending the puck up the boards from his zone


Buium: A+
• Best player in the game. This is not the first time either lately, he continues to play damn good hockey. Talk about adjusting to pro hockey... I have eaten all the crow on this kid...

Where do I start? Great reads to start a breakout. Good at maintaining pressure along the boards, particularly with skating and keep his stick active when the player changes directions on him

He has excellent vision with the puck, and he showcased that in particular to catch Becher dropping back for his eventual shot and goal. Nice feed to Doucet who fed Rafferty for the goal very shortly after. So many plays he starts by feeding the high forward or even carrying down low himself


Becher: A-
• He was really good with his decisions and handling of the puck. Made a great read to drop into the high slot and fire home a one-timer goal. He was good defensively around his net too


EDIT: they changed the 2nd Buium assist to Mazur

I’m glad to hear that Buium is blossoming in GR. Is he still tracking as a guy that could be a fair 5/6 that can move the puck cleanly but doesn’t provide much offense? Or does he look like there’s potential to add a little more offense to his game and become a solid 2nd pair guy?

 

[WestlakeWingFan]

Breaking news: players accumulate a "minus" when they're on the ice during a goal against...

To answer your statement; because he was literally not directly involved with the goal against, aka covering his man and doing his part? I would have called him out of he was... He played a good game otherwise? I gave him a lower mark than literally every other player in my post. That says a lot. If he played bad then I would mark him as such. E.g. a "C-". If he's not on the scoresheet, then that's okay. It's how he approaches the game and all the little details in between. Which he's virtually always great at

I recommend watching the games yourself, instead of judging players based on statlines, and taking digs in other threads e.g. today about Kiiskinen and how he's "doing better than our 1st round picks"

Not very intellectually honest of you. It's way too easy to watch stats and be a critic

Edit: phrasing

The fact that I have no idea who you are responding to speaks well of the ignore function.

 

[Frk It]

Big comeback win! Griffins came alive in the 3rd as Moose dominated most of the first two periods and scored 4 unanswered goals

After a few shifts hey moved Mazur off the top line down to the 3rd line switching with Gettinger


Danielson: B+
• Pretty quiet offensively. Great defensively. Him and Buium link up here and there, often in tight space, and their skill/IQ together is so apparent when they do. They're gonna show up even better on the scoresheet when they're surrounded by actual NHL talent. Finished a few checks today playing notably more physical in that regard


Mazur: A-
• I'll say, he was quite noticeable and it seemed like he wasn't even trying all game lol. No adjustment time needed. Smart player. When needed, he was getting to the hard areas like the boards and net front. Wins puck battles and can make a quick play off of it

Such nice pace to the game, you can see that he'd be knocking hard for a callup had he played the full season thus far. He was all over the Rafferty goal shift, almost effortlessly, and made a slick pass to keep the blueline, then eventually a swift pass to start the goal play. 3rd assist there

Big shot block when the game was 5-3 with 5 mins left. Shortly after has a grade-A scoring chance but shot it just over the net


Wallinder: A-
• Good on the first two PKs, he was actually battling and getting body position in front better too. Nice job playing the man when defending the rush. He was getting quite a few looks in the offensive zone and they were good reads by him to get them. Having trouble handling passes but did make the most of his plays

I noticed he was taking better looks when under pressure and sending the puck up the boards from his zone


Buium: A+
• Best player in the game. This is not the first time either lately, he continues to play damn good hockey. Talk about adjusting to pro hockey... I have eaten all the crow on this kid...

Where do I start? Great reads to start a breakout. Good at maintaining pressure along the boards, particularly with skating and keep his stick active when the player changes directions on him

He has excellent vision with the puck, and he showcased that in particular to catch Becher dropping back for his eventual shot and goal. Nice feed to Doucet who fed Rafferty for the goal very shortly after. So many plays he starts by feeding the high forward or even carrying down low himself


Becher: A-
• He was really good with his decisions and handling of the puck. Made a great read to drop into the high slot and fire home a one-timer goal. He was good defensively around his net too


EDIT: they changed the 2nd Buium assist to Mazur

Enjoy reading these and glad to hear Buium is playing well.

Seems like a lot of Wings fans hated that pick, but I always thought he had an interesting skill set and saw the appeal with him.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

I’m glad to hear that Buium is blossoming in GR. Is he still tracking as a guy that could be a fair 5/6 that can move the puck cleanly but doesn’t provide much offense? Or does he look like there’s potential to add a little more offense to his game and become a solid 2nd pair guy?

I too see him as a #5 who leads that bottom pairing. I don't see how he can't become a guy who slots in as a good #4 that often hides out on the bottom pair due to our D depth

One big thing that will need to happen is him improving his skating and explosiveness more to;

• Cover more ice defensively against the rush
• Gain speed when he joins the rush

...And boy he enjoys starting and joining the rush. The best part is how smart about it he is, the reads are excellent IMO

The other thing is his shot. He has good willingness to shoot and quite a few of his assists are from redirects in front. Shot just needs to be more of a weapon, velocity-wise

At the next level, he could reasonably just be a yearly 20-30 point guy with good shutdown defense. Whatever # D you may call that

 

[newfy]

Enjoy reading these and glad to hear Buium is playing well.

Seems like a lot of Wings fans hated that pick, but I always thought he had an interesting skill set and saw the appeal with him.

I dunno that it was hated but I remember pretty annoyed that Josh Doan was the next pick. Hes doing pretty good too so far in his pro career, but I'm also fine with looking for big dmen over wingers early in the draft so its kinda whatever.

Anyone who watches GR comes across as really impressed with Buium it seems

 

[Frk It]

I dunno that it was hated but I remember pretty annoyed that Josh Doan was the next pick. Hes doing pretty good too so far in his pro career, but I'm also fine with looking for big dmen over wingers early in the draft so its kinda whatever.

Anyone who watches GR comes across as really impressed with Buium it seems

I can't recall a lot of people liking the pick, unless I am remembering things incorrectly.

Based on what I had read on him from a couple different places, I thought he was the kind of defenseman I usually like taking a gamble on in round 2.

Either way... glad he is doing well.

 

[newfy]

I can't recall a lot of people liking the pick, unless I am remembering things incorrectly.

Based on what I had read on him from a couple different places, I thought he was the kind of defenseman I usually like taking a gamble on in round 2.

Either way... glad he is doing well.

Yeah I dont think a lot of people liked it but when you say hated the pick, I'm picturing the outrage when someone like Bertuzzi was drafted. Boom definitely didnt get that level ofhate lol

 

[SantosHalper]

Wins puck battles

Like the injury never occurred. That's the Mazur i've seen, the first 5 games i saw from him, i very sure he didn't lose a single battle for puck. Machine along the boards and same went along in men's worlds. Kid is bull, hopefully he gets a taste in the show soon.

 

[Hazy Little Thing]

I too see him as a #5 who leads that bottom pairing. I don't see how he can't become a guy who slots in as a good #4 that often hides out on the bottom pair due to our D depth

One big thing that will need to happen is him improving his skating and explosiveness more to;

• Cover more ice defensively against the rush
• Gain speed when he joins the rush

...And boy he enjoys starting and joining the rush. The best part is how smart about it he is, the reads are excellent IMO

The other thing is his shot. He has good willingness to shoot and quite a few of his assists are from redirects in front. Shot just needs to be more of a weapon, velocity-wise

At the next level, he could reasonably just be a yearly 20-30 point guy with good shutdown defense. Whatever # D you may call that

Skating is the hardest physical thing to improve upon at this point in the development curve unfortunately.

 

[Christien]

Flohockey is streaming the Griffins game for free today on their YouTube channel, about to get started here pretty soon

 

[newfy]

Flohockey is streaming the Griffins game for free today on their YouTube channel, about to get started here pretty soon

Good eye.

Griff's have had a really good first period, feels like they've had the puck the whole game but they're somehow outshot 11-2 right now lol

 

[raymond23]

What a sick power play goal by the vets

Griffins up 2-1 with a minute to go

 

[Preposterone]

Monster game by cossa

 

[lilidk]

It's hard to read those numbers
Other than Cossa , none NHL ready. All those guys should stay in GR this season.

 

[Our Lady Peace]

Special teams and Cossa were the difference. I enjoyed watching 50 mascots dance around the Moose arena lol

Danielson: B+
• There was a good shift mid-2nd where the line was buzzing. Otherwise, it was the usual defensive clinic. Also this kid gets kicked out of the faceoff dot at least 2-3 times per game lol

What's been frustrating for me is that he's not flying and using his speed. Or even playing with enough speed in the offensive zone. Tries to rely on his reads too much and instead just needs to go off instincts some more. Needs to work on changing his pace from calculated to attack. E.g. when gliding with the puck, use an extra crossover or two for a burst of speed to create space

He thrives with actual smart players so Watson, Dries, Soderblom, etc. Not Gettingers and Snivelys

Though I think having Watson on his line is kind of stale at this point, at least for now. Love Watson but his hands have been somewhat cooked lately. I want Mazur on Nate's RW with his speed/skill/IQ. Also Griffins LW depth is weak now that Elmer is gone. Once Lombardi comes back I hope that they move Dries to LW with Nate

With all that being said, on the first PP in the 3rd, the Griffs had an awesome zone entry where Rafferty fired it up the middle to Danielson and he got himself a direct lane using speed right to the net. Puck kind of bobbled on him but I really liked that play

With that also being said, this guy is gripping the stick too tight lately


Cossa: A+
• MVP today! Solid, steady, calm. Super athletic. Seeing the puck really well through traffic and making sure he holds onto those pucks. A few huge stops to keep the game scoreless in the 2nd. Huge save after the first goal against to keep GR in it. Another buzzer beater game saver holding the post when the Moose player tried to jam it in front behind the net


Mazur: B
• Can create his own shooting angles well. Reading the play well. Had a brutal giveaway in the 2nd where Cossa made a huge breakaway save. I want him on Danielson's RW ASAP


Wallinder: B
• Nice solo rush on the PP but had no teammates around. Got robbed in front on a nice passing play that he started

Needs to be more aggressive with fast/shifty players along the boards and force them to make a play, not wait for them

On the PK goal I thought he was soft on his man right on the doorstep for the first Moose goal. To be fair, he kind of had 2 guys though one was on the backdoor


Buium: A-
• Jumping into the rush nicely, defending really well as usual too cutting off lanes and options. I enjoy watching him be creative walking the line trying to make something happen instead of being too safe and getting it deep. Whether that be carrying, passing, or shooting


Tuomisto: B+
• Good work with his gaps and cutting down the rush along the boards. Solid job today getting involved offensively when he could. Letting that big shot rip a few times throughout the game. Good job QBing the final PP that led to the GWG


Becher: A
• Nice first shift offensively making plays and getting to the net area. Good defensive read to break up a pass but then he rushed it and gave it back off a blind spinning pass. He was on autopilot the rest of the way

All throughout the game, nice playmaking ability defensive play. For the PP goal he made a patient slick pass 3rd assist to Shine > Snively > Dries for the goal. He's surprisingly really good at that top LD position on PP2

 

[Reddwit]

Skating is the hardest physical thing to improve upon at this point in the development curve unfortunately.

The hockey world has made huge strides (heh) in the skating department. A lot more knowledge is available for guys to modify their stance and a lot more skating coaches around too. He can make improvements if he gets the right guidance and has the willingness to do so.

 

[Reddwit]

Not sure if this is the place to post it, so feel free to direct me somewhere else, but I’m going to my first Griffins game in early March and was wondering if you guys had any tips or if there are things I might need to know before going. Also wouldn’t mind some hotel suggestions if you know of any (price not an issue). Thanks in advance, you fine folks.

 

[schuelma24]

Not sure if this is the place to post it, so feel free to direct me somewhere else, but I’m going to my first Griffins game in early March and was wondering if you guys had any tips or if there are things I might need to know before going. Also wouldn’t mind some hotel suggestions if you know of any (price not an issue). Thanks in advance, you fine folks.

We love the JW Marriott. Right downtown and walkable to the arena. Pricier than most others but IMO worth it.

 

[Reddwit]

We love the JW Marriott. Right downtown and walkable to the arena. Pricier than most others but IMO worth it.

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you know what the parking situation is like there?

 

[newfy]

Not sure if this is the place to post it, so feel free to direct me somewhere else, but I’m going to my first Griffins game in early March and was wondering if you guys had any tips or if there are things I might need to know before going. Also wouldn’t mind some hotel suggestions if you know of any (price not an issue). Thanks in advance, you fine folks.

Get a hotel with parking, and if you wait to book and the weather looks crappy you can book the hotel with the skyway directly attached to the arena.

Lots of good places to eat all around downtown, theres a spot I cant remember the name of that has a pizza called the Dan Campbell, its Detroit style and really good lol

 

[Reddwit]

Get a hotel with parking, and if you wait to book and the weather looks crappy you can book the hotel with the skyway directly attached to the arena.

Lots of good places to eat all around downtown, theres a spot I cant remember the name of that has a pizza called the Dan Campbell, its Detroit style and really good lol

Nice, thanks man. Good tips. Love some Detroit style pizza.

 

[schuelma24]

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you know what the parking situation is like there?

They have a garage right across from the entrance and also easy valet. Amway Grand a block over is also good option.

 

[newfy]

Nice, thanks man. Good tips. Love some Detroit style pizza.

Should also mention, friday nights are 2 dollar beer and 2 dollar hotdog nights. The beers are tall boys too.

 

[HoweFan]

Love the nights when the Wings and Griffs win.

 

[Preposterone]

Not sure if this is the place to post it, so feel free to direct me somewhere else, but I’m going to my first Griffins game in early March and was wondering if you guys had any tips or if there are things I might need to know before going. Also wouldn’t mind some hotel suggestions if you know of any (price not an issue). Thanks in advance, you fine folks.

GR isn’t that big and van andel is in the middle of things, so you can’t really go to wrong with any of the well rated hotels downtown. My main recommendation would be that you DO NOT go on any promotional beer pricing night.