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Octopus Reveals Red Wings’ Dennis Cholowski’s Kraken Pick In Expansion Project
The Detroit Red Wings lost Dennis Cholowski in the Seattle Kraken expansion draft on July 21, 2021.
Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press
Dennis Cholowski’s potential as an NHL player won’t come with the Detroit Red Wings, as the Seattle Kraken picked the young defenseman in the expansion draft.
Drafted 20th overall in 2016, Cholowski was billed as a gifted skater with excellent shooting and passing flair. But for all the odds and encouragement the Wings gave Cholowski, he failed to carve out a place in the roster for a desperate squad in search of skilled defensemen. His appeal, however, surpassed that of right-handed defenseman Troy Stecher, who was also on the list of players the Wings made available to the 32nd NHL team.
The choice was announced on Wednesday night’s expansion TV show on ESPN2. It was a disappointing event, as the names of the 30 teams the Kraken chose for their roster were leaked on Twitter during the afternoon. The Kraken was not dissuaded from playing on the entertainment angle: it was an octopus named Licorice from the Seattle Aquarium that revealed Cholowski’s name.
Every team, with the exception of the 2017 expansion, Vegas had to submit lists of protected and available players on Saturday.
The Wings have protected forwards Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Jakub Vrana, Robby Fabbri, Adam Erne and Givani Smith; goalkeeper Thomas Greiss and defenders Filip Hronek, Gustav Lindstrom and newcomer Nick Leddy. (First and second year pros such as Filip Zadina and Joe Veleno were exempt.)
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Hronek was a lock to protect, and there was room for Lindstrom, 22, and Cholowski, 23, until GM Steve Yzerman traded for Leddy on July 16. Lindstrom is playing a safe and smart game, but he lacks the offensive flash Cholowski has.
Cholowski has played 16 games this season, recording three points. In 13 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, he produced three goals and seven assists. Cholowski has 10 goals and 27 points in 104 career games with the Wings.
Stecher had 11 points and an Under-13 rating in 44 games in his first season with the Wings. He signed until next season with a salary cap of $ 1.7 million. With 2019 first-round pick Moritz Seider set to join the roster this fall, the Wings will have four right-backs in Seider, Hronek, Lindstrom and Stecher.
Cholowski’s lack of development disappointed the Wings, but exposing him could backfire. He’s an NHL-caliber defenseman, and the Kraken clearly believe he can still emerge as such.
Contact Helene St. James at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @helenestjames. Learn more about the Detroit Red Wings and sign up for our Red Wings newsletter. His book, The Big 50: The Detroit Red Wings is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Triumph Books. Custom copies available via email.
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