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Red Wings forward's currently going through a rough slump and Todd McLellan makes his feelings known
Photo credit: Grand Rapids Griffins
Detroit Red Wings prospect Emmitt Finnie is in a slump despite being a top-six utilization; is this concerning to Todd McLellan? No, surprisingly.
In 17 games with the Detroit Red Wings, prospect Emmitt Finnie has scored 8 points (4-4) and has been utilized on both lines (1 and 2).
He found early success in the season playing with Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin. He'd provide the team with the kind of firepower needed to put them on the path to the top of the Atlantic.
Since then, his last eight games have been a disappointment to the Red Wings fans, as he's been held scoreless, despite his slump.
Todd McLellan is not worried about Finnie's eight-game slump and is confident in the former 7th-round pick:
«Confidence in him hasn't gone or diminished at all,» McLellan said.
Despite his lack of scoring, he's providing hits and is third on the team this year with 32 hits in 17 games. He'll find his new home on the second line with JT Compher and Patrick Kane.
Instead, McLellan is foregoing the typical rule book in this case and makes a cogent point here:
«Just erase everything we know.» McLellan said. «And if we said that we'd have a seventh-round draft pick that hadn't really played any pro hockey playing for us 19 games in and playing a prominent role, we would all be happy.»
The Reason Why Confidence Remains in Emmitt Finnie
Finnie has proven himself to be a hard worker on the ice and provides more than just offense. He's a sound defensive forward who goes where he's needed.
«He cleans up messes on the way back because he skates so well. He loosens up pucks on the forecheck, he'll go to the net, he stirs things up a little bit, draws some penalties.
So it sounds like he's providing the kind of play the team needs on the backend to keep the offense going.
The only issue is he's in a scoring slump for the season, and he has a 14.3 shooting percentage per ESPN, which could explain why he's cooled off so much after October.
The Lethbridge, Alberta-born forward has been a bright spot for a team that's needed help from the youngster for a while. The Red Wings completed a move with the 19-year-old prospect, putting him on the opening night roster. And he's held onto the opportunity since.
He'd win the heart of NHL Analyst Paul Bisonnette, who has a soft spot for the hard-working 7th-round pick. But he isn't done yet, as a trip to the AHL isn't in the cards.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 16 | 308 ANSWERS Red Wings forward's currently going through a rough slump and Todd McLellan makes his feelings known Do you think forward Emmitt Finnie of the Detroit Red Wings is headed back to the AHL? | ||
| Yes | 109 | 35.4 % |
| No | 199 | 64.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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