Hey, kids, guess what? Hockey's almost here. That means it's time for me to get back into this whole blogging thing that I've neglected during the off-season. Since I lack the creativity to come up with a new gimmick, I decided to continue the Player Profiles series I did last year leading up to the season. I'll be taking a look at a different player (almost) every day between now and when hockey starts. By my count, there are 5 days until the Wings open the regular season. Get excited. Today's subject:
Ruslan Salei
2009-2010 Regular Season: 14 GP, 1-5-6, +/- -1, 10 PIM
2010 Playoffs: 1 GP, 0-0-0, +/- 0, 0 PIM
Season Highlight: ?
Season Lowlight: Sitting out most of the season. Also, playing for Colorado.
When I read about Salei's signing, I was kind of meh about it. I didn't really care one way or another. Now, after seeing him at training camp and in the pre-season, I think we're looking at yet another steal by Kenny Holland. He looks solid out there. He's making good decisions with the puck and provides a steady veteran presence on the third pairing that can hopefully counter Jonathan Ericsson's mistakes.
I think he's exactly the kind of guy the Wings need on the third pairing. If he can stay healthy, he's going to turn out to be a good, solid acquisition. He's not flashy and he's not going to dazzle anyone, but that's not his role. He's going to eat up minutes and be a defensive presence that will hopefully rub off on Ericsson or, down the road, Jakub Kindl.
What he needs to do to make me smile: Be smart with the puck.
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