Osprey TV and Radio Ad Copy
The following documents will go through an entire advertising campaign designed for Osprey backpacks. There is one TV ad and one radio ad. The executive summary goes over the campaign as an introduction, each analysis will cover the effectiveness of the advertisement. This was written while attending Central Michigan university.
Thehockeywriters.com
During my time with thehockeywiriters.com I published three sports articles involving the Detroit Red Wings. During my time I gained knowledge about SEO writing. I also learned journalistic habits for sports journalism. If you would like to take a look at some of my work check out the following links…
Should Detroit Trade for Ristolainen?
https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-sabres-ristolainen-trade-potential/
Rasmus Ristolainen wants out from under the scrutiny of the Buffalo Sabres. And why wouldn’t he? Where will he go (a number of teams could seek out the young defenseman)? Ristolainen and the Sabres have had a rocky relationship since the team drafted him eight overall in 2013. And as great of a player he is on the power play, Buffalo fans seem unhappy with his performance on the ice over the past four seasons. In an interview with MTV Sports in his native Finland, Ristolainen expressed that he wishes to start the season on a new team. The interview was translated by the Buffalo News last week. Ristolainen stated, “I cannot say anything other than the fact that on the 12th of September, I will be at one of the NHL team’s training camps.” And no one should be surprised by his feelings towards a team that has struggled during his time there.
Does this young star defenseman fit into Detroit’s General Manager, Steve Yzerman’s, grand plan for the Red Wings? Could a deal even be reached? Detroit’s GM should at the very least inquire about the asking price, shouldn’t he? Ristolainen is a strong power play leader. And chews up a lot of minutes on the ice. He is also a young 24 years old, with plenty of time to fine tune lackluster aspects of his game. Ristolainen would also be less likely to miss time due to injury, than perhaps Trevor Daley or Mike Green.
Ristolainen: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
In four seasons with the Buffalo Sabres Rasmus Ristolainen has produced very solid offensive numbers. Burying the puck in the net 36 times, and assisting on 158 goals for the team over a span of 424 games. He has collected more than half a point per game in each of the last four seasons. Averaging 43 points in each of them. It’s no secret that Detroit’s defense could use his skill with the puck. Especially on the power play. Last year alone Ristolainen collected 17 points on the special teams unit. Last year Detroit scored 39 goals on the power play, converting 18.1% of the time.
Ristolainen’s biggest issue though. His defense. Ironic for a defenseman to be bad on the defensive side of the ice. But the stats tell the story. Ristolainen has been miserable on Buffalo’s end of the rink, having been on the ice for a goal differential of -41. To put that in perspective, that would give him the worst +/- for players in the NHL last year. In his career? He holds a -143. Now you know why fans are ready to move on from the Finnish star.
On saturday Buffalo’s GM, Jason Botterill, spoke with media sources expressing that Buffalo intends to keep Ristolainen in their locker room plans for the future. Ristolainen will start the season on September 12th at Buffalo’s training camp more than likely. But things could change between now and the trade deadline in February. He could continue to struggle to play with teammates in even strength situations, continuing a streak of poor on ice performance.
Why Detroit Should Make a Call to Buffalo
Detroit scored 39 times last year on the power play. Not the worst in the NHL, Montreal scored only 31 times, but certainly not the best. The Red Wings have struggled on the power play truly since Lidstrom retired following his final stanley cup in 2008. And trading for Buffalo’s young defenseman could help bolster an aging defensive core, and help to ease the pressure put on the team’s young guns to make immediate career strides.
Buffalo would have a fairly steep asking price for Rasmus Ristolainen and that would be fair considering he is one of the premiere defensemen for his age group. They would expect someone that could be just as offensive in return. Detroit has two forwards that would come to mind in Buffalo’s eyes, being Andreas Anthanasiou or Anthony Mantha. The issue there being, the teams swapping young talent for young talent and the possibility that in both cases it doesn’t work out.
For Detroit, the worst outcome would be Ristolainen continues to struggle defensively. As one of the before mentioned forwards goes on to help Buffalo reach the playoffs for the first time since 2011. The upside to Ristolainen’s game is that he would help the transition from old to young on the Red Wings defense and add some offense to the back end. Detroit has a strong core of young forwards that should make the team within the year.
Filip Zadina, Evgeny Svechnikov, Joe Veleno, Taro Hirose and Michael Rassmussen are all likely to be called up at some point this season, if they all don’t make the roster out of training camp. And with Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi on the first line, the return of Valteri Filpula and addition of Adam Erne the offense could potentially afford to miss out on Anthanasiou or Mantha. Especially if Ristolainen can step in and fill big shoes on defense. His presence on the Red Wings’ roster would relieve Green and Daley of some ice time as well as give young players like Jared McIssac more time to develop in the AHL with the Grand Rapids Griffins. Ristolainen is still young and would work out as a long term transition guy for the rebuild plans. Yzerman should at least make an inquiry into what Buffalo expects in return for him. But don’t expect any talks to truly heat up until later in the season.
Red Wings 2020 Draft Options
https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-2020-nhl-draft-options/
The Detroit Red Wings’ 2019-20 season will begin on October 5th at Bridgestone Arena against the Nashville Predators, puck drop is at 8 pm eastern. It will be the first game of what is sure to be a long and grueling season for the Red Wings. These next 82 games, we can hope, go by quickly and with more promise for the future in Detroit. And with bright stars already pushing to make the team, we can take time to recognize other young players that hope to join the Red Wings soon.
The 2020 NHL Entry Draft takes place June 26th-27th, 2020 at the Belle Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada; a day the Red Wings’ front office has already marked on their calendar. If interviews and preseason predictions are any indication, Steve Yzerman, general manager of the Red WIngs, will have a good chance at taking the number one pick. Having said that, if the Red Wings don’t land the number one overall pick, which players stand out among the crowd? While this list is not a definitive top 10 ranking, these players can easily slot in the Red Wings’ roster based on their unique skill sets. From flashy forwards to determined defensemen, these players are bound to make names for themselves before the 2020 Entry Draft.
Alex Lafreniere LW, Rimouski Oceanic, QMJHL:
Playing left wing, Lafreniere has been an early pick by analysts as the player most likely to be selected first. He plays for the Rimouski Oceanic in the QMJHL, hoping to improve upon a dominant season last year, scoring 37 goals and an impressive 105 points in just 67 games. Last year, he played alongside Red Wings prospect Joe Veleno in the 2019 WJC tournament. Lafrienere’s incredible positioning, goal-scoring ability, and high hockey IQ make him a no-brainer first-overall pick.
Quinton Byfield C, Sundsbury Wolves, OHL:
The 6’4”, 214 pound center is a big body that showed some impressive agility during the Helinka Gretzky Cup. Byfield recorded 5 points over 5 games, during team Canada’s run at gold. He plays center for the Sundsbury Wolves in the OHL, and in 2019 he, playing in 64 games recording 29 goals and 61 points. It should also be noted that Byfield is only 17, meaning he still has more time to grow and mature into an imposing force in the future.
Lucas Rayomond RW/LW, Frolunda HC J20, SuperElit:
Detroit could expand their relationship with the country of Sweden by picking the highly skilled winger out of Frolunda HC in the Swedish SuperElit. Raymond had an integral part of Sweden’s victory at the under-18 World Juniors last spring, scoring a hat trick that would win them the gold medal game against Russia. With the Frolunda J20 team in the 2019-20 season, Raymond will most likely end up playing against men in the SHL, at the age of 17,at some point this season. He has a deadly shot that will no doubt raise the eyebrows of the Red Wings’ front office.
Alexander Holtz RW/LW, Djurgardens IF J20, SuperElit:
Similar to Raymond, Alexander Holtz played a key role for the Swedish World Juniors team in their gold medal game back in the spring. Holtz is an aggressive forechecker, combined with his deadly shot makes for a nearly unstoppable combination. Last year, he played for Djurgardens IF J20, producing 47 points in only 38 games. It may be hard to seperate the so called twins, Raymond and Holtz, but each will blaze their own trail on their way to the NHL.
Cole Perfetti C, Saginaw Spirit, OHL:
Cole Perfetti made a big stride at the Helinka Gretzky Cup, leading the tournament with seven goals for 12 points breaking the tournament record. Perfetti is a smooth skating center out of the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit. Last season with the Spirit, he led the team with 74 points over 64 games. This next year will show whether his Helinka Gretzky numbers were a fluke, or a sign of things to come.
Jamie Drysdale D, Erie Otters, OHL:
Jamie Drysdale, the top defensemen for team Canada in the Helinka Cup, will play the 2019-20 season with the Erie Otters of the OHL. In the previous tournament, Drysdale was the leading scorer amongst defensemen, ranking 4th overall in points among all players. Drysdale is a power play leader and is expected to be the top defender in this year’s class.
Yaroslav Askarov G, SKA-1946 St. Petersburg, MHL:
For the first time since Carey Price, we may see a goaltender picked within the top ten in 2020. Askarov outperformed many at the World Juniors this last year and was the essential piece that led Russia to victory over Canada at the Helinka Cup. Yzerman has a tendency to pick big-bodied Russian goalies, and expectations are high for Askarov. In the Russian junior league last year, Askarov posted a .921 save percentage and a 2.31 GAA. With goaltending as a key concern in the prospect pipeline, Askarov may receive a few additional looks.
Anton Lundell: C/LW, HIFK, Liiga:
Anton Lundell follows a long line of elite Finnish players to come out of the Liiga in recent years, joining Patrik Laine, Aleksander Barkov, and Kaapo Kaako as their respective draft classes’ top talent. Lundell has been scouted for his exceptional wrist shot that brought him nine goals at the age of 17 in the Finnish men’s league. He’ll look to improve his numbers this season as he’s poised to gain a larger role on his team, Idrottsföreningen Kamraterna i Helsingfors, HIFK.
Noel Gunler LW/RW, Lulea HF, SHL:
Another highly anticipated Swedish winger, Noel Gunler did not start this season with the junior team at the Hlinka Cup. Last year, after playing in 31 games and scoring 46 points with the J20 team, he was called up to the Swedish Hockey League to play with Lulea HF for 15 games. In that time Gunler tallied 5 points with the parent organization playing against grown men. He’s one of the most experienced players in the draft, having spent the longest amount of time against fully developed athletes.
Hendrix Lapierre C, Chicoutimi Sagueneens, QMJHL:
Hendrix Lapierre joined team Canada in the Hlinka Gretzky Cup finishing 2nd among all players in points alongside fellow draft class member Cole Perfetti with three goals and 11 points. Lapierre was nearly a point-per-game last season in the QMJHL, finishing the season with 45 points in 48 games. He is a 200-foot player and monitors both ends of the ice with a responsible, careful outlook on any situation.
Vasili Ponomarev C, Shawinigan Cataractes, QMJHL:
Vasili Ponomarev plays a fast paced game. He shot up the preseason rankings at the Hlinka Gretzky cup, showing flashes of elite potential with high-speed plays and elite shooting. Last year Ponomarev played in Russia’s MHL, but will transition to the QMJHL in the 2019-20 season with the Shawinigan Cataractes. If he can be an elite presence in the junior league, he will leap ahead of many other European players that have chosen to remain in Europe this season. I really like Ponomarev’s chances to rise above the competition due to his accurate stick and playmaking ability. Keep an eye out for Ponomarev as he continues to take big strides this year in the QMJHL.
Overall, the Detroit Red Wings and Yzerman will follow their meticulous plan when the 2019-20 season concludes. If the team receives the first overall pick the decision should be fairly easy, but if not, Yzerman will have a lot of options available within the top ten. It wouldn’t be surprising to see a dark horse candidate make their way to Detroit after the draft. Until then, keep your eyes peeled for any players with untapped potential before the 2020 Entry Draft.
Could the Red Wings be in RFA Trouble in 2020?
https://thehockeywriters.com/red-wings-salary-cap-issues-2020/
The 2019 restricted free agent (RFA) pool was set to be one of the largest and most exciting. A large list of young players across the league were, and still are, poised to make a large amount of money. With so many things going on and so much still to be decided in the near future, many fans are eagerly awaiting the contract announcements of players like Mitch Marner. With contract negotiations nearing a standstill, players like Marner, Patrik Laine, and Kyle Conner are rumored to be looking overseas for work. The delay in signings this season could spill into next year, potentially spelling trouble for the Detroit Red Wings next off season.
There are 14 RFAs that will expire at the end of the 2019-20 season. Of those 14 players, Anthony Mantha, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Andreas Athanasiou are primed to earn the biggest bump in pay. All three will spend the season on the top two lines, and will likely be the difference-makers that will cornerstone the future for the team. Both Athanasiou and Mantha have received extensions in the past, but this will be Bertuzzi’s first time to truly get what is owed. Each of these players have made a large impact on the team. It would be disastrous to the Red Wings’ current rebuild and the chemistry within the locker room if Steve Yzerman can’t find a way to keep all three during the next off season.
Red Wings’ 2019-20 RFAs: Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Tyler Bertuzzi, Adam Erne, Taro Hirose, Evgeny Svechnikov, Jacob De La Rose, Madison Bowey, Oliwer Kaski, Christoffer Ehn, Dominic Turgeon, Ryan Kuffner, David Pope, Vili Saarijarvi
If Yzerman plays it smart, he’ll be able to get all of his key players signed to team-friendly deals. The big three names on the RFA list (Athanasiou, Bertuzzi and Mantha) will all require hefty pay raises. There will be a lot of factors that go into these player’s contracts. Their play, while important, serves as only one facet of contract negotiations. Working within the confines of cap space will be a battle Yzerman will need to fight for years to come.
Anthony Mantha, RW
Mantha has been a big name in Detroit since he was drafted by the Red Wings 20th-overall in 2013. His early career with the team’s AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins, was plagued by injuries. Since then, Mantha has remained relatively healthy during his professional career. Last season, Mantha put together 25 goals and 48 points as he battled injuries and inconsistencies. This season should see him potentially eclipse 30 goals while making it above his current career high. By July 2020, it seems more than likely that he will be looking for a pay raise from his current $3.3 million contract.
Current Contract: $3.3 million AAV for 2019-20
Projected Contract: 5 years/ $4-6 million AAV
Andreas Athanasiou, LW/C
In 2017, Red Wings fans experienced the firsthand effects of a contract holdout. Athanasiou went the entire summer through the majority of October without a contract, eventually agreeing to a one-year, $1,387,500 million deal. In an effort to avoid arbitration and another holdout, the Red Wings offered a two-year, $3 million contract in the summer of 2018 to Athanasiou, who quickly signed. Last season, he was the second highest scoring forward for the Red Wings with 30 goals in 76 games.
This summer he and his agent, Darren Ferris, will look to cash in on another high-paying contract. Before that happens, he will need to prove himself and improve on his career-high 54 points.
Current Contract: $3 million AAV for 2019-20
Projected Contract: 4 years/ $5-6.5 million AAV
Tyler Bertuzzi, LW
Bertuzzi has been a bright spot during some of the tougher parts of the last few seasons. He’s feisty, works hard, and gets under opponents’ skin. He slots in perfectly alongside Larkin and Mantha, helping him to collect 47 points in his first full season with the Red Wings. Bertuzzi is a special player to this franchise because of his grit and ability to score while getting into the tough areas of the rink. He has a never-give-up attitude, that serves as a catalyst for the rest of his teammates. His current contract nets him $1.4 million this season. If his current trajectory continues, he’s absolutely due for a pay raise. He’ll likely receive a bridge deal while the Red Wings work to manage their current assets.
Current Contract: $1.4 million AAV for 2019-20
Projected Contract: 2 years/ $2.5-4 million AAV
Current RFA Situation Could Predict Troubles Next Year
For the moment, other NHL teams are bearing the brunt of the RFA situation. Teams such as the Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, Calgary Flames, and Boston Bruins all have very important RFAs that still need to be signed. But why are these contracts taking so long? It’s fair to assume that the cap plays a huge role in contract negotiations. Once teams figure out their current contract situations, it’s likely that the vast majority of these RFAs will be signed. With that in mind, there will likely be a few that start out the year in the European leagues. This year’s offseason could be a sign of things to come in Detroit.
Each of these Red Wings players are due for a pay raise come end of the year, as should some others on the list of RFAs for the Red Wings. Which will only complicate things more for the team and Yzerman’s front office. There will be a lot on his plate, preparing for the draft in June, attending collective bargaining agreement meetings with the owners, and signing important young players to new contracts. But Yzerman has a strong track record for good contracts like those of Nikita Kucherov, and Andrei Vasilevskiy. As well as dumping poor contracts, like when he dumped Valtteri Filppula’s $5 million AAV with Tampa Bay.
This is a very important year for the Red Wings. Even if their roster isn’t close to contending, this is a year where players will seek to prove their worth as they vie for contract extensions. The Red Wings will be in an interesting spot at the end of the 2019-20 season. Expect to see Jonathan Ericsson, Trevor Daley, and Mike Green’s current contract money put to use signing these key players. Having said that, finding a replacement for Green and a potential replacement for goaltending over Jimmy Howard may prove to be a challenge. Johan Franzen’s contract, currently on long-term injured reserve, will reach its conclusion, as well, giving Yzerman more flexibility with free agency. Most of the team’s issues can be resolved one way or another, but it will require a lot of patience on our parts.
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