Theo Rochette has spent enough time in Detroit’s camp to start making people pay attention, and the Red Wings are clearly noticing.
The 24-year-old center is not guaranteed to stick with the NHL club right away, but the door is open. Red Wings coach Todd McLellan came away impressed after Sunday’s final training camp scrimmage, when the team moved Rochette from the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins group to skate with the NHL players.
“A very good skater,” McLellan said. “Great pace, gets up to full speed fast.
“Transfers the puck, transports the puck at that high pace. He doesn’t slow down when he gets it. A lot of players slow down, so he does that well.”
McLellan also called him a “Pretty heady player,” adding, “Sees the ice well.”
Rochette signed with the Red Wings this summer as a European free agent after spending the last four seasons in Switzerland. He is a transplanted Canadian who won a Memorial Cup with the QMJHL Quebec Remparts, and his path back toward the NHL got a boost after he helped Switzerland win silver at the IIHF World Championship last spring.
When Detroit reached out, Rochette felt the timing made sense.
“I think it was a good opportunity for me,” Rochette said. “That’s what I’ve always wanted, and I had some good talks with them.
“At the end of the day, my dream is to play in the NHL, so I don’t want to have any regret not trying.”
For the Red Wings, the appeal is easy to understand. Center depth remains a concern in the organization, especially when it comes to skilled, creative players. If Dylan Larkin’s trade request is eventually met, that issue could become even more pronounced.
That uncertainty is part of why Rochette’s arrival has drawn interest. Detroit may have seen a possible short-term answer, or at least a player worth getting into the pipeline now.
“I saw a great opportunity, so I decided to come,” Rochette said.
The challenge now is the rink itself. Rochette has spent the past four years on the larger ice surfaces in Switzerland, so the shift back to NHL dimensions will take some adjustment. McLellan acknowledged that, but he also sounded encouraged by how quickly Rochette is adapting.
“He’s an adjustment guy,” McLellan said. “I know he’s played over here and has lots of North American time, but his last four years have been on large ice surfaces for the most part over in Switzerland.”
Even so, Detroit is not shutting the door on a call-up this season.
“I think he’s got a chance,” McLellan said. “And if it’s not initially, hopefully he gets off to a good start in GR and forces us to use him. But I’ve liked what I’ve seen from him.”
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