Can Doucet Deliver Goals For Griffins?

Both the Detroit Red Wings and their top farm club, the AHL Grand Rapids Griffins, are asking the same question entering training camp.

Who’s gonna score the goals this season?

In Detroit, the Red Wings said goodbye to Daniel Sprong (18), David Perron (17), Robby Fabbri (18), Jake Walman (12) and Shayne Gostisbehere (10). That’s 75 goals.

“We’d like to think (free agent addition) Vlad Tarasenko offsets one of those losses,” Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman said. “We think Jonatan Berggren can offset another of those losses.”

Solid weekend pic.twitter.com/IwgbT7H4AK

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 15, 2024

Berggren (24 goals) is among those who will be gone from the Grand Rapids offense. Other key contributors who won’t be returning are Joel L’Esperance (16), Taro Hirose (nine), Zach Aston-Reese (12), Matt Luff (10) and Austin Czarnik (10). That’s 81 goals.

Who replaces those goals? One of the candidates could be left-winger Alexandre Doucet. He was an 19-goal scorer last season as a pro rookie with the ECHL Toledo Walleye. He’s anxious to prove that he can bring that touch to the AHL. During Detroit’s rookie series with the Dallas Stars, Doucet would tally three times in two games.

Doucet Ready To Step Up To Griffins

He believes he’s learned his lessons well and is prepared to make that next step up the hockey ladder.

“I’m working on my strength, getting faster,” the six-foot, 192-pound Doucet said. “I think I’ve got smarter playing the coast last year, so I’m just trying to show that I’ve improved a lot.

“I don’t want to go back in the coast, so I’ve tried to work hard this summer to prove that I belong in Grand Rapids.”

Two games, two dubs!

🚨: Doucet, Johannes, Finnie
🍎: Johannes, Lombardi, Doucet, Rychlovsky, Danielson pic.twitter.com/yXxDgfK98h

— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) September 15, 2024

Griffins coach Dan Watson was behind the bench for those rookie games. He was liking what he was seeing from Doucet.

“What he put in the summertime, I think he’s in better shape,” Watson said. “We know he could score. We know he’s got that energy now.

“It’s being consistent with it, and I think we saw that consistency. He was able to follow up shift after shift with his skating, with his compete level.

“What he did with the puck, that’s what we need to see all the time with him, is just that high energy, but at a consistent level.”