Red Wings May Not Take Mazur in October, But His Time is Coming

Red Wings prospect forward Carter Mazur gained 13 pounds this offseason and he’s still 12 pounds lighter than the average Detroit player

But the added weight is enough to tip the scales in his favor when it comes to confidence.

“(The weight gain) was all muscle, too,” the Michigan native said. “That’s another good sign. It was a lot of work to get to that point. Now to maintain it for the whole year is going to be hard to do… I feel like it’s helping me a lot. In the game I felt stronger on my feet, I felt faster. Every part of my game just feels better because of the 13 extra pounds I have.”

If Mazur was playing for another NHL team, he might be favored to earn a roster spot. He’s coming off a quality season in Grand Rapids, including a strong postseason (Eight points in nine games).  But the Red Wings don’t have much wiggle room when it comes to roster room.

“I had confidence in the playoffs last year in the AHL, building off that and then adding that weight is a big factor in me not making the team or making the team,” Mazur said.  “It is a little thing but it’s something that really adds to my game. That’s how I play. I want to be heavy, I want to be physical. Even if I’m not 200 pounds I still think I can do that at 188. It adds a lot of confidence to my game and I feel very comfortable where I’m at.”

Another Bertuzzi?

Mazur’s read on his situation is probably right on the money, because what the Red Wings really like about Mazur he offers a snarl and fire breathing to go with his scoring touch. He totaled 17 goals in 60 games, and added three more in the playoffs.  Mazur likely can be a 20-goal scorer at the NHL level. He projects to be a Tyler Bertuzzi type player,

“He’s obviously a bigger boy,” Detroit forward Joe Veleno said. “Not scared to battle in the corners and competes really hard. Always gives that extra effort. Just like that assist that he had the other night. He’s just kind of relentless on the puck, got some good skills in tight, got a good shot and he’s kind of built pretty thick.”

Believer it or not, one of Mazur’s problems is keeping weight on. That’s not going to earn him much sympathy in the real world.

“It’s mostly just eating,”  Mazur said. “Eating as much as I can. It’s pretty simple, but it is hard during the year, especially skating every single day and playing games, you lose a lot of calories when you’re on the ice.”

Hard to Play Against

Mazur played with Marco Kasper in the AHL playoffs. They seem to fit well together, both are tough to play against. Both play prickly.

(Kasper’s) also gotten bigger and stronger, I can tell,” Mazur said. ” He’s a player that can really change the game on a physical side and offensive size. He’s using his speed pretty well. In the first preseason game he was a really standout guy. I thought he did all the little things the right way. He’s not making mistakes. He’s just a really good hockey player. ”

It doesn’t seem farfetched to believe Kasper and Mazur could end up together in Detroit, although it probably isn’t going to happen at the start of the season.