DETROIT >> The Detroit Red Wings feel goalie Tom McCollum might have finally found his game.
The team will resign McCollum, who Detroit selected with its top pick (30th overall) in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, to a one-year, two-way NHL contract.
After struggling for three straight seasons within the organization, McCollum is coming off his best season in the American Hockey League, going 24-12-4 with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage.
“He has made strides and is developing into the prospect we hoped he would be,” Wings general manager Ken Holland said. “It’s a little slower than we thought, but he’s become a real solid goaltender in the (AHL). Some players bloom a little later.”
In McCollum’s lone appearance in the NHL he gave up three goals in 15 minutes before being pulled.
McCollum, 24, will again backup Petr Mrazek with the Griffins.
The other two goalies in the system are Jared Coreau and Jake Paterson.
The team also made qualifying offers to seven of its restricted free agents – Danny DeKeyser, Tomas Tatar, Riley Sheahan, Landon Ferraro, Mitch Callahan, Adam Almquist and Andrej Nestrasil – to retain their rights.
Almquist signed a two-year deal in the KHL with Severestal Cherepovets.
The Wings didn’t make offers to Cory Emmerton, Trevor Parkes, Willie Coetzee, Gleason Fournier and Max Nicastro, thus relinquishing their rights.
Emmerton, who was the Wings’ top pick (41st overall) in 2006, played most of last season in Grand Rapids after being waived. He’s signed to play with the Sochi Leopards of the KHL next season.
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