panoo

Posted by Ansar Khan
July 09, 2007 06:00AM

The least likely Red Wing to be an NHL player has to be Brett Lebda. He wasn't drafted despite a solid career at Notre Dame because he was considered too small to be an NHL defenseman.

That might have been the case in the old NHL. But in the new NHL, with its emphasis on skating and quick puck movement, there is a place for a player like Lebda. The Wings signed him as a free agent in 2004 and he made a quick ascent to the NHL after playing only one full season with Grand Rapids (AHL).

Note: Look for a scouting report on a different Wings player every Monday and Thursday this summer leading up to the start of training camp on Sept. 14

He caught Wings coach Mike Babcock's eye in training camp. Babcock felt Lebda's speed and skills were ideally suited for the up-tempo style he wanted to establish. Surprisingly, Lebda made the season-opening roster. He was sent down after veteran Jason Woolley was signed and shuttled back and forth a few times before beating out Woolley and Cory Cross, players Babcock had no use for, to nail down the sixth spot on defense late in the 2005-06 season and into the playoffs.

Chris Chelios, as he's done with several other young defensemen, served as Lebda's mentor, and the two Chicago natives have been paired together for much of the last two seasons.

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