7th Round Pick: Ian White

“Who is our second-best player? Ian White.” Why? “Because he’s Nick Lidstrom’s partner.” - Red Wings Players quoted by Elliotte Friedman

Ian White wasn't the most sought after defenseman last summer, with guys like Ehrhoff and Wisniewski on the market. I would argue he has been the most rewarding though. After being thrown around the league like Sean Avery's sloppy seconds Ian White signed a 2 year deal with our beloved Red Wings. It's a move that, to date, has proved to be rewarding.

Here is a look at Ian White's current stats:

GP • 37
G • 5
A • 15
P • 20

And for comparisons sake, here are my season predictions:

GP • 82
G • 8
A • 30
P • 38

White has been nothing short of fantastic to start the year, already tying his totals from last year. Deemed a "Rafalski Replacemnt" by many (I was not one as I was convinced Kronwall would fill that void and other guys would step up below) a lot of people were doubting the signing by the Wings. He may not be the offensive dynamo Rafalski was, but White has given a smooth transition in light of Raffy's his retirement. Ian White makes up for Rafalski's high-end offensive game with extremely solid two-way play.

White is prone to making a few occasional defensive gaffs and the same can be said in the offensive zone when, at times, he wants to do a bit too much with the puck. Overall, the mistakes are few and far between and his positives outweigh his minor negatives sevenfold.

Ian White is near the top of league in terms of bang for your buck when comparing to the rest of the off-seasons Free Agent signings and could be argued as the best. It makes the Eric$$on signing a bit easier to swallow.

Oh, and he has the ability to stop goals with his face.

Here is a list of past Predictions&Portraits:

Helm

Howard