Observations:

March 2015- Glendening has hit the 10 goal plateau for the first time in his career in this, his second season. To date he has doubled up his points total from last season with 14 points through 73 games played and has proved an invaluable contributor for Detroit this season. Case in point, just recently the former Michigan Wolverine was promoted to the top line alongside Pavel Datsyuk and Tomas Tatar because of his relentless puck pursuit. An attribute that Datsyuk thought would benefit himself and Tatar so they could drive more possession and inturn create more scoring opportunities. A sure sign that coach Babcock believes in the young gritty forwards abilities. Glendening should still be viewed exactly as he is a fourth line defensive specialist with the ability to get you a goal here and there because of his effort level and passion to control that puck. Travis Watson

November 2014- Luke Glendening is carving himself a nice little role teaming up with Drew Miller to help lead Detroit to being the second best penalty killing team in the entire NHL. He's playing a shade over 3 minutes a game on the penalty kill and has helped the Wings kill off 88.6% percent of opposing teams powerplays. Through his first 78 NHL games he has limited offensive numbers to show with just ten points but if you are in a fantasy league that counts hits, blocked shots and faceoffs, Glendening could be someone to plug in. He has won 54% of his draws to date and dished out 38 hits as well as sacrifacing the body on 18 occaisons to keep shots away. Glendening may be a bit of a late bloomer for standard leagues, but likely still a couple years away from garnering any attention. He's the type of player that is invaluable to the team, but not much value in fantasy, but as always things could change in a hurry. Travis Watson

April 2014- In game two of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals Glendening went hard to the net and was rewarded for his effort after a puck caromed off of his hand and into the net. The goal was Glendening's first NHL playoff goal but it wasn't enough as the Red Wings fell 4-1 to the powerful Bruins and are now all even at one game a piece in the series. Detroit can play with Boston and could no doubt dethrone the reigning Eastern Conference champs but they're going to need more than one goal a game to get things done. Travis Watson

April 2014- Detroit has locked up gritty forward Luke Glendening to a three-year contract extension at a cap hit of $628,333 per season. This is a great depth signing for the Wings with so much money tied up to their star players and multiple players coming into their UFA and RFA year there's decisions that are going to have to be made. This season hasn't been a typical one in Detroit as management has been forced to dip into their prospect pool due more often due to numerous injuries and Glendening has been one of the beneficiaries. Previous to signing this extension he had produced only a mere six assists in 51 games played but in his first game since he put pen to paper he recorded his first NHL goal. Hopefully this goal can open the gates for Luke and he can add an offensive touch to his already defensively sound game. In a full season you should see Glendening produce anywhere from 15 to as many as 30 points. Travis Watson

October 2013- Well Babcock wasn't lying when he said Luke would be an everydayer and absolutely play at the next level. Although not quite at the everyday player status yet, Glendening did make his NHL debut on Oct.14th against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers and even made his way onto the penalty kill at a crucial point in the third period with a one goal lead. Glendening has since skated in four other games but has yet to produce his first career point. With the return of Darren Helm from long term injury reserve the wings were forced to send Glendening down in favour of the speedster Helm. If injuries start to mount look for Glendening to be recalled again but in the meantime he will be proving his worth in all situations for the Wings farm team in Grand Rapids. Travis Watson

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July 2013- The former captain of the Michigan Wolverines could have asked for a better start to his professional career. In June of 2012, Luke Glendening was signed to his first professional contract by none other then his hometown team, the Grand Rapids Griffins. Glendening began the year in the ECHL due to the NHL lockout and the roster overflow it created. Knowing Glendening and his character, you knew it wouldn’t be long before he made it back to the AHL. Every where he has played he has made a difference and is a proven winner – ECHL All Star (2013), NCAA Champion (2010) and now a 2013 Calder Cup Champion!

Here is what Red Wings Coach Mike Babcock had to say about him: “Oh he will play at the next level for sure, he just knows how to play. He does things right, and he is an everydayer. When you are a coach in the NHL, that is what you are looking for.” That’s certainly some high praise for the rookie forward coming from one of the best coaches in the game today.

To cap it all off Glendening was signed by Detroit on July 5^th 2013 to his first NHL contract on a one-year, two-way contract. Travis Watson

Fantasy Outlook: D+

Possesses a solid two-way game and has the ability to really pick it up when called upon. A proven winner with strong leadership qualities and the heart of a champion. His play this season has put him on the radar to be a call-up option for next season as he already has an NHL frame and the flexibility to play any role needed.

Footage:

Luke scoring his first professional goal for his hometown Griffins:

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