Dennis Cholowski would have been an interesting case even without any external strings attached. He’s a defenseman whose stock shot up the charts during his draft year in 2016 then was grabbed by the Red Wings at pick No. 20. He played one year of college hockey and then pulled the chute.



There’s plenty of intrigue there.



He’s also an interesting personality who stands out in the world of hockey because he’s a bit of an introverted intellectual, according to those who know him well. His freshman course load at St. Cloud State included sociology, calculus and physics.



“His father is an engineer,” his agent Allain Roy said. “They’re very intellectual people. They look at the world like engineers and have a lot of questions and break things down.”



When hockey teammates have to lure you out of the library, as this St. Cloud Times story suggests, that tends to stand out.



“The best way to...