Month: December 2020

It looks like the Red Wings are ensuring that all their AHL players get to play ahead of a late-starting AHL season:

The @viennacapitals have announced the signing ✍️ of @DetroitRedWings goalie Calvin Pickard until end of December, to replace Sebastian Wraneschitz, who will be part of Austrian’s U20 national team. #UnitedByPassion | #ICETransfers
? (c) Detroit Red Wings pic.twitter.com/BX9k5u9rKL— bet-at-home ICE Hockey League (@betathomeICE) December 1, 2020

Update: The Red Wings made it official:

Update: The #RedWings have loaned goaltender Calvin Pickard to the Vienna Capitals (ICEHL). pic.twitter.com/z1hQgUQScG— Detroit Red Wings (@DetroitRedWings) December 1, 2020

Update #2: The Free Press’s Helene St. James weighs in:

In what does not seem encouraging news that there will be professional hockey in North America soon, the Detroit Red Wings have loaned another player to a team in Europe.

The Wings announced Tuesday that minor-league goaltender Calvin Pickard has been assigned to the Vienna Capitals in Austria.

While hockey leagues across Europe have had to postpone numerous games because of the pandemic, they are in action. That is in contrast to professional leagues in North America, which are aiming to start playing in the new year. The NHL has targeted a Jan. 1 start date, though that grows more unlikely as it’s already December.

FYI:

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According to the Journal-Inquirer’s Kyle Maher, Red Wings 2020 draft pick Chase Bradley has decided to play for the University of Connecticut next season:

The UConn men’s hockey team announced the signing of four players in their recruiting class of 2021, including one player who will reportedly join the program early.

Forwards Chase Bradley and Nate Hanley and goaltender Logan Terness will join the program in the fall. The two forwards both flipped from Northeastern.

Daniel Connolly of the UConn Blog reported that the fourth member of the class, Ryan Tverberg, will enroll at UConn after the school’s holiday break.

The Athletic’s Max Bultman and Joe Smith discuss possible trade scenarios in which the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning work together to alleviate the Bolts’ salary cap crunch this morning:

Joe Smith: I think you have to start with Johnson. The Lightning approached him early in the offseason on working with them on his full no-trade list, and the former All-Star center should get a lot of credit for being accommodating. Johnson gave Tampa Bay a list of eight to nine teams he could get dealt to. But the Lightning got a pretty good feel for the market when they put Johnson on waivers and nobody picked him up.

Killorn is another candidate, coming off a career year (26 goals), and he offers some flexibility with a modified no-trade clause (a list of 16 teams he can’t get traded to). He took a significant step as a leader this past season, so I don’t think Tampa Bay wants to move him, but it will have to be considered. There’s value there.

As for other names, I know captain Steven Stamkos’ name popped up earlier this offseason when it was reported that he wasn’t on the team’s “untouchables” list. But I think it’s highly unlikely that Stamkos, the face of the franchise who has a full no-move clause, is going anywhere.

Continued (paywall)