Coach McLellan discusses the Wings’ youth movement

The Red Wings held a late-afternoon practice at Amalie Arena on Friday, ahead of tomorrow night’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

After practice, Simon Edvinsson and coach Todd McLellan spoke with the media, and the Detroit News’s Ted Kulfan spoke with Red Wings coach Todd McLellan regarding the contributions of young players like Simon Edvinsson, Jonatan Berggren, Joe Veleno, Albert Johansson and Marco Kasper of late:

“It’s great when youth can come in and gain confidence and begin to produce,” McLellan said. “It’s not always about points but having an impact on the game. Usually it means the organization is going in the right direction, and the future has a chance to be taken care of. It also pushes others in the lineup to maintain a certain standard of play and maintain their status on the team. There’s a lot of things that can happen when youth arrives.”

McLellan had a pretty good handle on Seider (age 23) and Raymond (22), two players who made an immediate impact in the NHL. Still, McLellan continues to learn more being around them every day. But it’s players like Edvinsson (21), Berggren (24) and Kasper (20) whom McLellan had heard snippets about as prospects in the Wings organization that he’s excited about.

“With Seider and Raymond and those type of players, you knew more about them,” McLellan said. “Simon, getting to know him, he’s everything we thought he would be and even more. The amount of minutes he can handle as a young player is pretty impressive. Berggren and Kasper are two that I didn’t know much about. When you’re drafted fairly high, you have something going for you and I didn’t know what it was. They have found ways to contribute.”

McLellan has found a common characteristic through the young players.

“They’re hungry right now, that group,” McLellan said. “Hungry to play and learn, and that’s a healthy thing.”

Kulfan also spoke with Jonatan Berggren regarding the Wings’ strong play:

“It’s always fun when the team is winning and you’re able to contribute with some offense,” said Berggren, who has scored three of his seven goals this season under McLellan. “Just coming to the rink after a win, than a loss, is a great feeling.”

Continued, with talk of the Wings “traveling well”…

Roughly translated: Anton Johansson’s got an ‘out clause’ in his new deal with Leksands IF

According to Hockeynews.se’s Linnea Andersson, Red Wings prospect Anton Johansson, a 20-year-old defenseman who just signed a 2-year contract extension with Leksands IF of the SHL, is able to go over to North America should he choose to attempt to make the NHL.

This is good news given that his NHL rights expire in the spring of 2026, at which time the Red Wings would have to sign him or allow him to become a free agent:

Extended just now–can leave anyway: “It’s the same”

Anton Johansson has signed a contract extension with Leksand. However, the defenseman could leave as early as next season. What his future looks like, he doesn’t know yet.

Before the game against Orebro on Thursday, Leksands IF announced that Anton Johansson has signed until the spring of 2027.

However, the 20-year-old defenseman could play with another team as early as next season. Johansson was drafted in 2022 by the Detroit Red Wings, and it depends on them how it will be next season.

At the very least, there will be a [summer development] camp in North America after the season.

“The idea is that I’m going over and trying it, and if I don’t succeed, I have to come here again, and that feels damn fun,” he told Falu-Kuriren.

Appreciates Leksand

Johansson doesn’t have a very good handle as to how the negotiations went with his new contract.

“My agent handles that. I was just told that there was a contract proposal, and then that I would sign it. It feels fun and incredibly good,” he tells the newspaper.

When Johansson moved to Leksand from Stockholm, he didn’t think that he would like to live in such a small place. However, this has changed considerably after several years in the district.

“When I cam here, I didn’t think that I’d like ‘the little one,’ but I like it more and more. It’s incredibly nice to be able to go everywhere in five minutes instead of having 40 minutes to go to the rink. I appreciate that very much, and I also appreciate all the people around the organization,” he says.

Johansson has played with Leksands junior team since the 2020-2021 season. Already in the following season, he registered his first games in the SHL.

Video: Edvinsson and coach McLellan after Friday’s practice

The Detroit Red Wings held a late-afternoon skate at Amalie Arena ahead of tomorrow night’s game vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 PM on FanDuel SportsNet Detroit/FanDuel Sports Sun/97.1 FM), and after their practice, Simon Edvinsson and coach Todd McLellan spoke with the media:

Tweets from Friday’s practice: Wings on the ice for a late-afternoon skate; Bolts skips practice after shootout win

According to FanDuel Sports Network Sun’s Gabby Shirley, we won’t find out very much about the 24-16-and-3 Tampa Bay Lightning’s lineup today as the team is not practicing.

Tampa is 2-1-and-1 in their last 4 games and 4-1-and-2 in their last 6, so the Red Wings do not head into Amalie Arena at an opportune time. The Bolts won a 4-3 shootout decision over the plucky Anaheim Ducks last night, with captain Victor Hedman hitting the 600-assist milestone.

Tampa Bay’s playing 16 games this month, so there’s a bit of mental fatigue going on within the team, but a full day’s worth of rest should help the Bolts recharge their batteries.

The Red Wings hit the ice at Amalie Arena just short of 4 PM EST, as the Detroit Red Wings noted on Twitter…

McLellan wants the Wings to avoid ‘standings-watching’

MLive’s Ansar Khan filed an off-day notebook article which discusses Red Wings coach Todd McLellan’s hopes that his players don’t get caught up in observing their place in the jumbled Eastern Conference standings:

“It’s our livelihoods, but we got to win hockey games, and when you lace up the skates, Todd talks about that a lot, take care of what you have to do and that’s what we’ve been focusing on,” [Dylan] Larkin told media following Thursday’s 5-2 victory at Florida.

The Red Wings are 8-1-0 in their past nine. They’re suddenly being shown on TV graphics for the wild card chase, no longer on the graphic for best draft lottery odds.

But as hot as the Red Wings have been, Columbus has won six in a row and is 9-2-0 in its past 11. Montreal is 11-2-1 in its past 14.

Those are two of the teams the Red Wings (21-19-4, 46 points) are chasing for a playoff spot. Detroit is three points behind Boston for the final wild card spot (with Ottawa and Montreal in between). But they have 38 games remaining, so there’s no point in dwelling on that, as McLellan noted.

“Right now, what I don’t want them to do is get caught up in a seven-game win streak or a four-game losing streak,” McLellan said earlier in the week .”I want them to live in the moment and just worry about that. It can be hard if you get caught up in all of that stuff. It can take you down or it can put you too far up. Put the equipment on and let’s deal with things between Minute 1 and Minute 60 and we’re fine.”

Said Andrew Copp: “You kind of know some things, but not staring at it every day. The moment you start standings-watching, you can kind of get caught up in it.”

Continued

Some Friday Red Wings trade talk

Sportsnet’s Justin Arenburg suggests that the Red Wings are one of seven teams to watch as the NHL trade deadline approaches on March 7th:

Detroit Red Wings

2025 draft picks: DET 1, DET 2, DET 3, NYR 3, DET 5, DET 6, DET 7, STL, 7

Is it time for the next step in the Yzerplan?

Since firing Derek Lalonde on Dec 26 and replacing him with Todd McLellan, the Red ‘hot’ Wings are 8-2 and have ascended into the playoff race.

With the recent streak and the pressure on Detroit to show progression, are they targeting Cozens out of Buffalo? Friedman reported on last Friday’s episode of 32 Thoughts that he believes the team could be sniffing around on the forward.

Centre talent is something the Red Wings don’t have outside of Dylan Larkin, and with $9 million in projected deadline cap space they have the opportunity and motive to make a big move.

Continued; I just don’t see a Cozens trade happening, $7.1 million salary cap hit included, happening unless the Wings are willing to give up a couple of prospect jewels in the crown. As the Buffalo News’s Mike Harrington suggested last weekend, the Sabres may not think such a trade’s even worth it unless they can get Raymond or Seider, which isn’t going to transpire.

My gut feeling is that the Wings will either address their need for a 2nd line center internally, or they’ll go the free agency route in terms of importing some talent into Detroit.

Grand Rapids Griffins to host their annual Great Skate this weekend

The Grand Rapids Griffins are holding their annual Great Skate to benefit the Griffins’ Youth Foundation after Saturday night’s game against Cleveland, and Griffins play-by-play announcer Bob Kaser appeared on Fox 17 this morning to discuss the event:

Quoting Fox 17’s Michelle Dunaway:

The Great Skate Winterfest is celebrating 20 years of helping support young hockey players. The Grand Rapids Griffins and the Griffins Youth Foundations host the event at Rosa Parks Circle. It starts at 10:00 pm on Saturday and lasts 24 hours, through Sunday January 19. Fans can take the ice with their favorite players, coaches and local celebrities. The event supports the Griffins Youth Foundations, a non-profit that allows underprivileged, under-served or those with special needs to play hockey free of cost. The Winterfest will have complimentary hot beverages and snacks as well as a heated tent for guests to warm up. There are plenty of ways to get involved and support the cause. You can come out and skate or donate to a specific player at griffinshockey.com/greatskate. There is also an online auction with tickets to concerts or sporting events, restaurant certificates, sports memorabilia, and much more.

Friday fundraising

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