The Malik Report

EliteProspects/DLLS Stars/Shap Shots’ Sean Shapiro posted a mailbag feature this morning on his Shap Shots blog, and among his answers to reader questions is this take on the Red Wings’ managerial search:

What is your ideal red wings timeline/series of events from now up until 31 December? (Ie if you thought all pieces feel into place, what would it look like to you?)

Well it starts with hiring a GM before we get to September, which then quickly parlays into signing Simon Edvinsson to an extension.

But let’s put some dates on things to have some fun.

Sept. 1 — Red Wings hire a new GM, let’s go with Peterson for this thought exercise.

Sept. 2 — Red Wings sign Simon Edvinsson to an extension in the $8 million AAV range.

Sept. 10 — The Red Wings trade Dylan Larkin, avoiding the awkward training camp and then announced Moritz Seider as the new captain.

I think, from there, you see what happens. There’s too much right now that can shuffle, in my view, for us to feasibly see what happens into late December.

Continued (paywall); I have a sinking feeling that the Red Wings won’t name a GM until sometime in mid-September, that it’ll cost them at least $8.5 million to sign Simon Edvinsson, and that the situation regarding Dylan Larkin will remain complicated until the team is able to trade him.

The Free Press’s Helene St. James posted a to-do list for the Red Wings ahead of training camp, and she includes four topics of interest, including the following:

Let’s ‘C’ if Larkin comes to camp

Larkin has been mum on his side, but it’s been four months since made his trade request (Yzerman said it was shortly after the season ended, which was April 15). No deal has materialized.

The Wings want full value − and preferably value-now players in return for Larkin, who centers their top line and has a very palatable $8.7 million salary cap hit. That’s why, as Yzerman said, he didn’t promise to trade Larkin. If Larkin does not report to camp, he won’t be paid. If he does, there’ll be intense scrutiny, from fans to media to team personnel.

And he almost certainly would have to turn in his captaincy. The Wings have a natural successor to the captain role in Moritz Seider, but is it fair to Seider to award him the “C” during such circumstances? They might skip a season.

Continue reading HSJ’s to-do list for the Red Wings’ next GM and/or president of hockey operations

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson discusses 5 trade rumors as “BS or not BS” (assume that the abbreviation means what you think it does) this morning, and he’s got the right idea regarding the Minnesota Wild’s pursuit of disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin:

Minnesota Wild Can’t Afford to Acquire Dylan Larkin

In early June, it was first reported that Dylan Larkin requested a trade. That made the 30-year-old Detroit Red Wings center a fixture in the rumor mill and earned him a spot on our August NHL Trade Targets list.

Larkin has a full no-movement clause, but is reportedly willing to waive it for the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Dallas Stars. According to MLive.com’s Ansar Khan, the Wild were his preferred landing spot, but they might be unable to meet the Wings’ asking price.

Khan stated the Red Wings sought, at minimum, a top-six forward (preferably a center) in return for Larkin. However, the Wild aren’t parting with that type of asset, and Khan indicated the Red Wings aren’t interested in a return of futures such as draft picks and prospects.

Continue reading It’s not BS to suggest that the Minnesota Wild’s rumored return for Dylan Larkin falls short of expectations

Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff wonders aloud whether Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Marco Kasper or Albert Johansson can “break out” offensively over the course of the upcoming season. We’ll examine his take on Johansson as more production from #20 may push him up the Wings’ depth chart:

Does Albert Johansson Have More Offense in Him?

As a third-pairing defender, Albert Johansson has proven to be a steadying presence. He’s not spectacular at anything, but the fact that he recognizes his limitations and plays within himself has helped to make Johansson effective in his role.

On those rare occasions when he goes on offensive forays, Johansson has produced some highlight-reel goals.

He’s scored three goals in each of the past two seasons. Does Johansson have more to give in attack? He thinks so.

“I would say I was maybe a little bit more offensive defenseman back home in Sweden when I played there,” Johansson said. “And then since I came over here, I focus a lot on my defensive game. I think I’ve been taking steps in that way, and now I feel like my offensive game kind of shows up a little bit more over here, too.”

Continued; Johansson could propel the Red Wings’ defensive depth forward even if he’s only able to push himself to producing offense at a semi-regular pace.

The Red Wings signed 19-year-old winger Eddie Genborg to an entry level contract this past spring, but it’s expected that the Wings will allow Genborg to remain with Timra IK of the SHL this upcoming season.

This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff profiles the 6’2,” 198-pound Genborg:

Three Reasons Why Genborg Will Play in the NHL

1. He’s an agitating presence. Genborg is a going concern. He will antagonize other teams.
2. The kid can score. No, Genborg won’t be a 30-40 goal scorer as an NHLer. But 13-15 goals per year and being hard to play against will keep you in the league for a long time.
3. His physical play. Genborg isn’t merely a rat. He delivers massive body checks that can change the momentum of a game.

What May Hold Him Back

Genborg faces the same question that dogs many up-and-comers. Can he score enough at the NHL level? There’s also the worry whether his energetic, fearless style of play will make him more susceptible to injury.

Continued; Genborg may end up being another Tomas Holmstrom-like player, and the Red Wings need that kind of player very badly.

In the Alanis Morissette sense of the term, this is truly “ironic.” It’s bemusingly funny in the “darkly humorous” sense of the term that the NHL Network named disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin its 20th-best center on Sunday evening:

20. Dylan Larkin, Detroit Red Wings

The Red Wings captain had 67 points (34 goals, 33 assists) in 74 games last season, including 24 power-play points. He has at least 30 goals in each of his past five seasons, one of seven players to have done so (Kyle Connor, Leon Draisaitl, Jake Guentzel, Nathan MacKinnon, William Nylander, Alex Ovechkin). Larkin has at least 13 power-play goals in each of his past four seasons and has won at least 52 percent of his face-offs in that time. He also had three points (two goals, one assist) in six games to help Team USA win the gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Continued; somebody tell Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin that Larkin was named one of the NHL Network’s Top 20 centers for the past two years running (he was 15th last year).

We’re grinding it out here in South Lyon. Aunt Annie remains bed-bound, and she’s battling significant side effects from a heavy antibiotic being used to rid her of chronic UTI’s.

I worked myself ill this past week, and I’ve tried to recover via some actual rest and recuperation on Saturday, but it’s difficult when I’m “on call” so very regularly.

We’re pretty tired and burnt out right now…

But we’re also feeling incredibly grateful and humbled by your generosity in terms of our dual fundraisers.

Aunt Annie’s about $400 from her goal on the GoFundMe, and I’m about $200 from my goal for the server fees. It’s going to be difficult to push through those numbers, but they’re entirely possible to meet over the course of the next week.

If you’re willing to lend a hand, here are the details:

Continue reading Fundraiser update: getting closer…

WXYZ’s Brad Galli posted an interview with Red Wings TV play-by-play broadcaster Ken Daniels this morning, conducting a 21-minute interview in which Daniels discusses the Red Wings, the Jamie Daniels Foundation and the imminent Roast of Chris Osgood:

Red Wings TV play-by-play broadcaster Ken Daniels joins me on the newest episode of The Brad Galli Show.

We sat down in his backyard to discuss the tumultuous Red Wings offseason. He also spoke extensively on the Jamie Daniels Foundation.

▶️ Watch: https://t.co/6jiQQaNFB8

The… pic.twitter.com/BMG4pWpLbQ

— Brad Galli (@BradGalli) August 23, 2026

Continue reading Red Wings play-by-play broadcaster Ken Daniels appears on The Brad Galli Show

Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith profiles Red Wings 2026 first round draft pick JP Hurlbert this morning, discussing the 6,’ 190-pound forward’s pluses and minuses.

Hurlbert scored 42 goals in 68 games with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers last season, and he’s going to enter his freshman season with the University of Michigan Wolverines this fall:

Three Reasons Why Hurlbert Will Play in the NHL

1. Hurlbert’s a scorer, plain and simple. If he gets the puck on his stick and he thinks he has a shot, he’ll take it. With 42 goals on 294 shots on goal, he’s good for a point on about 14.5% of his
2. Hurlbert is a high character, high motivation player. While he faces some physical limitations in the checking and defensive game, there’s no question about him trying.
3. He’s got plenty of runway to develop more dimensions to his game. Hurlbert wasn’t commonly viewed as a first round pick going into the year, and found himself going in the Top 25 on actual draft day.

What May Hold Hurlbert Back

The biggest problem Hurlbert faces as a hockey player is his ability to find a second gear. Hurlbert’s speed isn’t one of his greatest strengths, and with a lack of size at the moment to make up for that missing speed, he can sometimes find it hard to get separation from opposing skaters. Shooting from anywhere is one thing, but he has to actually get to those spots somewhat cleanly if he wants to make an impact on the scoresheet.

Continued; Hurlbert’s got issues to fix in terms of his skating and “compete level,” but he’s only 18, and he’ll be playing for coach Brandon Naurato and the Wolverines’ hockey machine this upcoming season. That should provide Hurlbert with a “learning environment” both on and off the ice.

The Hockey News’s Michael Whitaker reports that disgruntled Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin was spotted golfing with Detroit Lions players Aidan Hutchinson and Amon-Ra St. Brown as part of a promotion for “4th And Fore,” a clothing company owned by Hutchinson. Here are the two Instagram videos of Larkin, Hutchinson and St. Brown facing off in a “2 vs. 2,” with Larkin and Cam Kostus battling Hutchinson and St. Brown.

There are some Instagram highlights from the event…

Continue reading Dylan Larkin goes golfing with Aidan Hutchinson and Amon-Ra St. Brown