The Malik Report

This is a weird one. SKA St. Petersburg acquired the rights to Red Wings goaltender Daniil Tarasov from Salavat Yulaev Ufa:

Thank you, Joe! 👏

Joe Blandisi has moved to Salavat Yulaev, while SKA have received the #KHL rights to goalkeeper Daniil Tarasov.

We thank Joe for his efforts in Saint Petersburg, wishing him luck for the future!#hcSKA pic.twitter.com/KcTRDDxduw

— SKA Ice Hockey Club (@hcSKA_News) August 7, 2026

I spotted this “transfer” on EliteProspects’ transfers page, and it’s puzzling. The KHL’s richest, most powerful team has snagged the KHL rights to a player under an NHL contract.

Why? To poach him from the NHL? Or to simply offer Tarasov a KHL “off-ramp” if he doesn’t play a whole hell of a lot in Detroit this upcoming season?

Tarasov is 27 and has bounced around a bit from Columbus to Florida and now Detroit, and I’ll grant you that making around the same $2 million that he’s earning with Detroit playing for SKA St. Petersburg might be tempting, but if Tarasov wants to play in the NHL, he’s not going to book it for the eastern end of the Baltic Sea after one year.

After September 16th, 2026, NHL teams will no longer be allowed to sign their players to contracts of a maximum 8-year term; the “new CBA” drops the contract max down to 7 years.

Ironically enough, the Hockey News’s Erik Cruikshank suggests that it’s Marco Kasper who the Red Wings need to lock up for an 8-year term–at an affordable rate–before the salary cap skyrockets over the next couple of seasons:

Marco Kasper, Detroit Red Wings

The Dylan Larkin saga could have a ripple effect throughout the Detroit Red Wings’ organization if his trade request comes to fruition.

With a big hole potentially left at the center position in his absence, Marco Kasper suddenly emerges as a candidate to land a long-term extension.

The Austrian center saw a steep decline in offensive production during his sophomore season, scoring only nine goals and finishing with 19 points after potting 19 goals and 37 points in 2024-25.

That drop-off could create some reasonable concerns for the next GM in Detroit and impact their willingness to commit to an eight-year deal. However, the Red Wings might be in a position where they need to make bets on young players they already have in order to become relevant in the Atlantic Division.

There is enough talent to salvage this competitive window that the Red Wings have been building towards, with or without Larkin. If the organization believes Kasper’s latest season will only be a blip in his upward trajectory, an eight-year deal at a reasonable cap hit could pay off in spades.

Continued; I’m a big believer in the 22-year-old Austrian with the dog named Daisy. Kasper’s a stocky 6’1″ and 203 pounds, he loves to hit players on the forecheck, and while he struggled to win puck battles and utilize his strength over more than a hit-by-hit basis last season…

He’s a spunky competitor and a strong professionally-minded player. He’s going to rebound and he’s going to rebound well.

Is signing Kasper as important as signing Edvinsson as a restricted free agent? Not quite, but it would be really nice if the Wings could get both pieces of business done before training camp begins in mid-September.

Sports Illustrated posted two articles discussing the ways in which the Red Wings’ forwards and defensemen could improve their games, and today, Jayd Serdy provides advice to the Red Wings’ presumptive goaltending tandem:

John Gibson: Improve Puck Handling

Gibson has spent more than a decade proving he can make difficult saves, and when he’s healthy, he’s still capable of stealing games. One area that could make an even bigger impact on Detroit’s success is his puck handling.

Making quicker, more decisive plays behind the net can help relieve pressure on the Red Wings’ defensemen and lead to cleaner breakouts. Rather than simply stopping the puck for a defenseman, effective puck movement can prevent prolonged offensive-zone time for opponents and allow Detroit to transition up ice faster. In Todd McLellan’s system, where clean exits are important, a goaltender who can consistently move the puck efficiently becomes another asset in the transition game.

Gibson doesn’t need to become one of the league’s elite puck-playing goaltenders, but improving that part of his game would complement an already strong foundation and make life easier for the defense in front of him.

Continued with advice for Daniil Tarasov;

Even I’ll admit that Gibson isn’t a strong puck-handler. He’ll come out of the net to block pucks rimming around the back boards, but he’s not very good at moving the puck, and he tends to “stay home” in the crease if he is able.

Last night, I spotted a video link in which Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman discussed the Red Wings’ managerial search at length with the NHL Tonight crew.

Today, the NHL Network finally posted the clip in YouTube form, and Friedman addresses the Wings right off the bat:

Two days ago, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen posted a profile regarding one Michael Brandsegg-Nygard’s NHL potential, and today, he discusses Axel Sandin Pellikka:

Three Reasons Why Sandin-Pellikka Will Play in the NHL

1. He’s a poised puck-handler, unflappable when the puck is on his stick, comfortable with the puck in traffic. Unbothered by pressure.
2. Knows how to guide his shots to the net. Has a knack of avoiding shot blockers. It’s his timing and instincts. His seven goals, on 68 shots, in 68 games, while averaging of 16 minutes per game, is noteworthy. That’s a shooting percentage of 10.3%. Seider had seven goals in his rookie season and five in his second season. He was playing 23 minutes per game. In his first two seasons, Seider had at least 140 shots in both seasons.
3. The young Swede has a high hockey IQ. He anticipates well, appreciates how each play is developing.

What May Hold Him Back

His minus-21 plus-minus was an accurate reflection of how he played defensively in his first NHL campaign. He competed but often seemed overmatched. Late in games, Coach Todd McLellan didn’t always trust him, if they were trying to hold a lead. He needs to add some strength. Sandin-Pellikka said the Red Wings want him to bring more intensity.

Continued; I believe that Axel Sandin Pellikka will eventually become an excellent offensive defenseman, but I also feel that the Wings rushed him into action a bit last season.

Listed at 6′ and 185 pounds, he’s not small, but he really projects to be a Brian Rafalski-like defenseman in a best outcome–in other words, someone who’s not going to overwhelm your physically, but also someone whose skills with the puck are going to generate a whole lot of offense while improving his defensive play.

At this time of year, hockey writers are particularly enamored with list-making as it provides an easy article-ular framework. Last week, The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn praised Moritz Seider’s contract as having high “positive value probability.

Today, Sportsnet’s Michael Amato discusses the NHL’s “best value” contracts, including both Seider’s deal and Lucas Raymond’s similar contract:

Lucas Raymond – 6 years remaining, $8.07 million AAV
Moritz Seider – 5 years remaining, $8.55 million AAV

With Dylan Larkin possibly having played his last game for the Detroit Red Wings, the faces of the franchise for the next half-decade should be Raymond and Seider. The Wings may be struggling to end a lengthy playoff drought, but at least they have two huge pieces of their core locked up for the foreseeable future. Raymond has averaged 27 goals and 76 points over the past three seasons, and Seider has the all-around game that could make him a Norris Trophy winner someday.

If Larkin ultimately gets traded and Alex DeBrincat walks in free agency after next season, Detroit will have plenty of cap space to spend on talent thanks to the suddenly very team-friendly deals Seider and Raymond are on.

Continued; again, I’m not a “burn it down to the foundations” person, mostly because Seider and Raymond have some peak years to give to a team that gives a damdn about results…

Tis the season to pile it on. Earlier this week, the Hockey News’s Adam Proteau ranked the Red Wings 32nd out of 32 teams because of their front office uncertainty and their offseason moves; today, Daily Faceoff’s Anthony DiMarco declares the Red Wings to be the Eastern Conference’s “Biggest Loser”:

1: Detroit Red Wings

This one was simple, low hanging fruit and honestly, the Red Wings are atop the entire league as the biggest offseason loser. It isn’t particularly close, either. 

Their captain Dylan Larkin wants out; Patrick Kane left in free agency; they traded up and coming goaltender Sebastian Cossa for futures; they failed to add any player of significance. The culmination of it all? Steve Yzerman stepping down as general manager, ending one of the most disappointing tenures for an executive  we’ve seen in quite some time.

In a division where every other team could be realistically projected as a playoff club, Detroit is clear-cut behind the eight-ball. Their fanbase may not want to hear it after a near-decade of rebuilding, but the Red Wings may need to take a step back before taking one forward. 

Look, I’m not gonna say that things are easy in Detroit right now. Larkin does “want out,” Kane did leave in free agency, these are true things.

But Cossa got bumped off the depth chart by Michal Postava and Trey Augustine; Yzerman’s stepping down is seen as a fresh start for whoever takes over the Red Wings’ front office…

And no, Keegan Kolesar, Viktor Arvidsson and Daniil Tarasov are not the moves of a contending team, I still believe that the Red Wings are going to be plucky, that they’ve got three fantastic building blocks in Simon Edvinsson, Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider, and they’re going to be determined to prove their critics wrong, or at least partially wrong.

If they’re competitive, scrappier and full of heart, I’ll accept whatever happens in terms of results.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen tosses out some names to watch in the Red Wings’ general managerial search:

Tyler Dellow (Carolina). Sam Ventura (Buffalo). Darren Yorke (Carolina). Brett Peterson (Florida). Those are only some of the assistant general managers known for being strong on analytics or running a quality analytics department. That’s important because Detroit Free Press sportswriter Helene St. James reports the Red Wings are looking at hiring someone with an analytics reputation as a possible director of hockey operations. According to St. James’ report, the Red Wings have hired an outside company to screen candidates.

It’s unclear whether Red Wings have decided on a single hire or a two-person leadership tandem like the Detroit Tigers have with President of Hockey Operations Scott Harris above general manager Jeff Greenberg. The Tigers seem to have an exceptional analytics structure.

Continue reading Allen discusses possible names in the GM/president of hockey operations search

Journalist John U. Bacon discusses the Red Wings’ interim general manager, one Shawn Horcoff, while speaking with Michigan Public’s Caoilin Goss:

CG: Former Michigan State hockey star Shawn Horcoff is the new interim general manager of the Detroit Red Wings. Meanwhile, the Wings have hired a search firm to find a permanent replacement for Steve Yzerman… What do you make of the interim pick and what does the team need in a GM?

JUB: Actually, the interim pick might be better than a full time one they might get. Horcoff was an All-American at Michigan State, also Academic All-American, studying finance and economics. Two very good background majors for a future general manager. He played 15 years in the NHL. He was a captain for three years, so he’s a good leader. He’s also been the GM for the Red Wings top Farm team in Grand Rapids. And as an aside, his son plays for Michigan. I don’t know how that worked out at the kitchen table, but there you are. So Horcoff has a great background. I’m not sure if he’ll be the permanent GM or not, but the Wings could surely do worse. A general manager has got to be a talent scout, a deal maker, and the hardest piece? They have to build a team with an identity and a culture that free agents actually want to play for. So sadly, it’s almost impossible to say who can do those many things until they already have the job. So good luck Wings! Here we go again.

Continued; my best guess is that Horcoff will remain an assistant GM and GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins as the Red Wings look outside the organization for their next GM and/or president of hockey operations, but we just won’t know until the process is finished.

The Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak offers a unique take on the belief that the Red Wings are going to embrace an “analytics-driven” front office under their next GM and/or president of hockey operations:

Let me get this out of the way up front: Embracing analytics does not mean replacing scouts with algorithms, ignoring hockey experience, or allowing spreadsheets to dictate every decision.

It’s a tool to aid decision-making. It’s research and findings, then having that context as one of many inputs. That’s it.

This is what businesses and other sports leagues have been doing for years. Companies increasingly rely on data-driven decision-making because intuition alone is not enough in competitive environments. Data allows organizations to test assumptions, measure outcomes, and make adjustments based on evidence rather than relying solely on tradition or instinct.

Continue reading THW’s Wolak explains the concept of an ‘analytics-based front office’