The Malik Report

In a life that’s taken many twists and turns, I hate dealing in hypothetical situations.

The “What if’s” and “should’ves and could’ves” of existence are questions and declarations that don’t really help us reexamine wrong decisions we’ve made, the unfulfilled wishes that we have or the potential situations where we might have found ourselves in a very different place, had things gone differently.

We can only learn from the past, not re-litigate it, and we can only affect our present and our future. We can figure out what went wrong by performing an autopsy/audit of how we screwed up, we can try to implement plans to do things differently and/or avoid making the same mistake(s) today and tomorrow, and then, we have to move forward.

As such, I’m not posting a very well-written article from Detroit Hockey Now’s Bob Duff that wonders “What If the Red Wings Had Made the Playoffs?” because Detroit didn’t do that.

I don’t believe that Dylan Larkin or Patrick Kane’s nebulous off-season destinations would not be in doubt simply because the Wings earned a playoff spot.

To me, maybe it’s wistful to wonder whether we’d be talking about a Larkin trade scenario if Detroit hadn’t face-planted over the course of the second half of this past season…

But it’s not useful to try to re-play those games for the sake of anything other than to perform an autopsy/audit on what actually happened, and to examine past practices so that the Red Wings can attempt to avoid them in the future.

I feel a somewhat similarly regarding draft pick development.

It’s really easy to say that team X should have drafted player Y instead of player Z, but second-guessing and third-guessing picks that weren’t made doesn’t help with having to develop the players that you’ve got to their maximum potential. You can’t redraft; you can make better choices next time around.

Along those lines, Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen has discusses “Why Draft Picks Don’t Work in [a] Larkin Deal” this morning.

Let’s talk “present and future” regarding a Larkin trade, at least as best as we are able:

Continue reading Why the Red Wings will try to ‘lose with dignity’ in any Dylan Larkin trade

Per the Grand Rapids Griffins:

GRIFFINS SIGN NOLAN MOYLE TO ONE-YEAR CONTRACT

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – The Grand Rapids Griffins on Friday signed forward Nolan Moyle to a one-year, two-way contract for the 2026-27 season.   

Moyle, a fourth-year professional out of the University of Michigan, made his AHL debut with the Griffins on Nov. 12, 2025, and concluded last season with two points (1-1—2), 15 penalty minutes and a plus-five rating in 16 outings with Grand Rapids. Also in 2025-26, the 27-year-old showed 10 points (5-5—10) in nine games with the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye, and eight points (1-7—8) in six appearances with EC-KAC in the ICEHL (Austria’s top pro league). The Royal Oak, Michigan, native began his pro career with the Kunlun Red Star in the KHL (China) from 2023-25 and totaled 13 points (5-8—13), 37 penalty minutes and a minus-eight rating in 67 combined outings before joining Toledo midway through the 2024-25 campaign. As a pro, Moyle has 48 points (18-30—48) and 86 penalty minutes in 130 contests from 2023-26.

Prior to turning pro, Moyle spent five seasons at the University of Michigan from 2018-23, serving as captain as a fifth-year senior in 2022-23. Moyle became a two-time Big Ten champion with the Wolverines (2021-22, 2022-23) and accumulated 46 points (24-22—46), 156 penalty minutes and a plus-15 rating in 164 career games. Moyle also spent two seasons in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers from 2016-18 and notched 60 points (24-36—60) in 116 career contests.

We already knew that Red Wings prospect goaltender Rudy Guimond was headed to Harvard University this upcoming season, but in case you’ve forgotten about his circuitous journey to the men’s hockey program, Harvard made sure to post a quick “welcome!” message to Guimond yesterday:

Welcome to Harvard, Rudy Guimond 🔴#GoCrimson | #OneCrimson pic.twitter.com/I8L2n5FDt1

— Harvard Men's Hockey (@HarvardMHockey) July 9, 2026

We’ve talked a bit about Red Wings goaltending prospect Michal Orsulak lately, and today, I found a paywalled interview that Orsulak, who plays for the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders, conducted with Denik Sport…

Thankfully, a couple of paragraphs are available before the paywall, so we’re going to read them together. Here’s a bit of Zdenek Soukup’s conversation with Orsulak:

I’ll do anything to make the NHL, says the hockey talent from Kralovice

Hockey goalie Michal Oršulák helped the Czech under-20 team to silver at the World Junior Championship, and was subsequently selected by the Detroit Red Wings at the NHL draft. However, the young man from Kralovice knows that he is still a long way from the most famous league in the world.

At the turn of 2026, hockey goalkeeper Michal Oršulák shone at the [World Junior Championship], helping the Czech team with his performances to a silver medal. And he made the most of it in the NHL’s recent draft, where he was chosen by the famous Detroit Red Wings by the legendary Steve Yzerman.

“It was amazing to meet such a legend,” said Michal Oršulák said enthusiastically during an interview that took place in his native Kralovice.

Continue reading Roughly translated: Red Wings goaltending prospect Michal Orsulak speaks with Denik Sport

Sportsnet’s Rory Boylen discusses summertime “thoughts” for every NHL team this morning, as inspired by the last episode of the “32 Thoughts” podcast, which dropped earlier this week.

[sarcasm] Do not be shocked that Boylen discusses the Dylan Larkin situation [/sarcasm]…

Detroit Red Wings: Will a Dylan Larkin trade be found this summer?

The first of the big trade requests made public this off-season, Larkin is still a Red Wing, he’s still the captain, and there’s still a world where he remains on the team to start the 2026-27 season. This will be a tricky deal to make. At $8.7 million for another five years, Larkin’s contract (like so many others) has become even more valuable after the [Philadelphia Flyers’ Leo] Carlsson offer sheet. GM Steve Yzerman’s ask was already high, and it’s believed he wants NHL players instead of futures because the goal in Detroit is to end their 10-year playoff drought.

“I didn’t think, and part of me still doesn’t believe, that Larkin will start next year in Detroit. I’m just not convinced that Yzerman wants to start the season with this distraction,” Friedman said. “I’ve had a few people say to me don’t underestimate it, he’ll do it. If Yzerman believes the right thing to do is start the year with Larkin based on what he’s getting offered then he’ll do it. But I think the offer sheet made Larkin even more valuable, not only in Yzerman’s eyes but in other people’s eyes too.”

Continued; again, my gut feeling suggests that Larkin will be staying home this September instead of attending Detroit’s training camp, but I do believe that the situation will rectify itself at some point early during the 2026-2027 season.

The Detroit Red Wings chose to take a safe route in terms of managing the organization’s crease this month, with the team signing big goaltender Daniil Tarasov as John Gibson’s back-up goaltender.

As such, Michal Postava and Trey Augustine appear set to split time in the Grand Rapids Griffins’ crease, with Carter Gylander reprising his role as the Wings’ representative on the Toledo Walleye.

This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith suggests that Postava could very well unseat the 27-year-old Tarasov as Detroit’s back-up goaltender, given that Tarasov’s only significant NHL experience involves serving as Sergei Bobrovsky’s injury replacement this past season in Florida:

Prior to last year when injuries to the Florida Panthers lineup forced him in-net for 33 games, Tarasov had never started 25 games in a season.

In his five years playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, Tarasov has a record of 32-49-9. His GAA remains solidly above a 3.00 in that span as well. Tarasov certainly can play at the NHL level.

If the Red Wings were looking to send a message to Postava that he wasn’t expected to seriously compete for the backup job, they probably would have looked for more solid options. Or re-signed Cam Talbot.

The Red Wings gave themselves the flexibility to bring Postava up, and potentially send Tarasov down during the season by signing him to a one year, two million dollar deal. If Postava wins the backup job after camp, then Tarasov would be able to help shelter a young Trey Augustine in his first season at the professional level. Not many teams want that kind of cap hit buried in the AHL.

Either way, it’s time for Yzerman and the Red Wings to let their young goalies have their run.

Smith suggests that Postava is the Wings’ current “goaltender of the future,” but I’d suggest that such a term is a little optimistic given that Sebastian Cossa was supposed to be the “goaltender of the future,” too…

And, with a crease that includes Postava, Augustine, Gylander, Rudy Guimond, Michal Pradel and Michal Orsulak all in the pipeline, Detroit arguably has several “goaltenders of the future.”

At present, Augustine is the long-term jewel in the crown, but goaltender development is wildly unpredictable, though the studious Augustine’s a pretty safe bet to continue to develop somewhat linearly.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen ponders whether promising rookie forward Emmitt Finnie will remain as an energy-producing winger as the Red Wings prepare for the post-Dylan Larkin era…

When the Detroit Red Wings Emmitt Finnie selected in the seventh round of the 2023 draft, he only had a 6.4% chance of having an NHL career of 300 or more games. Today, he is well down the path to conquering those odds.

Playing 82 games as a rookie, Finnie has already established himself as a key performer on the Red Wings. On Wednesday, the Detroit Sports Media named Finnie Red Wings Rookie of the Year for 2025-26.

Finnie’s 13 goals ranked sixth on the team last season and his 30 points were good enough for eighth.

With Dylan Larkin looking to be traded and Patrick Kane likely leaving through free agency, one of the questions about Finnie is where will he play this season? If Detroit’s roster had remained close to the same, Finnie might have been headed to a third line role, maybe playing with Carter Mazur, or Marco Kasper or Michael Brandsegg-Nygard. All four players have potential to deliver goals and 150-plus hits per season. Finnie boasted 131 hits last season.

But with the uncertainty of how the top six forwards will shake out, Finnie’s skating ability makes him a candidate to play in that group. He can play both wing and center, and he did spend time last season playing with Larkin and Lucas Raymond.

Continued; my gut feeling is that coach Todd McLellan will probably utilize Finnie as an”energy forward” and forechecker on the 1st or 2nd line, but it is possible that Finnie could find himself playing 3rd line center, too.

Over the course of the short term, the Red Wings need any and all centers that are available; long-term, I see Finnie as the center of his own grinding, forechecking line.

Bleacher Report’s Lyle Richardson looks toward the 2026-2027 trade deadline this morning, making predictions as to whether 5 players might find new homes.

I’m a little confused about this predictive trade involving the Red Wings’ Alex DeBrincat:

Alex DeBrincat to the Buffalo Sabres

The Buffalo Sabres ended a 14-year playoff drought last season, finishing first in the Atlantic Division and reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. That performance will put them under pressure this season to do even better and take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention.

Having traded Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals, the Sabres could be in the market for a top-six winger by the trade deadline if they haven’t addressed that need by then. If the Detroit Red Wings are out of playoff contention again, winger Alex DeBrincat could be available.

Continue reading Yes, in theory, Detroit would trade DeBrincat at the 26-27 trade deadline if he does not re-sign

Red Wings prospect and University of Minnesota-Duluth forward Max Plante appeared on the “Crazy Hockey Dads Podcast” recently, appearing from the 34-minute mark until the 1 hour and 48 minute mark, which is a very long interview!

To quote the podcast webpage:

The 2026 Hobey Baker winner on late growth, betting on himself, and chasing big dreams. Scott and Jamie sit down with Max Plante for a conversation that has surprisingly little to do with trophies and everything to do with development.

Max shares how he was just 5’4″, 120 pounds when he left Minnesota high school hockey for the NTDP, why many people questioned the decision, and how learning to compete as one of the smallest players on the ice ultimately became one of his biggest advantages.

He also talks about growing up in Hermantown, playing every sport he could, the influence of his hockey family, battling through injuries, winning World Juniors gold, and why pushing yourself into uncomfortable situations is often the fastest path to growth.

Give ‘er a listen/watch if you wish.

Hockeynews.se’s Linnea Andersson reports that Red Wings prospect defenseman Axel Sandin Pellikka felt some pangs of missing home as he kept up with his hometown team, Skelleftea AIK, as Skelleftea battled its way to a SHL Championship this past spring…

And ASP suggested that he may end up returning home to play for Skelleftea again…maybe…in 15 years:

The words about Skelleftea AIK: “In 15 years hopefully it will attract me”

Axel Sandin Pellikka played in 68 NHL games during his rookie season in Detroit. But when Skellefteå AIK won the SM-gold, ASP sat in front of his TV in North America – and couldn’t help but feel that he wanted to be there.

Axel Sandin Pellikka experienced a dream season in North America.

The NHL debuted for the Detroit Red Wings, played 68 games and scored seven goals in his first season in the world’s best league.

At the same time, he followed every step of Skellefteå AIK’s path towards the Swedish Championship.

“I sat in a hotel room during the AHL playoffs for Grand Rapids and watched. There were big smiles and many congratulations that I sent away,” he says to Norran.

“You would have liked to join.”

Sandin Pellikka himself was involved in winning SM gold with Skellefteå in 2024, and admits that it roused special feelings to see the former teammates lift the SHL’s Le Mat Trophy again.

“I felt a little little “fomo” (fear of missing out). But it was fun to see too,” he told Norran[‘s Mille Dybro].

The defenseman said he followed Skellefteå’s matches as often as he could, and was never particularly worried about the outcome of the playoffs.

He describes the team’s performance as a total dominance, and believes that he felt that gold would end up with Skellefteå early on.

“Would be the best option.”

Despite the fact that his NHL career has just taken off, there are already thoughts of a return to the SHL later on.

“Maybe in 15 years, of course, it will be time to come home, and Skellefteå AIK would be the best option,” he told Norran.

After a promising debut season, a new season awaits with Detroit – but the feelings for his “parent club” are still strong.