The Malik Report

I’m glad that the blogging business has been relatively quiet, because Aunt Annie and I just found out that, having been here since Tuesday for a UTI and a couple of fall-related skin tears, we’re going to be here for at least two more days due to AA having a very low hemoglobin count.

She’s having a blood transfusion today and may need some gastrointestinal testing, and if we have to deal with any further complications…

We will go home and get some home help care nursing, not head to a rehab facility, because AA does terribly away from her natural environment, but in the interim, we’re looking at a 6 to 8 day hospital stay, with me remaining by AA’s side at all times to serve as a caregiver and advocate.

I’m gonna remind you that we’re still raising funds to pay property taxes, and we need your help there…

Continue reading A full week at the hospital sucks.

Patrick Kane thanked the Detroit Red Wings organization today on Twitter, using a double-picture post to both look back and look forward to his reunion with the Chicago Blackhawks:

pic.twitter.com/isMSjxtEQO

— Patrick Kane (@88PKane) July 25, 2026

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen asks 5 pertinent questions regarding the Red Wings’ potential 2026-2027 season performances with an as-is roster:

Five storylines to ponder as we head toward trading Dylan Larkin, hiring a new Director of Hockey Operations and trying to avoid an 11th consecutive season out of the playoffs.

1. How many goals will Marco Kasper score this season? Right now, he projects to be Detroit’s No. 1 center between Alex DeBrincat and Lucas Raymond.
2. Is Nate Danielson healthy enough now to challenge for a Red Wings’ roster spot? He’s never going to be a dominant offensive performer, but could be a helpful contributor.
3. Can Michael Brandsegg-Nygard play in Detroit’s top six? He offers a physical presence and a big shot.
4. Last season, John Gibson was a difference-maker after Dec. 1. Can he be that player again this season.
5. Who plays on the second line with Arvidsson and Andrew Copp? Is it a young player, such as Emmitt Finnie or Brandsegg-Nygard? Or, will it be a player that comes to Detroit in the Larkin deal?

My takes:

1. Kasper is still a 20-goal-scorer and more of a playmaking force in my mind. I still believe that he can be a 50-point player in the future, but I am an optimist about his recovery from a sophomore slump;
2. I believe that Nate Danielson’s ready to contribute. He may be more of a two-way center at this point, but the Red Wings need all the center depth that they can get right now, and he was sharp in Grand Rapids;
3. MBN will probably start as a 3rd-line player, and while he’s not huge at 6’1″ and 207 pounds, he’s very stocky, very strong and very talented in terms of getting that shot off in traffic. I would like to see the Wings continue to develop MBN’s shooting with skills coaches in order to establish his shot as a reliable scoring threat;
4. Gibson will have to be a difference-maker this upcoming season, but he won’t be alone. Daniil Tarasov should provide solid back-up goaltending, and, if the Red Wings’ next GM is a smart person, the Wings will see some of Michal Postava and Trey Augustine in Detroit as well;
5. Again, MBN starts on the Wings’ 3rd line for now, so it’s a Finnie-Copp-Arvidsson 2nd line for me.

The Athletic asked its beat writers to name each and every NHL team’s biggest “on-ice villain,” and Max Bultman went with a fairly obvious pick for the Red Wings’ biggest nemesis of the modern era:

Detroit Red Wings

Patrick Roy

You can argue the Red Wings were as much a villain for Roy as vice versa, helping to chase him out of Montreal and right into the era-defining rivalry between Detroit and the Avalanche. Roy became one of the central figures of that rivalry, though, partaking in two high-profile goalie fights — first with Mike Vernon, then Chris Osgood — and, of course, leading Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 1996 after knocking out the Red Wings, and again in 2001 (though the Avalanche didn’t face Detroit in the postseason). His swagger and Hall of Fame pedigree are a bonus to make him an iconic on-ice enemy. — Max Bultman

Things apparently hit both ways:

Colorado Avalanche

Darren McCarty

There were several different directions to possibly go with this choice. Todd Bertuzzi was in serious consideration for the incident that ended Steve Moore’s career in 2004, but I opted to go with McCarty because the rivalry with the Red Wings in the 1990s and 2000s was one of the best in the sport’s history, and McCarty is probably the best villain of that Red Wings squad. Sure, Steve Yzerman and Sergei Fedorov were villains for playing major roles in many Avs defeats, but there’s also a level of respect there because they were such incredible players. — Jesse Granger

My answer to TSN’s Frankie Corrado, who is a wise and prudent analyst, is, “No.” He and Jay Onrait offer interesting theories regarding Dylan Larkin’s potential desire to make amends with the Red Wings and/or expand his trade list, but:

No, he did not engineer Steve Yzerman’s demise in order to remain a Red Wing, and no, unless the Montreal Canadiens were to blow the Wings’ doors off with a tremendous trade return, Detroit would not trade its captain to the Canadiens (presuming Larkin would expand his list at all).

Do you think Dylan Larkin could be convinced to stay in Detroit after Steve Yzerman’s exit as GM? #TSNHockey analyst @FrankCorrado22 joins @JayOnrait to discuss. pic.twitter.com/OApCFgRGKl

— JayOnSC (@JayOnSC) July 25, 2026

Right now, my gut feeling some 23 years after the Sergei Fedorov break-up is that this is still a bit of a hostage situation, and Larkin’s still the one pointing that loaded CCM at the Red Wings’ front office, whatever state it may be in.

This is a little fun for the all-hockey-all-the-time sports networks, but for Red Wings fans, who are pretty pissed off about the Larkin situation and the stasis in the Wings’ front office, well…This isn’t just talk. It’s about the future of the franchise.

According to MLive’s Ansar Khan, the Red Wings almost reacquired Anthony Mantha via free agency before Steve Yzerman chose to step down as the team’s general manager:

With Dylan Larkin seemingly on his way out and Patrick Kane declining to re-sign, the Red Wings were and still are desperate for offense. So, Yzerman offered Anthony Mantha a one-year deal for $5 million.

Mantha, 31, coming off a career-high 33 goals and 64 points with Pittsburgh, nearly accepted. Then Yzerman was out two days later, and the New Jersey Devils signed Mantha for two years at a $4.75 million average annual value.

Since then, nothing apparently has changed with Larkin’s trade request, Kane signed with the Blackhawks, the Red Wings’ search for a new GM continues and the team still needs more offense, including a top-line center.

They’re not going to find much in the free-agent leftover pile that includes former Red Wing Vladimir Tarasenko, Eeli Tolvanen, Michael Bunting and Patrik Laine.

Continued…Perhaps things will work out for the best this way? It’s hard to say until the team hires its next GM and we see what transpires thereafter.

Detroit Hockey Now’s Kevin Allen discusses how the Red Wings might assuage the loss of Dylan Larkin’s goal-scoring in a meaningful manner:

The Detroit Red Wings finished 22nd in the NHL in goal production last season and their fourth- and fifth-leading scorers Patrick Kane and James van Riemsdyk are not returning.

And their No. 2 scorer Dylan Larkin has his bags packed.

If the Red Wings do trade Larkin, that’s 27.1% of their offense gone. The addition of Viktor Arvidsson recoups 20 to 25 goals. That still leaves Detroit roughly 40 goals short of last season. The possibility of the Red Wings being weaker offensively this season than last season is scary to the point that outgoing GM Steve Yzerman told perspective Larkin suitors that he needed players who can help now and not draft picks and prospects.

If the Red Wings lose Larkin and don’t land more scoring, their chances of qualifying for the playoffs are slim. Much of their offense ran through Larkin and Kane.

As such:

Continue reading If and when the Red Wings trade Larkin, they’ll need to replace his goal-scoring

Bleacher Report’s Adam Gretz attempts to discern “way-too-early bold predictions” for the NHL’s 32 teams’ 2026-2027 campaigns as of July 24th. Here’s his take on the Red Wings’ season-to-come:

Detroit Red Wings:

Bold Prediction: The playoff drought rolls on

Is that really a bold prediction when the playoff drought has been going on for 10 years? Maybe not. But it is also hard to see it ending anytime soon, especially after the way the offseason has gone so far.

The Dylan Larkin situation is still hanging over everything, they still have a ton of salary cap space to spend with few options to spend it on, and the roster is still incredibly top-heavy with not enough depth beyond the top-four or five players on the roster.

Steve Yzerman is out as general manager (or in the process of being out) and it is probably overdue given where this organization still is.

Where is the organization then? And why can’t the remainder of the offseason change the trajectory of the 2026-2027 season? Or is everything already determined?

I could go off into a long diatribe about how every team believes that they’re going to make the playoffs at the start of their new campaigns–and that the players really do prepare to make a playoff push every damn year—but you’ll probably roll your eyes at me and not Gretz today.

I still believe that the next Red Wings regime will try to place this upcoming season’s Wings team in position to make a playoff push, even if it’s on the periphery thereof. And that’s not just wishful thinking.

Daily Faceoff’s Matt Larkin examines 5 important offseason storylines which remain unresolved, and in Detroit, we’re familiar with storyline #1:

1. Dylan Larkin’s trade request

The hammer dropped in June when Detroit Red Wings captain Larkin, fed up after 10 consecutive playoff misses, asked for a ticket out of Hockeytown, requesting he be traded to the Minnesota Wild, Vegas Golden Knights or Florida Panthers. Then-Wings GM Steve Yzerman publicly dug his heels in, insisting Larkin had five years left on his deal and that Detroit was under no obligation to force a trade if it didn’t feel right. But now Yzerman is out as GM, having stepped down from the post last week. Given Larkin had a frosty relationship with Yzerman, does his departure increase the odds of Larkin staying? He’s a Michigan native, don’t forget. Then again, given the fan base’s understandably charged reaction to him asking out, there may be no turning back. Still, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to see it happening before training camp. For one, Detroit, uh, needs a GM in place to make the trade. Secondly: Larkin’s three-team list, which expanded to four with the Stars, consists of four teams who are seriously lacking in cap space at the moment, meaning they’d have to move some important players out to make a deal work. The Wild still seem like the frontrunner.

Continued;

1. I don’t believe that the Red Wings and Larkin are going to mend fences. I’m certain that the organization will try to rectify the situation in any means possible, but once somebody asks “out” of Detroit, it’s hard to get back “in”;
2. Yes, the Red Wings need to get a new management team in place ASAP, for both Larkin, Simon Edvinsson, Alex DeBrincat, etc. etc. There are many reasons for the Wings to expedite their GM search, but going too fast is a little dangerous in my opinion.
3. If you’re interested in GM candidates, the Hockey Writers’ Tony Wolak posted a fine 10-candidate list of potential hires this morning;
4. And it’s unofficial at this point, given that we don’t know what Vegas or Florida would offer, but the fact that The Athletic’s Michael Russo and Joe Smith keep insisting that the Wild are still interested in acquiring Larkin = the only information we have regarding any potential trade leads. All leads (the ones we’ve got) point toward Minnesota, for now, anyway.

The Athletic’s Sean McIndoe wrote a column focused upon whether the “failure” of the “Yzerplan” in Detroit is illustrative of any particular narrative regarding general managers’ abilities to pull off a strong “second act,” or the lack thereof.

McIndoe offers 5 potential explanations as to why even a Steve Yzerman can star in one team’s front office and struggle in another team’s front office, including the following:

Lesson 4: The NHL evolves faster than we want to think. This is a different way of looking at the problem. Maybe it’s not that the smart GMs get dumb. Maybe the [Glen] Sathers and [Ken] Hollands and [Brian] Burkes and Yzermans of the hockey world really were as smart as we all wanted to think, and maybe they stayed that way. The problem wasn’t that they changed, but that the league did.

In other words, maybe expecting Yzerman to be as good a GM in 2026 as he was in 2016 is no more unrealistic than expecting him to lace up the skates and go be the player he was in 1996. What works today won’t work tomorrow, and everyone gets left behind eventually. [Carolina GM Eric] Tulsky is making this all look easy now, but maybe in a decade he’ll be the old and out-of-touch guy struggling to keep up with these new-fangled ideas as he guides the Houston Scarlet Aeros to another last-place finish.

Continue reading There’s a reason we should call general managers’ regimes ‘management teams’–being a GM isn’t just about being one genius any more